“No Etrigan, I do not believe that was the only reason why. What do you know of your father? Of his birth, of his family, or why you have wings and he does not?”
“I know nothing other than I was born different than other children and my father’s childhood was less than ideal. I always felt he was protecting me from something, but he was never forthcoming with information. My father has always been secretive with me.”
Horace frowned, worried, as he looked back at Dekker for some sort of sign of what he should do next. It was obvious that Etrigan did not know much about his own father or Claren’s history. Horace may be doing the Lowoods a great disservice by revealing too much. On the other hand, if Claren was in danger from Mr. Lowood, he would be doing Claren a great favor. He still admired Claren greatly and had hoped that perhaps she would have accepted his invitation to court when it was only Dekker to compete against.
“Does the good outweigh the bad?” Dekker asked his friend tensely. Horace nodded quickly and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose.
“Etrigan, please keep in mind that I do not know the real motives your father has for bringing Claren here. I can only tell you what they appear to be. Do you understand this?”
“Yes, just get on with it, I want to know what I do not.” Claren had now leaned forward on the edge of the wall not wanting to be seen but not wanting to miss any of the conversation.
“A company discovered a chemical, the chemical that we know today as Prothron. You know what Prothron does correct?
“Yes every school child does.”
“Good, Prothron was discovered shortly before the Great War but was not able to be brought up because all the miners who were commissioned to bring it up would die. The company then spent time and money to develop a vaccine to prevent the miners from dying. These vaccinations were made from the genetics of bats and eagles for their various beneficial properties.”
“Beneficial properties?” Etrigan questioned, but Horace waved his questions away.
“That’s not important right now, once the miners were injected they were able to work in the mines safely, however they grew wings. A side effect of the vaccination. The company had to hide what they did so they kept the miners as prisoners, later bringing down their wives after the Great War. The Grand Council concluded that it was just, to have these men as prisoners in the mines as long as they continued to work for the greater good of all men.” Etrigan shook his head not understanding.
“They realized that the collapse of this new world they were trying to form was imminent if they did not continue to manufacture Prothron. Your grandparents were forced to work in these mines, where your father was born. Your father escaped somehow, but now I am curious to know why he has housed Claren Maidstone in his home.”
“Maidstone, from Maidstone Industries?” Etrigan said his tall form frozen. Horace nodded and continued.
“Maidstone Industries had been touted long ago as being a partner to the Grand Council for establishing the new order. They were featured in books and magazines.” Dekker glanced nervously at Horace feeling that the air was charged with Etrigan’s anger. Horace continued unaware of his friends growing agitation.
“Claren Maidstone is granddaughter to the Maidstone empire. She is the sole legal heiress Yes, the very company that imprisoned your grandparents and your father and are responsible for your…” Horace pointed upwards towards Etrigan’s outstretched wings. Etrigan staggered as if someone had hit him.
From the hallway, Claren’s hand flew up to her mouth to cover her gasp. A trembling that began in her knees raced its way up so that her shoulders shook. While her mind wanted to reject what she heard, in her heart she knew it was true. Pieces of conversation from between her mother and father came back to her from when she was a child. She had always thought that her father had nothing to do with her grandfathers company. Her father’s voice echoed in Claren’s head.
“We must redeem ourselves Claren, devote our lives to doing good for others.”
She had often wondered why he would say things of that nature. She did not want to believe that her family was involved with such crimes.
But how well did I really know my parents? I knew nothing of my grandfather, expect that he was seen as a good man.
“No, I can’t believe this…” Etrigan was saying with a stricken look on his now pale face, “I don’t fully understand. Why would my father bring her here then?”
“For revenge? Who knows, but we will only know when your father arrives.” Horace said, only now feeling the air super charged with Etrigan’s anger and confusion. He was beginning to doubt that he had done the right thing in revealing so much to Etrigan.
“Listen Etrigan, Claren is not to be blamed for what her grandfather did.” Dekker said reaching out to touch Etrigan’s arm which Etrigan quickly pulled away.
“I know that! I am not a child; I only want to know if she knew this.” He lashed out. Etrigan turned his back from his companions at the same time Claren realized he was coming up the stairs to find her. She hurriedly turned away and ran down the hallway, feeling genuinely frightened. Etrigan had used his wings to bypass the stairs and saw Claren a few feet from her door. He landed heavily in the hallway and in two long strides, tackled her to the ground knocking the breath from her body. She gasped for air as the other two men ran up the staircase not trusting Etrigan. Etrigan’s body, now heavy on Claren, turned her over to face him as she struggled to breathe.
“Did you know!?” Etrigan rasped into Claren’s frightened visage. Dekker and Horace gripped Etrigan as best as they could, avoiding his wings in the enclosed hallway.
“Have you lost your mind man! Get off of her!” Dekker said attempting to pull Etrigan off of Claren. Horace had grabbed a hold of Etrigan’s arm and clung to it.
“Tell me the truth!” Etrigan said. Claren, tears freely falling now, closed her eyes, feeling her breath come back to her slowly.
“I did not know Etrigan, I did not know.” She whispered. Horace sensed Etrigan’s grip lessening on the girl, so he quickly pulled Claren out from under Etrigan and helped her to her feet. She leaned heavily upon him.
“You’ve lied to me before, about your last name and about why you were here.” Etrigan accused her as he shrugged off Dekker easily and stood up.
“I did not lie to you. I told you everything you wanted to know when you asked me. If I am guilty, then I am guilty about withholding information from you. But nothing that I withheld from you was malicious or kept from you to hurt you.” She whispered sadly and turned to enter her room, shutting the door behind her.
“Think man! Why would she willingly put herself here in this house? Who in their right mind would want to suffer that guilt, day after day? You do a great disservice to her by thinking of Claren in that way. She is no grand plotter or revenge seeker! The one who has the answers is your father. Now where is he?” Dekker asked.
Etrigan, the fire gone out of him, gathered his wings close to his body.
“I do not know, he left a few days ago. He did not say where, all I know is that he has been greatly agitated as of late.”
“Etrigan, your father has the answers, we just have to stay calm until he arrives. But please tell me you do not blame her, Claren is not Maidstone Industries.”
“I want to trust her, she is the first person I ever…” He stopped himself, looking from one young man to another.
“She is my first friend, but if all this that you say is true, I do not know if I can be even that to her.”
“I thought you said that you understood she did not do this to your family?” Dekker said angrily.
“Yes but there is such a thing as loyalty. How can I be a friend to someone whose family has caused my grandparents imprisonment, my father’s pain and my own deformity?” The two young men could not answer that.
“You both can leave now. You do not have to worry, I won’t bother Claren.”
“How can we trust you Etrigan? You knocke
d her down and frightened the wits out of her.” Horace said removing his glasses and briskly cleaned the smudged lenses.
“I won’t harm her, I know I am not gentlemen like you, but I promise you I won’t even speak to her tonight.”
“Do we have your word on that? I can easily house her in my apartments.” Dekker asked while Horace nudged his arm in reprimand.
“Yes, you do not need to take her anywhere. It’s better she stay close since my father may arrive soon, and there is that fellow…a fellow from her past that is looking for her.” Etrigan said defeated. Horace reached his hand out to shake Etrigan’s.
“Please Etrigan, you are no longer alone in this, we are here for you and even though you may not believe it, I do believe that Claren is still your friend. Give her a chance to prove that she is not like the rest of her family.” Etrigan smiled sadly at the two men. Dekker grasped Etrigan’s hand tightly before Horace could let go.
“Do we have your word then, man to man?”
“Yes.” Etrigan said shaking their hands.
***
Dekker and Horace rode in the carriage with troubled thoughts, digesting the evening.
“Who do you think this fellow is, the one that is looking for Claren?” Horace asked.
“You should have asked Etrigan, but I got the distinct feeling we were pushing our fortune by just being there. Besides, I do not think that he himself knew.”
“Well I wish I did. Perhaps it is an old friend of Claren’s? Someone who came to help her.” Horace said, his glasses down to the tip of his nose. Dekker shrugged. It was no use to worry about something he could do nothing about.
“Do you believe him? That he won’t harass Claren anymore tonight?”
“I do, but perhaps I should have spoke to her before we left.” Horace answered.
“It’s too late now, she is a smart girl, I am sure she locked her bedroom door.”
“A lot of good that would do, that fellow is pretty strong.”
“Anyone is pretty strong to you, Horace.” Dekker answered.
“Funny thing you should say that, I saw how you clung to him like a child and he pushed you away as easily as one as well!” Horace smirked. He knew his friend took great pride in his strength and hated to be bested.
“It was an off day for me, I didn’t get much sleep. I am having to go down to the docks every day and night taking inventory on my father’s ships. I believe I already informed you of that. It’s a sort of penance for taking his newest ship last month.”
“A little work is good for you Dekker.”
“What would you know about it? You only have your nose in books.” Dekker said. Horace tapped his temple.
“Yes, I exercise my brain. That gives me an idea, why don’t you use your various connections to see if Mr. Lowood shipped out from the docks two days ago? If he is not one of the passengers from a ship then we can look at the other modes of transportation, to try to figure out where he left too.”
“That’s a good idea old man. Very good idea.” Dekker pressed the intercom to speak to the driver of the carriage.
“Drop me down at the docks.” Dekker said. The carriage changed direction immediately.
“While you investigate passenger lists, I will see if I can get the exact location of the Maidstone mines. It’s frightful to think that there may still be people working those mines, prisoners.”
“Do you really think, Horace? Still?”
“Of course, unless they developed some other process to bring up Prothron. We use it today don’t we? I didn’t want to bring it up there, in front of Etrigan and Claren. Who knows how they would have reacted.” The carriage stopped near the docks and the smell of cold sea air wafted into the carriage cabin even before Dekker opened the door to leave.
“True in deed. I’ll meet you later at the Wounded Crow. Come back around near midnight.”
“The Wounded Crow? That place is a flea pit.”
“Exactly, I’ll buy you a pint old man.”
“I don’t drink.” Horace said stubbornly.
“Yes, but you are over 21 and your mother does not know you will be here and I feel as though I would like to have a drink or two myself. So as I said, come back around here at midnight.” Dekker slammed the carriage door in his friend’s astonished face and walked to the docks.
Dekker called up every passenger name and ship manifest that had left port in the last week. He wanted to be as thorough as possible. He was now convinced that Mr. Lowood had not left to his mysterious destination by boat. The clock was nearing eleven thirty when he decided to head down to the Wounded Crow. An unsavory place at best, but most of his father’s sailors frequented the pub and Dekker himself was well known and liked by the salty men who worked on the docks.
Dekker pulled his collar up closer to his throat as the sea air bit into his skin. The sudden pungent warmth of the Wounded Crow was most welcome if not albeit smoky. Dekker made his way to a booth in the back and waited for the help to come around. An older man that Dekker knew quite well and worked on his father’s ships walked up to his table.
“Ho there, didn’t expect to see you tonight Dekker my lad.” Dekker shook hands with the crusty man.
“Nor I you, but I had a business of sorts to tend to tonight.”
“Well it’s by blind chance that you come in here tonight because that chap at the edge of the bar has been putting feelers out for safe passage.”
The term safe passage was used by people who wished to travel without the Grand Council or local authorities knowing. They usually paid handsomely and were discreet. An easy way to make quick money, Dekker cast a lazy eye over to the edge of the bar, already calculating how much he would charge the fellow.
“Did you tell him who I was?” The old sailor spit cud out on to the floor.
“Nay, I just told him I could put him in touch with someone who could help him. Then you walked in.” Dekker nodded.
“Then send the chap over if you would be so kind.” The old sailor walked off slowly knowing that Dekker would give him a piece of the price paid.
Kurten Wandsworth set his solid frame down across from Dekker.
“Our mutual friend says you are looking for safe passage?” Dekker inquired.
“Yes, for myself and my fiancée. Night passage if possible.”
“The only kind of safe passage there is really.” Dekker said bored. Kurten did not know what to say in response to this. All he knew is that he did not like this arrogant young man.
“Now passage for two, your fiancée is traveling with you?” Kurten nodded as his eyes darted side to side, a clear sign to Dekker he was a liar.
“Is she really your fiancée, because we do not tolerate kidnapping females for deviant purposes I’ll have you know. The last time a slave trader attempted to smuggle a girl out of port against her God given free will, we hung him up by his ha-has and let the sharks nibble his earlobes.”
“She’s my fiancée but she is ill. We wish to marry but her parents are against it so I am taking her somewhere nice so we can settle down. I wish to go to St. Marhen.” Kurten said roughly, knowing he had to control his temper with this dandy man. He did not want to complicate negotiations.
“Very well then. The best I can do is two nights from now. Meet me at midnight at the docks near birth 87. Do not draw attention to yourselves by having silly arguments on the dock. I will provide a suitable room with a double bed even, you will not be disturbed.” Kurten nodded standing up.
“I take payment now.” Dekker said not smiling.
After Kurten had left, Dekker made sure to give a portion of the fee to the old sailor after buying a round of drinks for every patron of the Wounded Crow. As the clock struck midnight, Horace walked in finding his way to Dekker’s table.
“There’s little wonder why you cannot seem to save money Dekker.” He said eying the empty glasses on the table.
“Never mind that Horace. I poured over the passenger logs for the last week an
d Mr. Lowood did not leave Hartsford by ship.”
“Yes, but what about the people who are not on the logs?” Dekker shook his head.
“No, you know very well that no one gets on any of these boats without me knowing and extracting a price. Why just tonight…” Horace held up his hand to quiet his friend.
“Yes, yes I know you are prince of the docks. I checked the carriage log and found that the carriage took Mr. Lowood to the train station. He took a connecting train to Desolation.” A horrified look crossed over Dekker’s face.
“The abandoned town full of…”
His Black Wings Page 25
