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“In fact, they can,” Jondalar said “They just don’t talk like we do They use hand signs, mostly I’ve learned some of them, and I’ve communicated with thee”

“I find that hard to believe,” Zelandoni of the Fourteenth said

Jondalar smiled “I did at first, too,” he said “I never saw one up close before that encounter Have you?”

“No, I can’t say that I have, and I have no desire to,” the woman said “I understand they rather resemble bears”

“They don’t resemble bears, any more than we do They look like people, a different kind of people, but there is nospears and wearing clothes Did you ever see bears do that?” Jondalar asked

“So they are clever bears,” she said

“Don’t underestimate them They are not bears, or any other kind of anient people,” Jondalar said

“You said you communicated with them? When?” asked the man Jondalar couldn’t quite place

“Once, ere staying with the Sharaot into trouble on the Great Mother River The Sharamudoi live beside her, not too far froet down off the glacier, the Mother is hardly a streae, so wide in places, she alh she can seem placid and s current By then so e and small, have flowed into her that when you see her from the home of the Sharamudoi, you knohy she’s called the Great Mother River” Jondalar was getting into Story-Tellingwith rapt attention

“The Shara out and shaped toto control a s a paddle, when I lost control” Jondalar rin “To be honest, I was showing off a little They usually keep a line—with one end attached to the boat—and a hook with bait ready all the rime in their boats, and I wanted to prove to them that I could catch a fish The trouble is, fish in a river that big eon The River Men don’t call it fishing when they go after the big ones; they say they are hunting sturgeon”

“I once saw a sal as a man,” someone called out

“Soer than the length of three tall ear, I threw out a line, but I was not lucky I caught one! Or rather, a big sturgeon caught me Because the line was fastened to the boat, when that fish started swi, he took me with him I lost the paddles and had no control I reached forand knocked it out ofand fast He tried to dive and al on while that sturgeon pulled me upriver”

“What did you do?” “How far did you go?” “How did you stop it?” voices called out

“It turned out that the hook did injure the fish and was causing it to bleed It finally wore hied me across a wide part of the river and quite a ways upstreaht, we happened to be in the arrateful to feel so solid under my feet…”

“It’s a good story, Jondalar, but what does it have to do with flatheads?” Zelandoni of the Fourteenth said