Eva thought of the painting she’d seen on the ceiling in Hostia’s home. The eye painted on the nose of the ship was the same as Queen Ojo’s eyes.

“Oeeah! Look there!” Rovender pointed up into the sky. “There they are. You can even see the outer gossamer ring.”

The dusky clouds moved on, like a colossal herd drifting away from the stars, and revealed a glittering band arcing across the heavens. Eva followed the celestial ring to the horizon, where the dark desert disappeared into the faded light. With the glimmer of the gibbous moon reflected in the ebony sand below, she imagined their camp was floating out in the middle of the universe—and her friends could not be touched by anyone . . . or anything.

“It is beautiful, is it not?” Rovender took a deep breath.

“I feel . . . so . . . tiny.” Eva took in the entire starlit expanse. “So . . . insignificant.”

“Tiny—perhaps.” Rovender kept his eyes fixed on the rings. “Insignificant—never, Eva Nine. No living thing is insignificant.”

CHAPTER 35: TURNFINS

Achorus of soft, low hoots summoned the daylight.

Though it was still hazy out, most of the stars had faded. With the cloud cover swept away, the distant Rings of Orbona stretched across the violet predawn sky. The chilly breeze that had prickled Eva’s face now danced off to hide from the rising sun.

Eva blinked out the sleep as she woke and spied the source of the hooting. Three turnfins had roosted on a rock overlooking the camp. In the morning haze Rovender Kitt threw bits of old fruit at them, which they captured in their beaky maws. One of the bird creatures flapped its wings and warbled at another, trying to steal its prize.

“Turnfins.” Rovender grinned as he finished feeding them. “I don’t know how they find you, but they just do—no matter how far out from civilization you are.” He rolled up his sleeping mat.

“Turnfins,” Eva repeated, and stretched her long, skinny arms up into the pink sky. This spooked the birds, causing them to beat their wings, but they remained on their perch. “Too bad there’s no water nearby. They could dive in and catch us breakfast.”

“Yes, too bad . . .” Rovender chuckled. He gazed up and studied a small flock circling high above them. “Though, you never know. There may be water out here somewhere.”

“Good morning!” Muthr called up from below. “Eva, dear, how did you sleep?”

Eva leaned over her rocky perch and waved. “I slept great, thanks,” she said. “How’s the Goldfish coming along?”

“I worked on it through the night while Otto kept me company. He is quite friendly, this one.” Muthr patted Otto on the head. “The craft shall now run considerably better. We are currently at eighty-seven percent functionality,” she reported as she turned on the hovercraft.