An Amazon Encounter by Clio Aristocratos       I was surprised at the amount of noise the Amazons made as they made their way to the meeting place. Perhaps, however, it was a sign that they came in peace since they felt they had no need to hide their approach. I whispered to Elgon that I wanted to present the dagger to the Amazons--returning to them what my mother had taken. Somehow that felt like the right thing to do. When the apparent leader of the band asked who had the dagger, I stepped forward and presented it to her. She examined it and then held it high in the air. Her next words shocked me.