Parid’ji

Parid’ji are sociable creatures whose capacity to attach to others is likened to, but explicitly distinguished from, Atevi man’chi. Boji gives that distinction a lively, concrete form: he seeks contact, learns clever actions, and turns household objects into opportunities for escape and play, while accounts of the species’ past place it across landscapes now transformed.

Behavior and Attachment

Parid’ji are sociable among themselves, and when Atevi are the only available company, some form attachments to them. Jegari describes this as something like attachment, but not man’chi; the difference matters, because the creatures’ closeness is not simply treated as an animal version of an Atevi social bond. They can also learn useful tricks, including retrieving a ball.

Boji’s behavior shows both affinity and independence. He climbs onto Cajeiri’s arm and settles behind him on the couch, accepting a scratch on the cheek. When Cajeiri passes Artur the end of Boji’s chain, Boji vaults toward Artur and catches the chain in midair. Artur clips it to the grillwork, leaving Boji free to move either inside or outside the enclosure. The small episode presents companionship not as stillness or obedience, but as an active negotiation with a quick, mobile creature.

Boji’s Mischief and Cleverness

Parid’ji also steal. Boji has made off with Cajeiri’s treasured penknife and a new hair ribbon, chewing through the ribbon so his little hands are free for a jump. The details join dexterity to mischief: the stolen objects are not merely lost possessions, but materials Boji manipulates to make his own movement possible.

His cleverness is apparent to the human children as well as to Cajeiri. During the exchange with Artur, Boji leaps for the chain while Artur manages to retain it; Boji then climbs to Artur’s shoulder and chatters at him as Artur takes him toward the enclosure. The scene makes the relationship legible through action rather than explanation: Boji engages with people, but does so on his own terms.

Range, History, and Representation

Cajeiri describes Parid’ji as having once lived as far south as Shejidan, when forests stretched across the Atageini ridge and onward to the mountains. He also recalls extensive forest on the Southern Island, except along the coast, before the three islands blew up. When Artur asks whether Parid’ji are related to Atevi, Cajeiri allows that they might be, but the exchange does not settle the question. He speculates that larger Parid’ji may still exist in the Southern Island’s mountains, perhaps as far north as the present location; this remains a possibility, not a confirmed sighting.

Parid’ji figures appear on a tall vase at an exhibition, drawing the children toward the glass. The artwork places the creatures within a visual record of the culture around them, while the children’s own behavior produces a pointed comparison: when they bow correctly after being cued, onlookers are amazed and mollified, almost as if a trio of Parid’ji had demonstrated civilization. The comparison registers the observers’ surprise at the children’s disciplined conduct; it does not erase the difference between the human youngsters and the creatures depicted.