After shouted greetings from everyone else aboard there was the suggestion made that perhaps this would be a good day to start on the voyage to Allanivok. They could leave now, there was no reason to stay. With the Tanu aboard there was nothing else to do on this side of the ocean. Once the decision had been made, with typical Paramutan enthusiasm, they hurled themselves into the task. All the waterskins were taken ashore, rinsed and refilled from the stream. The instant they were all back aboard the ikkergak was pushed off the beach, swung about to catch the wind. The lines to the sail were tightened, and the voyage began. Their course was northeast so they slowly drew away from the shore. The land grew more distant and before sunset had vanished completely. When the sun dropped below the horizon they were alone in the ocean.

The pitching and rolling of the ikkergak made it very easy to refuse the offer of decayed meat and rich blubber: seasickness struck both Tanu down. Once the others had finished eating most of them crawled under the forward shelter and fell asleep. It was a warm night and the air was fresher outside; Armun and Kerrick stayed where they were.

“Do you know how long it will take us to make the crossing?” Kerrick asked. Armun laughed.

“I asked Kalaleq that. A number of days he said. Either they don’t count very well—or they don’t care.”

“A little of both. They don’t seem to be worried at all being away from shore like this. How do they find their way and not sail in circles?”

As though in answer to their question, Kalaleq climbed up next to the mast and held to it with one hand, swaying as they rode up on the easy waves. There was no moon, but it was easy to see in the bright starlight. He held something to the sky and looked at it, then shouted instructions to the helmsman who pulled the steering oar over. The sail flapped a little at this so Kalaleq loosened knots, tightened some lines and let out others, until the sail was angled to their satisfaction. When this was finished Armun called him over and asked him what he had been doing looking at the stars.

“Finding the way back to our paukaruts,” he said with some satisfaction. “The stars show us the way.”

“How?”

“With this.”

He passed over the construction of joined bones. Kerrick looked at it, turning it over before shaking his head and passing it back.

“It makes little sense to me—just four bones tied together at the corners to make a square.”