‘Shit!’ Gwen signed. ‘Okay, brainstorm. What do we do?’

  ‘What if we stay in here until the crew discovers the body?’ Plenty proposed. ‘We can’t be suspects if we don’t go outside our cabin, right?’

  Hinata countered, ‘How will it look if the entire crew goes above deck to see land, and we’re the only ones below deck with a dead body? When they find it, they’ll suspect us immediately. No. We have to go up, be seen, and stay there until the body is found. We say nothing. This doesn’t concern us.’

  Gwen nodded. ‘That’s the plan. Let’s go.’ She turned and opened the cabin door. A crewmate scurried by and up the stairs to see land. Gwen followed, Hinata and Plenty close behind.

  As she climbed the stairs, a strong ocean breeze tussled Gwen’s hair. Thankfully, the sun had just finished setting. Streaks of dim yellow light mixed with hues of blues in the sky. The stars hadn’t come out yet, but the moon could be seen behind dark green clouds.

  The crew had gathered all on the portside, crowding so tightly that Gwen could see nothing past them.

  ‘Put me on your shoulders,’ she asked Plenty. He picked her up easily and dropped her on his shoulders as if she weighed a feather. From her vantage, Gwen looked over the crowd and saw a bright, beaming city on the horizon. Even at this great distance, a massive pillar dominated the skyline, shining like a beacon. The Spire. It stood like a narrow mountain. City lights shone at the base of it, but on top, the lights were even brighter. A bright aurora of purples, greens, and oranges touched the clouds and circled the top of the Spire.

  It was one of the most beautiful sights Gwen had seen in her life, but she could hardly enjoy it. Her heart was racing. Her palms were sweaty. She kept thinking about the dead body below deck. When would it be discovered? What then? If the crew accused Gwen or Plenty or Hinata of murder, what could she do? Gwen could kill everyone on board, but she would rather not. Plenty wouldn’t like it. Besides, that damn puffin familiar that followed Danielle everywhere would expose Gwen if she took any dramatic action. She had to be more subtle.

  Hinata and Plenty said nothing, probably stressing themselves out, same as Gwen.

  “Don’t worry,” Raf interrupted her anxieties. “If things go bad, the kraken will sink the ship and carry you, Hinata, and Plenty to shore.”

  Oh! Gwen thought. I forgot she was still following us. That could work. Okay. Let’s see how this shakes out.

  They waited for over an hour, staring at the horizon as it came closer. Garden City got larger and brighter as they neared it, but the closer they got, the more nervous Gwen became. Their window to respond was closing. If the crew didn’t find the body soon, Gwen would have to sink the ship, rather than risk being exposed or framed for murder.

  Finally, a deckhand went below to use the head.

  “Someone found him,” Raf said. “He almost slipped in the puddle of piss and blood, screamed a little, but now he’s running back. Remember to act confused and worried. This is just a tragic surprise.”

  Gwen locked her lips and nodded grimly. She sat motionless as the man ran on deck and shouted, “Kevan is dead! Murder!”

  “Don’t move yet,” Raf instructed. “Okay, now turn your head to look.”

  A small crowd gathered around the man. Captain Jerome and First Mate Danielle pushed to the front and demanded answers. The captain went below deck to confirm while the first mate kept asking questions. The puffin familiar sat in her hands, intently recording through the one eye.

  What’s happening? Gwen wondered.

  “The first mate is trying to interrogate everyone, but the crew is upset and making wild accusations. Kevan must have been an unpopular fellow. Only one person accused Hinata, says he saw her leave the cabin a few hours ago. But it’s a mess of allegations. Some problems solve themselves. Maybe there’s nothing here to worry about.”

  Surprised, relieved, but still uneasy, Gwen and her companions continued to politely mind their own business and watch the city near. A pier built of solid granite came into focus, twinking gold and silver. Buildings were crafted by stone singers using precious minerals as clay. Each generation added something new to the city, so the districts were eclectic, vibrant, and magnificent. Around the pier, the buildings and edifices were composed long ago of copper. A sea-green patina covered every surface. Purple wisteria vines and blue hydrangeas enlivened the streets and public spaces. Gwen begrudgingly and silently admitted, it was a beautiful pier.

  As The Floating Library neared the dock, First Mate Danielle approached the trio and spoke to Hinata.

  Raf interpreted, “She says one of the crew was found murdered. Garden City keepers have been informed, and a keeper will be waiting at the pier to begin the investigation. She doesn’t think we’re suspects, but the keeper will want to collect our statements and information for the report. She’s asking us to stay on the ship until the keeper has ended his investigation.”

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Gwen tried to act calm and unperturbed by this information, as did Hinata and Plenty, but Plenty was quicker to act.

  He said, “My wife and daughter have severe allergies. I don’t suppose they could go on ahead while I wait for the investigation to end?”

  Danielle bobbed her head side-to-side thoughtfully. “That should be fine. But don’t try to run off. That would look suspicious, and then you would be a suspect.”

  Plenty nodded. “Heard. Thank you.”

  With a tired sigh, Danielle turned to deal with her unruly crew.

  ‘Nice save,’ Hinata signed to Plenty. Gwen agreed.

  Plenty looked grim as he answered. ‘I’ll be right behind you. If we get lost, we’ll meet at the pier at dusk. If anything happens to me, don’t put yourselves or the mission at risk.’

  Gwen wondered if it was too late to sink the ship.

  “It is,” Raf said. “The squid queen has returned to deeper waters.”

  Gwen grunted in worried frustration.

  ‘Hey!’ Plenty tapped her shoulder. ‘No grunting. Remember, you can’t make any noise from now on. You’re not deaf anymore, you’re mute, and mute people don’t grunt.’

  With a grimace, Gwen nodded. He was right. Lyn the deaf girl died almost four decades ago. She was Gwen the mute girl now. Her survival depended on it. But Plenty was acting like he was about to die, and that was giving Gwen anxiety. She disliked this.

  The Floating Library finally docked, and at the end of the dock, two men in keeper robes stood with familiars. One was middle-aged, stout, with a thinning crown of red and neatly kept facial hair. A redhound familiar sat sphinx-like at his feet. The other keeper was baby-faced and short. A floofy calico draped lazily over his shoulders like a fur trim cape. The cat observed everything with regal disdain.

  A ramp was dropped and the two keepers stepped on board. The captain and first mate approached, greeted the keepers, and led them downstairs to see the body. Meanwhile, Plenty pushed Hinata and Gwen toward the pier.

  Hinata grabbed Gwen’s hand as if she were a child and led her forward. Gwen kept her head down and tried to act natural, resenting the pretense, but going along with it. Hinata spoke to a man in a uniform and was directed to an office a short walk ahead.

  The roads were cobbled together of enormous slabs of interlocking stone, polished to a smooth shine. Tall posts of dim blue aetherlight lit the Waterfront District, banishing the night’s darkness from every corner and crevice.

  The Waterfront was mostly empty. A few keepers stood watch or wandered on patrol. A tall copper barricade walled off the Waterfront District from the rest of Garden City. Gwen noticed the barricade was composed recently. Every other copper structure had rusted into a bright seagreen patina, but the barricade still shone with the reddish-brown of polished copper.

  The architecture and foliage all directed the gaze to a majestic and imposing structure, with stained glass windows, pinnacles, and sculptures of Adam and Eve in magnificent regalia.

  Hinata led Gwen to the building and climbed the many steps leading up to double doors. Two keepers stood watch and inspected Hinata with clear disinterest; just some savage and her daughter. Gwen kept her head high and her eyes low.

  Inside the large double doors, a grand foyer was kept lightly staffed with keepers at this time of night. Partitions led to a row of desks, behind which sat a single woman with a chubby raccoon familiar. She seemed warm, waving them forward with a smile.

  “She says her name is Tess, welcomes us to Lower Garden, and asks what is the nature of our visit… Hinata says we’re here so you can apply to Eve’s University.”

  With a big, friendly smile, Tess leaned forward to speak to Gwen directly.

  “That’s so exciting! What is your affinity, little one?”

  Gwen was careful to not react.

  “Hinata says you’re mute.”

  “Oh… I’m sorry, dear. Are you two here alone, then? Do you have any family in the city?”

  Hinata answered, “There is one more of us. My husband is still on the ship. He sent us ahead, but he’s not far behind. It’s just the three of us. No other family.”

  Tess nodded her head and wrote some notes onto a page. “Other than your daughter’s muteness, are there any other disabilities in the family or accommodations that need to be considered before we assign you a domicile?”

  “Yes, my daughter and I have a severe sunlight allergy. It’s a rare genetic condition. We can only go out at night.”

  Tess put her hand on her heart. “Oh, you poor dears. Don’t worry. We’ll find you a spot in the Nightlife District. That whole place sleeps during daytime. You’ll fit right in.” Tess opened a drawer at her knees and rifled through pages and folders until she found one she was looking for. Opening it, her fingers slid down the page methodically, finally slamming the folder onto her desk with a triumphant grin.

  “Found it. A two-bedroom just a few blocks from all the best food and music. You’ll love it. I’ll alert the Nightlife Steward that you’ll be moving in tomorrow night.” Tess turned to address the raccoon familiar, ensuring the information would be relayed to the steward. Then she spoke to Hinta again. “He’ll need some time to prepare the domicile. In the meantime, you’re welcome to wait here. Upstairs, we have a number of beds and rooms where you can rest. If you get hungry, a food vendor can always be found on the pier. Once your husband arrives, I can finish up and file this paperwork. In the meantime, I’ll get your aetherstone registered.

  “Listen close now. Do not lose your aetherstone. And take care not to let it be stolen from you. By Godfather’s Law, every family gets assigned one aetherstone, but placements are not easy to come by.”

  “Why not?” Hinata asked.

  Tess raised her hands in the air dramatically. “It’s not for me to say. I’m just telling you how it goes. Your husband will be assigned the aetherstone. Any of you may use it. But if you lose it, you won’t get another. The Godfather doesn’t reward criminal negligence.”

  Hinata shook her head agreeably. “Of course not. Thank you for the warning. I think we might go upstairs to rest. When my husband comes, will you send him up to us?”

  “Yes, of course. You must be exhausted after your journey. Here, take this key. Room number 8. When your husband arrives, I’ll send him up to you there. Rest up, dearies. Tomorrow, you move into your new home!”