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Which brought him back to Captain Krolley.

The thought of a mutiny never crossed his mind. It would never have occurred on any Korb ship. It wasn’t that authority was held inviolate, but that a contract entered into voluntarily was sacred, regardless of circumstance.

They had adequate water and stores on board, having just filled up a few days earlier. And the only immediate problem they faced was that many of the sailors, like Telio, had had enough of the open sea and simply yearned to go home.

Telio missed Moorka, missed all the females in his genus, missed the evenings on the Boulevard with his brothers, missed his son, now about to have a child of his own.

He hadn’t realized it would be this way. He’d expected to be gone for a couple of years, but he’d thought the time would be spent pushing forward across an open sea, and not poking into endless bays and rivers along a vast landmass. Moorka had asked him not to go, but he’d explained how he’d always wanted to sail past the sunrise, to be part of the great mission that people always talked about but never seemed to get around to launching. He had joined a group years earlier for such an effort, but funding had never appeared. And he’d spent his life since regretting the lost opportunity.

Well, he’d gotten past that piece of stupidity, at least. When he got home, he’d stay there and enjoy his family, and never again sail out of sight of the Intigo. And he’d leave the adventuring to those young enough, and dumb enough, to want it.

He wondered what Moorka was doing. That was most difficult of all, lost out here on the sea and no one near with whom he could slake his passions. No luminous eyes watching him in the night, no soft cheek on the pillow beside him. It was an unnatural way to live, and it reminded him of the old argument that the gods had given the Intigo to the Korbs with the understanding that everything else was a divine realm, that the Korbs were to stay in their assigned lands. And to remind them of that truth, the gods had sealed it off, heat to the north and ice to the south, and the boundless ocean on either side.

He looked up at the sky. The sun was bright, but a storm was coming. He could smell it in the wind. And he was almost grateful. The heavy clouds would conceal them from the thing in the night sky. Almost everyone believed that the apparition was intended to warn them to go back. To remind them of the Covenant.

It was impossible to know what Krolley thought. Few of the men would have dared mention their doubts to him. Although Telio had made up his mind that he would do it, next time he had the opportunity. He’d asked the officer of the rigging whether he thought they’d come too far, that they’d offended the gods, and the officer had smiled and shrugged it off. Ridiculous, he’d said. Don’t worry about it, Telio. If a divine ordinance prohibited what they were doing, did he think they’d still be afloat?

But afterward he’d seen him talking seriously to the executive officer.

The ships had been moving south along the new continent. And, as at home, it was getting colder with each passing day.

Telio watched the wild coastline drift by on his left. The Hasker was running behind them, closer to shore and out of their wake. The Benventa stood farther out to sea.

The plan was to proceed south until they could round the continent, or, as the crewmen said, until they froze. Whichever came first.

If any candidate for a passage through the continent presented itself, they would try that, but there’d been nothing even remotely promising for several days. Many of Telio’s compatriots back home would be surprised to learn there was another major landmass. Most thought there was only the one on which the Korbs lived. It had, at one time, been an article of faith.

They’d sent landing parties in twice since arriving on these shores. The water was good, and there was plenty of game. But the animals were unlike any they had seen before. The trees were different; as were many of the bushes and shrubs. And one of the crewmen had been attacked and killed by a terrible creature of enormous size. His companions had riddled it with arrows, and they’d dragged the thing down to the beach for everyone to gawk at. It had fangs and claws and fur the color of the woods in which it traveled. Witnesses to the attack said it had reared up on its hind legs.

It reminded Telio of the keeba, which could be found in the lands north of Saniusar. But this thing was bigger, even in death. Well, it wasn’t as if the captain hadn’t warned them to be careful. There’ll be wild beasts, he’d told them before the first group went ashore. And there might even be tribes of savage Korbs.

Now there was a chilling thought.

TELIO WAS SUPPOSED to be mending sails, but one of the crew had fallen from a spar and sprained his wrist. Telio had some experience as an apothecary, and he doubled sometimes as ship’s surgeon. There was a fully qualified surgeon on the voyage, but he was on the Hasker, and would only be called in the event of serious injury.

Telio put soothing gel on the damaged limb, wrapped it, and warned the crewman not to try to use it until Telio had looked at it again. He was just putting away his ointments and wraps when a sudden burst of wind struck the ship. It came without warning and was of such violence that it almost capsized them.

The captain ordered the fleet to haul down some sail. The sky began to darken. The blow was out of the east, a change in direction for they’d been riding with the westerlies throughout the voyage. The sea had been rough all day, but it had gotten abruptly worse while Telio was below mending the crewman. The ship rode up one side of a wave and crashed down the other. As he watched, all three ships turned to starboard, to put distance between themselves and the shoreline.

Rain began to fall and quickly became torrential. The crew secured the hatches and tied everything down. Lightning ran through the sky.

There was no longer anyone on the Regunto who did not fear the sunset. Night would bring T’Klot, rising black and terrible over the new continent. It was impossible to set aside the notion it was coming after them.

After a time the rain blew off, and they were running again before a gentle northwesterly wind. The sea turned to glass, and the world grew quiet.

The Regunto adjusted its sails and glided beside silver cliffs.

The captain came out on deck, wandering among his deck-hands, reassuring them, finding things to laugh about. Telio watched for an opportunity to take him aside.

When it came, he asked if he might have a moment of his time. “If you’ll excuse my brashness, sir.”

“Of course,” he said, glancing at the deck lieutenant, who framed Telio’s name with his lips. “That was a quick storm, wasn’t it?” And, without waiting for an answer: “What can I do for you, Telio?”

Telio looked up at the Korbs working in the masts, adjusting the sails. “Indeed it was, sir,” he said.

Krolley was tall, lean, with mottled skin and a serene disposition. There was much of the scholar about him: deliberate speech, careful diction, intelligent eyes with a golden cast. He was always impeccably dressed. His posture was perfect, his expression composed. Even now, after a heavy storm during which he certainly had not had time to change, he looked well turned out. It was almost as if he was always ready for someone to carve his image.

“Captain, some of us are worried about T’Klot.”

Krolley bobbed his head up and down. “Ah. Yes.” He smiled at the deck lieutenant, a smile that indicated this is the sort of triviality about which the seamen concern themselves. The lower classes. Not to be taken too seriously. “It’s all right, Telio. It’s simply a weather phenomenon. It will be passing us by in a few more days.”

“Captain—”

He patted Telio on the shoulder. “It’s nothing to fret over. Just pay it no attention, and I think you’ll find it will pay none to you.”

He started to walk away, but Telio stayed with him. “Captain, the thing is not natural. It isn’t just a storm we can run from. There is some suspicion among the crew that it is after us.”

The deck lieutenant tried to interpose himself, and gave Telio a strong look. He’d be scraping down the decks for the next few days. “Telio.” Krolley was being careful because a number of the crewmen had gathered around and were listening. “You’re a scholar. An apothecary. You know, as I do, that the world is not governed by supernatural forces.”

“I’m not so sure anymore, sir,” he said.

“Pity.” The captain studied him closely. “Keep your nerve, Telio. And your good sense.”

BLACK CAT REPORT

Ron, it’s early afternoon on the Intigo. The pictures you see are courtesy of surveillance equipment inserted by the Academy of Science and Technology. This is a view of the harbor area at Roka. There’s a map available on our alternate channel.

Anyhow, it’s quiet there now. The rain has stopped—it’s been raining across the isthmus on and off all day. We don’t see anyone out on foot. There are still some Goompahs who’ve stayed behind. Probably older ones. And it looks as if some who might otherwise have gotten out have stayed with them.

This is the way it looks all across the Intigo. I’m tempted to say there’s a sense of waiting for something to happen. But that’s subjective. I know tidal waves are coming. The inhabitants have no idea. Although they are certainly aware that they are facing a severe hazard tonight.

This is Rose Beetem, near Lookout.