There were attacks the next day, but nothing serious. If the ghosts were still regenerating endlessly, they were at least depleted. "Worth exploring further?" Arlen asked after a wary afternoon watch.

So, the day after, they headed out to an eerily peaceful day. Even the fog looked thinner. They went deeper, pausing every so often to make sure a decent fort was always nearby. Huygens said, "You do that so easily. We could use that kind of work on our own border."

Arlen said, "I might be willing to help later." He figured, though, that these people would've preferred to have that power in their own hands.

A few of the minor ghosts harassed them but fell quickly. The way was relatively open today, leading to the old, warded building that stood buried in dim forest where Arlen had left it. "The cat was here last time. So was this barrier." He pointed to the shimmering dome of force that he hadn't tried to penetrate.

The group circled it, tossing pebbles and seeing how they bounced off. An annoying hum filled the air. Arlen offered, "I could try digging, to see if it's a sphere."

Captain Huygens smiled. "As many surprises as you've had for us, we have one to show you in return." He snapped his fingers, and one of the sailors came forward with a box holding an intricate cylindrical device.

Arlen and his men instinctively backed off from the Marivs, fearing treachery. The captain ran his hands along a set of notches in the artifact. Much like one of the circuit-pillars found in the Catacomb. The gadget hummed in harmony with the shield, making it flicker and vanish.

Huygens said, "Never in all your isolated centuries were you able to do that, were you?"

"We have not."

With the barrier down, they found a two-story vault or hangar. Its walls were charred and spattered with slag and soot. Inside, a long-ruined office held another door that hummed in response to a certain prayer by Alfons.

"What are you after?" said Arlen.

"Knowledge," said the priest. He pushed the door aside.

The central room held only one clearly intact thing: a pillar made of the same Builder technology, marked with sigils that made Arlen draw in a sharp breath. "It says 'Danger. Deadly. Keep away.' If you touch that thing before we talk about it, I will stab you. Understand?"

The Marivs kept their distance from it but took a step back. "Fine," said Huygens.

"Then what the hell is this? What do you know?"

Alfons shivered. "Builders' work, obviously. It's a thing of darkness. There is..." The priest struggled to find the words, and his hands wove through the air. "A disagreement, about the nature of our ancestors. Some venerate them as the greatest of heroes. Perhaps they were. But this pillar suggests there was more to them."

"They sought power to defeat their enemies. As you do, it seems."

Huygens said, "You, too, have power from the Builders. Don't you?"

"I do."

Alfons said, "Now that we know this terrible thing is here, we have some idea of the price they paid. Something went wrong, but it was designed to do something incredibly dangerous."

Huygens commented, "The ghosts have few distinct features, but they seem to have the look of two long-gone armies. Maybe this pillar was meant to create a horde of screaming, ever-reborn ghosts but in an enemy city. And it was set off while this place was being invaded by enemies."

"It's possible," Arlen said. "Can it be destroyed?"

Right now it was holding up the roof, so it wasn't safe to smash even aside from its enchantment. Alfons said, "I believe its magic is still active. That's good."

"How so?"

"Because the ghosts might go away if we stopped it."

Huygens said, "Could it then be woken again?"

The stolen document Arlen had gotten translated, said the sailors were chasing vague rumors of devices like this. He asked innocently, "Why would you want to do that?"

"To learn as much as possible about it."

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The priest searched the area and found bits of Builder writing, marking this structure as a restricted workplace. He didn't comment on the captain's plans.

#

Arlen dropped everyone off again at Opaline. There, Voz the chief had just returned from handling the disease outbreak on Newshore. When Arlen reported to him privately, the ex-shaman said, "I'm not too surprised. Not by the foreigners' intentions, nor by ancient devices being behind the awfulness." He sighed. "Death weapons, poison weapons. How terrible were the Builders?"

"They were at war, and at least one of their projects was for building things."

The high chief nodded. "When we've settled things here, I'm not sure what we should want to have happen. I've been speaking with everyone I can, through awkward arms' length messengers sometimes. Some of the chiefs want to restore the Great Storm if we can, and go back to isolation.

"I'm not sure that's possible."

"Others want to go exploring, to see more of the world. Still others want a few of the outsiders to stay, to teach us."

"A manageable number, I hope. The island ways won't exist for long if this outsider kingdom sweeps in and -- why are you laughing?"

Voz sounded tired and bitter. "Before you arrived, our situation was unhappy but we were gradually improving. We could have lived through the worst of what Thoko did to us. You made it change. Now we're weathering problems that could wipe us all out or make us all hostages to a completely different chief we've never seen."

"But in return, we could get access to the whole world."

Voz looked way out to sea, and nodded. "As bad as things got when you showed up, we gained from the experience. Now we can gain again if we're careful."

The two chiefs toured the island. To some extent the natives and sailors were getting along better, without the quarantine. There was a ball game of some kind going on, and an absurd attempt at acting. Someone had put up a stone planter on the ground and stuck the Mariv flag in it, on the shore.

"Is that new?" said Arlen.

Voz said, "Didn't see it this morning."

Arlen yanked it and found it was anchored in stone, which delayed him for a few seconds. He marched right over to the fort and methodically carved through the nearest wall, with Voz at his side.

A sailor called out, "Hey, what are you doing?" Several more gathered.

Arlen finished opening a man-sized passage and walked in, to set the flag down respectfully by a building. "You left this outside."

Captain Joop, the third master of the expedition, stepped out from the shelter he'd claimed for himself. "Chiefs, good to see you. How goes the dispensing of healing?"

Voz said, "It goes well. Now take this scrap of cloth back. You have no claim of ownership here."

"I have given gifts in return. I am a chief among my people, and I have been open-handed. Your island's chief made me a present in return, which I in turn will give to our wise king."

The sailors' garrison had come closer to listen. Alfons and Huygens had been nearby, and they arrived to see the disturbance.

Voz said, "The chief of Opaline could not have given you an island."

"No, only a portion of one, a fit place to build homes and ship repair places. It is what we've discussed before. Why are you surprised?" Joop smiled.

Arlen had briefed Voz on what to expect when the sailors one day arrived. Though Arlen didn't know all the details of the new culture himself, he knew of the gift exchanges and of Joop's desire to rule. Arlen said, "The chief here does not understand the nature of the trade you intend."

"Is that so? Let me explain. Those who give generous gifts are understood to be strong and wise. They receive some small thing in return, and the understanding that they will manage those they trade with. I'm sorry if that's not clear enough."

Arlen said, "I gave you a fort. You gave us sickness."

"We gave you protection from the sickness! We respected your customs so that you will endure it, and be safe the next time anyone comes here. Ah, Singer Alfons, you're here. Didn't we bring them the true faith as well? That's a gift beyond measure."

Alfons looked uncomfortable. "It is not a gift belonging to any man. We owe the gods for it, not those who carry the message."

"But we do pay messengers. Besides bringing that, we've brought other gifts such as knowledge of our land, a far wider place than this little island chain."

Voz answered, "Yet you find this place fascinating. Knowledge about us is valuable to you."

"Information that you've withheld. We're very interested in learning more over time, but for now I accept the small grant of land."

Huygens said, "Joop, this sort of trade isn't what we discussed."

A rapid-fire argument followed among the three leaders, too complex for Arlen to follow.

Arlen found that he was in a contest of measuring gifts. He rolled his eyes and interrupted. "In any case, whatever your gifts, we don't accept your leadership."

Huygens was still processing whatever Joop had told him. "A ship? You gave them your ship?"

Joop said, "We have two. Righteous Arrow is my family property, to dispose of as I choose. You, Huygens, have your own royal backers and an obligation to return to report in person. Since yours is the only ship remaining to the expedition, it can't be sold as I sold mine for land."

Huygens balled his fists. "Any land claim is to be made in the King's name."

"As we saw, the natives rejected it. This is a mere private transaction. I'm certain that future negotiation will help, but this was the first step."

Joop wasn't trying to be overheard with that part, but Arlen grasped that much of what he said and wasn't at all surprised. The ship, though? The big wooden vessel was sturdy enough to travel to the faraway kingdom, but even with his otherworld knowledge he barely understood how to sail it and not how to work the rigging.

Voz stared out to sea at it, too. "The kind of mighty ship that Thoko wished for."

Joop nodded. "You see? It's a generous trade."

It really was, if seen purely in terms of immediate value. The finest sailing craft that the islanders had ever seen, versus a plot of empty land that would be developed into a trade outpost and port potentially good for everyone. The trouble was just that it was an obvious wedge for this kingdom to claim total control before long, and to advance the fortunes of Joop personally.

Arlen conferred with Voz for a minute, then addressed the Marivs. "You've said that the secrets of the islands are valuable to you. We've already shown you one. I offer you access to something else we've hidden. Will you accept?"