“Yes, of course you are. My mistake,” I murmured, struggling to keep from laughing. “Well, I still don’t quite know how it happened, but we’re alive, Jack.”
“You thought all along that the emperor would help us. You were right. It just took a different form from what you expected.”
I flopped back in the carriage and lifted a feeble hand. “Yes, but after what he said . . . well, it took me completely by surprise.”
“Me, too.” His lips twisted in a wry smile as he finally stopped frowning. “I figured he was an idiot, like you said.”
“I said he was an ignoramus, not an idiot. Good heavens, and I told him I wanted to blow up his airships. Jack, what’s going on? Why is everyone helping us?”
He pulled me onto his lap. “Because you’re their captain, and you’re adorable, and the look in your eyes when you want me to make love to you would bring anyone, man or woman, to their respective knees.” His lips were as sweet as marmalade as he gently kissed my mouth, and the sting along my neck. “Mowen’s trick with the noose was clever, but I can see a mark it left on you. I’ll have to tell him he’ll need to be more careful next time.”
“There will be no next time,” I said firmly, tilting my head to allow Jack better access.
“No? We’ll discuss that later,” he murmured, his fingers busy on the buttons of my blouse before they slid inside the material to stroke my straining flesh.
“I’m just overwhelmed by it all.” I bit his ear and licked away the sting. “The crew saved us. They really saved us.”
“Mmhmm.” His mouth moved lower, to my breastbone.
A thought struck me, one that had nothing to do with the warm waves of desire that were slowly rippling out from my belly. “Except Mr. Llama! I just bet he—”
A loud slapping noise from behind me had me jumping in surprise. I stared in stark disbelief at the shade that had been pulled down to cover the rear window. Of its own accord, it had rolled itself up, revealing the smiling face of Mr. Llama. He must have been clinging to the rear of the carriage. Even as I watched, he waved and disappeared from the window.
“Did you see that?” I asked, wondering for a moment if I had just imagined seeing the man.
“See what?”
“Mr. . . . never mind.” I looked down at the head that nuzzled my bosom, and smiled. “It doesn’t matter.”
I rose from the bench as Jack and Mr. Mowen emerged from the darkness of the inn into the shaded garden where the crew and I had been reposing for the last hour or so, enjoying unusually balmy weather for February. Both men’s faces wore identical grim expressions. My stomach lurched and tightened into a leaden ball. “You weren’t successful?”
Jack took my hands in his, his thumbs sweeping over my fingers in a gentle caress meant to reassure and comfort. “We tried everything we could to get a message to him, but the security at the cathedral was impossible to get through. We looked for Alan, but couldn’t find him, either.”
“The ambassadors are sure to be almost as protected as the emperor,” I said, the feeling of dread in my gut growing. “Jack, we can’t let him die. Not after everything he’s done for us.”
“We gave your message to the guard and told him to give it to the emperor as soon as possible, that it was most urgent and it had to do with his safety and security.”
“But will he get it in time?” I asked, leaning against Jack, my spirits mourning the potential disaster. “Etienne and the Moghuls could attack at any time.”
“Which is why we need to get moving,” Jack said.
I hesitated. It didn’t feel right to run away from the attack when I wasn’t sure that William would get the information about it in time to save himself and as many people as he could.
“Captain, you did all that was possible,” Mr. Mowen said.
The other crew members, who had been lounging around the small garden in various attitudes of celebration as they enjoyed the innkeeper’s prized ale, slowly gathered around us—all but Mr. Llama, who was seated in the shade of a small lime tree.
“The emperor isn’t stupid,” Jack said, sensing my continued reluctance to leave. “You said that yourself. He will have standing orders that any information that might have an impact on him would be given top priority and passed along immediately.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Mowen agreed. “And his guards recognized your name.”
“They will give William the message as soon as possible,” Jack finished.
“Listen to my brother. He knows about intelligence stuff,” Hallie said from where she lounged on a chaise, availing herself of the rarely seen February sun, and sipping an exotic beverage.
“It’s true that William always did value his network of information,” I said, hope beginning to flare to life in the wasteland of despair. I looked up, into Jack’s lovely eyes, and was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude. How lucky I had been to find him. How lucky I was to have a crew . . . no, friends who risked everything to save us. “All right. We’ll trust to fate that William will be told about the attack in time to do something about it.”
“There’s . . . er . . . something else.” Mr. Mowen looked at Jack.
Jack avoided my eye.
“What?” I asked.
Jack sighed and reached into his coat to pull out a white sheet of paper. He held it out to me. I read it with growing indignation.
“That . . . that . . . he put a bounty on our heads?”
“So it would appear.” Jack considered the paper. “I assume five thousand pounds is a lot of money. You should be flattered.”
“Flattered that the man who informed me he had sworn to watch over me now has plastered the city with notices that we are—what did he say?” I snatched the paper from his hand and read through it again. “Ah, here it is. ‘Crimes of a most heinous and appalling nature against His Imperial Majesty, his guards, and the respected warden of the Newgate Prison . . .’ That he would dare do that after he had me convinced he really meant what he said! Oh! The nerve of him!”
“You attacked an entire prison in front of witnesses,” Jack pointed out. “What did you expect?”
I wadded up the paper and wished I could set William’s head alight. “I don’t know. I assumed he’d come up with some sort of a story.”
“I think even he has limits to the sort of whitewash he can pull off,” Jack said mildly. “Even if an attack by the Moghuls wasn’t imminent, I think it would be best for us to get out of town.”
“I agree, but the question is, where are we to go? The Tesla is destroyed, and the Corps isn’t going to give me another ship, not after the Aurora’s captain finally overcame his drug-induced haze to realize that it was I who attacked them. And then there’s the question of the crew. Once we get you all to safety, there’s still the issue of dealing with the Aerocorps. We can’t let the recent events adversely affect your careers.”
“We’ve been thinkin’ about that,” Mr. Piper said, blatantly scratching himself.
“Aye, we had a long discussion on our way to England,” Mr. Mowen agreed, taking a pint of ale from Dooley. He took a long pull on it before sighing in relief, wiping his mouth, then continuing. “We agreed that since we were your crew, we’d let you decide what direction our careers would take.”
My jaw wanted to drop, but I had myself well in hand now, and I would not allow it to do anything so feeble-minded. “I am beyond flattered, beyond honored by your faith and trust, not to mention the fact that you all risked your lives for those of Jack and Miss Norris and myself, but I cannot let you throw away your careers like that. My actions can be interpreted in no other way by the Aerocorps, but you all have not been so damned.”
“Damned, me scaly-lipped foreskin,” Mr. Piper snorted, belching loudly as he slammed down his empty glass. “A crew sticks together. Where the captain goes, we go. Ain’t that right?”
The crew, to a man, nodded. “We don’t mind a bit of adventure,” Mr. Christian said after clearing his throa
t. “So long as it’s not too rough, and doesn’t involve disgusting things, like bodies and entrails and severed limbs.” He shuddered.
Mr. Piper eyed him. “Ye’ve not lived till ye’ve slipped on a deck wet with guts and blood and brains and bowels, lad.”
Mr. Christian weaved and turned green. Mr. Ho, sitting beside him, hastily moved out of the way and took up a position on the other side of the table.
“I am very flattered,” I said, feeling a change of subject was in order lest Mr. Christian embarrass himself. “And if you are all sure you wish to toss away your sterling careers at the Aerocorps—”
“Aye,” Mr. Mowen said, and the others all nodded their agreement. “It’s time for a change.”
“Well, then. I guess we’ll have to consider what we wish to do, since we will all remain together.” I thought for a moment. “We could open up a boardinghouse somewhere. Or perhaps go into some sort of a trade, perhaps a shop of some form . . .”
“Pfft,” Hallie said, waving a hand. “Boardinghouse! Shop! Why don’t you just say what everyone wants you to say?”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “And what would that be?”
“Everyone knows you’re a whatchamacallit. Airship guy. Right? I mean, that’s why your airship corps won’t have you back? So do that! Boy, this gin is really good. I had no idea it could be so very yummy. Never drank the stuff back home.”
“There you go,” Jack said, smiling down at me. “You told the emperor you wished you really were an airship pirate. Well, sweetheart, here’s the perfect opportunity to be that.”
“You’re jesting,” I said, searching his face for signs he was pulling my leg.
He looked in all earnestness.
“Aye, that’s a right good idea,” Mr. Piper said, burping again. “Fetch me another pint, would ye, lad? Aye, Captain, there’s good money to be made in piratin’, they do say.”
“And easy pickings, what with the war and all,” Mr. Christian added, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down excitedly. His face paled suddenly. “I wouldn’t have to shoot anyone, would I?”
Mr. Piper patted him on the arm. “Nay, lad.”
Mr. Christian’s face cleared.
“We’ll put ye on the entrail-cleanup duty,” Mr. Piper added with a wicked glint to his eyes.
Mr. Christian keeled over.
“Piracy is illegal,” I pointed out to everyone as Mr. Mowen and Jack propped the unconscious chief officer against the brick wall. “I couldn’t do that. It would be wrong, morally wrong.”
“Sweetheart . . .” Jack took my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Your Aerocorps already considers you a pirate for attacking the Aurora. The emperor has put a price on your head. The Black Hand is after your blood for refusing to help them. I don’t think you have a lot of choices.”
“Even if I agreed to that—and I’m in no way saying that I do—where would we get a ship? The Corps aerodromes will all be too well guarded to get in and take one, even if I thought our situation merited something so immoral as stealing, which I don’t, but even if I did, it would be impossible.”
“There’s the revolutionaries,” Mr. Ho suddenly said.
We all turned to look at her. She gazed back at us with steady eyes.
“Well, I assume by what Jack said that you have some sort of a . . . relationship . . . with them, and if that’s so, then you must have access to their aerodrome.”
I thought for a moment, glancing at Jack. “She’s right.”
He grinned. “Your precious Etienne would be furious with you.”
“Extremely so.” My lips curled in a small, satisfied smile. “It would serve him right for using me all those years.”
“Excellent plan,” Mr. Mowen said, wiping his mouth again, burping discreetly, and rising from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, Captain, I’ll head out to the Black Hand’s aerodrome and see what ships are likely prospects.”
I stared at him in surprise. “You know where their aerodrome is?”
“Aye, have for years.” He leaned down and said softly, “You’re not the only one with a few secrets.”
“Rouse yerself, lad,” Mr. Piper said, hauling the limp form of Mr. Christian to his feet. “We’ll be helpin’ Mr. Mowen find us a worthy ship. Dooley, ye take his feet. Francisco! Ye comin’?”
Mr. Francisco, who had been strangely silent since arriving at the inn, rose to his feet and glared at Jack. His eye was swollen shut, the area around it currently a deep maroon color, and darkening quickly.
Jack grinned and flexed his hands.
“I am the capitán’s most devoted one. Of course I will come,” he said with great dignity, bowing toward me. His gaze wandered along the top of my head for a few seconds before dropping once again to Jack. “Bah!” was all he added before storming out of the garden after the others.
“Was it really necessary to give him a black eye?” I asked Jack.
“Sometimes, the fist is mightier than the sword.”
“Oh, very Quaker, brother,” Hallie said, sliding her feet off the chaise so she could sit up. She weaved a little bit.
“I didn’t kill him. I just reminded him that Octavia is taken, and he needs to keep his hands off her.”
“Where’s Mr. Llama?” I asked, looking around the small garden. “He was right over there a few minutes ago. Dammit, he’s done it again! I can’t believe it! He was right there!”
“Who’s Mr. Llama when he’s at home?” Hallie asked, yawning.
“He was one of the crew on Octavia’s ship. The dark-haired guy.”
“Oh. Him. Nice looking in a mysterious sort of way.”
“Mysterious doesn’t begin to cover it,” I muttered. “So help me God, one day I will have him!”
“Uh-huh. Well, this has all been fascinating, but I’m afraid this is where I leave you.” Hallie stood up and stretched, then looked expectantly at her brother.
“Leave us?” he asked.
“Yes. I want to go home, please.”
“Hallie—” He raised his hands and let them drop again. “I don’t know what to tell you. I haven’t had time to do any sort of research on what brought us here in the first place, let alone how we’re going to get home. Not that I want to go home. There’s so much here for us, I don’t know why you can’t just be happy here.”
“Happy? Here?” She shook her head. “You may be happy in this technologically ass-backward society, but I’m not. I want malls. I want the Internet. I want my laptop and my cell phone and my life back! Just send me back, and you can stay here and play steampunk adventurer to your heart’s desire, although why you’d want to is beyond me.”
“I wouldn’t leave Octavia even if I could go back,” Jack said, sliding an arm around me.
I smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t stand in the way of your happiness, you know. If you really wanted to go back, I would not stop you.”
He stared down at me, those lovely eyes of his filled with curiosity. “Do you really mean that?”
“Not in the least,” I said, kissing his chin. “I just thought I should say it.”
“Is it any wonder I love you?” he said, pulling me up to his chest.
“None whatsoever.”
“Wait just a second!” Hallie pulled me back before I could kiss Jack as he so obviously deserved. “You guys can get all lovey-dovey after you send me back. I’m not going to stand around waiting for you to get out of the land of lust to do your duty.”
“Hallie, I’ve told you—I can’t send you back.”
I felt Jack’s exasperation, and knew what I had to do. The garden was empty of everyone but us and a small wren that was warbling to itself. I turned to Jack and asked, “Do you remember me telling you that I had a secret, something I knew I should tell you, but couldn’t at that moment?”
“Yes,” he said slowly.
“Look, I don’t want to interrupt your Oprah moment of baring your soul to Jack, but this really is important to me,” Hallie said, her face tight with
anger.
“And this is important, too, Hallie. I promise you it has some bearing on you.” I turned so I was facing them both. “You think I’m English because I sound like everyone here, but the truth is that I was born in Oregon.”
Jack looked mildly surprised.
“So?” Hallie asked, tapping her foot impatiently, her arms crossed.
“I was born in 1977. My mother was . . . well, not worth discussing right now. I don’t have any memories of my father but one—I remember a day when he took me with him to work. I was so excited and thrilled at being with him as he made his rounds.”
“Fascinating, but not quite pertinent, I think,” Hallie said.
I looked at Jack. He was watching me silently, his eyes speculative. “My father worked at an electrical power plant.”
“So? Mine worked at . . . hey . . .” Hallie frowned in puzzlement. “Did you say electrical power plant?”
“Yes.”
I saw the exact second when Jack understood. “You’re the same as us?”
“I am. Something happened that day. What, I have no idea—I was only six at the time. One moment I was with my father, sitting in a room while he showed me a panel of dials and lights, and the next moment, there were loud sirens and an explosion. Then there was nothing until I woke up and found myself wandering around the emperor’s garden.”
“You got zapped here, too?” Hallie asked, her expression frozen for a few seconds in incredulity. It swiftly changed to that of sheer, unadulterated horror. “Oh God! There’s no way back, is there?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. If there is, I haven’t found it.”
She fell over in a dead faint.
To Boldly Go
“Penny for your thoughts.” Octavia turned from where she was gazing out at the clouds and endless blue-gray sky. Her eyes warmed as they always did when she looked at me, and I was filled with a sense of well-being. I would forever rank the fact that we found each other as a miracle of the most profound nature.
“I was feeling thankful that William paid attention to our warning in time. All those people might have been killed . . . but it ended well, although Etienne must be positively livid that his grandiose attack plans were for nothing.”