How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

Ayan sits in her office, eyeing Dihya, the woman who had just been found trying to sabotage their colony’s water supply. She tries to get Dihya to confess to why she did it. Dihya has a stubborn smile as she explains she was trying to “save” the colony by destroying their water (183). Ayan can tell Dihya is still upset over the cremation of her son, Aytarel, who had been the “first of the children to die” in the colony of Illiyin (184). He had been found covered in worms and gnawed apart. Dihya tells Ayan she won’t be able to comprehend why she did it because Ayan has “never been a mother” (185). This upsets Ayan, who wishes she could be a mother.

Dihya explains her plans started years ago, right after Aytarel and the only other males in the colony died, making it clear that all “hope” for the colony was over (186). The ship of men that were supposed to have started the colony with Dihya and the other women never made it, and thus Aytarel and the other small boys were the colony’s only chance of procreation. Most of the boys, like Dihya’s son, were killed by the elements, but one committed suicide after finding his life, so marred by overprotection, was pointless. In these conditions, Dihya was sure destruction was imminent for Illiyin, so she had tried to escape. Driving along, however, she came upon a tree-circled pool which filled her with hope once again.

Before Dihya can continue her story, the police walk in and report that they have not found any issues that Dihya caused. One of the officers, Umina, asks to listen to Dihya’s confession and Ayan begrudgingly grants her permission while sending the other policewomen back out to keep searching for possible issues.

Ayan explains to Umina that Dihya believes she is their “savior” (189). Umina says she is willing to believe Dihya if Dihya explains herself. Dihya resumes her story, clarifying that she had watched the pool morph into a series of bubbles that appeared to have eyes. She had perceived this experience to be “holy,” so she decided to stay and study the pool, planning eventually to report what she found to the women of Illiyin (191).

Dihya interrupts her confession to ask for food but Ayan denies her, annoyed at what she believes to be Dihya’s fabricated story. Umina pressures Ayan into feeding Dihya, however, so Dihya is fed but not before telling Ayan she should start attending “the evening storytellings” (192). Dihya says they are “enlightening” and that Ayan might have benefited from hearing a story she once told about the Amazons (192). Ayan cuts her off when Dihya brings up how the Amazon women “had no need of men,” arguing that “God made men and women to complement each other” (192-93). This enrages Umina, who says that Dihya is correct: The Amazon women were known to enter “a sacred pool” which left them pregnant (193). Dihya is excited that Umina “understand[s]” and goes on to explain that the sacred pool to which Umina is referring is the one she found (193). She entered in the pool of water, prayed, and the pool entered her.

At this claim, Ayan calls her a “lunatic” (195). The police arrive holding a jug of murky liquid they found and Ayan immediately knows it belongs to Dihya. She realizes that Dihya has been “stalling” with her story, and because of that Ayan will now no longer be able to save her colony from their contaminated water supply (195). Dihya smiles and Ayan cries.