Anina took command of the boat now, slowing it down and heading for the nearest of the houses, which were hardly more than quarter of a mile away. Mercer stretched himself out in the bottom of the boat, covering himself with a large piece of fabric that lay there. He felt that he would be unnoticed, even should a girl chance to pass directly overhead. But he could see nothing of the city from where he was, and soon grew restless and anxious to do something else.
"I'm coming up, Anina," he said once. "Shucks! Nobody can do anything to us. Haven't I got this light‑ray?"
But Anina was obdurate, and made him stay where he was.
They went slowly forward and were soon among the houses. On the front platform of one a man sat fishing. A little naked boy slid down into the water from another, swimming as though born to the water. Both stared at Anina curiously as she passed slowly by, but they said nothing. A girl looked out of the window of another house and waved her hand in friendly greeting, which Anina answered.
Mercer, lying with all but his face covered by the cloth, could see only the sides of the boat, the bottom of the cross‑seat over his head, and Anina as she sat above him in the stern.
"Where do you suppose the Tao people hang out around here?" he suddenly asked. "If we could—"
The girl silenced him with a gesture.
He lowered his voice. "Try and find out where they are, Anina," he whispered.
Anina steered the boat directly under several of the houses, which must have been quite a usual proceeding, for it attracted no attention. A girl flew close to them once, and Anina called to her. The girl alighted on the stern of the boat for a moment; Mercer slid the cloth over his face and held himself motionless. Then he heard Anina's voice calling to him softly. He slid the cloth back; the girl had gone.
"She says Tao's men live, there—large house, of wood," said Anina, pointing off to one side.