*

wiktopher.md

@@ -572,11 +572,10 @@ Eka wandered over to the repair shop next door, which used to be green, Eka coul
 
 \newpage
 
-Lupen was hanging out at the local snack bar at the edge of town. Eka and Nono had agreed to meet here later that day.  
-    The owner of the town's only restaurant served the visitor a local drink, a glass of bonan wine. Bonan wine was an alcoholic drink traditionally brewed in Finiku villages. Every place had their own recipe. Some added herbs, or used other fruit as a base. It wasn't uncommon to give some of yours to a friend, the restaurant owner Javi explained.  
-    Javi was proud of the wine produced here in Tiputa, "sosae'di de yorala!" Then noticed Lupen's vacant expression, and understood that the Verido didn't understand Finic. "Best in the land!" Javi said again in the Common Tongue.  
-    "Sosae'di de yorala, sosae'di de yorala..." Lupen repeated, determined to
-remember this time. "Think others in the land say this too about their wine?"  
+Lupen was enjoying a mug of bonan wine at the local snack bar at the edge of town, where Eka and Nono had agreed to meet later that day.  
+    Bonan wine was an alcoholic drink traditionally brewed in Finiku villages, each had its own recipe. Some added herbs, or used other fruit as a base. It wasn't uncommon to give some of yours to a friend, the restaurant owner Javi explained.  
+     "Sosae'di de yorala!" Noticing Lupen's vacant expression, and understanding that the Verido didn't know Finic, Javi said it again in the Common Tongue. "Best in the land!"  
+    "Sosae'di de yorala, sosae'di de yorala..." Lupen repeated, determined to remember this time. "Think others in the land say this too about their wine?"  
     "Orae," the restaurant owner said, "but dey ees wrong!"  
     Lupen laughed. "I've had bonan before. Cut thin and dried as chips, never as a drink. How do you make it?"  
 
@@ -597,62 +596,57 @@ remember this time. "Think others in the land say this too about their wine?"
 
                                             ~  
 
-    Lupen enjoyed conversing with Javi, that is, until Gree showed up. Gree was also a Finiku and captain of one of the Beobug supply ships Nono had mentioned. Gree took a seat next to the Verido, sitting close even if there were free seats further away. Gree had big bulbous green eyes, with dark hair that was licked back tight, so tight that the Finiku could not frown. Gree was in a Beobug uniform, was good-looking, clean with a confident demeanor, Lupen imagined that Finiku mapas aspired to have children like Gree, a child with a job in the big city.  
-    One of the supply vessels was moored outside of town, it was gigantic,
-with twin masts and a green hull. The name Beobug II was painted on its side in yellow letters. Gree was the captain of Beobug II, and even if no one had asked Gree was now explaining how Ilk droppings were treated to be turned into gas to power machinery and vessels in Montore.    
-    Lupen knew about Beobug, the Volare elders didn't like them, they thought it was disrespectful of them to follow the Ilk. When in cities an Ilk would eat its weight in teaweet, and when it was on the move again Beobug was always there to catch its deposits. The Volare children all gathered to laugh at the adults standing as near to Vol's rump as they dared, to better shout down at Beobug, forbidding them to take the droppings.  
-    After Gree had finished paying homage to the gods of Beobug, the captain threw an arm around Lupen. "Nono good friend to you dae'sa? You arrive on same sandfin. Gree see dis."  
+    Lupen enjoyed conversing with Javi, that is, until Gree showed up. Gree was also a Finiku and captain of one of the Beobug supply ships Nono had mentioned. Gree took a seat by the Verido, despite there being unoccupied seats all around. Gree's big bulbous green eyes matched the Beobug uniform, with dark hair licked tight, so tight that the Finiku could not frown.    
+    One of the gigantic supply vessels, with the name Beobug II painted on its side in yellow letters, was moored outside of town, it had two masts and a green hull. Gree was the captain of Beobug II, and before Lupen could ask Gree was already explaining how Ilk droppings were treated to be turned into gas to power machinery and vessels in Montore.    
+    Lupen knew about Beobug, the Volare elders didn't like them, they thought it was disrespectful of them to follow the Ilk. In cities Ilks would eat their weight in teaweet, and when it was on the move again Beobug was always there to catch its droppings.  
+    Gree threw an arm around Lupen. "Nono good friend to you dae'sa? You arrive on same sandfin. Gree see dis."  
     "You want something?" Lupen asked.  
-    "Hm. Gree see dat Lupen like to speak plain." Gree smiled, pearly whites coming into view. "Nono best sandfinner. But package delivery ees waste of talent. Beobug I need captain, Gree ask and ask but always, Nono say no. I ask too much! Lupen ask for Gree. Voice of Ilk can do anything, orae?"  
-    It was a mistake to mention being Voice, Lupen blamed the bonan wine. No one had ever said that being Voice was prestigious. Seeing that the Verido was hesitating, Gree spoke up again. "Lupen talk to Ilk! You autority! Use dis title to get good ting for *you*!"  
+    "Hm. Gree see dat Lupen like to speak plain." Gree said with a smile. "Nono best sandfinner. But package delivery ees waste of talent. Beobug fleet have two ship. Gree steer Beobug II, but Beobug, lead sandfin, need captain. Gree ask and ask but always, Nono say no. I ask too much! Lupen ask for Gree. Voice of Ilk can do anything, orae?"  
+    Mentioning being Voice was a mistake, Lupen regretted it, blaming the bonan wine. Seeing that the Verido was hesitating, Gree spoke again. "Lupen talk to Ilk! You autority! Use dis title to get good ting for *you*!"  
     "Are we still talking about Nono? I don't understand why a title is so important."   
-    "Lupen forget, Voice ees grand being! If talk big, make all around listen." Saying this, Gree nudged the Verido with a sharp elbow.  
-    This was an insight into Montore, a place where titles were important and where currency reigned. Perhaps Gree befitted the title of captain, but this did not mean that it could be used to dismiss or influence others, Lupen thought. "I don't know." Lupen said, attempting to move away but Gree's arm was as solid and unyielding as an iron bar. "You really think being the captain of a vessel that recycles Ilk dung is worthy of praise?"  
-    "Orae!" Gree threw hands up into the air, as if in praise of some invisible deity in the ceiling. "No limit to da energy! Montore no more wait for wind! Beobug give city great great success! Gree swim in coin! No poor, no pain. No more, no more!" Gree said, eyes aglow.  
+    "Lupen forget, Voice ees grand being! If talk big, make all around listen." Saying this, Gree sharply elbowed the Verido in the ribs.  
+    "I don't know." Lupen said, attempting to move away but Gree's arm was unyielding. "You really think being the captain of a vessel that recycles Ilk dung is worthy of praise?"  
+    "Orae!" Gree threw their hands up into the air. "No limit to da energy! Montore no more wait for wind! Beobug give city great great success! Gree swim in coin! No poor, no pain. No more, no more!" Gree said, eyes aglow.  
     "Wind is free. And when there's no wind well, you wait." Lupen said.  
-    "Lupen seem to tink Verido'wati taint-free," Gree's bulbous eyes were set on the Verido, narrowing for a moment, "all you take free ride on Ilk. How long you do dis for, umm? Three'hety te eight annums? Up derr, eet keep you from worse of desert. Lupen always safe before, no understand tru misery." The captain patted the Verido's leg hard then, causing the sand and dust embedded in these isilk clothes to rise. When the dust settled again Gree laughed. "Well, Lupen learning dis now, orae? You are here in da dust wit us."  
-    "The Ilk is a friend. We co-exist." Lupen said, trying to hide the anger
-brewing in this heart.  
-    "Dis what Beobug do too. Mou ipaya Javi!"  
-    Javi went to pour a generous serving of bonan wine to both, a bit of it
-overflowing outside their mugs.  
+    "Lupen seem to tink Verido'wati taint-free," Gree's bulbous eyes were set on the Verido, narrowing for a moment, "all you take free ride on Ilk. How long you do dis for, umm? Three'hety te eight annums? Up derr, eet keep you from worse of desert. Lupen always safe before, no understand tru misery." The captain smacked the top of the Verido's thigh then, causing the sand embedded in the isilk clothes to rise. When the dust settled again Gree laughed. "Well, Lupen learning dis now, orae? You are here in da dust wit us."  
+    "The Ilk is a friend. We co-exist." Lupen retorted.  
+    "Dis what Beobug do too," Gree turned to the restaurant owner, raising two empty mug. "Mou ipaya Javi!"  
+    Javi nodded, pouring a generous serving of wine to both, a bit of the liquid overflowing outside their mugs.  
     Lupen noticed a patch on Gree's arm then, "what's that?"  
     The captain lifted up a green sleeve to show the full patch, pressed onto the skin. "Lunch. Much better than real thing oro!"  
     "Yoroi'di!" Javi said, inspecting the patch. "Bam cake! Good one."  
     Lupen was unphased, "aah I see, I see... another Montore industry.
-Another way to amass coin, another path to the creation of more titles." A glass of empty bonan wine sat in Lupen's hand, "did I drink all of this just now?" Gree's glass was also empty, but Javi was there to fill them right back up again.  
+Another way to amass coin, another path to titles." An empty mug sat in Lupen's hand, "did I drink all of this just now?" Gree's mug was also empty, but Javi was there to fill them right back up again.  
     "Industry mean progress." Gree said, leaning into the Verido.  
     "Progress means coin..." Lupen replied, bored with the conversation.  
-    "Coin ees future Voice of Volare Ilk." Saying this, Gree smacked Lupen hard in the back, resulting in Lupen nearly spitting out a mouthful of bonan wine.  
-    "What is there to do with so much coin?" Lupen said, coughing and trying
-to move away from Gree, again, with little success. "Coin makes people crazy, for some reason everyone wants to amass tons of it." Lupen said, trying to picture Gree in a bath of coin, failing to see the enjoyment in it. "You seem to attribute more worth to coin than to the services they pay for."  
-    "Lupen new to da desert, much to learn," saying this, Gree pulled out a shiny golden coin, which in turn, found itself into the palm of Lupen's hand. The coin had a face printed in its centre, but the quality of the engravings made it hard to make out its features. Montore was inscribed on it, and on the flip side was the number one hundred. Lupen was going to return the coin but Gree refused it. "Keep coin, ees payment for favour Gree ask. Lupen ask Nono for Gree, orae?"  
-    Lupen nodded, pocketing the coin. Just then, Gree said goodbye and stepped off of the stool, jelly-legged, and returned to the crew aboard Beobug II.  
-    Lupen stayed at the bar, suddenly unable to put a phrase together.  
-    Javi laughed. "Eat muckwheat dumpling, healthy wit bobonion, dilly herb and looma root. Verido like da looma root, orae? Will imbibe bonan in stomak." Javi pushed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of the Verido. "Wawa'de. Eet, eet."  
+    "Coin ees future Voice of Volare Ilk." Saying this, Gree slapped Lupen in the back, resulting in Lupen nearly spitting out a mouthful of wine.  
+    "What is there to do with so much coin?" Lupen said, coughing and trying to move away from Gree, again, with little success.  
+    "Lupen new to da desert, much to learn," saying this, Gree pulled out a shiny golden coin, which now found itself into the palm of Lupen's hand. One side bore a poorly-chiseled face, and the other had Montore inscribed on it along with the number one hundred. Lupen was going to return the coin but Gree refused it. "Keep coin, ees payment for favour Gree ask. Lupen ask Nono for Gree, orae?"  
+    Lupen nodded, pocketing the coin. Gree then stepped off of the stool, jelly-legged, and returned to the crew aboard Beobug II.  
+    Lupen stayed at the bar, unable to put a phrase together.  
+    Javi laughed. "Eat muckwheat dumpling, healthy wit bobonion, dilly herb and looma root. Verido like da looma root, orae? Wawa'de, will imbibe bonan in stomak." Javi pushed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of the Verido. "Eet, eet."  
 
-Having finished all deliveries, and now armed with a tall bottle of plumpkin ale, Nono felt it necessary to treat the fleshies to a drink. All three gathered at Javi's snack bar, savoring their drinks, although the Verido had opted for tea this time. Lupen had a headache, the dumplings had helped with the jelly-headedness but did little to soothe the other pains of drinking your weight in bonan wine.  
-    Eka told them about Orin, Bou, the incident with the pomparu, the fixing of the waterstone pump and all the other items on the list they'd been tasked with. Because of Eka's experience with the pump on Nono's sandfin it was an easy fix. Today, they had crossed many other items off the list, they managed three day's work in just a day's time. Eka was still wearing the wide pair of overalls. Lupen spoke of the encounter with Gree, and told Nono about the favour.  
+Having finished all deliveries, and now armed with a tall bottle of plumpkin ale, Nono felt it necessary to treat the fleshies to a drink. All three gathered at Javi's snack bar, savoring their drinks, although Lupen had opted for tea this time.  
+    Eka, still wearing the coveralls, told them about Orin, Bou, the incident with the pomparu, the fixing of the waterstone pump and all the other items on the list they'd been tasked with. Lupen spoke of the encounter with Gree, and told Nono about the favour.  
     "Dis komororo ask Lupen to ask Nono to captain Beobug sandfin? Ia'! Ianae!" The Finiku's head began to shake and the shaking did not stop for some time. Eka wondered if their friend was stuck in a loop and needed help, but Nono recovered moments after that. "Ia' ees wat Nono say and always say to Gree!"  
-    "Being on a sandfin like that must be impressive. Sounds like a prestigious post too. Why not do it?" Eka asked, the large green sandfin at the edge of town was hard to miss.  
+    "Being on a sandfin like that must be impressive. Why not do it?" Eka asked, remembering the large green sandfin at the edge of town.  
     "Yorala'no mai aini're de mutau'wi, coin ianae." Nono said with pride.  
-    "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness, not coin." Eka
+    "The way of the land is perpetuated in righteousness, not coin." Eka
 translated, grinning.  
     Both Eka and Lupen laughed at this. Nono went on to say that they were both grown on the same plot of land, because of this Gree thinks that they are close. "Wen young, Nono travel on sandfin, but Gree stay in Tiu'va[^] and make mapa tink Nono useless! Say Nono waste time, dat only good job is Beobug job. Komororo..." Nono said, cursing at the air, "Beobug dey do scam. All profit, no work. Beobug sandfin need no captain! No one know dis but eet drive itself!" After saying this, Nono leaned in to whisper to them. "Nono watch Beobug sandfin always. Ponopo follow Beobug II, anodder woth watch Beobug I and Beobug III. Nono go to village after fiendling leave, and Nono correk misdeed!"  
 
-As the evening went on Nono began to tell sandfin stories, like the one about the notorious Dorake's passage, known to have buried countless sandfinners over time. While Nono was talking, a small creature fLu over and landed on the table. It had short antennae, as well as delicate yellow hairs all over its body. "Ara! Dis Ponopo. Ponopo carry message for Nono, has good memory and know Soronan Desert well."  
+As the evening went on Nono began to tell sandfin stories, like the one about the notorious Dorake's passage, known to have buried countless sandfinners over time. While Nono was talking, a small creature flew over to them, and landed on the table. It had short antennae, and delicate yellow hairs all over its body. "Ara! Dis Ponopo. Ponopo carry message for Nono, has good memory and know Soronan Desert well."  
     Ponopo fluttered off the table and landed on Eka's head.  
     "Wow! A woth! Yora'nae Ponopo!" Eka said, watching Ponopo hover back
-down onto the table, landing near a puddle of spilled plumpkin ale. The woth began to mop it up, its antennae wiggling as it drank the sweet, strong liquid.  
+down onto the table, landing near a puddle of spilled plumpkin ale. The woth began to mop it up, its antennae wiggling as it drank.  
     Nono pulled out a small wooden box, laid it out on the table and opened the lid. Six round eggs sat in it, laying over a soft tan blanket. "Woth egg," Nono told them, "Nono carry many." Nono's hand reached into the box and picked up an egg. "Dis woth egg ready, but woth only come out when eet find someone eet like. Woth ees loyal, eet follow you always." Nono reached over the table, grabbed Eka's hand, and placed a single woth egg in it. As soon as the egg came into contact with Eka's skin, the white egg turned sky blue.  
     "It's blue!" Eka said, amazed by the unborn woth.  
     "Blue? Woth egg never blue," Nono said, looking very confused, "no no no
 matter! Put finger on egg. Do gentle, gentle stroke."  
     Eka did as Nono instructed and put a finger on the egg, stroking it.  
-    "Less stroke, good good woth!" Nono continued. The blue egg cracked open
-after only a single stroke. Nono couldn't believe it. "Impossible."  
-    Lupen and Eka watched as a new woth emerged from the egg. It had a blue body, covered in light blue hairs, it had long antennae, and an even longer wingspan.  
-    "Sakoi'di! Strong woth!" Nono said, shaking a head in disbelief.  
+    "Less stroke, good good woth!" Nono continued. The blue egg cracked open after only a single stroke. "Impossible."  
+    Lupen and Eka watched as a new woth emerged from the egg. It had a blue body, covered in light blue hairs, it had long antennae, and even longer wings.  
+    "Sakoi'di! Strong woth!" Nono said, shaking their head in disbelief.  
     Eka knew many things, but knew little about woths, although this one did
 appear larger than Ponopo. Nono grabbed a measuring stick and jotted down every detail, the colour of its hairs, the length of the wings and of the antennae, the diameter of the eyes too. Everything. "Nono visit hatchery and ask question to friend. Friend know much about woth." Nono put the stick away, and continued to marvel at the quality of Eka's woth.  
     "What should we name it?" Lupen asked Eka.  
@@ -660,16 +654,16 @@ appear larger than Ponopo. Nono grabbed a measuring stick and jotted down every
 them, "ees no easy to guess da name!"  
     "Yea, I mean, the name could be anything! How long did it take you to
 guess Ponopo's name?" Lupen asked.  
-    Nono took a long sip of plumpkin ale, after four mug-fulls the Finiku's skin should have a red tinge, but it remained unaffected. "Five annums, but only after Nono take bad, bad herb. For Nono friend, ees long time. Eet take fourteen annums."  
+    Nono took a long sip of plumpkin ale. "Five annums, but only after Nono take bad, bad herb. For Nono friend, ees long time. Eet take fourteen annums."  
     "Fourteen?!"  
     "Orae, orae! Mu-mu-mu-mu-mumford. Woth stutter, make guess difficult,"
 Nono paused, "woth lissen wid or widout name, but name make connection strong strong! Some tink woth no choose name, da woth wait to hear name eet like."  
     Eka hoped it wouldn't take that long, a fourteen-annum long guessing game did not sound fun. "You've got an easy name, isn't that right Tom-tom?" A finger traced along the soft hairs on its back. The woth went about its business, and joined Ponopo on the table to get some of that sweet plumpkin juice.  
     "Tom-Tom?" Lupen said with a laugh, "it looks more like a Pino."
 
-After an evening of unsuccessful name-guessing, Eka and Lupen said goodbye to Nono. Nono gave them an updated map of the desert between Tiputa and Montore. The Finiku had marked an area with a red line. "This place. Many floater. Many, many danger. Take care when near fleshies."  
-    They raised their tent in a clear space on the outskirts of town. Bou had given Eka an extra length of fabric to extend the size of their shelter. They had sown the two pieces together, and now two and half travelers could lie under it—Hush agreed then to laying halfway outside of the tent, so the other two could have room. Unlike the hyroo, Lupen and Eka didn't have fur to keep them warm after both suns had set, nor did they have large ears to cool them down in the day.  
-    "Would have loved to continue to travel in a sandfin," Lupen said, watching the unnamed woth wing its way through the air, drawing shapes as it did. They wondered if this was its way of communicating its name, they spent a long time trying to decipher it, but it turned out to be complete gibberish.  
+After an evening of unsuccessful name-guessing Eka and Lupen said goodbye to Nono, who gave them a map with areas marked in red of the desert between Tiputa and Montore. "This place. Many floater. Many, many danger. Take care when near, fleshies."  
+    They raised their tent in a clear space outside of town. Bou had given Eka an extra length of fabric to extend the size of their shelter. They had sown the two pieces together, and now two and half travelers could lie under it—Hush agreed to laying halfway outside of the tent, so the other two could have room.  
+    "I would have loved to keep traveling aboard the sandfin," Lupen said, watching the unnamed woth tracing shapes through the air. They wondered if this was its way of communicating its name, they spent a long time trying to decipher it, but it turned out to be complete gibberish.  
     Eka agreed. "They're wonderful aren't they? Wish the cabin was taller though, I hit my head on the cross beam too many times during the voyage."  
     Lying in the tent, Lupen thought about name-giving. Verido had their names written on their faces, but this wasn't true for everyone. "Did you pick your own name?"  
     Eka didn't answer right away, brows furrowing as if in deep thought. "Yes, I've had many names though."  
@@ -685,31 +679,31 @@ After an evening of unsuccessful name-guessing, Eka and Lupen said goodbye to No
     "Analogy? You mean you don't adhere to the idea of a sweater-verse?"  
     Both spent the evening unravelling the isilk sweater until it was back to not being a sweater at all, just a collection of thread.   
     Lupen lent Eka a vest to wear, and together they cooked up a pot of bobonion soup. They ate it with some slices of toasted muckwheat bread. Then, they recited poems about the sweater-verse until they fell asleep.  
-    Lupen did not dream of death, but dreamt of a world where everyone was made of fabric, their skin and clothes knitted together. Children made a game of unravelling each other's arms, while the adults scolded them. The vegetables and fruit were comically overstuffed, round and made of hairy, soft fabric. Lupen was in this dream, and there hanging from the side of everyone's wrist was a thread, connecting Verido to Aodals, to Finikus, to Terins, to looma roots, to every grain of sand, and to skyrocks too. This thread bound all things in the known world and beyond.  
+    Lupen did not dream of death, but dreamt of a world where everyone was made of fabric, their skin and clothes knitted together. Children made a game of unravelling each other's arms, while the adults scolded them. Lupen was in this dream, and there, hanging from the side of everyone's wrist was a thread, connecting Verido to Aodals, to Finikus, to Terins, to looma roots, to every grain of sand, and to skyrocks too. This thread bound all things, both known and unknown.    
 
-The next day, Lupen and Eka spent time with Bou. They had finished their tasks early, so Bou closed the store for the day and introduced them to some of the locals. They ate plenty of muckwheat bread, a local specialty. Everyone they came across would give them their own batch of bonan wine, they sampled some but when Lupen's words began to merge into entirely new made up words they decided it best to stop.  
-    One of Bou's friends had Vennec babies and insisted on showing them off. Vennecs were large, humpbacked, furry beasts with thin snouts, large pointy ears and a long slender neck. The vennec babies were all asleep in a pile, it was hard to tell where one started and another ended. Though soon, the babies were on their feet and ran circles around them. Eka laughed, stroking their soft hairs. Lupen's face was buried in the fur of one of the larger cubs.  
+The next day, Lupen and Eka spent time with Bou. They had finished their tasks early, so Bou closed the store for the day and introduced them to some of the locals. They ate plenty of muckwheat bread, a local specialty. The bread was served with fermented sagery jam and thin slices of sun-dried totomites.  
+    One of Bou's friends had Vennec babies and insisted on showing them off. Vennecs were large, humpbacked, furry beasts with thin snouts, large pointy ears and a long slender neck. The vennec babies were asleep in a pile, it was hard to tell where one started and another ended. Soon, the babies were on their feet, and ran circles around them. Eka laughed, stroking their soft hairs. Lupen's face was buried in the fur of one of the larger cubs.  
     "Vennec too young now, but in one annum you come back. Vennec become strong,
 make good travel companion." The vennec grower said.  
-    Having a pup now would not be practical, they had much travelling to do with all the places Eka wanted to visit. Lupen liked the idea of adopting a vennec, caressing one between the ears. "You look like an Aristollo."  
+    Having a pup now would be impractical, as they had much travelling to do. Lupen liked the idea of adopting a vennec. "You look like an Aristollo."  
     "Aristollo?" Eka said, eyes wide and glancing over at the Verido. "But
 that's the name of a—"  
     "Skyrock? Yes, I know that."  
     "No. Well yes. But it's also the name of an—"  
     "Iridi?" Lupen's mouth curled into a smile, it was nice to appear all-knowing for once, a rarity around someone like Eka.  
     "Yes again! Wow! Lupen you know *everything*!"  
-    "I know of a hundred ways to prepare looma roots," Lupen began, "but I don't know the story of Aristollo. I'd like to hear it if you know it."  
+    "I know a hundred ways to prepare looma roots," Lupen began, "but I don't know the story of Aristollo. I'd like to hear it if you know it."  
     "It's not my story to tell. We'll find someone to tell it to you, and on the way, you can tell me of the hundred ways to prepare Looma roots."  
-    "I really couldn't. Even after having just eaten the word never fails to make me hungry."  
-    "Yes well, the muffled cries of your stomach pairs well enough with my singing," Eka said.  
+    "I really couldn't."  
+    "Yes, well, the muffled cries of your stomach pairs well enough with my singing," Eka said.  
 
-Back at their camp, Lupen held a hand up to make a landing platform for the woth. They had received a little portable house for their new friend as a gift, a round glass ball with a gap at its side to be used as a door. Inside it was an inner wall of soft banabo fabric, there was so much of it that the woth could easily find a spot in there and stay hidden. The ball was wrapped in yellow thread and had a permanent attachment to Lupen's pants. Bou had left the gift hanging at the entrance of their tent. Vacation time was rare in these parts, people worked all day everyday. Eka's help in the shop made it happen, and in thanks the Finiku made something special for them. The woth landed on Lupen's hand, and then climbed down and found its way into the glass ball, burying itself in it.  
-    "Rest well Duster," but the woth did not react to this name either.  
+Back at their camp, Lupen held a hand up, making a landing platform for the woth. They had been gifted a little portable house for their new friend, a round glass ball with a hole on its side to be used as a door. Inside, was a lining of soft banabo fabric, so that the woth could easily find a spot in there and stay hidden. The ball was wrapped in yellow thread and had a permanent attachment to Lupen's belt. Bou had left the gift hanging at the entrance of their tent.  
+    "Rest well Duster," but the woth did not react.  
     "Not even a twitch," Eka said, looking at the sleeping messenger, "it's a nice name, maybe it didn't hear me say it?"  
-    They weren't sure what the rules were. How would the woth react once it heard its own name? Maybe it would produce a sound, flutter extra harder, or maybe it would change colour again? Lupen wished they'd asked Nono more questions, but the Finiku had left after the second sunset for another delivery, both suspected that Gree had something to do with their friend's hasty departure. The three had already said their goodbyes, and had accepted yet another gift of bonan wine, which they guessed would be stronger than all the others they'd tried today given Nono's high tolerance to alcohol.  
+    They weren't sure what the rules were. How would the woth react once it heard its own name? Maybe it would flutter extra harder, or would change colour again? Lupen wished they'd asked Nono more questions, but the Finiku had left after the second sunset for another delivery, both suspected that Gree had something to do with their friend's hasty departure.  
 
 The following morning, even before Eka had time to slip on some day clothes, Orin appeared at the door a bundle in hand. The clothes were ready and the tailor was eager to see them on Eka. Eka changed into the new outfit while Lupen brought the Finiku some herbal tea, served with a slice of lemoni lime and some grated sweet root. The tailor was unusually quiet, and stared at the Verido.  
-    Eka modeled the set. The trousers were loose, yet tight in all the right places, reaching up over Eka's midriff and held there without the need for a belt. The undershirt looked plain to the untrained eye, but it was made of banabo fibres. The stitching was reinforced around the neck and shoulders. Orin even made a scarf with sleeves, large enough to throw over your head for protection from sand storms.  
+    The trousers were loose, yet tight in all the right places, reaching up over Eka's midriff and held there without the need for a belt. The undershirt looked plain to the untrained eye, but it was made of banabo fibres. The stitching was reinforced around the neck and shoulders. Orin even made a scarf with sleeves, large enough to throw over your head for protection from sand storms.  
     "You are a true master! These are wonderful!"  
     Orin's face reddened at those words. "Oh it's nothing, really! It pleases me that you like it."  
     "Like? I *love* it!" Eka said.  
@@ -719,8 +713,6 @@ The following morning, even before Eka had time to slip on some day clothes, Ori
     "Now you can make something for yourself with it," the Verido said.    
     Just then, Orin began to bawl, fingers curling around the precious bundle of thread. "T-t-this is t-too much," there was no stopping those tears, "y-you be t-too k-kind."  
 
-It was a great way to end their time here in Tiputa. They packed their tent and began their long walk to Montore, city of coin and titles.
-
 \newpage
 
 # Skyrock 
@@ -731,19 +723,18 @@ It was a great way to end their time here in Tiputa. They packed their tent and
 
 \newpage
 
-This is the tale of a lonely piece of matter. It was once part of some other, larger body, but they'd since parted. There was no way to measure how much time had passed since then, which was just as well, because time didn't matter out here. Skyrock had seen much of the universe. It no longer grieved for home, nor did it fear the unknown. Contrary to what it first thought, the great expanse did not inspire fear, it was soothing, and everything made sense here. The celestial bodies danced with one another, locked into a slow and unending waltz.  
-    Skyrock rather liked the time it had spent adrift, but then it neared the atmosphere of a yellow planet and was pulled down onto it. It lost much of its mass in the descent, but still had enough to cause a great big fuss when it struck land.  
-    Now, Skyrock was faced with a new reality, but it knew that one day the waltz would resume, and so Skyrock's mind quieted.  
+This is the tale of a lonely piece of matter. It was once part of some other, larger body, but they'd since parted. There was no way to measure how much time had passed since then, which was just as well, because time didn't matter out here. Skyrock had seen much of the universe. It no longer grieved for home, nor did it fear the unknown. Contrary to what it first thought, the great expanse did not inspire fear, it was soothing, and everything made sense here. The celestial bodies danced with one another, locked into a slow waltz.  
+    Skyrock rather liked the time it had spent adrift, but then it neared the atmosphere of a yellow planet and was pulled down onto it. It lost much of its mass in the descent, but still had enough to cause a great big fuss when it struck.  
+    Now, Skyrock was faced with a new reality, but it knew that one day the waltz would resume, and so its mind quieted.  
 
 It sat idly for many annums. It saw the suns and moons pass many times. It wasn't tiresome, on the contrary, it celebrated each passing and would count them up.  
     "..."  
     Skyrock did not know how to count, but it liked to try.  
-    It was about to assign an outrageously large series of what it thought to be numbers and letters to this next moon passing when some land-dwellers stopped a short distance away. A shell lodged itself in the foot of their furry companion, and the riders were forced to dismount.  
-    They were travelers. One had hair like a sun and the other hair like sand, and a face like the sky. Skyrock gave them names then: Sun and Sky-sand. These two beings were unaccustomed to a ground composed entirely of disintegrating shells. They were fascinated with it and began to search, to try and find the most beautiful shell of all.  
-    Skyrock enjoyed this game, wondering if perhaps it too qualified as
-a shell. Sun found one that was twisted in a near impossible shape, turning and coiling and somehow ending back onto itself. Sky-sand had dug up a shell of a most peculiar shape, it had a face carved into it. Skyrock knew these well.  
+    It was about to assign an outrageously large series of what it thought to be numbers and letters to this next moon passing when some travelers stopped a short distance away. A shell lodged itself in the foot of their furry companion, and the riders were forced to dismount.  
+    One had hair like a sun, and the other hair like sand with a face like the sky. Skyrock gave them names then: Sun and Sky-sand. They were fascinated with the shells that covered the ground, and began to search, to try and find the most beautiful shell of all.  
+    Skyrock wondered if perhaps it too qualified as a shell. Sun found one that was turning and coiling and somehow ending back onto itself. Sky-sand had dug up a shell of a most peculiar shape, it had a face carved into it. Skyrock knew these well.  
     "Um. Lu. That's a seshell krab," Sun said.  
-    Sky-sand had no idea what a seshell krab was, but then multiple pairs of legs came pushing out of the sides of the shell, along with a set of tiny black eyeballs sitting atop lanky strings of skin. Sky-sand screamed and dropped it to the ground. This amused Skyrock, oh the sounds these fleshy ones could make!  
+    Multiple pairs of legs came pushing out of the sides of the shell, along with a set of tiny black eyeballs sitting atop lanky strings of skin. Sky-sand screamed and dropped it to the ground. This amused Skyrock, oh the sounds these fleshy ones could make!  
     The seshell krab began to throw bits of broken shells over itself, burrowing deep into the ground. It was not rare for one of them to burrow underneath Skyrock, and to cause it to shift to a new place—this too was fun, each time it happened it wondered where it would shift to next.  
     "Are they *all* alive?!" Sky-sand said, breathing hard. "Not sure I like the idea of standing on a sea of living things..."  
     "No no, just the ones with faces. Avoid those if you can. They're bad tempered. If you mess with them they'll chase you to return the favour. They never forget a face."  
@@ -753,7 +744,7 @@ a shell. Sun found one that was twisted in a near impossible shape, turning and
     "Then everyone's a potential victim."  
     Sky-sand's eyes widened. "Scary."  
     Sun started to whistle a tune and found yet another impossible shape: a flat shell coiling and again, ending back onto itself. "Look at this one!"  
-    Sky-sand seemed to envy Sun, wishing to find an interesting shell too. Then, Skyrock caught the eye of this sky-faced scavenger and grew nervous, no two-legged land dweller had ever come this near to it.  
+    Sky-sand seemed to envy Sun, wishing to find an interesting shell too. Then, Skyrock caught the eye of this sky-faced scavenger and grew nervous, no two-legged land dweller had ever come this close to it.  
     "Beautiful," Sky-sand said, eyes aglow and nearing a hand to Skyrock.  
     "Disqualified!" Sun shouted, Skyrock fidgeted with ever-growing excitement. "That's a skyrock, not a shell."  
     "Really? I thought they'd be bigger than this."  
@@ -779,7 +770,7 @@ broken shells behind.
 
 \newpage
 
-Lupen and Eka arrived near a hollow. They did not have to come through here to go to Montore, but Eka had insisted on it since it was more likely to find food in these parts. This place, Nono had said, was dangerous to them. They were instructed to transit quickly, but their sore feet made walking fast difficult. The two experimented with walking fast, making much distance but getting tired faster, or walking slow, making little progress but with more energy to spare. When Hush was in a good mood, they would do a few long leaps ahead together, this too helped to shorten the trip.  
+Lupen and Eka arrived near a hollow. They did not have to come through here to go to Montore, but Eka had insisted since they were more likely to find food in these parts. This place, Nono had said, was dangerous to them. They were instructed to transit quickly, but their sore feet made walking fast difficult. The two experimented with walking fast, making much distance but getting tired faster, or walking slow, making little progress but with more energy to spare. When Hush was in a good mood, they would do a few long leaps ahead together, this too helped to shorten the trip.  
     Near the hollow, Hush spotted round creatures hovering in the distance. Its ears twitched, attentive to the faintest of sounds. Something was wrong. The hyroo would not move forward, fearful of the strange beings ahead. The creatures had two black points for eyes, long fluttery wings on the sides of their bodies and tiny slits for mouths.  
     "Whoa! Look at those!"  
     Eka grabbed Lupen's shoulder, "remember what Nono said." These creatures were not unfamiliar to Eka, but little was known of them because usually people made a point of avoiding them.