“See the rainbow,” Armun said, pointing to the great arch that spanned the sky, stretching inland from the sea. It appeared to end upon a rocky headland. “My father always said that if you found the spot where the rainbow ends you would find the greatdeer who would speak to you. When you found it there at rainbow’s end it could not escape and would have to answer any question that you asked it. That is what my father said.”

Kerrick was silent, looking toward the land as though he had not even heard her.

“Do you think that would happen?” she asked.

Kerrick shook his head. “I don’t know. I have never heard a greatdeer talk. They are good to eat—but I don’t think I would take their advice about anything.”

“But this is a special kind of greatdeer. You will only find it at rainbow’s end. I believe that it really is there.”

She said this firmly, watching the rainbow grow fainter and fainter still until it vanished as the storm swept inland over the wooded hills. Kerrick did not disagree with her, was sunk again into his depression.

The wind died down after the storm and the sun shone warmly. Armun turned her face to it and ran her fingers through her hair so it would dry. Only the Paramutan were unhappy, taking off their fur jackets and complaining of the heat. They were creatures of the north and grew unhappy when they were too warm. Kalaleq stood in the bow, the breeze ruffling the long fur on his back, peering ahead at the coast.

“There!” he cried out suddenly, pointing. “That is a new thing, a thing that I have never seen before.”

Kerrick joined him, squinting at the distant green patch on the shoreline, waiting until he was absolutely sure.

“Turn about, go to the shore,” he said. “I know what that is. It is . . .” His vocabulary failed him and he turned to Armun and spoke in Marbak.

“There is no word for it—but it is the place where the murgu bring their creatures that swim. The murgu are there, at that place.”

Armun spoke quickly in Paramutan and Kalaleq’s eyes grew wide. “They are indeed there,” he said, pushing over on the steering oar as the others rushed to the lines. They went about and on the opposite tack angled back to the coast, away from the Yilanè dock. Kerrick was looking at the chart, tracing it with his finger.

“This is it, it must be. We must land on the shore and approach it on foot. We must find out what it is doing here.”

“Do you think there will be any murgu there?” Armun asked.

“There is no way to tell from here—but there could be. But we must he careful, go cautiously, just a few of us.”

“If you go—I am going.”