‘The old bird, Tharumiyo, knows Berg is sailing for Qhayanpa — the long land… But how did he find that out? Did Berg escape Red-Back somehow?’ Jupiter brushed breadcrumbs from his wetsuit.

He longed to change out of it now he did not sail, but he had no other clothes. He unzipped his suit top a little more and hoped he did not smell too bad.

‘I did not think to ask,’ Qhawana said. ‘Though it is a mystery.’

‘Perhaps Berg escaped…’

‘Maybe the pirates are how Berg was contacted by the rebels all this time.’ Jupiter craned his head out the window. He thought he heard some change in the background noise. He could not quite pick it but it seemed as if things had gone quiet in the past few minutes. ’No. That can’t be it. He did not know Red-Back. There must have been someone else.’

‘This is not getting us out of here,’ Maggie said.

‘The rebel’s raid is tomorrow,’ Qhawana said. ‘But we need to escape soon… tonight.’

Jupiter, his back to the window, turned to the others. ‘And the moon will be bright tonight, with a clear sky… unlike yesterday.’

Just then a scrambling noise behind him caused Jupiter to jump away from the window. A hand reached over the window sill, the rest of the creature followed a moment later.

‘Breeze!’ he cried. And the two were soon rolling on the floor. Jupiter had just meant to give his friend a hug, but Breeze had other ideas. Soon Jupiter squirmed and wriggled as the imp tickled him without mercy.

‘Stop it you two,’ Qhawana said. He had been lying on one of the low cots. ‘The guards will take notice.’

‘It’s… not me… tell Breeze…’ Jupiter squawked like a manisaur as he tried to suppress his laughter. In the end he held Breeze off long enough to give him a good long glare. ‘Enough dude.’

‘Happy… fun… friend…’

‘Yes yes. I’m glad to see you too.’ Jupiter gave the imp a proper hug. It seemed a human thing to do but the imp, dinosaur-creature or not, accepted it and squeezed his friend back. ‘Where have you been?’

‘Looking… hunting… finding…’

‘Well you found us at least. Though how much good it does you.’

‘Not good for us Jupiter either,’ said Qhawana. ‘To have the imp back is another mouth to feed. Another complication to deal with.’

‘I thought you liked Breeze, that he was your pet?’

‘No. I thought he came with you, though he may have been on the island before. For certain though, I did not know the creature before you arrived. He could have come with the pirates. Or these visitors Berg must have had. Those I had not known about.’

‘Don’t resent him for that,’ said Maggie. ‘He’s friendly enough.’

‘He would be more welcome if he could help us escape.’ Qhawana huffed and returned to his nap. Or appeared to. ‘He is your problem Jupiter.’

‘I’ve never had a pet before.’ Jupiter gazed at the Imp. ‘Are they all so loyal.’

‘I’m not sure pet is the right word.’ Maggie grinned at the Imp. ‘You seem to belong to Breeze not the other way around. Especially the way he comes and goes.’

‘So Breeze. Can you help get us out?’

‘Leave… this place… bad coming.’

‘Unlock the door. From the outside.’

‘Some chance,’ said Qhawana. ‘The creatures are mischievous and seldom do your bidding.’

Jupiter went to the window and pointed to the way out. ‘Out here Breeze.’ The imp climbed over Jupiter, and swung out the window oblivious to the three level drop. How he found a handhold Jupiter could not see. Soon the imp had gone.

‘Well done getting the imp to leave. It’s a wonder it even visited us. Good riddance.’

‘Qhawana, You really are a humbug.’

‘Harumph.’ Qhawana fell silent again.

Not long after a scratching came from the door, and it creaked open. Breeze fell through.

‘Clever fellow, Breeze.’ Jupiter held out a hand and received a low five from the imp. He turned and grinned at the shock on Qhawana’s face. ‘Now you have to be nice to him.’

‘Thank you Breeze,’ said Maggie. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

‘Wait.’

‘What do you mean. This might be our only chance.’

‘I can’t believe the imp acted alone…’ said Qhawana. ’It might be a trap?’

‘Like our captors want us to escape? In which case…’

‘Let’s get out of here,’ said Maggie. She gathered her things. ‘I don’t care if this is a trap or not. We can’t be here when the rebels attack the navy tomorrow. It will just end up with us in worse danger.’

Jupiter, Maggie and Breeze made their way down the stairs of the house as quiet as they could, but Jupiter realized no one was about.

‘They’re all out. Almost as if the raid is tonight.’ Qhawana had joined them in the entrance hall.

‘So much for your friend Tharumiyo keeping you safe,’ said Jupiter. ‘And telling you the truth. More like throwing us to the lions.’

‘I don’t think that translates,’ said Maggie.

Breeze sat at the doorway now. And Maggie followed. ‘Which way now?’

‘We take The Jupiter,’ Jupiter said. ‘And sail away from here.’

‘No. We want to get to the portal. And The Jupiter can’t sail as far as the long land… this Qhayanpa.’

‘So what do we do?’ Jupiter moved forward down the stairs not waiting for the others. Breeze pushed in front and led the way.

‘Qhawana,’ Maggie said. ‘Where do we go to get on a large skyship, or sailing ship… to get to Qhayanpa?’

“Vanukam. Near the naval docks.’

‘Where the rebels will attack.’

‘Yes.’

‘We want to be well away from there,’ said Maggie.

‘Indeed. Though the alternative is to turn ourselves in to the house of Qunaam.’

‘What? That clan customs thug?’ said Jupiter.

‘No thanks,’ Maggie’s voice echoed up the stairs. Jupiter followed after. He reached the bottom where Breeze waited. He tugged at Jupiter’s hand.

‘What is it Breeze?’

‘Come… Follow… Fly…’

‘That’s as good an option as any,’ said Jupiter. ‘Anywhere but here… no matter what.’

They made their way through the gates to the water court and The Jupiter. It remained tied where they had left it, forgotten as unimportant by their captors.

‘If they only knew what we had here…’ Jupiter uncovered the kheel and tried to see within the wicker cane work covering.

Breeze jumped aboard the main hull and tugged at the sail ropes. ‘Alright alright…’ Maggie said. She stepped alongside and helped him pull the mainsail up.

‘Qhawana. Aren’t you coming with us?’ Jupiter nodded to the old man. He stood on the stone steps despondent.

‘To what end?’

‘To come with us. Do you have anywhere else important to go to?’

‘No. But I have no pressing desire to stay with you, or go to Qhayanpa.’

‘But Berg said you would help us.’

‘Without my knowledge or consent.’

‘You owe us. We helped you escape Red-Back… and now…’

‘The imp did all that.’

‘But you said imps never…’

Just then a banging came from deeper in the house. They were alone no longer.

‘Danger… Coming… Hide…’ Breeze began to spin the kheel.

‘You’d better come with us now,’ Jupiter grabbed a paddle and held it out to Qhawana.

The old man sighed, climbed aboard, and took the paddle. He and Maggie paddled towards the open watergate. Jupiter had the impression the clan Upariha had no intention of returning to the house after the raid. Whenever it happened. He did not trust the old-bird — Tharumiyo.

As they cleared the watergate, Jupiter looked over his shoulder. On the stone steps to the house, staring out over the water court, stood a tall broad shouldered manisaur. His auras flashed surprise and frustration. Then Jupiter recognized him — the same officer from the skyship when it had captured Qhawana then chased Berg. Not the captain. His lieutenant. He still wore the black coat of his rank, the iridescent bands on the shoulders did not flash as they had on the beach. But Jupiter recognized him. The connexion helped him there once more.

‘The rebels are in trouble if the Navy knows.’ Jupiter pumped the sail trying to get some more speed. But no wind reached the water court.

‘We’ve got to warn them,’ said Qhawana.

‘Why?’ said Maggie.

‘Because now the navy will be out for us,’ said Qhawana. ‘If we do not escape with the rebels, and they don’t win… prison will be the least of our problems.’

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The Jupiter moved out of the canal network and into the open water of Narushkam — Jupiter thought the name fitted. The round moon shaped inner harbour was vast and filled with boats sailing or rowing between trading houses. He glanced to the east where the moon had risen bright, now close to three quarters full. Once people had imagined the dark patches on the moon were seas. But this moon was different for sure. Not at all the same Luna as Earth, except for the size. But Jupiter knew the weirdest thing about Earth’s moon, and also Eoth’s, was the size. The same diameter in the sky as the sun.

Too much of a coincidence. Jupiter shook his head.

‘Steer a course for the skyship docks,’ said Qhawana as if Jupiter’s movement meant he did not know where to go, what to do. ‘As fast as you are able.’

Jupiter said nothing. Instead he pulled the mainsheet in until the out rigger lay close hauled and the easterly trade wind sped them forward. Better than any other sailing vessel in Narushkam, The Jupiter made good way against the wind. Maggie and Breeze spun up the kheel and their motion steadied, the hull lifted a little and they moved forward any faster.

Breeze scuttled into the bow and leaned forward, one hand on the forestay the other pointed straight ahead.

‘Not too fast, and keep your hulls in the water. We do not want to draw too much attention.’

‘So not as fast as we are able then?’ Jupiter gauged the balance of wind and direction and adjusted his sail.

‘Indeed no.’ Qhawana turned frowned at Jupiter. ‘As fast as is prudent then.’

‘Let me know if you see anything Breeze.’ Jupiter grinned as the boat heeled over. He envied the imp’s viewpoint. ‘But it’s pretty good from here too.’

‘Why you trust to that imp I do not know,’ Qhawana ducked his head as spray dashed a splatter of water over his cloak.

‘Hey, he got us out of the house,’ said Jupiter.

‘Just in time too,’ Maggie said. ‘Any longer and that naval officer would have had us.’

Jupiter glanced behind for pursuit. The sun had slid further to the west. As the afternoon ended the shadows of the encircling Chilakam hills stretched across the bay. The skyships loomed larger as they approached to the naval yards. The highest most still in the light of the setting sun.

’They truly are ginormous.’ Jupiter watched a spray of water fall glistening from the closest flying fort. ‘Bigger even than the one that came to Black Spire.’

‘Indeed. That was a naval skycutter. These are flying forts. They carry five hundred sailors, plus bowmen and soldiers.’

‘Manisaur… Quevantaqi crew?’

‘Of course. Humans do not have the head for heights that Quevantaqi crew have.’

‘And they would need it.’ Maggie craned her neck and Jupiter noticed how she moved her body with the motion of the boat.

‘Those crew out on the side masts,’ Jupiter said following her gaze. ’They’re way out over the side… no hull under them.’

‘Just a long fall.’

‘Nine masted square riggers,’ Jupiter tore his eyes away from the looming ships. ‘Three masts each side… and so many crew. Thirty setting sails on each mast… and twenty on deck to manage the trim of the yards. That makes…’

‘Someone has spotted us,’ said Maggie.

Jupiter whipped his gaze back. A fast rowing galley headed their way from the canal quarter they had just left. Against the wind, rowing would be the only way to catch up to The Jupiter.

‘How is our heading?’

After a moment of confusion Qhawana seemed to understand. ‘Aim for the lighter basin… that low orange stone tower to the right of the naval base. Another network of canals fills that edge of the harbour. They are small and narrow. The galley will not be able to follow.’

‘Can we go faster now?’ Jupiter said.

‘Just fast enough. And no more.’

‘Get us out of here Jupiter.’

Jupiter trimmed the sail, and adjusted the heading, so the telltale wisps of wool threaded through the sail flowed without a ruffle. He sensed the motion of the hulls through the water and slipped his weight further outboard. Breeze slipped back and beside Jupiter as if he sensed the way to balance the boat.

‘Spin up the kheel… just enough so we kiss the water.’ He cocked his head and studied the wind direction indicator atop the mast. He pulled his arms up and braced them on his chest — hands up, poised and moving, his delicate adjustments reacted to the movement of the waves and wind. The Jupiter sped faster as the hull lifted and skimmed the water surface.

‘Phazhaqava shaqarun phazhaqava shaqarun,’ sang Qhawana.

‘We kiss and go we kiss and go.’ Maggie translated but shook her head — understanding but not quite knowing the depth of the references she sensed under the words.

Qhawana smiled and continued in more detail. ‘But some also start the song thus…

Phazhaqava, vaqa qhayarun, phazhaqava shaqarun.

But the rhythm is off in my view. Affects the rest of the song.’

‘How does the song go?’ Maggie sat forward, all her attention on the old man.

‘The first verse…

Phazhaqava shaqarun phazhaqava shaqarun.

Nav vatariq zarazaru.

Tharva vayuqava, zhala thavuqarana.

Vatariq falaq tarun vazhara.’

‘Yes very nice,’ Jupiter said interrupting. ‘But we’re falling. Concentrate. The kheel… spin it faster’. Breeze slid to the centre hull and gave the woven disk a huge spin. The imp scanned his gaze back and forth between Maggie and Qhawana.

Maggie closed her eyes and then sang…

‘We kiss and go and kiss then go.

Not to linger but remembering.

Days of heat, the night's cool flow,

Water's touch still trembling.’

Maggie opened her eyes. ‘That’s beautiful. But what does it mean?’

‘An old song of lovers separated by time and tide, oceans and years.’

‘Can you two focus on the problem at hand?’ Jupiter said with frustration. ‘We’re being raced by a galley and if caught might die a grisly death… all the while you spout poetry at one another.’

‘It has utility,’ said Qhawana.

‘You what?’

‘We leave you to the sailing. So we need distraction. Or would you have us cower in fear.’

‘Enough with the singing.’ Jupiter slipped the sail out a little and swung outward on the outrigger platform as a gust tipped them a little. Breeze crouched beside him so close Jupiter felt the warmth and tickle of the fine down under the imp’s hair-like feather-fur.

Then with just one outrigger hull in the water they lifted and sped even faster through the waves. Spray sheeted aft over the cowering pair in the middle of the hull.

Breeze hooted, and Jupiter had to think he agreed with him. ‘What a ride.’

Breeze’s excitement became infectious.

‘Woohoo,’ yelled Jupiter. But then he saw what Breeze hooted about. Another rowing galley had rounded the hull of a moored vessel and had turned to intercept them.

‘Going about!’ cried Jupiter. ‘Hold tight!’ He pushed the tiller away from himself. The stern twisted one way and the triple prows swung the other as they pivoted about the centre now occupied by the kheel. The sail cracked like a whip in the wind in a flap of chaos for an instant as the main hull turned into the wind and touched the water once more. Jupiter stepped across the hull, past a ducking Qhawana, then under the swinging boom, to the other side. He threw his weight out again over the outrigger platform. He hauled the sail in tighter, and it steadied. The tell tales threaded through the sail smoothed in the flow of air once more as he trimmed the ropes and adjusted the heading. The Jupiter shot off in an oblique direction, away from the galley. Then in a spray of water the main hull lifted clear and they accelerated away.

Shouts of alarm and surprise came from the galley at the sudden turn. Jupiter grinned. They had not seen anything like this before, he had. The SailGP sailboats could do almost as well on their hydrofoils. ‘But can they do this?’

He nodded to Breeze who spun at the kheel with frantic slaps. Jupiter then rocked outwards. At the fast motion the mast and sail tilted over towards him, as if toppling. The leeward outrigger float popped off the water, and new acceleration sped them on even faster. And this time they truly were in the air. Waves slapped the lowermost float as a spray of foam lifted in their wake from the twin rudders remaining in the water. They were flying again. But free, like no other sailboat ever had.

‘Jupiter… you’ve really done it now,’ said Maggie.

‘What? You want to get away don’t you?’

‘They’ll never let us escape now.’ Qhawana hid his head and Jupiter wondered if the man was seasick or just frightened of speed.

‘They wouldn’t have before.’ Jupiter eased the sail out. ‘I don’t think.’

The outrigger kissed the water once more as they neared the row of trade houses lining the shore. The Jupiter’s speed slowed but still shot into the cargo lighter basin at a fair clip. Jupiter eased the sail out and they skied across the water slowing all the while as he spilled wind. In a last rush of foam the boat twisted in the water to maneuver past a cargo barge and out of sight of the main harbour.

‘There. Up that canal.’ Qhawana pointed. Jupiter eyed the archway and guessed the mast would just slip under it.

‘Slow down,’ said Maggie. She eased her hand onto the spinning kheel and brought it to a halt. The hulls settled down into the water and they drifted on momentum alone under the arch and into the canal. Behind, in the cargo basin, Jupiter saw no sign of pursuers.

‘Paddles out. I know a place…’ Qhawana worked his paddle with an urgency that amazed the others.

Jupiter slid inboard to the main hull and readied to lower the sail. ‘Where you have friends?’

‘No. A warehouse we can rent.’

‘You have money?’

‘Payment? My clan sigil is enough.’

‘You mean Upariha? The clan under interdict.’

‘I see your point. But it may be enough… perhaps…’ Qhawana got his bearings.

He directed Jupiter onto the main canal, and then off to the left when the canal forked at a junction. A bridge spanned the canal high enough for the mast to slip under, but Jupiter knew that would not be the case for very far.

Maggie and Qhawana paddled with strong strokes while Jupiter stowed the sail and kept the boom away from the paddlers. All the while the light of day diminished. They entered a narrow water gate, and beyond lay a larger, wider water court than they had seen before, one not enclosed by buildings. Instead cargo lay piled high worked on by manisaurs and the moa-like draft animals. A sweet animal smell roiled over them in contrast to the sharp freshness of the harbour.

‘They really are like dinosaur-moas,’ said Maggie. ‘Moasaurs.’

‘Wouldn’t want to be kicked by either of those long legs.’

‘The overseer is there.’ Qhawana said. ‘The one with the red crested headgear.’

While Jupiter and Maggie held The Jupiter to the side of the wharf, Qhawana stepped ashore and spoke in a rapid staccato to the overseer.

‘Get your mast down,’ Qhawana said. ‘I’ve seen you do it. Be quick now.’

Jupiter removed the boom from the gooseneck attachment to the mast, then pulled his shackle key from his neck. He eased the forestay cable until it fell slack while Maggie rolled the sail in the boom. Together they tilted the mast down onto the hull. Breeze tried to help but squawked when stood on, and slipped away. Jupiter did not notice when he left.

‘You had better get that disk out of the hull too.’ Qhawana had kept an eye on the entrance to the water court. But no sign of pursuit came. Somehow they had managed to slip the navy galley.

‘Where are we going?’ Jupiter used his shackle key to release the spindle of the kheel. He pulled the axle from the hole in the kheel and lopped it onto his shackle key chord under his wetsuit.

‘I have ordered a cart. The loadmaster here is willing to take us, and The Jupiter, to the skyship port. By land. There we can arrange a warehouse until we can get passage on a Skyship to Qhayanpa.’

‘What about the warning?’ Jupiter wanted to keep it vague. No telling how the translation thing worked. The fewer who knew who they were and what they were doing the better. ‘You wanted to warn your friends.’

‘The… uh event… is tomorrow. We have time, and we will be in Vanukam… the docklands. I believe I know who is loyal to the Upariha in that district. I will seek them there.’

A troupe of manisaurs lifted The Jupiter onto a cart. The outriggers hung just a little over the sides. The mast remained attached on two sides, just the forestay had been released. Jupiter tied the mast tight to the hull and arranged the sail on top. The kheel though. He slung that over his back in a makeshift carrier of ropes covered with its concealing cloth. But Jupiter could feel it. The warmth and sense of life seeped into him as it had before.

Revived, he followed the two plodding moasaurs as they pulled the cart through the streets. It had taken less than twenty minutes to get from the water, but the day had dimmed now. Soon they moved through the orange glow of dusk. The way angled up in such a gentle manner that Jupiter was startled when they rounded a corner and saw the Vanukam. The huge expanse of docklands surrounding the tower that held the navy’s floating skyships. To the right stretched the steepening slopes of the encircling Chilakam hills — to the left rows of off duty skyships on sea barges. Five floating skyships on ready-duty were tiered up the huge docking pylons. One taller than the rest had three on a huge arm like a cross beam at the top. There were to be more skyships than Jupiter recalled. One must be the skyship that had brought the lieutenant officer they had seen at the Upariha clan house.

The trade winds pushed the docked floating skyships so they pointed like flags to the west. Beyond the docks stretched more of the city rising up the sloped interior of the island. Above the city the grassed slopes were grazed by animals.

‘Those things are huge if we can see them from here.’ Jupiter could not imagine what they might be. Above all forests rimmed the highest peaks that glowed gold in the setting sun.

Jupiter focussed again on the rutted cobbled road ahead. Qhawana had not paused and had led the cart down the slope, the team of moasaurs plodded on in a steady pace while the teamster hauled on the brakes to slow them on the slope. They angled towards the docks once more. Jupiter stepped with care on top of the polished ruts worn in the cobbles, and around the poo — or scat — left by the day’s draft animals. He paused and looked back — they had passed over a low ridge, the road seemed to be a shortcut that avoided the warren of waterways, canals, water courts, and clan houses that fringed Narushkam.

‘And we avoided the navy galleys.’ Jupiter ran to catch up cartwheeling his arms to keep balance on the uneven road as he slowed to join them. The road leveled off, and buildings now lined the street and closed the view of the wider city once more.

Qhawana led the team through a gate, and past a tall gatehouse. Beyond Jupiter saw a courtyard and this time no sign of any connection to the water. Servant manisaurs made to lift The Jupiter from the cart, but a bent and old manisaur Qhawana stood with motioned no. The teamster began to unhitch the moasaurs.

‘There is a water court this Quevantaq owns.’ Qhawana huffed a little as he caught his breath. ‘We can stay here until dark. Then we will travel on and The Jupiter will be floated in the water court. This is within the bounds of Vanukam… Do not rig even once floated, we need to conceal The Jupiter after today’s… public display. And I still need to obtain passage on a skyship or liner to the south. We need to lie low a while. I will find my clan, make amends with Upariha, and issue a warning the navy are on to them.’

‘Great. More hurry up and wait.’ Jupiter watched the teamster lead the moasaurs out the gate and back up the path.

Qhawana shook his head. ‘I give up trying to understand you — connexion or not.’

He left, and the old manisaur motioned for them to enter the gatehouse. Jupiter wondered then where Breeze had got to. But he did not worry. The imp seemed to know how to look after himself.