“Go ahead, we’re well clear now. I’ll help you.” He allowed the autopilot to resume control of the boat and moved to lift Homat in his arms. The slim Mai was a light burden and once he had been placed on his sleeping mat, Etienne turned back to the stern gangway. It didn’t take long to discover how Irquit had made her way inside to attack Lyra. A small wad of sikreg gum, a local product Irquit employed to help thicken her stews and soups, had been jammed between the center seal and the door, preventing the lock from functioning.
Thoughtful of Irquit, to have made such a study of how the doorways operated. Undoubtedly she’d been studying hard ever since they’d departed Steamer Station. It was their own damned fault, Etienne told himself. They were going to have to cease thinking of the Mai as ignorant primitives.
The thought made him frown as he turned to stare at Homat. Their remaining guide was sitting up now, propped against the low bar of the railing that ran around the top of the gunwale. The Mai had operated their boat!
“That was very quick thinking of you, Homat. Taking control of the boat while Lyra was fighting with Irquit. Another couple of minutes and the Changritites might have overwhelmed us.”
“Yes, I was standing here watching them close on us, de-Etienne, and I thought to wonder what was wrong. I saw the door there by your hand swinging open, and with heart in hand crept inside despite the cold to see what was the matter, for I knew we should not be slowing.
“I have watched for a long time now, through the round glass, as you and de-Lyra ran the spirit boat. While I still have no idea what controls the spirits that make it go, it is not hard to see how you control those spirits. I told you that Irquit thought she could do it, so I saw no reason why I also could not do so.
“You turn the wheel to change direction and push the little button to increase the speed.”
Etienne relaxed a little. “Put that way it doesn’t sound terribly complex, does it? How are you feeling?”
“Your wondrous tools have delighted my side. Much better, all thanks from my ancestors and me to you.”
Etienne nodded. “Did you hear what your former companion said as she took her leave of us?”
“No.” He gave a shaky Mai smile. “I can imagine it was not very polite.”
“Not very. Enough to ensure that you’d better never go within a dozen legats of Po Rabi again.”
“I had already committed myself to that. Did you not believe me?”
Etienne looked uncomfortable. “It is hard on a strange world to know what to believe and what not to believe, Homat. Forgive me if I seem insensitive.”
“Do not feel so, de-Etienne. They say that the people of Suphum do not pause for midday rest but work straight through ’til sundown. That is also hard to believe. Truly is the Everything filled with wonders. I do not regret my decision, though I might have had I died under Irquit’s knife, may her flesh rot in the river. I do not need a home, now that I have you and de-Lyra as my friends and protectors.”
“Don’t worry, Homat. You’ll have your reward when we get back to Steamer Station.” Lyra was adjusting a clean halter top. “I don’t care what the regulations say. We’ll slip you something that should make you wealthy for life.”
In true Mai fashion Homat instantly pointed to the interior of the boat. “That machine you used to heal me. Could I have one of those?”
Lyra laughed. She hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, Etienne thought, surprised at how sharply it pierced him.
“The surgiseal would wear out before very long and you wouldn’t be able to have it fixed, Homat. There’s nothing worse than a magician whose magic unexpectedly deserts him. Don’t worry, we’ll find you something suitable that will last.”
“I am not worried,” Homat replied calmly. He moved his arm gingerly. “Truly a delightful instrument, though.”
“Hadn’t you better check the autopilot, Etienne?”
“We’re okay. We’re back out in the middle of the river and the scanner will sound if there’s anything ahead it can’t deal with. Maybe we ought to start thinking about replenishing our stores. Irquit was right about our being low.” He looked down at Homat. “You’re positive Po Rabi’s influence doesn’t extend any farther Upriver than Changrit?”
Homat sighed. Sometimes you had to tell this peculiar folk the same thing several times before they believed you.
“The next major trading town beyond Changrit is Kekkalong, de-Etienne. I have never been there but I know it thrives independent of any ocean-city’s rule. It lies some three thousand legats north of Changrit.”
Lyra did some fast mental calculating. “Five hundred kilometers. We can hold off that long. Since it’s a major port, maybe we can tie up there for a couple of days, take a rest. I can do some intensive research. I’m certainly not going to have the chance to do any work in Changrit.”
“A most delightful major port,” Homat agreed. “Not as big as Po Rabi or Losithi, but nearly as large as Changrit. Beyond Kekkalong all is unknown country, unknown to me and to any living trader of Po Rabi. None have journeyed so far Upriver from the Groalamasan.”
“Then you’ll be the first,” Etienne said. He turned apologetically to his wife. “Two of them got on board. I had to use the asynapt on them. There was no time to shoot to incapacitate, Lyra.”
To his surprise she didn’t bawl him out. Perhaps Irquit’s assault had made her a tad less protective of the people she had come to study.
“Only two? That’s not bad. Probably not enough to start a blood feud with the Changritites.”
“That’s good, because when we return we might have to deal with the same situation all over again.”
“Our return’s a long ways away yet, Etienne. We’ll worry about it months from now. By that time the Changritites may have grown bored with watching the river and sent Irquit on her way. At least we won’t have to watch for any on-board threats.” She glanced down at Homat, who was rubbing his miraculously healed shoulder.
“I apologize for doubting your story, Homat.”
“No, no, no reason to apologize, de-Lyra. I would have doubted you if in your place. Doubt is healthy.”
She stared out into the damp night. Occasionally a light from a house on shore would flash dimly in the distance, like a star. All was calm and quiet.
“I’m beginning to think that it is,” she murmured softly.
VI 
Kekkalong turned out to be all that Homat had promised. A natural harbor had been scooped from the shore of the Skar by powerful currents. As they entered, small fishing boats and pleasure craft clustered like whirligig beetles in the hydrofoil’s wake.
As was the style in the great oceanic cities, half the buildings were constructed below the surface, the other half above. There was the expected profusion of tall, thin towers. Unlike the structures of ancient human cities, which they superficially resembled, these narrow cylinders reached deep into the earth. Some served to convey cool water to the surface while others allowed hot air to rise from the town’s subterranean levels. The Mai flourished in a brutally hot climate, but they enjoyed a cool breeze as much as a human, even if their idea of a cool breeze was a gust of damp air at ninety degrees.
The townsfolk were friendly and did their best to restrain their curiosity about their tall, hairy visitors. As Kekkalong was ruled not by a single Moyt but by a coalition of merchants, there was something of a respite from the overpowering urge to compete that drove the inhabitants of the southern cities. Lyra took notes as fast as she could address her recorder.
With the loss of Irquit, Homat’s bargaining abilities were brought to the fore, and he proved himself an adequate replacement. As soon as he overcame his ingrained shyness he proved quite adroit at dickering for supplies in the marketplace.
