Across The Universe With A Giant Housecat (The Blue) by Stephanie Void Page A

that obelisk in the center of your village?” asked Samantha.
    “We don’t know. It has always been there,” answered K.
    “But it has writing on it—what does it say?”  
    “We can’t read it. It was probably written long ago, by architects who are long dead.”
    An expression crossed Samantha’s face that was very similar to an expression I had often seen on my sister: determination. I knew Samantha was going to take deciphering the obelisk’s writing as her personal challenge.
    Leo, I was happy to note, seemed to be enjoying the alien food. Good. As long as his stomach was full, there was less chance he would decide to go catch a songbird and make a bloody mess eating it in front of our new alien friends. I didn’t know how they would react to something like that, and I wasn’t ready to find out.
    After the meal was over, Samantha excused herself to go take a nap. I stayed behind with the aliens, who gave me a tour of the village, pointing out everyone’s huts. Afterwards, they returned to the hut where we had eaten and I helped them clear away the remains of our meal.
    After everything had been cleared away, they sat down on the cushions and began to sing together. I watched, full and content, leaning back with my head resting on Leo’s furry body.
    These aliens had achieved what humanity never had, in all its years of technological brilliance. They had achieved paradise.

Chapter 17

    I awoke slowly, realizing before anything else how comfortable I was. I was warm, with something soft under and around my body like a cocoon.
    Opening my eyes, I saw that I was in my hut, sunlight streaming in through slatted windows. Leo lay on a rug on the floor directly under the sunlight, asleep with a satisfied look on his face.
    I was lying in the bed under an embroidered red silk blanket, cushions and pillows heaped around me.
    Somewhere nearby, a waterfall trickled. Someone outside in the village was playing a flute.
    I lay back to listen to the music for awhile.
    I was safe here. The aliens hadn’t killed me in the night; in fact, they had welcomed us into their paradise with open arms. This oasis had saved our lives.
    I heard conversation from outside: two voices. One belonged to one of the aliens: their woody, musical voices were unmistakable. And the other belonged to Samantha. Was she laughing? I had never heard her laugh before.
    I tossed back the covers and got to my feet—my bare feet. When had I taken my boots off? Yesterday, to feel the sand in between my toes. I decided not to put them on again; I enjoyed the feeling of the sand on my bare feet.
    Leo awoke the moment my feet hit the floor. He stretched happily, yawning. I avoided the gust of kvyat breath directed my way.
    “Come on,” I told him, running my fingers through my hair quickly. “We’re going to see what else this paradise holds.”
    Leo following, I went outside into the sunshine. The planet’s three suns were overhead, just above the obelisk. The weather wasn’t too hot—just on the right side of balmy. A soft breeze blew through the trees.
    Samantha stood in the middle of the village, next to the obelisk, several aliens around her. She was scanning the surface of the obelisk with her tiny computer as she chatted with the aliens, her expression animated.
    “Alan!” she exclaimed as she caught sight of me. “Come over here!”
    I headed over to her. As the aliens caught sight of Leo, they gathered around him with exclamations of joy, petting him and scratching him. The kvyat was proving to be a hit with them.
    “E and J picked us some breakfast,” she said, nodding towards two of the smiling aliens. “But look! There’s something in this obelisk.”
    “What am I looking for?” It looked like a huge black spike covered in runes, mysterious but unchanged since I had seen it yesterday.
    “Come closer. Put your ear to it. Don’t worry; it won’t hurt you. I’ve already tried it.”
    I did as she asked, putting my ear to the