The Navigator, page 29
"You've never heard of the Khoi?"
"I've heard a little about them." Petal tried to remember what Joab told her. "They're like angels, right?"
"Sort of. Giovanni is convinced that the Khoi are real, and that they still live here, somewhere on Ea. He's devoted most of his life to searching for them across every island and ocean."
"Did he ever find them?"
"Not that I know of."
Sanima stood up and walked over to a glittering display case. Inside it were several dragon-shaped tea pots and other anthropomorphically carved ceramics. She ignored the upper section of the display case, and instead reached down into a large drawer at its base. She pulled a silver box out from the drawer and then held it up so Petal could see it.
Petal stared at the odd box. It was about two feet wide and two feet long in the shape of a rounded octagon. In the center of the octagon were five little, copper-colored dots. The whole box seemed to be one solid block of metal. It had no seams or rivets holding it together.
"What's that?"
"Giovanni recovered this box during one of his voyages in search of the Khoi. It's a puzzle box. My husband acquired it when Giovanni came to Syracuse. The King gave it to me as a wedding gift."
Sanima ran her fingers across the sleek, metallic face of the box.
"What's inside it?"
"No one knows. No one's ever opened it. That's the puzzle." Sanima lowered the box onto Petal's lap. "Here. You try."
"Me?"
"Maybe you'll have better luck than I did."
Petal held the box up. She couldn't see any way to open it. It had no seam or gap to use as a starting point. She pressed her hand down onto the box's face. It felt cold, like it was made of solid aluminum. She turned the box over onto its back. The rear looked identical to the front, except the little copper dots were missing. She flipped the box over and studied the five little dots on its top. The dots looked like blobs of liquid copper that were trapped between the metal face of the box and some kind of clear polish on its surface.
"No luck?"
Petal poked one of the dots with her index finger. The copper-colored blob swirled like a drop of oil. She went to move her finger off it, but the copper dot followed her fingertip across the box top.
Petal froze. She then zigzagged her fingertip across the top of the box. The copper dot followed each of her movements. She took her fingertip off the box. The copper dot raced back to where it had started.
Sanima's jaw dropped. "What – what did you do to make it do that?"
"Nothing. I just touched it."
"Can you open it?"
"I dunno."
Petal pressed each of her fingertips on her right hand down onto the copper dots, so her hand was splayed out across the box top. Nothing happened. She closed her hand into a fist, bringing all of the dots together.
The dots converged with Petal's fingertips. When they all touched up against each other at the center of the octagon, the top half of the box popped open from an invisible seam.
"What's inside?"
Petal raised the top half of the box, nervously, as if a snake was going to pop out of it.
Inside the box were nine small compartments. They contained an uncut diamond, a lump of basalt, a quartz geode, a nodule of manganese, a nugget of gold, a chunk of turquoise, a slice of malachite, a polished opal, and a block of zinc.
Petal handed the open box to Sanima.
"I don't understand. What are they? What's the puzzle?"
Sanima pulled the rough diamond out of the box. It was the size of her palm. Her hand quivered from the weight of the gem.
"They're each a different type of stone. Different minerals. . .samples maybe?"
- 49-
Quill yawned. She hadn't been able to sleep the entire night. Instead, she and Lhan lay next to each other, wide awake, for seven straight hours. That whole time they'd barely said a word. Only the screams from the courtyard below broke the tomblike silence. She was now teetering in her seat, dizzy from sleepiness, eyes locked on a pitcher of orange juice that was sitting on the table in front of her. The crystal pitcher sparkled like a fireball under the morning sun. Her tongue ached from thirst, but her tired, neurotic mind thought the orange juice might be laced with poison.
"You were confined to your rooms as well?" Atalai whispered to Lhan.
Atalai was sitting next to Lhan and across from Quill. All of them were gathered around an enormous dining table on the roof of Hanno's palace. Most of the nobles from the night before were also there. Queen Sanima was at the head of the table, next to an empty chair. That large, mahogany seat was reserved for the King. It'd been empty for the past hour.
"The whole night. The morning too, until they took us up here," Lhan answered.
Lhan was pale and clammy. Dark bags hung under his eyes.
Quill studied Lhan's weary face. Past him, and all around the dining table, were dozens of khaki-clad Syracusian soldiers. They were standing at a stiff attention. Rifles and tasseled military bugles dangled at their sides. Past them was open ocean. The Typhoon and several other large warships from the Sand Tiger Horde were silhouetted against the gray horizon.
Behind Quill was Syracuse's algae-choked bay. It had been empty for the past few days while Syracuse's navy meticulously cleared it of Delphic mines. Now, one lonely ship floated in its center. A giant, four-masted windjammer that looked intimidating and modern enough to be King Hanno's private vessel.
Quill turned around in her chair and stared at the ship. She could see a name stenciled across its bow in golden letters – The Southern Wanderer. She frowned at the name and looked beyond the bay, out at the rest of Syracuse.
Most of Syracuse was covered in the same kind of drab, yellowish-gray rocks that made up the palace walls. The rest of the island that was visible was a lemon-yellow desert dotted with citrus groves, stone shacks, and far-off olive orchards.
When the wind blew just right, Quill could smell the citrus trees; a faint scent of orange and lemon.
"What about Petal? Do you know where they took her?"
Atalai sounded as groggy as Lhan. He put his elbows on the table and squinted against the bright sun.
"No. You haven't seen her? We thought she must have roomed with you."
"I had my room to myself. I haven't seen her since our arrival."
Quill closed her eyes. She'd worried about Petal on and off during the night, when she wasn't panicking about her own situation.
"I'm sure she's okay. They wouldn't want to piss off Rho. He'd level this island if they hurt her."
"If they were worried about pissing off Rho, they wouldn't have locked us in our rooms without telling us why. And they wouldn't have given us a room right above Hanno's torture gallery," Lhan fumed.
Quill reached for the pitcher of orange juice. The crystal twinkled. She tipped it into her glass and watched the pulpy liquid swirl. She pressed the glass to her lips. The thick juice sank into the cracks on her dry tongue.
As she savored her drink, Petal and Ptolem walked out, onto the roof, from a pair of double doors behind the King's chair.
Petal didn't look tired. She was well rested and clean. She bubbled with youthful energy. She shuffled around the table and plopped down next to Quill.
"Hi. They let me sleep in late. I didn't know it was day yet. The windows have really thick curtains."
"Where have you been?" Quill whispered.
"Asleep." Petal poured herself some orange juice.
"You were alone last night? You were okay?"
"Uh-huh." Petal sipped on her juice and then noticed how exhausted everyone else looked. "What happened to all of you?"
"They locked us in all night." Lhan coughed. "Didn't tell us why or anything."
"You weren't locked in?"
"I don't think so, but I didn't try my door. Sanima kept me up for a while showing off the King's collection. Then I got back to my room and fell asleep. I only woke up a few minutes ago."
Atalai rubbed his chin. The sun was now straight overhead and blinding.
"The Queen gave you a tour of the palace?"
"Uh-huh." Petal reached across the table, snatched a piece of buttered toast, and folded it into her mouth. "She showed me all of the old stuff the King collects. It was cool for a while and then it got really boring."
"Did she let you see Giovanni?"
"No."
The double doors that lay behind the head of the table opened with a bang. On the other side were King Hanno and two bodyguards.
King Hanno was dressed in a blue silken cloak, leather sandals, and a golden crown. His bodyguards wore dress uniforms studded with dozens of oversized medals.
All the nobles shot to their feet. Their reaction had the mechanical, almost programmed speed of automatons. Quill and the others followed their lead. They stood up and backed away from their chairs. The soldiers surrounding the table raised their bugles and blew them all at once, in a piercing, bronze cacophony.
"ALL HAIL - KING HANNO OF SYRACUSE!"
"HAIL!"
King Hanno held his hands out at his sides and made a slight bow.
Queen Sanima glided over to the King, curtseyed, and kissed a ring on his left hand.
"My friends." King Hanno motioned for Sanima to sit down. She slinked away and he began to pace at the head of the table. "Welcome - welcome my friends – my people, my soldiers, my visitors. Welcome to my palace - my beautiful home! It's wonderful to see you."
Quill was surprised by Hanno's demeanor. She'd expected him to look the part - less man and more monster. The King made eye contact with her.
"I apologize for the conditions last night. A spy told me that Delos was going to mount another invasion. To assure everyone's safety, I had the palace put on lockdown. Happily, that rumored attack never came to pass, and now, we can all feast safely out here under the sun. So let us give a grand toast to our brave soldiers and yesterday's valiant victory!"
When the King finished speaking, Sanima shot up from her seat and handed him a glass of pear champagne. He raised the glass high in the air. The nobles and visitors immediately followed suit. The sunlight twinkled across all the raised crystal. For a moment the rooftop was dotted with glittering prisms.
"Today we toast our victory. Today we toast our island - our refuge - our home. Today we toast our new friends." King Hanno nodded to Atalai and Petal. "May our lives be long, may our homelands be blessed, and may our loves be eternal."
Everyone clanked their glasses together.
"And now my friends - let us feast!"
There was thunderous applause.
For the next few minutes, no one said a word. The only sound at the table was eating noises. Quill was disgusted by them. They made her feel physically ill. She wondered if there was some unspoken rule in Syracuse that no one was allowed to speak while the King was eating. The sound of chewing and gurgling seemed unnerving to Queen Sanima as well. She struck up a quiet conversation with the King at the other end of the table.
Lhan leaned into Atalai, trying to use Sanima's chatter as cover.
"That's the King, eh?"
King Hanno popped a grape into his mouth. When he glanced in Lhan's direction, Lhan looked away.
"So it would appear." Atalai grabbed a bowl of oatmeal.
"He doesn't look evil," Petal said softly.
Quill leaned into Petal and pretended to preen her hair. "People don't look evil. They act evil. Looks have nothing to do with it. Remember those people being tortured outside? They must be there on his say-so."
"Well, he sounds normal." Petal took another sip of juice. "Should I ask him about Giovanni now, while he's here?"
"I don't think this is the time for that. The King will bring that up when he wants to talk about it."
"Haven't you had enough of Syracuse?" Lhan grumbled. "We should get the hell out of here as soon as we can. You really want to wait around and see what else that psycho has planned for you?"
Atalai lazily stirred his meal. "Giovanni was the reason we came here. Abandoning the plan now would be highly imprudent. And I'm sure my Khan already let Prime Minister Kodzick meet with Wyman. Now the King is obliged to hold up his end of the bargain."
"And what if he doesn't?"
"We knew that was a possibility when we came here."
Petal watched the King play with a plate full of fruit, digging around for a slice of watermelon. He laughed at something Sanima whispered to him.
"I'm going to ask him, now." Petal nodded to herself. "He brought us up here so we could talk with him, right?"
"That's not a good idea." Quill grabbed Petal's shoulder to keep her in her seat. "I'm sure he'll-"
"I'll say something." Atalai scooted his chair back and stood up. He cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him. "Your Majesty, King Hanno, my name is Atalai. As I'm certain you already know, I'm here on behalf of Khan Rho and his daughter."
Quill's stomach rumbled. It was so quiet she could hear the lap of the waves, five stories below.
"I wanted to thank the King for this generous feast and for agreeing to this exchange. And I wanted to let Your Majesty know that his Prime Minister was allowed to speak with Agent Wyman prior to our arrival. . ."
No one at the table made a sound.
Before Atalai could work up the courage to continue his speech, King Hanno stood up from his chair, cowing him back into his seat with an icy smile.
"I am honored to have you nomads here as my guests. And I am especially honored that Khan Rho has entrusted me with his daughter." King Hanno bowed to Petal.
Petal smiled.
"Yes, however, my Khan has many engagements. He is needed on Mann and must leave your waters very shortly. But before he does, we will need permission to speak with Giovanni the Navigator."
"I understand." The King's eyes narrowed. "But if I might ask - why does the princess wish to see him?"
"Petal would like to-"
"With all due respect, I would like to hear the request from her - in her own words. Could you speak, child? Please tell us why you have come here."
Petal looked to Atalai. He shrugged and motioned for her to stand.
"I'm Petal, Rho's adopted daughter. He found me in the ocean. I've always seen things – places– in my dreams. On the Isle of Mann, the Seer told me that I'd have to find those places to find my sister - Junk. She was kidnapped by the S.S.S.. The Seer told me I could find her in the hidden land – the land of ice. Quill and Wyman said that Giovanni has been to the land of ice and that he's the only person who knows how to get there. I have to speak with him to see how I can get there. I have to get there. I have to find Junk. I will find the hidden land and I will find her. I know I will because it's my fate. It's why I have my visions. All of this time, fate has been trying to guide me to her."
Everyone at the table stared at Petal, expressionless, except King Hanno.
King Hanno was grinning. He clapped his hands together, slowly.
The crowd of nobles picked up on his cue and began to applaud.
"Such a remarkable story. And such a remarkable girl. Her boldness, her ambition, her confidence - all amaze me. She reminds me of myself at such a tender age. I too, once had great dreams of sailing down to the hidden land like the great Giovanni. Unfortunately, my health, and the responsibilities of kingship, have prevented me from pursuing that dream - but I've never given up on it." King Hanno motioned to the single ship floating in the bay. "My vessel - The Southern Wanderer - was to be the flagship for my expedition to the hidden land. Now, I shall give it to you - Princess Petal. It shall be rechristened 'The Polar Wanderer.'"
"What?" Quill almost choked on her juice.
"You have moved my heart child." King Hanno put a hand on his chest. "Hearing how your beloved was taken from you - how you have to complete such an incredible quest to regain her - how you are willing to go to the ends of Ea to find her – this has moved me greatly. You are a most remarkable young woman. Syracuse shall do all that it can to aid you."
Sanima began to clap. All of the nobles followed her in lockstep, applauding.
"Princess Petal, I shall give you my ship. I shall give you three months supplies. I shall give you my best, most trusted crew. You - Princess Petal – you shall complete my expedition to the southern pole. You shall fly under my flag, with my protection. I shall give you everything you need to get to the hidden land which you seek. . .and to guide this great, grand voyage - I shall give you Gaveovelli Giovanni himself! You shall have the greatest navigator to have ever lived as your helmsmen!"
