By which he implied that if Deyv was actually sentient he was on the borderline between the have-minds and the have-not-minds. Deyv ignored that, and he asked, "What does she know about them?"
"Nothing. She knows of their existence, but she knows no more of their origin or what they mean—if anything—than I do."
The plant-man continued, "However, we may have some answers to our questions soon. We're approaching the area from which they emanate."
The Archkerri was always surprising Deyv.
"How can that be? They're coming from behind us."
"No. They're coming from a place ahead of us. The figures you have been seeing originated there. But they've traveled around the planet and are now coming home."
"They're not birds?"
"I wouldn't care to say what they are or are not until I have examined them."
The Shemibob produced from her bag a plate on which she could write with a slender rod. When she wanted to erase the writing, she merely pressed a little button on the side of the plate. She and Sloosh, while riding on Phemropit's back or in camp, were often discussing the characters she drew on the plate.
From what Deyv overheard, they were trying to make sense out of the flying figures. They didn't seem to be having any success.
Bright sky and Dark Beast chased each other around and around. Vana swelled. The snake-centaur applied a crystal to Vana's belly and announced that she would bear a boy. This pleased neither of the prospective parents. It was more fun guessing.
In the meantime, the two marred their otherwise cordial intercourse by a long-lasting dispute. Who would go with whom to whose tribe?
"Vana wants me to be adopted by her people, and I, naturally, prefer that she come to mine," Deyv told
Sloosh. "Don't you think that it's better for everybody concerned if the husband brings his wife to his
House?"
"Don't involve me in these intricate and irrational human matters," Sloosh said. "However, I can't resist a problem. It seems to me that there are three ways to solve this.
"One, you two can go into the jungle and see who catches the other. The loser goes off willy-nilly to the tribe of the other. That's the way you usually settle these matters, isn't it?
"Two, you get your two tribes to become one people, merge. Though I suppose that'd cause other problems, as the solving of one problem usually does. There'd be the question of which language would be used. But if they agreed to use a Trade Language, then that'd be solved.
"Three, you could throw a stick up in the air, and if the end you pick strikes first, then she goes with you.
Or vice versa. Personally, I think number two's the best."
Deyv told Vana of his conversation. She thought that number three was the best and by far the quickest.
"You're not a good loser," Deyv said. Hastily, seeing her anger, he added, "Neither am I. Forget it."
The Shemibob applied her crystal to Vana's belly again. After reading the designs in it, she said, "The baby will come in exactly the time it will take for three more circuits of The Dark Beast and one sleeptime."
Deyv forgot his resentment toward Vana and started toward her to embrace her. At that moment, a severe quake struck. He waited until it and succeeding, though lesser, temblors had passed. He took her in his arms and said that it would be the happiest moment of his life when the baby was born.
"That makes me happy, knowing that," Vana said. "Now, if only-"
"If only what?"
She didn't reply, but both knew.
The Dark Beast completed two more circuits. It was in the sky a third time, almost upon the travelers, when Sloosh said that they were about a hundred miles from the source of the flying figures. All they had to do was journey fifty more miles on the highway and then turn right for fifty more. Hopefully, they'd come to a junction where a highway would go in the desired direction. If not, then they'd have to cross the heavily forested mountainous area.
They were near a steep mountain on their left when Sloosh announced this. On their right was a hilly area. Sloosh paused, then said, "Deyv, Vana, will you be leaving us? Or will you go with us to the source?"
"If you're returning to this highway, we might as well go with you," Deyv said. "It won't hurt to waste more time, we've been gone so long now. Besides, I'd feel safer with Phemropit and the rest of you with us. It won't be easy for just the two of us to take care of a baby without protection."
"I agree with you," Vana said. "But you might have asked what I thought before you spoke."
"Woman," Deyv said, "we're in trouble. The ways of your tribe are just too different from my tribe's.
Among my people, certain things are women's and others are men's. But in cases like these, it is up to the man to make the decision."
Vana opened her mouth to reply. She may even have uttered a word. If she did, it was lost in the sudden rumble, followed by a great noise as if the world had cracked. In fact, that was what had happened, though locally. One of the bellowing rifts opened up directly below the road on which they had paused for a moment The highway dropped for a foot, then the hanging section began to stretch. At the same time, it swayed from side to side. They felt as if they were on a suspension bridge over an abyss, a bridge pushed by a high wind. It rocked back and forth and sagged as they scrambled, screaming, for the edges of the sudden cliffs.
Phemropit, which had been on the outer lane, did not move for a moment It probably was not immediately aware of the situation. But its sensors told it that it was in danger of falling off, and its tracks began turning. Too late. Its enormous weight bent the rubbery material to one side, and it slid off.
Its tracks still turning, it disappeared into the gap.
Deyv was vaguely aware of this but only because he happened to look behind him for a second. He was busy trying to keep Vana and himself from sliding off. They were, fortunately, in the middle of the highway when the quake struck. They had been hurled onto their faces when the rift opened, but they struggled up onto their hands and knees and crawled toward the ground. It was not solid; it was bouncing like the breast of a running woman. But whatever small refuge it offered, it was better than dropping into the chasm.
To their right was a roar that drowned put the ground-rumble. The side of the mountain was sliding toward them, the soil, the trees, the huge boulders.
He shouted at Vana to hurry, but she couldn't have heard him. It would have made no difference. She was going as fast as she could.
Jum leaped past them, his mouth open as if he were howling. Something touched Deyv's ankle. Sloosh, he supposed. The Shemibob was almost to the edge of the abyss. He didn't know where Aejip, the
Yawtl, the witch, and her daughter were. At the moment, he wasn't the least concerned about them. All he wanted was to get himself and his mate to safety. If they went down, three lives would be lost. The baby's might be destroyed anyway, since Vana had been propelled forward hard upon her belly.
They were ten feet away from the edge when The Shemibob ran back onto the hanging part to help them. Her forty legs moved swiftly; her front part was stretched out so far that she used her arms as legs.
When she got to them, she cried something, it didn't matter what, and she grabbed Vana. Then, rising with her in her arms, she turned, almost fell over to one side, righted herself, and sped away with her burden.
Deyv crawled sobbing after her. She put the woman down on the ground, and she came back for him.
Instead of trying to pick him up, she held out a hand. He seized it, felt a grip as mighty as the plantman's, and was lifted up and over her head, her back arcing backward. He thought his arm had been jerked out of its socket. He fell screaming with pain, almost striking Vana. The impact knocked him halfsenseless, and for a while he didn't know who he was or what was happening around him.