5. Years of Wisdom

Slupper sat on a Pillar of Gibra, half out of the water, watching Solomon swim back from land. He had seen it for years; he still wasn’t allowed to come along.

And so he waited on the Pillar, alone and undisturbed. If only Socipi were here, he thought. We’d climb to the top of this Gibra palace together.

“Did you find it?” he asked hopefully.

“I certainly did! Though some things don’t add up.”

“Is that why you returned so quickly?”

“Partly. But above all, I wanted to be back in time to celebrate your birthday! Slupper, my best pupil, you only turn adult once. You only turn forty-five once.”

After all these years, Slupper was the largest turtle in the whole group, even larger than Solomon. If something came at him from the darkness—a feeling he often had—he was no longer afraid. His shell was no longer smooth, but had two sharp ridges. They looked identical to the red stripes on his head.

“Socipi must be an adult by now too.”

“Lesson 460: never dwell in the past.”

“I know. But he’ll be wiser and calmer. Why did you never give him a second chance?”

Solomon climbed onto the pillar beside him. “I shouldn’t have given him a first chance. I should have seen it.”

“Seen what?”

“Lesson 461: you can discern someone’s personality from their shell, sometimes even their future. Of course it takes much practice. But it’s possible, on any turtle, if you look closely enough.”

“And what did you see on Socipi?”

“I didn’t see in him what I did see in you. Those two stripes on your head, and now those ridges on your back, signify cooperation and loyalty. Your shell has many brownish-red spots, indicating curiosity and speed. Yes, speed in moving, but also in thinking and solving mysteries.”

“Does it explain why I’m so large too?”

“No, but you’re not the only one. Through shell history, extraordinarily large figures regularly appear. Apparently long ago there, was a family of Ancient Turtles. You and I descend from them.”

Solomon smiled. “Maybe you even descend from that folk called the Alasti. Oh, what a splendid people they must have been. They could invent anything. Those lamps in my cave? They probably run on Electro. The gods’ light. No one knows the secret of how it worked, not anymore, but they did.”

Slupper gazed out over the sea. He often came with Solomon to the water’s surface. They’d against the magnificent pillars, stare at the sun and her glitters on the waves. It was always peaceful. No other creature ever passed by. Since Solomon had taken him on as pupil, he hadn’t even seen the masked shark. Now I’m the lonely turtle my teacher wanted to see, Slupper thought sadly. And now I am sure it does not make me happy.

“A fellow Companion had a dictionary. I found the meanings of all 99 drawings you’ve collected over the years. And you were right: we didn’t recognize them because it was NOT Ancient Dovish.”

“Fantastic! What do they say?”

“That’s the problem, my boy. They make no sense. Just random words. One fragment keeps repeating, but is never completed. The secret of world co—”

“World couriers, maybe? The first birds thought very highly of themselves.”

“I doubt it. Birds can’t build a city with their wings.”

Solomon stared at the horizon, his fin over his eyes. “We have little time left. The land that was once nearby is no more than a black speck. Soon no one will be able to lay eggs.”

“What do you suggest?”

Solomon tapped the pillar restlessly. He lowered himself and landed with a soft splash. Slupper startled when he suddenly felt a fin on his shoulder. He couldn’t even remember the last time someone had touched him.

“I have only one plan left. Your found carvings did confirm parts of a legend. It mentioned a people who held the answer to every problem. They had a book, called The Truth, which they hid well. The book was never found, because they fought a formidable foe. Some thought the answer was world cooperation, others world conquest. It’s very possible that—”

“—the legend is about the inhabitants of this city! So the book must lie in this city.”

“Precisely! I wanted to search for it long ago. But it was too dangerous and I lacked these symbols to chart the path. Now that you’re an adult you may finally join me in the Outer Rings.”

Slupper’s shell changed from brown to orange. “No one has ever returned from the Outer Rings. Are you certain we should search there? There are parts of the city I haven’t fully explored yet.”

“I have, my boy, I know the entire city like the back of my hand. If I had one. But nothing is known about the Outer Rings. Even the map in my cave has blank edges.”

“And that’s why there are question marks on the map. Of course! To keep the location of The Truth secret.”

“Exactly! That’s why you’re my pupil, not Socipi.”

Slupper fell silent. He had only seen Socipi twice since that one moment years ago. Both times Socipi looked angry and they fought. And then his family had left the city. I hope he found a nice spot in another underwater town.

Solomon dove underwater again. Slupper followed immediately.

“Where do we start?”

“The ravine behind the jungle. It leads to the closest entrance to the Outer Rings. Bring lots of food and digging tools. I still have weapons from the First Conflict.”

“Weapons? Lesson 34: violence is always wrong?”

“Yes, but self-defense isn’t. Outside this city are sea monsters that would happily devour us. Yes, even turtles of our size.”

They swam towards the jungle, in a wide circle around the city. Mother still wasn’t allowed to see them together. She thought Slupper was searching for a cave of his own, for when he was older.

As an adult, he realized how small the jungle actually was. As a child, he could drift for hours without reaching the end, but now it was a mere dot on the map. The ravine greeted him like a second home.

“Are you certain you want to do this?” Solomon looked more serious than usual. It was the first time he had asked this question.

“Yes. Well, as certain as you can be about anything. I want nothing more than to bring this city back to land. Then I can finally leave, travel the world and explore. With my—”

The word friends lay on his tongue, but he had no true companions anymore. The word family came after. But if they found out he had spoken with Solomon all these years, they would disown him at once.

Solomon pulled him from his thoughts and drew him into the ravine.

“In that case, follow me.”