‘Tamm. How did you find Zaj?’

‘You had swooned. The guards had captured us at the grounded skyship flightworks. I they took prisoner. You they separated from me. I…’ Tamm paused. His aura showed an echo of his feelings then.

‘You didn’t like it?’ Jupiter said.

‘No. They took me to an infirmary. They did something.’

‘Naraqha,’ said Zaj. ‘They imprinted you.’

‘How is that possible?’ Tamm said. ‘In so short a time? And I do not remember.’

‘They have brought an evil into the world.’ Zaj turned away and looked out the window. ‘The Empire now has a way to imprint those they wish to control. Against their will.’

‘Brainwashing.’ Jupiter said. ‘That’s spy stuff.’

Tamm and Zaj stared at him. Jupiter realized that his words did not translate.

‘Yeah,’ said Jupiter. ‘I know what you mean. Did they use a drug?’

‘That is the way of it. A potion. Then they make the naraqhan stare into the face of a device. An intense…’ Zaj paused. ‘An aura… but created by artifice. Like visharaq - signals.’

‘The colored flashing panels used to communicate between ships, or to shore?’ Jupiter remembered he had seen them on Zenska, and in use on ships during battle.

‘Yes. Vishavara. but… I can not explain how it is done. Not with ruqin… the small colored pieces on vishavara we know of. But very much smaller. Like many small lights.’

‘Like a video screen. With pixels.’ Jupiter said. ‘Yeah, yeah. But that makes no sense either. But I get what you mean.’

‘I believed you were nuvra when we met. But you are not. And yet I now find your language difficult to understand.’

‘Yes. Nuvra. Except I have gained tulanvarqa — connexion.’ Jupiter said. ‘I am nuvra, from Earth.’

‘And you know of this strange vishavara with the ruqin made of light?’

‘Sure. We all have them where I come from. We carry them in our pockets. But who would have them here on Eoth?’

Three fell silent.

There’s too much strange stuff going on here. A strange world, but this is even stranger.

‘Just when I think I understand Eoth, something new comes along to…’

‘Shift everything sideways,’ Zaj said.

‘Yeah. Exactly,’ Jupiter grinned. He liked this smart and assertive manisaur. ‘So Tamm. The infirmary? What do you remember?’

‘Before they made me naraqhan once more, I saw Zaj. Guards escorted her from the building as I entered. I could not believe it. And that she had been captured, held prisoner.’

‘The blackbirders took me from the galley off Zenska. I had hoped to escape the Emperor’s regime once they…’ Zaj paused.

She paced across the room, the light from the windows flashed through her colorful clothes, shifted color. Almost as if it moved with her aura.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

That stuff is the strange, even for this strange world.

‘The blackbirders took me, and many of the others and crew, onto their boats. We stopped at Black Spire only because they had not enough food to keep us. I pleaded with them for food for us all. Once in the lagoon they caught Nakharavi — mantas. They mocked us by eating it. We would not, though it tempted us mightily. They did not feed us.’

‘That’s when I saw you,’ Jupiter said. ‘And when you made the shaquroa — the talisman.’

‘It is an ancient art, and in desperation I used feathers from my own body.’ Zaj’s aura flashed in shame but also defiance. ‘It was a small hope you could pass the shaquroa to Hamrabanarushi, though that is why I asked them to land us on Black Spire.’

‘I got the talisman to him, to Berg — Hamrabanarushi. Though in a round-about sort of way.’

‘And where is he now?’

‘I do not know. He fled Black Spire on a pirate vessel in search of you I believed. But then left that vessel when the navy drew too close.’

‘Qharvan Tambuqaram. What do you know of this?’

‘I am naraqhan to Jupiter, my Naraqhami. Dhakara Jupiter returned me to life when once I had died.’

Zaj stood and paced. ‘And yet you are no longer naraqhan to these traitors. You have broken the imprint by the strange vishavara device and potion.’

‘So it seems.’

‘Look. This is all very interesting,’ said Jupiter. ‘But we came here to get you out. If Berg… Hamrabanarushi is not here to rescue you… don’t you want us to help?’

‘Yes. But it is a foolish ambition. I had hoped Hamrabanarushi would bring soldiers, or mercenaries, to save me. That is what my shaquroa requested. Not rescue by a strange nuvra boy, and a lone Qharvan, a lieutenant damaged by naraqhasa. One who has been imprinted upon imprinting.’

‘Tamm. How did you know the one you saw was Zaj?’

’Only the Imperial Court wear vishakala — the cloth of colors. And I knew your tale of her capture.’

‘By blackbirders, not the Imperial Navy,’ said Jupiter. ‘The last place I thought to see Zaj would be here.’

‘Nezhnakhevo — blackbirders sold me,’ said Zaj, ‘As they sell all they capture.’

‘So. Take the clothes off,’ said Jupiter. He stood as if ready to leave. ‘All other manisaurs seem to do without. You’d look just like them. And you’d be with Tamm, an Imperial Officer. Who would know?’

Zaj’s aura flashed shock and surprise. Tamm’s embarrassment.

‘What did I say?’ Jupiter said.

‘I think I believe you now when you say you are nuvra.’

‘Why?’

‘I cannot remove vishakala — my cloth of colors.’ Zaj said. ‘Would you run naked from this room?’

‘Why not? If it meant I could escape.’ Jupiter laughed. ‘What do I care if all you manisaurs saw me starkers?’

‘Except you would not if it were humans you walked amongst.’

‘I dunno. You had no clothes on Black Spire. Most manisaurs wear no clothes. This whole planet might as well be a nudest camp. We’d all be in the same boat.’

‘I cannot.’ Zaj’s aura flashed embarrassment once more.

Then Jupiter understood. ‘Ah. I get it. Even if you could overcome this shame, your aura…’

‘Yes. Quevantaqi cannot lie. Vishara — my aura would reveal who I am, my place in court, and the shame of my nudity.’

‘I believe you,’ Jupiter said. ‘The only manisaurs I know who can lie are the Air Lord and Tharumiyo.’

‘You are mistaken?’ Zaj said. ‘Only human’s lie. That is why the Emperor has exiled them.’

‘No,’ Jupiter said. ‘For reals. Those two are the lyingest manisaurs you could ever meet.’ Jupiter said. ‘Except Tamm. Somehow, you can hide your words better than most. I guessed it might be the imprinting. That naraqhasa had changed him.’

Tamm hung his head.

‘We can’t stay here,’ Jupiter said. ‘Either you come with us, or we leave you.’

A trumpeting cry came from outside. They rushed to the window.

‘What is it? A fire alarm?’

‘No,’ said Zaj. ‘They hunt. These ghoraq nezhnakhevo have released some humans into the fortress and the city.’

Jupiter stared at her. ‘I thought only the Air Lord hunted.’

Zaj’s aura flashed sympathy. ‘No. These ghoraq — these barbarians run the humans for sport. Some escape. But that is also their plan. To spread fear amongst humans. To send them into exile.’

‘But why?’

‘Humans can not be naraqhan. The Emperor and his Aelqemist can not control them.’

‘But,’ Jupiter said as realization hit. ‘That means they probably want to imprint the rest of you.’

Zaj hung her head, ashamed of her aura. Then she raised it. Sorrow and fear and guilt and resignation pulsed across her face.

‘That is why I fled.’

‘Who are you?’ Jupiter said. ‘You’re of the court. You tie royal knots in your shaquroa. I should know what I’m involved in.’

‘I am Zaj’quetza Tesubahm-zah — Luminous Song, Guardian of Fortitude - lady of the court.’

‘Yeah, That means a whole lot of nothing to me.’

‘I am the Aelqemist’s daughter. Promised to the Emperor.’

‘You’re what?’

‘I am to be mother of the next Emperor.’

Jupiter stared at her. A princess. Zaj is a manisaur princess.

‘Okay. Perhaps I really don’t need to know who you are,’ Jupiter said. ‘Get that colored thing off. We’re going to run in the hunt.’

‘The hunt?’ said Zaj. ‘There’s no way to escape a hunt.’

‘You’ve no idea. I have. Now move it. Lady.’