They walked for twenty minutes.

Knows the World did not speak to Brooks as they moved. He simply led the way through the forest. At times, he stopped to listen to a sound or movement in the underbrush, but then continued on.

The jungle seemed to be thinner here, with more ability to see. Occasionally through the trees they could see the tower-like legs of some of the largest of the jungle's occupants, but the massive herbivores did not notice the two fleas near them.

They came to a clearing. It was being lost to the jungle, but at one time he could tell that something had taken all of the trees down. A few new ones were growing, but they were a fraction of the height of the trees around them.

In the middle of the clearing was a single boulder. It was thin, pointing like a blunt blade into the sky.

As they came closer, Brooks realized that it was not a simple boulder; it was a standing stone. Beings with intent had placed the stone here, and upon its surface they had carved images.

Time and moss hid many of them. Knows the World came up, wiping away moss and soil from one area, and turned back to Brooks.

"As our people have moved, we have come closer to this place," he said. "I knew it was not an accident that you came to us then."

Brooks felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He came closer to look at the stone.

He could see carvings of animals on it. Some he recognized, but others he did not know. They were arranged in a clear pattern.

"What does this mean?" he asked.

"Long, long ago," Knows the World said. "White serpents fell from the sky. They punished this world because the spirits had grown tired. They could not hold back the monsters of the stars."

Brooks looked up, his mouth dropping open slightly in surprise. But Knows the World continued.

"Our people barely survived. Every one of our wisest people have passed down this story. We share it with no other. But we know that one day the stars will fall again. Look, and you will see that they have fallen before."

Brooks studied the images, and suddenly it clicked.

Tracker had told him of their astrological signs; patterns in the stars that they interpreted as symbols. They told the seasons, they told the time of night, and . . . they could tell the year.

He brought up in his system and projected the night sky over the obelisk. Moving it, he saw that they did not quite match up - but it was very close.

"Adjust by known star movements over time and go backwards in increments of 100 years," he said.

It was a tall request for his system, but after a few moments the sky began to rearrange itself, mimicking the movements the stars would have taken over time.

And when he was around fifteen hundred years in the past, it matched up with the obelisk.

"It has been a long time," he said to Knows the World, awe in his voice. That this had been passed down through legends over all this time . . .

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"And the spirits have come again," the wise man said, nodding to him solemnly. He regarded the stone solemnly. "I recall," he said slowly. "When I was young. The Sky Child was smaller, then. It had not changed for many, many years. As far back as we could recall. But then it began to grow."

He pointed to the image of a hamomo. "I know, because it did not used to hide the hamomo at this time of year. It ran free - now, it is crushed and hidden by the Sky Child at all times. In the past the Child moved across the sky. But now . . . it is simply there, always. Crushing the hamomo, and soon to crush us all."

He looked up to Brooks, and for the first time he saw the fear openly. But behind it, also hope.

"What can you do to save us, Gift Giver, True Striker?"

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

"You must listen to me carefully, we do not have long," Brooks said.

The twenty-five members of the !A!amo tribe had gathered before him. Knows the World had spoken already to Cool River and Old Hunter. The latter retained some doubts, but had said he would not oppose them. Cool River had quickly come to agree with Knows the World and Brooks - she, too, remembered the old stories and had seen the standing stone.

They had gathered the men, women, and even the children. Brooks had been unsure if the latter should be here, as he did not want to scare them.

But it was a terrifying situation. And they, too, were involved.

Knows the World and Cool River had not even considered leaving them out, and he had let it be.

Now, their eyes were upon him.

"The Sky Child is falling," he said. "And when it lands, it will destroy the world in fire."

Gasps and fear spread into their eyes; they believed him, doubt did not enter their minds.

He continued. "It is terrifying, yes. I, too, am frightened. Not just for myself, but for you - my friends." He gestured from himself to them.

"There is a way we can help you," Kai said. "We know of a place where you will be safe."

"Where is it?" Tracker asked cautiously.

Brooks said nothing. He simply pointed up.

Tracker's eyes gazed upwards, widened. He snapped back down to Brooks.

"Into the realm of spirits?"

"There are no spirits in the heavens," Brooks told him. "At least not that I have seen. But there are more people like us." He gestured to Kai and himself. "Many of us. We all came here to save your people."

"But why?" Old Hunter asked suddenly, his doubts manifesting. "I believe in you, True Striker. Do not misunderstand me. But if there are many of you - why do they care about !A!amo? They have not hunted with us. They have not bled with us."

Brooks opened his arms towards the heavens again. "If you look up, you do not see !A!amo. You do not see any !Xomyi, or even my people. That is because it is a vast emptiness. Emptier than air itself. There are so very, very few of us. We feel . . . alone. Like we are stranded in the deepest jungle with fears of predators all around."

He lowered his hands and his eyes. "But then we find each other."

A moment later, he found himself able to continue. "And when we do not feel as alone, we realize the heavens are not as frightening as they were a moment before."

Old hunter looked down, nodding slightly. He said nothing.

Kai stepped forward. "You do not need to bring much - only those things you cannot live without. We have food for your stomachs and beds for you to sleep in. The most important thing is simply yourselves." She looked across the group. "Do you understand?"

There was a scattering of assent, and Brooks spoke again. "I must know that you all understand. That you are all willing to come, because once the moon falls there will be nothing to return to. I will not try to force anyone to come who does not want to. But if you have second thoughts, please talk to me."

No one said anything, and Kai took over.

"We must walk for two days," she said. "We will only rest as long as we must. Every moment is important. You will see things and go places you have never seen before. Do not be afraid - we will be with you every step of the way."

"I promise," Brooks said. "I will do everything I can to protect you."

"You say it," Tracker replied. "And I believe you, True Striker."