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even heard of.”
    Uma was already moving when the captain gestured at her. “The crew is stacking it up below for you, Uma. When you’ve catalogued it, let me know what we’ve got.”
    “Penicillin,” she whispered. “Anaesthetic.”
    “Let me know if there’s anything we don’t need. Anything we can trade,” the captain shouted, as she disappeared below. Then he turned to Toby. “The team is pumping fuel into the lines right now. Well done, son.You found us a grand prize. Cheers for Toby.”
    The crew around him raised their voices.
    Then the captain lifted a hand. “We have enough fuel to make our objective, so it’s time to tell you. The old man we traded with at the last port gave me the location of solar panels.”
    “Solar panels,” Toby breathed.
    “Yes, there’s a whole cargo container full. The ship went down before the riots, before all the solar panels on land were smashed. No one bothered salvaging it at the time, because the panels were useless without the sun. Now the sun’s back. The old man knew where his captain’s ship went down, but hadn’t the resources to go back for it, so he was willing to trade his notes on her location.”
    “With solar panels, we can fit the Phoenix so she goes and goes.” Toby couldn’t resist a small cheer.
    “That’s right. No more reliance on salvage, no more slow sailwork, no more scrabbling for engine fuel. We’ll be unstoppable.”
    “It would change everything.” Toby looked around at the ship as if seeing her for the first time. He pictured a solar array on deck, reflecting the sun like a piece of trapped sky, and imagined electric lights blinking inside her dingy passageways. He stared at his hands, closing his palm around the black lines that told his story – he couldn’trecall ever seeing his hands clean. No more brushing soot out of the boiler. No more pressure to seek the dwindling combustible junk they needed to keep the boiler running. And who knew what they would find in deeper waters? Acid-free salt, fish that hadn’t been poisoned…
    “Then we can search for the island ,” Dee added.
    “That’s right.” The captain nodded.
    “The island!” Crocker snorted from the back of the group. “Bah, it’s a myth.”
    The captain shook his head. “I don’t think it is a myth. When Yellowstone erupted there were several landmasses that rose from the seas and sunk back again, but some of the larger ones remained. We’ve all heard of the atolls that ringed Hawaii.”
    The crew nodded.
    “Then what’s so strange about a whole island rising and not sinking back?”
    “It’s a children’s story,” Crocker sneered. “No one’s ever found it.”
    “It’s real,” the captain snapped. “A whole island, untouched by man, with its own natural resources, free of governments and their military Greymen.”
    “You just want it to be real,” Crocker suggested.
    The captain raised his hands. “What do we do if we’re not looking for the island, Crocker? Sail aimlessly ourwhole lives, hiding from Greymen, slinking from port to port? The island is our goal. If you don’t like it, I can put you and your brother in at the next stop and you can take berth in another ship. The Banshee perhaps.”
    Toby’s heart rose. Were they about to get rid of Crocker and his terrible brother?
    Crocker disappointed him. “We can’t stay any time on land. You know that, Captain. We’re wanted men, me an’ Peel. An’ we like the Phoenix , she’s a solid berth.” Crocker patted the railing absently. “We’re useful to you, ain’t we? My brother’s the best cook you ever ’ad. An’ he saved your life, way back when.”
    “Then get on board, Crocker.” The captain lowered his head. “We’re going for the solar panels and once they’re installed, we’ll be putting all our resources into searching for the island. We’ll sail deeper into the ocean than we ever have and further from any port. We’ll comb the seas until we find it. Then