They saw no sign of Qhawana at the stone house. The cooking fire deserted, not the warm welcoming place they had come to know.

‘Qhawana’s heard them! Gone already,’ Maggie said.

‘Wouldn’t he have warned us though?’ Peter closed the door and turned to Maggie.

‘What do we do?’ Maggie said.

‘The tunnels. Berg said they hid there.’

‘From blackbirders?’

‘Got to get away from the house, it’s the first place they’ll look.’

They ran through the orchard. The trail between the dark trees dim. Peter ran hard, breaths ripped in and out as he puffed up the slope. The smell of the ripening fruit, and the dank decay of the soil filled his senses. His lungs fit to bursting.

A shadow ran ahead of him. Breeze. The imp knew the way so Peter followed, Maggie close behind. The only sound the thumps of their foot falls and his rasping breaths.

They sprinted into the tunnel entrance. A light came from the workshop and the three burst in on Qhawana who looked up startled.

‘Blackbirders,’ Peter said in a rush between gasps. ‘They’ve come.’

‘What do we do?’ Maggie’s eyes had gone wide with fright.

‘They do not come for humans,’ Qhawana said. ‘They will leave us alone.’

‘Perhaps they are after Berg?’ Maggie paced the work room.

‘But he’s gone.’

‘Do they know that? They may take us… want to force us to tell them…’

‘Nonsense. Besides. We are safe here.’ Qhawana stood. ‘I will lock the house and the door to the tunnel.’

‘Too late. They’ll be at the house. Don’t go there.’ Maggie said.

‘They will not find the tunnels,’ said Qhawana and went off to lock the tunnel door.

‘We found them easily enough.’ Maggie stepped up to the old man and made him turn around. ‘When you were captured… Berg said they would take even us.’

‘But what did he mean? The Imperial Navy or the pirates?’ Qhawana said.

‘All of them. Pirates and the others. He called them…’ Peter said.

‘Blackbirders,’ Maggie said. ‘That’s what he said. That blackbirders would take us.’

‘Unlikely…’ Qhawana said. ‘There were no Nezhnakhevo that day.’

‘He said that. Didn’t he Peter?’

‘I don’t remember,’ Peter said. ‘It was all confused at the time. We were being chased, and trying to rescue you. Pirates, Navy… All of them.’

‘The Navy wouldn’t, and the Nezhnakhevo don’t, take humans,’ Qhawana said. ‘Humans make poor hostages. They threaten Quevantaq families, to imprint the captives as slaves. But humans can not be imprinted.’

Peter and Maggie looked at one another. ‘I don’t understand…’ Maggie said.

‘Imprinting. You know… bind their minds…’ He fell silent. ‘Nuvra! I tell you… they are not here to take we humans.’

‘So you think you can just wander out there and have a chat?’ Peter said as Qhawana went off to lock the tunnel door.

‘That’s pretty darn scary,’ said Maggie.

‘Now you believe all this now. Right?’ Peter said and started as a boom echoed along the tunnel.

The door. The blackbirders had found a nail for their hammer.

‘A nightmare now,’ Maggie said.

‘What did you say?’ Qhawana said.

‘You know… a nightmare…’

‘An animal that comes in the night? To steal your spirit into the underworld?’ Qhawana said. ‘No wonder you are frightened when you believe such fantasies. That is a story out of myth.’

‘Don’t say that,’ Maggie said. ‘There are things out there… aliens. And they have come in the night.’

‘And they’re coming for us,’ Peter said. ‘I don’t think that door will hold.’

Creaks and groans had joined the booming of the battering ram.

‘You run,’ Qhawana said. ‘I will stay. Talk to them, reason with them… I am an Imperial officer, of clan Upariha. I am of importance, even as a human. I will be safe. There is a another exit. Run. Go hide in the forest.’

‘No. We stay together. We go together,’ Maggie said.

‘I will hold them off…’

‘Fight them? You’re an old man. There are too many,’ Maggie said.

‘We’ve got to leave now. They’ll break through that door any moment,’ Peter said.

‘Where do we go?’ Maggie said.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

‘We sail. To Zenska…’ Peter said.

‘Now?’ said Maggie. ‘It’s night…’

‘Impossible. You do not know the way…’ Qhawana said.

‘We found a compass to align the maps…’ Peter said.

‘Your canoe can not steer…’ Qhawana said.

‘I fixed it tonight…’ Peter said.

‘You think you fixed it…’ Maggie said under her breath.

‘This is no nightmare… there really are aliens outside in the dark, and they’re after us. We have to sail to Zenska, to find our way home.’ Peter turned to Qhawana. ‘We don’t want to stay.’

‘But I do. My life is here.’ Qhawana said.

‘Was here,’ Peter said.

‘There’s nothing for you now,’ Maggie said. ‘Berg is gone. You’re not needed here.’

‘That matters no longer.’

‘Don’t you want to matter to someone else besides yourself? And for them to matter to you in turn.’ Maggie said. ‘Shouldn’t you want to be part of something bigger?’

‘Oh there are those that owe me. They owe me explanations. I don’t owe them anything. Not after all of this.’

‘What have they done?’

‘This. Here.’ Qhawana gestured to the workroom. ‘Berg had all of this. People visited him. He kept it from me. He remained part of the world.’

‘Who visited him?’

‘The Upariha. My clan. My people. Those who imprisoned Bergwash Bamrushi then set me to guard him. Then betrayed me.’

‘Why?’

‘I have searched amongst these papers. Nothing makes sense.’

‘Don’t you want to find out?’

‘I am safe here. Away from the world. There is nothing for me out there.’

‘Blackbirders want humans now. Can’t you hear them?’

Peter pulled at Maggie. ‘I’m going. Rather be on my own, without the old man. He doesn’t want to come anyway.’

‘How can you even think of letting two children sail off on their own,’ Maggie said to Qhawana.

‘You made it all the way here from your home, all by yourselves,’ said Qhawana,

‘Not by choice,’ said Maggie. ‘And we just ended up where we ended up. We can get to this place, this bigger island. But if we find Zenska, we will be lost again. And the people that are after Berg… If we’re there and they find out… Do you want that? For us to be in an unknown place, in danger? Everything lost?’

‘But…’

‘Maggs, that’s it! I’m going.’ Peter looked back just as Breeze leapt on the old man’s shoulders and pounded on his head just as he had Peter’s — just days before. So much had happened since then.

The imp leapt to the ground. Qhawana staggered and turned to the imp, his arm raised to fend off another attack.

‘Maggs. Come on…’

Breeze held his hand out to the old man.

‘Maggie…’ Peter took hold of her arm and pulled.

‘Qhawana.’ Maggie said. ‘Don’t hold to the past. There’s no comfort there.’

Maggie shook off Peter’s grip, then turned, and ran off down the passage. Breeze turned from the old man, caught Maggie up, and led the way. Peter followed at a full sprint. He glanced back. Qhawana ran close behind puffing for all he was worth.

They renewed their pace to get clear of the lava cave and down to the hidden creek before the marauding blackbirders could find them. Peter hoped the door held a little longer.

‘You have the compass?’ Maggie panted as she joined Peter. They had left the tunnels by the mine entrance and wound through the edges of the tumbled down stone village Peter had found when he had first arrived.

They took a moment for Qhawana to catch them up. Breeze had disappeared, but the imp could take care of himself.

‘Yeah. And I know the way,’ Peter said. ‘North East.’

‘And it will work? This whatchya-call-it? This sailing… outrigger…’

’Thing,’ Peter said.

‘That’s what you’re going to call her? Thing?’

‘No. I just… don’t know… it’s a mongrel.’

‘It works?’

‘Yeah. It works.’

‘Well?’ Maggie said.

‘What?’

Qhawana joined them and waved them forward. ‘I hear them, behind us.’

‘Can we outrun them?’

‘Not over short distances. Where is this boat?’

‘We pulled it up the creek each night like you told us. Off the beach.’

‘We have a hope then… that they have not found it.’ Qhawana ran on. The others followed.

‘What will you call it?’ Maggie said.

‘It doesn’t need a name. It just needs to save us.’

‘Bad luck to sail on a ship with no name.’

‘Shh… You’re crazy.’

They came to the edge of the stream, then stumbled and slipped along the stony bed towards the lagoon failing to keep quiet in their rush in the dark.

They reached the outrigger. Breeze bounced up and down when he saw them and made a dash at Qhawana but broke away at the last moment to slap Peter a high-five.

They pulled the outrigger down the stream and into the shallows. The lagoon glowed in swirls of phosphorescence in the deep dark before moonrise. The sparks spun through the sea as they shoved the mongrel sailing thing out into the lagoon up to their thighs.

‘So. A name,’ said Maggie. ‘I’m not getting on this thing until…’

‘The Jupiter,’ Peter said in a rush. ‘Okay. Same as my poor old broken Starling. It has the same mast and sail. Almost the same… rudder… and ropes and…’

‘Jupiter. The biggest baddest Roman god.’

‘Biggest baddest planet more like,’ Peter said.

Qhawana waded forward. ‘Upariqami.’

‘What?’ Peter started when the old man grabbed him.

He took Peter’s hand and brought him around to the front of the outrigger where he placed Peter’s hand on the bow.

‘We do not have time for this,’ said Peter. ‘Get on it… The Jupiter already.’

But Qhawana held firm. With one hand on Peter’s forehead, the other on top of Peter’s hand on the bow of the boat. He began to chant.

Vashalak, zaqi qhawana,

Na zanuqasho javala,

Kavilaq vishula nabuqa,

Naru vrika zhensa,

Sha'Lirusha — sanuksho,

Sha’Rasha — zhavisho,

Quenakh shaqa neshiliru,

Tilunaq naruha rasha

Peter could not catch all the words of the chant, but meaning pressed upon the edge of his understanding. Courage, adventure, excitement. But also responsibility, obligation and honour.

‘Na Nezh’Upariqami, zensha,’ Qhawana said after a pause in the chant. ‘I naming Jupiter, you.’

When Peter raised his eyes to Qhawana’s he realized who the old man referred to.

‘I name you Jupiter,’ the old man repeated — his eyes fixed on Peter’s. Understanding blossomed.

‘Upariqami… Radiant Star… and it even sounds a bit like Jupiter,’ said Peter.

A shiver went down Peter’s body. He couldn’t put a word to the feeling, perhaps pride and respect, and yes - honor. The old man, Qhawana, had made him a true captain somehow.

‘Jupiter Drake,’ said Maggie, and she didn’t laugh. ‘Now our ship has a captain…’

‘You’re both crazy. We’ve got to go.’ He rattled the sail up the mast and tied off the halyard.

A murmuring cry began to rise in the forest along the shore. A manisaur erupted onto the beach followed by three more. Breeze had taken a position at the kheel-wheel. Maggie sat on one side of the outrigger with Qhawana ducked down in the hull just behind the mast.

‘Hurry… let’s get off,’ said Maggie. ‘Come on Captain Jupiter. Or they’ll get us.’

‘I never wanted to be a Captain with passengers.’

‘Yeah. Deal with it,’ Maggie laughed.

Peter spun the bow to the trade wind and hoisted himself onto the outrigger platform. The craft tipped.

‘Give it a spin. The kheel. Quick now.’

Maggie and Breeze spun up the kheel until it was like the glowing phosphorescence had joined them on The Jupiter.

The wind shook the sail a moment until he sheeted in. They moved forward, crested a wave and slapped down again.

Sparks of water flew in the night as the blackbirders splashed into the water behind them on the shore. But The Jupiter had moved beyond their reach. The caterwauling cries called now for the blackbirders to return to their canoe and give chase.

Maggie laughed. ‘We might just make it. Okay Jupiter Drake. Take us for a spin?’

Jupiter Drake. He was okay with that and grinned as his racing heart slowed. ‘Breeze. Turn that kheel up fast now. Let’s see if the bastards can keep up.’

As the outrigger heeled over, the blur of blue within the wicker-work kheel created a throb in Peter’s chest… within Jupiter’s chest. The outrigger steadied under him, rose a little in the water, and they burst forward in a jolt of acceleration.

Qhawana cried out in surprise but Jupiter just laughed. ‘Zenska, here we come.’

Like a shooting star their glowing trail of phosphorescence faded even as the cries of the blackbirders vanished amongst the rush of wind and water.