Swamped

You can barely see it from here. You think it might be moving - well, you've got gloves on, and it can't be bigger than a regular old swamp rat. You poke your hand under to see what you find.

Huh. It's not a rat, or anything alive - it's a book. Did it just shift around because the ship's moving?

It's also in a language you don't recognize. You finish putting the coins away, drag the box out, and show the book to Marshall and Ash.

"Either of you know this language?" you ask. Neither seems to.

But the Silent One suddenly breaks out of their panic, snatches it right out of your hands and... puts it in front of Shume? And starts bowing down?

"Ash," you ask, "what's going on? You know anything about this?"

"Not really. Well - I do have a bit of a guess, I suppose. I've been to their temple and it's filled with books. Maybe they're taught that books are holy things to be handed over to the priests, or something."

Well, that sort of makes sense, if he thinks the silent treatment is due to Shume being angry with him. Or maybe he thinks a book can help Shume, because it's holy?

You wonder if you should do anything to intervene.