"I'll tell you what," Miro said. "There's a tall hill that doesn't look too far away. I saw it from the beach. Let's climb there together. We can take a look around and make a plan where we'll explore."
The clothing was now dry, and Miro dressed himself in the dead sailor's clothing while he gave Amber his own trousers and shirt. She made a belt out of a piece of rope, grumbling at the over-sized garments.
"I've always fancied you in my clothing." Miro grinned.
Miro gave Amber the cutlass while he took the axe. He led Amber back to the beach, and they walked along it until they were level with the hill, before heading into the trees. It was tough going, and they were both scratched and panting by the time they ascended to the top of the rocky outcrop.
From their vantage they could now see much more of the island. The first thing Miro saw, looking out at the sea, were two other islands nearby, one close and one far, both surrounded by rings of reef and still blue lagoons.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw they were on the largest of the three islands, the one Toro Marossa had named Valetta. This island was still only a few miles long, but Toro Marossa's journal said he had found settlements here.
"Let's just pray they're no longer abandoned," Miro muttered. "We need to find these people even more now, not just for a cure, but for a way home."
His eyes following the shore, Miro finally saw structures surrounding a cove on the other side of the headland. A second settlement could be seen in the opposite direction, past the stretch of rock.
"Two settlements on this island," Miro said.
"Look, there's a third," said Amber, pointing.
On the closest island, Miro could see another set of buildings. The last island was too far away to tell.
Against the green of the trees and the white of the sand, all of the islands bore strange spreading cascades of reddish rock, stretching down to the water's edge. The island closest to Valetta was dominated by a cratered mountain, with mist surrounding its summit so they couldn't see the peak.
Miro heard a low rumbling, and the ground trembled.
"What was that?" Amber said.
"I don't know," said Miro. "A storm?"
"The sky is clear."
Miro shrugged. "Ready to split up? I'll head for the buildings past the headland, while you follow the beach to the right until you reach the settlement there."
Amber nodded.
Miro pointed at the mountain. "The sun should set over there, behind the mountain. When the sun hits the mountain, turn back, even if you haven't reached it yet."
"Miro."
"What?"
"What if I can't see the mountain?"
Miro smiled. "Just turn back well before dark."
"What should we be looking for?"
"We're looking for people, but also keep an eye out for small barrels with a symbol on them. Toro Marossa came here a long time ago, but that's where he found the poisonous powder. If we find them, we might also find an antidote. Be careful, Amber, and if you get into trouble, run."
"I suddenly feel foolish for coming here."
"We had to try. If we hadn't come, we would never have forgiven ourselves."
"Do you really think we can find an antidote?"
"I don't know."
Miro squeezed Amber's hand. "The day's passing fast. We should move on."
17
MIRO decided to push through the trees rather than head back to the beach and walk around the headland. It was a decision he regretted almost immediately.
Consumed with worry, yet fighting to be strong for Amber, he stepped over fallen logs and ducked under thick branches as he clambered down from the hill. He realised there was no way to tell if he was heading in the right direction. All he could see were trees and bushes. If the inhabitants of these islands had once tilled the soil here, the signs of their presence were long gone.
The settlement hadn't looked far away from Miro's vantage on the hill, but the ground was steep and treacherous, the distance deceptive. The trees clawed at Miro's clothing and scratched at his legs. Occasionally he swung at the branches with his axe, but it was little use.
Suddenly the ground levelled, and Miro burst onto an old trail.
His heart sank when he saw it was weedy and overgrown, but he could see where once the footsteps of many men or animals had trodden a path into the earth. Miro guessed turning right would take him back to the beach where he and Amber had built their shelter. He turned left.
Eventually he heard the gurgle of running water, a sound that grew louder as he forged his way ahead. He caught sight of a river and then stopped and stared.
The building on the bank had once been a mill, with an elaborate system of cogs and pulleys designed to harness the river's power for grinding meal. The walls of the structure were made of ingeniously fitted bricks, each overlapping the other in a pattern Miro had never seen before. A tall tree had grown up inside the mill and was poking its head through a gaping hole in the roof, but it was a testament to the skill of its builders that the walls were still strong after what must have been many years.