the_third_time-maker [Contagion]

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>//After a time, the sun gained enough courage to show her face. The [[the second time-maker|possum]], taking a well-deserved nap, took no notice, and in this way the days and nights began to turn. And so for a while, the Time Being was satisfied. On occasion, it would wake another animal, though none could rise to meet the impact of the possum. Until one day, a human awoke. And its name was 'Malefu.\\
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'Malefu looked at the world with eyes eager to transform it. As they were awoken, each new animal had enacted some new subtlety: weather, tides, stars. 'Malefu found fire, stolen boldly from the sun. And with it, it crafted the most exciting change yet -- invention.//
//-- Excerpt from a retelling of how the world began, recorded by Talli Zola (1985)//

The Third Time-Maker, or the First Human, carried a spark of the Time Being's creativity, allowing humanity to go far beyond the deeds of any other animals. Belief that 'Malefu still walks the earth is rare but not unheard of. Its name is often invoked in exclamations such as "may 'Malefu show me the way" or "by 'Malefu's eyes". Offerings to it take the form of small hand-crafted tokens which are burnt on a fire, most commonly by artists but also by anyone looking for guidance or direction.