One morning after the hour of calm was over and the Artiméans had brought the day’s scavenged leftovers into the shelter, Henry dried off and made his way as usual to the greenhouse to find Ishibashi. The old scientist was there like always, puttering around the plantings. On the floor was a large container that Henry had never seen before. He dropped to his haunches next to it and peered in. It was filled with water and a slimy-looking substance that glowed fluorescent blue. “Ishibashi-san,” said Henry, “what is this?”
“Seaweed,” said the old man, not looking up. He crouched on the ground, watering some plants very carefully. He counted out the drops of water under his breath. “Also known as breakfast, for some. But do not taste it.”
Henry crinkled up his nose. “I won’t. Do you guys eat this?”
“Hai.” Ishibashi moved to the next plant. “It grows only on the leeward side of the island, where your whale takes shelter in the cove. She is a beautiful creature. I spoke to her today as I was out collecting the seaweed.”
Henry sniffed. It smelled briny, but not terrible. “Do you like this stuff?”
“Not really. Ito and Sato eat it as a scientific experiment. But it can be dangerous.”
“What’s the experiment?”
Ishibashi didn’t answer for a moment, concentrating on his plants and silently counting drops. “Life,” he said solemnly, looking up.
Henry felt a shiver go down his spine. He could tell by the way Ishibashi spoke that this was a precious secret not to be shared. And as much as he wanted to know everything, he dared not ask more.
But he couldn’t forget it.
Every day thereafter, while Alex and the others worked on spell components, Henry made his way to the greenhouse. Ishibashi taught him about each plant: how to identify it, what its special properties were, and how it could be used to heal cuts and bruises or to ease pain. Henry recognized a few of the plants that were also native to Artimé.
He pointed them out. “I’ve seen these before.”
“They came from Marcus Today,” Ishibashi said. “He brought them in the tube.” The scientist turned to Henry. “I see Alex-san has given up on fixing it?”
“Yes,” Henry said. “He tried, but it’s no use.”
Ishibashi nodded. “That was my fear. I’m sorry. This island isn’t kind to anything or anyone.”
He handed Henry some cuttings of foreign plants. “These are for you to experiment with. See what magic you can do to make them even stronger. If you are working hard it will help to keep Mage Alex-san from giving you angry looks,” he said with a toothless grin.
Henry laughed. “Alex doesn’t care that I’m here. He knows I’m learning things. I’m pretty much the best healer we have in Artimé,” he said with a bit of a swagger. “And now, thanks to you, I’ll be even stronger.” His face clouded. “If we ever get back there, anyway.”
The Glowing Seaweed
Every now and then, Henry found himself looking at the seaweed, wondering what made it shine so bright. Wondering what Ishibashi meant when he said it was an experiment on life.
Henry thought he knew, though. Ishibashi was ninety-six years old, yet he was as spry as somebody a third of that age. And Ito was one hundred and ten! Henry didn’t know anyone who had ever lived to be that old. Not even in the Ancients Sector. There was no reason in Quill to keep people living that long—they weren’t useful. Yet . . . He looked at the three old scientists hard at work in different parts of the greenhouse, creating new strains of plants and doing experiments with the material they had. They were extremely useful people, and they actually seemed like they enjoyed living here on this horrible stormy island. Just like the Unwanteds, they’d found the creative things they did best, and they’d gone to work doing them.
“Once we get our ship working again, do you and Ito-san and Sato-san want to come with us?” Henry asked. “Artimé is so beautiful and sunny, and it’s filled with magic and a mansion and a jungle and tons of plants. And it hardly ever storms.” He hesitated, then added, “It wouldn’t be any trouble. Everyone is welcome in Artimé.”
Ishibashi paused in his work, his face troubling over, but he didn’t lift his gaze. After a moment he asked, his tone careful and measured, “Artimé is one of the islands, isn’t it?”
Henry laughed. “Of course. What else would it be? That big block of land that doesn’t exist?”
Ishibashi chuckled uneasily. “Big block of land? What do you mean?”
“I’ll show you,” Henry said, hopping off his stool. “Be right back.”
Ishibashi looked over his shoulder, watching the boy go. He resumed working, but his face didn’t lose the troubled expression.
Henry found Lani in the entry room of the shelter, spreading out a large pile of wet moss on the floor so it would dry more quickly.
“I need your map,” he said to his sister. “Just for a minute.”
Lani scowled. “Why?” She was tired of the storms, and nearly everything set her on edge.
“I just want to show it to Ishibashi-san. Come on.” He jiggled a bit, trying not to reveal his impatience. “Please.”
Lani rolled her eyes. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the map she’d nearly destroyed. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. “Be careful. It’s starting to fall apart.”