"Bone," said Voorhis succinctly. "They collect it from things they catch in the sea. Main supports of timber, of course, built to fit the hull."
"The fish here grow very large," put in Haruhiku. "If you could call them fish, that is. I once saw them butchering what looked more like a dinosaur."
Mayne realized that the bone framework formed a sort of curtain wall. At the lower levels, some of the natives seemed to be experimenting with a coating of wet leaves which they were molding to the wall.
"They've soaked them in something they boil out of fish parts," his pilot explained. "Like the village roofs. When it dries, it's pretty hard, even waterproof. The stink never dries out."
"But what do they have in their bony little brains?" asked Mayne. "Just what is that mess supposed to be?"
"A temple, believe it or not," answered Voorhis. "They tell me I set her down on land sacred to the great god Meeg!"
Mayne looked at Haruhiku.
"Oh, come on, now! I came all the way from—" He stopped as he noticed the pilot's grave expression. "Oh! That sort of thing could be serious, I guess."
He imagined he had seen the chief, Eemakh, come alert at the mention of the local god. Mayne sighed. It was going to be a long day.
He was saved for the time being by a hail from the direction of the village. A procession was approaching along the set of ruts between Mayne and the ship.