Diana and the Island of No Return

by Aisha Saeed

  Then she looked up.

  Diana froze.

  There it was. A metallic ladder, propped precariously against a ship. And upon the ladder, wearing a torn shirt and dirt-encrusted pants, was the strangest sight she’d ever seen in her life.

  A boy.

  No, it was a hallucination. It had to be.

  But when Diana took another step closer—there it was.

  Or rather, there he was.

  Definitely a boy.

  It made no sense. Males were not allowed on Themyscira. There were few rules as ironclad as this.

  The boy stood hunched precariously on the top rung of the ladder, his body contorted into an awkward position. Taking a step closer, she saw that his shirtsleeve was caught on a thick nail protruding from the ship. He swung his arm back and forth furiously but seemed unable to unsnag his shirt—the ladder wobbled dangerously as he swayed and struggled to free himself.

  “Who are you?” Diana asked evenly, getting the boy’s attention. He looked at her with a start.

  “Is it—is it you?” he stammered. He stared at her as though he were seeing a ghost. “Are you Diana?”

  Diana’s eyes narrowed. Not only was there a boy on the island, but he also knew her name.

  Drawing her sword, she took a determined step toward him.

  “N-no! It’s not what you think! I don’t mean any harm!” The boy looked at the weapon in terror. Wincing, he forcefully yanked at his shirtsleeve until it finally tore loose from the nail. The ladder swayed. He reached out, his fingers trying to grasp the edge of the ship to steady himself. “I’m—I’m not—” His words died in his throat. The ladder jerked to the side violently. And then it began tipping backward. Free-falling away from the boat. It swung down like a hammer toward the dock.

  He’s going to fall to his death, Diana realized with horror. She stuffed her sword into her belt and rushed toward him. She had to stop the ladder from hitting the ground. Pumping her arms, her feet flew so fast they barely seemed to touch the ground. The scenery passed by in a blur. In a flash, Diana shot out a hand and gripped the ladder’s edge. Clenching her jaw, she locked her arm, holding it in place at an angle. The boy hung from the top rung, his feet hovering inches from the dock.

  “Jump!” she shouted, her fingers growing numb. “Now!”

  The boy dropped to the ground and hurried out of the ladder’s path. Gently, Diana lowered it until it rested on the dock. She exhaled, willing her wild heartbeat to calm itself.

  “Y-you saved my life,” the boy said in a rush, walking toward her. “I’ve never seen anyone run so fast. It was…incredible. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “Now I need…”

  Her voice trailed off. A boy—a real live boy—was standing on the docks of Themyscira. She studied him carefully. He looked to be about her age; they were the same height. He had scruffy blond hair and green eyes peering at her through silver wire-rimmed eyeglasses. Bruises and scrapes trailed his arms and face. His shirtsleeve, torn through from the jagged nail, was speckled with blood.

  “You’re injured.” She took a step toward him.

  “No—it’s okay. I’m fine. Just clumsy is all. Was trying to get down from the ship and slipped a little. Sleeve got stuck. It happens.” The boy stood up straighter—and then he clutched his arm.

  “You don’t look fine to me.”

  “It’s a scrape,” he said through clenched teeth. “I get scrapes all the time.”

  Diana pictured Binti’s paw. “Even a scrape can grow deadly if it’s not treated properly. May I see? If you don’t mind.”

  The boy bit his lip and rolled up his sleeve. His entire elbow was bloodied.

  Diana gasped. “You’ve got a gash. It’s still bleeding. I have salve and bandages back at the palace. I’m sure someone there can help you and…”

  Diana swallowed. It was one thing to offer to help him, but how exactly would she transport a boy to the palace? And what would happen to him when he turned up? The idea of a male arriving at Themyscira had always seemed so impossible, she’d never considered it until now. But judging from the way he grimaced and clutched his elbow, he was injured enough to need the help of a healer.

  “Oh n-n-no. There’s no need. Really.” The boy shook his head. “Haven’t had a second to treat it is all. Skin punctures are routine—nothing to worry about. If it was a ligament or a fracture, I’d know it. This is a simple fix.”

  He lifted his shirt, revealing a leather pouch with numerous small compartments strapped to his waist. Opening one of the smaller pockets, he pulled out a roll of white gauze and expertly got to work, cleaning the wound and wrapping the gauze around his elbow. Poking around in the pack, he pulled out a glass vial with clear liquid and drank it in one gulp.

  “There,” he said. “I’ll be good as new soon.”

  “What did you just drink?” Diana asked curiously.

  “A healing potion,” he said. “When you’re as clumsy as I am, you make sure never to leave home without one. Cures you from the inside out.” He smiled a little. The first smile since they’d met. “Came up with this one myself.”

  “You made it?”

  “It was simple to compound,” he said. “People think it’s complicated to come up with new cures, but if you’re willing to experiment and fail a few times, sooner or later you’ll stumble onto a clue that you’re on the right track, and then, well, you can really invent or discover something truly exceptional.”

  “So you’re a potion maker.”

  “Kind of.” His smile faded. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I don’t really get a chance to do it as much as I’d like these days.”

  Waves crashed against the darkened cliffs in the distance. Diana’s mind raced with questions. But one question needed answering before anything else.

  “You know my name,” she said. “But who are you?”

  The boy’s expression fell. He glanced at the ocean and then at the ship his ladder was hoisted upon before it tipped backward. Diana followed his gaze. The mast with the quill and scroll.

  “Are you with the Scholars?” she asked.

  He hesitated a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded.

  This explained how he knew her name. But—

  “Sakina’s my best friend. She never mentioned you,” Diana said. “Males aren’t allowed on our island. It’s a rule everyone agrees to before they are given our coordinates.”

  “I’m so, so sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know those rules. It’s not like anyone tells the servant about such things. I go where they tell me to. I’ve…I’ve learned not to ask questions.”

  “Servant?” she repeated. “Whose? Sakina doesn’t have servants. Are you the queen’s servant?”

  The boy bit his lip before nodding.

  “But they didn’t bring any servants on this voyage,” she said. “Every captain must disclose the contents aboard their ship and the passengers on their manifest when they dock.”

  “Guess I wasn’t on the manifest,” the boy said softly.

  Diana frowned. The Scholars had been part of the Chará festival since the early days. They were among its original founders. They knew better than most the rules of Themyscira. And they certainly knew how serious a breach of rules it was to bring a boy to the island. Diana rested her hands on her hips and studied the boy’s solemn expression.

  “I was told to stay in the hull and out of sight.” He looked at the ground. His voice wavered. “They must have known I shouldn’t be seen….I’m just so hungry. I wanted to see if I could scrounge something up.”

  “Are you saying Queen Khadijah left you on a ship without food or water?”

  The boy hesitated before nodding.

  Diana shook her head. “That makes no sense.”

  “Y-you
don’t know her like I do. The queen—she was angry with m-me.” The boy’s voice trembled. “I ironed her clothes, but I didn’t get the edges right. When she gets upset, she does things most people would never imagine doing—many things I wish she wouldn’t. You don’t want to see her when she gets upset.”

  “Impossible,” Diana said firmly. “She would never…”

  But her voice trailed off when she looked at the scrapes and bruises along his arms and face. Her stomach turned.

  “Are you saying Sakina’s mother did that?”

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” he said. “I can see that you think well of her.”

  Diana’s head hurt. She’d known the queen all her life and she’d never so much as raised her voice to anyone. And then there was the other matter: If what the boy said was true, why hadn’t Sakina stopped her mother?

  “Diana!” a voice called in the distance.

  It was Sakina. Diana exhaled. Finally she could get an explanation.

  “Well, there’s Sakina now.” Diana turned away from the boy and glanced at the forest. “Let’s talk to her and sort this out.”

  “N-no. She can’t know you saw me!” The boy winced, gripping his elbow. “Please.”

  “You don’t have to fear Sakina. She won’t do anything to you.”

  “She won’t d-do anything. No one d-does anything when I bear the worst of her mother’s fury. Please. If you call out for her, if she sees me here talking to you”—the boy shuddered—“I’ll be done for.”

  Diana’s head spun. It was impossible to believe such a thing, but here was a boy on her island with scrapes across his arms and face, shaking like a sheet of paper in the wind at the sound of Sakina’s voice.

  “Diana! Where’d you go?” Sakina’s voice sounded in the forest.

  “Diana,” he begged her. His eyes grew moist. “You would never let anyone get hurt. Would you?”

  “Of course not,” Diana said. “But—”

  “The way you rushed to save me from the falling ladder…You are good and kind. Please promise you won’t say anything. At least not until we have a chance to talk more. My life is in danger. I’m begging you. Promise you’ll wait until I can explain.” Tears streamed down his face. “Please!”

  “Diana! Are you okay?” Sakina’s voice called out.

  Sakina was close. She’d find them by the docks in a minute. Diana hesitated. Asking Sakina would clear this all up in a matter of seconds. The boy’s story didn’t make sense. But what if he was telling the truth? What would Queen Khadijah do?

  Maybe I can talk to my mother, Diana thought. But what would happen to the boy if he were found out? Males weren’t allowed. Diana studied the boy’s stricken face—could she live with herself if the consequences were worse than she could imagine?

  “Fine!” Diana finally said. “I’ll come back later tonight. You can tell me everything then. Until I return and get some answers from you, I promise I won’t say anything.”

  She hurried into the woods behind the docks, following Sakina’s calls.

  “Here!” Diana shouted once she was far enough away from the ships. “I’m by the chestnut trees!”

  “There you are! I was starting to think you got kidnapped by aliens,” Sakina exclaimed. She parted a field of bamboo in the forest’s center and walked over to her. “Binti’s all the way out here?”

  “Not too far from here,” Diana said. “Come, I’ll show you.”

  They walked toward the towering sequoia trees. The moon shone full and bright upon the land. Diana looked at her friend. She longed to ask Sakina about the boy, but Diana had promised she’d let him explain first. And though Diana never broke her word, the thought of having to keep something—especially something so monumental—from her best friend made her feel sick with betrayal.

  Binti whimpered when they reached the clearing.

  “Yikes! That looks painful!” Sakina said when she saw the wolf. “When did it happen?”

  The wolf howled a response.

  “Two days ago? And it’s getting worse and worse, huh? Mind if I take a peek?”

  The wolf rested her paw in front of Sakina, who traced her hand across it. Binti pulled back and howled.

  “That’s a splinter,” Sakina said. “Looks like it got wedged in a tricky place. Can I take it out? Might hurt for a second, but then it’ll be over.”

  The wolf buried her head in her forearms and whimpered.

  “One. Two…and three.” Sakina’s face flushed as she squeezed, and then she yanked out the splinter. “There. All done.”

  Binti licked her paw. Then she leapt up and licked Sakina’s face with gratitude.

  “Happy to help.” Sakina laughed. “You’ll be completely better soon enough. Look at this.” She turned to Diana, holding up the scraggly thorn. “Such a tiny thing causing so much pain.”

  “I don’t know how I missed it,” Diana said, shaking her head.

  “The same thing happened with Mira,” Sakina said. “She belonged to a merchant in town. He kept her locked in a cage, and she screeched loudly every single day. I finally marched over and demanded to see what the matter was. Turned out a shard of glass was buried deep in her claw. He never bothered to check. I paid him a price he couldn’t refuse. Even though I freed her, she decided to stick around.”

  This was the Sakina that Diana knew. How could the kind of person who stood up for an injured, trapped bird not stand up for her mother’s mistreated servant?

  “You must have been upset someone would hurt a living thing like that,” Diana said cautiously.

  “You have no idea.” Sakina’s expression darkened at the memory. “My mother was even more furious. Trust me, you do not want to mess with her when she gets angry.”

  Diana winced, thinking of what the boy had said. So it was true—Sakina’s mother did have a temper. But it was one thing to lash out at a brutish vendor and another to harm a boy. And to leave him alone on a ship without water or food? That wasn’t just mean; it was cruel.

  Diana wondered if her friend knew how badly the boy had been treated. There was no way she could have known and not acted upon it. Sakina would never stand by in the face of injustice. The boy was wrong about this. He had to be. Diana bit her lip. It was as simple as asking her friend a question. Some clarity was all she needed. She’d promised the boy she wouldn’t say anything, but this promise was proving harder and harder to keep.

  * * *

  * * *

  Back at the palace, Sakina and Diana sat under a patio awning. Leafy grapevines wound around the trellises above them, enveloping them in a canopy outside the guest hall. A chessboard rested on the table between them.

  “Boom!” Sakina set her pawn down across from Diana’s knight with a dramatic flourish. “You watch. This little pawn is going to take you down, Diana!”

  Diana turned her bishop to the right and tapped her foot impatiently. It had been three hours since she’d seen the boy. She’d hoped that by now everyone would start retiring for the evening and she could bring him something to eat and drink, but through the glass windows of the guest hall, the lights twinkled just as bright. Though some women yawned, the party showed no signs of winding down. The Amazons danced and conversed animatedly among their visitors.

  “Look who’s beating you at your favorite game today,” Sakina said, knocking down Diana’s knight. “You are not bringing your best self tonight.”

  “I’m tired.” Diana swallowed and fixed her eyes on the game board.

  “Tired? It’s not even midnight yet. We usually stay up until the sun comes up on my first night here. I was hoping, after this game, we could head to the royal stables to ride the Sky Kangas like last summer.”

  “Maybe tomorrow. It’s been a long day,” Diana said tersely.

  “All right,” Sakina said suddenly. “O
ut with it.” She leaned back in her cushioned seat and crossed her arms. “What’s with you?”

  “Am I not allowed to get tired?” Diana asked pointedly.

  “That’s not what I meant,” Sakina said. “You’ve been acting different ever since we got back from seeing Binti. You know you can tell me anything.”

  “It’s nothing. I’m tired. I think I need to get some rest.” Diana stood up. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Before Sakina could respond, Diana opened the patio doors, hurried through the guest hall, and entered the kitchen. She pushed away the pinprick of guilt at the thought of the hurt look on her friend’s face. She’d never been short with Sakina before. But she needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. The sooner the better.

  The kitchen was empty when she stepped inside. Diana grabbed everything she needed—a container of lamb and vegetables, leftover bread, and a jug of water. She scanned the kitchen to make sure no one was watching her and then slipped out the back door.

  It took Diana a while to find the boy. He sat on the dock, concealed partly by the hull of the Scholars’ ship. His feet dangled inches above the water.

  “Careful!” Diana quickly called out. “There’s a herd of megalodon sharks that likes to hang out near the docks. They can jump pretty high when they’re hungry.”

  The boy startled and turned around. His glasses slid down his nose. He hopped to his feet.

  “Y-you’re here,” he stammered.

  “I’m sorry it got late. This is a busy week.” She handed him the food and water.

  The boy sat cross-legged on the dock and, in a matter of minutes, devoured everything. He gulped the jug of water down in three swallows. It looks like he was definitely telling the truth about how hungry he was, thought Diana.

  “I can get you more,” she said once the boy finished.

  “This is enough. More than enough.” He wiped his mouth with his torn sleeve. “The lamb was exquisite—roasted to perfection. They must have cooked it on low heat. It’s what I do when I need to draw out flavor from the herbs I work with, and…” His voice trailed off. He blushed. “Sorry, I get caught up on the properties of things, food or otherwise. Thank you. I hadn’t eaten in some time.”