She was waiting for him to do something, but he had no idea what that something was. Unable to focus, Talib closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, like his mother showed him when they used to practice yoga together. He exhaled, grounding his thoughts on the cycle of breath and loosening his body. The day's surprises had manifested in tension in his chest. Lifting his shoulders up to his ears, Talib held them there until he exhaled again. Sene began to sing in a hushed tone. Though, Talib couldn't decipher the words, her low voice calmed his nervous energy. He thought it was a chill passing through, but found himself vibrating from his feet up to his head. Keeping his eyes closed in spite of himself, Talib found that he was beginning to understood Sene's song. And he felt his head pulsate. It reminded him of a headache, only, it was soothing—almost blissful. His eyes shot open. Sene was still singing with hers closed. Talib focused his energy in her direction.
I chose to come here, didn't I? But I forgot what I was supposed to do.
Sene looked at him, smiling. “Yes, Amma sent me through the bummo to remind you.”
“The what?”
“The bummo.” Sene crossed her hands, studying them intently at them as she attempted to form two carrots with them. She cast a bird shadow across the room, explaining, “It's a sort of bridge between our dimensions.” Trying again, “Amma dug a hole and anchored it. He planted me in it, but I had to find my way to the other side. To you.”
“And this Amma person, is he a physicist?”
“ He is the eldest spirit among us. I think you'd call him a god here.”
Skeptical, Talib seemed to distance himself from the idea.
“Not the way humans understand it. He taught us how to turn thought into matter and gave his powers away, save for one. Amma's sole duty, now, is to lead the dead spirits home.”
Talib opened his mouth to speak, but waited for his mouth to catch up with his mind. “How long have I been here, Sene?”
“It doesn't matter. Time is action. The potential of activity is future, the summation is past, and now is upon us. We must move.”
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