Norch rubbed the stubble across his jaw. Heavy stubble, he realized with surprise. He would have to find the time to shave. He turned to watch the Jemily and Nae Xali as they splashed in the lagoon, skirts held up out of the water. When he turned back, the Benjamin fellow was removing objects from his packs and depositing them into a satchel he had slung around his shoulder.

"The essential stuff," he said, when he saw Norch watching.

Norch cast an eye over the remaining paraphernalia.

"If it's as far as you say," he began, "won't that be cumbersome?"

Benjamin stood up and closed the satchel. He gave Norch quick smile. "I don't intend to carry it."

He put fingers to lips and sounded a sharp whistle. The Jemily, who had been chasing a frog across the water's edge, lifted its heads at the sound and clapped its hands in delight.

"Kei Ta!!" it exclaimed.

From the other side of the lagoon, Norch caught movement from within the bushes. For a second, he thought he saw a flash of prism light, little rainbows reflected in the wet leaves nearby, but his attention was diverted by the creature that burst out of the thicket and careened towards them. Sharp-nosed face thrust forward, it charged out on three legs, swaying in a manner that reminded Norch of a full wheel barrow. Sandy-furred, but for six hairy stalks that stuck out in two sets of three on either side of the head like ears. No, Norch realized. Instead of ears. They were fuchsia. The thing bowled over Nae Xali, wheeled back to sniff at her, then veered towards Benjamin and The Jemily. It greeted them eagerly, circling itself, circling them, wriggling and snorting in excitement. Norch tried to step back when it made for him, but there appeared to be no avoiding its nose. With a start, he jerked forward and spun. No avoiding its nose at all! Benjamin made soothing noises, but Norch couldn't tell if he intended them for him or the quivering mass in front of him. Benjamin wrapped his arms around the thing and hauled it backwards. He got it to sit, mostly still after a few moments. Its long tail still lashed and large brown anxious eyes moved from side to side. Norch gave the thing a dark look and smoothed the seat of his pants.

"What is that?" he demanded.

Stroking its snout, Benjamin carefully bent and fumbled one-handed among his things.

"This," he said, "is Kei Ta."

He pulled out leather straps and a harness. "I don't know what she is, but she makes a good companion."

Norch turned a suspicious eye on it. "Can you ride it?"

"Well," Benjamin said with some hesitation, "you can. I mean I have, but I don't know that I would recommend it. She has a tendency to forget you're there and wander under low trees and the like. Or else, she can't forget you're there and spends most of the day trying to reach you. She does make a good pack animal though."

He began attaching the straps and harness, then paused and looked over her head at Norch. "So long as you walk in front of her, anyway, and don't pack anything breakable."

He gave a few experimental tugs at the harness, then began attaching the packs. Kei Ta, all the while, was staring at Norch in a sidelong way, the whites of her eyes showing around the edges. Norch returned the stare flatly.

"What is that noise?" he asked suddenly.

"What noise?" Benjamin said, still engrossed in his work.

"That one right there. Like a..." Norch searched for the word and failed. He settled for trying to mimic it. "Like a kind of 'Eeeeeeeeee' "

"Ah," Benjamin said. "That noise. It's just her noise. She wants you to pet her."

"I don't think so," Norch said, arms folded over his chest. He fought the urge to step back.

Benjamin shrugged. "Your call. She will keep making that noise, though." 

He finished with his gear, and rubbed Kei Ta behind the stalks. Her head lolled into Benjamin's hand, but her eyes never left Norch.

***

With Kei Ta secured, Benjamin gathered in Nae Xali and the Jemily and started them on their way. With less than half a day left Benjamin wished to cover as much ground as possible.

"You see," Benjamin said, "where we need to go is on the opposite end of the Island. Past the island, really. It's on the Isle of Faces right off the North Western coast. That's our best shot anyways."

"Best shot for what?" Norch asked. "What are we trying to do?"

"Get you through the barrier," he answered.

"What barrier?"

"It's--" Benjamin hesitated, "it's hard to explain."

"Try," Norch said.

Benjamin half shook his head. "Truth is, I'm not sure I understand, and I've been studying this for months. Years."

Benjamin compressed his lips and examined Norch.

"Are you familiar with physics?" he asked.

Norch shook his head.

"String theory? Pocket universes?"

Norch frowned and shook his head again. Strings and pockets? Were they making a dress?

Benjamin rubbed a thumb over his mouth while he thought.
"Okay. Forget that," he said. "We'll try this way."

He held two fist in front of him, a measure apart from one another.

"This is my world," he said, lifting one hand higher.

"This is yours," he said, hoisting the other.

"They both exist is two different places. Sometimes they come together," he bumped both fists together, "but they never overlap."

He lowered his hands.

"Most worlds are like that. This world though, this world is unique. It acts as a," he groped for a word, "as a bridge I suppose. It connects one world to another world. Here, wait."

Benjamin stooped and picked up two leaves. "My world, your world."

He grabbed a twig. "The bridge world."

He jammed the twig through the two leaves. "It connects both worlds by driving a hole through them."

Norch studied the leaf model. "So I'm inside the hole?"

"No. You're on the stick," Benjamin answered. "We need to find the hole. Not any hole, either. It has to be the right hole. I have no idea how many worlds this world connects too."

Norch rubbed his eyes. "The Isle of Faces?"

"The tip of the stick," Benjamin said. "I think it has the most connections with the most worlds, but it's all guess work, right? I've never tried to get in or out from there."

"Then how do you know about it?" Norch asked.

Benjamin shrugged. "I've been reading up on the concept for a while."

He glanced toward the Jemily, but made no further comment.

Norch considered Benjamin, then nodded. "Isle of Faces then."