Lalani of the Distant Sea: List 3

The fact that Drum treated him with respect was testament to the power of the menyoro.

She was tired and her mind was muddled.

Heat radiated from her skin so feverishly that it warmed Lalani’s skin as she nestled close.

Instead, she only heard the raspy whistles of her mother’s labored breathing.

The mood was solemn, even though Sailing Days were supposed to be celebratory.

All the ships looked the same. Large, but not imposing.

He would be the first to return, hands full of gold, belly full of exotic fruit, and skin bronzed from the sun.

She’d hidden herself on a boat bound for Isa, desperate to escape the hardships of her life.

They were skilled sailors. Intelligent, brawny, and brave.

But Sanlagita has a short memory, and soon a new generation rose up to undertake the challenge.

Sailing Days were meant to be momentous, but the villagers were subdued.

Sailing Days were meant to be momentous, but the villagers were subdued.

No one moved until he stepped down off his makeshift platform.

Veyda was beautiful, and it hadn’t escaped Kul’s glowering attention.

“I don’t have a secret,” said Lalani. Her voice wavered.
She was a terrible liar.

Lalani was relieved that Veyda’s attention had shifted away from her secret, even if the subject was grim.

Maybe because her mother didn’t often speak to her directly any longer, except to delegate tasks.

She was in that blurry space between wakefulness and dreaming, not sure what was real and what wasn’t.

When people ventured outside, the puddles reached their ankles.

The menyoro sounded his horn—a loud and obnoxious instrument carved from an old pahaalusk shell—but no one could hear it over the rain, so he sent Agapito from door to door to call a village meeting.

Her mother was too sick to do anything but sleep, so Lalani lagged behind Drum and Kul as they joined the mass exodus to the menyoro’s house.

The rain didn’t seem to faze him.

“I sense great panic,” he said, speaking loudly. “And I want to reassure all of you that I’m doing all I can to commune with Mount Kahna to determine if there is something we can do to appease the sky. It’s clear we are being punished. It could be Ziva’s trickery, but I believe it is vengeance from the mountain. Ziva could not be strong enough to control the sun and the rain.”

“I sense great panic,” he said, speaking loudly. “And I want to reassure all of you that I’m doing all I can to commune with Mount Kahna to determine if there is something we can do to appease the sky. It’s clear we are being punished. It could be Ziva’s trickery, but I believe it is vengeance from the mountain. Ziva could not be strong enough to control the sun and the rain.”

“I understand if you don’t want to come forward,” the menyoro continued. “But know this. If you haven’t said your benedictions, you have brought a great curse upon us, and that curse will only worsen.” He lifted his chin. “If you know of someone in this village who does not say them with reverence, reveal that person now.”

Someone jostled through the crowd and stepped into the path of Bio’s raised finger.

“Are you afraid to subjugate your household?”

But Drum and Kul had a way of inciting fear, and when they stood together, they resembled a fortress.

“Whatever the punishment was, it wasn’t enough,” Dah Pasa said as he impaled a small fish on his fishing hook.

Dah was roaring with laughter when Cade sprang up like a fish and lunged at Bio, fists ready. One of them landed on Bio's square jaw, the other on his temple, and soon Bio was down, sprawled in the mud, throwing his own confused blows but not landing any, with Cade over him, and then Dah was there, wrapping both arms around Cade's chest and pulling him back.

Hetsbi was frozen, his bait in one hand and hook in the other. The other boys, too. They formed a small, curious, and excited semicircle around all the commotion.

Hetsbi took in the blood on Dah’s lip and the reddening welt across Bio’s left cheek.

The rain didn’t wash it away; it only made more sludge. The worst part? Her fingernails. The muck had buried itself into every crevice, and now her nails were black.

A twinge of fear pinched at her heart.

Lalani turned toward Ellseth and caught a glimpse of his contorted face and heard his pathetic and confused cry.