West of Eden

reached out and squeezed a flexible bulb beside the door. After a short wait the door opened and a fargi looked out. Kerrick was pushed through the door with Inlènu* following after. The door closed behind them.
    "This way," the fargi said, ignoring Kerrick and speaking to Inlènu*, then turned and walked off.
    It was most unusual. A short length of corridor made of the same chitinous material led to another door.
    Then another. The next chamber was smaller and the fargi stopped here.
    "Eye membrane over," she said to Inlènu*, letting her own transparent nictitating membrane slide over her eyes. Then she reached out her hand, thumbs spread wide, and tried to place them on Kerrick's eyelids.
    "I heard you," he said, slapping the hand away. "Keep your dirty thumbs to yourself."
    The fargi gaped, shocked at hearing him speak, and took a moment to recover. "Important that eyes be closed," she finally said, then closed her own membranes and squeezed a bulbous red growth on the wall.
    Kerrick had just enough time to close his eyes before a rush of warm water showered down on them from above.
    Some trickled into his mouth, was burning and bitter, and he kept his lips clamped tightly closed after that. The spray stopped, but when it did the fargi called out "Eye…shut."
    The water was replaced by moving air that quickly evaporated the water from their bodies. Kerrick waited until his skin was completely dried before he tentatively opened one eye. The fargi's membrane had slipped back, and when she saw that his eyes were open she pushed through the last door and into a long low chamber.
    It was a complete mystery to Kerrick: he had never seen anything like it before. Floor, ceilings, walls, they were all made of the same hard material. Sunlight filtered through the translucent panels above and threw moving leaf patterns on the floor. Stretched along the far wall was a raised surface of the same material with completely unidentifiable objects upon it. Yilanè busied themselves with these things and took no notice of their arrival. The fargi left them, saying nothing. Kerrick could make no sense of any of it. Inlènu*, as always, cared not in the slightest where she was or what was happening. She turned her back and squatted comfortably on her thick tail.
    Then one of the workers noticed their arrival and drew the attention, in a most formal way, of a squat and solid Yilanè who was staring at a small square of material as though it had great importance. She turned West of Eden - Harry Harrison
    and saw Kerrick, and stamped over to stand before him. One of her eyes was missing, the lid collapsed and wrinkled, and the remaining one bulged out strongly as though trying to do the work of two.
    "Look at this, look at this, Essag," she called out loudly. "Look at what has been sent to us from across the sea."
    "It is strange, Ikemei," Essag said politely. "But it brings to mind another species of ustuzou."
    "It does, only this one is not covered with fur. Why is that fabric draped around it? Remove it."
    Essag started forward arid Kerrick spoke in the most commanding manner.
    "Do not touch me. I forbid it."
    Essag fell back while Ikemei called out with happiness.
    "It talks—an ustuzou that talks. No, impossible, I would have been told. It has been trained to memorize phrases, that is all. What is your name?"
    "Kerrick."
    "I told you. Well-trained."
    Kerrick was growing angry at Ikemei's firm wrongness of mind.
    "That is not true," he said. "I can talk as well as you, and a lot better than the fargi that brought me here."
    "That is hard to believe," Ikemei said. "But I will assume for the moment that what you said was original and not a rote statement. If it is original—why then you can answer questions."
    "I can."
    "How did you arrive here?"
    "I was brought by Vaintè, Eistaa of Alpèasak. We crossed the ocean in an uruketo.
    "That is true. But it also could be a learned statement." Ikemei thought intensely before she spoke again.
    "But there is a limit to learned statements. Now what can I ask you that your trainers could have no knowledge of? Yes. Tell me, before the door opened to admit you here—what happened?'
    "We were washed by very bitter-tasting water."
    West of Eden - Harry Harrison
    Ikemei stamped her feet with appreciation. "How wonderful. You are an animal that can talk. How did this come about?"
    "I was taught by Enge."
    "Yes. If anyone is suited for that task she is. But now we will stop talking and you will