Edge of Worlds (The Books of the Raksura) by Martha Wells Page B

her weapon up. Delin stepped in front of her. He said, “It is always good to get permission before touching any stranger, but in a Raksuran court, one especially does not touch the consort.”
    Moon hissed in frustration. He knew he could have handled an aggressive, arrogant maybe-sealing without resorting to violence. He couldn’t tell Jade in front of groundlings that she was overreacting, but he badly wanted to.
    Rorra’s gaze went to Jade. She said, “I don’t like being threatened—”
    “I’m not threatening you.” Jade bared her teeth. “But if you want a fight, say so.”
    Vendoin said hastily, “No one wants a fight.”
    Callumkal shoved to his feet. “It was a misunderstanding.”
    Sounding bored, Stone added in Raksuran, “I came for the forerunners and the foundation builders and the groundling-eating monsters; if there’s going to be a fight, I’m leaving.”
    In the same language, Jade hissed at him, “Promises, promises.”
    Speaking Raksuran too, Moon said, “She’s not a queen, Jade. She doesn’t even realize she’s acting like one.” He would have to save asking what is wrong with you? for later.
    “Moon’s right, Jade,” Balm added, watching with concern.
    Jade’s spines quivered in irritation. “I know that.”
    Pointedly, Vendoin plopped down on the ground. “I’m showing everyone where the city is now. Those interested please look.” She turned to Chime and Heart. “You see, these figures indicate sea-mounts. You are familiar with those formations?”
    Chime and Heart leaned closer, and Heart said, “They’re mountains?”
    “Possibly natural formations, possibly constructed by former inhabitants of the region,” Vendoin told her.
    Rorra took a step back, still watching Jade warily. Callumkal looked from Rorra to Jade, and sat down again next to Vendoin. Moon found himself meeting Kalam’s gaze. The boy was wide-eyed. Moon thought about trying to smile reassuringly, decided it was more likely to look like a threat, and eased back to sit beside Stone. Stone stared up at the tree canopy and shook his head in resignation at how stupid they all were. Moon muttered to him, “You’re not helping.”
    Low-voiced, Stone replied, “If we can’t get through looking at the map without a fight, how are we supposed to work with these people?”
    Moon grimaced. Stone had a point. No one else heard except Delin, who rubbed his eyes wearily.
    Trying to pick up the fallen threads of the conversation, Callumkal told Jade, “As Delin suspected, we hoped to ask some of you to travel with us to the city, to help us enter it.” He looked around at the others, his expression conveying exasperation. “I hoped to work my way up to this request more gracefully, but there you have it.”
    Jade settled her spines deliberately. Sounding more reasonable, she said, “You haven’t mentioned the signs of Fell presence.”
    At least none of the groundlings glared at Delin this time. Callumkal said, “There is no proof that the Fell were in the area because of the ancient city, or that they were still there by the time we arrived. The settlements that were destroyed were travelers’ outposts, as far as we could tell.”
    “Travelers’ outposts?” Moon asked.
    Vendoin answered, “We couldn’t identify them from the . . . remains. It may have been a sea-going race who seeded the settlements as supply depots as they moved through the area. Some do this to extend their reach through the oceans or the empty seas, where there are no other ports or habitations, like stepping stones, you see?”
    Moon did. It meant these people would return at some point and find their friends dead and no fresh supplies. It was a grim picture to imagine.
    The scales of Jade’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. Heart took up the questioning, asking, “Did you find the destroyed settlements on your way there, or the way back?”
    Chime added, “And could you tell how long ago they had been destroyed?”
    “The way