Winter in Eden

they are uninhabited. The murgu live in only one place, in their city on that island. That is where we are going…"
    Winter in Eden - Harry Harrison
    "To our deaths!" Kalaleq cried aloud, his teeth chattering with fear. "Murgu beyond counting. We are three, what can we do?"
    "We can defeat them," Kerrick said, strength and surety in his voice. "I did not come all this distance just to die. I have thought about this over and over, planned everything carefully. We will win—because I know these creatures. They are not like Tanu—or Paramutan. They do not do as we do, each of them going his own way, but are ordered in everything. They are very different from us."
    "My head is thick. I fear—and do not understand."
    "Then listen and you will see clearly what I mean. Tell me of the Paramutan. Tell me why you, Kalaleq, kill the ularuaq, not any other?"
    "Because I am the best! Am strongest, aim straightest."
    "But others kill as well?"
    "Of course, different times, sail on other ikkergaks."
    "Then understand, the Tanu have sammadars who lead. But if we do not like what they say we find a new sammadar, just as you may have a new spearer of ularuaq."
    "Me—I am best."
    "I know you are, but that is not what I mean. I am talking about the way things happen with Paramutan and Tanu. But that is not the way of the murgu. There is one who orders all of the others, a single one.
    Her orders are always obeyed, never questioned."
    "That is stupid," Kalaleq said, pushing over the oar as the wind gusted about and flapped the sail. Kerrick nodded agreement.
    "You think so—I think so. But the murgu never think about this at all. The one on top rules and all of the others obey."
    "Stupid."
    "It is, but that is a very good thing for us. Because I can speak to the one who rules, order her to do what must be done…"
    "No, you cannot," Armun cried out. "You cannot go there. It is certain death."
    Winter in Eden - Harry Harrison
    "Not if you both help me, do as I ask. None of the other murgu matter, just the leader, the one they call the eistaa. I know how she thinks and I know how to make her obey me. With this," he held out the carved Sasku firebox, "and the bladder of ularuaq poison Kalaleq has stowed away."
    Armun looked from his face to the box, then back again. "I understand none of this. You make fun of me." Without realizing it, she drew a fold of her clothing over her mouth as she spoke.
    "No, never." He put the box down and held her to him, pulled the skin aside, touched her lips, calmed her fears. "It will be all right, we will be safe."
    They came as close to the island as they dared in the fading daylight, then dropped the sail and waited.
    There were no clouds and the snow on the high mountain shone clearly in the moonlight. Kerrick went to raise the sail and Kalaleq called out to stop him.
    "If we go close we will be seen!"
    "They sleep, all of them. None are awake; I told you I know them.
    "Guards posted?"
    "That is impossible. None move after darkness, it is a thing about them.
    Kalaleq steered reluctantly, still not sure. The island grew ever closer until they were moving slowly north along its rocky shore.
    "Where is the place of the murgu?" Kalaleq whispered as though he could be heard from the shore.
    "On this coast, to the north, keep on."
    The rocky coastline gave way to sandy beaches with groves of trees beyond them. Then the coast curved away into a harbor and the row of dark forms was clear against the lighter wood of the docks beyond.
    "There," Kerrick said. "The uruketo, their ikkergak-creatures, like the one we saw. This is the place, this is the city. I know what it will be like for they are all grown in the same manner. The birth-beaches beyond, the barrier surrounding it, the ambesed which will open to the east so the eistaa, sitting in her place of honor, will get the first warmth of the sun. This is Ikhalmenets."
    Armun did not like it when he spoke of these things because of the strange sounds he made and the jerking motions of his body. She turned away but he called to her.
    "There, do you see the dry stream bed where it runs into the ocean? That is where we will land, where we Winter in Eden - Harry Harrison
    will meet again. Steer for the shore, Kalaleq. This is the right place, it is close—but still outside the barriers that surround the city."
    The shore here was mud and sand, carried down from the hills during the rainy season. They grounded on a sandbank, gently rocked by the ripple of the