“It is yours. A gift of friendship. Take it and eat. Take it, it is yours.”

The other looked confused, drew back a bit and opened her mouth with lack of comprehension. Perfect dentition, Ambalasi observed. She must simplify.

“Fish-for-eating,” she said, using the very simplest expression, non-verbal and simple color-change in her palms. The other raised her hand.

“Fish,” she color-signed. Bent and seized it up, turned and fled from sight once again.

“Excellent first contact,” Ambalasi said. “That is enough for today, and I grow tired. We return. Did you see what she said?”

Enge was radiant with excitement. “I did, it was wonderful! There is a theory of communication that begins in this manner. It assumes that we learned to speak in the ocean, physically at first, then with greater skill and verbalization.”

“It makes biological sense as well. Non-verbal communication would appear to be universal in the sea. When our species separated from theirs, signed-colored speaking must have existed — or we would not have been able to communicate just now. The question is — are they Yilanè or yiliebe? Is this primitive signing all that they know? I must find out. There is much work to be done with them.”

Enge was just as enthusiastic. “It is an opportunity never presented before! What pleasure. I have long studied communication and look forward expectantly to further work.”

“I am pleased to hear that you have interests other than your life-death philosophizing. You will join me in this project, for there is much to be done.”

They made their way back to the riverbank, but they were now more hesitant about plunging into the river. No longer carried away by excitement they were fully aware of the dangers beneath the surface: they attempted to stay in the shallows as they worked their way around the growing barrier. Smeared with mud, uncaring, they made their way back through the dead plants. The Daughters of Life were gathered by the uruketo, talking. Ambalasi looked about with growing anger.

“The work has not been done! No excuses for sloth-laziness-unsuitability.”

Enge signed a query as well and Satsat, who was at the center of the circle, requested permission to speak.

“Far‹ requested permission to address us all. Of course we listened, for she is a deep thinker. Now we discuss her thoughts—”

“She will speak for herself!” Ambalasi said with growing disgust. “Which of you Daughters of Talk is Far‹?”

Enge indicated a thin Yilanè with large, intense eyes, who filled her days with Ugunenapsa’s thoughts. She signed them all to attend her, then spoke.

“Ugunenapsa said that—”

“Silence!” Ambalasi ordered, using the rudest form of address, from highest to lowest fargi. Far‹ colored at the insult. “We hear far too much of Ugunenapsa’s thoughts. I asked why you stopped the work here?”

“I did not stop it — I just suggested it be examined. It is because we all came to this place of labor of our free will. But once we had arrived here you issued orders as to what we were to do, yet you did not ask how or why we wanted to work, but simply and as imperiously as an eistaa issued orders. But we do not take orders. We have come too far, have suffered too much for our beliefs to abandon them at this time. We are grateful, of course, but gratitude does not imply servitude. As Ugunenapsa said—”

Ambalasi did not hear what Ugunenapsa had said this time, but turned to Enge and signed urgency of attention.

“This is the end of my patience, end of my help. I know all that must be done; your Daughters of Stupidity know nothing but argument. I am through — unless you convince them quickly that interference must stop. Without my assistance you will all soon be dead and I am beginning to feel that that day would be a very happy one for me. I now go to the uruketo, to cleanse myself, to eat and drink and compose my thoughts. When I return you will tell me if you wish a city here. And if you do, you will tell me how cooperation will be achieved. Now — silence, until I am out of sight. I wish to hear nothing of your discussion, nor do I wish to hear the name Ugunenapsa uttered in my presence again without my permission to speak it.”

With every line of her body radiating anger and firmness of purpose she turned and stamped away toward the uruketo, nail gouges in the dirt marking her path. After rinsing herself at the river’s edge she clambered onto the uruketo and settled in the shade of its fin, calling out for attention as she did so. Elem emerged from the fin and looked down from above.

“Food and water,” Ambalasi ordered. “Speed of delivery. Urgency.”

Elem brought them herself, for she respected the scientist for her great intelligence, forgiving her all insults with gratitude for knowledge gained. Ambalasi saw this in the movements of her body and was mollified.

“Your scientific interests far outweigh your philosophical bent,” she said. “You are a better individual for it and I can bear your presence.”

“Kind thoughts from above equal to warm rays of the sun.”

“And you are Yilanè with gracious speaking as well. Share my meat and let me tell you of a scientific discovery that is incredible in its magnitude.”

Time was taken in the telling for Elem was a most satisfactory audience. The sun was on its way down the sky when Ambalasi finished and returned to the land. The first thing she saw, with a great deal of satisfaction, was that the Daughters were now working to clear the dead undergrowth. Enge put down an armload of wood and turned to speak with the scientist choosing her expressions carefully in order to obey the edict not to mention the name of Ugunenapsa.

“We discussed the work here in the light of our beliefs. A decision was reached. We must live, for we are the Daughters of Life. To live we must have a city to live in. The city must be grown. You are the only one who can grow a city. To grow the city we will take your instruction since we must do that in order to live. So now we work.”

“So I see. But only now as you have just told me. When the city is grown will you then stop taking my orders?”

“I have not considered all of the implications of thinking that far ahead,” Enge said with an attempt at evasion.

“Think. Speak.”

She must, though with great reluctance. “It is my belief that when the city is grown — the Daughters will no longer obey your orders.”

“I thought not. I hesitated to consider any future for them other than certain death. For the moment, for my own comfort, I accept this weak and dispirited arrangement. There is too much of importance to be done here to involve myself with more argument now.” She held up her hand and displayed the large portion of jellied meat held between her thumbs. “I return to the jungle to continue my contact with those we met. Will you accompany me?”

“With utmost pleasure and joy-in-tomorrow. This will be a rich city, rich with life and scientific endeavor.”

“The scientific endeavor, yes. But I do not see a favorable existence for your Daughters of Disagreement, followers of she-who-shall-be-nameless. I think that your theory of life will one day be your death.”