West of Eden by Harry Harrison

and arms. It won't be the first time. The creature is vicious."
    The small male fought to escape but Stallan seized it and hurled it to the floor, then knelt on its back, holding it still with one hand. With the other she seized one of the bindings and wrapped it around the beast's ankles, then inserted the binding's tail into its mouth. The binding swallowed by reflex, drawing its body tight. Only when it was well-secured did Stallan throw the creature aside.
    "I will remain and guard you," she said. "I must. Vaintè ordered your protection. I have been remiss once and you have been injured. I cannot permit it to happen again."
    Enge indicated begrudging agreement, then looked at the discarded gourd and the fruit tumbled on the floor. She pointed at the prostrate female.
    "I'll get the round-sweet-eating-things. Turn that one over so she can see me."
    Ysel screamed hoarsely when the cold hands grabbed her, lifted her roughly, and pushed her back against the wall. She chewed at her knuckles and sobbed as the other marag stamped towards her,, stopped, then held up an orange. Its mouth slowly opened to reveal rows of pointed white teeth. It uttered an animal's screech as it waved the orange, scratching its claws on the floor when it did this. Ysel could only moan with fear, unaware that she had bitten into the flesh of her fingers and that blood was running down her chin.
    "Fruit," Enge said. "Round, sweet good things that you eat. Fill your stomach, make you happy. Eating makes one strong. Now do as I command." She spoke temptingly at first, then commanding. "You will take this fruit. You will eat at once!"
    Then she saw the blood where the creature had injured itself and she turned away in disgust. She put the gourd of fruit onto the floor and signaled Stallan to join her by the door.
    "They have crude tools," Enge said. "You said they had shelters of some kind, as well as large animals to serve them?" Stallan nodded. "Then they must have some degree of intelligence."
    West of Eden - Harry Harrison
    "That doesn't mean that they can talk."
    "A well-made point, hunter. But for the moment we shall just have to assume that they do have a language that they use to communicate with one another. I must not let a single failure stop me—look, the male is moving! It must have smelled the fruit. Masculine reactions are coarser, it cares more for its hunger than our possible threat. But it still watches us, still a wild animal. Look!" She cried out with triumph. "It is eating the fruit. A first success. We can at least feed them now. And there, see that, it is bringing fruit to the female. Altruism—that must denote intelligence."
    Stallan was not convinced. "Wild animals feed their young. I have seen them work together on the hunt. I have seen it. That is no proof."
    "Perhaps not—but I will not permit myself to be dissuaded so quickly. If boats can understand simple commands, why, then creatures like these should at least be able to do the same."
    "You will teach them then, in the same manner that boats are taught?"
    "No. I considered that at first, but I want to obtain a better level of communication. Teaching boats involves positive and negative reinforcement of a few commands. An electric shock indicates a wrong action, while a bit of food rewards success. That is good for training boats, but I am not trying to train these animals. I want to talk with them, communicate with them."
    "Talking is a very difficult thing to do. Many of those who emerge from the sea never do learn."
    "You are correct, hunter, but that is a matter of degree. The young may have difficulty in talking as adults, but you must remember that all of the young talk together when they are in the sea."
    "Then teach these beasts the children's language. They might be able to master that."
    Enge smiled. "It has been many years since you spoke as a child. Do you remember what this means?"
    She raised her hand and the palm changed from green to red, then back to