A man placed his hand on the woman's shoulder and asked, “Where is Mhum-Ma?”

The leader of the left replied, “She has returned to the earth and we all bear her sorrow.” People on both sides reacted with surprise before dropping their heads in reverence. …

The two sides met, one coming from stone huts and arbitrary rules, the other from ravaged forests, a smoky sky, and angry rivers thick with debris. Male and female stood together on both sides, shifting nervously. A meeting this size was unprecedented. Ma…