I started walking again, still heading uphill. All along the way, I kept seeing octopuses. I nodded politely at each one I saw, though I felt sort of stupid doing it.

By early afternoon, my legs were shaking. Not only had I found nothing to eat, but I’d been climbing steadily uphill. I sat down to rest, trying to suppress the growing fear that I was lost forever in the S-Em.

Cordus will come get me, I told myself. I’m valuable to him.

But what if Graham got away? my pessimistic side responded. What if Cordus can’t find me?

Then Graham will come get me, I told myself firmly. He wouldn’t abandon me here.

Will he? He was trying to get Justine, not me, pessimistic Beth said.

Pessimistic Beth was too smart for her own good. Huddled on the forest floor, I started to cry, and once I did, I couldn’t stop for the longest time.

What finally got through the sobs was the feeling of being tapped on the leg. I looked up and discovered a tree-octopus perched on the large root beside me. It had reached out a tentacle and touched me. As I watched, it reached out again.

I jumped up and backed away, hurriedly wiping my face. The tree-’pus retreated up its root a bit, eyeing me.

“I’m sorry to be rude, but what do you want?”

It didn’t say anything.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

Again, no response. What did it say about me that I’d thought I might get one?

Slowly, it unfurled one tentacle toward me. Nestled among the suckers was a large snail.

“Oh. Is that for me?”

The tree-’pus put the snail down on the crushed ferns where I’d been sitting and withdrew its tentacle. Cautiously, I edged forward and reached a hand out. The tree-’pus backed away a bit, so I picked up the snail. Turning it over in my hands, I saw the shell was neatly cracked. I lifted half the shell away, revealing the snail inside. It was still alive, though it didn’t seem to be in good shape.

“Is this to eat?” I brought it up to my mouth. “Eat?”

The tree-’pus just looked at me.

“Um … thanks. I think this is a gift. I’m sorry if I’m misunderstanding you.”

I put the shell halves back together and stuck the snail in my pocket.

“I do want to eat it, but I want to cook it first, okay?”

I sat back down, hoping the thing didn’t squish. Once I was sitting, the tree-’pus started approaching me again. It came slowly, stopping and looking at me every few inches, so I held still. Eventually it touched my leg, then withdrew its tentacle and looked at me.