There was water, a thin oily-tasting stream that wound sluggishly through the sands to the ocean. Sylvie had never tasted anything so delicious. She put her face into the water and lapped it like a dog, then sucked it in through puckered lips. When she was sated, she splashed her face and hair to rinse off the crusted salt.

“Oh! That was wonderful! Thank you,” she said to the macaw, who sat in a branch watching her unblinkingly. “I’m Sylvie, by the way,” she added. “What’s your name?”

“Name? Me? Why, I suppose you could call me Mac. Whatever. Names are stupid, anyway. Who needs ‘em?” The macaw tossed his head and clacked his beak derisively.

“Okay, Mac, sure,” Sylvie said. “Hey, how come you talk, anyway? I’ve never heard of a bird who could talk like you. Usually they just spout memorized words and phrases but don’t really mean anything by them.”

“Humph. What kind of a silly place do you come from, then, girlie?” Mac eyed her suspiciously. “Everybody talks. Why shouldn’t they? More to the point, why shouldn’t I? Do you think birds are stupid?”

Taken aback, Sylvie groped for words. “No, um, I guess I just misunderstood, sorry. I must not be where I thought I was, then. It is a silly place I’m from, and birds and animals don’t talk there, but I’ve been to another place where they do, so I really should know better. But this doesn’t seem like that world either. I wish I knew where I was! Have you seen any people here, you know, like me?”

“Nope, can’t say as I have,” Mac said, looking her up and down and cocking his head judiciously. “Think I’d remember if I had, though. Nobody like you around here.”

“So, if you’ve never seen a girl before, then how come you call me ‘girly’?” she asked.

The bird’s head cocked back and forth, giving the impression of a shrug. “I dunno. It just seemed like a good thing to call you. Why not?”

“Never mind,” she said with a sigh. He was certainly an unsatisfying source of information. “Hey, is there anybody around I could talk to who could tell me where I am? Somebody wise, who knows things, and might answer a few questions?”

“Well, I suppose there might be somebody like that, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” the macaw said. “He’s a dangerous critter, and in order to get to his place, you’d have to go through the jungle. Besides, his price is too high. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to pay it. Not a good idea. Better to stay out of there, I would if I were you. I go in there as little as possible myself. Never know what might happen in there. Bad place, that jungle.”

“What kind of price? I don’t have anything to pay with,” she said.

“Oh, you’ve got what he wants, all right, but I don’t think you can spare it,” the macaw replied enigmatically.

“What?”

“You twit, I’m talking about your life! The jaguar would answer questions all right, and maybe truthfully, but then he’d eat you! That’s the price! I told you, this is a dangerous place!!”

Sylvie’s jaw tightened. “Well… jeez, Mac, I have to do something. I think I have to go in there. What else is there to do? Rot out here on this beach?”

“Oh, don’t be an idiot, kiddo,” the macaw shouted harshly. “I don’t hardly know you but I’d rather you didn’t go and get killed on me. You’re the first company I’ve had in ages! Just my luck I’d find somebody to talk to who’s dead set on getting herself eaten on the very first day we met!”

“Well, gee, Mac, I appreciate that and all,” Sylvie said, torn between feeling touched and annoyed. “I suppose it must get lonely here. But I have to do something! Can’t you help me?”

The macaw flapped his wings in agitation, flew to a nearby branch and settled down again with a theatrical sigh. “I’ll think of something, kiddo, I will, you’ll have to trust me. But give me time. It’s a big jungle and there’s a lot to think of in there. Okay?”

“Oh, all right,” Sylvie replied. “I’ll wait a bit. I guess there’s no hurry anymore anyway. Who knows how long I’ve been gone by now? Probably everybody thinks I’m dead.”

Feeling despondent, she sat on the sand by the stream, wrapped her arms around her knees and closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, she smelled the slight metallic tang of the stream’s water and felt the soft hot breeze rub on her like a cat. For the first time, she realized how tired she was. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and take a nap. Well, why shouldn’t I? Unable to think of a good reason why not, but feeling a slight unease, she decided to try to get some rest anyway.

“Hey Mac, I’m going to try to sleep a little,” she told the macaw. “That should give you time to think. I’m really intensely sleepy.”

“Yeah, sure, go ahead, girlie, Sylvie, whatsyername, get yourself some winks.”

She scooped herself a nest in the dry, fluffy sand and was asleep before she was fully settled.

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