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Back Return to Eden Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. PROLOGUE:  KERRICK
  2. Title Page
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. ENVOY
  39. THE WORLDWEST OF EDEN
  40. YILANÈ
  41. THE TANU
  42. THE PARAMUTAN
  43. DICTIONARIES
  44. ZOOLOGY
  45. BANSEMNILLA
  46. BOAT
  47. CLOAK
  48. DEER
  49. EISEKOL
  50. ELINOU
  51. ENTEESENAT
  52. EPETRUK
  53. ESTEKEL*
  54. GREATDEER
  55. GULAWATSAN
  56. HÈSOTSAN
  57. ISEKUL*
  58. LONGTOOTH
  59. MASINDUU
  60. MASTODON
  61. NAEBAK
  62. NENITESK
  63. NESKHAK
  64. NINKULILEB
  65. OKHALAKX
  66. ONETSENSAST
  67. RUUTSA
  68. SANDUU
  69. SPIKE-BACK
  70. TARAKAST
  71. UGUNKSHAA
  72. UNUTAKH
  73. URUKETO
  74. URUKTOP
  75. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  76. About the Author
  77. About this Title

Kerrick signed agreement and awareness. He had given up trying to explain the relationships of the Tanu sexes. Nadaske would never believe that he wasn’t following Armun’s instructions. “Time to return,” he said, climbing to his feet.

“Query of interest, desire Kerrick to see hèsotsan.”

Nadaske brought out the weapon and pointed to one of the curled and useless legs of the creature. “Smallness of change, occurrence of importance?”

Kerrick took the hèsotsan, the living weapon that was essential for their existence. Any change in the creature was a matter of concern. This one looked like all the others, shriveled eyes shut, atrophied limbs tight against its side. Once the creature had gone through its young and active stage, this permanent change took place. He looked at the leg, at the white dusting on the dark skin, brushed it with his fingertip.

“The skin is gray here, I see that. I don’t think I have ever noticed it before on one of these. Perhaps the creature is getting old. Do you know how long they live?”

“Knowledge lacking. Other than this mark, it functions as always.”

Kerrick took one of his own darts and inserted it under the flap of skin, pointed the hèsotsan towards the ocean and squeezed. There was the familiar crack of sound and the dart flew out in an arc. When he rubbed its lips the mouth slowly opened. It ate the scrap of meat he fed it.

“Seems to be normal in every way. There is no need to worry.”

“Every need to fear,” Nadaske took back the weapon and examined it closely. “No hèsotsan, no life. Death by eating from predators.”

“That is not a worry yet. Fears groundless, future filled with sun and meat.”

Kerrick started back to the camp. When he was out of sight of the shore he stopped and looked carefully at his own hèsotsan. It was normal.

But the seed of worry had been planted. He trotted across the island, eager to return.

He wanted to look closely at the other hèsotsan that the hunters used.

NINETEEN

They never discovered what was causing the trouble; had no idea at all how they could stop it.