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"Where did that ship go to?" asked Polaris worriedly. "Are the humans safe? They put so much trust in me, I do not want to think I failed them this badly. Sol, can’t you shine on them for just a moment if you’ve seen them? Moon, are you sure you haven't done something strange with your tides again?"
Everyone knew by now how much effort Polaris went to in order to be a beacon for her beloved seafarers. She took great pride in being the center of so many human celestial maps. Whenever one of those guided by her steady presence went missing, she took that personally. Sol was by now used to ignoring her moods and did not deign to reply. Moon, who had his own favorite humans, understood the sentiment perfectly but resented the baseless accusation nonetheless.
"I cannot change the tides that are in my nature," said Moon. "Still less can I change the humans’ mind. I can only offer them some light to see by while Sol’s attention is caught elsewhere. What they choose to do with it is up to them."
"I know where they are," Earth rumbled below them.
Polaris quickly hushed her. These deep, growling sounds, she knew, did not bode well for a vessel that had gone missing in a seismically active zone. She was usually quite happy to gossip with her good friend, but right now, she’d rather Earth be quiet, even if that meant she would sulk for a while. Polaris would apologize for the rudeness later.
Moon, meanwhile, had also spotted the human ship and was doing his best not to giggle. Instead of speaking, he merely shone a bright beam of light on the human navigator, who was sitting on the beach of a deserted island, some instrument in his hand, beside him in the sand a map and a bottle. Moon felt that this did not warrant further comment. One of the other sailors was yelling at the navigator, and while Moon was too far away to hear the words, he was sure that sailor was mirroring his thoughts exactly.
Polaris sighed. Was the human holding that astrolabe upside down? Seriously? Should she be offended now? She surveyed the scene critically. Fortunately, the ship did not seem to be damaged too badly, but it was very firmly stuck in a sandbank. Some men had already started to cut trees and do repair work. Despite the time of night, no one was sleeping.
"Moon?" she asked, much more politely now. "How long, do you think, is this going to take?"
"Spring tide is in two days," was his curt reply.
And that would be enough, Polaris thought. There seemed to be fresh water and enough food on the island, so the sailors had some time to repair their ship and stock up on supplies. But as for this navigator... She would have to think about a suitable lesson. Since ancient times, most of mankind knew better than to mess with the celestials, after all.