had a disturbing resemblance to death. Yet this sleep was so light that it was easily broken by something unusual. Many times during the dark hours of the night, animal cries would lift Vainte gently awake. Her eyes would open and she would listen for a moment. Hearing nothing more her eyes would close and she would be asleep again.
Only the gray light of dawn woke her completely. This morning — as all other mornings — she stepped from the warm bed to the floor, then prodded the bed with her toe. As it stirred she turned to the place where one of the countless trunks and stems of the living city bulged out into a gourd-like growth filled with water. Vainte placed her lips over its orifice and sucked in sweetened water until she had drunk her fill. Behind her the bed quivered with slow spasms as it curled itself into a long bundle against the wall; its body cooled as it sank into a comatose state until it was needed again.
It had rained during the night and the dampness of the woven floor was uncomfortably cool on the soles of Vainte’s feet as she crossed an open area. After that she stayed under shelter as she made her way to the ambesed, fargi after fargi assembling in the train behind her as she went.
Each morning, before the work began, the project leaders, like all of the other citizens of the city, would be sure to pass through the ambesed. There they would stop for awhile and talk to one another. This large, open area in the heart of the city was the hub around which all of its varied activities revolved. Vainte went to her favored spot on the west side where the rising sun struck first, deep in thought and unaware of the citizens who moved aside to let her pass. She was the Eistaa, the one who always walked in a straight line. The bark of the tree was already warm and she leaned against it with satisfaction, her pupils contracting to narrow slits as the rising sun washed over her. She looked on with great satisfaction as Alpeasak stirred to life. This brought her a different warmth that was even more enjoyable. Pride of place, the highest place, for this was her city. Hers to grow, to build, to expand, to create out of a wilderness on this hostile shore. She would build well. When the cold winds swept over distant Inegban* this new city would be ready. Then her people would come and live here and honor her for what she had accomplished. When she thought of this there was always the small irritating memory in the back of her mind that on the day when this happened she would no longer be Eistaa here. Malsas‹ would come with the others, Malsas‹, Eistaa of Inegban*, and destined to rule the new city as well. Perhaps. Vainte kept that word most secret and never spoke it aloud. Perhaps. Many things happened in the course of time. Malsas‹ was no longer young, there were those who pushed from below; everything changes with time. Vainte would cross that river when she came to it. It was enough for now to build the new city — and build well.
Etdeerg caught Vainte’s eye and came at once at her gesture.
“Have you found what was killing the food animals?” Vainte asked.
“We have, Eistaa. A large ustuzou, black in color, with deadly claws and long sharp teeth — teeth so long that they project from the creature’s mouth even when the mouth is closed. Stallan had traps set near the opening that it had torn in the fence. We found it there, dead, this morning. It was held by the traps on its legs so it could not flee, while one of them had circled its neck and had strangled the beast.”
“Decapitate it. When the skull is cleaned bring it to me.”
Vainte signaled dismissal and caught Vanalpe’s attention at the same time. The biologist left the group she was talking to and came to join her.
“You will report on the new beach,” Vainte said.
“Close to completion, Eistaa. The ground has been cleared, the thorn barrier is high, the coral offshore growing well — considering that it has only been there a short time.”
“Splendid. Then we can look forward to the new births. Births that will wipe away forever all memory of the deaths on the old beach.”
Vanalpe agreed, but also expressed guilty doubt. “Though the beach is ready — it is not safe.”
“Still the same problem?”
“It will be resolved in time. I am working closely with Stallan and we now believe a solution is close to hand. The beasts will be destroyed.”
“They must be. The males will be safe. What happened before will never happen again.”
The dark mood slowly passed as Vainte talked to others, became involved in the vast work that was the new city . But her thoughts were never far from the hunter. When some time had passed and Stallan had not appeared she signaled to a fargi and ordered her to look for the hunter. It was close to midday before Stallan arrived and joined Vainte in the leafy shade.
“I bring you good news, Eistaa. The beach will soon be safe.”
“If that is true then the shame of the city is at an end.”
“So are the alligators. We have found where they breed. I have fargi bringing all the eggs here, capturing all the young. They are delicious.”
“I have eaten them and I agree. Then you will raise them with the other meat herds?”
“No, they are too vicious for that. Special pens are being built for them beside the river.”
“Very good. But what are you doing with the fully grown adults?”
“The ones that are too big to trap are being killed. It is a waste of good meat, but we have no choice. Using nocturnal boats we approach them before they stir for the day, then kill them on the spot.”
“Show me where they breed. I wish to see for myself.” Vainte had had enough of the ambesed. As the heat increased those around her grew torpid and dozed in the shade. But she did not want to rest; there was too much to be done.
A group of fargi followed after them as they walked slowly towards the shore. It was hot even beneath the trees and more than once they sank into the pools that had been dug for cooling purposes beside the path. Most of the swamp that they passed through had not been cleared yet. It was a tangle of heavy undergrowth and plants, foul-smelling, thick with small biting insects. It gave way at last to a sandy shore with dense brush beside it. There was tall grass and small palms, as well as strange, flattened plants each armed with immensely long needles. This land of Gendasi was a very different world from the one they knew. It was filled with an endless variety of new things to see. And to be wary of.
Ahead was the river, a slow-moving and deep stream. The boats were drawn up there and were just being fed by the attendant fargi. Blood trickled from their tiny mouths as the fargi pushed in gobbets of red meat.
“Alligator,” Stallan said. “It is better than wasting it. The boats are so well fed I think they are ready to breed.”
“Then starve them a bit. We need all of them in operating condition now.”
A multitude of trees grew along the riverbanks, rising up in thick profusion. There were gray ones with massive trunks, while close beside them grew high green trees covered with fine needles, as well as even higher red ones with roots arching out in all directions. Between the trees the ground was blanketed with purple and pink flowers, while even more plants grew above them along the branches. Great blooms of many colors. The jungle was bursting with life. Birds cried in its darkness and red-striped snails oozed along the tree trunks.
“It is a rich land,” Vainte said.
“Entoban* must have been this way at one time,” Stallan said, nostril flaps opened wide as she sniffed the air. “Before the cities spread and covered the land from one ocean to the other.”
“Do you think it was really like that?” Vainte struggled to understand this new idea. “It is a difficult concept to contain. One always thinks of the cities as having been there since the egg of time.”
“I have talked with Vanalpe about this on more than one occasion. She has explained it to me. What we see here in this new land of Gendasi might very well be what you could have seen in Entoban* at one time very long ago. Before the Yilane grew the cities.”
“You are right, of course. If we grow our cities there must have been a time when there was but a single city. Which leads to the disconcerting thought that there may have been a time when there were no cities at all. Is such a thing possible?”
“I do not know. You must talk of this to Vanalpe who has mastered such head-disturbing concepts.”
“You are right. I will ask her.” She realized then that the fargi were pressing too close about them, their mouths gaping open as they labored to understand the conversation. Vainte moved them back with a quick gesture.
They were approaching the alligator breeding grounds, although by this time most of the great creatures had been cleared from the banks. The survivors were wary, sinking into the water and vanishing from sight when the boats appeared. The females were the last to leave, for surprisingly enough these primitive and unintelligent
