When Kerrick heard the scraping of the bolt that secured the door he jumped about to place his back against the wall, sure as always that this would be the day of death. Ysel was beginning to laugh at him for it.

“Stupid boy,” she said, rubbing at the scratches on her bare skull. “Still baby-afraid. The marag brings us food and plays games . . .”

“Murgu bring death and they will kill us one day.”

“Stupid.” She threw a fruit rind at him and turned with a smile to face the one who visited them.

It was a strange marag who entered first, stamping heavily, and her smile faded. But the other familiar one was right behind, along with the brutal one, and the smile returned. It was another day just like any other.

She was a lazy and not-too-bright little girl.

“Speak to me,” Vaintè ordered, standing before the ustuzou. Then with emphasis, slowly and clearly as though adddressing a young fargi, “Speak . . . to . . . me!”

“I beg, let me try first,” Enge requested with supplication. “I can get a response.”

“Not any more you can’t. If the creature cannot talk, that is the end of it. Too much time has been wasted.” Turning back to the female ustuzou Vaintè made herself clear, absolutely and directly clear.

“This is my personal demand—and it is most urgent. You will speak now and you will speak as well as any Yileibe. If you do, you will keep on living and growing. Speech means growth—speech means life—understand?”

Ysel understood—at least she was aware of the emotion of the threat—and fear, kept at bay so very long, returned.

“I find it hard to talk, please.” But the Tanu words elicited no response from the great ugly creature towering over her. She must remember what she had been taught. She tried, tried as hard as she could, making some of the movements as she spoke the words.

“has leibe ènè uu. . .”

Vaintè was baffled. “Is that talking? What is it saying? It can’t mean ‘The old female grows adroit’.”

Enge was baffled as well. “There is possibly the meaning that growing supple puts years on females.”

Even as Vaintè was attempting to understand this possible interpretation her anger welled up within her. Perhaps, on another day, she would have taken this attempt, pitiful as it was, as an indication that the ustuzou was learning to speak. But not today. Not after the insults of yesterday and the infuriating presence of Alakensi. It was too much—and after she had even attempted to be polite to the disgusting fur beast. Reaching down she seized it by both forelimbs and raised it into the air before her, shaking it and bellowing with rage at the stupid creature, ordering it to speak.