"Dinner will be early," she said with a ghastly, girlish laugh. "I was getting quite hungry."
She started up the tree, the top mouth opening and closing. There were teeth in it.
"We yamam'ba are very good with trees," she said, climbing steadily. "Don't climb any higher. It will only make you tired and sweaty and bitter to the taste. Say prayers instead and become calm and delicious."
"I hope I burn your tongue if you have one in there," said Goro, a little beside himself. "And try not to be such a chatterbox. You're making my head buzz."
He did hear a distinct buzzing, a small roaring right by his head where he was holding on to a thin branch. He tried to move his hand away from the sound. Something small sat down on his thumb and set it on fire.
"Ya-yowch!" he said, loudly.
"Tee-hee-hee!" went the yamam'ba, coming up with an intimate rustling of leaves.
Goro sucked his thumb which had swollen surprisingly and stared at the ball-like thing hanging only an arm's length away. The buzzing came from it. Very carefully he reached out to see if he would be able to grab it instantly. He thought the size would be about right.
A hard, scaly hand with claws came groping through the branches. He moved his foot out of the way and waited for the head. It appeared, the top mouth gaping.
"Tee-hee-hee," said the yamam'ba, using both mouths.