Return to Eden

shouted. "A sail, out there—the Paramutan are out there!
    Armun ran to join him, the two hunters finally aroused stumbling up behind her.
    "It is a sail," she said. "But they are going south. What are they doing out there?"
    "The seaweed," Kerrick shouted. "Hanath—run and get some, wood too, even if it is wet. Build up the fire so they can see the smoke!"
    Kerrick stirred the fire until it burned fiercely as the two hunters staggered back with their burdens. He spread the seaweed out thinly on top, so that it crackled and smouldered but did not extinguish the fire; white clouds of smoke boiled skyward.
    "They are still going south," Armun cried. "They haven't seen it."
    "Bring more!
    The fire roared and the column of smoke thickened and climbed higher before Hanath shouted from the beach.
    "They have stopped, they're turning, they've seen it now."
    They watched from the top of the dune as the ikkergak wallowed in the water, sail flapping, then came about on the other tack with the big sail billowing full. It came racing towards the shore, rose up on the waves and was carried forward with a rush, onto the sand in a flurry of foam. Dark figures waved and shouted to them while one of them hung tight to the bow. Let go and dropped into the sea, splashed ashore. The two hunters hesitated but Kerrick and Armun ran across the sand towards the ship.
    A wave washed over the Paramutan and he stood up, dripping and spluttering and calling out with joy.
    "Here, not believed, hair of sunshine, friends of years."
    "Kalaleq!" Kerrick shouted as the Paramutan staggered, laughing, from the sea. He seized Kerrick's arms and shook them, turned to Armun and shouted with joy, put his arms around her as well, until she had to push him away as his strong fingers seized her bottom.
    "Where were you sailing to?" she asked him.
    "South—but too hot, see I wear nothing but my fur." When she looked down he let his tail drop to reveal his privates but she slapped his arm and he lifted it into place again. The Paramutan never changed.
    "Why—south?" Kerrick asked, clumsily, trying to remember the complex language.
    "To seek hunters. We waited on the beach to the north but none came. We have hides and many good things. Then we thought to look further south, look for hunters. Never thinking that friends would await us here."
    Hanath and Morgil came close and there were mutually incomprehensible greetings. Other Paramutan soon joined them. Shouting with pleasure and bringing the inevitable gifts of raw and rotten fish. Morgil's eyes bulged and watered as he forced himself to swallow a vile mouthful. Then they all went to the fire to share the fresh meat there. Kerrick cut off pieces of raw meat from yesterday's kill and these were received with cries of intense pleasure. Kalaleq gobbled his down, smearing his face with blood, while he told Armun everything that had happened since they had parted.
    "The kill is good, the ularuaq fill the sea so full you can walk across it on their backs. All the women have had babies, sometimes three and four at a time. We have found how to catch and kill the big birds. And how is it for you here? You must tell me so I can tell Angajorqaq for she will beat me savagely if I do not remember and tell her everything."
    "We are all together, there is peace. There are babies—but not like the Paramutan for we do not lie as well as the Paramutan. But all is well."
    When all of the meat was gone the Paramutan ran to the ikkergak, now beached by the receding tide, and rooted out the bundles of hides. Hanath and Morgil brought their knives and spearheads to the beach and, with much excitement and shouting, the trading began. Armun was in great demand for translation.
    Kerrick sat down on the dune away from all the turmoil and Kalaleq came over to join him. The language was coming back to Kerrick now and talking was easier.
    "We were filled with fear when we found that all the hunters were gone," Kalaleq said.
    "Gone from the north and the snows. We have a camp far south of here. The hunting is good and it is warm all the time."
    "I would die! Even here the heat burns." Kerrick smiled at this, his skin garments closed tight against the chill wind from the ocean. "We have caught much fish, sought out certain plants we must have for the takkuuk, leaves and the inner bark of certain trees for brewing with water for drinking. But the need for knives is great and we wept with fear that we would have to return without them.