Chapter Twenty
IT ALWAYS CAME DOWN TO THAT.
Actions between tribes were considered Pengali business, no matter how much they also affected other people. It was infuriating. But there was nothing we could do except observe.
At the end of the afternoon, when the light turned golden, it looked like everyone was ready for the festivities. Food was prepared and set out at the tables, an area of the floor cleared, and the irrka drum was set up.
The whole tribe gathered on the ground floor, all waiting, chatting in excited voices.
From somewhere in the crowd came a signal. I couldn’t see what it was, but everyone fell silent. People turned sideways and started waving their tails up and down. Seen from where we stood, the entire crowd opposite us resembled a giant mass of waving, grey and whi
