Kingmaker (The Dragon Corsairs)

by Margaret Weis

  She reached into the pocket of her coat, pulled out the letter from the countess, and handed it to Sophia.

  “I have not read the letter, of course. But from what the countess told me, I believe she is giving you and Pip her blessing to marry,” Kate said with a smile.

  Sophia flushed with pleasure and clasped the letter close to her heart. When they reached the second-floor landing, Sophia stopped to open the letter, only to be accosted by Mr. Albright. He looked very stern.

  “I regret to inform you, ma’am, that your dog has absconded with a leg of lamb. When I attempted to take it away, he showed his teeth and seemed prepared to bite me.”

  “Oh, dear,” said Sophia. “I must go scold Bandit and take the lamb away or he will be sick all night.”

  She embraced Kate. “God go with you! Thank you for my letter!”

  She hurried down the stairs, and Kate was about to follow, but the moment she set foot in the house, she stopped to stare about in wonder. She had never before been in Welkinstead and everywhere she looked she saw some object that was either strange, beautiful, horrible, or curious. Oddities dangled from the ceiling; hung on the walls; perched on desks, cabinets, and side tables; lay on the floor—or were scattered about the stairs, where they proved a hazard to life and limb.

  A man seated in a wheeled chair waited at the bottom of the stairs.

  “I am Simon Yates. Forgive the mess,” he called. “Everything has been in disarray since the house crashed. Albright and I haven’t had time to clean up yet. Don’t trip over the newts.”

  He gestured to a cage on the third stair that housed several of the lizards. Kate just managed to squeeze her way past.

  “Miss Amelia, I am glad to see you,” Simon continued. “Albright informed me of your arrival and said you had picked up my mail. Did you have any difficulty at the post office?”

  “I did not, sir,” said Amelia. “The postmistress had several large bags to deliver. She was extremely happy to hear you are well. She had been worried about you.”

  Simon shifted his gaze to Kate, regarding her with interest. He held out his hand.

  “You must be Captain Kate.”

  “You have the advantage of me, Master Yates,” Kate said. “I don’t recall that we have ever met.”

  Simon chuckled. “We haven’t. I observed you and your dragon friend flying toward the house. I knew from Miss Amelia that you two had traveled to the Aligoes to warn the Brigade of the black ship and the green-beam gun. Did you manage to reach the Brigade in time?”

  “We did, sir,” said Kate. “I would tell you the story, but I have to take an urgent message to His Majesty—”

  “—that the Dragon Brigade is coming,” Simon finished her sentence.

  Kate gaped at him. “How did you know, sir?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Simon returned. “I am glad you are here. You can deliver a message to the king from me. I have invented a new weapon which we will be using against the Guundarans in the battle to defend Haever. Miss Amelia, your notebook. Take down the following information. The captain can give it to the king.”

  “Sir, I would love to hear,” Kate protested, “but I must find the king. The matter is urgent!”

  Simon regarded her gravely. “You are right, Captain Kate. The matter is urgent. The ‘Eye’ is the only weapon capable of destroying the green-beam guns. I remind you that these heinous guns can be as deadly to dragons as they are to people. Thus you understand why His Majesty needs this information.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Kate, not knowing what else to say. She hoped Simon was right, though she had her doubts.

  Simon offered her a seat, but she remained standing, hoping that would hasten the proceedings.

  “Sophia named the weapon ‘God’s Eye,’” Simon stated. “A most ridiculous name, by the way, since it has no eyes and I am the inventor, not God. The weapon makes use of the Seventh Sigil to combine magic and contramagic into a concentrated burst of white, ‘pure’ magic, and is thus more correctly termed a refocused energy emitter and generator. That name being rather too long and cumbersome, she and I have compromised and refer to it as the ‘Eye.’

  “I designed the Eye based on another of my inventions that I call ‘crackers’—glass rods that are inscribed with contramagic on one end and magic on the other. When I combine the two, the cracker explodes, doing considerable damage.

  “The Eye will have far greater destructive power than the crackers. My most immediate problem was that I had no time to spend on development. I would have normally taken a year producing it. Instead, Sophia and I had to cobble together the device from whatever we could scrounge up about the house.”

  “Which would have been a problem in any other house except Welkinstead,” Amelia observed in an undertone to Kate.

  “What does the Eye do to stop the green-beam guns, sir?” Kate asked, trying to hurry him along.

  “I can’t predict,” said Simon. “I have several theories, but since we have yet to fire it, I cannot be certain of the outcome.”

  Kate stared at him, perplexed. “But, sir, if you don’t know—”

  She was interrupted by Welkinstead, which gave a lurch and then made a sudden, stomach-churning descent that startled the occupants and knocked objects off the walls or sent them bumping down the stairs.

  The house fell only a few feet before it stabilized, but the effect on those inside was nerve-racking. Kate grabbed hold of the banister to keep from falling. Amelia was so shaken she dropped her umbrella.

  “Albright!” Simon bellowed. “What the devil was that?”

  “The flow of the magic to the lift tanks is proving to be unstable, sir,” Albright shouted back.

  “I had better handle this myself,” said Simon, annoyed. “Albright maintains we should have never left the ground. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of crashing.”

  He started off, then paused to glance out the window. Kate was astonished to see two naval tugboats chug into view.

  “Ah, excellent,” said Simon. “The Admiralty received my message. The tugboats have arrived. I must give the commanders their instructions. Good-bye and good luck, Captain.”

  He whipped his chair around and sped off.

  Kate looked at the tugboats and felt the house still quivering. “Is Sophia safe here?”

  Amelia was grave. “No one in Haever is safe, Kate. Besides, Sophia would not leave. She enjoys working with Master Yates. As she says, she is finally able to put her skills as a savant to good use. Now we had best go before the cab driver leaves without us. He appears to be considerably unnerved by the gyrations of the house.”

  The white-faced driver hustled them into the cab and settled the wyvern with a few touches of his whip. Amelia told him to take them to the harbor, and he left with all speed.

  Kate looked back at Welkinstead—ponderous, enormous, slow-moving.

  “Why does Master Yates need the tugboats?”

  “To maneuver the house into position during the battle,” Amelia replied. “We will be targeting the ships armed with the green-beam guns. Master Yates is not certain of the Eye’s range and one cannot ‘drift with panache’ when engaging the enemy.”

  “But, Miss Amelia, those ships will be firing back at you!” Kate protested. “Tugboats can’t push Welkinstead out of the way of cannonballs or green beams!”

  “Oh, yes, we are, all of us, well aware of the danger,” said Amelia complacently. “The house was sunk once before by a green-beam gun.”

  She added with frowning asperity, “Now, Kate, did any of us try to talk you out of flying into battle with the Brigade because of a little danger?”

  Kate was about to argue that they wouldn’t be facing a “little” danger, they would be facing Guundaran men-of-war. She could see by Amelia’s stern expression she wasn’t going to succeed.

  “No, ma’am,” Kate said, sighing.

  Amelia gave a brisk nod.

  Kate looked back at Welkinstead to see the tugboats t
aking up their positions, nuzzling the house’s foundation, preparing to shove Welkinstead into battle.

  FIFTY-ONE

  Kate had worried that the Valor might already have set sail and she was relieved to see the ship was still tethered to the moorings. The rest of the fleet rode on the mists of the Breath, shining red gold in the light of the setting sun.

  Despite the fact that their city was preparing for war, hundreds of people had gathered at the dock to watch their king board the Valor, preparing like kings of old to lead his forces into battle.

  “Do we know for certain the Guundarans plan to attack Haever?” Kate asked Amelia.

  “The admiralty received reports from Glenham that an armada of enemy ships sailed over that city at dawn, heading this direction,” Amelia replied. “Just as Simon predicted they would.”

  The cab arrived at the harbor and Kate saw marines lining the dock, keeping the crowd under control. The navy docks were separate from the civilian docks, protected by a ten-foot-tall iron fence. Beyond that, another iron fence lined the edge of the cliff to prevent people from tumbling into the Breath.

  “Can you fly over that barricade?” Kate asked the driver.

  He glared at her. “Would that be before or after the marines shoot me, Miss?”

  He pointed with the whip to an alley a short distance from the wharf. “I can set you down there. That’s as close as I dare go.”

  After the cab had landed in the alley, Kate climbed out and waited for Amelia, only to see her settle back into the seat.

  “Aren’t you coming with me?” Kate asked.

  “No, my dear. I’ve arranged with Master Yates to observe the battle from the air. This will be the story of a lifetime! And he will need my help constructing the weapon.”

  “He hasn’t built it yet?” Kate asked, astonished.

  “The Eye is currently in the design phase,” said Amelia. She prodded the driver in the back with her umbrella.

  “Make haste, my man!”

  He turned to glare at her, but she must have been paying him well, for he only muttered something, put his hand on the helm, and snapped his whip. The wyverns took off and the carriage returned to the air.

  Kate was starting down the alley, heading for the docks, when she heard pounding feet coming up behind her. She remembered Amelia’s warning about her uniform, and she glanced over her shoulder to see a man in a stocking cap and sailor’s pea coat dashing down the alley heading straight for her. The man’s face and clothes were covered in mud, and he looked like a footpad. Kate reached for her pistol.

  The man yanked off his cap to reveal a shock of unruly blond hair.

  “Kate! It’s me! Pip! Thank God I’ve found you! Saw you and Dalgren … lost track … Miss Amelia … I need to know.…”

  Phillip had to stop talking to gasp for breath.

  “Pip! You shouldn’t be in Haever!” Kate told him. “Smythe is hunting for you! It’s not safe!”

  “Never mind that. Is Sophia safe?” Phillip demanded. “Where is she?”

  “She’s with Master Yates at Welkinstead. I just left her. She’s fine, but—”

  “Bless you!” Phillip cried fervently.

  He looked up in the air at the floating house as though to get his bearings, grasped Kate’s hand and shook it in gratitude, then ran off down the alley.

  “Pip, wait!” Kate called after him. “Sophia is in danger! You have to convince—”

  Phillip didn’t hear her, and the next moment, he was gone.

  Kate sighed. Continuing on down the alley, she plunged into the crowd, reminded of the time only days ago when she had been forced to fight her way through a similar throng of spectators to deliver the nosegay to Thomas.

  The mood of the crowd was different this time. Then they had mourned their queen and cheered their new king. Today, people were not cheering. They were quiet, fiercely resolved. If they talked at all, they spoke in low tones. Children clutched small Freyan flags in their hands, but they could sense the tension in their parents and looked confused and afraid.

  The Freyan people had come to the docks to support their king, to honor his courage, even as they understood the peril to themselves and their country. Thomas and their military were fighting to save them. If they went down to defeat, the Guundaran ships armed with green-beam guns would lay waste to their city and their nation would fall.

  Kate had no difficulty making her way through the crowd. Men and women let her pass without question. Children gazed at her with frightened eyes. Kate longed to tell them that help was coming, but she knew they wouldn’t understand. They would look up to see a sky filled with dragons and they would despair. She had to talk to Thomas, make him understand, and she realized reaching him was going to be a challenge.

  She viewed in dismay the ten-foot iron palisade that prevented unauthorized people from entering the Royal Naval Dockyard and also kept them from tumbling off the edge of the continent into the Breath. A gate permitted entry and it was guarded by the Royal Marines.

  In preparation for the king, who had stated he would address his people before he boarded the ship, workmen had hastily erected a small stage decorated with bunting in front of the palisade. Constables guarded the route the king would take to reach the stage and stood in a line in front of it.

  The Valor’s three masts towered above the barricades. The sails were furled while the ship was at anchor, the balloons only partially filled. Officers waited on the quarterdeck to welcome the king. Sailors lined the yardarms. The Valor’s captain had even managed, on short notice, to scrounge up a small band consisting of two fiddles, a fife, and a drum.

  Someone called out that the king was coming, and the crowd stirred in anticipation as the royal carriage, drawn by a pair of matching black horses, came into view. The band on board the Valor struck up a screechy rendition of the Freyan national anthem.

  The carriage rolled to a halt, and one of the footmen jumped down from his seat at the rear of the carriage to open the door. Thomas emerged, wearing a Freyan naval uniform, bicorn, and gloves. His marine escort assembled around him.

  The crowd cheered. Men took off their hats, and women fluttered handkerchiefs and told children to brandish their flags.

  Thomas acknowledged his people with a smile and a wave and the cheering grew louder. The crowd surged forward, trying to see him. The constables planted their feet, pushing them back. Thomas walked toward the speaking platform along the path made through the crowd by the constables. The marines followed behind.

  Kate was as close as she was going to get. She sucked in a deep breath and filled her lungs with air, using the bellow that shouted orders to her crew over the boom of cannons.

  “Thomas! Tom! It’s me—Kate!”

  Thomas appeared to hear her, even over the din of the cheers and the music, for he stopped walking and turned his head to search the crowd.

  Kate waved her arms and drew in another breath to call to him. “Thomas, I’m here—”

  Her shout ended in a strangled gasp. “Trubgek!”

  He was standing only a few feet from her. He had not seen her, he did not hear her. He was staring fixedly at Thomas, and Kate knew with sickening, unbearable certainty Trubgek was here to kill. She had no idea how he meant to use his powerful dragon magic, but she had seen the results and she was terrified. He had nearly brought down her family’s manor house by simply placing the palm of his hand against a wall.

  As Kate drew in another breath to shout a warning, she felt the barrel of a pistol jam into her rib cage.

  “One word to Trubgek, Captain,” said Smythe, “and you die.”

  Trubgek heard his name and turned his head, looking questioningly at Smythe.

  “Keep your mind on your work!” Smythe told him angrily. “I will deal with this.”

  Trubgek nodded and started to turn away, and then he saw Kate and knew her. She could see the flicker of recognition in his empty eyes.

  Smythe caught hold of her arm and dragged h
er closer.

  He jabbed her with the pistol. “You know me, don’t you?”

  Kate glanced at him and gave a brief nod.

  Smythe spoke softly, his breath on her cheek. “You know I will not hesitate to kill you. Face forward. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

  Kate nodded stiffly and turned away. She had seen in that brief glance that Smythe was favoring his left leg, unable to put his full weight on it. His fine clothes were muddy and disheveled, his torn breeches stained with mud and blood.

  Kate’s mouth was dry. Her breath came fast, her heart thudded against her ribs. She kept both hands in plain sight.

  Smythe grasped her arm more tightly, causing her to flinch in pain. He signaled Trubgek and told him, “Wait until he boards the ship.”

  Trubgek gazed at Kate with eyes devoid of pity, emotion, fear … or life. He shifted his empty eyes back to Thomas and began to flex his hands.

  Thomas cast another searching glance through the crowd. Kate didn’t dare speak, and he gave a slight shrug and turned away. He climbed the stairs to the stage, where he was welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Haever and other dignitaries. The crowd hushed to hear their king. Thomas began to speak, but Kate had no idea what he was saying. Her entire being was concentrated on Trubgek, waiting in terror for him to attack.

  Thomas ended his speech and the crowd gave him a rousing cheer. He waved again and then left the stage and entered the gate, which the guards shut behind him. He walked up the gangplank to board the Valor. The band played, pipes twittered, officers saluted.

  Trubgek slowly raised his hands into the air and black storm clouds boiled up out of the Deep Breath in response, as if he had plunged his hands into the bottom of the world, seized the darkness, and dragged it to the surface.

  A blast of icy wind swept over the wharf. The black clouds churned and bubbled and blotted out the setting sun. Day turned to night in a moment. A blast of howling wind whipped the flags on the Valor and caused the sails to flap. Sailors on the yardarms scrambled down for their lives.

  Trubgek made a slight gesture and bolts of purple lightning streaked through the black, boiling clouds. Thunder boomed and the ground shook. A lightning bolt struck the Valor’s main mast. The ship’s protective magic flared blue.