Page 61 of Caveman Alien's Touch

Finding a piece of dinosaur skin and putting it over his feet so he won’t feel cold, I let him sleep and enjoy the meat myself. Then I curl up too, spooning him from behind and feeling his hard, slow heartbeat resonate through me.

“I love you,” I whisper softly to the back of his remarkable head. I’ve known for a while, of course. But knowing it and admitting it to myself are two different things.

20

- Noker-

“Noker,” comes the soft call from below. “I hear something:”

I struggle to wake up from a deep sleep, just wanting to stay in the soothing darkness.

There are more calls until I lift my head. “What do you hear, Dexer?”

“Foundling.”

I slowly sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes. The night is black all around.

Bronwen is behind me, curled up. I see the clear shine from her eyes. “What is it?”

“Dexer hears something,” I whisper. “His hearing is incredible.”

“Outcasts?” she asks, reaching for her knife.

“A possible new Foundling. I must go and find him.”

A little hand grabs the waistband of my shorts. “Someone else can go.”

“This is why there is a clan,” I explain, tempted to give in to her suggestion. “Because we always go to Find new Foundlings.”

“The Borok tribe don’t set babies out,” Bronwen says, her voice muddled with sleep. “Neither does the Tretter tribe. They are the only tribes nearby.”

“There’s also the Krast tribe,” I point out. “They may find it better to set a baby out on someone else’s turf.”

She slowly sits up on the platform. “They’re far away. Maybe this is one of those noisy grubs that you used to bait your trap.”

I lean over and look down at Dexer, who’s hoisted his platform almost all the way up to mine. “Brother Dexer, could this be a grub?”

“It could be,” he whispers. “But it could also be a Foundling. The sound is very faint. I can’t tell which it is from this far away.”

I get my spear. “Wait.”

Bronwen still has a hold of my shorts. “You’ve been working hard for days. Most clansbrothers not work much.”

I frown. “They don’t work much because they can’t. I thought that was obvious.”

She meets my gaze. “You not pay attention when moving? They can workmuchmore than you think. Theywantto work. But you not allow them.”

I shrug. “Perhaps. But this is a Foundling. I will go.”

“Is very close if he can hear it. Not need you to go. Anyone can do it. You are very tired. I see it in your eyes. And in your movements.”

“This is why the clan is here,” I repeat. “This is what we do.”

“This is whatyoudo,” Bronwen persists. “And Brak and sometimes Sprisk. And Dexer. I know is important. But is nothard. Sometimes, someone else can do important thing” She lets go of my shorts.

I stare out at the darkness. She doesn’t get it. In the clan, every man must do his best. And my best is better than everybody else’s.

It is as I said to Sarker’ox. If every man had a woman, nothing would get done in the clan.

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