“Fine. A bit restless today, but they’re fine.” They looked at one another, then back at him. “Have you listened to the news today? No? Strange weather on the West Coast. A tsunami and a typhoon collided, breaking up both storms before they made landfall. But now, instead of being focused, those storms have spread their force in a way that they are going to hit most of the West Coast. The people who study weather can’t explain it any more than they can explain why there’s suddenly cold air coming down from the north and hot air coming up from the south. And there’s a hurricane gathering force as it moves up the East Coast. We aren’t sure if we’re going to be dealing with weather coming over the mountains from the west or coming down from the north. We just have a feeling that it’s going to get rough these next few days.”

He saw them glancing at the mailing tube, and he thought about the storm clouds Hope had drawn. More than one kind of storm was coming.

“It’s going to get rough,” he agreed.

“Thing is, the fire that turned against the men who tried to burn us out didn’t take the whole of Endurance. And we figure not everyone who lives there was in favor of the Humans First and Last movement or what they were going to do.”

“That’s probably true.”

“Several of us had a feeling that we should go down there and make sure those folks have enough provisions to last through the storm. It’s not right to stand by and let them suffer.”

If it had been you, or us, they would have done exactly that. But maybe not. All humans might be the enemy, but not all of them were bad.

“Why are you telling me?” he asked.

A hesitation. “We wanted your permission. Maybe you could let other... folks... know we’re going down to Endurance on your say-so.”

“You have a feeling that you need my say-so?”

“Oh yes, Jackson. We are certain we need it.”

No more buffers. Even the land used by humans for crops or pastures would feel the Elders’ presence now. And any human who was out there might not return home.

He looked up and spotted the Eagle overhead. <Eagle? Can you provide watch and escort for these Intuits? If the Elders ask, tell them I gave these humans permission to visit the other village.>

A moment of startled silence. <I will watch. If asked, I will repeat your words.>