Binti

The first words Binti says when she wakes is “it’s all mathematics” (315). Binti realizes that everything in the universe, including life, is composed of math. Mwinyi calls for Okwu, and they both enter the room. Mwinyi cries. Okwu realizes that the microbes in the breathing room, now more potent because of New Fish’s age, healed Binti. New Fish explains that Third Fish realized what would happen and sent the young ship in her stead. They all head up to the Star Chamber where Binti eats and drinks. Mwinyi and Okwu fill Binti in on everything she has missed. Binti’s is overjoyed when she hears about her family; she dances around the room and embraces Mwinyi and Okwu. Binti is confident that Dele will lead the Himba into the future, and that the entire endeavor has taught him that tradition, too, has to grow. Binti finds her edan in her pocket and is immensely grateful to her family.

New Fish tells Binti about the microbes and explains how they both are connected. Binti worries that she is no longer human. New Fish can now use the zinariya as they have both absorbed parts of each other. Likewise, Binti can inhabit New Fish’s body and is able to take over and fly in space without a suit like she always dreamed about. Binti is delighted. New Fish also reveals that they can never be too far away from each other. 

Binti wants to go through Saturn’s ring and then to Oomza University; she worries that Okwu and Mwinyi will argue with her. Binti threatens to hijack New Fish and fly there on her own, but Mwinyi and Okwu both tell her that no one is trying to fight her on it. Binti goes to another breathing room filled with Undying Trees. She lays out the Night Masquerade costume and sits there, studying her edan. Binti calls up a current and begins to tree. She slips into New Fish’s body and flies through space, exhilarated.

A voice emits from the ring of Saturn and Binti speaks to it. She introduces herself as “Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka Meduse Enyi Zinariya New Fish of Namib” (331). The voice speaking has called Binti there with countless vision. It wants a recommendation, to learn more about Oomza University. The voice wants to send some of its people to Oomza University and trusts Binti’s opinion of the school. When Binti returns to her own body, she remarks that it was anticlimactic, but she is excited to return to Oomza. 

They land in the field where Binti had her first class at Oomza University. Binti sees New Fish for the first time and is overjoyed by the sight of her; New Fish is beautiful, less shrimp-like than her mother, with golden eyes. Oomza University representatives greet Binti and her friends. They go to meet with President Haras, New Fish flying above them.

President Haras is a “spiderlike person” and it invites them all to its office. Mwinyi is delighted that he can participate in “deep grounding,” even on another planet. President Haras greets them all and tells Mwinyi that the Zinariya students have written many papers about their people and that there is a group who has longed to reconnect with the Enyi Zinariya. They tell President Haras everything that has happened on Earth. President Haras tells Binti that many people at Oomza have paired with ships in the past. It tells Binti to go to the hospital for an examination. President Haras invites Mwinyi to attend Oomza University, but he declines.

Binti decides not to alert her family that she is alive just yet. The Enyi Zinariya will help the Himba, and President Haras will meet with the committee about the Meduse-Khoush War. The people of Saturn’s ring have already been tested and will be sending several of their best to Oomza University.