VII
Red Skies, Early Morning“It’s a good haul, captain.”
“It certainly is, Clarm.” Iskra clapped her first mate on the arm. “You were right about that kelp forest. Must be something about the currents.” Eight years as captain, two with a ship she owned herself, and still she didn’t know everything about kelping. Who would have thought gathering seaweed could be so complex?
“It’s the shallows, I think. You get a whole colony of sealife there, so you get decomposition, which provides nutrients, so the kelp grows fast.” He launched into a long explanation of why sparkfish were good markers for harvestable kelp. She knew from experience that she could safely think of other matters for a good ten minutes before he slowed for breath. It was probably why she hadn’t learned more about kelping.
