Impossible Creatures

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and animal death.

The children, Irian, and Nighthand return safely to the ship despite Adam Kavil’s hot pursuit. Christopher realizes that Kavil probably used the al-mirajes’ trail to find them. Irian decides to stay with them because Nighthand, who has a crush on her, states that a scholar would be a great help in answering the sphinxes’ questions. After some debate, they all decide to sail to the island of Vistaia for food and water, but when they arrive, the place is burned to cinders. The dragon that burned the area returns, and despite the danger, Christopher watches the magnificent creature as it flies away. Irian notes that dragons don’t usually travel this far from the mountains where they live.

Christopher helps Mal repair the tear in her coat. As they work, she tells Christopher about how she got her name. As was customary, her great-aunt took the baby Mal to a namer. Theirs was a poor seer—a real one, not a fake like so many—who named her “Malum,” which means “mischief” in Latin (according to Mal). Christopher knows a little Latin and thinks that Mal’s translation may be inaccurate.