Max finds himself stuck between a rock and a large group of kids as the hunters of the tribe return from their latest excursion. The largest among them, a young man named Slake, swings on a line down to meet Max, silencing the children in the tribe and allowing Max to finally get some answers. Slake reveals that the tribe calls themselves The Waiting Ones, and they have been patiently waiting for his arrival. The notion that he is awaited gives Max pause.