Jal sent a different message remotely from its computer, then slid the tablet back into its backpack.

Sage Elvan had studied body language, facial expressions, and voice inflections extensively in its negotiator training. Padeedah Bano’s emotions had been erratic, and the verbiage she had used repeatedly had been deceptive. It was clear to Jan that she had not expected Jal to complete the project. The questions she had directed at Jal were sarcastic attempts to prove that it had simply acquired information but not learned anything. Yet, Jal had consistently tried to engage with her amiably. It answered each of her questions knowledgably and frequently referred to the processes it had used of proving and disproving hypotheses.

“That was quite a ‘discussion,’ Jal.” Jan was not pleased. “What is going on?”

“That’s a very good question. I’m curious as to why she was so angry.”

“Angry is an understatement. It seems to me that she was trying to manipulate the situation. What are you hiding, Jal?”

“I’m not hiding anything. You read the same thing that she did.”

“What did you leave out of your report?”

“Jan, there are tons of things I left out of the report. I had to take eighteen months of data and cut it down. I used the material I needed to complete the project.”

“You have a lot of knowledge that no one else has.”

“This information is in archives, libraries, museums, and science labs. It’s available to all Zuphreon residents.”

The facts that Jal had finished the project early, had decided to keep the material under wraps, and had come up with a nondisclosure agreement did not surprise Jan. Jan knew that Jal hoped to use the project to win entrance to a university, but there was more to this.

It cut into the quietness of the tower. “Jal, you’re using this information to go to Shifos, aren’t you?”

“You knew this, Jan. I’ve talked about going there since I came here.”

“I told you that you couldn’t go without my permission.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I don’t want you going there.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. You may have proven that there aren’t monsters that fit the old folktales, but there are still some pretty scary things.”

“I’m not planning to go by myself, Jan.”

“You already have a plan?”

“You saw the map of the continent. You know I have maps on my walls upstairs. I have the routes marked that the explorers used. I have the route that the Stafriez used as they came east from the coast. I haven’t made a final plan yet.”

“May I look at the maps in your room?”

“Of course.”

As Jal went up the stairs and Jan jumped up the levels, Jan became concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m exhausted. I hadn’t expected that to happen for a few more days.”

Jal had drawn on the wall between the bed and the north window. It was a view that Jal had seen through the satellite feed. A great waterfall cascaded over towering rocks. Large, irregular shapes jutted up from the water in the whirling pool at the bottom.

“This is marvelous, Jal! Are you having trouble sleeping again?”

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“Oh, no. I just thought this was so incredible. It calls to me. I want to see it in person.”

It had been using one wall to collect information on Shifos and six maps were stuck to it. “Which map do you use the most?” They stood together in front of the largest one and Jal traced a route that seemed to make the most sense. It led west to a river, then angled northwest to the coast.

“Jal?” Jan’s forehead furrowed. “Protectors’ Enclave? There’s a Protectors’ Enclave on Shifos?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t mention this because...?”

Jal shrugged. “There’s no one there. It needs to be repaired. There’s not really much to say.”

“Jal!”

“What?”

“Is this why your teacher was so upset?” Jan demanded.

“How could she be? She doesn’t know about it.”

“How do you know she doesn’t know about it?”

“I didn’t put anything about it in the report. It had nothing to do with the topic.”

Jan stared at the map. “A second enclave?”

“Also damaged and uninhabited.”

“Why haven’t you mentioned these to me?”

Jal shrugged. “I don’t know. Dr. Gyasi seemed unbothered about them. I figured if it was important, he would have made a big deal about it.”

“If I told you that you had permission to go to Shifos, what would you do?”

“I’d finish this school year. Then I’d fight and train for part of a year and take the rest of the year to go there.” Jal looked at the floor and then at Jan. “I don’t want to go by myself. Will you go with me?”

“You’re talking about hiking and sleeping outside. Eating canned food and dried junk.”

“No way! The only time I eat dried food is when I’ve decided that I’m in a hurry to get to a certain place before dark. I don’t eat canned food.”

Jan’s face showed its confusion. “What do you eat?”

“Fresh vegetables cooked over a fire. Greens picked right before we eat make good salads. Berries.”

“What about meat?”

“Fresh-caught fish, small herbivores, and birds.”

“All cooked over a fire?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know, Jal. I’ve never been camping.”

***

Jal sat up straight. “Huh?” Its communication device was beeping, it realized. Grumbling, it crawled out of bed and went to a shelf. “Jal Jomari.”

“Jal Jomari, this is Pap Janos. I am the aide to Luminary Hari Yagyasan at the Protectors’ Enclave on Iragos Peninsula. The Luminary would like to see you.”

“Let me look at my calendar.”

“The Luminary would like to see you,” the aide repeated. "Now."

“Yes. I’m available at,” Jal looked at its tablet. “14:00 on Woensdag.”

“The Luminary would like to see you,” the aide said again. “Now.”

“I’m not available right now,” Jal said sleepily. “I’m available at 14:00 on Woensdag.”

“The Luminary is a very important person.”

“Each person on this planet is a very important person. I will see you at 14:00 on Woensdag.”

As it was eating breakfast the following morning, Jan asked Jal what was it was doing that day. Jal opened its tablet and looked at the calendar. “I have a lecture to listen to in a few minutes. I planned to spend the rest of the day working on an order for Master Neve. Is there something important that I need to take care of?”

Jan studied Jal’s face. “You look tired. Like you didn’t sleep well.”

“I had a strange dream.”

“Were you walking in your sleep?” Jal chuckled. “I thought I heard you talking to someone. You sounded angry.”

“I dreamed that the Luminary at the Enclave wanted me to come there in the middle of the night.”

“Really?”

“I told him that I would see him on Woensdag.” Jal chuckled again. Jal tapped on the calendar for the following day. Stunned, Jal opened a note for an appointment. “Jan? Is it possible for a person to write in their sleep?” It handed the tablet to Jan.

“Pap Janos? Who’s that?”

Jal shrugged. “I have no idea. My mind must have made it up during my dream.”

A few minutes later, Jal sat in front of its computer, preparing for a lecture. As it waited, Jal checked the communication folder. There was a message marked “Important!”

Appointment: Luminary Hari Yagyasan

Location: Protectors’ Enclave, Iragos Peninsula.

Date: Woensdag, 12-22-6243. Time: 14:00-14:10.

Jal Jomari, the luminary is greatly displeased that you did not come immediately when you were notified a few minutes ago. I have scheduled you for an appointment. The luminary is a very busy man, so it is important that you dispense with any trivialities and get directly to the business you wish to discuss. If your business cannot be completed within the scheduled time frame, we will continue the business at a second appointment.

Pap Janos, Luminary Aide

Jal began to giggle, then read the message again. It howled with laughter when it realized that it wasn't a dream. Jal wondered what it had said, then laughed some more.

Jan’s voice came over Jal’s communicator. “What’s so funny? I can hear you way down here in the sitting room.”

“It’s a computer message.” Jal began to laugh again.

A minute later, Jan came into the room. It looked over Jal’s shoulder. “The Luminary’s aide? What’s the time stamp on it?” They looked at the details. “2:03? Janos talked to you and expected you to come in the middle of the night? What did you tell him?”

“I don’t know. It was a dream.”

“What happened in the dream?” Jal repeated what it could remember. Their trills of laughter bounced off the rounded walls of the room.

“Look at this, Jan. I get ten minutes of the Luminary’s time.”

“You need to condense what you’re going to say.”

“I know exactly what I’m going to say. Six words.”