Vince ~ After Marcus question to Mari<br/><br/>Marcus piped up with a question to Mari. More howja du. Nice touch, Vince thought.  Mila gifted Vince with a smile and for that he was thankful. Mari added another one and answered Marcus gaily. It was good to hear something lighten the stifling heat of the room.  Bo at the other side was quiet. No idea what was going on over there. Nicci had nay yet returned but that was the way of womenfolk and he was surprised the tribe of them had not dashed off after each other as was the usual custom with these things and women, to his mind.<br/><br/>And the question Mari asked aloud in jest came to him again. When there were too many mouths for the stew in the pot, Mari had asked, what did yah du as children oblivious to the ways of adults. It was the simple answer to move a mouth out. The most direct answer to make a rule. The hardest answer, cry out for insight an raise your voice for understandin, seek it like silver an search for it as for ah hidden treasure.<br/><br/>Perhaps the moment of jest was ah poignant attempt to shield themselves from their newly discovered self-knowledge, an attempt to fashion some frame work of trust in shared commitment. To camouflage the terrifying truth that had been uncovered about how far they had to go in well before 179 days.<br/><br/>Ack! Vince thought scolding himself, stop yankin der bacon an enjoy der jest.<br/><br/>