Brooks awoke with sunlight filtering down upon him.

Attempting to move was a mistake; nausea washed over him, and his entire body hurt.

"You are fortunate to be alive," he heard Dr. Y's voice say. "You have largely metabolized the drug, but you did take in enough to leave you with an effect much like a hangover. I do not have the treatment here to alleviate it."

Brooks forced himself to sit up. He was in the !Xomyi camp, but no one was around.

"I am watching you while Commander Kai Yong Fan consults with the Craton," Y told him.

He was laying on a layer of reeds, and on the edge he saw a bowl.

"Water?" he croaked.

"It is," the Y-drone told him. "It is even free of parasites."

Brooks took up the clay bowl and drank the water greedily, some running around the edges and down his chin. It was not dignified, but he couldn't control his hands that well yet.

"What happened?" he asked, after finishing the water. His words were a little stronger.

"After your . . . adventure, you passed out on the way back, and were carried here by the !Xomyi. It seems that they have a great respect for you, and felt that you were overcome by a 'spirit of the dead'."

Hard Biter, Brooks thought. For a moment he wondered if there was something to the idea; he certainly had behaved more like that warrior-hunter than himself last night.

"Was that just last night?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," Y told him. "Once the !Xomyi returned you here, they informed the Commander. Which is quite fortunate, as with your torn coolsuit you would have died in the heat of the day."

He could see that Kai had stuffed him into one of his backup suits. He was fortunate, he thought. On many levels.

He carefully examined his body, finding bruises, cuts, scratches. Many had been cleaned and closed by Y.

His feet were a mess, from running barefoot.

And he had killed the keko!un, he remembered.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Everyone made it back all right?" he asked.

"Yes," Y told him. "Now, Captain, while I can certainly multi-task, I must be leaving." He paused. "And I must inform you that the timeline has been shortened. The moon Omen is beginning to break up slightly faster than expected. All teams must leave this world within four days."

"Four days?" Brooks said. "That's not very long."

Y paused again. "If you are going to make your move to convince these people to leave, you must do it soon. I do hope that you have some idea of how to convince them."

Brooks said nothing, and Y winked out of the drone.

Four days. That was all.

----------------------------------------

It took him a little bit to stretch out and get moving again. The !A!amo seemed pleased to see him, and they came over, all reaching out to touch him. Fast of Wing stopped in front of him, taking both of his hands. He was overcome with emotion, and that said it all.

Brooks put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"My father rests now," he finally said.

And had shed his name, Brooks knew. He was simply 'Father of Fast of Wing' if ever he needed to be referred to, and he was living on the moon, the Sky Child.

That same Sky Child who would kill them all, he thought.

"I must speak to Knows the World," he said. "Where is he?"

Tracker directed him; the wise man was not far, but was keeping aloof of the greeting the men were giving him.

Brooks headed over to where Knows the Word was.

Where he was waiting, Brooks thought. He knows.

He could not know the whole of the truth, of course, but he could tell the shaman had an inkling, an idea that Brooks was here for more important reasons than any he had given so far.

He came up next to the old !Xomyi. Knows the World's ears twitched towards him, but he did not turn. Brooks waited for him to signal that they could speak.

"Some of the women have expressed an interest in marrying you," the wise man said. He looked slyly amused.

Brooks smiled. "I am honored. However, I did not come here seeking a wife."

The smile faded from Knows the World's face. "Then why did you come here, True Striker?"

"Is that who I am now?" Brooks could not help but say. It gave Knows the World the chance to change the topic, he knew. But he felt he must offer that chance.

But Knows the World was wise. He only waited, watching Brooks.

"I have come to save your people," Brooks said. He turned, pointing to the sky. "I speak the truth when I say I have come from the sky. My land is far from here; we sailed through the sky to come here. And when we arrived, we saw something terrible."

He took a breath, watching Knows the World, but the wise man was still listening; still receptive.

"The Sky Child is falling," he said. "Just as a spear thrown into the air must come down, it is falling. When it lands, it will kill all of you. It will kill everything."

He gestured around, to the trees, to the soil. "Nothing will be spared."

He could see the fear growing on Knows the World's face. He was deep in thought, but under that outer layer the fear was all-encompassing.

"I must show you something," Knows the World said. He turned, and started walking into the jungle.

Brooks hesitated, looking back, but the others had not noticed them.

He signalled Kai that he was stepping out, and followed the elder.