The Transall Saga

Mark finds footprints from the injured thing—small human footprints with webbed feet. He feels empowered at having killed the powerful howling animal. He peels off its furry hide, planning on making clothing or shoes from it. Next, Mark cuts some strips of meat to dry. He resolves to improve at hunting and surviving, and hopes he will eventually find the arrow people.

Mark makes a necklace from the claws of the Howling Thing. He eats the creature’s meat until he’s full. He considers his reflection in a pool of water, which he’s walked to while carrying Willie, and notices how lean and strong he looks. Mark reflects on how much he’s changed. He walks in a direction he’s never been for a few miles. The landscape here is different, less jungle-like. Mark resolves to continue further in this direction when he can.

Willie seems angry and concerned about Mark’s plan to continue down the unknown path. He clicks and shakes the branches of their tree, but refuses to go with Mark.

Mark sets out and spots an owl-like bird, recognizing its feathers as the ones used in the arrow he found. He lies down to sleep once night falls. He misses seeing stars as he had on Earth, as the sky here is dark.

Mark wakes to the sound of movement, and is shocked to see five human-like females; however, they don’t see him. He follows them quietly. One woman is injured, and he realizes that she must be the person he saved from the Howling Thing. This injured woman stops to rest while the others go ahead. Mark confronts her, but she points to the jungle he came from, speaks in a language he doesn’t understand, and hurries away. He follows her and comes across a village of people, who are human-like but smaller, with webbed feet and an extra fold of skin over their eyelids. Mark retreats and sets up camp near a creek.

Mark shoots one of the rabbit creatures and cooks it over a fire. He thinks he hears something, so he looks around for the source. When he returns, the injured woman—whom he calls Leeta based on her speech—has his cooked meat and bow and arrow. She points the cocked bow at him. Mark tries to reason with Leeta. Eventually, she lowers the bow and watches him eat with interest. Mark tries unsuccessfully to communicate with Leeta. However, he makes her laugh when he imitates killing the Howling Thing.

Suddenly, Mark is surrounded by Leeta’s tribesmen, armed with bows and arrows, blowguns, crossbows, and clubs. One man clubs Mark on the head, and he loses consciousness.

Mark wakes up in a round hut. Children outside laugh at him, and an old woman brings him food in a bowl. Mark walks around the village; the villagers seem nonplussed by his wandering around and looking at them. He sits next to a man by a fire. The man talks to Mark, but Mark understands nothing. Mark draws a crude image of stick men with one larger stick man holding a club; he tries to piece together whether or not this man is in charge. The man misunderstands and gives Mark his club, expecting a trade in return. Mark gives him his broken compass; the man is impressed and excited. Mark works out that the villagers have decided to call him Kakon.

At night, the villagers invite Mark to a hut where a ceremonial dance is performed. When they point at the claws of the Howling Thing around Mark’s neck, he performs a pantomime of killing the Howling Thing. The villagers all pat Mark’s head. Leeta remains, and the two manage to communicate, exchanging words for fire and club.

Mark goes to the hut where his possessions are. Many men are already there sleeping, but they make room for him. He has trouble sleeping, remembering home and how long he’s been away—maybe a year or more. A man, Tukha, wakes Mark the next morning; he is given food and goes hunting with the men. Leeta seems reluctant to let Mark go, but he’s determined to learn from the men. Mark is amazed by the number of birds they kill.

At dusk, the men put on warpaint. Mark is shocked when the men raid and burn a village, killing inhabitants and stealing their possessions. Tukha instructs Mark to hide in a bush nearby, but Mark comes to his rescue when he is beaten by a man from the enemy village. When the men’s raid is finished, they return to their village, carrying Tukha.

Tukha dies from his wounds, and his body is ceremonially burned. Mark works out that Tukha was Leeta’s brother. Still, he is sickened by the attack on the other village, which only won them a small amount of food and weapons, and wants to leave. He sleeps on the edge of the clearing, readying himself to leave the next morning. Leeta works out that Mark is leaving. She tries to talk to him, but he is unresponsive. She gives him a string of wooden beads.

Mark awakens to the smell of smoke: The village is being attacked by a tribe of people riding large animals, which resemble cow-horses. Mark runs into the fight looking for Leeta; however, he is captured and tied up with other villages, including Leeta. The assailants ride away, pulling the group of tied prisoners behind them.