Chapter 14

Amina, heartened by Majed’s return as navigator, drives the Marawati north from Mogadishu on an out-of-season, open-sea route. Expected hazards never appear; instead, impossibly perfect winds, clear skies, and abundant water speed them toward Socotra, unsettling Amina even as the crew enjoys the luck.

Approaching Socotra’s disused coast, Amina keeps the Marawati offshore and launches a three-person scouting party: herself, Tinbu, and Dalila. Majed remains with the ship, vowing to watch for a signal fire and wait one week. They land on a narrow beach beneath towering limestone cliffs.

Hiking north along the shore, they discover a colossal wreck: a deep-water vessel snapped across the middle. Examining the hull, Amina finds two rust-colored, serrated “teeth” embedded in the wood, suggesting the ship was bitten in half. The scale and proximity imply recent destruction, possibly Falco’s grand vessel, raising the likelihood of few survivors.

Rejecting paralysis, Amina leads Tinbu and Dalila up onto the plateau. The traverse is punishing—spiky undergrowth, rolling ravines, scant shade—though they note signs of locals and marvel at dragon’s blood trees, which Dalila taps for sap to Tinbu’s alarm. As evening falls, the land grows eerily silent, heightening their unease.

They reach a cold, murmuring creek at dusk and make a dark camp without a fire. While Tinbu and Dalila sleep, Amina keeps watch, reading the stars and recalling her father’s celestial tales. She questions Falco’s true aim for the Moon of Saba and regrets not seizing more of Dunya’s notes, mindful that an eclipse is only weeks away.