can’t have been here very long. Perhaps we can cross it.

    She told Manay to wait, and moved forward cautiously, holding up her gown and placing one foot in front of the other. The farther she went, the deeper it got. When it was up to her knees she stopped, turned around, and climbed out.

    “Something’s happened,” she said to Manay. “This was not here before. I don’t like it. We might run into something . . . unpredictable.”

    Placing a hand on the bird’s neck, she helped her turn around, then stopped, wondering whether it was water. Reaching down, she scooped some up in her hand and raised it to her nose. It had no odor and dripped from her palm like water.

    ...

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