“Secondly, a rapport must be established. They have taken our food, symbolic of sharing, but must now be satisfied on a different level. They will wonder just what sort of creatures we are, what we are doing here—but they must not be answered all at once. Knowledge must be shared. If I give them something I will want something in return.”

“And how will this be done?”

“If you watch—why you will see.”

Enge turned quickly away before Ambalasi’s ready wrath could engulf her. Turned and walked slowly toward the shrubs that concealed the Sorogetso watchers.

She walked more and more slowly when she saw concerned motions, finally stopped and settled back comfortably onto her tail. Close enough to be understood, but not so close that she might be considered a threat. She held out the palms of her hands.

“Friend,” she said, over and over again, in the simplest manner possible, using colors alone without verbalization. She stopped and looked at the shrubs. When there was no reaction from the hidden watchers she repeated herself once again. Her body at ease, she was not impatient; she radiated calm and serenity. “Friend.” That was all she would say. It was now up to them.

“Friend.”

The sun moved across the sky and the Sorogetso stirred restlessly. Finally one of them pushed through the shrubs and stood close in front of them, her eyes vertical slits against the glare. She was not the same individual that they had met in the jungle, but was taller and more muscled and stood with a chin-jutting arrogance. When Enge made no move the newcomer raked her claws on the ground in a simple aggressive movement.

“No fear,” Enge said. “Do not fear me.” The Sorogetso was puzzled and she repeated it in different ways, always as simply as possible until the Sorogetso understood and her crest came erect with anger.

“Me . . . fear . . . no! You . . . fear.”

Contact had been established, but Enge permitted none of her pleasure to show. Instead she simply flashed the colors of friendship again. Then her name.

Ambalasi watching from a distance could make out none of the details of this first contact. But it lasted until the sun was low in the sky, then ended suddenly when the Sorogetso turned about, pushed through the shrubs and dived headlong into the water. Enge walked slowly back, her body stiff and uncommunicative.

“I hope that your time was wisely spent,” Ambalasi said. “Though from here I saw very little happen.”

“Much happened, much communication.” Enge’s speaking was muffled, for she was abstracted and deep in thought. “I insisted that the one who came forward should follow my lead, do as I did. I told my name and made strong reassurances that we were here in peace. I repeated that we wish only to help them, give them food if they wanted it. This was enough for the first contact, to get across basic concepts like that.”