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“I haven’t seen any of thoseto keep the wine and the mushrooms, too?” Rondo asked

“Don’t rushopen Here, Thonolan, you’re the guest of honor You get first pick”

“Markeno, is it true the Mamutoi make a drink out of a plant that’s better than wine or mushrooms?” Tarluno asked

“I don’t know about better, but I’ve only had it once”

“How abouta cup of water on the rocks below, assu everyone’s assent

“So,” Jondalar commented

“And one Cave breathe smoke from plant They let you try, but they not tell what it is,” Thonolan added

“You two ,” Chalono said “That’s what I’d like to do, try everything there is”

“I hear flatheads drink so …” Tarluno volunteered

“They’re ani,” Chalono said

“Isn’t that what you just said you wanted to do?” Rondo jeered An outburst of laughter followed

Chalono noticed Rondo’s cohter—soan a story that had been known to cause laughter before “You know the one about the old ht it was a woman …”

“Yeah, his pizzle fell off That’s disgusting, Chalono,” Rondo said “And what man would mistake a flathead for a woman?”

“Some do not mistake Do on purpose,” Thonolan said “Men from Cave, far to west, take Pleasures with flathead females, make trouble for Caves”

“You’re joking!”

“It no joke Whole pack of flatheads surround us,” Jondalar confirry Later we hear some men take flathead women, cause trouble”

“How did you get away?”

“They let,” Jondalar said “Leader of pack, he smart Flatheads more smart people think”

“I heard of a ot a flathead female on a dare,” Chalono said

“Who? You?” Rondo sneered “You said you wanted to try everything”

Chalono tried to defend hihter drowned hiain “I didn’tabout mushroo” He was feeling soued “But a lot of boys talk about flathead females, before they knoomen are I heard of one who took a flathead on a dare, or said he did”

“Boys will talk about anything,” Markeno said