Jemunu-jah drew back slightly, uncomfortable at the nearness of that whispering trunk to his face. “What, another possibility?”
The Deyzara was not to be dissuaded, not even by Sakuntala sarcasm. “Supposing for a moment that the human is right. Suppose the Viisiiviisii is home to gigantic sentient fungi like this pannula. Could it not be sending us around aimlessly, deeper and deeper into the varzea? Could it not be deliberately leading us astray?”
Jemunu-jah frowned down at the two-trunks. “To what purpose?”
“So that we will fall over from exhaustion and hunger, whereupon it can infest and devour us at its leisure.”
The Sakuntala was unimpressed by the Deyzara’s reasoning. “If that was its intention, why wait for us to die? Why not just invade our bodies while we sleep?”
Masurathoo persisted. “We might sense the attempt and awaken. And if it is intelligent, it might recognize that we have in our possession weapons that could harm it.”
Jemunu-jah rose. “Now you giving to it more sense than even Hasa. I don’t accept your argument. If pannula want to help us, it helping us now. If it want to kill us, it can kill us anytime.”
“And if it’s not sentient?” Masurathoo continued. “Or what if it is, and it’s just curious about us? Or generally indifferent? What then, big-ears?”
Jemunu-jah hesitated. “You worry me like young females.” He turned to walk back up the hollow trunk to the place they had chosen for resting.
Astonishingly, Masurathoo actually reached out and grabbed the Sakuntala’s tail. The Deyzara was desperate.