Don’t threaten me, Flare, I warned him. I’ll tell Luvo on you.
He glared at me for a moment. Then he blazed white-hot, sending heat clean through me. It felt…nasty. I pulled away from him.
Carnelian rammed him from the side. Steamhead! Do you want her friend to come for us?
The others were roiling where they waited a hundred yards back. They were getting restless. Come on, you two. Stop frisking, I ordered. We have a long way to go still. Your friends will come to see what’s going on if you don’t move. Do you want them to find out you’re listening to a whosawhatsit like me?
That was enough to calm them. We went forward. I led them along the quivering fault. We were away from the river, after all. My friends were out of the way if steam or even ash and stone escaped the ocean floor. And I was free of the weight of Starns.
It never occurred to me that the sea might be even worse.
20
The Sea
Overhead I felt her weight grow as we flowed under the waves, a mile, then two miles from shore. I had thought the island was bad. At least when we were under it, everything on top of us was filled with stones. This was something like the voyage to Starns. I was burdened with miles of stoneless water.
Don’t be silly, I told myself. You’re wrapped in stone. You’re miles under stone. Well—only three miles down, now. But still, that’s plenty of stone. A little while ago you were burdened with stone.
But now the power of the sea lay on me. Normally, the magic in water touched me not at all. Stone and water were too different in the usual way of things. Maybe I was changed, after melting and spending so long in my magical body. Perhaps it was because I was in stone that had carried the sea for time out of mind.
Possibly it was because this sea knew I was there.
What are you, hiding far below with those other hot worms? Not rock, but rock in your veins, the sea hissed, its voice slithering down into the fault. I looked at Flare and Carnelian. They didn’t seem to hear that creepy, cold voice. Rock in the power that runs through you. The voice dripped down through the tiny cracks that ran to the salty water. I’ll draw you up, small silvery rock worm. I’ll draw you into my aqua embrace and float you between tides. You will never touch so much as a flake of quartz in your life. Won’t that be amusing? Come up, come up. I will have you in time. No rock thing fights me forever.
When do we get there? That was Flare, and he whined. I hate whiners. We’ve been traveling forever, he went on.
It’s not forever, I snapped. Be quiet and keep moving. I shouldn’t have silenced him. The minute he went quiet, the sea was at me again. I clung to the wall of the fault, drinking up its magic as I slid along. I wanted it to make me feel stronger.
Do you know how many rocks I have worn down, little silvery worm? the sea asked. I have rolled over specks of stone that lie on my belly. I rub them until they are tinier still, wearing them down to dust. I thrust them against the boulders underneath, scouring the boulders until they are smaller and smaller and smaller. Piece by piece, limestone, obsidian, marble, it must all surrender to me. You are just another stone for the grinding. In time, your hot companions will be more stones for my grinding.
I was slowing down. So much malice…The sea had so much hate for anything that was not part of it.
Hot pain seared my arm. Carnelian had grabbed me!
Ow! I yanked free. Are you trying to cook me or something? Don’t do that!
You were hardly moving! Carnelian accused. How much longer, Evvy? Maybe you’re lost. If there was a way out here, why didn’t the other spirits find it before? They said they came this way to search for us.
There’s a way out—we have to turn soon. Stop complaining! I told her. If you want something you have to work for it! I didn’t say the trip was a quick one, don’t try to tell me I did!
Flare got behind me, shielding me from the view of the volcano spirits. Stop shouting, Evvy. I think you lied to us, like you lied about your “toy.”
I’m no liar. How much longer did I have to bear this? I should have seen anything made of fire would have no patience, even if it was also stone! Grow up. There are no easy answers in the outer world. We have a ways to go.
Maybe we should try to get out here. There’s a crack. Flare rammed himself up into a hairline fault. It ended a hundred yards up in a slab of granite. The fault widened a little, then stuck. He rammed again.
Carnelian waited until Flare backed up. Then she jammed herself into the fault with him. The volcano spirits rushed forward. They thought we’d reached our destination.
You want to do that? I yelled. Fine! But the place I talked about is miles on! They weren’t listening. I was furious. We were only two miles offshore. It wasn’t far enough to spare the island.
Come on, I pleaded. That isn’t the way. It isn’t far now. When they popped out of the fault, I grabbed their hands, ignoring the pain. Tell the others you were just trying your strength or something—ow! I had to let go, but at least I’d gotten their attention. Flare hesitated, then motioned for the volcano spirits to stop.
I looked at my hands. Their form had melted a little. I pressed them against the sides of the big fault, taking in more of its strength. It was shaking harder than ever. I looked back. The volcano spirits were slamming around, hitting first one side, then the other. I had to get them moving again, before they started an earthquake.
They’re bored, said Flare. They want to get to this place. So do we, right, Carnelian?
No—I didn’t have to get them moving. I wasn’t their leader.