Men and Angels (Seraphs book 1)

Chapter twenty seven

Although Mishca stretched, yawned and turned over, she didn't go back to sleep. Instead, she lay thinking about what had happened to her since she came aboard the sky boat. Although much of what they did was very similar to what those in her village did, She had learnt the ways of the gods. Some of the things that weren't, she still didn't really understand. Like where the food came from and how they cooked it. Apart from knowing they were steering it in some way, she didn't understand what they did when they sat at the front of the boat. Also, although Moth had told her they were flying amongst the stars, she still didn't understand how this was possible. The most important thing that had happened, and the thing that had enabled her to understand other things, was that she had, after a lot of problems, learnt the language of the gods. Although, she recalled, one of the hardest parts had been remembering that shaking ones head meant no and nodding meant yes. Getting this wrong had caused her a lot of problems at the start. Now she understood the language and would be able to serve Moth who she considered to be her master. Although the others here were also gods, she was sure he was the most important one. He was the one who'd woken her from her long sleep and taught her his language. Acts that had made her feel both honoured and humbled.
Mishca lay still for a moment. Although she wanted to go back to sleep, she also knew she needed to go to the wash room. Wriggling out of her bunk and moving as quietly as she could, she made her way there. When Mishca returned to the sleeping cabin, she didn't get straight back in to her bunk. After taking a look at the baby in his cot, she stood for a while looking at the sleepers. In the bunk next to hers, were the two smallest children. Although she could see very little of the others she now knew who slept where and could tell who was there and who wasn't. Everyone was there, apart that was, from Hazel. She thought he must be taking his turn on what Moth called watch. Moth was also not here. Being a great god, he didn't sleep with the others. The only thing that puzzled her was that, having now seen all of the inside of the sky boat, she still didn't know where he slept. For a moment, undecided what she should do, Mishca stood looking at the bunks. Making up her mind, she turned around and crept out of the sleeping cabin. Although it might be an unwise thing to do, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she had found where Moth slept.
Standing in the entrance to the main cabin, Mishca stared around it. When she first arrived on the sky boat she wondered what lit it. So as soon as she was able to, she asked Moth about this. Now although she hadn't fully understood his explanation, she knew it was something Moth was able to control. Not that the cabin was illuminated much now. The only light in the large room came from the lights on what Moth called the control panel. The rest of the cabin was in almost total darkness. That was why, as she made her way through it, she didn't see him till she almost fell over him. Steadying herself by grabbing hold of one of the seats, she stared down at the prone figure for an instant before falling to her knees. Peering in to the gloom she realised it was Moth. Covered by a thin cover, he was lying on a sleeping mat. "Why are you sleeping here?" she asked. "Surely a great god like you shouldn't be sleeping on the floor like this!"
Moth blinked and sat up. "I keep telling you none of us here are gods, Mishca," he said. "Not only am I not a god, I am also not a very important person aboard this craft. Stewart is the leader of this group, not me. That's why, when we found there wasn't enough bunk space for everyone, I had to sleep here. I think that tells you how important a person I am aboard this craft."
Mishca stared over at Moth. Before she hadn't believed him when he said he and the others weren't gods. Now she wasn't so sure as she had been that they were gods. She also realised she was now very confused. She was sure a god wouldn't lie to her. But if he was telling the truth he and the others weren't gods. If they weren't, should she believe what they told her.
"But if you and the others are not gods, who are you and how are you able to travel amongst the stars?" she asked.
Moth sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He thought explaining about space travel to someone from such a primitive place as the island where Mishca had lived was an almost impossible task. "Although the men of your island go to sea in small boats with oars and spend much of their time fishing, I noticed that some of them carry knives. As I suspect they weren't made on the island, where did they come from?"
"The men take fish over to the big country. In return the people there give them knives and pretty bangles made of shiny stuff. Bangles like the ones I was wearing when I arrived here on your boat. I don't know how any of these things are made. No one on the island, not even the elders, knows how to make them."
"Do you think those who make the knives and bangles are gods, Mishca?" Moth asked.
"No," Mishca said, "they're just people who are more skilful than those on the island."
"That's what we are," Moth said. "Although I must admit though I know how to make this craft move through space, I don't know how to build one. It was built and designed by people a lot cleverer than I am."
Mishca said nothing for some time. Moth hadn't told her how they were able to travel amongst the stars. Although thinking about it, she guessed she probably wouldn't have understood if he had tried to explain it to her. But there was something she did want to ask him. "Where are we going, Moth?"
"We are going back to my home world," Moth said. "If all goes according to plan, we'll be arriving their in about eight days time."
Mishca stood up and went back to the sleeping cabin. Moth wondered what sort of reception they'd get when they landed there.
Getting back.