The Word for World is Forest

Davidson recites the story of the Smith Camp massacre into Major Muhamed’s recorder. He believes that Lyubov is behind the attacks on them, in alliance with the creechies. He also does not believe that Lyubov is dead, although that is what his people say. He wonders if the creechies actually killed the women or if they have them locked away somewhere. He speaks with a man named Juju over the radio. Juju says that there has been a formal truce and that Davidson’s agitations are making it harder for them all. Davidson says that he is going to liberate all the human slaves, and he doesn’t believe Juju’s protestations that the humans have been released. He feels sick when he thinks that the humans have been locked inside a reservation and are taking orders from the creechies.

He takes fifteen men up in a ship and bombs a creechie warren miles away in the forest. It sets the forest on fire, which is his true weapon. He is prepared to burn the entire forest planet before submitting to the creechies. Gosse gets on the radio during the bombing and tells Davidson he is crazy. There is no way to subdue 3 million creechies through bombing. Colonel Dongh tells Davidson via the radio that he is putting him in a difficult position: “‘The position of being forced to tell the natives here that we can’t assume any responsibility for your actions’” (164). He tells Davidson that if he doesn’t stop, it will be tantamount to suicide for him and the men with him.

Davidson continues to bomb, burn, and log the forest. After two weeks, he is satisfied that he has incinerated all the creechie warrens within walking distance. He wants to make a raid on the main creechie outpost and take the other four ships because his is running low on fuel. A guard shouts that they are under attack, and Davidson sees thousands of creechies running toward the camp. He makes it to his ship and takes off with his pilot, Aabi. He tells Aabi to circle for twenty minutes. Then they are going to drop back down and burn the thousands of creechies below, even if it means also killing some of their own men. A man named Post disagrees, as does Aabi, and Davidson knocks Post out with the butt of his gun and then orders Aabi to keep circling. He thinks, “The weak conspire against the strong, the strong man has to stand alone and look out for himself” (172).

When they get to where Java Camp is supposed to be, they can’t see anything from the air. There are no lights or burning buildings. Davidson suddenly feels groggy and realizes that the ship has crashed, although he does not know why. He cannot see or hear Aabi. He gets out and walks into the forest, trying to clear his head. Then he sees the creechies. He falls down and lies there but keeps watching them. There are at least twenty. He gets into the same position he was in when Selver got him down but then refused to kill him: Creechies are not allowed or able to kill someone who takes this specific defensive posture. One of the creechies steps forward and looks down at him. It is Selver.

Davidson gets to his feet and spits in Selver’s face. Selver spits back and then laughs before telling Davidson, “‘We’re both gods, you and I. You’re an insane one, and I’m not sure whether I’m sane or not. But we are gods’” (179). He says that Davidson gave him the gift of murder, and Selver will now in turn give him the gift of not killing: “‘I think we each find each other’s gift heavy to carry’” (179). The creechies are going to take Davidson to Rendlep and leave him there, which is what they do with their kind when they go mad. Selver says that it was Lyubov who has prevented them from killing each other.

Rendlep is called Dump Island, and the humans have left no trees there: “‘There’s nothing to kill on Rendlep. No trees, no people’” (180). Davidson tells him to kill him, but Selver says that as a god, Davidson must kill himself. They put a noose around his neck and lead him away.