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“But you still brought me, on the slim chance that we’d find information about Stock and the Atocha Treasure.”
He didn’t need to answer.
Her face softened. “Thank you.”
With a flap of wings, the bird glided lower, and set down on the landing pad. Dakota looked around and blinked like she couldn’t quite believe they were back on the ground.
He slid off the beast, pulling her with him. As he straightened his shirt, he watched her run a hand through her wind-tangled hair. She winked at him. Then Dare heard a whisper of sound from behind them.
He turned and saw an elderly woman heading toward them. Behind her was another cylindrical building made of white stone. On this one, the greenery was older, wilder.
The woman walked with a stately kind of grace, her long robes whispering around her body. She had long blue hair that had gone gray at the ends, and her face was covered in soft wrinkles.
What surprised him most was that she looked them in the eye and exuded a quiet confidence. “Hello, visitors. I was told to expect you.”
Dakota tilted her head. “You’re not…?”
“Oppressed? Submissive?” The woman shook her head. “I can give the impression of submission when I need to. My name is Meela.” Her smile evaporated. “My world was not always the way you see it today. Our old teachings have been twisted by our leaders. I pray every day for Sulla’s women and its men, for it to change.”
“How do you get away with not being…” Dakota waved a hand.
Meela smiled again. “Up here, in this small town that most people have forgotten, we do as we please. Our oldest records are stored here. Along with our oldest people…and our problem people.” Her smile turned irreverent. “That would include me.”
Dakota smiled back. “I like irreverent.”
“My man is old and sick, and he prefers the quiet of the village. It means I get away with being librarian without all the huff and bother of a woman being tainted by knowledge.”
“It’s very pretty up here,” Dare said.
“It’s pretty all over Sulla, but up here, it is pretty in the truest sense.” The woman shook herself. “You didn’t come here to commiserate with me over Sulla’s many problems. Like I said, I pray that one day we will be enlightened. I believe knowledge is key, and that’s why I’ve dedicated myself to the library here.” She eyed them. “Another important thing is for us to see examples of what else is possible.” She waved them toward the library. “Come, let’s see if we possess the knowledge you seek.”
Since it seemed things were more relaxed here, Dare wrapped an arm around Dakota and kept her close by his side. They entered through the archway into the library, and at that moment, the resemblance to the Great Library in the city disappeared. Here, the shelves were made of wood, and the building wasn’t as high. There were more books on the shelves than electronic storage devices. In the center of the space, there were comfortable chairs and low wooden tables that invited people to grab a book and read. The space was cozier, more welcoming.
“So, tell me what you are looking for?” Meela asked.
“We are looking for information on a Terran traveler who visited here almost a millennium ago,” Dare said. “His name was Caleb Stock from the starship, Southwind. He described a planet just like this one.”
“Hmm, a thousand years ago…?” The woman made a sound. “That’s a long time, but let’s see what we can find.”
She approached a desk that held one of the rolling globes that they’d used in the Great Library. Her hands moved over it deftly, and she read the information that appeared on it. She made a few humming noises.
“Yes. I think I found something that might include what you’re looking for.” She spun and strode to some of the shelves. There was no fancy recovery system here. Instead, Meela climbed a ladder and searched until she found what she was looking for.
She climbed back down and held out a small cube.
It glowed the same blue as Dakota’s orb.
Meela placed the cube in a small comp device beside the globe and tapped some buttons.
A projection appeared in the air. It was quite grainy, but Dare had no trouble making out the face of the man. He was human, with ginger-colored hair and pale, blue-green eyes.
“My name is Caleb Stock, formerly of the ship, Southwind, out of Earth. If you’re watching this, and know who I am, I’m guessing that you found my map. And you’re looking for the Atocha Treasure.” The man sighed, running a hand through the scruff on his chin. “My captain, Captain Gage Fisher, went…crazy. I think deep space drove him mad. He became obsessed by the treasure and said it was his destiny to protect it.” Stock sighed again. “He disabled the Southwind and stranded us on an inhospitable planet.” Now the man paused, staring off into the distance. “A lot of the crew died…and when I got a chance to leave, I took it. I did some things I wasn’t proud of to escape, but I made it. I felt it was my duty to tell people about the Southwind, her crew, and the Atocha Treasure.” His direct gaze stared straight ahead, like he was looking at them. “None of them deserve to be forgotten. The map I made is encrypted, so I’m guessing you can’t make any sense of it. But since you worked out enough to make it this far, I think you can find the treasure. Plug the orb into this crystal. It’s the only way to decode the map.”
The man stopped, looking at them like he was waiting for them, even though he was just a recording.
Dakota stepped forward and lifted the orb from around her neck. She clicked it into the small indentation on the cube.
The star map projected up above the man’s recording—all the same pretty dots and planets they’d seen before. A second later, all the stars and planets started to move around, shifting positions. Then they stopped.
