After a Misunderstanding Fight, the People of the Springs parlay with Nathan's team. here's dialogue from pages 149 through 157 as Nathan upbraids them:
“Terrible ambush, you idiots. What were you trying to solve with daggers and wild beasts? You should have shot us from above!”
“We thought you were mercenaries sent by the dam people. We didn't want to alert your other teams with the shots.”
“This is my badge. My name is Nathan Never. My colleagues are Branko and May Frayn. Now your turn.”
“My name is Kyowa. We are natives of this desert. And I know you, Nathan Never, because Carolyn Powell told me about you and how you tried to protect her.”
“Carolyn Powell?”
“Her father was important to our people. Carolyn is here with us now. We’ll take you to her now. You can trust us.”
“Well, I'll try, but I'll keep my gun ready, remember that.”
(By radio) “Nobody really got hurt, Sigmund. We straightened things out, and now we're following them. They said they’ll take us to Carolyn Powell. I think we can trust them. We have no choice anyway. The situation took a different turn than we expected.”
“All right. But I can't figure out where you are. The darkness and the canyons prevent me.”
“We have to break radio contact anyway. Soon we will descend into an underground environment. Over.”
“Here we are. This is the entrance, an ancient door built by our ancestors.”
“The spring is down there, right?”
“What do you know about the spring?”
“I’m here because we deciphered Powell’s notes. But we also want to protect your water source and its secret, believe me.”
“But we have to understand. There have been too many deaths in this story. An entire city will soon be without water.”
“We know, but we'll talk about that later. Now let's go.”
“Wait. One more thing. Like us, others have had access to Powell's notes. Maybe they know about this place too.”
“That's bad. You two, stay on guard outside. I'll send a relief in four hours. We'll lock the door behind us. If you have to go back in, here's the sound key. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
“All right, Kyowa.”
“You train those beasts with ultrasonic whistles, don't you?”
“Indeed. And it's not easy, because they are wild and aggressive, but they are useful to defend us... and they provide us with food.”
“We're almost there. From up here you can see our underground valley.”
“Incredible! I would never have thought of such a sight!”
“I agree. The Great Lake of the Secret Spring is truly a spectacle. And all around there are the homes of my people.”
(A child approaches) “Kyowa... you're back.”
“You know I don't like to be away from the village for too long. I went to welcome these guests.”
“Are you really outsiders?”
“You say that as if it were a very bad thing.”
“Did you hear that? But what's worse than being an outsider?”
“Maybe not even a smelly guglag is worse.” (meaning one of the dino-creatures.)
“Try to understand them. We raise them with a not-so-great opinion of the surface world.”
“Well, I don't get it...they should have a chance to see with their own eyes what the world outside is like.”
“Go get Carolyn. Tell her the guests have arrived!”
“All right, Kyowa, right away.”
“We live well down here. We don't lack anything and above all we don't miss the chaos of the surface world, where we would be treated badly, like all minorities.”
“In my opinion, you're a little biased.”
(Branko) “I don't think so, May. Kyowa is extreme in his considerations, but there is a grain of truth in what he says. Progress... culture... The battles that minorities have fought for the affirmation of their rights have not erased certain prejudices. Kyowa's ancestors were locked up in reservations. Just as it was done with us Mutates when we were no longer useful.”
“You speak truth. We don't want to run the risk of ending up like our ancestors.”
“Yes, but you have locked yourselves up in this underground world.”
“A world with its limits, it's true. But it's our world, in which we are the masters and can live free.”
Meanwhile, Frost and his goons discover the hidden door in the ravine, take out the two guards, and make their way through the caves...
