The mother-(c)f-many sent for all three of them the next morning. After formal exchange of greetings she commenced, "Little mother, is it true that thy Gary is indeed dead, like the other Gary?"
"It is true, gracious mother."
"Is it true that without a Gary thou canst not find thy way back to thine own people?"
"It is true, wise mother of many; the jungle would destroy us."
She stopped and gestured to one of her court. The "daughter" trotted to her with a bundle half as big as the bearer. The city mother took it and invited, or commanded, the cadets to- join her on the dais. She commenced unwrapping. The object inside seemed to have more bandages than a mummy. At long last she had it uncovered and held out to them. "Is this thine?"
It was a large book. On the cover, in large ornate letters, was:
LOG
of
the
Astarte