by Tony Corden
Leah stepped forward and said, “Good day to you sir. I am known as Captain Charlotte, and I seek to register as a Privateer and take possession of a Letter of Marque and Reprisal.”
The man reached up one hand and twirled the left side of his moustache for a moment before saying, “Welcome Captain Charlotte. Her Majesty is always in need of those who brave the skies in her name. To receive such a warrant in Her Majesty’s name you are required to be in full possession of a suitable airship and to be recommended by a current Letter holder who is in good standing with this office. Then there is also the matter of a small fee.”
Captain Barnsdale stepped forward and said, “Sir, I am Captain Barnsdale, and I heartily give my recommendation of Captain Charlotte as worthy of the Letter. Should you have need of further recommendations, then these good men with me have declared themselves willing to provide such.”
Leah gave a small bow to Captain Barnsdale and then said, “I have two airships at present. One is the Tempest and the other the Draken, both were taken in battle.”
The registrar gave a small start at the mention of the Tempest and then once more reached up to play with his moustache. After a few moments of silence, he said, “The Tempest, you say. I find myself in somewhat of a difficult situation Captain. I have conflicting truths before me, each of which has force to both guide and direct my actions. On the one hand, there is clear and compelling evidence from Captain Barnsdale and his crew as to the piratical nature of the aforementioned aircraft, and yet I have been enjoined by Her Majesty to forego any decision regarding the Tempest until she has had opportunity to consider the matter. This advice is obligatory on all submissions regarding the Tempest.”
Captain Barnsdale took a deep breath, and many of the captains with him began to fidget. Leah said, “That is truly a conundrum sir. Perhaps I might suggest a temporary solution. Am I right in assuming that there is no controversy regarding the ownership of the Draken?”
“You are correct.”
“Excellent! If it pleases you, might I be given a Letter of Marque and Reprisal with my uncontested ownership of the Draken providing the necessary compliance with your regulations? Captain Barnsdale’s recommendation I trust is sufficient, and I will, of course, meet the costs of such a letter. I will remain in possession of the Tempest until such time as Her Majesty has had an opportunity to consider the situation to her satisfaction.”
The Registrar looked up with a small smile and said. “That is an excellent suggestion, Captain Charlotte. Now if you would make the appropriate payment of fifty pounds I shall have your Letter of Marque and Reprisal drawn up immediately.”
Before Leah could move, Captain Barnsdale stepped forward with the money and said, “Captain Charlotte, please allow me the opportunity to make this small contribution to your next adventure.”
Leah nodded politely and the Registrar accepted the money before saying, “Do you have a personal emblem or device you wish to have associated with your name?”
Ian stepped forward with a prepared piece of cloth which had the bleeding eye embroidered on it. Within ten minutes Leah and her small crowd of followers exited the building, the newly signed and sealed letter in her hands. Captain Barnsdale directed her to a nearby tavern where the other captains had prepared a small private room to discuss the payment of prizes. Over the next half-hour, the Captains reviewed the ships destroyed and captured. After defeating the pirate fleet, they had searched the battlefield and retrieved a significant proportion of the Maxwellian Bronze expended during the firefight. After taking what they considered their fair allotment of prize money, Leah was left with an additional two slightly damaged aircraft, several hundredweight of Maxwellian Bronze, and almost twenty thousand pounds.
Having finished their business Leah and Ian made an exit and began walking back toward the Tempest. Leah said, “I would have you and Mr Wilks visit the new ships and determine if they are suitable additions to our fleet, and if so, have them repaired. If not, then please arrange for their sale. I must attend to some business in Aeolipile and may be absent for several days. If you have need of me, I shall be staying at the Herrington.”
“Let me send several men to accompany you. I fear Lord Emerson may have people watching the airport with intent to harm you.”
“I appreciate the sentiment Ian, but be assured I will be on the lookout for danger. Nonetheless, it might be prudent to have several men follow me to dissuade attack, at least until I reach central Aeolipile.”
“As you will, Captain. If you would wait a mere five minutes, I will organise a few volunteers.”
Just under an hour later, Leah was once again standing outside the Transit Centre in the centre of Aeolipile. She retraced the path she’d taken when she’d first entered the world until she reached the place where she’d first observed Billy Bartle. Leah watched the ebb and flow of traffic until she identified a girl who was picking pockets in a familiar style. She casually sidled alongside the young thief and said, “Hello, I am known as Charlotte, and I am an acquaintance of Mr Billy Bartle. Please pass the word that I am seeking his assistance in a somewhat urgent matter and can be reached at the Herrington. Also, may I suggest you pay more attention to the rotation of your wrist when removing a wallet rather than relying overly much on the elevation of your elbow.”
Without waiting for a reply, Leah made her way to the Herrington where she found Albert on duty behind the reception desk. As she approached, he stepped forward and said, “Miss Charlotte, it is a pleasure to see you again although I am somewhat disheartened that you have sustained an injury. How might the Herrington assist you today?”
“Be not dismayed Mr Lincoln, as I am sure this scratch will soon be put to right. I find myself once more in need of lodging and would not willingly stay anywhere except this fine establishment. If possible, I would like a suite for at least a week.”
“Was the previous suite of sufficient size or might you require a somewhat more expansive lodging at this time, Miss Charlotte?”
“Have you something with a small area in which to entertain visitors? For I expect the young gentleman who was so concerned for my welfare to visit.”
“Our larger suites all have such facilities, Miss Charlotte. Might I suggest our Lady Emily Suite, Miss Charlotte? In addition to a superior quality sitting room, it comes with a butler and a lady’s maid who will take care of any refreshments as well as ensuring no harm might be brought upon your character.”
“That sounds splendid Mr Lincoln.”
Leah paid in advance for the suite, and then Albert escorted Leah to the twenty-ninth floor and a well-appointed set of apartments. After being introduced to the butler and the maid, she asked for a cup of tea and then tried to get her thoughts in order while she waited for Billy. Her tea was still steeping when her butler entered the room and said, “Excuse me, Miss Charlotte, there is a Mr Bartle here to see you.”
“Please show him in Howard and, if you would, ask Louise to bring some additional refreshments.”
“As you say, Miss.”
Leah stood as Billy entered the room and said, “Mr Bartle, thank you for being willing to see me. I must also thank you for the parasol, it was a most suitable gift, and indeed I had occasion to use it almost immediately.”
Billy stepped forward and, taking Leah’s hand, bowed over it for a moment before saying, “It was a pleasure to hear from you, Captain Charlotte. When I heard of the appearance of a stunning new Privateer captain named Charlotte I knew it was you. Were you able to find the justice you sought?”
Leah indicated for Billy to take a seat and said, “In part, Mr Bartle. My original quest has been completed, but in doing so I have made several promises I need to keep. They are somewhat larger in nature than I had first intended and yet I find myself inclined to see them through.”
“Might you share these larger endeavours, for I assume you need some assistance in order to satisfy your honour?”
“I have promised Lord Emerson to t
ake from him everything he has and everything he holds dear, both in this world and in whatever worlds to which he may flee. I have also promised myself to destroy slavery wherever it is found.”
Billy sat stunned for a moment and Louise, Leah’s maid, took the silence as an opportunity to enter with a small tray of refreshments and another pot of tea. Leah said, “Would you like a cup of tea, Mr Bartle, and maybe some fresh sandwiches?”
Billy nodded somewhat slowly and said, “Thank you. No milk and perhaps some honey and lemon.”
As soon as his tea was served and Louise left the room, he said, “My first inclination is to suggest you have bitten off more than you can chew, Captain Charlotte, but then I never believed the Tempest would be taken either. I applaud both your promises as my experience is that Lord Emerson is bad for business. His actions restrict an independent and somewhat honest thief from making a proper living. In addition, I believe that slavery is a blight on any civilisation. I am hesitant, however, to be too visible in offering my assistance as I prefer to remain among the living.”
“Be assured Mr Bartle, I prefer you to remain well and truly hidden as it is then that I will find you most valuable. I am not seeking to abuse your friendship but would like to make use of your experience, your networks, and perhaps to offer suitable remuneration for such services.”
“Well then Captain, what do you require?”
“I need clothes, weapons and someone to help repair my eye. I have four ships to refit and repair, and I need workmen who will not report back to Lord Emerson. I need an invitation to the next large social event where I might encounter Lord Emerson, his family, and Her Majesty. I need a comprehensive list of Lord Emerson’s holdings, his possessions, his employees, and his acquaintances. I also want blueprints of all his properties. I understand you may not be able to produce all this from within your own networks, but I imagine you have contacts who can find this information without revealing either my presence or yours.”
Billy sat and thought for several minutes, then said, “I believe I can provide you with those services. The cost for this will be sizeable. Do you have sufficient funds?”
“Yes, and if I run out, then I will just take more from Lord Emerson. I think it appropriate that he fund his own demise.”
“Indeed! Evening will soon be upon us Captain Charlotte, and I have some things to arrange. Will you be free tomorrow to meet with those who help to provide clothing, weapons and who might introduce you to someone who has the skills to fix your eye?”
“Unless something unexpected happens, I shall be ready tomorrow at nine.”
“Please understand Captain, despite the great pleasure I take in your company I am not the most suitable person to guide you in the morning. Instead, I will send two of my companions. They will be here at nine. Their names are Mistress Ellen Bartle, a cousin, and Mr Henry Ayer.”
“Thank you, Mr Bartle, I hope I have not stepped beyond the bounds of our friendship in asking this of you.”
“Not at all Captain. I expect that I shall profit greatly from this arrangement, and hopefully not at your expense.”
Billy took his leave shortly afterwards, and Leah logged out for a small break.
6
December 14, 2073 - Part 6
THE STORK TOWER
Leah took a small break to use the bathroom and have a snack. She was encouraged by the fact that she didn’t require anyone’s help in getting to and from the bathroom. She asked Gèng to let John know she no longer needed someone in, or near, her room all the time. Once she was back in the Tower, she made her way to the Dunyanin portal. She said, “Gèng, can you record everything from this portal transition? I would like to review it when I get back to the Tower.”
Gèng agreed but said, “I’m not sure what will be recorded. Neither you nor your consciousness, move. The portal is nothing more than a visual effect, provided by Dunyanin and applied by me, which gives time for me to connect with the Dunyanin server and initiate the data transfers.”
“I do understand Gèng, but something is different, and I can’t explain it.”
“I’ve set the Pod scanners to their highest sensitivity, and I hope this will make some sense of what is going on.”
DUNYANIN
Leah nodded and returned to the tavern in Batislar.
After making sure she looked like a Dark Elf, Leah made her way to the showroom and then followed F’Dali through the rear entrance and down a series of ladders into a workshop far beneath ground level. T’sar Rimci was waiting with the smith and the enchanter from the previous day’s discussion. They were standing near two sets of armour displayed on stands.
Both were predominantly dark grey and constructed principally from a synthesis of Büyük’s hide and the skin of an Adamantine Mamba. The hide had been tanned and then split to form a supple leather two millimetres thick. A single thickness of the leather formed the inner layer of armour and was designed to cover everything except hands, feet and head.
On the outside of this, the smith and the enchanter bonded many thin-shaped sections of Adamantine. These shapes ranged from tiny scale-shaped pieces in places needing flexibility, to larger pieces in those places less likely to bend or rotate. A second layer of Büyük leather was then bonded on the suit, covering the Adamantine. More Adamantine was added to increase the protection in areas particularly vulnerable such as along the spine, the chest area, the kidneys and where significant veins and arteries ran near the surface. A third layer of leather was then added in places which had the additional Adamantine.
Each suit was then covered with a tanned and thinned outer layer of skin from the Adamantine Mamba. Although the scales broke up the suits uniform colouring, the suit was also embossed with a series of runes enchanted to evade detection. The suit was then oiled with some of the Concealing Oil Leah had gained from the Pharaoh Ants, which had been mixed with both Worker Ant Oil, to increase hardness, and the Fire Retardant Oil from the Fire Ants. The enchanter applied the oils using runes of protection and strengthening after which he rubbed the oil over the whole surface.
Each suit had matching boots, gloves, a variety of bandoleers, belts and harnesses, helmets and a cloak. All these were also made of leather and Adamantine but were trimmed in either blood red or ice blue. Depending on which combination of bandoleer, belt, and harness Leah wore, she could carry her weapon of choice in a variety of positions. Leah had the options of a simple skull cap, a half helmet or full protection which covered her entire head and included transparent coverings for the eyes. Both suits radiated a slight feeling of menace, the blue-edged one more so than the one edged in red.
Leah greeted the craftsmen, and after examining the suits, she praised their handiwork. T’sar said, “We have just finished the work and that only because we called in other craftsmen from the city. Both suits are Legendary in quality. After you left I modified some of the design parameters to enhance both the suits and the weaponry. This means there are some additional costs, but I believe you will appreciate the modifications. Before we discuss price I suggest you try on the suits and check the weapons in case changes need to be made.”
Leah spent almost an hour checking the suits, the weapons and the staff. She had arranged for a variety of knives, both throwing and fighting, a sword, a bow and numerous arrows of different types. There was a fighting staff with attachments for both a Morningstar and for blades at either end. She also ordered a new haladie and some extendable fighting sticks. The staff made by the enchanter was forged from one of the ribs of an Adamantine Mamba and was covered in runes formed by embedding various gems Leah had provided. Her Darkness Diamond had been set at one end and held in place by the same ice-blue metal which lined one of her suits. The diamond was surrounded by a ring of precious and semi-precious gems, each attuned to a different type of mana.
In the end, there were very few adjustments necessary, and they involved minor changes. When Leah was done she thanked the workmen again and followed T’sar to h
er office. When they were seated, T’sar said, “As agreed the suit with blue trim has been enhanced to deal with a high-level magic attack. Your suggestion of using powdered Darkness Diamonds was tried and found to be very effective. The shards you provided were not sufficient, and we had to purchase offcuts and shards from elsewhere. The powdered diamond was mixed with several mana-based oils and bonded to the outer layer of the suit before being enchanted. It will both absorb and deflect magical attacks. Any mana absorbed is channelled to magnify your own spells while wearing the armour. The trimming is Mithryl which usually resists Shadow Mana, but we forged it in Dark Fire and doused it in a mixture of poisons. The process gives it that blue sheen and makes it highly conductive of Shadow Magic.
“The red-trimmed suit is specially enhanced to deal with physical attacks. If you examine it closely, you will see that it is slightly darker in shade than the Mithryl lined suit. It is covered in a mixture of oils that were produced when rendering the Demigod’s hide. These were mixed with the Troll’s blood you provided. The trimming is platinum, to which the smith added a combination of Feeline and Rock Kraken’s blood during the forging process. The end result is an increased ability to resist damage, and the trimming will increase both your speed and your threat perception. Unfortunately, the testing required, combined with the additional workmen, has increased the cost of these suits above our quotation.”
The next fifteen minutes were occupied in some serious haggling over the price. In the end both parties were satisfied, and after finalising her bill Leah took possession of the suits, the staff, and the weapons. T’sar was somewhat disappointed when Leah left the premises before equipping her armour, but Leah wanted to remain inconspicuous as long as she could. It took her twenty minutes to leave the central section of the city and find a secluded place from where she could teleport to the Feeline’s cave. After picturing herself once more on the mountain ledge, she cast Teleport.
