On Blue's waters

I explained that I had not gone ashore to hunt in spite of my promise, that Krait had declined to remain with the sloop, and that I had not dared leave it in a completely unprotected anchorage with no one on board. “I’ll hunt tomorrow,” I told her, “but you must remain here, and put out to sea if there’s even the slightest chance of bad weather.”

She shrugged, and I knew there would be an argument next day. “I’ll eat a piece of that. Can I? I know I said I wouldn’t, but I will.”

When we had finished our meal, she asked me to hold out my hand. I did, and she slipped a ring on it. The mounting was white gold, I believe-some silvery metal that did not tarnish as plain silver would have. The stone was white and dull, scratched and very old.

“You have given me a ring,” Seawrack said, “and now I am giving you one.” Her little hand-the only one she had-had slipped into mine. “You must wear it, because you might fall in the pit again.”

She kissed me, but would not explain. At the time, I had no idea what that ring was (although I would soon find out), and certainly would never have guessed that it would sornpday save my life in a ruined lander on Green, as it did.

It was left behind, of course, with everything else. I wish that I had it back, if only to help me with Barsat and to remind me of her.

- 11- THE LAND OF FIRES

With the block and tackle, and Krait and Seawrack to pull the rope with me, and Babbie pushing and lifting the stern with his shoulders, we were able to get the sloop well up onto the beach. When there was no moving it any farther, I stowed the block, fetched my slug gun and some of the silver jewelry, and moored the sloop to dwarfish but sturdy-looking trees at both the bow and the stern.

After that, I climbed the biggest dune I could find to study the wide, flat expanse of sand and dark green, tangled brush. It did not look promising; but I reminded myself that the majestic trees of the island had produced no game at all, while we had shot at a green-buck in the ruins, which had not appeared any more promising than this.

Some minutes passed before it struck me that I was actually standing on what I myself had named Shadelow-that for the first time ever my feet were solidly planted on the unknown western continent upon which Pajarocu and its working lander waited. Behind me to the south lay the sea, and to eastward I could see the sea as well. Far to the north, too, I could just make out the gleam of it, or thought I could. But to the west the land widened, rising so much that I was reminded of home, where the distant lands to north and south bend up around the sun and at last close over one’s head to become the majestic skylands.

At my elbow Krait drawled, “It’s a big country.”

With more conviction than I felt, I told him that we would find Pajarocu in it, and soon.

He shrugged. “I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Then I feel sure you must have found out something of value last night.”

“No.” The wind whipped his loose clothing and he trembled, looking at least as cold as I felt.

“But you fed again. You said so at some length when you came back, and marveled that a place with so few people could provide such good hunting. Didn’t you have a chance to talk to anybody?”

“You’d like it better if I starved.”

I would not be diverted into a quarrel. “You found someone here. Human beings from whom you fed.”

“Not here I didn’t. Up there, farther in.” He pointed westward.

“Didn’t you ask them about Pajarocu? You must have. What did they say?”

He shook his head. “I had no opportunity to ask anybody anything. They were all asleep.”

“Good,” I said.

“Yes, she was.” He grinned, though without displaying his fangs.

Behind us, from the foot of the dune on which we stood, Seawrack called, “Aren’t you going to hunt?”

“In a moment!” I told her. “I’m going to go down the other side!”

“We’ll meet you there!”

I turned back to Krait. “I want you to stay here and protect the sloop. Will you do that?”

“Gladly, if you’ll tell me why you were happy that I hadn’t asked for directions.”

“Because I was warned that people friendly to the town would mislead us if we asked where it was. These people don’t like strangers, even when they’re human.”

Krait grinned again, stroking the chin he had shaped for himself that morning. “And one of us isn’t.”

It was my turn to shrug. “A detail.”

“I agree, Father. We’re every bit as human as you are, whatever that means. Don’t you want to know where the humans I found are?”

“I want to know a good deal more.” I tried to study his face, and turned away from its glittering eyes. If he chose to deceive me, there was nothing I could do about it. “But that will do to start with. Where are they?”

He pointed west again. “See that notch in the mountains?”

I nodded. It was ten leagues at least.

“A little river runs through there, coming pretty well straight toward us. If you look carefully, you can see the sun on it through the trees here and there.”

I tried, but my eyes were not as sharp as his.