"Ancestor! I spoke well of you... They'll keep you, make you a sailor doing hard labor. They kill people, eat people. You have to behave, don't provoke them..."
"."
"When we put ashore later, the two of us will find a chance and run together!... You know the jungle; if we run in the woods, I'll follow you! I know the islands; if we run on an island, you follow me!..."
"."
"That black, oily island you told them about... I don't know it well, you do. If we run on that island, I'll follow you!... Hey, say something!..."
"."
In the swaying cabin, there was not a single candle flame, only a little morning light seeping in. Shushu held a small piece of roasted tapir meat that had already gone completely cold, licked his lips with eyes full of reluctance, and only then handed it to the Lokono captive, Akachi.
"This is?... For me?..."
"Yes! A-Yue, you eat!..."
In the Arawakan language, "Kachi" (Kaachi) meant "The Moon," so the name Akachi was "A-Yue." To A Shu, it was a name that was very easy to understand, and very pleasant to hear! Just like "The Sun" in Arawakan, the nice-sounding "Hadali." And among the tribes of the Arawakan language family, there was indeed such a custom: using "The Sun" to address women, and "The Moon" to symbolize men.
At this moment, Shushu, born of the Taino tribe, looked at A-Yue, born of the Lokono tribe, and A-Yue also stared tightly back at him. They had similar features, and the tattoos on their faces and bodies also shared many similar traits, only the specific patterns were different. And the language they used to communicate likewise had far too many ancient words in common, such as "The Sun and The Moon," "cassava