Maggie and Jupiter were about to step out of the observation room when they were stopped by a crewman.

‘You may not pass. It is dangerous for you.’

‘I think we can handle it.’ Jupiter moved to shoulder past but had to stop again.

Tharumiyo stood before them now. ‘Humans can not long survive outside this room. Take this from the sejrat’sha and put it on.’ Tharumiyo gestured to Tamm who had stepped up to them. He held up a helmet for them each.

‘We were outside just before,’ said Jupiter. ‘When the skyship rescued me.’

‘But not at this altitude.’ Tharumiyo waved for Tamm to move out of the way so he could walk off. ‘There is not enough oxygen for you to live long. Put that on and you can come on deck.’

‘Oh.’ Jupiter reached for the helmet in Tamm’s hands. ‘How high are we?’

Tharumiyo turned and regarded the humans. ‘Twice the height of the highest mountain.’

‘You’re kidding right?’ Jupiter shook his head. ‘Everest is almost nine kilometers high. So you’re saying twenty kilometers?’

‘I do not understand your units. But I sense you are correct. It would take…’ The old manisaur paused. ‘Ninety of your heartbeats to fall to Eoth from this height.’

‘That doesn’t see so long,’ said Maggie.

‘I think it would if you were falling. That’s a long long way. Kilometers higher than an airplane flies.’

‘I don’t understand these kilometers of yours.’ Maggie said with a shake of her head. ‘But I heard that Spitfires fly at 20,000 feet.’

‘Yeah, about.’ Jupiter examined his helmet. ‘But we’re at 20,000 meters… 60,000 feet. Three times as high. That’s Concorde height.’

‘Enough talking. If you wish to come on deck, put it on.’ A crewman thrust another helmet at Maggie.

‘So this is a space helmet?’ said Jupiter.

‘It will enrich your air.’ Tharumiyo stopped at the door. ‘We ourselves use them when we go really high.’

‘How come you don’t wear one now?’

‘We have a full circulatory system, not the simple one of you humans.’

Then the ‘old bird’ turned and went through what seemed like an air-lock. His tailed feathers flicked as if to dismiss them.

Tamm helped Jupiter and Maggie adjust the helmets. They were made of a metal framework covered in a thin rigid membrane. A full clear glass visor stretched across the face. A neckpiece cinched tight around their necks. A hose led to a box Tamm strapped to their waists. It was not much of a space helmet but Jupiter figured it might hold enough oxygenated air to help.

‘Strange. Who would have thought they would have space helmets?’ Jupiter’s voice echoed within the helmet. But he could see well — the visor had a wide angle of vision.

A slow leak of gas hissed in his ear. He could not quite tell where it came from but a metallic scent filled his nose. He took a deep breath but went dizzy from the extra oxygen. To clear the head rush he took slow shallow breaths instead.

A crewman led them along a corridor then up a companionway. Jupiter could not hear so well, everything sounded muffled, and indistinct. Perhaps the thinness of the air changed sounds up here too. And on deck the cold bit hard. The dark blue sky seemed like it should be pricked with stars, but in the full day the sun burned bright above the horizon.

Jupiter stepped next to Maggie and tugged at the felted blanket still across her shoulders. She opened it enough for Jupiter to step next to her, then pulled the cloth closed. She rested her arm over his shoulder a brief moment, and then slipped it to her side.

He felt conscious of Maggie’s closeness again. Not since that first night on the island had they been so near to one another. His head banged on her helmet, bounced off… and then came to rest against hers. The direct connection easier than always trying to keep them apart.

‘How come I didn’t bring a blanket?’ Jupiter muttered to himself.

‘Because you don’t think.’ Maggie’s voice echoed in his helmet.

‘You can hear me?’ Jupiter whispered. ‘Better be careful what I say.’ Jupiter was at first bewildered at how the sound was transmitted through the helmet, but then it made sense all of a sudden.

‘Yes. But why are we whispering?’

‘I don’t know. But it’s fun to have secrets don’t you think?’

‘You’re a strange one Jupiter Drake.’ Maggie sighed. ‘But please be quiet.’

An officer came up to them. ‘What are you doing on deck? You shall leave now.’

Red-Back joined them, she too wore a helmet. ‘I asked for them.’ She ignored the officer and pressed her helmet against Jupiter’s. ‘I’ll show you what we’re up against. And you can tell me what you think. I heard a little of events in Narushkam, from your sejrat’sha. Tamm insisted that perhaps you know something that will help in determining our strategy.’

Red-Back gestured for them to follow her.

‘See.’ Jupiter put his helmet against hers. ‘Even Red-Back likes to keep secrets.’

Maggie pushed him away, and followed Red-Back who led them to the railing and pointed. ‘You see the ship in the distance?’ Red-Back then gestured left and a little below. ‘There are another two off to the left, but in the cloud below.’

Tamm brought them a telescope. ‘You will have to take your helmet off.’

Jupiter stepped out from Maggie’s blanket, and fumbled with the draw cord under the helmet. Tamm helped him, and he took it off. The incredible cold hit him then, and he pressed the telescope to his eye without delay. The metal eyepiece felt warm, almost hot from contact with the manisaur. He couldn’t see the thing. His vision began to get dark, but Tamm pressed a mouthpiece to his face. Jupiter took a breath of the cold metallic air from the mask. He steadied. Then looked through the telescope once more, adjusted where his eye aligned, and a large skyship became sharp in the view.

‘How can you be sure it’s not your friend Dahk?’ Jupiter scanned the skyship. He did not know enough to confirm his hunch.

‘Who? We have no friend…’ Red-Back said.

‘The navy officer, who turned renegade. He’s a rebel.’

“There is no…’

‘I think I know who you mean,’ said Tharumiyo stepping up to the group. ‘Faithful Waters.’

‘Yeah,’ Jupiter nodded. He took another suck from the mouthpiece. His ears hurt from the cold. ‘If that’s Dahk…’

‘Vishvasalana?’ said Red-Back. ‘We have fought on occasion.’

Jupiter held his hand up, took a breath from the mouthpiece, and continued. ‘Though it could also be Gan. He stole a skyfort according to Dahk… Faithful Waters… Vishvasalana.’

Jupiter rolled his eyes. Keeping the names all square in multiple languages, even with tulanvarqa, remained a chore.

‘Gan? He took a skyfort?’ Red-Back laughed. ‘That would be just like the Hammer.’ Her eyes widened behind the visor of her helmet. ‘If what you say is true…perhaps we lost a first mate, and the rebels gained a captain.’

Jupiter searched the distant skyships once more through the telescope but a small manisaur stepped up to him. The others moved away.

‘I am told by my officers you have news of our chasers,’ the manisaur’s quiet tone underlined his firm no-nonsense manner. Jupiter turned to study him. His aura expressed calm authority. Jupiter realized now why the visors had such a wide view angle — it made reading the auras of helmeted manisaurs possible.

Jupiter’s hands shook in the cold. ‘Yes. I can see three…’ Tamm pressed the helmet on Jupiter but he waved it away. Instead he breathed from the mouthpiece. His eyes watered in the cold.

‘There are four,’ the small manisaur pointed towards their positions. ‘Though you are good for a human if you can see three skyships at that distance, even through a telescope.’

Jupiter opened his mouth, but Tharumiyo spoke before him. ‘Captain. I agree with young Jupiter here. The situation may be more complex.’

Tharumiyo’s support astounded Jupiter. The old argumentative manisaur had a low opinion of humans, but now he supported him. And had even helped with their preparations to come on deck.

And the small manisaur proved to be the captain. Jupiter caught a glance from Red-Back. They shared a wry smile of understanding.

‘This is Captain Qharamaraham — Resolute Harbour.’ Red-Back crossed her arms over her chest.

Jupiter nodded towards the captain, who inclined his head with the barest of nods, while his aura flashed a sudden expression of authority and passion that faded to a calmness once more. A display of dominance for Jupiter to respond to.

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To hide his uncertainty Jupiter pressed his eye to the telescope once more. It was then that he saw it — a large red star flew on one of the foresails. Perhaps it was just a banner hung amongst the rigging, but it was unmistakable.

‘I’m sure now.’ Jupiter pointed off on the rear starboard quarter. ‘That skyship. It’s one of ours.’

‘How do you know?’

‘It flies my flag. Upariqami. The Radiant Star.’

The group returned to the warmth and comfort of the observation deck, darker now the sun had risen higher in the sky and no longer streamed straight through the windows. The low horizon was bright in contrast to the deep blue of the sky’s dome Jupiter had seen from deck.

‘Why does the skyship fly so high?’ Maggie rubbed her hands together. ‘It’s so cold. Why? After it’s been so hot up until now?’

‘This is where the winds blow to our destination,’ Tharumiyo said. Jupiter sensed the old bird considered this statement obvious.

The captain’s aura flashed authority. ‘Lower and we would be in the storm, or blown to where we do not want to be.’ The captain paused and turned his gaze on Jupiter. His aura calm, expectant, and a little intimidating.

‘Ah.’ The sudden realization made Jupiter take a deep breath. ‘So you steer by flying up and down to get the right winds. Winds that blow in the direction you wish to go. Makes sense, if you can choose the wind you don’t need to learn how to sail into the wind.’

“What do you mean?’ Maggie said.

‘The Jupiter is different.’ Jupiter felt a surge of pride in his flying outrigger. ‘We can sail at high angles into the wind and tack to where we want to go. But these skyships sail only where the wind blows, and hope it is the direction they want to go in. And oars, for any boats on the water. Like they never learned another way to sail.’

Tharumiyo stared at him and Jupiter smiled back. He knew The Jupiter amazed everyone here on Eoth. The captain would likely be very interested too. Why else go to the trouble of carrying her under the hull?

‘Tell me what happened in Narushkam, on the night of the attack. If not for you…’ Tharumiyo trailed off.

Jupiter sensed that Tharumiyo remained still reluctant to accept that he, a teenage boy from Earth — a nuvra — could have been so effective.

‘Gan really did it all… but…’ Jupiter sighed. Then he told them what had happened the night before. The attack on the flight-works, their escape, and taking Gan to the docks where he could capture a skyship.

‘Gan is the hero here. I just saved him when he fell unconscious. And Maggs too. She helped. But mostly Gan. He led the attack on the flight works, and then to Vanukam, where he took the skyfort. He destroyed many more. I’m sure now the skyfort behind us, the one flying the red star of Upariqami, is Gan. One of the other skyships might be Dahk… Water-of-Faith and his crew… on a smaller craft.’

Jupiter continued his tale of the night before, of his meeting with Dahk. He didn’t mention giving the naval officer any catalyst gems, the zharaqsa. It seemed now that might have been a mistake, and he figured that information need-to-know. And no one here needed to know. Not yet. Only that Officer Dahk and his crew likely manned one of the other pursuing ships.

‘That is a strange reversal.’ Tharumiyo shifted to the window. The old bent manisaur became like a shadow before world outside.

‘It is what happened.’ Jupiter yawned. It had been a long night, and though he had some sleep tiredness tugged at him like a unruly dog. He went to a sideboard to make another of the zhavaqiko spicy-hot drinks, but a servant manisaur took the cup and made the drink for him. Jupiter nodded in thanks, and wished he knew how to make the head bobble the manisaurs made.

‘How long until they catch up?’ Tharumiyo asked turning to the captain.

‘Our damaged rigging means we can not sail so fast.’ The captain had been quiet as he observed the interplay between Jupiter and Tharumiyo. ‘However, we are dropping to the altitude of our pursuers as we make repairs.’

“Why do that?’ Maggie said.

If it upset Captain Qharamaraham to be quizzed by the young humans, he did not show as he explained. ‘If we outrun them at our current height that is well. But so much the better to sail in the same wind and not risk being overtaken.’

‘I know what you mean.’ Jupiter had been taught the same tactic when racing. As a way to stay ahead, good racing tacticians kept in the same wind as their pursuers. But it held risks too. Good sailors knew when to cover, and when to tack and so find better wind. ‘You’re covering the ships behind instead of risking a wind shift.’

‘Just so.’ The captain eyed him with an uncomfortable keenness.

Jupiter got the feeling the captain wanted to know what he knew, and how he knew it. The captain had listened intent on Jupiter’s tale. Jupiter figured something of what he said had made an impression on the eagle-eyed captain.

In his mind Jupiter chanted the strange sounds of the name Red-Back had used for the Captain. Qharamaraham. Resolute-Harbour. He wondered at the naval significance. A personal name? Or a rank or honour?

‘Qharamaraham… Qhar…ama…ham… Qharham Qharham.’ The words were like a chant in his mind. ‘Captain Qharham.’ The captain had directed his aura at Jupiter once more. They locked gazes and Jupiter felt the manisaur’s confidence and authority. In return he smiled, even though Jupiter was not at all keen on authority figures.

‘They do that all the time in match racing…’ Jupiter shrugged, and it was like a connection with Captain Qharham had broken. ‘It’s common knowledge.’ He caught Maggie’s glare. ‘Among sailors.’ He laughed. ‘Isn’t that so Captain?’

‘But won’t they still overtake us?’ Maggie said with fear in her voice.

‘We have the advantage of being the lead skyship,’ Captain Qharham said.

The wily manisaur seemed to have come to some conclusion about Jupiter, who sensed he had passed some sort of test. He regarded what the captain had just said about the advantage of leading.

Jupiter was not so sure, in a stern race the ship upwind could take wind from the ship ahead. Look to windward, that’s where racing sailors had to keep an eye on their opposition. But when you sailed with the wind? At the same speed? Like a balloon? He bit his tongue and listened. It was all so new to him still.

Tharumiyo studied Jupiter, as if he sensed something amiss.

Captain Qharham continued, ‘But it is well if one, or more, of their number are rebel ships… if our young captain is correct.’

‘If it is good fortune.’ Tharumiyo joined them once more. He heaved onto one of the low stools Jupiter found so uncomfortable. ’It is more fortune to them. In the storm, the fleet should have been scattered.’

‘Perhaps they roped together?’ said Jupiter.

‘No doubt, no doubt.’ The captain mused. He left them and returned to the main deck.

‘I thought Red-Back was captain,’ said Maggie once Captain Qharham had left.

Red-Back laughed. She sprawled on cushions placed on the floor. ‘And that is what we want others to think. Red-Back the human pirate and her crew of rabble. Hard to catch, but not worth the risk. We played a game. We dress as pirates, but all the while we were the flagship of the rebel fleet… however small.’

‘So while everyone ran off hunting for pirates,’ Jupiter nodded as things started to make sense once more. ‘You slipped back into Narushkam in another disguise?’

‘Yes. We took off our war paint, changed the sails, adjusted the rigging, moved panels on the hull, and dropped the curtain on our hull markings. We seem too much like a small provincial charter now… And the disguise held.’

‘Perhaps until last night,’ Tharumiyo leaned forward. His eyes accusing, as if he did not approve of their disguise being removed.

‘When you picked up The Jupiter,’ Maggie said.

‘That is correct. And it took all my efforts to persuade the captain to do so.’ Red-Back returned Tharumiyo’s gaze with one of calm confidence. Jupiter decided he liked this pirate. She nodded her head as if coming to some conclusion. ’But it was unlikely we could have kept up our ruse after the galley’s attack on us.’

‘Sorry.’ Jupiter grinned. ‘Seems like I have ended your pirate days.’

‘Not at all. Just the disguise of a provincial charter boat will have to change. Red-Back is still a pirate. It is just that our Karakatun is marked a rebel ship now.’

Jupiter sipped his spicy-hot drink. The cold thin air on deck had affected him more than he had expected. That, and the unnerving challenge the captain had made somehow. Not though, the drink lit a smoldering fire within.

‘So where is Berg?’ Maggie said. ‘The last we saw of him was at Black Spire… when he was taken away on this ship…’

‘Karakatun…’

‘Constellation?’ said Jupiter nodding as the meaning came clear. ‘So Karakatun… that’s the pirate ship’s name. And Qharamaraham is the boring trader ship.’

Red-Back smiled and Jupiter realized he had it right. ‘Okay. So Berg has been on Karakatun. Where is he now?’

‘Scattered to the winds,’ said Red-Back. ‘When we picked him up in the confusion at Nezhkara — Black Spire Island… he had no idea who we were. He thought us pirates. We could not warn him before, and really there had been no plan except to rescue Bamrushi before the navy got to him. So he did not know of our ruse until we took him. But a pass phrase convinced, and understanding of our allegiance came to him.’

‘But Officer Dahk — Water-of-Faith… he sailed on the navy ship at Black Spire.’

‘The rebels have back ups to their back ups… I did not know Water-of-Faith had rebel loyalty. But we know he has been a fearful adversary of the Nezhnakhevo — Blackbirders.’

Red-Back paused, and Jupiter had the impression the turn to discussing Blackbirders made her uneasy. A sadness came over her but she shook it off.

‘We were chased by the navy,’ Red-Back continued. ‘And rose high to catch the north winds to push us south. The navy ship came close enough, and high enough, to make some hits upon our deck with their arrows. But in the hours before the moon rose, we played them.’ Red-Back laughed.

‘The night became dark, the moon still to rise,’ she continued. ‘When the skyship entered the cloud we took our chance and launched a decoy… an old balloon with some glowglobes hung from it. But the decoy carried a small crew in a canoe slung under it to work the balloon and the lights. So while a stealthy Karakatun dropped unseen to near sea level, the decoy sailed out of the cloud. In the dark, before the moon rose, the navy took the bait, followed the balloon thinking they were chasing Karakatun. That allowed us to find wind to take us off and away.’

‘That does not explain where Berg is.’

‘But you see.’ Red-Back chuckled then. ‘This is the trick. When the moon rose, as we knew it would, the chasing navy boat would have had one look at our decoy and knew it for a fake. We took a great risk, but that decoy had capability that gave us confidence it could escape on its own. I guess the navy stopped the chase when they saw the balloon decoy and began a new search for us. But upon the decoy sailed a valuable passenger.’

Jupiter smiled. ‘Perhaps with Dahk… Water-of-Faith as first officer…’

‘Yes. Even then perhaps Vishvasalana would have had a hand in it. But I like to think our ruse fooled him too.’ Red-Back stretched, and Jupiter saw her muscles. No wonder he thought her a fierce pirate, not this thoughtful woman. ‘Tharumiyo told me the intention was to keep Water-of-Faith’s loyalties hidden until at least the Zenska raid. Which it seems he did, when he met you.’

‘Berg hid on the decoy?’ Maggie said and Jupiter caught her delighted smile as understanding hit.

Red-Back laughed. ‘That’s the fun of it, see. The decoy was the real thing… but they would never have chased it once they saw it in the light of the rising moon.’

‘So where is Berg now?’ Maggie said. ‘You’ve told us everything except what we asked.’

‘Since the decoy was just a balloon, with no zharaqsa catalyst, it could not go far. Berg and the crew would have landed south, on Qhayanpa. That was the plan. But where to I am not sure. We were to meet up at Rukalana but…’

‘The storm, everything…’

‘Yes. It is all unexpected.’

‘What did Berg plan to do at Rukalana?’

‘We rebels, with as many ships as we can gather, were to capture the prison there… Rukalana — Twilight Waters.’

‘Why do that?’

‘Berg’s orders. He intends to rescue someone. They were caught by Nezhnakhevo in the Emperor’s employ. The prison too is a front.’

‘Who is this person?’ Jupiter had begun to understand how everything had happened now. ‘How did all this start?’

‘Nezhnakhevo — Blackbirders took one of our most senior people. A Quevantaq — a manisaur — Zaj’qetza. A trusted ally of Bamrushi, and… senior in the Imperial Court. There were few higher. But it did not stop her from being blackbirded.’

‘Zaj…’ Jupiter said as he tried out saying the name.

‘Yes,’ Red-Back said. Berg told me you met her. She gave you a shaquroa.’

‘Shaquroa — the talisman. The feather thing.’ Jupiter stood up and pulled it from his neck. ‘Zaj wanted me to pass it to Qhawana.’

‘Except… the shaquroa talisman was for Bamrushi.’ Red-Back cocked her head as if listening to something.

‘This Zaj…’ Jupiter said as he caught Maggie’s eye. ‘Why was she blackbirded? And why would you think the Emperor is behind it all.’

‘Zaj’qetza. Yes. There was a plan.’ Red-Back said a little louder and determination. ‘Someone betrayed her. Bamrushi had been working on a scheme for several years.’

‘What was the plan?’ Maggie said, though Jupiter thought he had guessed it.

‘Topple the Emperor.’ Qhawana stepped into the circle of seats from out of nowhere. Jupiter wondered where he had been. The old human seemed tired, and older than ever. ’And set up Bergwash Bamrushi in his place by all accounts.’ Then Qhawana laughed.