“Look, if people stop believing in gods, they'll believe in anything,” said Om. “They'll believe in young Urn's steam ball. Anything at all.”
“Hmm.”
A green glow in the sky indicated that the light of dawn was chasing frantically after its sun.
Vorbis groaned.
“I don't know why he won't wake up,” said Brutha. “I can't find any broken bones.”
“How do you know?”
“One of the Ephebian scrolls was all about bones. Can't you do anything for him?”
“Why?”
“You're a god.”
“Well, yes. If I was strong enough, I could probably strike him with lightning.”
“I thought to did the lightning.”
“No, just the thunder. You're allowed to do as much lightning as you like but you have to contract for the thundering.”
Now the horizon was a broad golden band.
“How about rain?” said Brutha. “How about something useful?”
A line of silver appeared at the bottom of the gold. Sunlight was racing towards Brutha.
“That was a very hurtful remark,” said the tortoise. “A remark calculated to wound.”
In the rapidly growing light Brutha saw one of the rock islands a little way off. Its sand-blasted pillars offered nothing but shade, but shade, always available in large quantities in the depths of the Citadel, was now in short supply here.
“Caves?” said Brutha.
“Snakes.”
“But still caves?”
“In conjunction with snakes.”
“Poisonous snakes?”
“Guess.”
The Unnamed Boat clipped along gently, the wind filling Urn's robe attached to a mast made out of bits of the sphere's framework bound together with Simony's sandal thongs.
“I think I know what went wrong,” said Urn. “A mere overspeed problem.”
“Overspeed? We left the water!” said Simony.
“It needs some sort of governor device,” said Urn, scratching a design on the side of the boat. “Something that'd open the valve if there was too much steam. I think I could do something with a pair of revolving balls.”
“It's funny you should say that,” said Didactylos. "When I felt us leave the water and the sphere exploded I distinctly felt my-
“That bloody thing nearly killed us!” said Simony.
“So the next one will be better,” said Urn, cheerfully. He scanned the distant coastline.