the forest, searched further along the track. Only when Muruspe came up, she had been careful to lead them only from the rear, was any order restored. Anatempe stood beside her, signing shock and grief.
“What is the meaning of this? What happened?”
“It is very clear what happened, Muruspe said, displaying immense distaste. “Intepelei received warning of intrusion, she came alone, she died for her valor. She must have killed one ustuzou, others killed her. You are a Yilane of science who assists Ukhereb. Can you tell me when this happened?”
Anatempe squatted down and touched the skin on both bodies. Signed unclarity of conclusion. “Not this morning. Perhaps during the night, probably late yesterday.”
“Probably. The fargi who hid here yesterday said that she saw two ustuzou. Now one is dead here, the other gone. What were they doing here? Why did they come?”
Anatempe turned to look at the wall of the hesotsan pit; Muruspe followed her gaze. “Has it anything to do with the hesotsan?”
“Alpeasak is a large city. Twice killer ustuzou have come to this city. Twice there have been deaths at the hesotsan pit.”
“And the ustuzou use the hesotsan as well as we do.” Muruspe was silent with inner thought, then signed attention to orders. “We will bring the bodies to the ambesed. This is a matter for the Eistaa.”
There were expressions of pain and dismay when the sad column moved through the city. The fargi pushed away from it, frightened by death of a Yilane, sight of a dead ustuzou. The two bodies were laid upon the ground while Muruspe went to inform the Eistaa.
Lanefenuu stared down at the corpses stretched out on the grass before her, stared in silent thought. Silence filled the ambesed as well, since none dared interrupt her. The two scientists, Ukhereb and Akotolp, had already examined the bodies and agreed on what had probably happened.
The ustuzou had been killed by a dart from a hesotsan, undoubtedly Intepelei’s own weapon. The hunter then killed in turn by ustuzou stone tooth; there were mortal wounds in her neck and back.
“Why did this ustuzou come to my city?” Lanefenuu finally said, looking about the circle of her advisers. “The killing of ustuzou has been ended. I ended it. Vainte is gone. We stay within our city — but they do not stay within theirs. You know these creatures, Akotolp. You knew them when you first came to Alpeasak, before you fled destruction, before you returned. Why are they here?”
“I can only guess.”
“Then guess. Without knowledge that is all any of us can do.”
“I think that… they came for hesotsan. They have their own stone teeth to kill with, but they like to kill as well with our hesotsan. They came to steal them from us.”
“That was also my own thought. We must find out more of this matter. Three hunters vanished to the north, three Yilane killed inside my city. Now, Akotolp, you were to search. What have you found?”
“Nothing. No evidence of ustuzou near the city — or even as far north as the round lake. The birds fly and I have images.”
“Then have the birds fly further. Those filthy creatures are out there and I want to know where. Find them. Should I send hunters to search?”
“That is not wise because these ustuzou are more cunning than any beast in the wild. They trap and kill our hunters. There was another thing that we did when they hid from the birds. There are owls that can fly by night, carrying creatures that can see in the darkness.”
“Do that as well. They must be found.”
“Have you found the ones we search for?” Fafnepto said as she pulled herself up onto the uruketo’s back. Sea water dripped from her as she carefully wiped the nostrils of her hesotsan to be sure that it could breathe easily.
“They are not on the coast of this island,” Vainte said. “Though they might have come here: it is important that we looked for them. It is a rich and fertile place. It was wise to search.”
“The hunting is very good as well. I found the small horned ustuzou you told me of, killed them. Their flesh is very sweet. She signed up to Gunugul who was listening to them from the summit of the fin. “There is fresh meat on the shore for you. Is there a way to bring it here?”
“Gratitude/pleasure of eating. It will be arranged.”
Crewmembers swam ashore, towing empty bladders to support the stacked carcasses. Fafnepto had outdone herself and devastated the local animal population. While they were waiting for the meat to be brought aboard Gunugul took out her charts and put her thumb on their exact location.
“North of us is the continent of Gendasi*. Here is the city of Alpeasak . It appears that this city is close to the tip of a great peninsula of land — is this true?”
Vainte tilted her hand in agreement. “It is indeed as you describe. I have journeyed up the eastern coast, we landed and killed ustuzou there. But if you go far enough north it becomes cold and there is winter always.”
“Should we go that way?”
“My first reaction is a negative one. As Fafnepto has advised I try to think as those we pursue. To go north they first had to pass Alpeasak and risk discovery. After that the further they went, the colder it would get. I don’t think they went to the east. However there is warm ocean and a warm continent to the west, here where the blankness is upon your charts. I have gone that way by uruketo, and on land as well, and it continues for a great while. There is a large river here up which we journeyed. And all along the coast there are bays, beyond them forests rich with animals. I feel sure that they went this way.”
“Then so shall we,” Gunugul said. “I will take pleasure in adding to these charts.”
In this way they reached the coast of Gendasi *, sailing between the golden isles until they reached the sandy shores. Alpeasak was out of sight to the east and they sailed west. The coast moved by, a summer storm lashing the trees with rain, hiding them then revealing them again. The enteesenat jumped high, pleased with the variety of fish they could catch in these warm and shallow waters. Gunugul marked her chart, the crewmembers gorged themselves on the fresh meat that Fafnepto had provided. Vainte was alive, watching the shore with infinite patience, looking forward with great anticipation to the deaths of all those who had opposed her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Arnwheet was squatting in the shade blowing fiercely on his whistle. It was one that the Paramutan had made for him, with a moving rod at the end just like one of their pumps. But instead of spitting out water this whistle pumped out shrill and quavering noise that sliced through the afternoon heat. It was midsummer and the days were longer and hotter. Little could be done during the torrid afternoon, little had to be done. There was meat and fruit and all of the green things that grew in the earth, fish and wildfowl as well. There had been three full moons since Kerrick and Herilak had returned from the city with the new death-sticks. They had moved quickly and had not been followed. Since then no murgu had come out of the city that they knew of. The trail from the south was watched carefully, but none came. That incident was over. While two of the older death-sticks had sickened and died, none of the new ones had been affected. The sammads were well fed and at peace. A peace that they had not known since the long winters had begun.
The shrill wavering sound hung in the hot air: Kerrick marveled at the boy’s application. The sides of the tent were rolled up to let what little breeze there was move through. The baby was asleep and Armun was working the knots out of her hair with a comb carved from horn. Kerrick watched her with great pleasure. The whistle cut off abruptly, then started again even more harshly. Kerrick rolled over and saw that two hunters had joined Arnwheet under the tree and were examining the whistle. One of them, it was Hanath, Kerrick saw, was trying to play it, his cheeks growing red with the effort. He passed it over to Morgil who blew and worked the stem and elicited the sound of a dying mastodon from it. Armun laughed at their efforts. Kerrick rose, stretched and yawned, walked out blinking into the blistering sunshine. Morgil panted and gasped and handed the whistle back to the boy when Kerrick joined them.
“You have so little to do than to come to steal Arnwheet’s toy?” Kerrick said.
