До Адама

           Herethemainforceofthecurrentwasflungbacktowardthesouthshore,andtheresultofourpaddlingwasthatwecrossedthecurrentwhereitwasswiftestandnarrowest.Beforewewereaware,wewereoutofitandinaquieteddy.

           Ourlogsdriftedslowlyandatlastgroundedgentlyonthebank.Lop-EarandIcreptashore.Thelogsdriftedonoutoftheeddyandsweptawaydownthestream.Welookedateachother,butwedidnotlaugh.Wewereinastrangeland,anditdidnotenterourmindsthatwecouldreturntoourownlandinthesamemannerthatwehadcome.

           Wehadlearnedhowtocrossariver,thoughwedidnotknowit.AndthiswassomethingthatnooneelseoftheFolkhadeverdone.WewerethefirstoftheFolktosetfootonthenorthbankoftheriver,and,forthatmatter,Ibelievethelast.Thattheywouldhavedonesointhetimetocomeisundoubted;butthemigrationoftheFirePeople,andtheconsequentmigrationofthesurvivorsoftheFolk,setbackourevolutionforcenturies.

           Indeed,thereisnotellinghowdisastrouswastobetheoutcomeoftheFirePeople’smigration.Personally,IampronetobelievethatitbroughtaboutthedestructionoftheFolk;thatwe,abranchoflowerlifebuddingtowardthehuman,werenippedshortoffandperisheddownbytheroaringsurfwheretheriverenteredthesea.Ofcourse,insuchaneventuality,Iremaintobeaccountedfor;butIoutrunmystory,andsuchaccountingwillbemadebeforeIamdone.