They don't bury the dead. At least we noticed no places where the corpses would be deposited, nor are such places regularly visited, if any. We asked our neighbors what happens with us when we die. They answered undefined, convincing us they will respect any customs our religion may require, and they will recommend our psykhei, or whatever we believed in, to the best place we may believe they should arrive to. The religious idea being the last thing we wanted to carry from home, among us delegates we are all heathen, and no special wishes we have.
(Me, from recording of the talk with Bovid)
- Really, what if I had a wish to do me as you do yours?
- No rules. As you may be wanting. Death should be in agreement with life, else it disagree.
- This sounds like black not being white.
- Disagree as in musike. Not good sound.
- Ah, dyskharmonion? Yes, that makes sense. But how does one know when is it? You can't prepare.
- You can, you can. You always have a possibility of choice.
- Does that mean among you exists... ritual suicide?
- Ritual? Ah, that the belief obliges. No, nothing do with belief. What binding has belief with what you do make of your life? Belief can not rule a man. Man decides what do, what believe. If belief in disagree with life, then no believe, not his religion. Find other, or drop all, make his own if wants.
- But how does he know when will he die?
- Gets to know in time, at least two damars ahead. And choses how to die. Some sleep right on and wait so; some sing, some silent.
- Some die when they want?
- Has that too. When think finished work on life. When full fill his idea.
- And out of dispair?
- That counter us. We help as much can. Not nice despairy. And rare too. Was one some year ago, almost... but was not so for real. Had it hard, tried to finish self, but very diskharmonion... all the near hear and come. Was good after, there she lives now.
- How did you hear?
- No word in komon. Closest special channel for case of danger, do not jam or use with no need, as your bookpantry says.
- Emmergency channel?
- Yes, so you it call.
- How does it work?
- By call. What do you mean how does it work?
(each, but literally each attempt we make to understand whether they have telepathy, ends in a lingual confusion)
- Alright, what happens with my body when I die, if I wanted to do as here do, as if I was from here, and give no instructions? We are not as healthy as you are, I could die when [I'm] not ready. The only instruction is to do me like I was [one of] yours. What would happen when I die?
- You be dead.
- Where would I be then?
- Psykhe, who knows. What you believe, there you go.
- I believe not.
- You vanish, for what you concern. Though, who knows. It is custom we think like this, but nobody believes any of it is certain. Can not be known.
- You are egol?
- I believe it, for now. I know that I not know. You know?
(something's going to pass by me unnoticed now, I feel it)
- I don't know. I don't know what is I should know, and what I know, I don't know is it just so.
- You may be an egol that you know not of.
- I don't believe I'm an egol (here we both drop the dispute and roll laughing – because all the time we tried not to speak our languages. He spoke komon, and I [spoke] his dialect of the low language, and we managed to make a turn of a sentence despite the tangle we played. I have just surpassed the limitations of my ignorance). Psykhe aside, this is not known at us either – what happens with the body?
- Sometimes we dig in, sometimes burn, sometimes in water. Has various.
- Various?
- Someone wants to be in house. In foundation of new house. To plant his tree in him. To cut and feed fish. To give to young healers to learn. To dry and grind and feed birds.
- You're not disgusted?
- No stink if dried well. Why would?
- Grind a man and throw to birds.
- Man not there no more. Moved out. Body without man is like body of anything else, no substance.
- Alright, so into me you plant some flowers. Some that blossom nightly.
- I will pass it where should. I feel you live after me. We go swim now.
(and that winter swimming of theirs... brrrrr)