Heron Lake Plateau A beating heart of stone.

Caiaphas attempted to mimic some of the signs. Her movements were barely intelligible, though Towhee offered an encouraging smile. It took practice to get the hang of it, to acquire the fluidity of movement, not to mention the mental acuity to convey meaning with the motions and coordinate the effort.

The question gave Towhee pause. She'd just showed her name sign. Had Caiaphas missed it? It was entirely possible. Or maybe she meant the first few letters of her name? "T-O-W-H-E-E," she said out loud even as she slowly and emphatically signed each letter, going ahead and giving her entire name. For good measure, she added, "And this is my name sign again," before making the brief series of movements.