Eva nodded in agreement and traipsed over to Otto at the lake’s edge. He raised his massive head and let out a cheerful hoot as he watched her approach.
Little one. Protect.
Eva leaned her forehead against his. I am safe now, thanks to you, she thought to him. You must go and find your herd, where you can also be safe.
No. Others. Here.
You have helped us all, Eva replied. She pushed down the rising tide of her tears. I will miss you, but you need to find the others like you. That is what I am doing too.
Little one. Safe?
Eva peered out at the great lake. The reflection of the village lights was swallowed up in its inky undulating surface. She glanced over at Muthr, who was asking Rovender more questions about Lacus. Rovender seemed fidgety, perhaps even a bit nervous, as he pulled a threadbare tattered brown wrap from his rucksack.
Am I safe here? she thought to Otto.
Not. Sure.
Then can you stay a little longer? Eva thought. Hide. If I need you, I’ll call you.
Little one. Protect.
I’ll protect you, too.
Eva sniffled loudly as she walked over to join her companions. “Otto says he’s going to rest for the night. He’ll leave at dawn,” she said to them in a glum tone.
“Good. Otto has been a tremendous help. Please tell him he has my utmost respect,” Rovender said, handing Eva and Muthr fabric wraps of their own. “Cover yourselves in these.”
“What for?” Muthr asked, taking the wrap.
“As I said, they get occasional travelers here,” Rovender replied, “but it may be best to keep you both hidden until we find out if Besteel has also been coming here.” He draped his loose cloak over himself, shrouding his head in a baggy hood.
“Very well,” Muthr said. Eva helped Muthr cloak herself in the coarse fabric, then did the same.
Rovender then pointed ahead along the shoreline with his walking stick. “Okay. We shall go this way.”
Eva and Muthr followed the lanky creature along the beach to a wide, swaying footbridge that stretched out over the water’s surface. As they started to cross, Eva realized that the town was not on an island at all but was suspended somehow over the lake’s depths.
As lightning danced through the sky, she turned back and saw Otto entering the lake, slipping silently under the mist-covered surf. Distant thunder rumbled.
Eva felt jittery, clammy, and giddy all at once. As they continued across the bridge, now far out over the water, patches of fog dissipated, revealing the utter expanse of the inland sea. She held Muthr’s hand tightly, feeling the climatefibers in her tunic constrict to warm her from the crisp, briny air.
Eva looked up in awe at the bowl-shaped tower that they were approaching. On closer inspection, she realized that the building was composed of small globular huts stacked upon one another in a haphazard fashion. The entire cluster was supported by a gigantic piling, thicker in width than the Sanctuary, holding its inhabitants high above the water. Multiple footbridges, like the one she was crossing, radiated out from the edifice and connected with others. Every nook and cranny was filled with roosting turnfins. Even in the dim light Eva could see drips of dried guano all down the sides of the huts.
From her vantage point Eva counted five of these towers altogether, though the fog was so thick that she couldn’t be sure if there were others.
Muthr pulled her close as they continued behind Rovender. Thunder rolled over the night sky. Taking everything in with her eyes wide, Eva Nine slipped her free hand into the inside pocket of her jackvest. Finding a familiar flattened shape, she ran her fingers over the WondLa and made a wish.
PART III
CHAPTER 22: LACUS
Tinkling shells, suspended in a large wind chime, greeted Eva and her companions as they made their way through the entrance of Lacus. An archway, made from driftwood, oars, and a hodgepodge of previously sunken objects, stood, steadfast, over the suspended walk. A clustered assortment of golden glowing globular lanterns flickered as they swayed in the chilled breeze coming in from Lake Concors.
“We shall find a place to rest for the night,” Rovender said, turning to Eva and Muthr. He stopped and pulled their wraps up over their heads, creating hoods. “It will be best that you remain as inconspicuous as you can until we find out if Besteel is also here.”
“I certainly hope he is not,” Muthr said. “That marauder has wreaked enough havoc as it is.”
Rovender began to lead them around the perimeter of the first gigantic piling on the rickety boardwalk. As they rounded the towering structure, they approached several long-limbed locals peering down into the dark depths below. They looked similar to Rovender in general body shape, though their stature was smaller and their legs were thinner and longer, like the holograms Eva had seen of storks and herons. Bright markings colored their wedge-shaped heads and surrounded their large russet eyes.
One of the locals was holding a handful of thin cords. Eva followed the cords with her eyes and saw that they were tied around the necks of a gathered bunch of turnfins. She pulled out her Omnipod.
“No, no, no, Eva.” Rovender pushed the device down. “We are incognito, remember? Put it away for now.”
The locals stopped, eyeing the trio as they neared. Rovender nodded to them as they passed.
“Rovee,” Eva whispered, “they sort of look like you.”
“Yes. They are the Halcyonus, the resident species of Lacus. They, too, are from my place of origin.”
“Are those turnfins their pets?” Eva looked back as one of the Halcyonus untied the cords and placed the birds in round woven cages.
“No, they are fishing.” Rovender led them along the boardwalk as it spiraled around the colossal piling. Eva could see more fishermen below her, down near the waterline. One of them was holding a bright glowing round lantern just above the water. Several more drew the turnfins in by their leashes as the birds paddled about on the inky surface.
Rovender pointed to the next tower with his walking stick. “My friend resides at this next rookery. Let us continue.” He led Eva and Muthr onto another low, swaying bridge. They left the first tower behind and made their way toward a much larger one. As lightning twisted through the clouds, Eva could see that the second tower was top-heavy with numerous rounded huts, even more so than the first.
Nearby, a lone fisherman stood at the lowest dip of the sagging bridge, centimeters above the water’s surface. A large turnfin hopped up onto the bridge and squawked. Eva could see that there was something large stuck in the bird’s throat just above the tight knot around its neck. The fisherman reached into the turnfin’s mouth. He pulled out a brown fish with spidery legs and threw it into a bucket.
“Good evening,” Rovender said as they passed him.
The fisherman looked up, blinked at the strange trio, and nodded in salutation. He fed the turnfin a small slender fish, and the bird jumped back into the water.
“The Halcyonus have gathered their food from the water in this way for more than a millennium,” Rovender explained. “They have a unique relationship with the turnfin.”
Lilting music wafted from high atop the second tower and mixed with the melancholy rumble of distant thunder as it settled down upon Eva. She found that the combination of sounds soothed her nerves as she crossed the lengthy footbridge over the open water. It almost sounded as if someone were calling to her. Beckoning her.
They entered the base of the tower through a high archway with stairs spiraling up through it. Rovender pointed to one of the many colored lanterns illuminating the passageway.
“Oeeah! Look, there are green lights. That means there are vacancies, should my friend not be able to accommodate us. Come.” Rovender led them on.
The threesome made their way up the abandoned spiral stairway inside the tower and emerged in a circular courtyard. They were surrounded by a proliferation of round huts built upon one another in an irregular manner. There were so many of these sh
acks and shanties stacked high overhead that the dwellings formed a conical bowl that towered up toward the moody sky. In the dim glow that emanated from the numerous windows, Eva could tell that the bottom huts were storefronts and that the travelers had arrived in the middle of an open-air marketplace. Many of the shops were closed, their colorful cloth signage swaying quietly on the abandoned plaza.
“What simple domiciles,” Muthr said, observing the architecture. “Yet there is an exquisite intricacy in how they are all intertwined with one another.”
“It’s amazing!” Eva’s voice rang through the quiet square as she captured holograms with her Omnipod. “Can we look around?”
“Not until we find out about Besteel, and put that infernal device away!” Rovender barked.
“What?” Eva dropped the Omnipod so that it hung from her wrist. “I’m not doing any harm.”
“I know.” Rovender stared up into the pitchy night. “But Besteel may be able to sense the electrical charge that your device emits. Now stay close. We are almost there.”
He scanned the area, then ushered Eva and Muthr to a shaky staircase that led up to a lighted circular doorway on the second tier of huts. Rovender appeared anxious as he helped Muthr up the last few steps. He waved his hand over a blue light embedded in the door, and it switched to yellow. A voice within replied, “Enters.” Rovender swung the thick door open, and the trio stepped inside.
A smell like wet rotting flowers permeated the air as they entered the cozy, dimly lit home. The antechamber was constructed from a series of wooden circular archways woven together to form the ceiling and walls. A curtained doorway separated the trio from the rest of the home, and Eva could hear several voices chatting behind it. A lone Halcyonus emerged through the thin curtains into the lighted entry, allowing Eva to take in the creature’s physical details. The individual was draped in brightly patterned fabric, which only enhanced the distinct markings of its skin. Eva also realized that the Halcyonus had two mouths—one on top of the head below the nostrils, which she could hear breathing, and one lower, which she soon learned was used for speaking.
“Rovender Kitts!” said the female, for that is what Eva determined she was. “So good to sees you agains.”
“Hostia Haveport.” Rovender approached her with his hand raised. Both pressed their flat palms together in a greeting. “It does my weary spirit good to see you again. Tell me, how is your family?”
“They are all well. Holds on,” Hostia said. “Zooze! Zoozi! Rovender is here!”
A squeal could be heard from within the house, and a Halcyonus fledgling hopped out from behind the curtain, holding a hand-carved puppet tied to the end of a long rod.
“Rovundeerz!” he squeaked, wrapping his arms around Rovender’s lanky leg.
“My little Zoozi.” Rovender patted the fledgling’s head. “How have you been?”
“Good!” Zoozi replied. “We are playings puppets! Wants to play?”
“Of course. Let me introduce my friends first—Oh, look! Here’s Mægden. My, you’re getting tall … and more beautiful,” Rovender exclaimed.
The colorful Mægden poked her head out into the entry room. Eva could see that she was a juvenile Halcyonus but older than Zoozi. The young lady smiled at Rovender but said nothing as she studied Eva and Muthr. Behind her, a colorful male, dressed similar to the fishermen the trio had passed, entered the room.
“Fiscian.” Rovender held his palm up in greeting. “How are you, my friend? Are the fish still biting?”
“Rovender Kitts,” the fisherman replied. “There are always smiles in this house when you arrives. Come in!”
“I will, I will,” Rovender said, “but first I must introduce you to my friends.”
“Please do,” Hostia said. She studied Muthr and Eva with brilliant orange eyes. “Who are your concealed companions?” she asked. Though larger, the hostess appeared less colorful than Fiscian and the fishermen that Eva had seen.
“Before I introduce them”—Rovender addressed the family in a hushed voice—“I should tell you, there is a Dorcean hunting after these two.”
“Who is its?” Hostia asked. “Anyones we know?”
“His name is Besteel. He claims he’s working for the queen,” Rovender replied.
“Besteel?” Fiscian repeated. “Somes of the others here have seen a Dorcean glider traveling backs and forth across the lake.”
“It could very well be him,” Rovender said, looking at Eva and Muthr. “I am not sure what he is up to, some sort of game trade, perhaps.”
“A Dorcean huntsman.” Hostia’s scarlet eyelids blinked as she studied Eva. “Why these two?”
“They are unlike any others I have encountered in all my travels,” Rovender said. He looked down at the scar around his ankle. “Which may be why Besteel is after them. That huntsman is a reckless and dangerous spirit. If you would not want us here, we would understand.”
“Well, let us meet them and we shall see.” Hostia gestured for Eva and Muthr to remove their cloaks.
Rovender lowered Eva’s hood first. “This is Eva Nine.”
“Sheesa!” Mægden exclaimed. Her father jabbed her with his bony elbow.
Hostia’s eyes went wide. “I haves never seen any a thing like this!” She helped Eva unwrap her cloak. “Tell me, Eva Nines, where is it that you comes from?”
“Um—,” Eva began.
“Me helps too!” Zoozi said, yanking Muthr’s cloak off. The entire Haveport family gasped.
“And this is Eva’s mother,” Rovender explained.
Hostia stared at Muthr, then back at Eva. “Do theys metamorphose when theys become adults?” Hostia asked.
“No.” Rovender chuckled. “She provides the child’s upbringing.”
“They’ve never seen a robot before?” Eva whispered.
“The Halcyonus and the Cæruleans, my clan, do not make such things,” Rovender answered.
“Where is it that you comes from?” Hostia asked Muthr.
“We are from HRP underground Sanctuary five-seven-three,” Muthr answered, her amber eyes glowing brightly. “Do you know, or have you heard of, the whereabouts of any other such human facilities?”
Hostia blinked, clearly bewildered, and looked to Rovender for a translation.
“They are looking for their clan. Would it be at all possible to procure a space for the evening?” Rovender asked.
Zoozi ran over to Muthr and ran his stubby fingers over her sleek metallic sculpting. “She is a beautiful toy, Mamus.”
“A toy?” Muthr’s tone was aghast.
“You are right,” Rovender said, patting Zoozi on the head. “She is a big toy to this young lady. But both the toy and the girl must remain a secret to all in the village.”
“Because of Besteel?” Hostia asked. She and Fiscian exchanged glances.
“We’ve had some narrow escapes from his tireless pursuits,” Rovender admitted. “As I have said, we do not want to cause any jeopardy to you or your family. They’ll be on a ferry to Solas by morning.”
Outside, the thunderhead banged its immense drum, sending a tremor through the midnight sky. Hostia grasped Eva’s hand and stared at her with penetrating orange eyes. “May I?” she asked.
Muthr began to speak, but Rovender stopped her.
“Um, sure,” Eva replied. She watched as the Halcyonus rubbed Eva’s hand on the top of her head, near her nostrils and secondary mouth. Hostia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She took in the scent of Eva.
The composition of Eva.
The electricity of Eva.
“Yours spirit is good, and you are friends of Rovender. You may stay,” Hostia announced, still holding Eva’s hand. “You all may stay.”
“Many gratitudes,” Rovender said, pulling off his rucksack.
Hostia led Eva by the hand and addressed them all, “Our homes is your home. Come in.”
CHAPTER 23: WEAVE
As she stepped through the curtained doorway, Eva entered the main
living room of the Haveport family. Wide colorful pillows and brightly patterned blankets were arranged along the perimeter of a circular, tightly woven floor. A round curtained window looked out into the quiet central market below. An array of dimly lit lanterns hung, like a cluster of large fruit, from the center of the room. Hostia reached up and rubbed one of the round glass-blown lanterns with her hand, and the entire bunch flickered and then glowed brightly.
The lights illuminated an iconographical painting that covered the ceiling. It looked like invented star constellations with a large planet and several moons rendered in great detail. On the planet, which Eva assumed was Orbona, an immense rocket lay on its side, with a line of figures entering it. The inside of the rocket was filled with these figures, and an eye—with a horizontal iris—was painted on the nose of the ship. Enchanted by the mural, Eva banged into a tray sitting atop a low table.
“Sorry,” Eva said, pushing the decorated tray back. She realized it was covered with a buffet of finger foods. Bright vegetables and fruit lay sliced in a row next to what appeared to be spiderfish skewers. A myriad of sauces and dips circled an ornate bowl in the center of the table that held a small flame.
“It is no problem, Eva,” Hostia said. “Everythings is fine. We can enjoy this before suppers. Haves you eaten?”
Muthr answered, “No, thank you. We—”
“They have eaten already,” Rovender finished. “But, you know, I am always hungry for your cooking.”
“Ofs course, but first a family drinks to our guests,” Hostia said, walking toward the back of the room. A decorated sack was mounted to the back wall, with faded streamers hanging on either side.
The sack looked heavy with some sort of liquid. Several rods and tubes dangled from the bag, reminding Eva of the holograms she had seen of bagpipes. From a basket below it Hostia pulled out three tiny fluted glasses. The hostess filled the glasses with squirts of liquid from the various tubes, tapping in powders contained at the ends of the rods.
“What is she making?” Eva asked.
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