“Someone will have to supervise Ghastain at some point,” said Abasio. “There’s a large population there, and not all of them are going to reject survival. We’d rather thought that someone from the cliff villages would take over the sea-egg distribution on the King’s Highland.”
“However,” said Xulai to the prince, very firmly, “I don’t think either of us is interested in running Ghastain. I’ll bet you have someone at Etershore who would be perfect for the job.”
“He does,” said Justinian with a sigh. “And now that the monster is dead and sea travel will be allowed again, that person will have something to do. Ghastain will have more trade than heretofore. For one or two lifetimes, at least.”
“Perhaps a bit longer,” said the prince. “Ghastain may become a port city. They’re a long way up there.”
“Meantime,” offered Precious Wind, “we have to schedule a trip back to Tingawa. We have to take sea eggs from Wellsport across the sea and return with Tingawan ones to take inland. Transport of eggs between populations is a necessary part of the plan.”
“Artemisia,” said Abasio. “I want to be sure the Artemisians are included.”
“But first,” repeated Precious Wind, “we need to return to Tingawa.”
“She means before the baby comes,” said Xulai in a slightly annoyed voice. “They want me there when it happens. Since it’s the first one, you know.”
“ ‘They’?” asked Abasio. “What ‘they’?”
Xulai stood, cats spilling on either side; threw her arms wide in a fine dramatic gesture; and trumpeted: “They, the head of Clan Do-Lok. They, the council of elders of all the clans. They, the Sea King. They, the people who have been working for a hundred years to make our survival possible!” She sat back down. “That’s how Precious Wind says it.”
Precious Wind flushed. “I never shouted.”
“You most certainly did. You know, Precious Wind, I really thought when we’d done all the stuff we were supposed to do, people would stop herding us around like goats and yelling at us.” She turned to Abasio, giving him a wink that only he could see. She sighed dramatically and whined in a pitiful voice, “Abasio.”
“Poor thing,” he said. “She’s tired. We’ll let you all get on with your councils of state.”
They left, she leaning heavily on his arm.
“What was all that?” asked Prince Hallad.
Precious Wind said, “That was Xulai having a temperament. She’s enjoying it. We have led her quite a dance. She hasn’t forgiven me for allowing her to be so frightened during our confrontation with the monster. Abasio hasn’t either. I don’t grudge her getting a little of her own back, but we really do have to get back to Tingawa. It’s the only place I know of that has the equipment and the trained people to handle any kind of medical emergency that may arise. No, no, Justinian, don’t get in an uproar. We’re not expecting an emergency. But she was right, it’s the first time. We really don’t know what to expect. Right now I wish we had some of the devices they had in the Before Time. X-ray machines, for instance.”
“Those machines only showed bones,” said Justinian with some distaste. “Her baby may not have bones.”
“What do you mean?” asked the prince.
Precious Wind explained to him about changing, that both Xulai and Abasio could change. “I can’t believe no one has talked with you about this.”
“We’ve had very little time to discuss anything,” Hallad, Prince Orez, said stiffly. “I was under the impression that our great great-great-grandchildren might be born with gills. I was not told they might be born without bones.”
Justinian said plaintively, “If Xulai is going to Tingawa, I’d like to go with her. Can you recommend someone to stay here and keep Wold running for me?”
“You have good people of your own. Crampocket is a good steward, but he’s not good with people, so you need someone else between him and the world. If I were doing it, I’d put Horsemaster in charge. He’s strong enough to keep Crampocket from overdoing his economies, he knows everyone, he knows how things are done, and he’s respected.”
“You’re right,” said Justinian, amazed. At one time, he would have suggested this himself. How long had he been elsewhere? All the while the princess was ill, he had been elsewhere. Perhaps it was time to come back from elsewhere. He was to have posterity, after all, at least a few generations of it. “Will Xulai consent to inherit Woldsgard? Will she want it?” he wondered.
“It’s her home and she obviously loves Woldsgard,” said the prince. “But with the future of the human race hanging in the balance, she and Abasio are going to be traveling a great deal. While they’re gone, Horsemaster is still a good choice. He has a son who will be a good choice in his turn. The thing you don’t have is an alert and well-trained garrison. Though the need may not be great from now on, I’ll leave you a good man to whip them into shape.”
The return to the Falsa-xin, still anchored in Wellsport, was far easier than their previous route through Merhaven. Blue would go. The wolves would stay and Precious Wind would stay with them. Two of the younger ones could speak a few words. She had changed them, trained them, would have let them risk or lose their lives to save Xulai. Having used them so, she would not leave them now. It would have felt dishonorable.
Justinian would go, of course. He would return after his grandchild was born. He wanted to make sure that someone approached Genieve with the offer of sea eggs for her child or children or grandchildren. Precious Wind said she would see to it. Meantime, sea eggs from Wellsport would go with the Falsa-xin to Tingawa. Sea eggs would go from the cliff villages to Wellsport. Sea eggs would go from both Wellsport and the cliff villages to “Ghastain,” as the king still called it. “Up there,” said Hallad. Precious Wind
