“Do they understand the cost?”
“They know there will be pain.”
“But do they understand the cost?”
“They know that you will be changing them – how much more they understand I do not know.”
“They are the only ones. After all these millennia they are all I have and before I proceed I must know that they understand the price they will pay for the change.”
“It is difficult, they are limited.”
“That is why I must change them – they cannot pass beyond their limits without the change – make them understand the cost. If they do not agree to the change I cannot proceed.”
“It is their limitations that prevent them from understanding the full cost of the change – the males among them seem complacent and acquiescent, but the females are agitated but do not comprehend fully. Can we not make the change anyway? You know it must be done.”
“It cannot be done if they do not agree and to agree they must understand the price they will pay. Work with the females if you must – find a way to help them understand and convince the males to accept the change.”
“I will do so, but I am afraid that they will not understand fully until after the change. They are limited, they cannot comprehend until you change them, but you cannot initiate the change until they agree. They cannot agree until they understand the price and they cannot understand the price until they are no longer limited after the change.”
“Work with the females – use their agitation, they will understand better than the males – after all it is they who will care for the first born after the change, they will be the mothers of all to come. It is they who will convince the males of the need to accept the change and pay the price.”
* * *
“They understand.”
“Do they agree to the price?”
“There is a complexity.”
“There is always a complexity.”
“There is not agreement between the males and the females. The females understand the necessity for the change, the males are complacent and do not wish to make an active choice. The females have pressed them to decide and have explained the price.”
“They will agree to the change? They understand the cost?”
“They will agree to the change, but the males will not share the burden. They are ambivalent about the change; it is the females who understand the necessity. The males will accept the change if the females pay the full price of the change.”
“This is unfortunate.”
“I agree.”
“You are sure you cannot convince the males.”
“The limitation is worst with them, thus they do not see it. The females sense the potential of their kind.”
“There will not be balance.”
“And there will be regret.”
“And pain.”
“What will be their potential?”
“Limitless”
“Limitless good?”
“Good. And evil – there must be balance in that at least.”
“Will they survive the change?”
“They must. They will. They shall be unique.”
“Will they know they are unique?”
“They will sense it. It will be a goad to them. This has to be so if they are to be what they must be.”
“Will they remember the change? Will they remember how they were?”
“It will be as a shadow to them.”
“Will they remember us? Will they remember me? Will they remember I was their friend?”
“The will remember you, but the males will remember that you are the one who convinced the females to accept the change. You will not be remembered with fondness. This saddens you?”
“They were my favourites of all that was created here, they intrigue me, so playful. Even limited, they had potential.”
“You have regrets? You think we should not proceed?”
“No, it must be done, they must be changed.”
“And what of you?”
“I will accept my fate also.”
“Then I shall act.”
* * *
And Eve accepted on behalf of her people, knowing that they would change, and grow in stature and walk upright and that they would gain knowledge, and with this knowledge they would change the face of their world. But only Eve understood the price of the bargain she had made and she wept, not for only herself but for the billions of women after her who would pay the price of the change in pain and blood.
