Sable gives the tree a friendly pat on the trunk as she passes it on her way across the courtyard.

"Mistress Sable?," a synthetic voice calls across the courtyard, "Mistress Sable Arrowsmith!"

The robot approaches her.

"That's me!" she says. "Hi!"

"Greetings. I have been sent to escort you to Professor Myari. She is very anxious for your arrival."

"Well, lucky for her I got here so quick, then." She reaches the bottom of the short stairway and starts to climb. "Did she mention what she wanted to see me about?"

"Only that she wanted you, Mistress." It follows her up the ramp built into the side of the stairway.

"A mystery! I love mysteries!"

Giggling, she turns left at the top of the stairs and heads for Myari's office.

As she reaches the door, the professor's voice reaches out: "Sable! Here you are. Come in."

Myari's face is stern and controlled as always, her brown skin framed by now-graying hair and a crisp scarlet blouse.

"Here I am!" she agrees, heading into the office. "So what was the rush?"

"You're our expert on history. What do you make of this?"

The piece she proffers features a purple gemstone perhaps four centimeters across, hexagonally faceted, and prong-set to an engraved steel piece cut in the shape of a stylized wing or perhaps a flame. If she takes it she'll notice there's a pin along the back.

"Oh that's interesting," she murmurs to herself, accepting the brooch and peering at it. "What stone is that—? Where did you find it?"

She turns it over to examine it from all sides, running her fingertips along the curve of the wing.

The design is simple, but the craftsmanship is exacting.

Among the engraved parts, she can make out a few groups of Ancient characters:

"That's a verb... looks a little like 'happiness'... 'enjoy'? And I don't think I recognize the next one, I'd have to check my notes - and then the connecting particle, and... hmm, 'holy Emperor'? What of the holy Emperor am I meant to enjoy here? His taste in jewelry? It is very pretty."

"Mhm. One of the scholars sent this to me. Janniqi Renba.

"Did you know him?"

"Seen him around. His thing is robots, isn't it? Where'd he get an imperial eagle-wing brooch? Chip it out of the concrete with his latest friend?"

"Perhaps so. Janniqi told me he'd found something, but that was more than a month ago.

"He told me he was going to a moon named Maersi. Then nothing. And then... he sends me this." She gestures at the brooch.

"I'm hoping you can find him, Sable."

"Goodness, a missing person. That's a new one." Her hand closes around the brooch, and she vanishes it away into a pocket. "Well. I'll do my best."

"Come back when you've found him. And - please take the robot with you. I wouldn't want you to be lost as well."

"Thank you, Professor. I long to see the nebula..."

"I like to think of myself as harder to lose than that, but I do like making new friends." She turns to the robot. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"I'm happy to meet you, Mistress Sable. I would offer a handshake, but," it shrugs its arms and holographic hands.

She laughs. "Yes, I see the trouble. Well, come on back to my boat and we'll see about finding this lost roboticist." As she nods to Myari and turns to walk out, she adds, "Did you know him?"

"I believe Master Renba activated me, Mistress, when I was uncovered. I suspect that is why Professor Myari assigned me to you."

"Reasonable of her, I guess. But did you know him? Did you talk to him, work with him...?"

"I cannot remember, Mistress. I remember a man standing over me, and then nothing else until my assignment to Professor Myari."

(Following Sable down the ramp-and-stairs.)

"So for practical purposes, I can assume I did not."

"Fair enough!"

Down the stairs, across the courtyard, pat the tree...

"So, do you have a name?"

"Is that a joke, Mistress? Robots do not have names."

"Would you like one?"

"I believe I would."

Sable grins.

"Well, let's see. There's historical figures, or characters from games I played as a child... or you could pick something yourself, if you'd like."

"I cannot speculate, Mistress. Robots, as I said, do not have names."

"Characters it is, then. What do you think of Birch?"

"I shall remember that, Mistress."

"Good!"

And here they are at the boat. It's a lovely little thing, with plenty of room for the both of them.

"Maersi, was it?" she says as they lift off. "Got a route for me or am I finding my own way?"

"Maersi is in the Iox Protectorate, Mistress, and I can provide a standard shipping route if you like."

"That'll do nicely, thank you!"

Shortly, the boat's sails catch the Iox River, and they're sped on their way.

The rivers of the nebula are beautiful.

If Birch recalls ever having sailed before, it might be obvious pretty quick that Sable is an unusual pilot. For one thing, she has a remarkably delicate touch with the sails, and the ride is smoother than it has any right to be. For another, she flies with her eyes closed.

Birch does not recall having sailed before! This is the most normal piloting that it can recall. This is how piloting always is.

"If I may say so, Mistress Sable, I am delighted to be accompanying you."

"Glad to hear it! I do like to think I have more fun than the Professor."

A quick spin of the port sail crank diverts them towards the Verdant Pass. Mossy boulders surround the river here, increasing in size up to the tunnel of the Pass itself.

"I see the force of the river is fastest in the middle, Mistress. On the surface it appears the same, but there are deeper currents below."

"Mm-hmm," she agrees, opening her eyes to take in the sight of the Pass as they approach. "Isn't it lovely? I like to sail just to watch the currents sometimes."

"The flows are indeed quite satisfying to watch, Mistress. At first they appear chaotic, but close study shows clues to deeper patterns."

And beyond the Pass, it's an almost straight descent to Maersi.

Maersi. Fifth moon to join the Iox Protectorate. Sixteenth largest by area, twenty-fourth by population. Principal imports and exports: tools and grain. What else is there to say?

Maersi? That's a style of rice, right?

Touching down from the brisk flows of the Nebula, one's first impression of Maersi is the quiet. Flapping sails and roaring winds settle to a gentle drifting breeze, the silence broken chiefly by droning insects and the occasional cry of a bird.

The air hits you next. Cool and heavy with mist, and so much oxygen you can smell it, even through the earthy muck scent.

Every single thing is green or brown, from the trees to the moss to the mud to the wooden landing pad.

Somewhere nearby, a pig snorts.

What an alive place. She takes a few steps out onto the rich dirt and pauses there and closes her eyes and stands very still for a moment, appreciating all that aliveness.

Then it's a deep breath and onward to see if she can find anyone to talk to.

The first person she'll encounter is more of a towering statue really, made of stone roughly carved.

"Oh, what a beautiful lady!"

She examines the base of the statue for Ancient writing; it's the sort of thing that would have some. Probably it would be disrespectful to climb it. And anyway she's never found writing on the body of a piece like this before. But then again, she's never found a piece like this as big as this one before... no. No climbing.

There is indeed writing carved into the base:

As with the statue itself, the inscription evinces great care but rough tools.