“Enough. To work. There is much to do. You, Enge, stay. But order the rest of these creatures to their tasks.”
“They cannot be ordered—” She saw Ambalasi’s growing anger and turned swiftly to the crowd. “In Ambalasi’s honor, and in honor of Ugunenapsa who guides us all, we must grow this city well so we must now return to our chosen duties. I remind you of our mutual decision. We will do what must be done.”
She turned back to Ambalasi who made a sign of importance in the direction of the jungle as she spoke. “I think that now we shall begin our work with the Sorogetso. Have they been observing us?”
“They have. As you requested all sightings of them have been reported to me. They watch from the shadow of the trees very often, come even closer along the riverbank.”
“They have not been approached?”
“No, you ordered that. But they have been observed. There are three of them watching us now.”
“What? Why have I not been told?”
“Your instructions were to observe and record — not act.”
“There are times when independent thought is called for. I am surprised at your lack of enterprise, Enge.”
Enge knew better than to answer this impossible statement. Ambalasi stood and looked about. “Where are they? I see nothing.”
“That is because you look in the wrong direction. Behind you, at the river’s edge, there is a ledge above the water with new shrubs growing on it. They swim there daily and observe us from hiding.”
“They have not been disturbed?”
“No, of course not.”
“Occasionally, presumably by complete chance, your followers do something right. We will now consider contacting the Sorogetso. I will go and begin communication.”
“No,” Enge said, with signs of strength and command.
Ambalasi fell back, shocked, for in living memory she had never been spoken to in that manner. Enge addressed her again, quickly, before the volcano of the scientist’s temper blew her away.
“I told you earlier of my studies of communication. I will tell you now that I have developed theories of sound-color-movement which I will be pleased to explain to you. I have also worked long to study fargi and elininyil communication, and have done the same with males in the hanale. I have searched the records and have discovered that I am the only one who has done this for a very long time. Since I am a specialist I know you will want to listen to my suggestions.” She saw that Ambalasi was swelling with anger, ready to explode. “You did not chastise Elem for exercising her specialized knowledge to feed the uruketo,” she added quickly.
Ambalasi fell back — and made an easy motion of subtlety appreciated.
“In the fullness of time you are no match for me, Enge, but occasionally you present a glimmer of light that brings me amusement. I am very tired so will take this opportunity to lie in the shade and listen while you explain.”
“First,” Enge said, raising a thumb with a positive gesture, for she had pondered long and hard about this, “one must go alone — just as you went with the fish.”
“Accepted. If I am the one.”
Enge did not stop to argue, but went on.
“Secondly, a rapport must be established. They have taken our food, symbolic of sharing, but must now be satisfied on a different level. They will wonder just what sort of creatures we are, what we are doing here — but they must not be answered all at once. Knowledge must be shared. If I give them something I will want something in return.”
“And how will this be done?”
“If you watch — why you will see.”
Enge turned quickly away before Ambalasi’s ready wrath could engulf her. Turned and walked slowly toward the shrubs that concealed the Sorogetso watchers.
She walked more and more slowly when she saw concerned motions, finally stopped and settled back comfortably onto her tail. Close enough to be understood, but not so close that she might be considered a threat. She held out the palms of her hands.
“Friend,” she said, over and over again, in the simplest manner possible, using colors alone without verbalization. She stopped and looked at the shrubs. When there was no reaction from the hidden watchers she repeated herself once again. Her body at ease, she was not impatient; she radiated calm and serenity. “Friend.” That was all she would say. It was now up to them.
“Friend.”
The sun moved across the sky and the Sorogetso stirred restlessly. Finally one of them pushed through the shrubs and stood close in front of them, her eyes vertical slits against the glare. She was not the same individual that they had met in the jungle, but was taller and more muscled and stood with a chin-jutting arrogance. When Enge made no move the newcomer raked her claws on the ground in a simple aggressive movement.
“No fear,” Enge said. “Do not fear me.” The Sorogetso was puzzled and she repeated it in different ways, always as simply as possible until the Sorogetso understood and her crest came erect with anger.
“Me… fear… no! You… fear.”
Contact had been established, but Enge permitted none of her pleasure to show. Instead she simply flashed the colors of friendship again. Then her name.
Ambalasi watching from a distance could make out none of the details of this first contact. But it lasted until the sun was low in the sky, then ended suddenly when the Sorogetso turned about, pushed through the shrubs and dived headlong into the water. Enge walked slowly back, her body stiff and uncommunicative.
“I hope that your time was wisely spent,” Ambalasi said. “Though from here I saw very little happen.”
“Much happened, much communication.” Enge’s speaking was muffled, for she was abstracted and deep in thought. “I insisted that the one who came forward should follow my lead, do as I did. I told my name and made strong reassurances that we were here in peace. I repeated that we wish only to help them, give them food if they wanted it. This was enough for the first contact, to get across basic concepts like that.”
“Basic indeed. I hope it has not been all a waste of time. Did you at least get the creature’s name?”
“Yes.”
“Well, speak then. What is she called?”
“Eeasassiwi. Strong-fisher. But that is not her name.” Enge hesitated before Ambalasi’s signed confusion, then spoke again with slow precision.
“We cannot say that it is her name.
“We must say instead that it is his name.
“Yes, that is right, this strong-fisher is a male.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
“What you are saying is a complete and utter impossibility.” Ambalasi reinforced the strength of her statements with modifiers of infinite enlargement. Enge bowed beneath the weight of her rage and assertiveness, but did not alter anything.
“That may be as you say, great Ambalasi, for you are the wisest in the sciences of life. I am humble before your knowledge — yet I still know what I know.”
“How could you know?” Ambalasi hissed, her entire body atremble, her crest engorged and inflamed.
“I know in the simplest manner. The Sorogetso grew angry when I would not respond as it wished, made threatening gestures, one of which involved opening its sexual sac. I have seen what I have seen. It is male, not female.”
Ambalasi collapsed backward, suddenly pale, gasping aloud as her strong passions ebbed. There was no mistake; Enge had seen what she had seen. Her limbs twitched in confusion as she sought some meaning, some possible explanation. Her inescapable conclusions were logically correct, personally repulsive.
“If the creature made gestures of threat, and one of these gestures involved its sexual organs, I can only
