True. Right now the Invisible Swords dumped it on the surface and covered it with a layer of sand. Except she worried the smell might attract sand demons. Too bad they couldn’t turn it into something useful. Shyla straightened. Why not? They could clear out level six, install mirror pipes, and grow their own vegetables. They had plenty of fertilizer and “water.” The biggest hurdle would be getting plants.

She chatted with Orla for a while. The woman was a great source of information on how to handle the daily tasks of living.

When Shyla covered a yawn for a second time, Orla touched her forearm. “Here’s the most important thing to remember as a leader… You have to delegate. You can’t do everything or you’ll wear yourself out trying.” She squeezed once and let go. “Now go get some sleep.”

“I will.”

Orla gave her a skeptical look.

“Once Jayden returns.” His name triggered another question for Orla. “Are all the communes separate organizations with their own leaders?”

“Mostly. The vagrants used to be one group with one leader. We had to live in separate areas of Zirdai because it’s harder for the guards to find a smaller commune than one big one. However over time, we grew into our own individual units. Jayden acts as our liaison and we help each other when needed.”

Seemed her nickname for him was more accurate than she’d realized. “How did he get that job?”

“When Ezra, his father died, Jayden assumed his duties.” Orla lowered her voice. “Ezra was one of the leaders of the Invisible Sword as well. Many of the vagrant leaders took care of their people and helped the Invisible Sword.”

Shyla couldn’t resist asking, “Was that why Ezra died? Did the Water Prince find out about him?”

“No. Cave in. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She sighed. “Jayden was only sixteen circuits old and he took it hard. Not only did his father die, but he suddenly had a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders.” Orla peered at her intently. “Much like you.”

True. And she still had so much to learn. ”Do you mind if I take a closer look around?”

“Go ahead. My lot will tell you if you’re in the way.”

The other times she’d been here, she’d noticed the cushions, curtains, and furniture, but now she picked up on the little details. Where their food and water was stored, where people slept and worked, the areas designated for relaxation, and where Ilan housed his sand rats—he carved a complex mini-city for them into one of the walls of a tunnel, complete with warrens, rat-sized passages, and velbloud fibers for bedding (they had a nicer home than she did).