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Shaun fell quickly into the ship's routine, and before long, to his shock, he found that he was starting to understand and learn from his sessions with the book-reels. No longer was he stupidly tongue-tied when the coach shot questions his way each evening. No longer did AU (astronomical unit) parsec and OV (orbital velocity) and such turns of celestial navigation seem like unfathomable mysteries. And when, as their journey neared its end, Tris invited him into the navigator's cubicle to help work out the final orbiting, he felt the pride and satisfaction that comes with achievement. This was as exciting as the prospect of the games to come. In a brief time he'd changed from a shepherd boy on an obscure planet to a traveler through the vast distances of space. And not an ordinary traveler, but one working on the ship and helping to direct its course. All this because he threw rocks for his dog!
Shaun was jarred out of his reverie by Tris voice shouting, "Seven-six! Wake up, Sili! Did you punch a seven and a six?"
"I did, sir!" Shaun hastily checked over his latest moves on the computer. "Seven and six it is!"
"Well, stay with us until we establish parking orbit," growled the trader, whose attention was divided between his manual, his instruments, and the view out the port.
As they approached the star Bonzai, it was a great brilliant orb. Soon its satellite, the water planet called Droth, swam into view, almost too bright to look at with the light of its sun reflected from clouds and seawater. Not until they were in orbit and Merl was in contact with Ground Control did Shaun have the pleasure of studying the new world. And when he did, it was chiefly to wonder where they were going to find a place to put down.
At 1st glance, the whole planet seemed to be one shining, heaving ocean in the sky---which, in reality, it was. Many planets, although favorably placed around a main-sequence sun, had too little water in their atmospheres to be suitable for man. Their use, if any, was restricted to scientific or emergency stations.
Droth was just the opposite. Far from being a dead planet, it harbored a teeming life in its waters. But where was there any habitable spot for man? Then as the Vulcan Adventurer moved in her orbit. Shaun noticed a chain of little dots. Several chains, in varied patterns. Islands and archipelagoes---the peaks and ridges of submerged mountains---they lay mostly around the equator, occasionally running outward towards the poles. But where was there one large and flat enough to land a spaceship?
Shaun felt a hand descending on his shoulder and turned with a guilty start, but the coach only stared out the viewport past him.
"A beautiful planet, isn't it? Tris murmured. "I never fail to feel the fascination. But I bet you're wondering where we're going to land. It's a bit tricky, yes, but the field should come into view in about, oh, thirty minutes. I'll fire up the retro-rockets in a moment. The people here blew the whole top off of a mountain to make their landing field. That's quite a feat of engineering, if you ask me."
"But before that?" asked Shaun in some awe, as he watched the changing patterns of cloud and water. "How'd they ever get down to start with?"
"You mean the first scouts? I reckon they just splashed in the briny and took their risks. That was a long time ago, son. A long, long time."
Shaun went back into the control room with the trader and watched as he and Merl, following instructions from groundside control, brought the ship to a safe landing. He saw the island, which seemed to be all landing field, loom up out of the watery horizon, and then he went to his acceleration chair to ride out the final descent.515Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZOzAiNmjY
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Shaun and his two friends sat in the port mess hall and stuffed their stomachs with fresh food and drink. It was the young Sobillonian's first experience of the glorious feeling of escape which accompanies planetfall after an interstellar journey. The welcome pull of normal gravity---in his case, just sufficiently lighter than normal to add a feeling of exhilaration---the sweet, fresh air, and the interesting and unlimited food all combined to make him feel that Droth was a wonderful world.
Yes, most of the items on the menu were unknown to him. Remarkable things seemed to go under the name of "fish" on this world. But they were all tastefully prepared, and Shaun wasn't finicky. He joined Jan-o and Merl in putting away his share, until Zeth Tristotha walked past their table in the company of several port officials and paused long enough to hiss: "Remember your training, boys!"
Shaun hastily withdrew his hand from the 2nd cake he was about to pick up, only to see it sneaked off the plate a few minutes later by Jan-o, who dropped it into a pocket.
"That's not fair!" Shaun whispered, though Tris was halfway down the room and seemingly paying no further attention. "You've had two already!"
"But I'm bigger than you are," Jan-o argued, "and I need more fuel. Furthermore, this is low grav for you. You can practically hop from place to place."
"Don't give me that! Do you see me hopping now?"
"No, but I'm sure you could."
"Oh, cut out the argument," Merl growled. "We all know we should go easy on food right after landing. Time now we got back to the ship to open airlocks."
Shaun whistled to Worf, who came out from under the table where he had also been enjoying his first meal on the new world. The dog was still a bit unsteady on his feet and inclined to get his hind legs going faster than his front ones. This caused considerable amusement, especially with Jan-o.
"Don't, Jan-o!" Shaun protested. "He knows you're laughing at him. What he doesn't understand is why things are suddenly heavier again."
The three boys went back to the ship and Shaun joined in the routine labor of preparing the winches and tackle that would unload whatever cargo the trader was able to sell. That done, they sat down and waited for their boss to return and give orders. Meanwhile, a lively argument developed over what their new planet was like.
"I hear they've got whole cities built under the sea," said Merl. "That's something I just gotta see."
"This island's supposed to be the largest flat piece of land on the whole planet," Jan-o added, "and it's not big by any standard."
"I hope Tris plans to take us with hi, wherever he goes," Shaun said. "I don't know that I care about the cities under the sea. But those floating gardens the waitress was telling us about...."
"Under the sea's more interesting," Merl insisted.
"But more dangerous," Jan-o amended.
"No more so than a spaceship."
"Oh, I don't know about that. If something cracked and the water rushed in...."
"Things can break on the ship, too," Shaun told him.
"So you suit up and fix it. Or if you don't you're dead in two seconds. But here it would be slow strangulation."
The argument was interrupted by the trader's return.
"What? Sitting down and doing nothing!" Tris cried. "No unloading today, so get busy training. I daresay none of you has done your 5 miles today. I've got to hop over to what they call Puralina, but I've arranged for you to use the southwest corner of the field for a training area. There won't be any ships landing down there for two weeks, or so they've told me, and by that time we'll be up, up and away!"
"But coach," demanded Merl, "why can't any of us come with you? Two's enough to guard the ship. We could take turns helping you with the trading."
"And get into trouble on the side? Perish the thought! This planet's too full of traps for the unwary. I'm not taking any chances with my team. I'm afraid all you boys can see of this planet is the island we're on right now!"
A chorus of wails and protests greeted this dictum. Even Jan-o, who had expressed doubts about the water world, joined in the cries of disappointment.
"But coach, that's practically confining us to quarters!"
"Nothing like that, I assure you. You've got this whole station to roam about." Tris waved his arm, cheerfully ignoring the fact that the barrier of water was visible at every turn.
"But Tris! You're walking into those traps yourself. What'll we do if something happens to you?"
"The difference is---I'm not going to the Olympiad to compete!" he snapped. "Don't matter if I get a touch of the bends or pick up a deep-sea virus. But it could ruin your chances. Furthermore, I've been around this place. Let a bunch of youngsters like you loose and you don't use your heads. Get chasing a pretty girl and you forget all about the necessary precautions."
"So they've got pretty girls here!" Jan-o groaned in fake disappointment. "He's keeping them all for himself!"
Tris's reply was a friendly cuff on the head.
"Wait'll you win at the Olympiad and you'll have all the girls you can stand. Nothing like a gold starburst to bring 'em crowding around. And on Pevoria you'll find women from every planet in the cluster---in the galaxy, that matter. You'll wish you'd never heard of 'em! You'll be snowed under. Now get to work, all three of you. I don't want any further argument. I'm not going to risk your health in the bizarre environment of these cities. I won't be gone long, and meanwhile get in your prescribed training. Jan-o, I want plenty of jumping this time. Keep records. I'll read 'em when I get back!"
So while Tris departed for the shuttle plane that would take him to the mysterious city where he was to negotiate his deals, the three boys made their way to the corner of the field that had been assigned to them for training. Merl marked out an oval track and started trotting around it, and Jan-o measured distances and then set to practicing his jumps. Shaun and Worf went father away where he could throw his discus without danger of accident.
Here there was only hard-packed sand that sloped down towards the island's edge and the sea. Shaun drew a line on the ground to indicate the end of the throwing box and then got out his discuses and hefted one in his hand. He remembered Tris's careful instructions when he first introduced him to the sport: "Always be sure there is nobody within possible striking range. The discus is a difficult missile and if mismanaged can veer off at an unexpected angle. Even the very ancient Greeks, who invented it, had all kinds of stories about people who got killed with this thing. One of their gods, Apollo, made a fatal error and killed his best friend. So you watch what you're doing and be mighty careful."
Taking this warning to heart, Saul prepared to throw towards the sea. If his discus went into the water, he could count on Worf to fish it out for him.
To start with he concentrated on style rather than distance. To get his feet planted just so. To swing and turn and tip his head to watch as his arm came up and around and his fingers grasped the circular form and gave just the right twist at the final moment.
Worf dashed up and down the beach, bringing back the discus in his mouth and dropping it each time at his master's feet. As Shaun felt that he was getting the technique under control, he started putting more power into it, and the missile sailed further and further with each toss, until it started dropping into the sea, and Worf splashed eagerly into the gentle surf to retrieve it.
Shaun laughed as the dog came out dripping and paused to shake himself before bounding back with the prize. He even laughed when Worf postponed his shake until he had run up to Shaun and dropped his burden at his feet.
"Hey, don't get so smart1 Do your shaking down there!"
But he wasn't really angry with the dog. The shower of salt spray was refreshing, and he wiped the water from his face and gave an extra heave, which he felt should produce some sort of record.
The discus did indeed fall farther out, and Worf was swimming about, vainly searching for it.
"Go on! Go on! You can find it!" Shaun encouraged him. "That's what you get for making me all wet!"
He started down toward the shore, where Worf was alternately swimming in circles and diving down towards the bottom. Tris wasn't going to like it if he lost a discus. He'd have to measure the distance carefully. A proven record might turn away wrath.
And then, unexpectedly, as if spewn out from the depths, the lost missile came flying back at him. It soared over his head to land a few feet short of where he had been standing. Remembering Tris's stories, Shaun ducked and then turned to where it'd landed. Open-mouthed , he turned back towards the sea.
"Worf!" he yelled. "Worf!" The idea was incredible.
Worf came splashing ashore and then ran up and down the beach, barking wildly. Shaun walked down to join him and stare seaward in perplexity.
There was a swirl of water out beyond the surf line, and then as a big wave came in, a dark form glided with it and uncurled on the sand at his feet. A slim, lithe girl in a dark green swimsuit picked herself up and grinned at him.
"What a clever animal you have there!" she exclaimed. "What do you call it?"
Shaun was too shocked to answer at first. He stared at her dripping figure, with the dark hair plastered about her face like some alien elf emerging from the sea.
"Worf," he said finally. "That is, that's his name. He's called a dog."
"Oh, I've heard of them," she said brightly. "At least, I've read about them and seen them on the off-planet reels. But we don't have them here. Only marine life."
Shaun was starting to sort things out. "Were you swimming out there? And threw the discus back? How'd you manage to catch it?"
"I didn't. I just followed it down through the water. You're from the Vulcan Adventurer, are you not? That new spaceship that just touched down."
Shaun nodded. "I'm Shaun Sili from Sobillon. That's where Tris picked me up. Or us, I should say. Worf and me."515Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu1z34sq1W
The girl laughed. "Worf. What a nice name. What does it mean?" And without waiting for an answer, she hurried on. "I am called Vesh. I'm from the flota out there. I heard there was a spaceship in and I wanted to see. I love to watch them, so tall and straight! What's it like, to ride one out? Surely it must be wonderful!"
Shaun had a quick memory of the day he first saw the Vulcan Adventurer, as a ball of fire streaking across his wide horizon. But he didn't dwell for long upon that thought. He was staring once again out to sea."
"Did you mean a ship?" he demanded. "What ship?"
The girl's eyes eyes followed his gaze. "Oh, Skem must've taken her down. But she's out there and I came in off her."
"You mean it's submerged? I've heard of things like that, but---well---how far out was it?"
"Most everything on this planet is built to submerge, unless it's something like a cycle toy. Must be two miles," she answered his question.
"Two miles! You swam for two miles!?
"Well, naturally. I don't believe in sitting around like a barnacle."
Shaun looked at her. She wasn't even winded. And he remembered Tris's caution against chasing a pretty girl. He felt that he'd make small headway chasing this one if she chose to dive into the sea. But he seemed to have other ideas. She motioned him down on the sand beside her and reached out to pat Worf who came up to sniff curiously.
"Haven't you given your dog enough exercise?" she asked. "Let him rest a bit, and tell me what it's like to be a spacer."
"You've got things turned around around," he told her. "I'm the one who's exercising. I'm practicing throwing the discus." He picked up the object Worf had dropped at his feet. "You see this. It's an ancient sport. Goes back to the very beginnings on Mother Earth, or so Tris says. That's Zeth Tristotha. Our boss and coach. He's gone to the city to trade."515Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Lvnsz8zlP
"And he left you here alone?"
"Well, not quite. There's two more of us. Back there, see? They're training, too. Running and jumping. I came down here by myself so I wouldn't hit anyone with this thing."
"But you almost hit me!" Vesh laughed and stood on tiptoe to see where Merl and Jan-o were working out. "How extraordinary! Why are they doing that?"
Once more Shaun felt an echo from the recent past.
"Haven't you heard of the Olympiad?" he demanded. "On the planet Pevoria? We're on our way to the Games!"
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