‘Who are you really?’

The voice startled Jupiter until Ruka stepped out of the shadows. Her face bloomed bright in the moonlight as she joined them under the skyship pylon.

‘What do you mean?’ Jupiter said.

‘No one talks the way you do. Strange talk, of moons, of stars, and returning home. Yet you travel to the mountains in the heart of Qhayanpa.’

‘Can we trust you Ruka?’ Maggie said.

‘It’s not that it is a big secret or anything,’ Jupiter said. ‘Our friends know…’

‘You can trust me. But…’ Ruka paused. ‘You’re in great danger. I’m not the only one who thinks you strange. You look too different, and people have heard you speaking so strange.’ Ruka stepped close to them now. ‘You must be from far off. And people do not like those from outside. Vayankara - The Otherlands are full of danger.’

‘What do you mean? Otherlands?’ Jupiter tried the Thaluk word. ‘Vayankara?’

‘And what’s the problem with foreigners?’ Maggie said.

‘I don’t understand all you say. But vayankaraqi - Otherlanders… they bring anqev - evil.’

‘Well we don’t,’ said Maggie

‘And where is this vayankara place?’

‘All around us. All the places that are not of the Empire are vaya - other. You must know this. Where else are you from?’

‘And what evil is in the Otherlands?’ Jupiter said.

‘Thalastrun — great beasts. No one can live in vayankara - the Otherlands very long… unless they are luzqevriq - sorcerers or those who have made pact with them.’

‘Great beasts? You mean like Gharumal?’

‘It is said that once Gharumal may have come to us from vayankara. But there are great meat eaters, and slithering things, poisonous and anqevi - evil creatures that will eat you in a bite.’

‘Monsters?’ Jupiter shook his head. ‘Dragons and mythical creatures.’

‘She means dinosaurs. Jupiter. Isn’t that how we would describe dinosaurs?’ Jupiter fell quiet before he spoke again. ‘If that’s true. And the world is over run by dinosaurs, why are there none here?’

‘The Empire is far from the otherlands,’ Ruka said. ‘Protected by the sea, and the goddess of the ocean.’

‘Like Australia.’ Maggie said. ‘These scary animals cannot cross the ocean to get to the Empire.’

‘Or New Zealand.’

Ruka stared at them. But she shrugged and continued. ‘So here it has always been safe. But there are stories of people who come from the otherlands, in the far south of Qhayanpa. Otherlanders that bring danger, and creatures that will kill. Sorcerers in league with the beasts could take over us all.’

‘We’re nothing like that.’ Maggie touched Ruka’s shoulder.

‘And yet, you speak an unknown tongue, and fly a strange craft.’

‘We are nuvra.’

‘Oh.’

‘But we are rebels too,’ Jupiter said.

‘We just want to get home.’ Maggie said. ‘Really. That’s all I ask.’

‘You have to leave the wayhouse.’

‘What? Why?’

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‘Those arrivals in uniform. They took note of you. Have been asking questions. After you left there were some who did not think you brother and sister like my father said.’

‘I said cousins. Our mother’s are sisters.’

‘And you said you were travelling to the port town of Qhayuvakham.’

‘So?’ Jupiter said. ‘I had to say something. And they would have known that we had not been travelling ahead of them.’

‘And yet the uniformed ones know you had not travelled from Jhalivara. For they travelled from the lake town today.’

‘Ah.’ Jupiter said quietly. ‘So that’s why they think we arrived from out of the middle of nowhere.’

‘All are suspicious. The humans in the caravan spoke of being overtaken by a navy skyship. They sailed Qhawadha - along The Way on a slip cable as the wind was favourable. But officers stopped and questioned the humans in the caravan.’

Jupiter and Maggie exchanged an uneasy glance. ‘And what did the navy people say to them?’

‘That they hunted a boy.’

‘Okay. But there’s four of us.’

‘The boy wore clothing like a second skin. Vayankara - an Otherlander they said. Luzqevriq - a sorcerer.’

‘We’re not sorcerers.’ Jupiter almost laughed but the girl seemed serious.

‘And yet you arrive out of nowhere.’ Ruka said. ‘I came looking for you now because a light has been seen.’

‘Where?’

‘On The Way. Travelling fast. It does not pull a skyship along the cable. It runs along the road at speed.’

’And you think…’

‘That the hunters have sent someone along The Way seeking you here.’

‘Okay. We’ve got to get going.’ Jupiter stepped around the edge of the barn to look back towards the common hall. ‘Get off along this fork and away from here.’

‘Now? In the dark?’ Maggie followed close behind.

‘It’s a full moon. We can see.’ Jupiter turned to the girl. ‘Can you get a message to our friends. Tamm and Pari-pari? Tell them we’re leaving.’

Just then Breeze jumped down and landed at their feet. Ruka gave a small shriek but Maggie took her in a hug to stop her running.

‘It’s okay. It’s Breeze. He’s friendly.’

Hurry… Friends… Danger…

Jupiter began to cross the open space next to the barn but stepped back. A group of manisaurs had gathered outside the entry.

‘Too late. They’ve got Tamm and Pari-pari.’ In the light from the glow-globes Jupiter had recognized his friends surrounded by The uniformed ones who outnumbered them two to one..

’We’ve got to do something,’ Maggie hissed in his ear.

‘We’ve done nothing wrong.’ Jupiter said. ‘What are those guys doing?’

’That’s not the point. They think we have. And they’re looking for you.’

‘No, They just heard a rumor that the navy are looking for someone. A human boy. That’s different.’

‘Who are those guys anyway? Ruka? Do you know?’

‘Yes. They’re young male manisaurs. Unmated. Sinthava - unruly youths. They have formed a new clan and have just left their home tribe.’ Ruka paused. ‘But if I have heard of the light, then these sinthava have seen it for themselves.’ Ruka stepped back out of view of the entry. ‘They have nothing to lose, and act without the constraint of clan or law. All give such as these a long rope.’

Jupiter did not understood what she meant at first. Then it came to him. A long rope meant to keep their distance, like from a towed skyship above a draft animal.

‘Breeze,’ he said. ‘Keep hidden, in the dark shadows. But follow us and come when I call.'

When the imp slipped away Ruka looked at Jupiter in surprise. ‘You must be luzqevriq - sorcerers. Ones who can speak to aramqhami as a friend and have it do their bidding…’

‘Nah. I just have a way with animals. Forget it. He’s the strange one not me.’ Jupiter stepped into the light. ‘Follow close. With the three of us, and Tamm and Pari-pari, we’re almost a match.’

‘You’re crazy,’ said Maggie, but she followed him.

‘Yes. But in a good way.’ Jupiter turned and gave her a grin. ‘We can dance later.’

Ruka hesitated. Then together the three continued the walk towards the gathered manisaurs. When the group at the entry to the mud room saw them the sinthava manisaurs drew themselves up to their full height. And it was true, they were taller and bigger than Jupiter. But he knew they did not weigh as much as they looked.

‘Hey there. How’s it hanging?’

‘You see. They are vayankaraqi - Otherlanders…’ hissed one manisaur.

Jupiter strode confidently towards the group. ’No. Just from the edge of civilization. Barely civilized you might say.’

He got within a couple of meters of the group and saw that three of them had Tamm and Pariqhamtu held in their tight two-thumbed grip.

‘How about you let our friends go?’ Jupiter held his hands out with open palms as if he pleaded with them.

’The Empire is looking for a running boy.’ One said with a hissing warble that held menace. ‘Already they send a rider along The Way.’

‘Why would they do that? And why is that anything we should worry about?’ Jupiter waved his hands about as if to emphasize his words.

‘The boy they hunt is vayankaraqi - an Otherlander.’

‘Come on. Let’s all get back inside. Growing cold out here.’ Jupiter took a step towards them. ‘It’s getting a bit breezy…’

Just as he said this code phrase Breeze leapt out with a gurgling scream that chilled even Jupiter. He took the opportunity to shove against the manisaurs as they cringed in sudden fright. The sinthava released Tamm and when Jupiter stepped in amongst them they staggered as he pushed them apart and pulled Pariqamtu free. Maggie and Ruka followed him, and together they drew Tamm and Pariqhamtu into the common hall.

‘Why did those guys even grab you?’ Jupiter said.

‘I tried to prevent them leaving,’ Pariqhamtu said. ‘When they stepped outside to find you.’

‘Oh. That was a good move. Brave…’

‘And I tried to stop her,’ said Tamm.

‘That was a better one. Come on.’ He led them up the stairs, out of view of the rest of the common hall. ‘We have to get out of here. Now.’