5.5: An attempt at parley
Meanwhile, Alcock decides to visit the bulb spiders who have camped a little to the north. Every year, the spiders migrate past the Potting Shed, and every year there is trouble. They have no qualms about attacking and, not to put too fine a point on it, trying to eat his smaller colleagues. That must never happen. But Alcock left the army disillusioned with the idea of might: that might is generally right. Surely it must be possible to be friendly, if temporary, neighbours with the bulb spiders? Surely he can ask them their plans and perhaps even offer to help them in some way. He can see that they have set up camp higher up the stream that flows sometimes in winter unnervingly close to the Potting Shed. As he draws closer he hears a chilling sound. It is only 10am and yet the bulbs are singing one of their carousing songs. Of course, they are singing it in the Common Tongue which, of his Potting Shed colleagues, is spoken only by Keith, the ring tailed lemur. But while no one cou
