Mayuri took me back to Lemon and Omen who were still waiting where we had left them last. The others had left. Omen looked grumpier than ever before. “About time!” he muttered under his breath. “How did the Council take the news?” asked Lemon breathlessly. 
“As expected,” replied Mayuri. “Take him with you and bring him in the morning to the Assembly. There are announcements to be made.”
Lemon nodded. Abruptly, Mayuri turned and began to walk towards the hill again. “Scared?” asked Omen. “They weren’t very nice,” I confessed. “Ah well, the Nile crocodile is a crooked one. Did you happen to smile at him?” “He advised me not to,” I said. “That’s right. Never smile at a crocodile,” said Lemon in a sing-song voice. “The mammoth is fair, though. She is very even-tempered.”
“She didn’t seem to like me much either.” “Who said anything about liking you, boy? Why should you be liked anyway? The important thing is to stay alive,” Omen growled into my ear.
“Want some food?” asked Lemon. I suddenly realised that I hadn’t eaten in ages. I wasn’t hungry either. “We eat only for pleasure,” Omen said. “Anunirva knows no hunger.” I said I’d like to eat very much if only because I was curious to see what sort of food they’d offer me.
“Dodo meat is good,” said Lemon. I looked at her, wondering if she was joking. “What? You doubt my words?”
“Err…” I didn’t know if I should say yes or no…both responses seemed to be offensive! “Your ancestors hunted us down by the hundred because we taste so good!” said Omen. “Look, I’m sorry for what people did a million years ago, all right? I’m sick of being spoken to like I’m some sort of criminal….” I shouted. I was tired. I didn’t know where my family was. I had landed in a strange land where whatever I said amounted to evidence to prove my guilt for a crime I hadn’t even committed to start with. And I was apparently extinct now. “The most I’ve eaten are fish and chicken! And I bet all of you ate other creatures when you were on earth, too! It’s called keeping the balance in nature, okay? So just stop treating me like I’m evil incarnate!”
