Ocean studied the map of Namid, paying particular attention to her own domain. She brushed a finger over the Fingerbone Islands, leaving a wet line on the paper. “My home. The place where I keep the treasures that the water, the Sharkgard, and the Orcasgard retrieve for my pleasure. I have many things. Old things. Old maps. I enjoy looking at the way you humans think I have changed. I am not the one who changed.” Her smile was savage and primal and terrifying.

“On the old maps, you used to put the words ‘Here Be Monsters.’” Her finger traced a wet curve in front of the strait that provided entrance to the Mediterran Sea. She looked at Burke and O’Sullivan, and the punch of that look made Monty feel weak, even though it wasn’t directed at him. She bared teeth that might have been made of coral. “You should put those words on the maps again.”

She walked out of the room, followed by Air and Water.

Monty braced a hand on a chair.

“So,” O’Sullivan said. “No trade with Cel-Romano. I’m not sure how we’ll enforce that.”

“You won’t have to,” Simon said, touching his ears as if to reassure himself that they had returned to human shape.

“But if Thaisian ships disobey that command, Ocean will destroy all the ships sailing from this land, and that would include fishing vessels,” Vlad said. “Can your people afford to lose the food that comes from the sea?”

“We’ll spread the word,” Burke said after a tense silence.

Simon nodded. “We’ll let the terra indigene know as well.”

As they left the consulate, Monty realized that he’d stopped thinking of Simon Wolfgard as a predator. Faced with the truth of what else was out there, the Courtyard’s residents didn’t seem like much of a threat anymore.

He opened the back door of Burke’s sedan but didn’t get in. “Here be monsters. Do you think she was referring to the terra indigene or to humans?”

Burke looked at him over the roof of the car. “At this point, Lieutenant, does it really matter?”

CHAPTER 57

CHAPTER 57

Thaisday, Sumor 19

Meg wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at the three-ring binder that held the names and contact information for Intuit companies. But when she became aware of the sorting room again, she was startled to see Twyla Montgomery standing on the other side of the table.

“Miss Twyla. What...?”

“Didn’t want to disturb you while your mind was wandering,” Twyla said gently.

“Arroo?” The click of nails on the floor in the front room as Nathan hustled to find out what was going on in the sorting room.

“It’s all right,” Meg said, looking at the watch Wolf, who had his front legs braced on the counter.

“I know this is an off-limits place,” Twyla began.

“For the children,” Meg said hurriedly.