Cannibal

3

I his i s th e swamp : noise . Thi s i s th e larges t swam p i n the worl d an d th e fish afte r th e bug s an d th e fish eagle s after thei r fish an d th e swatter s an d th e croc s revelin g i n what mus t hav e bee n a ver y quie t plac e a t th e beginnin g with one-cells oozing in half i n rhythm i s all noise. I hear hi m anywa y unde r it : h e whisper s t o someon e i n their language , an d one word sound s like oil but what doe s • 3 4 3 that mean, a n open o or different, a sound with a u that is a kind o f comb ? I think. O r th e ope n o an d 1 which mean s they ar e i n a specia l par t o f speech—ar e in , an d ca n b e attached t o past tense to mean Are way in. We ar e wa y in . W e ar e s o far i n thi s swam p the y spea k different. Bu t h e coul d b e sayin g oil . H e i s th e on e I a m traveling with , an d i n thi s languag e I once hear d radi o fo r the bo x we liste n to . A cognate! He i s speakin g while tha t box is playing softly outside , an d I am i n a dry spot behin d a net , no t to o fa r away . H e i s speakin g lo w however , an d the swamp is high. I don't lean out of the net to hear better. I am happy here. Nets i n a swam p ar e required. I n th e boa t tha t w e too k t o get here , net s wen t al l th e wa y aroun d everywher e bu t behind the m stoo d to o man y people . Whe n th e peopl e al l moved to one side to see an animal in the water, th e net o n the othe r sid e touche d th e wate r sideways . Besides lettin g water i n i n quantity , th e ne t kep t m e in , an d I felt gri d o n my cheek and its strength, the net blocking me from safety . I put m y foo t o n i t an d trie d t o tea r i t an d couldn't , the n people o r th e anima l an d the n th e peopl e shifte d s o th e water insid e wa s jus t a mi x o f fear-pe e an d leak . An d si lence . Except for th e bugs outside and the people who wer e inhaling for shrieking . Now ther e i s so much nois e I can't tel l what kin d o f oi l he i s speakin g of , ar e in, o r oil , o r a comb. I am intereste d because an y wor d I might alread y kno w tha t the y kno w i s one more, one less for me to learn. When he comes in, I ask. That is , when h e crawl s i n throug h th e low doo r flap o n his hand s an d knee s an d swear s becaus e bug s follo w him , I ask. 35 • Okay, he says, this is what it means: a word at the end of some words to make a n impression. Like , say, ummmmm . I write that down . All th e bug s ar e excite d b y his comin g i n an d ge t unde r the net whe n h e raises it . He takes of f hi s clothe s anyway . While the y ge t a t him an d he turn s an d turn...