Stephan Wul - Fantastic Planet (Creation Oneiros)

FANTASTICPLANET

STEPHAN WULISBN 978-1-902197-31-9 Published 2010 by Creation Oneiros www.creationbooks.com All world rights reserved Translation by Anthony Georges Whyte Copyright Creation Oneiros 2010 Design by Atavistic Images

This book issupported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the Burgessprogramme run by the Cultural Department of the French Embassy in London. ( www.frenchbooknews.com )

Quietly, theTraag went near the window overlooking the nature room. Smiling, he watched hisdaughter playing. She was a small and pretty Traag girl, with big red eyes, anarrow nasal slit, a mobile mouth and, on either sideof her smooth skull, two eardrums so fine they appeared translucent.

She wasrunning on the lawn, tumbling and rolling towards the pool crying out in joy.She dived below the water as deep as possible to take enough of a run up tosurge out like a rocket and reach the diving board, gripping it with the tipsof her fingers. The third time around, she missed the diving board and had tospread her arms' membranes in order to glide down onto the grass. She stoodstill for a while, thinking of a new game. At only three metres tall, she wasslight for a seven year old.

Her fatherentered the nature room and walked towards her. He took her by the hand, stillsmiling. She raised her head towards him.

'I promisedyou a surprise', said the Traag.

She remainedmotionless for a while, and then, her red eyes lit up with joy as she grippedher father's hand with her twenty small fingers and shrieked:

'Theneighbour's Om had her little one!'

'She hadtwo', said the Traag. 'That's quite rare. We will pick the best looking one foryou. Or rather, you will choose it yourself.'

She pulledon her father's arm, stamping her feet.

'Hurry,Father, take me to see them!'

'You mustget dressed first,' said the Traag pointing at the tunic abandoned on the lawn.

Hurriedlyshe put on the thin garment and ran ahead of her father. One after the other,they crossed the mound separating them from the house next door.

'HurryFather!' said the Traag child stretching up to try and touch the entry phone, asimple shiny plate fastened on the door.

'You're tooshort; don't get all worked up,' said the Traag as he touched it with his hand.

Theneighbour's face appeared on the plate and said:

'Here youare Praw, I see you brought Tiwa.'

'And howimpatient she is!' smiled Praw through his wide oral slit.

The dooropened; Faoz was waiting for them at the entrance to the nature room. Hepolitely unfolded his membranes, stretching his arms.

'Happiness onto you, Praw.'

'Happinessonto you Faoz', replied Tiwa's father.

Slippingbeneath the neighbour's legs, the little girl was already running on the lawn.Her father called her back, half benevolent, half severe.

'Tiwa! You've not saluted.'

Tiwa rapidlyunfolded a membrane.

'Happiness...'she said. 'Oh! Neighbour Faoz, where are they? Where are the little Oms?'

With his bigred eye, Faoz looked at Praw knowingly.

'This way,'he said crossing the room.

They passedthrough several doors and entered a small omhouse where a mild animal smell wasfloating around despite the immaculate cleanliness.

Stretched ona cushion, a female Om was breastfeeding her two offspring. She was holdingthem tight in her folded arms and they were sucking greedily on her teats.

Tiwa leantforward to get a closer look at them.

'Oh!' shesaid, 'they don't have any hairs on their head!'

'For Oms, wesay hair and not hairs,' explained Praw. 'They are newly born, and their hairwill grow later on.'

She lookedat the mother's long blond hair.

'Will theyhave golden hair like their mummy?'

'Certainly,'said Faoz, 'the father was also of golden blood.'

'They are ofpure race?' asked Praw surprised.

'You know Tiwa, this is quite a present you're getting from neighbourFaoz!'

'Not at all,I am pleased for Tiwa! Which one would you like, Tiwa?'

The littlegirl held out her hand.

'Can I touchthem?'

'Be careful,the mother might bite. Let me do it.'

Faozunfolded his membrane and caressed the Om's blond hair. She growled a little,from the back of her throat.

'Come,come,' said her master calming her down. 'Be good, Softina. I don't want toharm them in any way. I will give them back to you right away... Do youunderstand?'

He took thetwins and said:

'She isintelligent and affectionate, but having babies always makes them a littlesnappy. It's instinctive!'

He placedthe baby in Tiwa's hand. It was twisting like a small frog, shaking its minuteclenched fists. A drop of milk was running from its toothless, howling mouth.

'It's socute!' admired Tiwa.

Begging, thefemale Om was in turn getting hold of her master's legs and Tiwa's, saying overand over: 'Baby! Baby!'

The Traagcaressed its head with his free hand.

'Yes, mySoftina, we will return them to you, behave now!'

'They'reboth the same', said Tiwa cradling the baby in her hand. 'I choose this one;can I take it straightaway?'

Her fatherprotested.

'No, it isstill too young; you can take it in a few

days when it will be able to walk.'

The youngTraag seemed disappointed. Her red eyes dulled.

'But you cancome to see it before then,' said the neighbour taking the baby from her.

'Yes,' saidher father, 'a few days will go fast. I also need time at home to fit out anomhouse.'

Tiwa pointedat the cushion where the Om mother was attending to her babies ensuring theyhad not suffered from the Traags.

'Will therebe a cushion like this one in our omhouse?'

'Of course.'

'And afeeding dish like that?'

'Well yes!'

She wasjumping on the spot, flapping her axillary membranes. She began to sing:

'A little Om! A littleOm!'

Then,suddenly more serious:

'They're myfavourite animal!'

The twoTraags smiled.

'And why isthat?'

'Becausethey can talk, and they can even swim if you teach them.'

'Yes, butnot very well... Now let's leave our neighbour in peace.'

He turnedtowards Faoz, unfolding his membranes.

'Thank you,Faoz. Happiness onto you!'

'Happiness,'said Faoz showing them to the door.

'Don't thankme, it is nothing really.'

He strokedTiwa's smooth head.

'Happiness, little girl. See you soon!'

'Happinessonto you, neighbour Faoz.'

She crossedthe mound skipping happily behind her father. She was overjoyed: in a few daysthe little Oms will be able to walk and she will have one of her own. It istrue that a single day in the large Ygam planet was equivalent to forty fivedays on the small planet called Earth, a faraway world from where the Omsoriginated.

When Tiwa'slittle Om was big enough to walk on its own, it was separated from its mother.Neighbour Faoz demanded that this separation be gradual, as he was good andliked animals.

He startedby entrusting the little one to Tiwa for only one hour a day, then two, and soon... That way, the mother and her offspring got used to being apart, little bylittle. At first, the mother moaned endlessly every time her son left for theneighbouring house. She then began to transfer her affection onto her otherchild.