However, Lilith has not fully adjusted to Oankali foods and has to be careful about the foods she eats around the ship. Lilith asks why the Oankali can eat human food and Kahguyaht tells her that they have adjusted to the foods of Earth. Lilith also notices that even though Jdhaya claims that Oankali are not hierarchical, he and the rest of his family seem to defer to Kahguyaht. Lilith is put off by Kahguyaht's demeanor and thinks of it as "one of the creatures scheduled to bring about the destruction of what was left of humanity" (46). Kahguyaht explains to Lilith that her body has drifted away from Earth's 24-hour day. She asks Jdhaya how long he was in her room. Jdhaya's family eats with Lilith and she realizes that she had not seen Jdhaya eat anything until that moment. (Remember that Oankali relationships traditionally occur between three individuals: one male, one female, and one ooloi). Lilith meets the other members of Jdhaya's family: Tediin, Jdhaya's wife Kahguyaht, Jdhaya and Tediin's ooloi mate and Nikanj, the family's ooloi child. Jdhaya's family gives Lilith a feast of human food, which fills Lilith with "pleasure so sharp and sweet" (45). The second section of Dawn, "Family," opens once Lilith has arrived at Jdhaya's home.
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