Noema moves as fast as she can through the constricting passageway that leads to the library. The tunnels are dark, as always, but she has lived underground nearly all her life and can find her way around through the extraordinary sense of direction she shares with all the scavengers. As she makes her way to the library, the glow of the watering cavern attracts her, and she stops there for a second to wash her face.
There are several people there, some gathering water, others the glow-worms, others the edible seaweed and still others the bat guano fuel. Noema looks at them guiltily. They are her fellow workers, and if they are already here, that means they must have started work a long time ago. How long was she asleep? It was difficult to tell because the light never changed in the underground village. Either it was pitch-black or it was lit by the ethereal, and sometimes eerie, light of the worms.
She pauses to adjust her helmet, though she doesn't take it off. Taking it off now would be debilitating. That is when she glimpses a figure at the far end of the lake. It's far away and the worms don't provide enough light to really see by, but it's an unmistakable silhouette. The gleaming white of the bone catches the light. It looks like a giant bird, but Noema knows who it is. The man is dressed in a cloak made from the wings of a giant vulture, and covers his face with its skull.
Some of the scavengers sense him, and stop what they are doing. They start to murmur. There is nothing they can do, but some of them have taken up fighting stances. The earthen pots holding the luminescent water are carefully set aside.
What is he doing here? thinks Noema in surprise. He's not supposed to come to the village. He raises a wing in greeting, but the scavengers don't respond.
"He's not allowed this far," says one of the workers. "He's violating the treaty."
"Oh, please," retorts Noema. "He's only gathering water. I've seen him there before, and there hasn't been a war yet, so I suppose he's not breaking any treaty now either."
"He has his own watering caverns, from what I've heard."
"We've got plenty of water. Can't we share our resources?"
"Not with him."
There are several people there, some gathering water, others the glow-worms, others the edible seaweed and still others the bat guano fuel. Noema looks at them guiltily. They are her fellow workers, and if they are already here, that means they must have started work a long time ago. How long was she asleep? It was difficult to tell because the light never changed in the underground village. Either it was pitch-black or it was lit by the ethereal, and sometimes eerie, light of the worms.
She pauses to adjust her helmet, though she doesn't take it off. Taking it off now would be debilitating. That is when she glimpses a figure at the far end of the lake. It's far away and the worms don't provide enough light to really see by, but it's an unmistakable silhouette. The gleaming white of the bone catches the light. It looks like a giant bird, but Noema knows who it is. The man is dressed in a cloak made from the wings of a giant vulture, and covers his face with its skull.
Some of the scavengers sense him, and stop what they are doing. They start to murmur. There is nothing they can do, but some of them have taken up fighting stances. The earthen pots holding the luminescent water are carefully set aside.
What is he doing here? thinks Noema in surprise. He's not supposed to come to the village. He raises a wing in greeting, but the scavengers don't respond.
"He's not allowed this far," says one of the workers. "He's violating the treaty."
"Oh, please," retorts Noema. "He's only gathering water. I've seen him there before, and there hasn't been a war yet, so I suppose he's not breaking any treaty now either."
"He has his own watering caverns, from what I've heard."
"We've got plenty of water. Can't we share our resources?"
"Not with him."
