Return to Eden

anger. "End of boredom! Something out there is causing death in my city. I want you to find out what is happening. End of mystery—then end of deaths."
    "It shall be as you order. Suggestion of increase in armed guards at all times. More plants of poison to be sown about the walls."
    "Do that. And report daily what you see on all sides."
    The scientists signed obedience and loyalty and left. They walked slowly, deep in thought.
    "There has been peace since we returned to the city," Ukhereb said. "Has killing started again? Have we not had enough? Is it possible that ustuzou of death caused this?"
    "They will be searched for. If they are close they will be seen and watched. We would know better if Vaintè were here. She was the greatest killer of ustuzou."
    Ukhereb signed acceptance/rejection. "You served her, I know. She saved your life, you have told me.
    But death was her only eistaa and that was whom she served. Enough new death now, favor requested, name of Vaintè to be put aside from thoughts."
    For Vaintè all days were identical. They blended together and could not be told apart. The sun in the sky, the fish in the sea, the approach of night. Nothing ever changed.
    Now there was a change and she did not like it. The fargi were upset. They came out of the ocean, looked back at the waves, came higher up on the beach and hurried past her. She queried them, she was disturbed herself now, but of course received no reply. Velikrei who was somewhat Yilanè was too distant to hear her, was moving with the others up the beach and under the trees into the swamp. This had never happened before. Vaintè turned from them to the ocean, looked out across the breaking waves to the dark object on the horizon.
    Was there something there? Impossible. Nothing, other than the fish and other sea creatures, was ever in the sea. Larger fish, long-toothed and beaked predators came some times, but there was nothing so large that it could be seen emerging high above the water. She felt the fear the others felt now, turned and looked back to the refuge of the trees.
    Felt a sudden spasm of anger. She was not one to be afraid. This was a disturbing thought, mostly disturbing in that it made her think again. Something that she was not used to doing. She was upset, hissed with anger and raked the claws of her feet into the sand. Angry at the sea, at the thing in the sea.
    She looked for it and found that it was closer to the beach now.
    And it was familiar. She knew what it was. That was why she felt the surge of sudden hatred, for its presence brought back the anger she had last felt here on this beach.
    Deserted.
    Cast out.
    Left for dead.
    An uruketo.
    Now she could stand and look at it coldly for the brief spasm of anger was finished. It had really been the memory of an anger long gone. What was there to fear in an uruketo?
    She studied it calmly, seeing the black height of its fin, noting the heads of Yilanè who were standing there on its summit. A splash in the sea close by, then another. The enteesenat of course. Lifetime companions of the great living craft. Accompanying it, feeding it, always there.
    The uruketo was so close to the shore now that waves were breaking over it, rolling off in sheets of foam.
    A Yilanè was climbing down to the fin, standing on the creature's back, water surging about her legs.
    Something, Vaintè could not tell what, was passed down to her. When the next wave washed about her she dipped the object into the water. That was all she did before climbing back up the fin.
    What had she been doing? What was the uruketo itself doing here? The unaccustomed thoughts made Vaintè shake her head in anger. Why was she thinking about these things? Why was she angry?
    The uruketo was standing out to sea now, getting smaller. No, it was not heading out to sea but was moving off along the coast. That was important.
    But why important? This scratched at her thoughts, made her irritable, so much so that one of the returning fargi fled when it saw the angry movements of her body.
    The uruketo had gone north, that was what it had done. That direction was north, the other was south. But it had gone north. The importance of this escaped her for a long while. It was almost dark when she saw Velikrei coming from the sea with a fish, striding with long steps through the surf.
    Velikrei had walked like that when she had first arrived with the other fargi. And they had come from that direction too. From the north.
    There was