Gentle shrugged. ‘My tribe is poorer than yours. Scattered along the desert coast in what was disputed territory until a few years ago. Fisherfolk, mostly. Hard way to make a living. And dangerous too, going out in small boats on the big water, which is why fisherfolk cleave to all kinds of superstitions. They have tattoos they think will save them from drowning, always step on a boat right foot first, never look back to shore after they leave port, and if a wind wanderer flies too close they’ll pour a libation of heart of wine into the sea to ward off the bad luck it brings. Born looking as I was, I was thought to be as much bad luck as any wind wanderer. Couldn’t go anywhere near boats, had other striplings pick fights with me when I was growing up, was locked up during the Season in case I frightened off suitors come to the festival … I got out of all that soon as I could. Renounced my tribe before they could renounce me, don’t even go by its name or the forename my mother gave me, been on walkabout ever since. Your tribe ain’t as bad as some that employ rovers, but I’ve been here long enough. Occurs to me now that I could make a run for it right now and get a pretty good head start before you raise the alarm. If you want to do me a favour, you could maybe sit out here a while before you do it. I could even rough you up a little, so they won’t think you helped me.’

‘How did it work out, the last time you tried to make a run for it?’

‘I know better than to lay up again,’ Gentle said. ‘I’ll just keep going ’til this place isn’t even a speck on the horizon.’

It was hard to tell if he was being serious or not, this big placid person who was cleverer than he let on.

Pilgrim said, ‘The place I’m being sent to should satisfy that desire. It used to be my tribe’s territory before we moved here. Far to the south and hard to reach, except by sea. The people who live there are distant relatives of my tribe, but we have little to do with each other. And to be frank, I’m not sure how they will take to me, given what I am, and what I did. It would be good to have a companion.’

‘Especially one as big and strange as me.’

‘Big and strange as you are, I suppose that people tend to think you must be stupid, too. I don’t think you are. You just play up to prejudices because it’s easier than pushing back all the time.’

‘I was stupid enough to fall in with Creed.’

‘I’m not Creed.’

‘No, you ain’t.’