Ktheg!lik wasn't able to get a clear answer to that out of Petra, so she slightly reduced the amount being taken from Petra's structure, which added a little to the build time. This enabled the golem to retain one of its energy wells, and enabled food to be produced around the sky, instead of stopping at night. Ktheg!lik suspected that it also gave Petra some margin for its own maintenance.

  The last piece of the flying searcher was completed later that day, and Odaual managed to assemble the parts in short order. The machine was surprisingly small. Being lightweight was less surprising, of course, since it had to be able to fly. Apparently, Petra needed a couple of zegs to train the automaton, but Ktheg!lik didn't see anything happening. More invisible magic, she brooded.

  The searcher was capable of flying by day and landing for part of each night. They set it in the carriage house and then retreated while Petra opened the outer door, sent the automaton on its way, and closed the outer door again. It flew around the hill they were on twice, and Petra reported that it could see the two of them, even through all the rock. The test successful, the searcher left, heading east to scout the path between Petra's home and the mine.

  At this point, Ktheg!lik discovered the utter joy of three-dimensional mapping. The pictures glowing in the air showed their location in the foothills of the Violet Mountains. She could move the perspective in almost any way she could think of. It felt almost as if she were flying like a bird! We might map out the entirety of the province in a few dozen days!

  Odaual said that he couldn't bear to watch because the motion made him feel sick, so he left playing with the maps to her. A pity none of us have a regular map of the region to compare with. I'd like to know the names of the towns we're passing—it's passing, rather. Goodness, it's so easy to think I'm really there!

  She also found recordings of past scans, including one of the silver mine. Even Odaual came closer to study that one. They could see the individual people, and tried to guess who was who. Then Odaual asked a question that caused Ktheg!lik to call up the mineral searches, and the two of them goggled at the amount of gold the miners had just barely missed. They marveled at the idea of knowing exactly where to dig in advance.

  “Even if we got no other technology from the aliens, this would—would have—changed the world,” he observed.

  “Terrible sun, why couldn't he have come five years ago? We might have had a chance! We came so close to surviving as a race and a civilization! Five years! Less, even, and we could still have salvaged so much!” Ktheg!lik was suddenly overcome with regret for what might have been, clicking and clicking for zegs before she got herself under control. Odaual wasn't in much better shape, and they embraced for mutual support as they took some time to mourn.

  “A year later, and there would have been nothing at all left to save, none of us,” Odaual pointed out once he had composed himself. “Let us take the wonder that we are given, and make the most of it.”

  Ktheg!lik sighed, wheezing a bit as she still was recovering from the horrible but life-saving tube down her throat. “You're right. We'll do all we can. With the golem's help, we might yet survive. But this truly is the darkest night of the fuak!a race.”

  * *

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  Now that a maker had been freed up, they set it to building parts for the omnibus, beginning with the energy well, so that Petra could fill it from the sun catchers while the other parts were being crafted.

  Meanwhile, the others back at the mine made a discovery. Petra had abandoned several automata outside the mine, back when it was trying to dig its way in to the radio and then took off with Odaual inside. It turned out that they lacked eyes, but otherwise Petra could still control them, even from hundreds of keks away.

  So, the survivors began to carry the radio around, aiming its camera at different chambers, caves, or passageways, and figuring out how they wanted the stone cut. Once they were agreed, they formally made the request of Ktheg!lik, who then ordered Petra to perform the functions. It turned out that there were not enough sun catchers at the mine, however, so it had to be done sparingly.

  The days passed, and all too soon, the food maker at the mine ran out of the special rods Nik!eh had brought with the maker. Oddly, the maker was still able to create sugar, and a few other things, at least. At the same time, Petra was rebuilding a stockpile of food, some of it Nik!eh's hoonan food, and the rest cans of beans.

  They decided in the end to abandon the mine, provided they could get safe transportation to Petra's underground complex. The omnibus was taking shape slowly in the carriage house, and they hit a snag—the omnibus, when completed, would not fit inside. Fortunately, there were a few paces of stone between the carriage house and the rest of the base, and Petra set a few automata to enlarging their workspace.

  The wheels were a marvel. The tires looked like a flimsy, flat sheet of metal, but when twisted a certain way, abruptly collapsed—or exploded, it was hard to tell which—into large rings with a surprising amount of strength and flexibility. Odaual asked whether the tires could be made flat again, and Petra declared that it was irreversible.

  Apparently, even a golem cannot unscramble an egg, Ktheg!lik thought with some amusement.

  Because they were in a hurry, the interior of the omnibus had no amenities; people would simply have to sit on the floor inside. The vehicle would not attain the mad speeds of the floating carriage, so there was less danger of mishaps. It would be uncomfortable, but they would only have to endure it for a single night. The trip would take six kozegs, rather than the two Nik!eh's smaller vehicle had managed.

  If they left just after sunset, they would arrive before sunrise.

  At least, that was the plan. Ktheg!lik was under no illusions that twenty-five people and all their gear and supplies would be able to board swiftly. For safety's sake, they might spend one night at the mine loading everything but the people, wait through a day, and then all climb aboard the next night to begin the voyage.

  Odaual pointed out that a few people were claustrophobic, but Ktheg!lik replied that they were already suffering through living in a mine. They tried to imagine other problems that might come up en route. They added a cooling rod, in case the interior got unbearably hot, but it would drain energy and cause the vehicle to slow, making the trip longer. It was a decision that they would have to make in the moment.

  Ktheg!lik and Odaual worked hard to make sure everything was assembled as quickly as possible, attaching new components fresh from the maker when they could. The last stages were probably the most painful for Petra, if the golem could feel pain. They had to remove sun catchers from the array near the upper entrance, and attach them to the roof of the omnibus. Finally, they took the energy wells from their places spread through the base, leaving the spare for Petra's base.

  Then they reached the last question: whether to leave Petra behind, or bring her with them. Nik!eh had brought Petra with him everywhere, and apparently, Petra had been slightly damaged in the accident with the carriage. On the other hand, in a crisis, the could have the golem to help them through it. In the end, they decided to leave Petra behind. The golem was unique and irreplaceable, was the argument.

  After a test drive on the hillside in bright sunlight went off without a hitch, they were ready.