Getting into the observatory was no problem. At the entrance, only a silent donation box awaited the visitors, of whom only an elderly couple had strayed into the large room, besides the friends.
The lack of tourists was completely unjustified, because the observatory was breathtakingly beautiful. A huge dome spanned the hall and displayed a glowing sea of stars that seemed so vivid as if they were standing under the open night sky themselves. Along the walls were narrow display cases containing antique instruments, huge brass compasses, celestial globes, and mechanisms with gears clicking gently. Nora and Eva stood speechless for a moment. Even Finn, who had staggered in behind them with glassy eyes, let out an admiring sound. ‘So… many… stars,’ he murmured, pointing wildly upwards with his hand before collapsing onto a bench.
‘I doubt he’ll be particularly helpful,’ Nora remarked dryly, letting her gaze sweep across the room. She pushed her glasses up her nose and stepped over to a table in the middle of the room, on which a strange device was enthroned: a bronze construction with rotating rings, engraved symbols and tiny inserts made of glass prisms. ‘It almost looks like our Orbis, only bigger!’ she exclaimed in surprise.
Together they waited until the other visitors had left the room. Then Eva took out the Orbis Arcanum and carefully placed it on the table. It glistened in the light of the artificial stars and the lens in its centre sparkled as if it had been created exactly for this place. ‘It fits perfectly,’ she said, as she inserted the device into the empty socket in the middle of the large circles. Suddenly, a low hum filled the room. The rings of the orb – both the large and the small one – began to turn, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until the engravings glowed permanently from the reflected light. The girls held their breath as a beam of light shot up from the centre of the device and hit the domed ceiling.
The sky above them changed. As if by magic, a new constellation formed, and a golden beam of light fell through the air like a path. Along the line, the words ‘Per aspera ad astra’ were emblazoned in golden letters. ‘That’s it! The route to Nightshade!’ exclaimed Eva excitedly. ‘But,’ she faltered, ‘that’s a star chart. Do you know how to read one of those?‘ “I don’t,” said Nora, “but I know someone who does.” When they turned to look at the navigator, they saw that he had meanwhile fallen asleep on the bench and was snoring. “Well, there you have it,” said Eva, shrugging her shoulders. ’We should probably let him sober up first.’
A gentle morning mist hung over the island. Eva stood on the deck of her ship and let her gaze wander over the thousand towers. She would have liked to spend a few more days here – but at the same time she was full of excitement about what lay at the end of her journey. Maybe I’m a little afraid of Nightshade, she admitted to herself in silence – but all the more reason for us to leave quickly. A cough announced Finn’s arrival on the deck behind her. ‘Feeling better?’ she asked her navigator. With his usual lack of words, he replied, ‘Okay.’ ‘I actually liked the chatty version of you quite a bit,’ she teased him, and a grin flitted across his face. ‘Damn Galedrops…’
Nora joined them. She had got up very early to check the sails for damage and to repair the hole in the railing that they had suffered during the chase with the pirates. ‘Everything’s fine again,’ she announced and unbuttoned the pincushion she was wearing on her wrist. ‘Great, then we’re ready to go,’ said Eva, fishing a piece of string out of her friend’s curls. ‘You look like a mad scientist again!’ Nora laughed: ‘’That’s the way it’s supposed to be!‘
The harbour promenade of Windhold was shrouded in dense fog that morning, lying like a heavy veil over the air. Only the slapping of ropes against masts and the distant shouting of dock workers broke the silence. Eva stood at the helm and called down: ‘Are the ropes loose? Nora?‘ “Yes, all clear!”, came the answer from below, where the inventor was just untying the last knot. Finn stood at the bow and took a look up at the hazy sky. Everything was ready for departure.
But before they could set sail, a strange voice echoed across the promenade. ’Wait! You can’t fly off without me!’ Eva looked irritated over the railing. A man emerged from the fog, who immediately caught their attention with his extravagant appearance: a threadbare, dark blue coat, a rapier at his hip and a hat with a broken feather. Despite his slightly neglected look, he radiated a strange self-confidence that immediately made them suspicious.
‘Excuse me, but we don’t take passengers,’ Eva called out to him. The man stopped, bowed slightly and tipped his hat. ‘Leander of Asteria, at your service. And I’m sure you’ll change your minds when you hear what I have to offer you.’ Nora climbed up the plank and stood next to Eva. ‘That sounds promising,‘ she said dryly. “What exactly do you want from us?” “I don’t want to stop you, but to accompany you,” Leander explained with a charming smile. “Your destination is Nightshade, isn’t it?’
The crew froze. ”How do you know that?’ asked Eva. Leander shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ‘Well, rumours spread like the wind on Windhold, I should say,’ he laughed, ‘especially if someone carries an Orbis Arcanum.’ Eva let out an audible gasp and shot an angry look at Finn. Now that was what came of his carelessness! ‘But don’t worry, I’m discreet,’ the stranger hastened to say. ‘And besides…’ – he paused meaningfully – ‘I’ve been there before.’
‘To Nightshade?’ Finn now also stepped up to the railing and leaned on it with his arms crossed. ‘No one will believe you.’ ‘Exactly,’ Nora agreed. ‘What would a fine gentleman like you be doing there?’ ‘That’s the truth,’ Leander replied with an offended expression on his face. ‘I’m a traveller and I’ve been around the Cloud Islands a lot. And I could show you the way – provided you take me with you.’ “Forget it,” snarled Eva. “We don’t need someone following us around and telling stories without being asked.’
‘Maybe we do,” she heard Finn say, and her friend’s voice sounded thoughtful. All eyes turned to him. ‘If he really was there, he could be useful to us. And if not, then… well, then we’ll quickly see if he’s lying.’ Nora snorted, “Yeah, that’s easy for you to say – you’re the one who got us into this mess in the first place.” But Leander raised his hands in supplication. “I assure you, I am not lying. And I will not disappoint you.” Eva hesitated. Everything in her screamed to reject this man – but at the same time she was curious to see what he really knew about the city. Finally she just nodded. ‘All right. But only on one condition: you stick to our rules. And if you lie to us or cause trouble, you’ll stay in Nightshade. Understand?’ Leander grinned and bowed. ‘But of course, captain.’
As he climbed the plank, Nora whispered, ‘I hope we don’t regret this.’ Eva watched Leander as he looked around the ship with apparent confidence and silently agreed with her friend. A queasy feeling spread in her chest.