Return to Eden

anything, then started back along the shore.
    Now that he had time to think one fact became painfully clear. They must get away from this lake, all of them. If Yilanè hunters could come here, as these indeed had, then the sammad was too close to the city.
    Others might come looking for these three. Even if they did not come the camp was still too close. One day it would be discovered and then it would be too late. They must go north. But they would have to wait until the baby was born. Armun was in no state to travel now. After the birth, when Armun had recovered, then they would leave. It would not be easy. He had been right to kill the mastodon that had brought them here; it would have been impossible to hide and would have been seen by the flying creatures that sought them out. But he missed it now. Never mind. They would take only what they could carry. He would make a travois and pull it himself. Harl was big enough and strong enough now to pull one as well. All Ortnar had to do was move himself along. He did it, not well, but at least he did it.
    Something dark moved under the trees ahead. Kerrick bent double and ran quickly to shelter among the shrubs. There were murgu concealed there, silent killers. He slipped forward with his weapon raised and ready.
    Until he realized that he was looking at the two male Yilanè. One of them stretched out and resting, the other sitting up at his side.
    "Attention to presence," he called out, stood and strode forward.
    Nadaske just turned one eye enough to look at Kerrick, then slowly away again. Otherwise he did not speak or move. Imehei lay at his side, eyes closed, immobile.
    "What is it?" Kerrick asked.
    Nadaske replied with an effort, and when he did his meaning was muffled with palpable sadness.
    "He has gone to the beach. The eggs are in his pouch."
    "I do not understand."
    "That is because although you are male you are not Yilanè male. You ustuzou order things differently.
    You have told me that your females carry the eggs, though I do not really understand how this can be possible. But you saw what happened to him this day. They did it to him. Now the eggs are in his pouch and his eyes are closed in the sleep that is not sleep. He will be like that until the eggs hatch and the young go into the water."
    "Is there anything we can do to stop this?"
    "Nothing. Once it begins it must go to the end. He will remain like this until the hatching."
    "Will he… die?"
    "Probably yes, probably no. Some die, some live. We can only wait. He must be taken back and cared for, fed and watched over. I must do that for him."
    "Do we carry him?"
    "No. The water. He must be in the water, the warm water of the birth beach. That is so the eggs will mature and hatch. If they die now he dies as well. This thing must run its course. Help me take him into the lake."
    Imehei was unconscious, heavy, hard to move. Working together they struggled with his torpid body to the shore and dragged it through the reeds. Once in the water he would be easier to pull along.
    Kerrick helped until the lake deepened enough so that Nadaske was able to swim. He grasped Imehei under the shoulders and kicked with his stout legs, making slow but steady progress. Kerrick waded ashore, seized up the hèsotsan and moved quickly off. It was late and he wanted to get back to their camp before dark.
    They were waiting for his return. Armun looked down the path behind him and saw it empty. She nodded approval.
    "Good. You have killed the murgu. It was time."
    "No, they are still alive. At least for the present." How could he explain to them what had happened—when he was not sure about it himself? "There were murgu hunters from the city out there, three of them. I killed one, Nadaske killed the other two. Imehei is—hurt, unconscious. Nadaske is bringing him back."
    "No!" Armun screamed. "I hate them, hate them here, don't want them here again."
    "There are more important things for us to talk of and we need not concern ourselves with them now.
    What is important is that we are no longer safe in this place. If hunters from the city could come this far they are sure to be followed by others. One day they will come."
    "They came because of those two, their own kind, you must kill them quickly…"
    Kerrick's temper rose to meet hers, but he controlled it because he knew why she was so disturbed. The baby was late, she was sick, worried. He had to understand. She needed reassuring.
    "It will be all right. We must wait