Moving Again, with some Education on the Way

Apparently our pilot refused to set off until the sun actually set, but he did agree to get the ship warmed up so we could take off quickly, so we're up in the air once more. We're getting into some of the more populated areas -- as I can see from the cylinders floating around us. We're starting to come across some that are linked together to house larger numbers. Xala hunting parties seem more frequent than ever -- which leads me to correct myself yet again. I had been under the assumption that every pack hunted for itself all across the planet, but no. When I talked the the yela'kaja (the old one, woken up from his hibernation) about the numbers of hunting parties we've been seeing recently he corrected me.

"In the more populated areas, there are specialized packs that harvest food, clean it, and prepare it," he told me. "This is necessary with larger population areas, though it does allow their instincts to dull a bit."

Naturally I had another question in an instant. "How is it you have so much wildlife that's suitable for eating? On Earth, we have so many people to feed that it's hard to find enough farmland to catch up, let alone living off the wild!"

His smile was a bit awkward, but I think he really was amused at that. He can't really laugh, though, so he didn't try. "We stock the forests with genetically-engineered game, designed to have a high nutritional content and to be reasonably challenging to catch." He gestured at the window. "The entire spirit side of the planet is 'farmland': continents, oceans, various volcanic islands."

"Spirit side?"

He pointed up at a familiar object in the sky. "The side that faces Coaxta is lôxe coax, the spirit side. The side facing away from it is lôxe tyeg, the side of death, as it is barren wasteland alternately scorched and frozen every coaxrorol."

I guess I'm learning something new here every day. Well, I'm going to have a talk with the Kesata in a minute if they will speak with me. Pray for my poor eyes.