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Jondalar and Thonolan managed to get their gaping jaws under control long enough to give their names and lineages to to the massive headman of Possum Camp. Mactruc then formally introduced them to his sister and co-leader, Skuzzie; her mate, Rednec; Mactruc's mate, Fuzzie; her daughter, Yummie; her son, Bigmac, and a plethora of other personae. The names rattled through the two journeyers' heads like a flock of crows -- Biznez, Jetlag, Wynot, Wrynec, Freluv, Tailie, Nozie, Movie, Wormie -- they'd sort it all out later (maybe). The twinkling-eyed old chap with the magic roots was called Tonka, and was apparently their Zelandoni-equivalent.

After the introductions, Jondalar was able to get a word in edgewise. "Please pardon my ignorance, and forgive me if I commit a terrible social bungup in asking, but how is it that we are able to understand one another's speech now?"

Mactruc laughed like a minor earthquake, and said "You'll have to ask Tonka about that. He's the magic expert around here. I'm sure he'll be happy to talk to you. He enjoys having visitors - you'll be staying at his hearth, of course."

Jondalar nodded his thanks and looked around for Tonka. He noticed that Thonolan was having some intense communication with Yummie, the daughter of Mactruc's mate Fuzzie. Yummie had hair of that same odd orange shade as Mactruc's, somewhere between overripe persimmon and withered marigold. Obviously a child of Mactruc's spirit. Jondalar wondered if he would ever know a child of his own spirit, a little blue-eyed Zelandonii tot to bounce on his knee. He sighed deeply and pushed his self-pity back for the moment. He spotted Tonka at last, standing near the earthlodge, watching the 'possums being lowered into the firepit and picking his nose.

"Erm..." Jondalar was uncertain how to address the ancient shaman. But Tonka brightened, clapped his hands together, and said "I bet you want to know how it is that you can understand and speak our language!"

Jondalar was simply impressed stiff by the old man's uncanny perception. "Uh, yes, if you would be so kind as to enlighten me..."

"Oh, it's just a little ancient and powerful magic, you know... and, of course, the Dictionary Root."

"Dictionary Root?" Jondalar's furrow strained to express his puzzlement. "I have never heard of this plant."

"Well,"Tonka replied, "it is very rare. Only grows in a few sheltered valleys in this area, and nowhere else. It is one of the Mother's special gifts to the Tonkatoi."

"Oh, wow," said Jondalar.

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As the shadows lengthened with the approach of evening, the people of Possum Camp finished their preparations for the feast. Everyone moved inside, and great steaming platters of roast possum and yams were carried in. The people gathered around Tonka's hearth and waited for Jondalar and Thonolan, as the guests of honor, to pick out the first choice morsels. When all had filled their plates, they sat down to do some serious gorging.

Thonolan sat so close to Yummie that they might be mistaken for one person with two heads, except that the hair did not match. Jondalar managed to squeeze between Mactruc and Tonka, thus avoiding other issues for the time being. He was fascinated by the interior of the lodge. It was constructed on more or less the same principles as your average, everyday earthlodge in this glacial period, standard mammoth bone foundation and all that. But it was different in that the interior walls were completely lined with small shelves, on which were displayed hundreds of carvings of animals and other objects, which, although he did not understand what they represented, were executed in exquisite detail.

Besides the opossum and yam entree, there was a very nice salad of dandelion leaves and sweet violet flowers garnished with crisply browned bits of smoked boar belly. Jondalar thought it was very good, but the dressing would have been improved by some of the tangy, acidic liquid that Marthona, his mother, made when some of her marvelous wine survived long enough to go sour. Still, it was quite tasty.

For some time there was only the sound of smacking lips and the murmur of conversation, punctuated by the "Ptuh! ptuh!" of the Tonkatoi spitting small possum bones into the fire. Jondalar had to admit that one reason 'possum was not his favorite meat was all those little bones. 'Possums seemed to have a lot more of them than other small game. He and Thonolan followed the custom of their hosts, but lacked their practiced accuracy. They did not dare take part in the wagering that was going on over who could hit the same ember the most times.

Jondalar nearly dropped his plate when a hideous screech arose from somewhere farther toward the rear of the lodge. Thonolan froze with a meaty leg bone poised in front of his mouth, his eyes opened nearly as wide as his mouth.

"You flathead-pleasuring, mother-forcing, son of a hyena that swallowed the spirit of swamp-stink!" continued the screech-owl like voice of an old woman.

"You would know about hyenas, you old discarded night-basket!" a male voice responded.

"It's just Freluv and Crazie at it again," Tonka whispered into Jondalar's ear, between screeches. "No big deal."

Mactruc had scowled ferociously at the first screech. Suddenly he roared "SHUT UP!!!"

The lodge shook. In the ensuing total silence (or perhaps it was temporary deafness) particles of dirt sifted down from the roof, along with a few dermestid beetles and their hairy larvae. Jondalar flicked a hairy crawler off his plate of roast 'possum, and thought about eating a little more... maybe...

Sounds of conversation gradually increased again, drowning out the tiny sizzles of burning possum bones. Jondalar observed that Thonolan seemed to be transferring even more of his attention from food to other basic human activities. In fact, all around the hearth, There was the beginning of a general tendency to entwine.

Jondalar was feeling pretty mellow himself, thanks to a full stomach and quite a few swigs from a large skin of something called "booza" that was being passed around. Even when Rolie and Polie, the mischievous little twins, dashing around and around the circle of feasting adults, whacked him on the head with 'possum tails, he merely smiled indulgently.

He was so mellow, he did not notice until it was too late that he was no longer flanked by the giant headman and shaman, but by the headwoman, Skuzzie, and her daughter, Wormie. Both women were little more than half his height, but of equal width. Both had long, dark, greasy hair tied in a horse-like tail behind their heads. They snuggled up closer yet, giggling. Both smelled rather like 'possums... think of the Mother, Jondalar thought to himself. One must honor the Mother... he swallowed hard, and glanced around for the booza skin.

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When he was at last allowed to sleep, Jondalar had strange dreams. In one, he was surrounded by a group of flatheads. They were telling jokes about him -- but they talked by moving their hands! They laughed and pointed at him.

That's silly, he thought - flatheads don't laugh.

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In the morning, the brothers were served a good breakfast of cooked seeds and leftover 'possum. Mactruc scratched a map in the dirt to show them how to get back to the Great Mother River. Thonolan spent most of the time saying goodbye to Yummie. Skuzzie and Wormie, with identical 'possum-eating grins on their rotund faces, took every opportunity to brush their skirts against Jondalar. He was too hung over to care.

They set out again before midmorning, waving to their Tonkatoi friends one last time before they passed over the edge of the valley and lost sight of them forever. Keeping up a steady pace, they traveled a good distance that day. They made camp for the night by a stream that flowed past a great rocky elevation that looked remarkably like a reclining 'possum. They were quite sure that this was the landmark Mactruc had told them about, which meant that they were less than another day's journey from the Mother.

This put them in very good cheer, and they sat by their fire eating cold leftover 'possum that they had brought with them, and spitting the bones into the fire. "Thonolan," Jondalar said, "why do you think no one but the Tonkatoi know about that Dictionary Root? It is such a powerful and useful herbal magic, you'd think that everyone who visited them would be telling stories about it, and people would be flocking to them to try to trade packloads of portable property for it."

Thonolan replied "Yeah, now that I think about it, it's pretty strange. And they didn't seem concerned about it... beats me, big brother." Thonolan was achieving a near Jondalar-like brow furrow as he pondered this.

"Well," Jondalar said, ,"maybe we'll come back this way some day. For now, we'd best hit the furs for the night. We should reach the Mother tomorrow, if Mactruc's directions are right." He stretched and yawned.

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Tonka and Yummie stood watching the two Frenchmen go over the hill. Tonka had a wizened arm around her that was gradually reaching lower and lower. "Tonka?" Yummie said.

"Yes, my dear?" the old man replied, giving her a little squeeze.

"Why is it that only we Tonkatoi know of the magic of the Dictionary Root? One would think that all the visitors that leave here would tell others, and they would come flocking here by the hundreds to try to trade packloads of portable property for it."

"you're quite right, my dear," Tonka said. "They would - except for the other marvelous feature of the Root." His hand was getting nearer its goal.

"Ooh," she said, giving a little wiggle. "And what is that?"

"Mmmm..." he murmured. "The primary effect of the Root lasts only from one sun to another. Then it is followed by great drowsiness. The person sleeps, and when he wakes, all memories of what has passed for at least a sevenday before are gone, like the light of a torch caught in a rainstorm." His hand was right where he wanted it.

"Oooooooh," she said.

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"You were right about that shortcut, big brother,"Thonolan said, as they gazed upon the mighty river that would some day inspire a much overused melody. Jondalar smiled smugly. Then he frowned, and scratched his crotch again.

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Ayla woke well-rested. She had a feeling that she had had a long and interesting dream, but could not remember any of it. Oh well, she thought, it probably wasn't very important. She shrugged her strong shoulders and busied herself with getting breakfast for herself and Whinney, after which she shoveled manure .

Part 1