"You can remind Kira of how much you have sacrificed for her," Alain suggested, remembering a number of such arguments in the past.

"Oh, yeah. That always goes over well." Mari stood up. "Let's go. At least we're flying this time. Let's find out how well that Urth drone can follow Rocs."

* * *

By late afternoon, Jason had apparently gotten over his upset, though he refused to respond to a couple of careful questions from Kira about it. He was sitting a short distance from her when the boy on the boat ran around the corner of the deckhouse and tripped over Jason's outstretched legs.

Kira had only a moment to wonder if Jason would react by yelling at the boy in a way that might betray them.

Instead, Jason laughed and helped the boy stand. "Careful there, Munchkin. You might go overboard."

The boy gave Jason a puzzled look. "What's a munk-kin?"

"Little guys who live in a place called Oz," Jason said.

"Is that where you're from? Is that why you talk funny?" the boy asked.

"Yes," Kira interjected hastily. "Oz is a place way…to the south."

The woman appeared, shaking her head at the boy. "The math lesson isn't done. Come along. Excuse my son," she told Jason.

"You're teaching him math?" Jason asked.

The woman stared but didn't comment on his unusual accent. "Yes. He'll need it if he inherits the boat. And if the boats go away as some say they will, he'll need it elsewhere. But he doesn't like it."

"Math is important," Jason said to the boy, startling Kira. "How about you and me take a look at that lesson."

Kira watched, horrified, as Jason got up and walked around the deckhouse with the boy. Had he lost his mind? Drawing attention to himself and his strange accent and his unusual way of speaking?

She scrambled to her feet, peering over the edge of the deckhouse to see Jason sitting down next to the boy, holding a chalk tablet as he talked. As Kira watched, he began walking the boy through simple math exercises as if he had done the same thing a thousand times, though he had obvious problems with using the chalk.

She should intervene. She should stop this. But Kira only watched.

Eventually, Jason stood up. "Keep on that!" he advised the boy, who grinned and nodded.

"What was that?" Kira whispered to Jason when they were both seated again on the other side of the deckhouse. "Why did you do that?"

Jason's shrug felt defensive. "He needed some help."

"Do you do that? Back on…where you live?"

"Yeah. I tutor kids in math."

Kira stared at him. "You have a job? You never mentioned having a job."

"No," Jason said, as if uncomfortable having to explain. "I volunteer."

"Volunteer? Do you get paid?"