“Who are you?” Diana asked evenly, getting the boy’s attention. He looked at her with a start.
“Is it—is it you?” he stammered. He stared at her as though he were seeing a ghost. “Are you Diana?”
Diana’s eyes narrowed. Not only was there a boy on the island, but he also knew her name.
Drawing her sword, she took a determined step toward him.
“N-no! It’s not what you think! I don’t mean any harm!” The boy looked at the weapon in terror. Wincing, he forcefully yanked at his shirtsleeve until it finally tore loose from the nail. The ladder swayed. He reached out, his fingers trying to grasp the edge of the ship to steady himself. “I’m—I’m not—” His words died in his throat. The ladder jerked to the side violently. And then it began tipping backward. Free-falling away from the boat. It swung down like a hammer toward the dock.
He’s going to fall to his death, Diana realized with horror. She stuffed her sword into her belt and rushed toward him. She had to stop the ladder from hitting the ground. Pumping her arms, her feet flew so fast they barely seemed to touch the ground. The scenery passed by in a blur. In a flash, Diana shot out a hand and gripped the ladder’s edge. Clenching her jaw, she locked her arm, holding it in place at an angle. The boy hung from the top rung, his feet hovering inches from the dock.
“Jump!” she shouted, her fingers growing numb. “Now!”
The boy dropped to the ground and hurried out of the ladder’s path. Gently, Diana lowered it until it rested on the dock. She exhaled, willing her wild heartbeat to calm itself.
“Y-you saved my life,” the boy said in a rush, walking toward her. “I’ve never seen anyone run so fast. It was…incredible. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied. “Now I need…”
Her voice trailed off. A boy—a real live boy—was standing on the docks of Themyscira. She studied him carefully. He looked to be about her age; they were the same height. He had scruffy blond hair and green eyes peering at her through silver wire-rimmed eyeglasses. Bruises and scrapes trailed his arms and face. His shirtsleeve, torn through from the jagged nail, was speckled with blood.
“You’re injured.” She took a step toward him.
“No—it’s okay. I’m fine. Just clumsy is all. Was trying to get down from the ship and slipped a little. Sleeve got stuck. It happens.” The boy stood up straighter—and then he clutched his arm.
“You don’t look fine to me.”
“It’s a scrape,” he said through clenched teeth. “I get scrapes all the time.”
Diana pictured Binti’s paw. “Even a scrape can grow deadly if it’s not treated properly. May I see? If you don’t mind.”
The boy bit his lip and rolled up his sleeve. His entire elbow was bloodied.
Diana gasped. “You’ve got a gash. It’s still bleeding. I have salve and bandages back at the palace. I’m sure someone there can help you and…”
Diana swallowed. It was one thing to offer to help him, but how exactly would she transport a boy to the palace? And what would happen to him when he turned up? The idea of a male arriving at Themyscira had always seemed so impossible, she’d never considered it until now. But judging from the way he grimaced and clutched his elbow, he was injured enough to need the help of a healer.
“Oh n-n-no. There’s no need. Really.” The boy shook his head. “Haven’t had a second to treat it is all. Skin punctures are routine—nothing to worry about. If it was a ligament or a fracture, I’d know it. This is a simple fix.”
He lifted his shirt, revealing a leather pouch with numerous small compartments strapped to his waist. Opening one of the smaller pockets, he pulled out a roll of white gauze and expertly got to work, cleaning the wound and wrapping the gauze around his elbow. Poking around in the pack, he pulled out a glass vial with clear liquid and drank it in one gulp.
“There,” he said. “I’ll be good as new soon.”
“What did you just drink?” Diana asked curiously.
“A healing potion,” he said. “When you’re as clumsy as I am, you make sure never to leave home without one. Cures you from the inside out.” He smiled a little. The first smile since they’d met. “Came up with this one myself.”
“You made it?”
“It was simple to compound,” he said. “People think it’s complicated to come up with new cures, but if you’re willing to experiment and fail a few times, sooner or later you’ll stumble onto a clue that you’re on the right track, and then, well, you can really invent or discover something truly exceptional.”
“So you’re a potion maker.”
“Kind of.” His smile faded. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I don’t really get a chance to do it as much as I’d like these days.”
Waves crashed against the darkened cliffs in the distance. Diana’s mind raced with questions. But one question needed answering before anything else.
“You know my name,” she said. “But who are you?”
The boy’s expression fell. He glanced at the ocean and then at the ship his ladder was hoisted upon before it tipped backward. Diana followed his gaze. The mast with the quill and scroll.
“Are you with the Scholars?” she asked.
He hesitated a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded.
This explained how he knew her name. But—
“Sakina’s my best friend. She never mentioned you,” Diana said. “Males aren’t allowed on our island. It’s a rule everyone agrees to before they are given our coordinates.”
“I’m so, so sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know those rules. It’s not like anyone tells the servant about such things. I go where they tell me to. I’ve…I’ve learned not to ask questions.”
“Servant?” she repeated. “Whose? Sakina doesn’t have servants. Are you the queen’s servant?”
The boy bit his lip before nodding.
“But they didn’t bring any servants on this voyage,” she said. “Every captain must disclose the contents aboard their ship and the passengers on their manifest when they dock.”
“Guess I wasn’t on the manifest,” the boy said softly.
Diana frowned. The Scholars had been part of the Chará festival since the early days. They were among its original founders. They knew better than most the rules of Themyscira. And they certainly knew how serious a breach of rules it was to bring a boy to the island. Diana rested her hands on her hips and studied the boy’s solemn expression.