22

Deeter Zor was still panicked. He was feeling as if he'd just managed to escape from the Watchers again. He was beginning to calm down, but Timbella had inadvertently pulled out some issues that he wasn't able to cope with.

His life had been simple enough, a few months ago. He was the second son, and there was a place for him. He was little more than decoration, it seemed, and he was content with this. Anect bore the responsibilities, the title, the pressure. Nothing had pleased him more than to think about never being ruler. He could sit on a fur and stare at a fire and think about it for hours. Or walk in the woods, smiling and whistling a jaunty tune, thinking about not being the crown prince.

All that changed in short order. His only true friends, he knew, were Anect and Laerne, and they both seemed to disappear within a day of each other. He had found her immediately upon learning of Anect's disappearance, and she had told him that the searches that were sure to come would disrupt her life. The forest was her life, and too many people combing it for a lost prince would ruin it. So she left him and the forest, but not without the translator and hints of the other jewels.

It had been simple enough to find them. They looked like rubies on first glance, but there was something off about them. They sparkled too much. He was no gemologist, but he did have a little experience in precious stones, and these seemed like diamonds. That was enough for him, and he held one in each hand, and thought of Ariel. Ariel, who also ran away. Was it something in the family? She had born four children before leaving forever, he remembered thinking, just before the portal appeared.

The first time he saw the portal was only slightly more astounding than the other times. He felt incredible fear, and had no idea what he was doing, but he couldn't have stopped himself even if he wanted to. On the other side was a world like nothing he could have imagined. He wandered around in a bit of a daze, staring at the impossibly tall structures that gleamed in the sun like ivory.

A man took pity on him. He was old, almost as old as his father. Slender, almost his height, and balding grey hair. Like almost everyone else, he wore a simple tunic. Unlike everyone else, his was white and hung loose around his frame. His nose was enormous and his smile was sad. "You look lost," he said.

"I suppose I am at that." Deeter flashed a winsome grin at him, suspecting ulterior motives. "Could you possibly direct me to a shop where I can purchase a map and a diary?"

"Certainly. My name is Hypose." He gave a slight bow at this. Deeter returned the bow, stating his name, and they walked together to the store.

"Is this your first visit to Akinal?" Hypose asked politely.

"It's obvious, isn't it. I'd hoped to be less obvious, but it's too obvious."

He chuckled. "I'm afraid so."

"Yes, I'm really a rural character. This place is - well, it's more amazing than I'd imagined, in all honesty."

The shop was a map store. It sold maps of all manner and shapes. He bought a paper street map, except that it wasn't actually paper. Hypose kindly showed him how the flexible paper worked, by "scrolling" around using your finger.

He was slowly beginning to understand what had happened. Like all people of his world (or so he had supposed), he believed other planets existed - where else would you go after you died? - but it was shocking that they had people like him upon them. People who still appeared to be living, and who had advanced far beyond his culture. But some things never changed. He had learned how to politely divert the advances of both men and women - had to, since he was ten or so. If he didn't, or instead tattled, the person ended up beaten and imprisoned.

So he was genial to Hypose but not overly familiar. He would give him companionship but nothing else. He did need help, and would pay him back as much as he could, but that was all.