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〃if i can；〃 he said； 〃i shall。 the knife es from here； does it？〃
〃from the torre degli angeli；〃 said the girl； pointing at the square stone tower over the red…brown rooftops。 it shimmered in the midday glare。 〃and the boy who stole it； he kill our brother； tullio。 the specters got him； all right。 you want to kill that boy； thats okay。 and the girl； she was a liar； she was as bad as him。〃
〃there was a girl； too？〃 said the priest； trying not to seem too interested。
〃lying filth；〃 spat the red…haired child。 〃we nearly killed them both； but then there came some women； flying women。。。”
〃witches；〃 said paolo。
〃witches； and we couldn fight them。 they took them away； the girl and boy。 we don know where they went。 but the woman； she came later。 we thought maybe she got some kind of knife； to keep the specters away； all right。 and maybe you have； too；〃 she added； lifting her chin to stare at him boldly。
〃i have no knife；〃 said father gomez。 〃but i have a sacred task。 maybe that is protecting me against these； specters。〃
〃yeah；〃 said the girl； 〃maybe。 anyway； you want her； she went south； toward the mountains。 we don know where。 but you ask anyone； they know if she go past； because there ain no one like her in cigazze； not before and not now。 she be easy to find。〃
〃thank you； angelica；〃 said the priest。 〃bless you； my children。〃
he shouldered his pack； left the garden； and set off through the hot； silent streets； satisfied。
after three days in the pany of the wheeled creatures； mary malone knew rather more about them； and they knew a great deal about her。
that first morning they carried her for an hour or so along the basalt highway to a settlement by a river； and the journey was unfortable； she had nothing to hold on to； and the creatures back was hard。 they sped along at a pace that frightened her； but the thunder of their wheels on the hard road and the beat of their scudding feet made her exhilarated enough to ignore the disfort。
and in the course of the ride she became more aware of the creatures physiology。 like the grazers skeletons； theirs had a diamond…shaped frame； with a limb at each of the ers。 sometime in the distant past； a line of ancestral creatures must have developed this structure and found it worked； just as generations
of long…ago crawling things in marys world had developed the central spine。
the basalt highway led gradually downward； and after a while the slope increased； so the creatures could freewheel。 they tucked their side legs up and steered by leaning to one side or the other； and hurtled along at a speed mary found terrifying； though she had to admit that the creature she was riding never gave her the slightest feeling of danger。 if only shed had something to hold on to； she would have enjoyed it。
at the foot of the mile…long slope； there was a stand of the great trees； and nearby a river meandered on the level grassy ground。 some way off； mary saw a gleam that looked like a wider expanse of water； but she didnt spend long looking at that； because the creatures were making for a settlement on the riverbank； and she was burning with curiosity to see it。
there were twenty or thirty huts； roughly grouped in a circle； made of； she had to shade her eyes against the sun to see； wooden beams covered with a kind of wattle…and…daub mixture on the walls and thatch on the roofs。 other wheeled creatures were working： some repairing a roof； others hauling a net out of the river； others bringing brushwood for a fire。
so they had language； and they had fire； and they had society。 and about then she found an adjustment being made in her mind； as the word creatures became the word people。 these beings werent human； but they were people； she told herself； its not them； theyre us。
they were quite close now； and seeing what was ing； some of the villagers looked up and called to each other to look。 the party from the road slowed to a halt； and mary clambered stiffly down； knowing that she would ache later on。
〃thank you；〃 she said to her； her what？ her steed？ her cycle？ both ideas were absurdly wrong for the bright…eyed amiability that stood beside her。 she settled for； friend。
he raised his trunk and imitated her words：
〃anku；〃 he said； and again they laughed； in high spirits。
she took her rucksack from the other creature （〃anku！ anku！〃） and walked with them off the basalt and on to the hard…packed earth of the village。
and then her absorption truly began。
in the next few days she learned so much that she felt like a child again； bewildered by school。 what was more； the wheeled people seemed to be just as wonderstruck by her。 her hands； to begin with。 they couldnt get enough of them： their delicate trunks felt over every joint； searching out thumbs； knuckles； and fingernails； flexing them gently； and they watched with amazement as she picked up her rucksack； conveyed food to her mouth； scratched； bed her hair； washed。 in return； they let her feel their trunks。 they were infinitely flexible； and about as long as her arm； thicker where they joined the head； and quite powerful enough to crush her skull； she guessed。 the two finger…like projections at the tip were capable of enormous force and great gentleness； the creatures seemed to be able to vary the tone of their skin on the underside； on their equivalent of fingertips； from a soft velvet to a solidity like wood。 as a result； they could use them for both a delicate task like milking a grazer and the rough business of tearing and shaping branches。
little by little； mary realized that their trunks were playing a part in munication； too。 a movement of the trunk would modify the meaning of a sound； so the word that sounded like 〃chuh〃 meant water when it was acpanied by a sweep of the trunk from left to right； rain when the trunk curled up at the tip； sadness when it curled under； and young shoots of grass when it made a quick flick to the left。 as soon as she saw this； mary imitated it； moving her arm as best she could in the same way； and when the creatures realized that she was beginning to talk to them； their delight was radiant。
once they had begun to talk （mostly in the wheeled peoples languag