“I…I don’t know if it’s a law. It’s a custom. It’s something everyone knows and does. If a baby is born and it’s already changed so much from pure human, then its parents don’t raise it. They ‘give it to the night’ they expose it and try again. Only for some of us, like me, well, my father took me back. He brought me home and kept me.”

“There’s a fish there, a really big one. He’s in the shadow of that driftwood log. See him? He looks like he’s part of the shadow.”

Alise sounded excited. Thymara was jolted at the change of subject. On an impulse, she handed her spear to Alise. “You get him. You saw him first. Remember, don’t try to jab the fish. Stab it in like you want to stick it into the ground beyond the fish. Push hard.”

“You should do it,” Alise said as she took the spear. “I’ll miss. He’ll get away. And he’s a very big fish.”

“Then he’s a good big target for your first try. Go on. Try it.” Thymara stepped slowly back and away from the river.

Alise’s pale eyes widened. Her glance went from Thymara to the fish and back again. Then she took two deep shuddering breaths and then suddenly sprang at the fish, spear in hand. She landed with a splash and a shout in ankle-deep water as she stabbed the spear down with far more force than she needed to use. Thymara stared openmouthed as the Bingtown woman used both hands to drive the spear in even deeper. Surely the fish was long gone. But no, Alise stood in the water, holding the spear tightly as a long, thick fish thrashed out its death throes.

When it finally stilled, she turned to Thymara and cried breathlessly, “I did it! I did it! I speared a fish! I killed it!”

“Yes, you did. And you should get out of the water before you ruin your boots.”

“I don’t care about them. I got a fish. Can I try again? Can I kill another?”

“I suppose you can. Alise, let’s get the first one ashore, shall we?”

“Don’t lose it! Don’t let it get away!” This she cried as Thymara waded out and put a hand on the spear.

“It won’t get away. It’s very dead. We have to pull the spear out of the ground so we can get the fish to shore. Don’t worry. We won’t lose it.”

“I really did it, didn’t I? I killed a fish.”

“You did.”