exploded into view.
“Whoa, powerful . . .”
There was no distortion at all, as though he could just reach up and touch the heavens. He handed the strange object to Fiona, who did the same—and with the same awestruck reaction.
“Amazing. I’ve never seen anything so clear before!” She put her face close to the mirror, watching the reflection of her own, huge eyeball. “What’s this part for?”
Moth shrugged. “I don’t know. Sextants don’t have mirrors. And that writing on it—that’s not normal either.”
Lady Esme waited on the grass beside them. Moth’s eyes met Fiona’s, sharing the same impossible thought.
“This is Leroux’s gift,” Moth whispered. Suddenly he felt the chill of the mountain air. Lady Esme stared at them, her strange eyes full of intelligence. “Either you’re a very smart bird,” said Moth, “or you’re not a bird at all.”
Fiona kept her voice low. “That’s the thing my grandfather’s looking for,” she said. “It must be.”
“It’s from across the Reach,” said Moth. “That’s why he wants it. It’s probably something powerful. Magical, even.”
“But why would Leroux have it? And how would my grandfather know about it?”
There were too many questions and not enough answers. “This thing, whatever it’s called—this is what Leroux wanted me to use to help Lady Esme.” He leaned forward, studying the kestrel, looking for something—anything—to reveal the truth inside her. “Fiona, your grandfather wanted Esme because he knew she might have this thing. He probably knows she’s not really a bird.”
Fiona grimaced. “Moth, I don’t know . . .”
“I do know,” Moth insisted. “I believe it, Fiona. Before he died Leroux made me promise I’d help Esme. I told him I would. I didn’t believe it then, but now I do. It’s all true.”
Fiona struggled to believe it, too. “Maybe. But what can you do about it?”
“Keep my promise,” said Moth. He stood up and cradled the strange object in his hands. The silvery metal glowed in the moonlight. “I have to go.”
“What? Cross the Reach ?”
“Yes,” said Moth without flinching. “There’s nothing here for me now, Fiona. All I ever wanted was to be a Skyknight, but that can’t happen anymore. And I can’t let your grandfather take this away from me.” He paused, gazing thoughtfully at the quiet city. “They’re already looking for me. If I stay they’ll find me. I have to go now .”
“But Skyhigh said to wait . . .”
Moth was already moving. “You can tell him what happened,” he said, heading back toward the doors. Lady Esme followed, half hopping, half flying behind him. When he reached the doors he said to the bird, “Esme, fly off somewhere and hide. Wait for me, all right? I won’t be long.”
As if she understood every word, Lady Esme once again took flight, shooting into the night. Confident she would return, Moth squeezed back into the hangar. Fiona hurried after him.
“You can’t go now,” she protested. “It’s dark.”
“I have the moonlight. I’ll be okay.”
“But you won’t be able to see anything in the Reach, Moth.”
Moth made his way through the hangar, but not back to their loft. “I’ll wait at the bottom of the mountain until morning,” he said. “I’ll head for the Reach when the sun comes up.”
“And then what? How will you find your way through the mists?”
“I’ll walk straight and keep going,” said Moth. “I’ll believe , just like Leroux told me. He said there’s someone across the Reach who would help me. A wizard.”
“A wizard,” scoffed Fiona. “And maybe some talking frogs with funny little hats.”
Moth stopped at a pile of cartons overflowing with discarded clothing. Musty coats, undergarments, boots were all shoved unlovingly into a corner of the hangar. “This’ll help me,” he said. He set the silver instrument safely on a barrel and started rummaging through the containers, looking for a
“Whoa, powerful . . .”
There was no distortion at all, as though he could just reach up and touch the heavens. He handed the strange object to Fiona, who did the same—and with the same awestruck reaction.
“Amazing. I’ve never seen anything so clear before!” She put her face close to the mirror, watching the reflection of her own, huge eyeball. “What’s this part for?”
Moth shrugged. “I don’t know. Sextants don’t have mirrors. And that writing on it—that’s not normal either.”
Lady Esme waited on the grass beside them. Moth’s eyes met Fiona’s, sharing the same impossible thought.
“This is Leroux’s gift,” Moth whispered. Suddenly he felt the chill of the mountain air. Lady Esme stared at them, her strange eyes full of intelligence. “Either you’re a very smart bird,” said Moth, “or you’re not a bird at all.”
Fiona kept her voice low. “That’s the thing my grandfather’s looking for,” she said. “It must be.”
“It’s from across the Reach,” said Moth. “That’s why he wants it. It’s probably something powerful. Magical, even.”
“But why would Leroux have it? And how would my grandfather know about it?”
There were too many questions and not enough answers. “This thing, whatever it’s called—this is what Leroux wanted me to use to help Lady Esme.” He leaned forward, studying the kestrel, looking for something—anything—to reveal the truth inside her. “Fiona, your grandfather wanted Esme because he knew she might have this thing. He probably knows she’s not really a bird.”
Fiona grimaced. “Moth, I don’t know . . .”
“I do know,” Moth insisted. “I believe it, Fiona. Before he died Leroux made me promise I’d help Esme. I told him I would. I didn’t believe it then, but now I do. It’s all true.”
Fiona struggled to believe it, too. “Maybe. But what can you do about it?”
“Keep my promise,” said Moth. He stood up and cradled the strange object in his hands. The silvery metal glowed in the moonlight. “I have to go.”
“What? Cross the Reach ?”
“Yes,” said Moth without flinching. “There’s nothing here for me now, Fiona. All I ever wanted was to be a Skyknight, but that can’t happen anymore. And I can’t let your grandfather take this away from me.” He paused, gazing thoughtfully at the quiet city. “They’re already looking for me. If I stay they’ll find me. I have to go now .”
“But Skyhigh said to wait . . .”
Moth was already moving. “You can tell him what happened,” he said, heading back toward the doors. Lady Esme followed, half hopping, half flying behind him. When he reached the doors he said to the bird, “Esme, fly off somewhere and hide. Wait for me, all right? I won’t be long.”
As if she understood every word, Lady Esme once again took flight, shooting into the night. Confident she would return, Moth squeezed back into the hangar. Fiona hurried after him.
“You can’t go now,” she protested. “It’s dark.”
“I have the moonlight. I’ll be okay.”
“But you won’t be able to see anything in the Reach, Moth.”
Moth made his way through the hangar, but not back to their loft. “I’ll wait at the bottom of the mountain until morning,” he said. “I’ll head for the Reach when the sun comes up.”
“And then what? How will you find your way through the mists?”
“I’ll walk straight and keep going,” said Moth. “I’ll believe , just like Leroux told me. He said there’s someone across the Reach who would help me. A wizard.”
“A wizard,” scoffed Fiona. “And maybe some talking frogs with funny little hats.”
Moth stopped at a pile of cartons overflowing with discarded clothing. Musty coats, undergarments, boots were all shoved unlovingly into a corner of the hangar. “This’ll help me,” he said. He set the silver instrument safely on a barrel and started rummaging through the containers, looking for a
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