"That's a pity," Gabe said earnestly. "There's something glorious about being on the water. If seasickness is the only trouble, there's a few things that help with that."

But he suspected from the way Tolten shook his head that it might not be the only thing. The ocean was the most awe-inspiring constant natural phenomenon on Earth. There were other things equally so--storms, natural disasters--but the ocean was steady. He could understand why people would find it terrifying.

Not that he did. Not when he could look up at the stars and know intimately the stars he was looking at.

"Can you swim?" he asked. "Swimming and sailing aren't the same thing. Some peopel can dislike one and be fine with the other."