His daughter became more glassy-eyed, and she asked, “Like what? I feel like this piano is just like me: Useless and impractical in a world that demands practicality.”

Nikodemus rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as he explained his thought process to her. “Well, for one thing, I can tell it makes you very, very happy. And in my opinion, that makes it more than useful. Seeing my daughter smile is one of the only things that matters to me.”

That got a smile out of Frey, even though it felt like her father was coddling her. “Please, my smile is worth nothing in the long run.”

Nikodemus made a face. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t get anywhere in life if you aren’t happy. Moreover, I can’t stand to see you sad, so your unhappiness would drag me down right with you. Now, there are other uses of playing the piano, too. For example, it keeps the art of composing music alive.”

His daughter pouted. “You’re reaching. What good does that do in a world where the only thing that’s valued is how well you can kill a woman?”

“It teaches people to value something else—something much more important: Art. It’s a replacement behavior for the viciousness you see happening all around you. Not only that, but I believe that it has the power to bring everyone together, even if it is just for the duration of a song. If everyone in a tribe loves the music you play, then it has brought them closer together, and they have something they can share. Who knows? Maybe it could even bring rival tribes together. That’s why I think we should suggest to your mother that we play a song for our tribe every Sunday night.” Nikodemus said, patting his daughter’s shoulder.

Her face lit up at that. He knew she was thinking it was a brilliant idea, but then a frown returned to her face. “How could we ever convince the tribe leader to agree with that? She wouldn’t see the use in it…”

Nikodemus stared ahead blankly. Hs mind was turning, trying to think of a way to convince her. He ended up saying, “Don’t you worry. I’ll come up with a way.”

Frey was incredulous, but she still looked appreciative.

When Nikodemus awoke from his dream, he saw his daughter, Lily, gazing at him worriedly. Nikodemus sat up, and it caused his head to spin and his stomach to churn. He swallowed bile that was rising in his throat, and then laid back down. Nikodemus cleared his throat. “I guess we won the battle, then? Or is it still going on?”

Lily nodded. “We won. I got to help—I killed some of our enemies and I got to show my worth.”

Nikodemus forced himself to smile, trying to show appreciation for his daughter’s apparent growth. To him, however, playing the piano was a far more admirable skill than being able to kill one’s enemies. Nikodemus cleared his throat. “Way to go, Lily! I knew you’d earn your place!”

Lily beamed at his praise, and then she added after clearing her throat, “Of course… I sort of enjoyed fixing the washing machine with you more than I enjoyed fighting…”

Now, it was Nikodemus’ turn to beam. “I enjoyed that quite a bit, too. Maybe we can find more things to fix together.” Nikodemus swallowed and took a deep breath before asking the thing he intended to ask next. “So… how’s Ellia? Is she terribly angry?”

Lily broke out into a fit of laughter. When she managed to calm down, she replied, “She’s furious with you, Nikodemus. Are you kidding me? You risked your life and the fate of humanity for a damned robot of all things.”

Nikodemus blushed sheepishly. “Not my brightest moment, but Yair is an incredibly valuable piece of equipment. We should do our best to keep him running. Besides, I knew that the Lionesses wouldn’t fire at me—they need me alive, too, after all.”

Lily made a face. “They still might have accidentally shot you. I can’t blame Ellia for being furious. Just wait until she comes in here and scolds you—I don’t expect her to be pleasant.”

Nikodemus sunk into his pillow, making himself smaller. “I don’t expect her to be, either.”

“However… she is partly happy, too. She’s planning on making a pilgrimage to the Church of the Zironists with all of us in tow, including you.” Lily explained.

Nikodemus went pale, he looked down at his sheets. He couldn’t believe his ears. She’s actually planning to go through with that?

“What is it, Nikodemus? Isn’t this joyous news? Didn’t you know that the Zironists are planning to offer Ellia Paradise and our whole tribe baby boys?” Lily asked.