Fiela’s Child

Nina has once again gone missing, and with Willem and Kristoffel away, Elias has no choice but to send Benjamin to find her. Benjamin figures she must be hiding in the Forest again, having yet again caused problems with her job—the longest she’s gone without trying to run away from the village is six months. By this point, Benjamin has started to get used to the Forest and his life as a beam-maker.

Elias has been saving money to buy elephant guns to kill the elephants that he believes are stalking him. But so far, the guns he’s bought have been broken and useless. Benjamin knows this is why Elias wants Nina back, so that he can put her to work again and keep earning money. Benjamin feels that his life became better when he accepted his identity as Lukas.

When Benjamin arrives at the village near sundown, he finds that something strange is going on. Some local boys tell him that there’s a ghost ship nearby at Noetzie. Benjamin is intrigued and figured it can’t hurt to go a little off, possibly finding a place to sleep in Noetzie. He walks on the path to Noetzie, thinking of the wooden ships he made when he was younger.

At the ghost ship, Benjamin runs into an army sergeant. Benjamin asks him questions about the ship, but the sergeant says no one knows much. It just showed up one day, and if anyone’s on the ship, they’re all dead. The sergeant mentions Mr. Benn, the pilot who will have the responsibility of finding out who the ship belongs to. The sergeant also warns Benjamin about Kaliel September, a beachcomber who can be dangerous. Benjamin helps the sergeant keep watch that night, fascinated with the stars that he doesn’t usually get to see in the Forest.

Benjamin goes back to the village and asks about Nina. An old man tells him that he remembers Nina leaving her job at the local school, but he has seen her around with an English woman who might be her new employer, Miss Weatherbury. Benjamin goes to find Miss Weatherby and ask about Nina. Miss Weatherby says there is a Nina van Rooyen working for her, but this Nina doesn’t have any family. Benjamin assures her he’s Nina’s brother.

Miss Weatherbury  tells Benjamin that she took Nina in because she took pity on her, but Nina generally refused to work, spending most of her time outside in the nearby hills. Mr. Benn apparently saw her out wandering recently and saved her from some seamen who were harassing her. Benjamin asks if he can see Nina now, but Miss Weatherbury says she went down to Noetzie with the others. Benjamin says he’ll wait.

Miss Weatherbury asks why Benjamin is looking for Nina. He explains that he has to collect her money, and this makes Miss Weatherbury suspicious. Benjamin explains that people share things in the Forest, but he knows that the money is really just to buy Elias an elephant gun.

Eventually, Benjamin gets tired of waiting for Nina and goes out walking on his own. He walks through a footpath over the hills and reaches a place where the sea meets with a lagoon. He finds the area very beautiful but wonders how any ship could ever make it through the rocky waters. Just then, a man yells at Benjamin that Mr. Benn gets angry if he sees people hanging around where Benjamin is, since a man fell down there and disappeared recently. Benjamin turns around and walks back.

Benjamin continues to walk over hills, taking in the scenery and marveling at how big the world is. He watches a ship come in, which is an elaborate process that involves several people. Benjamin comes back to Miss Weatherbury and tells her about the ship. He finds that Nina is back. Nina begs Benjamin not to tell Elias or any of the others where she is. But Benjamin says he really came to ask her for a favor: He wants Nina to go home and tell Elias that Benjamin is never coming back to the Forest.