She cleared her throat. “Hel-lo . . . in . . . there,” she said in a succinct manner. “My . . . name . . . is . . . Eh-va . . . Nine. Do . . . you . . . live . . . here?”

A deep belch resonated up from the room below.

“If you can just tell me where the people are that lived here, it would really—”

“Saaga na SASHA!” yelled the creature, stomping up the stairs. He emerged from the shadows of the entryway, waving his arms wildly.

Eva fell back onto the ground with a shriek. Belly up, she scrambled on her hands and feet like an insect, scurrying away from the angry creature.

“Zaata! Zaata!” He shooed her away.

“Don’t hurt me!” Eva cried. “I am just trying to get back home.” As she sat up, the Omnipod slipped out of her satchel. It caught the creature’s brooding eyes. In seconds he dashed on his backward-bending legs to Eva. He scooped up the Omnipod before she could grab it.

Eva jumped up. “Give that back! It doesn’t belong to you!” She pointed at the device.

“Bluh,” burped the creature, and pocketed the Omnipod.

Eva scrunched her nose at the sour stench that reeked from its mouth. “Oh, you’re disgusting!” She fanned her face with her hands. “What are you drinking?”

“Bluh, napana.” The creature turned and walked away from her, taking a last swig. He threw the empty bottle onto the ground before reentering his Sanctuary.

“Wait! I need my Omnipod! That’s mine!” cried Eva. Without turning to acknowledge her pleas, the creature slipped back down the stairs into the gloom.

“How am I supposed to make a fire?” she yelled. Fuming, Eva paced around the entryway. “I am not going down there!”

He’ll kill me, she thought. He’ll eat me and take my jackvest.

“Ugh! What am I going to do?” She moaned. “I can’t find my way back to my Sanctuary without the Omnipod.”

I could wait until he’s sleeping, then steal it back.

“No, that won’t work. Who knows when he sleeps? Who knows what he even is? It’s not like anyone is here to tell me!”

From the forest the whip-crack of another weeping bird-catcher could be heard as it caught breakfast.

Eva stopped, scanning the line of trees. Far off, she could still make out the faint wisp of smoke streaming up into the late morning haze. She looked back at the corroded old Sanctuary entrance. “Dumb Omnipod,” she muttered, and stormed off toward her home.