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Dragonship’s basket, covered in sackcloth, while Elki tried to find the right Island.
    “You custom-rigged this ship, you rotten little rajal,” he hissed. “No wonder you’re always tinkering with it.”
    Hualiama’s chuckle was designed to irritate. “Need a few instructions, brother? The stove is over there.”
    “I know how to light a stove … Islands’ sakes, what’s this bit up here?”
    “Just get us aloft and I’ll rescue us from your gross ineptitude.”
    Elki booted her leg ‘accidentally’ on the way past.
    Her brother would not budge from the controls on the way to the westernmost village of Fra’anior Island, but he did question Lia in detail about her modifications.
    “Bah,” he muttered as they neared Ha’arria village, three hours later. “I suppose I have to go herb-shopping with Mom while you have fun in your floating laboratory, short shrift. Don’t do anything naughty–like stepping onto hallowed ground, baiting Dragons or letting Dad catch wind of your return, just to pick a few random examples.”
    “Love you too, Elki.”
    Hualiama tossed out the anchor, which dragged them to a halt above a small meadow just outside the village.
    Before she climbed down the rope ladder, Queen Shyana said, “You will be careful, won’t you, petal?”
    “For the tenth time, Mom–aye!”
    Further down the ladder, Elki made a rude noise.
    “And you won’t go too far?”
    “Not beyond our Cluster, Mom. I promise, I swear on all five moons–”
    “Why don’t you throw in all the stars in the heavens while you’re at it, sister?” Elki drawled. “We still wouldn’t believe you.”
    Hualiama yelled, “Elki! Step on his head, Mom.”
    Thankfully, it was not uncommon for Dragonships to fly after dark. Most nights of the year the moons provided plenty of illumination, a blessing for some–the righteous, the King liked to say–less so for pirates and smugglers, and blasted awkward for those royal wards who may or may not be planning to sneak onto the hallowed ground of Ha’athior Island.
    Dragon fire take it!
    As if buoyed up by the last rays of a gloriously fiery Fra’aniorian suns-set, Lia’s Dragonship floated westward off the cliff-tops toward Gi’ishior Island, home of the Dragons. The journey to Ha’athior was slightly further around the volcanic rim this way, but the direct southerly route from Fra’anior Island was deemed too dangerous due to the presence of feral Dragons.
    Lia’s single-handed or solo Dragonship consisted of a segmented balloon measuring twenty-four feet in length, three segments filled with hydrogen gas, and a further five with hot air. A simple stove-and-pipe arrangement allowed the pilot to burn wood, coal or any other combustible material to produce hot air, or to melt meriatite stone to produce hydrogen gas for additional lifting power. A lightweight woven reed basket dangled beneath the balloon, holding Hualiama and her equipment. Strong, flexible horizontal masts furnished the ship with its characteristic ‘Dragon wings.’ Hualiama’s design gave her Dragonship two masts rather than the traditional single mast atop the vessel, each canted at thirty degrees from the vertical. A complex system of ropes and pulleys for working the reinforced Helyon silk sails all terminated within easy reach of her chair.
    Next, she warmed up another of her customisations, connecting the drive belts of the port and starboard propellers to a gas-powered gear system affixed to the sides of her stove. They chugged into motion, propelling the Dragonship against an insistent breeze sweeping from the northwest. Like most solo Dragonships, there were further propellers at the stern and bow, and above and below, to aid manoeuvring in any conceivable direction. Lia angled the propellers to provide both lift and thrust–the higher she flew, the better chance she had of gliding to a safe landing should problems arise.
    After popping a chunk of dense jalkwood into the stove, her