..broached the idea of taking a child from its parents. But there were others to guard against. Lashko was convinced Algo was some sort of animal, or had some animal in him. Not that he was an animal but that he had more animal in him than most others. That he was maybe like a pet who understands human speech, not because they know the language but because the speaker is human, because the animal recognized the common traits in humans. Lashko wasn't happy with his explanation. The words he used didn't sound to him scientific or elegant. Even so, his assessment caused Egram to let out a sigh of relief. Her child wasn't META. She was also suddenly convinced that school would probably take this gift out of him. Egram was relieved her child wasn't META. She was overjoyed by the idea that keeping him at home, keeping him close,... [Contents: Original story illustration (gouache) and handwritten text.]