‘It’s not that it is funny.’ Qhawana said as he sat. He piled cushions about himself as if making a nest. ‘Just the reverse.’

‘It’s sad?’ Jupiter had not seen the old man since he had left them in the courtyard and gone off to his clan to warn them their plan to attack the Vanukam had been discovered by Officer Dahk — Water-of-Faith. Except now Dahk had been revealed as an ally. So much had happened in the day and night since. Jupiter now wondered how the old man had changed so much. He seemed older, deflated, and resigned once more.

‘Well not that either. More that it is a bad joke.’ Qhawana leaned his head back and studied the bulkhead above. ‘You see… I was Rarunara Khavitha… the servant of their captivity. I thought I was his jailor — Hamrabanarushi — Bergwash. Instead I became his companion, and confidant, and ultimately helped him in his escape.’

‘I thought you were their friend.’

‘I was that too.’ Qhawana paused. ‘And yet there were limits. I knew nothing of this plot to raise them up to challenge the empire once more.’

‘What did you think you were doing?’

‘A long time ago my clan, the Upariha, selected me to serve as Bamrushi’s jailor upon Nezhkara — Black Spire Island. And it was an honour. The Upariha had shown loyalty to the new Imperial regime and was trusted to provide the jailor for those it overthrew. But I’ve learned that it was all to twist us both. Bamrushi into a pliant old trium, and I… a human instead of a quevantaq, was chosen as jailor because I would both change Bamrushi and not fall to him in some version of naraqha imprinting. A manisaur… a quevantaq, might be imprinted to serve Bamrushi once more. A human’s loyalty is both more flexible and reliable.’

Qhawana sighed. ‘And while I remained loyal to my clan and my task, the Upariha played a long game. And they played me. I have lived a lie these many years, even as I unwittingly mirrored their change in allegiance. Perhaps we Upariha were destined to do so.’

‘But Berg… Bamrushi… he truly was your friend? Wasn’t he?’

‘Yes. Of course. But he betrayed my friendship…’

‘The glow-globe…’

‘Yes. Indeed. That he had a glow-globe meant he’d had visitors. And I never knew. That they were Upariha, and I was less trusted than my prisoner… Ha. Rarunara Khavitha… it is beyond a joke.’

‘Where have you been?’ Maggie sat next to him. ‘We’ve not seen you for what seems a long time now.’

Qhawana sighed. ‘The irony is this… even though I brought you to them, and they trust you, they still do not trust me. Old Tharumiyo tested me, of course. And the old crook…’

Jupiter laughed… ‘Sorry…’ He took a breath once he had recovered. ‘I thought you said old chook… but that’s impossible because that’s English, you’re speaking Thaluk… and it could not be…’

Maggie laughed then too.

‘I see what you mean… old bird… Yes. Just how I think of him too.’

‘You had better not let him hear you say that…’ Qhawana smiled. ‘But… where was I?’ He paused distracted by the view out the window. ‘It seems we are descending.’ He squeezed his nose and puffed out his face. ‘I feel pressure on my old ears.’ He sighed in relief. ‘Tharumiyo… he found me wanting. Confined me to quarters.’

‘How did you end up here then?’ Maggie said. “Last time we saw you was when you left us with The Jupiter piled on top of an old cart.’

‘Yes. I recall.’ Qhawana smiled. ‘That was fortuitous… hmmm.’ The old man paused and took a deep breath before starting again. ‘I went to my clan, but it was in an uproar with preparations to defect to the rebels. They were loading up and moving goods and people onto trade craft. They had no idea what to do with me. I am a loyal Upariha, and in good standing… but also Rarunara Khavitha and so of the old time… with old allegiances.’ Qhawana took another deep breath and took in the distant horizon. ‘They took me in, but perhaps into custody is a better term. Then brought me to Tharumiyo aboard Karakatun. It was in harbour, in disguise… no longer a pirate. I never suspected this before. Which was as they wished. The times call for a deviousness that surprises me always.’

Qhawana turned to gather the gazes of the two humans. ’Then Tharumiyo interrogated me…’ He held his hand up when he saw Jupiter’s reaction.

‘Oh no. He is a civil… old bird. Even as he is particular. I am Upariha and so told him all, with no intention to lie or dissemble. I had no inkling of what was happening… and so perhaps… I was suspect. He told me what has happened, or as much as he wants me to know. But he still kept me locked up and so he, in turn, became Rarunara Khavitha — servant of my captivity. Jailor… It is an appropriate reversal perhaps.’

‘But you’re out now?’

‘Yes. Last night he neglected to keep the door locked. But I don’t believe he trusts me yet.’

‘And should he trust you?’ Maggie reached out and took the old man’s hand.

‘That’s the funny thing. I have no idea.’ Qhawana did not laugh and Jupiter realized that it was not in the least funny. Instead it was quite sad.

Jupiter returned to the main deck of the skyship. As he stepped out from the companionway Tamm slipped beside him.

‘I wondered where you were,’ said Jupiter as he moved to the rail. The long spars angled out from the hull at a level just below the deck. He watched as crew swung through the rigging adjusting sails and running new ropes.

‘Apologies naraqhami.’ Tamm bobbled his head. His quiet aura and lowered tail showed he meant it.

‘Naraqhami?’ Jupiter tore his gaze away from the preparations the skyship made to flee the approaching enemy. He knew it meant the one who imprints, but he did not know he had done it.

‘How do you wish to be addressed?’

‘Just Jupiter is fine. That’s what everyone here calls me… or sometimes it is Upariqami… but that’s plain weird.’

‘Very well… Joopitah… Jupiter…’ Tamm kept silent, his gaze on his master. Jupiter felt very strange. He had not intended to enslave Tamm, only to help him. He could not get his head around the alien idea of manisaur imprinting.

‘Are all the crew imprinted… I mean. Are they all naraqhan?’

‘Perhaps. But does it matter?’

‘Well yes. It does. It seems to me that loyalty should be earned, something that you want to do… because the person you are giving loyalty deserves it for some reason.’

‘But do you not deserve my loyalty?’ Tamm’s aura flashed confusion for a moment, but then returned to calmness.

‘Well, yes. I did save your life, so I guess it’s good for you to repay me. But only if you want to.’

‘But I do want to.’

‘You’ve no choice though, so it sort of means less.’

‘I do not need to want, it just what is.’

‘Were you imprinted… as naraqhan… to anyone else before?’

’No. Or rather I was.’ Tamm fell quiet. ‘First to my family and clan… as it should be. And then in military training.’

‘Sure.’ But Jupiter was not sure at all that he would want to be brainwashed to obey his parents, or his school teachers, or anyone. He was very sure though that he valued his freedom to do what he wanted, when he wanted. Jupiter sighed. ‘And this… naraqhasa process is not in conflict with that?’

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

‘No. Should there be conflict?’

Jupiter gazed at the distance. He did not want this manisaur obeying him just because of some animal instinct.

‘It’s okay Tamm. I’m glad to have you as… a friend.’

They stood together. Jupiter saw, over the deck, the officers in the command bridge, while up the masts the crew repaired and worked on the rigging. Another group gathered at the telescope, but they did not watch their pursuers, instead they aimed the telescope at the deep blue sky.

‘What are they looking at. There’s only empty sky.’

Tamm turned where Jupiter pointed. ‘They are shooting Upariqami.’

‘The planet Jupiter? But it’s daytime. How can they see a star during the day? Or a planet?’

‘Come. Perhaps they will show you.’

Together they approached the officers. Tamm they regarded with a mixture of distaste and suspicion. And Jupiter got a flash of what they felt. It seemed they thought it a serious possibility Tamm faked his imprinting in order to be a spy within the ranks for the rebels. The idea caught Jupiter up in their confused emotions. But Tamm’s steadiness settled him. To Jupiter, the sejrat’sha appeared to be a true turned-blade. He felt it deep inside him, then it struck him — the sejrat’sha imprinting might work both ways. Could he in turn be imprinted upon Tamm?

‘No way,’ Jupiter muttered.

‘What did you say?’ One of the officers glared at Jupiter, the suspicion of Tamm applied to him to some extent.

‘My naraqhami wishes to learn your technique of navigation.’ Tamm bowed, and stepped away. He paused as if uncertain, then turned and walked away out of sight. Jupiter knew that he had not gone far. He sighed. Tamm never did.

He noticed how the three officers studied him. Two held a senior rank, the one at the telescope more junior. The webbing worn over her body of a simpler nature than that of the senior officers.

‘We have completed our sightings,’ one of the senior officers said indifferent except for perhaps a sense of politeness to a guest. ‘However the vanathkara will show you the star.’ The officer flicked their tail in command to one of their juniors.

‘It is your star we understand.’

The officers laughed as they walked away leaving Jupiter and Tamm with one remaining manisaur.

‘Thank you vanathkara.’ Jupiter smiled hoping that she understood the human expression.

‘You shall not call me this.’ The manisaur officer’s aura flashed angrily. ‘I am no vanathkara to you.’

The meaning came to Jupiter then. ‘Assistant. Sorry… I didn’t mean.’

‘It is no matter. The officers teased us both.’

Jupiter had never considered that manisaurs would treat their juniors like that. Their social hierarchy seemed constructed in such an alien manner, except not so different. He wondered again how such remotely related species could be so similar.

Convergent evolution somehow?

‘Sorry. I’m Jupiter. And you?’

‘Pariqhamtu — Snow on the Highlands,’ she said. Jupiter got the sense this embarrassed her, as if she had been teased for this too. Then he saw. She had a white flash of feather-fur upon the top of her head.

‘So… can you show me?’ Jupiter spoke in a hesitant manner. The whole situation had been engineered by Tamm and the officers. ‘This stat? But if it is Upariqami then it is a planet.’

The telescope bulked wide with an eyepiece rotated sideways into the barrel. He knew enough to know it was a reflecting telescope. These alien manisaurs had high quality optics, but could not sail into the wind. Convergent evolution only went so far.

At first the bright point of light through the eyepiece was a blur, and he fiddled with the eyepiece. He held his eye away a little. Manisaurs had much better vision than humans, he knew that, but they still needed to focus the image. He saw then the star against the blue-black sky. He pulled his head away and turned his gaze up into the sky. There was nothing to see. The pin point of light remained clear in the telescope. He knew that stars were above during the day, just drowned out by the sun, and the blue of the sky. Somehow this telescope could see the star in daylight.

He studied it again, he could see a disk — so a planet then. As he adjusted his head, and studied the light closer, he saw them.

‘Oh wow. Four moons.’ Jupiter blinked and leaned in again. Strung a little to either side of the bright planet lay four small points of light. ‘That really must be Jupiter.’

He knew that Jupiter had been the first planet discovered to have anything orbiting it. Until then, the ancients on Earth believed everything orbited the Earth. But since the moons of Jupiter circled the giant world the discovery disrupted the idea of a perfect cosmos.

‘But if that planet is Jupiter… and Upariqami is Jupiter… then this Eoth might really be Earth. This is too much of a coincidence.’ Jupiter stepped back and caught Pariqhamtu’s aura of enquiry.

‘Um. Yeah…’ said Jupiter uncertainly. ’So. Why were you looking at it?’

‘Navigation. My job is to confirm the location of the moons of Upariqami. From this information we can then shoot the angle of the sun and the moon… then determine our location.’

‘Why do you need to know where the moons are?’

‘To learn the time so we can refer to our sun tables.’

‘Wait, what?’ Jupiter stared. ‘You use the moons of Jupiter as a clock?’

Pariqhamtu stared in turn. ‘What do you mean? Upariqami tells us the universal time. It is the radiant star from which all time flows.’

The moment hung in his mind, one Jupiter had grown so familiar with — the strange tulanvarqa connexion. Often more a source of confusion and misapprehension than of understanding, and yet it gave remarkable insight too. Manisaurs had no idea about clocks. And even believed the planet and its moons were somehow the source of time, instead as only a way to measure the flow of time.

It struck him then — Manisaurs believed Upariqami to be the one-and-only clock. And he had seen no other clocks on Eoth. He raised his wrist where his racing watch still kept the time back home. It was different to Eoth time. Like he was in the different time zone. But the difference always stayed the same. He had never been really sure, the days changed in length, and there were no clocks to compare it with.

‘This is a clock, a watch.’

Pariqhamtu stared at the LCD face as the seconds passed in regular beats. A minute ticked over.

‘But time comes from Upariqami. How? Can you?…’

‘It’s like the beating of a heart that never changes.’

The manisaur shook her head. ‘It is not possible. Time comes from…’

‘Upariqami. Yes I know.’ Jupiter found it hard to understand. He turned the telescope around until it pointed at the moon. It was low in the sky ahead of them. The image shaped into focus and he stared at the craggy edge of the terminator. ‘But that’s not the moon I know.’

He stepped away. ‘I don’t know where I am, when I am. This is all crazy-as.’ He laughed then and stared about.

It startled him then to see the outrigger swung up between the side masts. The Jupiter, her mast and boom tied to the hull, swayed stationary then. The captain watched as a squad of crew manning a set of ropes, and beams, maneuvered The Jupiter through the rigging ropes, towards a space on the deck. One crewman with a red sash ordered the squad about with the barest glance or two at the captain.

The Jupiter now lay on the deck, and as he walked up the crew moved away as they finished removing the ropes used to sway the outrigger onto the deck.

The captain squatted on his backwards-facing legs, his tail flicked and flickered as if balancing, but Jupiter got the impression he had just given an order for the crew to keep clear of the outrigger. Jupiter was not about to do that. He left Pariqhamtu to her telescope and the almost worshipful study of the radiant planet, and strode up to see what state his own Jupiter was in.

‘You made this!’ the captain said. It was not a question, but more a note of confirmation. Jupiter read this in the aura the captain directed at him. It fascinated him how the aura was both a way to communicate, but also to express feelings. Some of which appeared to be involuntary.

Written on his face, Jupiter thought, and he smiled. Humans were not so different from manisaurs in the way expressions worked.

‘Yes. Though Qhawana made most of the outrigger hull. It is my mast, boom, and sail… and I rigged her.’

The captain no doubt wished his human face was as readable as a manisaur’s. ‘But the flying? How does that work? You brought this from… Earth? I have never heard of nuvra with such things.’

Jupiter did not know how much to tell him. He owed him no loyalty, and unlike Tamm, being saved by the Captain and his Karakatun did not mean he had become naraqhan and so owing loyalty. Imprinting seemed an inconvenient process, but perhaps an advantage lay under it all. If a manisaur once captured in battle, and saved, would become naraqhan and so an asset rather than a danger. So perhaps manisaurs would not kill their enemies, only to turn them.

‘It is not from Earth. We do not have aether…’

‘Lushvra…’ the captain interrupted Jupiter. And for once the manisaur had said the word in Thaluk. ’You do not know of the spiritual essence? That surrounds us?’

‘No.’ Jupiter shook his head. ‘Lushvra, aether… whatever. I know of it from here. Eoth. We do not have it where I come from.’

‘Show me how this works.’ Captain Qharham pointed to the woven disk.

‘Yes. That’s the kheel.’ Jupiter climbed onto the outrigger, and spun up the kheel. As first nothing happened, and he worried that something had gone wrong. And then The Jupiter bounced a little. Jupiter spun the disk again faster, and he wished Breeze could do his thing. The imp had so much energy and patience.

The captain made a humming noise and motioned for two crewmen to lift The Jupiter. It rose with ease, and the crew that had gathered warbled in astonishment. Jupiter smiled and glanced at the captain. The small manisaur had quelled his aura, but his tail flicked a couple of times and then stilled too. He motioned the crew to step away, and The Jupiter floated free as Jupiter got the kheel up to speed and now kept it spinning. The Jupiter drifted as the relative speeds of The Jupiter and skyship changed, but the crew just stepped away.

He placed his hand on the kheel to slow it, and The Jupiter bumped onto the deck once more.

‘Rig her, and get her ready to fly,’ the captain said.

‘Why?’ Jupiter said. The crew stilled all of a sudden, and a yawning quietness opened around him. ‘Um. I just need to know the reason so I can…’

‘I want you ready to take flight at need. We will soon enter battle with our pursuers. I think you would wish the ability to fly independent of us.’

’Sure.’

‘Do not question me again, human or not. You are crew and will obey.’

‘I understand.’ Jupiter nodded. But he was determined to remain outside his chain of command. The captain would have to earn his loyalty, he would not become naraqhan so easily.

The captain strode away, and Jupiter let out a breath. The manisaur had an undeniable presence that intimidated.

‘And I think I know what you want me to do.’