You agreed to this? You're taking me to enemy territory, and leaving me there? You can't be serious!"

  "You will do as is required of you. You are the Mutya. Your people depend on you."

  "Mother... that's inland! There is no water there! I can't surf there..." she begins to cry.

  "Enough, Urduja! Sacrifice for your people. We have not the military power to match Khan; we had better cooperate instead. Khan has been generous. We have doubled our trade in rice. And those cocoons... You and the Likha have begged for that. Those special sails you want. Silk is stronger when wet and can be spun so fine that it becomes translucent. Isn't that what you said?" Udayan slows down the last words of her question.

  "Yes, I said it... Yes, I said it! Yes, I want them...." She runs out to one of the balay's stone patios crying. Clenched fists, bitting down hard, regretting what she had said to the Likha about silk.

  The tide is coming in, and the water rushes through several caves beneath the island. When the water slaps against the walls of the crystal caves beneath the Lingayen Island it makes a noise like tinkling silver metal beads and the echos make that pure simple sound a concerto.

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  Udayan follows her daughter out to the patio of the balay.

  "Khan requests all his vassals to send him an heir. You are a vassal heir. You were promised at birth."

  "Mother, that is a patriarchal order! They will marry me off to a brutal Kharak desert barbarian, and I will never surf again."

  "We are never sure what the future brings. But right now, I have no one to send but you. And if I don't send an heir, well, Khan might invade us. Definitely, we will receive no rice." Udayan faces her daughter.

  "What happened to your rice deals with the Medang?" Urduja asks.

  "It's ongoing. But it’s complicated. The Medang want us to sign the Sumpah Palapa and we don’t export any spice. I can’t agree to terms the consequences of which I don’t understand. And the Sumpa’t Panata, meant to make us equals to declare us as brothers seems to be causing us more trouble, giving us more reason to fight. All Khan wants is a loyalty pledge, and that's you. It’s simple, it’s personal."

  Urduja breaks down sobbing. Then after a while, mother and daughter look out towards the sea. Udayan holds out her hand. Urduja reaches out for it, and they stroll to the edge of the patio overlooking the water. The wind blows inland. The island throbs and reverberates as though alive.

  "Are you finished crying?" Udayan asks.

  Urduja nods meekly

  "Well then, you are ready."