Canticle Blue

4. Meetings & Maps

On the second morning en route to Per'sa Island, the captain of the Onekotan ate breakfast with the young passengers. He wanted to explain what he knew about early spring conditions in the region.

"The northbound airships rarely go as far west as Per'sa Island unless they're trying to avoid a big storm or snow. The first sign of spring we usually see up there is the breakup of sea ice. You folks are going to see a lot of big icebergs when you get there. It's in the Sea of Blue Ice, of course, so you're likely to see ice any time of the year. The photos I've seen of Per'sa Island in early spring typically showed at least a hint of green in places. It might be evergreens or new growth on some of the hardier plants. You get the impression from images that it's warmer inside the caldera. There's certainly less ice there and thicker vegetation. The inner lake apparently has no opening to the sea, so the water there might be fresh. You'll also see plumes of steam from some of the volcanic vents on the center island.

"Wherever you land, you're going to have to respect the weather up there. I've seen spring squalls in the region that made me seriously think about turning back. No one knows how the Per'sa managed to survive as long as they did. Perhaps you'll find out."

Syl and Geddes Este listened intently to the captain , then headed for their cabin to talk. Along the way, Syl asked, "So, Geddes, what do you think of the "blue ice" he talked about? It sounds like the coldest kind."

"Yes, as opposed to warmer colors of ice," Geddes teased, and got a moderately hard shove from her in return. "Actually, it sounds like our tents better be warm and stay dry."

"And we should put our bedrolls together," she added. "The icebergs sound exciting to me...as long as they keep to themselves. Maybe this trip could be like a honeymoon for us, Geddes. We're still newlyweds, don't you think? We haven't had our first anniversary yet."

"I think we are," Geddes answered. You still keep me in stitches...or give me stitches."

"Hmm, you must laugh inside, I guess. How are you feeling about the team leader thing? We haven't really done that before. Maybe with just a few students on campus digs."

"We have such a good group; I think we'll do fine," Geddes answered. "It certainly helps that we grew up with them. I think they'll be looking out for us as much as we will for them. They've all done fieldwork, too, and have at least some archaeological training. It's not supposed to be a by-the-book dig, anyway."

"And almost all of us can cook," she added with a smile, knowing that Geddes could at least make tea.

Shei Pendel, the pilot of the Lo'an, met Cian Dhalen at a table after the meeting. "Sorry I haven't come to see you guys until now," she said. "We've been stowing your gear for the two drops on Per'sa Island. It's always nice to be with folks from the Institute. I haven't been able to spend much time there lately. I think I graduated two years ahead of most of you."

"Thanks for stopping by," Cian replied. "The captain mentioned that you grew up in the Bryn Colony. I bet you miss it during the shipping season."

"I do miss it, but when I'm back in the colony, I miss the Lo'an," she laughed. "Usually I get three months at home during the winter, but this year we've been fitting the Lo'an with new motors and props. You should see them. Their nacelles can turn in almost any direction."

Tor Stym and Os Andis joined them at the table. "Nice to see you Shei," Tor said. "You probably don't remember me. We had the same Weather Fundamentals class."

"Hi...Tor, I believe. Yes, I remember. It was an elective for you. Meteorology was my major, so all my classes were in that building. The captain told me you're an engineer now. Do you know what you'll be doing on the island?"

"I hope he'll be building us warm stone huts, or at least a fire pit or two," Os said as he introduced himself."

"It's supposed to be a working sabbatical," Tor answered. "So I don't know. Syl tried to tell me they would need someone mechanically inclined to work the debris sifters, but she couldn't keep a straight face. If I do build some kind of structure, Os will have to bring me the right stones," he kidded. "That's his field."

"Well, I promise to give you a memorable ride down in the Lo'an," Shei offered. "She might not be the best looking airship, but she's unmatched in the handling department."

As the evening approached, Syl sought out team members in the passenger areas, sometimes knocking on cabin doors, with her usual cheerful demeanor and a message: "Our final meeting tonight after supper. Be sure to bring your opinions. Geddes loves it when you ask him hard questions."

As Geddes passed her in a corridor, he resorted to shuffling along as if he were dragging a great weight and mumbled. "Ah, my beloved, my fount of carefully-rationed joy."

As soon as the tables were cleared after the evening meal, a crewman covered them with images and maps of Per'sa Island. After considerable discussion, Geddes focused on one of the larger images and pointed to a beach on the west side of the caldera lake.

"This area would be our first choice, if you think it's possible to land there. The beach is wide and looks relatively flat." Then he pointed to a subtle undulating line in the same picture, "This looks like an easy path up the slopes to some of the Per'sa ruins."

Shei studied the location. "I don't see a problem with the beach. Even if it's windy tomorrow, the caldera peaks should block it quite well. We can take on ballast water there too."

The captain added, "The area would be out of prevailing winds for the better part of spring too."

Os pointed to a cliff near the landing spot in one of the larger images. "This looks like a pool of water here. Maybe there's a spring or waterfall nearby." He also commented on three roughly circular patterns in the summit area near the ruins. "These might be cave-ins along this ridge."

Syl said, "That beach reminds me of my first campout with Geddes, especially the rocks. I wonder if there will still be snow and ice."

"I think the beach should be open by now," the captain explained. "The ground will probably be quite cold, but inside a volcanic caldera, maybe not. I know you folks have prepared for that sort of thing anyway. There will still be some ice in the lake. We should know by morning. We've made good time."

When the meeting had ended, Havilan Meid spoke briefly with Elyse and then returned to his quarters. Most of the other team members did the same. They knew they would have trouble sleeping and wanted to get an early start. For the next six months, they expected to be camping beneath the clouds and stars.