They floated the tree boat toward the sea. He watched the reflection of the sky caught in the river as it slid against the slot's walls, and the water folding and flattening and stretching the moons there. He thought about the things the dwarf had said about the [brigadier] and the land. He thought about them for a long time.

The sky began to light and he watched Saand sit on the stern with an oar dipped to keep the boat straightways between the narrows. Her eyes moved from the coloring sky to the twisting cliffs. She had a spot of white that came down from her black nose and looped around the side of her mouth. It looked almost pink and her blue eyes looked gold in the first light. The blossoms along her brow were all closed up. Ready to open again with the coming sun.

They turned the maw and he turned and squinted against the half sun directly before them, bright and eternal and cresting the charcoal sea to set the sky blazing. The maw's exit rose crooked and tall and shadowed from the orb's relentless glare that reddened its rocky tops and moved water and wind to shape its walls.

He leapt over the side and dragged the boat onto the sand. Thousands of orcs lay here and there in groups. Some stirred with the new light. Many didn't move at all. Glad Nizam's [captain] lay near the maw with his head propped up on his dwarven helmet. When he saw them he stood up wrapped in a blanket and walked over. "Red blooded musheater," he said. "What you bring me?"

"We must see Glad Nizam," said Orc.

"She's not here. You didn't bring nothing?"

"Tell me where to find her."

"Look around. You got any food we got need for it. Desperate need. See them over there? They was strong two days ago, gave their helping to some who's starving. Now thems who ate it are starving, and thems who gave up are starving too."

"Orcs fishing up many fish before," said Ogaz.

"Cubs here borned and died of hunger since then. The fish all been pulled up. Sea stars went next, then cucumbers and slugs. All's left is kelp. Go on and cast a net, musheater. Maybe you got something we don't, but I tell you nothing else is coming up. Everyone here's starving and soon to die unless you got something for us. Come on. You brought the water now bring the bounty."

"I have no food."

The [captain] clutched his blanket closer about his shoulders. "Come on. I didn't mean it earlier, calling you red blooded. Come on."

Orc stared at him. "Glad Nizam abandoned you."

"She didn't abandon nobody. She's scouting for other means, just like you. What'd you find?"

"Nothing. And there won't be nothing coming, either. Not from here. The Madlands are dead. Humans killed them with whatever they were pulling out of the ground. It's blowing all over now. You couldn't grow debt in its dirt."

"You a fighter and a farmer now?"

"I was one before the other."

The [captain] looked at the maw and the Mad's lessened flow where it met the sea. His brown skin flaked under his eyes and his breathing came heavily. "I don't believe you."

"You all need to bark back asea and find someplace else. Somewhere healthy where humans aren't, though I know of no such place"

"You told Glad Nizam to burn her ships."

"Good thing no one listens to me."

"Where the hell we gonna go? This is our home."

"Somewhere you won't die." Orc looked over at the orcs laying on the strand all shriveled up like beans in summer. He thought he saw someone and he started toward them.

Ogaz walked beside him. "Orc not telling captain of dwarf and orcstone."

"No."

"No trusting."

"Not him."

"And Glad Nizam?"

"I'll let you know when we find her."

They came to a group of a dozen orcs and sows and one greenskin. The orcs and sows showed their backs when they saw him. The greenskin just sat in the sand and watched him come. Orc towered over him. "You."

The greenskin winced and showed his little needle teeth and put his shaking hands before his face. "No Orc. No hurt. No fight here."

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"I know you." He had been one of Booky's.

The greenskin shook his head and his long ears waggled. "No, no, yew don't know little me and little me don't know yew."

Without thinking he picked the greenskin up off of the strand in a two armed embrace. The greenskin's little clawed feet swung free and tears streamed down his face, and everyone from the [captain] to the dozen orcs to Ogaz and Saand watched with mouths open.

He set him down and knelt beside him. "How'd you get here?"

The greenskin immediately collapsed on the strand. "Legs don't work anymore maybe."

"Your mouth works. Get to talking."

"Tongue wiggles but everythin below's all sand. Maybe wet sand. Little me's grateful for water yew set ragin. Was just like yew to."

He knelt close and felt sad when the greenskin leaned away.

"All those times in the pit I never killed you."

"Yew killed plenty. Just don't want no more huggin. Orcsies already hatin little me for missin their camps. Hate me more if they see you huggin."

"You hungry?" He drew the wrapping of cicadas from his breast and gave it to the greenskin.

The greenskin sniffed it and stuffed it under his flopped over leg.

"That's all I have. Now tell me where Glad Nizam went."

"Away. That way. North maybe. I tried fishin thataway when my legs were workin, but Booky ain't teach us no fishin. Maybe yew catch somethin and bring us back a snack."

"I will if I can."

"Go til you ain't goin no further on account of a big rock. That's where yew findin the one eye."

Orc nodded. "Try to rest. Don't share that with anyone."

He stood up to go.

The greenskin's little eyes followed him. "Yew seen the others? Seen my brudders?"

"No."

"Good. Maybe they ain't here. Ogre ain't happy without snackin."

Orc smiled. "No he isn't, but I think if he were here he'd make you the snack."

The greenskin didn't smile back.

Orc wondered how long he'd terrified him. Probably since the very beginning. "I'll bring you back something."

"Better bring a lotta somethings. Wait. I ask yew something. No. I won't."

"Best ask now. I don't know when I'll be back."

"How yew do it? Every night yew went into that awful hole and took it from Booky and took it from them folks watchin and took it from Ogre and that stinky dogman. He told me once yew been there since before the hole was dug maybe. How'd yew stand it? How'd yew stand it over and over?"

"The same way you did. You were there, now you're here. There's no difference between us."

"Plenty of differences."

"Not when it matters."

The greenskin snuck a cicada into his mouth. It popped and crunched between his teeth. "All these angry orcs hatin on little me for missin the camps. Like that was my fault. Like Booky's was paradise somehow."

"They hate me for it also."

"Yew ever wish yew was back there? Back at Booky's?"

"No."

The greenskin ate another cicada. "Yew never did lie very good."

"I'm not lying."

"All these orcs blabbin bout yew goin up that river."

"I just got back."

"There hope for us?"

"Yes."

The greenskin looked down at his useless legs. "Lyin again."

He knelt and put his face before the greenskin's. The greenskin shut his eyes up tight. "I'm onto something. Something that'll green up this whole place."

The greenskin peeked an eye out. "What sorta thing?"

"Dwarf magic."

"Ain't no such thing."

"It's going to take time."

"Ain't got no time."

"Just stay alive. Steal. Lie. Kill if you have to. Do how I showed you."

"Ain't got no legs for them things."

He stood up. "You've come through worse."

The greenskin opened both eyes and fished out another cicada and slipped it into his mouth. "No lie there."

Orc walked back to the [captain].

The [captain] said, "Well musheater? Get what you want?"

He nodded at the treeboat. "Send your two strongest up the river. Tell them to haul out on the right where the slot opens up. Take the old path up to the rim. There's a shack there. Couple of dead humans outside, bunch of junk inside, some meal too. Enough to feed a couple dozen for a couple months. Might keep you all going for a few days if you stretch it out. Might be long enough."

"Meal?" said the captain.

"For mush."

The [captain] clutched his blanket around his shoulders and stared.

"Mix it with water out of the Mad and cook it up with fire. Or just eat it cold."

"Mush."

"Mush. I'm heading up the coast to find Glad Nizam. I'll tell her what's happening here but don't be surprised if she's cut you loose. Don't be surprised if you're on your own. You best come up with a plan and if you don't have a mind to then you best find someone who does."

He gathered Saand and Ogaz and led them across the kneedeep Mad and up the steep sand on its far side. The cliff on the left and the sea on the right and the endless beach ahead.

He nodded up the beach. "That's the way we're headed."

"North," said Saand.

"North is problem?" said Ogaz.

"Depends how far we go. There are folk up there worse than humans. Worse than anyone on this side of the sea."

The tusker shook his head and his ears waggled. "Nobody worser than humans."

"You have never met an elf."

Orc said, "Steady on," and broke into a jog down where the sand was wetted and packed by the surf. He thought about the greenskin as he went. He never looked back.

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> +1 [Awareness]: Knowledge of the land yields knowledge of the self... (3/10)