marking the ground he did his best to control.
“Chief, the visitors request an audience with you,” Vek said.
“Visitors from where?” Eildan said. He looked past the assembled Noreelans, past Vek, and out to where the unknown people stood on the ruined mole.
“The tall woman’s name is Keera Kashoomie. She’s an emissary. She says she has much to explain, but first of all she wants to offer her apologies.”
Eildan looked back into the ruined building from which he had emerged. “There’s a dead child in there,” he said. “She looks perfect, her skin untouched, but her lungs are full of water, and her head… is soft… from where something hit her. She’s a daughter of my village. Perhaps her parentsare dead, too. Perhaps …” He swept his hand slowly before him, as though offering the people something in his palm. “Perhaps they’re here.” He rested the tip of his harpoon on the layer of mud coating the harborside, letting it sink in slowly. “I’m afraid,” he said quietly. He spoke with great dignity and honesty, expressing what most other people felt.
Even Kel. Fear, yes, he felt that, cold and tense down his spine. But even if this was the invasion the Core had dreaded and fought against for centuries, he could not help but feel enthralled by what was about to happen.
Vek walked past the makeshift barricade to Chief Eildan, but when he spoke he made sure everyone else could hear. “She comes from the island, which she calls Komadia. She says her land is cursed. The only way her people have found to combat the curse is to repair the damage they do, and try to make amends. She says …” He trailed off, as though suddenly nervous at the many people watching.
“Yes, Vek?”
“She says they have many great technologies they can share with us.”
“Let ’em have this!” Mygrette said, touching the machine by her side. It rose up on metal legs and several long, thin tubes suddenly sprouted from its back like spines, twisting and waving at the air.
Kel shrank back, thinking of the proboscises on a Stranger’s back.
Mygrette gestured at the machine and the tubes vented fire.
“Mygrette!” Eildan said. He came forward, still hefting his harpoon, but Kel could already see that his mind was made up. “Not for now,” he whispered to the old witch. “We need caution, but not this. Not yet. Let’s see what they have to say first.”
“Pah!” The witch squatted again, the machine resting down beside her.
Eildan turned back to Vek. “Bring her and those with her.If we can find a room undamaged by the disaster they brought with them, we can talk. Tell her that the other boats stay out where they are. They can drop anchor, but I don’t want another vessel docking in my village without permission.”
“If they’re here to invade, they’ll do it anyway!” someone said.
Eildan smiled without humor. “Then we’ll know the truth soon enough.”
Vek nodded to the Chief and ran back along the mole. Kel saw him converse with the tall woman for a moment, then she nodded and spoke to her companions.
“They speak Noreelan,” Kel said.
The man standing beside him, a tall farmer from the heights above Drakeman’s Hill, laughed. He had his two little girls with him, but Kel knew his wife had passed away three years earlier. Pavmouth Breaks had closed down for a day for the funeral, and her ashes had gone into the sea. “Of course!” the farmer said. “They’re
from
Noreela, somewhere. Out along The Spine, perhaps. One of the farthest islands.”
“The Spine never ends,” the younger of his girls said.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” her father replied. “But it
is
very long.” He frowned then, looking out past the massed boats at the island they had sailed from. “Some magic, perhaps,” he said, quieter. “Some cursed magic.”
“I hope they
are
from The Spine,” Kel said, but when the farmer questioned him with a raised eyebrow, Kel took a few steps closer to
“Chief, the visitors request an audience with you,” Vek said.
“Visitors from where?” Eildan said. He looked past the assembled Noreelans, past Vek, and out to where the unknown people stood on the ruined mole.
“The tall woman’s name is Keera Kashoomie. She’s an emissary. She says she has much to explain, but first of all she wants to offer her apologies.”
Eildan looked back into the ruined building from which he had emerged. “There’s a dead child in there,” he said. “She looks perfect, her skin untouched, but her lungs are full of water, and her head… is soft… from where something hit her. She’s a daughter of my village. Perhaps her parentsare dead, too. Perhaps …” He swept his hand slowly before him, as though offering the people something in his palm. “Perhaps they’re here.” He rested the tip of his harpoon on the layer of mud coating the harborside, letting it sink in slowly. “I’m afraid,” he said quietly. He spoke with great dignity and honesty, expressing what most other people felt.
Even Kel. Fear, yes, he felt that, cold and tense down his spine. But even if this was the invasion the Core had dreaded and fought against for centuries, he could not help but feel enthralled by what was about to happen.
Vek walked past the makeshift barricade to Chief Eildan, but when he spoke he made sure everyone else could hear. “She comes from the island, which she calls Komadia. She says her land is cursed. The only way her people have found to combat the curse is to repair the damage they do, and try to make amends. She says …” He trailed off, as though suddenly nervous at the many people watching.
“Yes, Vek?”
“She says they have many great technologies they can share with us.”
“Let ’em have this!” Mygrette said, touching the machine by her side. It rose up on metal legs and several long, thin tubes suddenly sprouted from its back like spines, twisting and waving at the air.
Kel shrank back, thinking of the proboscises on a Stranger’s back.
Mygrette gestured at the machine and the tubes vented fire.
“Mygrette!” Eildan said. He came forward, still hefting his harpoon, but Kel could already see that his mind was made up. “Not for now,” he whispered to the old witch. “We need caution, but not this. Not yet. Let’s see what they have to say first.”
“Pah!” The witch squatted again, the machine resting down beside her.
Eildan turned back to Vek. “Bring her and those with her.If we can find a room undamaged by the disaster they brought with them, we can talk. Tell her that the other boats stay out where they are. They can drop anchor, but I don’t want another vessel docking in my village without permission.”
“If they’re here to invade, they’ll do it anyway!” someone said.
Eildan smiled without humor. “Then we’ll know the truth soon enough.”
Vek nodded to the Chief and ran back along the mole. Kel saw him converse with the tall woman for a moment, then she nodded and spoke to her companions.
“They speak Noreelan,” Kel said.
The man standing beside him, a tall farmer from the heights above Drakeman’s Hill, laughed. He had his two little girls with him, but Kel knew his wife had passed away three years earlier. Pavmouth Breaks had closed down for a day for the funeral, and her ashes had gone into the sea. “Of course!” the farmer said. “They’re
from
Noreela, somewhere. Out along The Spine, perhaps. One of the farthest islands.”
“The Spine never ends,” the younger of his girls said.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” her father replied. “But it
is
very long.” He frowned then, looking out past the massed boats at the island they had sailed from. “Some magic, perhaps,” he said, quieter. “Some cursed magic.”
“I hope they
are
from The Spine,” Kel said, but when the farmer questioned him with a raised eyebrow, Kel took a few steps closer to
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