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caught molesting one of the trees, you’d be put off the ship.”
    Mia raised an eyebrow. “Molesting?” She spoke the word as if it were a foreign object discovered in her mouth, shrugged, and dropped her hand back to the banister. “I was merely curious.”
    He approached the rail to stand beside her and looked at her from the corners of his eyes. “I am called Cedar Kannon,” he said casually.
    “Mia Jayne,” she finally grumbled after some brief deliberation.
    “Nice to meet you,” he said, and flashed a bright smile at her.
    She rolled her eyes in return, but she felt her chest tighten slightly. Something about him disarmed her.
    “Quite a pleasant day to set sail,” he said, undaunted.
    Mia looked up at the bright blue-green sky with its puffy clouds spattered cheerfully about. “Indeed,” she muttered, although she didn’t feel particularly at ease with the day.
    “What takes you to Willowslip?” When Mia didn’t reply, he continued. “I was on an errand and am returning to my duties in town. Serving with the Order of Vis Firmitas is important work.”
    Her ears pricked at his admission. She might be able to learn something of use from this gangly fool. The fact that he was a cleric increased her mistrust, but she had no idea what to expect. The gangly fool that you know is better than the beast you don’t , she thought.
    “I have business with the Order myself,” Mia said, still looking up at the sky through the branches of the trees.
    “What business is that? Perhaps I can assist.”
    He was rather getting ahead of himself. They’d only just exchanged names.
    “It’s a matter of discretion. However, if you wish to be of assistance, I certainly could use direction to reach Dominus Nikola.”
    Cedar coughed conspicuously, trying to hide his surprise. Mia kept her face impassive despite his almost comical reaction to her request.
    “You wish to see the head cleric?” he asked with incredulity. “Seeking an audience with him isn’t an easy task.”
    “Be that as it may, I believe he’ll want to speak with me.”
    As he snorted in repressed laughter, Mia’s eyes narrowed. Granted, my close circle is on the rural side, but are all city folk so disastrously mannered?
    “It’s no concern of yours,” she replied testily. “The offer of assistance was yours. I’m prepared to proceed with or without it.”
    Cedar collected himself and nodded. “Oh, I’ll be delighted to take you to Dominus Nikola. In fact I’d trade my right eye for a front-row seat.”
    “That won’t be necessary,” she said, and leaned against the rail. “It seems I have something the Order needs.”
    Cedar shrugged and said no more.
    After a quiet moment, Mia rummaged through her bag and pulled out a fist-size spiny yellow fruit. She pried off some of the spines then munched on the creamy white flesh underneath. It tasted of mild sweet lemons, and she murmured her approval. “Want some?” she asked, and pulled a second fruit from her bag.
    Cedar eyed the spiny fruit as if it would leap out of her hand and attack him. “What is that thing?”
    “In Hackberry we call them rollies,” Mia said. “They need the moisture and warmth of the tropics.”
    “Don’t you want to save it?” he asked, taking the proffered fruit with hesitation. “It might be a while before you get back here.”
    “Oh, I doubt that,” Mia said. “My business in Willowslip will be quick, and I have no desire to whiffle about.”

 
    5 Entry
    Lumin Cycle  9499
     
    Melia Kannon caught her breath as she and Gerard approached the cavernous mountain way flanked by imposing hardwoods. The sprawling roots of the elders hugged the rock crevasses that formed the entry to the stronghold within. She stopped and looked upward. The jagged walls of rock slipped into obscurity as they rose steeply into the air, framed by the trees. Green mixed with brown and gray, and curling tendrils of vines caressed the large hole in the mountain toward which