The Jupiter heeled over when the wind buffeted the flying outrigger. Even though the north west wind came from the mountains it had a dry heat that caught at Peter’s throat.

I’m not Peter any more. I’m Jupiter.

He grinned.

‘What are you smiling about,’ said Sarah. ‘This is crazy.’

‘Never flown before?’ Jupiter laughed.

‘Not this way,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s like a magic carpet or something.’

‘Can you give the kheel a spin? We need it running fast in the gusts or we’ll turn over.’ Jupiter hooked his feet under the straps and leaned out to use his body weight to counter the wind on the sail. The early light of dawn bloomed on the sail like fire.

‘Not like that,’ grumbled Breeze. The imp pushed Sarah’s hand away and gave the kheel as series of spins. ‘I’m not doing this all the time though. I can’t believe…’

The Jupiter dropped and twisted as a gust picked them up and spun them like a leaf.

‘Faster Breeze,’ shouted Jupiter. ‘We’ve got to find a place to land.’

‘Tricky when there’s no water,’ the imp muttered. But Jupiter heard him.

‘How did you get to know how to fly this thing?’ Sarah said. ‘Either of you.’

Jupiter looked at Breeze who shrugged.

‘It’s complicated,’ Breeze shouted into the wind.

‘Try me.’ Sarah had flattened herself close to the hull and looked over her shoulder. ‘I’ve got to know before I die. And why the heck are you calling yourself Breeze?’

Jupiter leaned out and pulled the tiller towards himself. The bow of the outrigger angled away from the wind onto a broader reach, but if anything they flew even faster.

‘Yeah Varuk’hat or Breeze, or whatever. What the heck happened?’

The imp spun the kheel a few times as if he gathered his thoughts.

‘It’s a bit of a blur. But I remember I tried to stop you. At the portal.’

‘Except you fell in,’ said Jupiter. ‘I didn’t see you until it was too late.’

‘How come if you fell into the portal back to Earth you’re still here?’

‘Ah well,’ Breeze paused. ‘The rubber band effect. You return to your own world. Usually. So I would never pass through to Earth.’

‘But it didn’t work did it?’ said Jupiter. ‘Not this time.’

‘No. Something warped the portal. It must have. You see. I ended folded back…’

‘To Eoth,’ said Jupiter. ‘To Black Spire Island like me.’

‘Yes. You… The younger you I mean. You had just gone through the temple portal…’

‘I returned to Earth. But the rubber band effect…’

‘Flung me along the trajectory that you had first taken from Earth.’

‘So you arrived at Black Spire island from the portal in the mountains. But one month earlier. When I did. The first time.’

Jupiter had let his attention wander but a swooping motion brought his attention back as his reflexes and body responded to a change in wind direction.

‘It’s blurred,’ said Breeze. ‘Something wrong with my webbing.’ He plucked at the straps that encircled his body. He fiddled with the hand piece but stopped with a very humanlike shrug.

‘You didn’t have that on Black Spire,’ said Jupiter.

‘That’s why it’s confusing. Can’t recall everything. Except sometime I do. When I let myself be Breeze.’

‘What is the webbing for? What does it do?’

‘It raises me to sapience. Without it I’m…’

‘Breeze?’ said Jupiter.

‘Yes.’ His voice wavered as the wind snatched it away.

‘And with the belts and things… You’re Varuk’hat?’ Sarah reached out her hand to the imp.

‘Yes. But I need to be Breeze too now.’

‘Why?’ said Sarah.

‘He won’t let me be otherwise.’

Jupiter knew Breeze’s dilemma. Once back flying The Jupiter all the memories and feelings of the life he had led with Maggie and Berg fighting skyships had rushed back to him.

Without a thought he moved his body with the motion of the flying outrigger, to steady it in the wind. The reflexes came back to him unbidden. Once more the Jupiter had become an extension of himself and he became Jupiter Drake. Not Peter the student who wanted to study physics at CU.

As Peter he had left that time behind him. He had spent years on Earth and had never expected to be back on Eoth again. Never expected to see The Jupiter again. He stared at the sails and rigging and recalled how he had salvaged the parts from his broken sailboat. The Starling boast that had come with him to Eoth.

‘Peter,’ Sarah shouted.

He looked away from his inner thoughts and saw the fleet of skyships that lay across his path.

‘It’s Hatunqari,’ Jupiter said. ‘The two fleets must have been fighting all night.’

‘Is it safe to get closer?’ said Sarah.

‘It’s never safe. But we’ve flown amongst them and survived.’

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‘Barely,’ said Breeze. ‘And I ended up on the Air Lord’s skyfort.’

‘The wind has changed the dynamics of the fight.’ Jupiter studied the broken skyships. Some had landed on the town, others had toppled as their hulls unbalanced about the zharaqsa flight engines.

‘The Rebels had been sandwiched between two Imperial forces,’ Jupiter said. ‘Until the Air Lord’s skyfort broke the lines and smashed through to get after us. To get to the temple.’

‘But the Imperials are upwind of the Rebels.’

‘The rebels fly on the wind and the Imperial navy does not follow.’

‘Why?’

Jupiter looked behind them to the mountains and the huge blue arch of clear sky.

‘The Air Lord,’ said Jupiter. ‘He’s coming over the pass on the changed wind. The fleet waits for his signal. There’s no time. We have to catch up to the Rebels.’

‘Why?’ said Sarah. ‘We’re going to the mountain klaeds. To join with the Clan.’ She pointed away to the west.

‘We can’t. The klaeds and Clan are still here,’ said Jupiter. He tacked the outrigger and caused Sarah to cry in surprise at the sudden change in direction.

‘Look below. We’re passing over the klaed militia force.’

‘And the Clan. Mounts and grazing beasts,’ Sarah leaned out. ‘I see them. They’re here. Go down.’

‘No,’ said Breeze. ‘It’s too dangerous. We have to keep the zharaqsa safe.’

‘We can’t return the zharaqsa to the Clan Sarah. The blackbirders will fight them, take it from them.’ Jupiter pointed away towards Hatunqari. One skyship had raised sails already. A black hulled skyship all too familiar to them all.

‘It can't be Our Black Blood,’ sail Jupiter. ‘That got wrecked. In Qhayuvakham. But if they're blackbirders then they will know we’re here.’

As they looked sails rose on some of the imperial vessels.

‘The blackbirders. They’ve signalled the fleet,’ said Jupiter. ‘Since when do blackbirders order the Imperial Navy about?’

‘The Air Lord. He has a radio,’ said Breeze. Jupiter saw in his manner a more confident Varuk’hat. ‘We would be fools to land now.’

‘So we fly away. Where they cannot catch us.’ Sarah rose from her cramped position where she had sheltered in the hull.

‘Can you see Gan? Can you see Kitaraham?’ Breeze said.

‘We need a manisaur’s sharp eyes,’ Jupiter said. ‘Tamm. Why did you have to go with Zaj and Berg and…?’

‘Because they bonded,’ said Breeze. ‘I saw it, though Berg refuses to see it yet.’

‘Maggie?’ Jupiter said under his breath.

‘What? What has that got to do with anything?’ Sarah pointed. ‘I see Dusty. And the thraqanonkra creatures.’

Jupiter spotted Gan’s skyship then. The rebels all flew together as if they had bound themselves close.

He bore away from the straggling army below and aimed for the rebels, the pirates, his friends.

‘Peter. No. Where are you going? They’re there. Below us.’ She shot a hand out to the kheel and slowed it.

The Jupiter staggered in the air and fell out of the sky.

The forward speed of The Jupiter meant they fell in an ungainly glide. The sail, unbalanced without the gyroscopic steadying of the kheel heeled over and Jupiter thrust himself out on the outrigger platform and hiked out as far as he could to keep the outrigger level.

Breeze flung himself at the kheel and spun the glowing blue disk as hard as he could. Sarah clung to the outrigger, her eyes wide in shock.

‘Don’t do that again,’ said Jupiter. ‘If this is a magic carpet you just pulled the rug from under us.’

The Jupiter banked and headed towards he skyships again though at a lower altitude. Jupiter leaned back to get the bow up and the wind angling under the outrigger platforms.

They really don’t work well enough like wings. And having to lean out to counter the wind…

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…’

‘It’s okay. You didn’t know. But just remember. When I’m in command. I’m in command. It’s not a negotiation like you’re riding a mount or something.’

‘We’re too far above the ground for discussions you mean?’

‘Of that sort. Let’s get onto one of those Rebel skyships and then we can talk.’

All this while Breeze spun the kheel and didn’t say a word.

‘You okay dude?’ said Jupiter.

‘Fine… I spin… We fly…’

‘What’s wrong with him?’

‘Nothing. Sarah, meet Breeze. Breeze, this is the beautiful crazy Sarah from Otautahi and the Snow Clan of the southern reaches.’

‘Beautiful?’ said Sarah.

‘Crazy.’ Jupiter didn’t meet her gaze.

‘Don’t think you can sweet talk me into leaving the Clan.’

‘I wouldn’t. I won’t. Why would I?’ Jupiter said and realized he sounded almost like Breeze.

‘The zharaqsa is the Clan’s treasure.’

‘We’ll keep it safe.’

‘Safe… Keep… Away…’ intoned Breeze.

‘Why’s he talking like that?’ Sarah stared at the singled minded Breeze who spun the kheel and looked only at the approaching skyships.

‘I think you scared Varuk’hat out of his mind. For now at least.’ Jupiter laughed at his joke. But inside, he ached.

I’m going to lose one of them. Or both.

The outrigger turned up into the wind until the sail flapped and they lost speed.

A cry rose up from the Kitaraham followed by a rope that Breeze caught and tied around the mast. He slipped back to spin the kheel.

‘Don’t worry dude. Sarah’s not likely to try that trick again are you?’

‘You’re not going to let me forget that are you?’

‘No. I can’t imagine I ever will.’

A chirruping warble echoed from the skyship and the rope drew the outrigger over the deck. Breeze slowed the kheel and they bumped to a stop.

‘Ho there Upariqami. I thought we were done with you.’ A large broad shouldered manisaur strode up. Jupiter stepped out and stood to greet Gan, but the warrior swept a long blade from his back and held its edge at Jupiter face.

‘Hey there Gan,’ said Jupiter in Thaluk with forced humor. He eyed the blade. ‘What? You got all soft in the head? Where the iron in your heart Ganarasha — hammer’s head.’

Gan stood straighter. ‘You cannot be Upariqami — Jupiter. You're…’

‘Yeah. I know. I’m taller,’ Jupiter said. ‘But you know me, and you know Breeze.’

‘I know your voice. Few humans speak as you do with Thaluk words but quevanqi inflection.’ Gan squared up, lowered his blade, and studied Jupiter as if expecting them to exchange auras.

‘It is I. Jupiter Drake, Upariqami. Friend to Ganarasha and enemy to your enemies. I fought by your side at Zenska. We who captured the flightworks and took this skyship from under the noses of the Imperial Navy.’

Gan laughed, his aura flashed as his head bobbled int he manisaur way. Jupiter got the sense from the aura he repeated much of that impression back.

‘I am honored good Captain Gan. Or have you taken the name of your skyship?’

‘It is you.’ Gan reached out and they grasped each other’s forearms. ‘Though I’m damned if I know how you could grow faster than a quevantaqi to adulthood.’

‘I tell you later. This is Sarah.’ Jupiter grinned at the uncertain look on her face.

‘Ravizira — honored lady,’ said Gan. ‘Welcome.’ He turned to Jupiter. ‘You’re mate?’

‘No. No. Nothing like that,’ said Jupiter his words tumbled over each other.

‘Are you sure?’ Gan said his aura flashed surprise then a sense of amusement. ‘Your quevantaqi inflection…’

‘Captain Qharham signals us,’ a younger manisaur crew member said. ‘We are to cast off to allow maneuvers.’

‘Upariqami — Joopahtah,’ said Gan. ‘Are you fit to fight?’

‘No. We’ve not eaten, or slept, or…’

‘Humans. Always eating,’ said Gan. ‘But that is an old joke.’

He walked off to the bridge.

‘Who’s that? What were you saying?’ said Sarah.

‘That’s Gan. Captain of this ship and an old friend. We’re safe. But the enemy approaches. They have the wind and will stop it pushing upon the rebel. But we have time.’

‘Come this way.’ An old manisaur interrupted him. ‘There’s food in the mess down below. If the scoundrels have not finished it all.’

‘Nalamashet — sailor skies. Sailmaker and inventor,’ said Jupiter. ‘Good to see you Nalamashet.’

‘Don’t wear my name out. Didn’t we part just days ago? Though…’ the sailmaker looked him up and down then his aura flashed the dismissal of his next words. Almost a shrug.

‘It’s a bit longer for me,’ said Jupiter and he followed the old stooped manisaur below decks. He motioned for Sarah to follow. He saw no sign of Breeze.

‘I’ve got some ideas I want to talk to you about,’ said Jupiter. ‘Some work on…’

‘You’re full of bright ideas Upariqami. All in good time. Let’s sit and you can tell me how those new rudder sails worked for you.’

They had just reached the mess hall when a great crash shuddered through the skyship and Jupiter fell to his knees.

‘What’s that?’ shouted Sarah.

‘The Imperials have caught up,’ said Jupiter. ‘We’re under attack.’

Damn. Just when were about to get some food.