“The first birds that we sent out have returned,” Vaintè said. “The pictures have been examined and we think that the ustuzou pack from the shore is close to these mountains now, farther to the north.”

“You are sure?” Malsas< asked.

“There is never certainty with the ustuzou since one of the creatures is very much like any other. But we do know that they are on the beach no longer, nor are there any packs of them still to the south.”

Stallan stayed behind them, silent, listening. No packs had been found, she agreed with that. But nothing still meant nothing. There was something wrong in all this. She had that feeling, a hunter’s feeling, but did not know what was causing it. Malsas<, though not a hunter, all unknowingly shared her sense of unease.

“I don’t understand it. Why did the beasts make that long march to the shore—then leave almost at once?”

Vaintè moved with uncertainty. “They hunt for food that they must have for the winter. They fish in the sea.”

“They had time for little hunting,” Stallan said.

“Exactly,” Malsas< said. “Then what was their motive in doing this thing? Do they have motives—or do they simply run about like animals? You kept one for a long time, Vaintè, you must know.”

“They think. They reason. They have an animal cunning that can be very dangerous. We must never forget the way they killed the fargi on the beaches.”

“Your ustuzou escaped, didn’t he?” Malsas< asked. “Was it with that pack on the beach?”

Vaintè spoke as calmly as she could. “I believe so. That one is dangerous for it not only has the animal cunning of an ustuzou but some of the learning of Yilanè as well.” So Malsas< was spying on her, knew of her interest in the enlarged pictures. That was only to be expected: she would have done the same herself.

“The creature must be destroyed, its skin hung from the thorns.”

“My wish as well, Eistaa.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“As much as I would like to see that one ustuzou destroyed, I think it is of greater importance to kill all the ustuzou. In the end it will accomplish the same thing. All dead, he is dead.”

“That is a wise plan. How will you go about implementing it?”

“With the Eistaa’s permission I wish to launch a trumal that will end this menace completely.”

Malsas< registered appreciation and doubt in equal parts. She had taken part, as they all had, in trumal in the ocean of their youth—when different efenburu joined together, worked together in harmony against a single object. Many times a school of squid would be too large for one efenburu to handle. When they attacked like this the trumal would always end in complete destruction. There would be no survivors.