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Back West of Eden Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. PROLOGUE: KERRICK
  2. BOOK ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. BOOK TWO
  31. CHAPTER ONE
  32. CHAPTER TWO
  33. CHAPTER THREE
  34. CHAPTER FOUR
  35. CHAPTER FIVE
  36. CHAPTER SIX
  37. CHAPTER SEVEN
  38. CHAPTER EIGHT
  39. CHAPTER NINE
  40. CHAPTER TEN
  41. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  42. CHAPTER TWELVE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  44. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  45. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  46. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  47. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  48. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  49. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  50. CHAPTER TWENTY
  51. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  52. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  53. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  54. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  55. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  56. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  57. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  58. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  59. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  60. CHAPTER THIRTY
  61. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  62. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  63. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  64. THE WORLDWEST OF EDEN
  65. YILANÈ
  66. TANU
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  69. About this Title

“Other things are equally strange. Look at that male there. You will see that he has only a single penis that cannot be decently retracted. None of the species of ustuzou I have captured has a normal double penis. Not only that, but I have studied their mating habits and they are disgusting.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that after impregnation of the egg the females carry the young. And when they are born they still keep them close about their bodies and feed them with soft organs that grow on their torsos. You can see them, there, on the young female.”

“How very unusual. Then you believe that the young stay on land? They do not go properly into the sea?”

“That is correct. It is a trait that is common to all the different ustuzou species I have observed. Their life cycles appear to be different from ours in every way.”

“Then do you appreciate the import of your observations? If they do have a language of their own they can’t possibly learn it in the same way that we learn ours.”

Stallan signed agreement. “I appreciate that now, and thank you for the explanation. But does that not raise a most important question? If they have a language—how do they learn to speak it?”

“That is indeed the most important question, and I must attempt to find the answer to it. But I can tell you truthfully now that I have not the slightest idea.”

Enge looked at the wild creatures, their faces sticky with the juice of the fruit they had eaten; they stared back at her. How could she possibly find a way to communicate with them?

“Leave me now, Stallan. The male is securely bound, the female shows no signs of violence. If I am alone they will have only me to watch without their attention being distracted.”

Stallan considered this for a long moment before signing reluctant agreement. “It shall be as you request. I agree that the danger is not great now. But I shall remain just outside the door which will be slightly open and unlocked. You must call to me if they threaten you in any way.”

“I will. You have my promise. Now my work must begin.”

CHAPTER TEN