Screech looked up at the sky. “The Bright Circle’s just gone down,” he told Red Claw, “I reckon the Night Circle’s big enough for the leafeaters to see by, but not so much that Thud and I won’t be able to slip into the valley unnoticed.”
--------------------------------------------------
“Guido, I think we’re lost,” Pangaea said. The two gliders were deep in the forest, surrounded by tall trees. They had completely lost track of where Spike, Ducky, and Anna had gone.
“We’re not lost. We just...can’t find where Spike, Ducky, and that other swimmer went.”
“Ah...yeah, I s’pose that’s more accurate,” Pangaea agreed, shrugging. “I shouldn’t doubt ya; sorry. You’ve lived here for a while, right? Enough to know your way around?”
“Heh, yeah,” Guido smirked, “I could find my way around the Valley in my sleep.” A moment later he added sheepishly, “And actually, I have.”
“Oh yeah,” Pangaea said, “I never asked; what do you do about that sleepwalking habit of yours?”
Guido looked taken aback. “You know I sleepwalk?”
“Guido, I told you: I know all about you guys. I’ve seen you from my universe; I’ve just never interacted with you before.”
“Oh–oh, right; I forgot. But...if you already know I sleepwalk, how do you not know what I do about it?”
“Well...I don’t know everything,” Pangaea explained, “It’s like...I’ve seen this world, but only in parts. There’s actually a lot I don’t know. That’s one reason this is so much fun for me; I like to learn stuff.”
“Uh, okay,” Guido said. He was still finding it difficult to grasp that this creature who looked like a larger, maroon-colored version of himself (a remarkable identity in its own right) was actually from a completely different universe.
“Well,” he said, “What I’ve done every night ever since I found out I sleepwalked is tie one end of a vine around my leg and the other to my sleeping place, so if I get up in my sleep, I don’t go far.” He chuckled.
Pangaea smiled and nodded. “Brilliant,” he said, “That’s exactly what I would have come up with...if I was any good at tying knots.”
“So, uh...speaking of sleep,” Guido said, “It’s getting dark, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to make it back to Petrie’s nest tonight. Do you want to find somewhere to sleep around here?”
“Not until I eat something first,” Pangaea told him. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone this long without food. “I'm famished."
Guido scratched his head. “Well, if you don’t want to try crawlers, I think there are some treesweet trees over that way.”
“Sounds good. Lemme at ëem!”
Guido nodded, and led Pangaea further onwards through the forest.
