the windowless room and the people sat in a wide circle around it, watching the smoke curl out a hole in the roof. The chief clapped his hands and one of the men began pounding on a skin-covered wooden drum that made a dull sound like a bongo.
Another man stood up and started moving in rhythm. Mark could tell he was supposed to be a bird flying in the air. The dancer was graceful and quick. He swooped down, as if capturing something on the ground, and "flew" off again.
When he was finished the chief took over and talked for a long time. The children must have heard the speech before because they became restless and went to the back of the hut to play games.
"Kakon tsir tu tu se. Kakon."
Mark jumped when he heard his new name. The chief was motioning for him to stand.
"Me?" Mark’s eyebrows went up.
The chief pulled him to his feet and touched the long claws around his neck. "Kakon tsir nto tu."
"Oh, I get it. You want to know about the Howling Thing. Okay ... let’s see. Well, it’s like this. One day I was out scouting and I was just about to have lunch when I ..." Mark looked at their faces. The people were staring blankly.
He scratched his head. "I know. I’ll do like the bird man and act it out for you. Like I did for Leeta."
At the mention of her name the group turned to look at her. Embarrassed, she covered her face. Everyone laughed.
"Here goes." Mark picked up his new club and started walking slowly around the circle as if he was hunting. He stopped suddenly and held his hand to his ear. Then he crouched low and ran through the crowd until he came to Leeta. He put the club down, dropped to all fours and started growling and clawing at her. She giggled and tried to push him away.
Stepping back a few feet, he pretended to shoot an arrow at the Howling Thing. Then he reached for the club and readied himself for the beast to attack.
Here he decided it would be more impressive to alter the story a little. Instead of falling down when the Howling Thing rushed him, he stood his ground and stabbed the make-believe monster until it was dead. Then he put one foot on its head and raised his pretend spear in victory.
The people all started talking at once. Apparently he was a hit. Mark bowed and sat down.
The chief patted Mark on the head, then clapped his hands again, and the villagers stood and filtered out of the room, each one patting the top of Mark’s head as they walked by.
Mark didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
Leeta hung back. When they were all gone she pointed at him. "Mawk." Then she indicated herself. "Lee-ta."
"Yes! Oh yes!" Mark grinned. He held out the weapon in his hand. "Club."
"Ksaa."
He jumped up and ran to the middle of the room. "Fire."
She followed. "Tisa."
"We’re talking." Mark grabbed her shoulders. "Can you believe it? Leeta and Mark are talking."
Leeta smiled shyly. "Taw-kin."
chapter
18
Since no one told him any different, Mark decided to spend the night in the same hut where his belongings were stored. There were several other young men already lying on the dirt floor when he entered. Without complaining they moved and made room for him.
Mark lay down but he couldn’t sleep. So much had happened that it was hard to take it all in. One thing he knew: It felt good to be around other people. Especially these people. They were so innocent and friendly.
He assumed Leeta must have come to his defense earlier when they had captured him. He couldn’t wait to talk to her again. Maybe she knew something about the blue light.
As usual when he thought of the light, it brought back memories of what life had been like before. He’d been here a long time. Almost a year or maybe more.
Sleep finally came. But it felt as if he had just closed his eyes when the others in the hut began stirring. Someone was shaking him.
He opened one eye. It was the same young man who had prevented him from talking to Leeta in the garden the day before. "Kakon gut no ma."
Mark crawled to his
Another man stood up and started moving in rhythm. Mark could tell he was supposed to be a bird flying in the air. The dancer was graceful and quick. He swooped down, as if capturing something on the ground, and "flew" off again.
When he was finished the chief took over and talked for a long time. The children must have heard the speech before because they became restless and went to the back of the hut to play games.
"Kakon tsir tu tu se. Kakon."
Mark jumped when he heard his new name. The chief was motioning for him to stand.
"Me?" Mark’s eyebrows went up.
The chief pulled him to his feet and touched the long claws around his neck. "Kakon tsir nto tu."
"Oh, I get it. You want to know about the Howling Thing. Okay ... let’s see. Well, it’s like this. One day I was out scouting and I was just about to have lunch when I ..." Mark looked at their faces. The people were staring blankly.
He scratched his head. "I know. I’ll do like the bird man and act it out for you. Like I did for Leeta."
At the mention of her name the group turned to look at her. Embarrassed, she covered her face. Everyone laughed.
"Here goes." Mark picked up his new club and started walking slowly around the circle as if he was hunting. He stopped suddenly and held his hand to his ear. Then he crouched low and ran through the crowd until he came to Leeta. He put the club down, dropped to all fours and started growling and clawing at her. She giggled and tried to push him away.
Stepping back a few feet, he pretended to shoot an arrow at the Howling Thing. Then he reached for the club and readied himself for the beast to attack.
Here he decided it would be more impressive to alter the story a little. Instead of falling down when the Howling Thing rushed him, he stood his ground and stabbed the make-believe monster until it was dead. Then he put one foot on its head and raised his pretend spear in victory.
The people all started talking at once. Apparently he was a hit. Mark bowed and sat down.
The chief patted Mark on the head, then clapped his hands again, and the villagers stood and filtered out of the room, each one patting the top of Mark’s head as they walked by.
Mark didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
Leeta hung back. When they were all gone she pointed at him. "Mawk." Then she indicated herself. "Lee-ta."
"Yes! Oh yes!" Mark grinned. He held out the weapon in his hand. "Club."
"Ksaa."
He jumped up and ran to the middle of the room. "Fire."
She followed. "Tisa."
"We’re talking." Mark grabbed her shoulders. "Can you believe it? Leeta and Mark are talking."
Leeta smiled shyly. "Taw-kin."
chapter
18
Since no one told him any different, Mark decided to spend the night in the same hut where his belongings were stored. There were several other young men already lying on the dirt floor when he entered. Without complaining they moved and made room for him.
Mark lay down but he couldn’t sleep. So much had happened that it was hard to take it all in. One thing he knew: It felt good to be around other people. Especially these people. They were so innocent and friendly.
He assumed Leeta must have come to his defense earlier when they had captured him. He couldn’t wait to talk to her again. Maybe she knew something about the blue light.
As usual when he thought of the light, it brought back memories of what life had been like before. He’d been here a long time. Almost a year or maybe more.
Sleep finally came. But it felt as if he had just closed his eyes when the others in the hut began stirring. Someone was shaking him.
He opened one eye. It was the same young man who had prevented him from talking to Leeta in the garden the day before. "Kakon gut no ma."
Mark crawled to his
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