“So,” Dax said, “the good news is that itisa marmoose, and it has all the caretaking instincts that the lullaby claims it has.”
Ree asked, “The bad news?”
Marin knew it before he said it, but she let Dax answer.
“The bad news is that it’s very likely that this island is Picina, and we are far from where we want to be. Very far.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
At night, they slept curled up on the marmoose’s belly, which was the softest fur that Marin had ever encountered. They’d eaten by the hot springs—food that the marmoose had foraged for them while they dried: bright pink berries that tasted like cherries, nuts that tasted like walnuts soaked in wine, and leafy greens that were close enough to dandelions to make a reasonable salad. Happily, it was all edible, though Marin had counseled for caution, since what was good for a marmoose could be poisonous to a person. But it was all fine, and Marin slept heavily and dreamed of peach pie.
At dawn, the marmoose shifted beneath them, and Marin woke. She patted the gentle beast. “Thank you. Best sleep I’ve ever had.” It probably helped that she’d been exhausted, but still, it wasn’t every day you got to thank your mattress.
She slid off the round belly onto the ground. Her clothes had dried, but they were stiff with salt, and her hair felt like straw. Not much to be done about that.
Groggy, Dax raised his head. “You all right?”
For an instant, she wished she’d stayed asleep. She could have curled up against him and not thought about or worried about anything. But she was the captain. “I’m going to the beach to check if Perri found our boat.”
Ree perked up. “I’ll come too.”
“And me,” Dax said, alert now. He too patted the marmoose as he dismounted. “Thank you. You’ve been very kind.”
The marmoose chirped at them, a sweet furry sound that reminded Marin of a cat. She found herself missing home and wondered how her parents were doing and how Stowy was. Had he settled in? Had he made feline friends? Did he have a favorite patch of the roof?
She tried not to think about what would happen if she couldn’t find a way back in time to locate Rijes Velk before her parents’ debt came due.Of course we’re going to make it back in time.They still had time—it wasn’t the winter solstice yet. If Perri couldn’t find her boat and if the island didn’t have any islanders who owned one, then they’d find a way to signal passing supply runners. Just because they’d been shipwrecked didn’t mean they were stuck. This was the Crescent Islands, not the uncharted seas.Unless it is.Did she know for certain that Picina was in the Crescent Islands? There were unclaimed islands beyond the edges of the empire, beyond the outer islands… It could take weeks, and she’d already used up one week with finding and transporting the florists. That wouldn’t leave much time for finding Rijes and returning to Flicker. She couldn’t guarantee they’d reach the conservatory before Dax was due to perform his opus. It would all depend on the distance. AndSilver. “Do you have any other insight into where exactly Picina is?” Marin asked Dax. “Any other clues in the song? You said it’s northwest and very far. Anything more specific than that?”
He spread his hands. “That’s all I know. But if we sail southeast for long enough…”
She tried not to over-worry about it.One problem at a time.Before they could sail anywhere, they needed a boat. She wondered if the marmoose could be persuaded to forage for a boat. She couldn’t tell how much it understood of what they were saying and how much it was merely acting on instinct, embedded by some long-ago sorcerer with maternal feelings.
Ree sighed. “I wish we could take the marmoose with us.”
“It would sinkSilver,” Marin said. Or, for that matter, any boat smaller than a warship.
“And this is its home,” Dax added.
Ree sighed. “I know. It’s just sosoft.”
The birds were chirping loudly and cheerfully this morning, and the breeze coming through the trees was soft and sweet. The crystal leaves tinkled like wind chimes.
They emerged out onto the beach. It was clear which way was east, which was nice. It was also clear that there wasn’t a boat in sight.
In her heart of hearts, she’d been hoping that she’d emerge to seeSilver, shiny and ready to sail, just offshore, with Perri swimming proudly around it.
“Maybe we could ride turtles all the way home,” Dax said.
Marin paced along the edge of the water. She wasn’t sure if that was a serious suggestion or not, but it wasn’t a practical solution. “It’s a large ocean.” They could be days away from the next island and weeks away from Alyssium or Flicker or Belde.
“Perri could do it,” Ree said. “We could ride him.”
Okay, that wasn’t a terrible idea.
No, it is a terrible idea.But it might be a workable idea, if all they had to do was reach the closest island with a proper harbor. “We’d need a way to keep from falling off, and a way to carry fresh water and food.”
Dax didn’t look convinced. “What about sharks, krakens, or sea serpents who might want to eat us rather than befriend us?”
“Perri wouldn’t let anyone eat us,” Ree said confidently.
