The monsters had resumed their progress downward. The observers stood in silence, watching, waiting until the Corojum came into sight once more, trudging toward them along the edge of the Fauxi-dizalonz.
“Bofusdiaga says yes, he can do it,” said Corojum. “He will take all material from those coming down road; he will filter out bad stuff; he will hold rest of it in readiness. Then you have Mouche and Simon and Calvy go in, and Bofusdiaga will make a big one body to do the will of the little one’s minds.”
“Me?” cried Calvy, in outrage. “Me!”
“Bofusdiaga needs more brain stuff than one person,” said the Corojum.
“So it’s fortunate you’re here, Family Man,” said D’Jevier. “You and Simon and Mouche, and that other one, what’s his name? Ornery.”
“Not Ornery,” said Questioner. “She’s a girl.”
“A what?” cried Onsofruct. “A girl? What is she doing in sailor’s garb? She’s not allowed to do that!”
“Allowed or not, she’s been doing it.”
“By all the Hagions,” muttered Onsofruct. “We’re losing our grip upon this world.”
“Let’s get beyond this crisis,” pled D’Jevier. “Then we can decide what needs doing about our grip upon this world.”
“Mouche comes,” said the Corojum. “With Ellin and Ornery.”
Mouche did indeed come with Ellin and Ornery, all of them Eiger borne. He was softly lowered before the others.
“He told you?” Mouche panted.
Madame nodded sadly. “Yes, Mouche. We understand that we must make a partner for the Quaggima.”
“The Fauxi-dizalonz is going to make it,” said Questioner.
“Out of Timmys?” asked Mouche in a distant, detached voice. “As before?”
“Evidently there’s insufficient time,” said Questioner, giving him a sharp look. Where had she seen that expression before? “The Fauxi-dizalonz doesn’t work that way. It can make one large thing in the same time it can make a few small things. We have the pattern, however, and if you’ll look up the hill, you’ll see our raw material.”
Mouche’s eyes focused on the descending monsters, and his jaw sagged. “What are they?” he demanded.
Madame explained. Ellin caught her first glimpse of old Pete and turned aside, flushing.
The two Hags approached, trailed by a disconsolate Calvy and Simon.
“Mouche,” murmured D’Jevier, wiping tears, “we appreciate your sacrifice.”
“It was nothing,” said Mouche, slightly puzzled. “I figured it out at the same time as Fl … “ He caught himself. “ … Bao. He figured it out as much as me.”
“Still, many would have concealed the truth because of the implications.”
“I am glad to be of service, Ma’am,” he said, still puzzled, made more so by Calvy and Simon’s faces as they turned away and departed, without speaking, arms around one another’s shoulders as though for mutual support.
The women turned away as well, D’Jevier saying to her sister, “You see, Onsy. He is one of a kind. A marvel.”
“I don’t know what’s so marvelous,” said Mouche.
Madame replied, “Neither Calvy nor Simon have your sense of duty, Mouche. They are not really willing to go into the Fauxi-dizalonz to be made into a Consort for the Quaggima.”
“A Consort for the Quaggima!” shouted Mouche, his voice reaching all the retreating persons. “Are you crazy?”
Calvy and Simon turned as one, staring, mouths slightly open.
D’Jevier turned, white-faced. “I thought you understood.”
Questioner held up her hand imperiously. “We know the Quaggi anatomy is quite different, Mouche. But if the Fauxi-dizalonz can make and remake, to order, so to speak, we can simply use you trained people—you, Mouche and Simon and Calvy—to create a male for the Quaggima.”
Mouche smiled, his face serene once more. “You didn’t explain it to them, Bao.”
“Explaining what?” yelped Bao. “I myself am not understanding … “
Mouche said in that same, distant voice, “Actually, considering the size, the anatomy isn’t that different. All the pertinent parts have their mankindly parallels. And I’m sure the Fauxi-dizalonz could probably come up with a Consort of some size. And I’m sure that would be quite appropriate … if the Quaggima were female.”
“But I saw her … him … it … “ said Questioner. “Out on that moon. And I saw him … “
“You saw one Quaggi violate another Quaggi,” said Mouche. “You assumed it was the male assaulting the female. In fact, it was a female who did the assaulting. She laid an egg in him. We ran an analysis from the data, and the egg was actually imbedded under the skin next to the male organs. That’s how they do it. The females are bigger and stronger. They lay eggs in the males, and the males are the brooders. We got the sex wrong.”