Nkumai Summary

Lanik enters the strange land of Nkumai under the pretense of being a female ambassador from the land of Bird, which is a matriarchal society. It is easy for him to come in the disguise of a woman as he has grown the beautiful set of breasts. He is wearing the discarded dress of the person who protected him in Allison. The person who is conducting him into Nkumai is called Teacher, and later Lanik learns that everyone in Nkumai has a name based on his or her work, and people know each other by the particular characteristics of that person. This teacher is kind and careful to make sure that Lanik does not suffer too much as they mount ever higher into the trees. It is dizzying and frightening to Lanik who has only ever been on the ground.

Teacher says that...