The scents of strange groundlings and strange cooking smells almost overwhelmed the heady green odor of the ship. Kalam led them down a spiral stair to two levels below, to a larger room that seemed to be a gathering area. There were padded benches along the walls and stools scattered around. Several groundlings sat there, all Janderan. One said, in Kedaic, “So that’s them. I wonder why they brought the old man along.”
They were talking about Stone. Moon bit his lip to control his expression. Chime, walking between Moon and Delin, made an involuntary noise in his throat. As they reached the doorway to another passage, Moon glanced casually back and saw everyone had very blank expressions, except for River, who looked sardonic. He could read faint amusement from Stone’s normally opaque expression. This is going to be interesting, Moon thought.
The passage curved and twisted down, then opened into a winding corridor lined with doors. Kalam slid open the first. In carefully pronounced Altanic, he said, “These two are your rooms, next to Delin’s quarters. There is a bathing and elimination room at the end of the corridor. Uh . . .” He hesitated. Feeling unhelpful, Moon just stared at him.
Delin told Kalam, “I will explain how to use the equipment.”
Moon stepped in, and found a room much like the one Delin had, with beds built into the walls. There was an opening in the wall to the next room which doubled the available space. It looked as if it had been recently made; the edges were raw and the scent of the moss was more intense. More importantly, there were windows along the outer wall, set with crystal, but able to swing open and easily large enough to climb out of. Moon turned back to Merit and Bramble, who were peering through the doorway. He nodded, and they pushed in, followed by the warriors. Stone strolled in last.
Kalam stood uncertainly in the doorway. “If there is anything else you require . . .”
Moon told him, “We’ll ask.”
Kalam hesitated again, then retreated away down the corridor. Moon waited until the sound of his footsteps had faded, then checked the door. It was a light sliding panel with no lock, with no way anyone could seal them in.
Bramble looked at Stone and said, “Old man?”
Stone gave her a push to the head. “I am old.”
Except by “old” the Janderan had meant “useless.” Raksura just got stronger and usually larger as they grew older; most groundling species didn’t.
Delin said charitably, “Kalam is a good young person. They are an interesting species, and do not choose their gender until they near maturity. Kalam has only recently chosen his, and is perhaps too sheltered by his father.”
It made sense. Though Delin’s opinion was possibly colored by the fact that all his children and grandchildren were crewing or captaining wind-ships.
Merit put his pack against the wall. He looked like he was finding the situation daunting. “Is that how groundlings act toward everyone? Besides Delin and the other Golden Islanders.”
“They know what we are,” Moon said. He was used to this, but the others weren’t. “They’re afraid.”
Annoyed, Song tossed a pack onto one of the beds. “They always think we’re Fell.”
“It’s because we’re shapeshifters,” Chime added, poking at the padding on the lowest bed. “Groundlings are just afraid of shapeshifters.”
“Aren’t there any good shapeshifters?” Bramble wondered. “Besides us?”
“Not really.” Moon felt the deck move gently underfoot and went to a window. The ship was turning and lifting, starting the tricky job of navigating up past the mountain-tree branches and platforms. They must mean to travel above the tree canopy, which was somewhat safer. Hopefully Callumkal didn’t mean to go high enough to get into cloudwalker territory. “Not that I’ve ever heard of.”
“It is worth a monograph, perhaps.” Delin came to the window too. “This fear and distrust, which persists in so many cultures that we know of. Even those like Kish, where the Fell are not as great a threat now as they were in the past.”
Chime came to stand next to Moon, craning his neck to see out the window. “You think there’s a reason for it? Not just groundlings hearing stories of the Fell, and passing them on?”
“It’s intriguing to speculate,” Delin said. “We will have plenty of time for it on the journey.” He combed fingers through his beard thoughtfully. “You were able to duplicate the map from memory?”
Moon thought it was a good thing that it wasn’t Delin they were trying to fool. Chime told him, “We thought it was best.”
Delin nodded agreement. “It is a possibility that my grandchildren Niran and Diar have taken our wind-ship and crew to follow me here from Kish-Jandera. It would have taken them a little time to ascertain who I left with, and where we were bound. Once they do, they will follow me to Indigo Cloud to discover what happened. They will not wish to return to my daughter Elen-danar and inform her that they have lost me.”
Moon turned to stare at him. “You just left them in Kish with no idea where you went?”
Delin shrugged. “The situation was serious, and I did not want to delay the journey here with family arguments.” He admitted, “I hope that they will follow us to the sel-Selatra. It would be well to have the extra support.”
Stone gave Delin a sideways glance. “You don’t trust these people very much, do you?”
Delin watched the mountain-tree platforms drop past. “I don’t think they mean to betray us. But as you said, the Fell may have ways of finding out what the Kishan plan. I am not willing to leave our fate to chance.”
A faint vibration went through the deck, and a moment later the flying boat brushed past the leaves of a tree canopy as it moved up into increasingly brighter sunlight. They were on their way.
For a while, they just watched the Reaches from above, enjoying the breeze and the warm sun. When Moon was flying, the ground went by far too fast for much observation, and his attention was on the wind and keeping to the right direction. On a flying boat, there was endless time to see everything below you in detail.
Then Stone said, “We need to get the groundlings over the idea that we’re going to stay shut up in this room the whole time.”
Moon leaned against the window sill, reluctant. He wasn’t happy about socializing with these particular groundlings, but Stone was right. It would be a good idea to get them used to the fact that the Raksura would be moving freely around the boat. “We need to be careful.”
The look Stone threw him was not approving. “I know that.”
Moon managed to keep his mutter of I know you know that subvocal.
Chime eyed Stone warily. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get in a fight,” Stone told him.
Moon stared in exasperation at the ceiling. Stone’s mood hadn’t improved any. Root said, “Really?” River made a snort of derision that seemed to be aimed at all of them. Chime protested, “It’s only the first day.”
Stone sighed, with that air that suggested he wished he had never mated in the first place. “That was a joke.” He went to where Delin had retired to a cushion in a corner, making notes. He gave Delin a nudge and said, “Come and give us a tour of the boat.”
Delin began to put up his writing materials. “Excellent idea.”
“I’ll stay here,” Moon said. He wanted a chance to look over the map again, and he wasn’t as interested in being stared at by groundlings as Stone was. To the others, he said, “Just remember, speak Altanic. Don’t let them know you understand Kedaic. And be careful what you say.”