Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 7

Neva refusing the barracks brought Lanore and Tell back out.

“What’s wrong with the barracks?” Lanore asked.

“Besides the fact it smells like men? Nothing,” Neva said. “It doesn’t fit us.”

“You need more space?” Lanore asked.

“No, not a bigger house,” Neva said. She brought her hands together, prayerful. “I am not refusing your hospitality. You have been extremely generous entertaining my request, allowing us to stay. I wish to tarry under your Light, but not in rock, and not within the walls. With your permission, we will sleep on the beach. I will police our campsite, and keep it small. If you agree that I may stay and learn from you, I will ask permission to establish a home on the water.”

“A boat?”

“No, a home, above the water, on sticks and beams,” Neva said. “If you are even remotely considering letting me try to teach breath holding, we’re going to have to live on the water. You can’t learn this skill on the land.”

Lanore frowned. Tell was there. She gave the slightest hint that this seemed reasonable. Lanore felt a tinge of anger. She turned to see Shen was in earshot.

“Do boys learn this skill?” Lanore asked.

“If you live on the water, everyone learns to swim, or you drown, that’s it,” Neva said.

“Consider the beach your domain,” Neva said. “Build your water home. If you’re still within my Light a year from now, you will have my answer.”

Neva bowed. She turned to say something to Foam but Lanore interrupted her.

“Teach the ghost to swim, or drown him trying,” Lanore said. She called Shen and directed him to go with Neva. He hesitated, considering his sun exposure would likely result in sunburns. “Barracks or beach?”

Shen frowned. He approached the water gypsies and stood in their mist.

“Come on, then,” Neva said. “Foam, go fetch our kayak and supplies.”

As Neva, Cari and Shen headed for the beach, a group of children followed. A seven year old taking the lead. The girls traveled in threes, but the boys were scattered.

“So, can you swim?” Neva asked Shen.

“No,” the Seven said. “He can’t swim, he can’t kill a rabbit, and he’s a coward.”

“A coward?” Neva repeated.

“He won’t fight. He will fall to the ground and allow himself to be pummeled,” Tora said. “And when we go to the beach, he will go sit in the shade. He’s very lazy. Even L’Ma’s own mother hates him.”

“L’Ma hates him?” Neva asked.

“Obviously, or she wouldn’t tolerate his behavior,” Tora said. “He can’t even speak to save his life. Probably because he has no life force. He has no soul.”

Neva didn’t understand. “How so?”

“If he had soul, he’d have color, and voice,” Tora said. “Everyone knows this.”

Neva decided not to correct the child. Cari made a face, suggesting concerned, tempered with amusement. Before swimming, Neva wanted to create a fire pit. She asked Shen to gather wood and kindling.”

“Boys aren’t allowed to touch sticks,” Tora said. “Don’t you know anything?”

“Can they can gather rocks?” Shen asked.

“Sure,” Tora said. “If the stone is precious, they get rewarded.”

“Rewarded?” Neva asked.

“There is only one reward boys like,” Tora said.

“Food?” Neva asked, clearly disturbed and wanting to redirect the conversation from where she thought it was going. Cari looked angry.

“Well, that, too. But you got to be careful not to let them indulge too much. A fat man is a lazy burden,” Tora said.

“Thank you for educating me,” Neva said. “Girls, if you will go gather kindling. Boys, you know the kind of rocks I want?”

Shen brought a decent size stone, exactly what Neva intended. The other boys his age, learned vicariously. The older boys held far enough back not to be drafted into work, but close enough they could observe. When the camp fire was ready to go but the fire, Neva and Cari undressed. Shen immediately turned away.

Tora laughed. “Also, he is incredibly shy and embarrasses easily.”

Neva was confused. Though the land people wore more clothes than they did, clearly the boys ran around half naked. If they wore anything, they wore an oversized Barong, a shirt the men wore in general.

“Shen, undress, let’s go get wet,” Neva said.

“Wow, what a blush,” Cari said. “Never seen anyone that red before.”

“Clearly, he has color, so he must have a soul,” Neva said. “Can you change your skin texture like the octopus?”

Shen gave her angry look, pulled off his shirt, and marched to the water.

“He clearly understands,” Cari said.

“Come on,” Neva said, not wanting to be the last to the water.

Shen didn’t go the narrow to the beach, but went straight to the edge and dived. Neva cursed and ran to the edge, pausing only to examine the terrain, and then jumped. Cari held the top, blocking the kids from following.

“That’s weird,” Tora said.

“That’s courage,” Cari said.

“That’s stupid,” Tora said. “If he doesn’t break his head open, he’ll drown himself.”

Neva arrived underwater. She opened her eyes, orientating and went down to the sand where Shen was sitting. He had clearly emptied his lungs completely, or he would have been rising. His arms were crossed. He was staring out into the dark as if deliberating. She got in his line of sight, angling down. She locked eyes with his and extended a hand. She didn’t touch him. She waited. She emphasized her hand. He slowly unwound his arms, gave enough of a flap to rise, kicked the sand and shot up. Neva followed. They broke the surface together, and laid back. Floating on their backs, the kicked away from the rocks, out towards open water. The bay was almost pool water still today, so still even their breaking the water barely registered.

“Hold up,” Neva said.

Shen let his feet sink and he righted himself.

“You can swim,” Neva said. “Can you talk?”

“Before today, no one has heard me speak,” Shen said.

“Are you a slave?” Neva asked.

Shen’s face softened. “No.”

“Are you being abused?” Neva asked.

“Contextually?” Shen asked, ready to unload. He corrected himself. “I am treated like everyone else.”

“I doubt that,” Neva said. “Who taught you how to swim?”

The others were in the water now, coming out. Shen shrugged and disappeared beneath the surface. Neva followed for a moment, then headed for shore. She remained under until she could walk. She came to the campsite, dried with her dress and put it on. She then joined Lanore and Tell at the cliff’s edge.

“You taught him that?” Lanore asked.