"I assume so. I studied at a private boarding school in England for a term. I found it to be quite a learning experience."
Olivia did her best to hide her surprise. The Pure Bloods appeared content to make brief visits on her home world to grab whatever they needed—captives for fresh blood for their DNA experiments along with plant and animal specimens—and go. To leave a young person for a school term, far away from his own kind, seemed more daring than an airship journey around the globe.
She tapped her incisors. "Didn't anyone at this boarding school notice your... physical differences?"
Moreau shrugged. "If they did, they never mentioned it. My family paid them well in gold nuggets, I recall. It kept questioning down to a minimum."
Olivia looked askance at him. "You didn't have to pull any telepathic tricks on the headmaster?"
"Just one or two little ones." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "The four seasons of Earth are peculiar as well. We only need the two, growing and not-growing."
"It makes sense on BloodDark to have two," she agreed. "On Earth, we wouldn't have 'spring forward' and 'fall backward' to moan about if we labeled only two of the seasons. Also, without days and nights, babies wouldn't have anything to mix up, according to my mom and aunt. Folks would miss their griping if we messed with the natural order of things."
"The natural order? Yes, I understand. It's something I learned humans are very impressed by. You can't have things which don't fit your small concept of reality. You simply ignore them if they do."
"It explains why you successfully fooled a school full of people into thinking you were human." Olivia stopped. "Here we are."
They'd reached the airship, but so far only a handful of ruling council members and their aides had boarded. Olivia smiled at a guide standing at the gangway. Her father would be impressed with the historical accuracy... The guide dressed like a Zouave, complete with a fez-like hat with long tassel. He pointed to the massive airship.
"As befits your status, you'll travel aboard The Shadowy Daughter of Urthona," he announced with flourish of his hands.
Olivia swallowed a giggle. "Wow. It's quite a name."
The guide grinned. "I know. A big name for a big ship, but she's not the most famous. That privilege belongs to her—Oculus Nightingale." He nodded reverently to a corner of the docks where a solitary and somewhat time-worn airship floated from a docking mast. Olivia saw two eyes resembling the Eye of Horus painted either side of the envelope.
"She's beautiful. Don't you think so, Moreau?" Olivia asked.
Her Pure Blood companion shrugged. "It's an interesting design."
Soon the two men were discussing the size and specifications of the older—and, from what she gathered, infamous—aircraft. Olivia took the opportunity to scan the gathering crowd for signs of Hernando and Caveman, but they hadn't arrived yet from an impromptu meeting called between the councilors and some of their most far-flung subjects. Odds were Valori wouldn't be here, but it didn't hurt to reach out to her friend and check in with her. Olivia closed her eyes and concentrated.
Valori, are you in Penumbra City or somewhere nearby? I've missed you.
I've missed you, too, my child, came the mental reply. I've been occupied with important business. I cannot discuss it now. We will be together soon. Take care, Olivia. The future of our worlds is in your hands.
Valori appeared in a vision of red swirling dust and growing storm clouds, black and tumultuous, filled with lightning and brimstone. The image of total destruction flashed before Olivia's eyes and then receded. She shuddered and gasped.
Moreau turned and stared at her. "Are you feeling well?" His concerned tone touched her. He took her arm and guided her over to sit on a large crate dockside. "Your face paled. You appeared to have seen a... a ghost is the closest English word I can call it."
"I sure hope she's not a ghost."
"Our new high priestess?" he asked. Olivia nodded. Moreau frowned. "It's most unusual Valori and Drucinda aren't present. For such an important endeavor, it's traditional to have a blessing by someone of their high station in attendance."
"Is it?" Olivia took a deep breath and felt her equilibrium returning. "I liken this expedition to a military one. In my culture's traditions, those of high station usually stay home, and let the poor handle the messy details like blowing things up and getting themselves killed."
Moreau smirked. "Perhaps it's why the people of Earth suffer endless warfare. We of the Pure Blood realized sometimes war cannot be averted, and none are spared from service to the greater good. In the ancient times, our priests and priestess led us into battle through the power of their—"
"Olivia, are you ready to fly?" Hernando called out as he approached the airship. He jogged over and knelt down, eyes narrowing as he observed her. "You okay? Still recovering from the trip?"
"That must be it. A bullet train ride and now a flight in a Goodyear blimp—my stomach's doing a number on me." Slapping her thighs, she stood. "I'll manage. I'm ready to go."
Hernando exchanged an odd look with Moreau. The golden-haired vampire shrugged. "She saw a ghost," Moreau confirmed.
"Forget about it, guys," Olivia grumbled, marching past them to join the line to board the airship. They could forget, but she knew she never would. What did the vision of Valori mean?
The party ascended the mooring tower in an elevator, then crossed a gantry of unnerving flimsiness to enter the airship. All boarded without incident, and the pilot and crew cast off ten minutes later. Olivia and Hernando assumed positions on the lowermost observation deck as they soared into the skies high above Penumbra City.
"What a magnificent view." Hernando smiled. "I know this airship doesn't travel as fast as an Earth airplane, but it has its advantages."
"It does." Olivia enjoyed taking in the panorama below. She relaxed into Hernando's arms and sighed.
The denizens of Penumbra City dwelled in perpetual late afternoon or twilight. It depended on how you looked at it, Olivia decided. In this part of town flat-topped, adobe-styled buildings huddled together in a convoluted narrow maze of streets, punctuated by broad shopping plazas filled with colorful bazaars. A multitude of public fountains shot upward and water droplets caught the glint of the increasingly bright sunlight as they traveled southward away from the city toward the polar region.
"Amazing how the old city has sprung back to life these last couple of years. Humans and Quadsangs have flocked here in great numbers, and the Overseers who despised the light have been able to return to the dark side. I see now why my parents wish to retire here," Hernando said.
"Your parents want to live here?" Olivia squeezed his hand. "Great, because I do, too. I couldn't get enough of the shopping when we got here yesterday. We've gotta stay longer on the return trip."
"Women and their shopping." Hernando laughed. "I thought you'd shopped enough for a lifetime while back on Earth."
She stuck out her tongue. "Pfft! A girl can never shop enough."
Penumbra City's economy was primarily agricultural because of the nearby farms which fed the rest of the planet, but the city also encouraged craftsmen such as textile weavers and spinners. They created the beautiful cloth and tapestries she'd admired in Clan Alpha House. The newfound BloodDark fashion industry had just begun, too. How could she ever grow tired of designer duds?
Valori should really see this, Olivia had thought as they strolled through the bazaar the day before, admiring the locals' craftwork. Or did becoming a high priestess put a crimp in Valori's interests in sewing and fashion?
"Too bad this is just a two-hour trip, eh?" Caveman's grin filled the observation deck as he entered it a half hour later. He came to stand beside Hernando and Olivia and sighed. "Ah... These airships are the smoothest form of travel. No need for rails or our poor excuse for roads."
"I feel sorry for those who are traveling by land transport right now." Hernando pointed to the desert track below. "When we passed over them, I noticed how uneven the trail
is they're following. The ruling council has to consider developing airships for public transportation all over the planet."
"Good idea." She grinned at him. "You know, Earthlings would love to come here and travel this way. It would bring in a lot of tourism money."
"Yes, it would, but we have to consider what else it could bring." Caveman's typical sunny disposition darkened for a moment before returning. "Are those things what I think they are? Those are rock-jumping sheep along the mountainsides up ahead." His eyes glowed with excitement as he pointed to his right. "Look at them jump! Magnificent creatures. They never miss their footing."
Olivia gasped with delight. Watching the brown, shaggy-coated, horned creatures jump from outcropping to outcropping among the rocks in the deep valley below was the best entertainment ever. All too soon, the airship passed over the graceful animals, leaving them to their frolicking.
"I thought the rock jumpers had gone extinct a while back." Hernando sighed. "There's so much we don't know about our own planet. The idea of sharing it with others before we have a chance to enjoy it for ourselves seems wrong, somehow."
Caveman nodded. "It does, but we can't deny it. We're not alone in the universe. Our ancestors come from Earth. We can't forget our heritage."
"You can't," Olivia agreed. "There's no use pretending you're something you're not."
Hernando chuckled. "Sounds like you've made up your mind about who you are."
She pouted. "Why, I'm Olivia of the Clan Brown, of course."
"You sure you're not Lauren, mail order bride of Clan Alpha?" he teased.
She stuck her tongue out at Hernando and laughed. "I'm never going to live down my foolishness, am I?"
He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I make more than my share of foolish mistakes. You're always free to hold me accountable on those."
They passed the next ten minutes in happy contemplation of the terrain below them, noting an occasional wild animal or unusual rock formation. The rocky spires cast long shadows in the strengthening sunlight since they had already crossed the dividing line between the dark and lighted side of the globe. Behind them, they spotted the shadows of the other airships following their lead like beads on a string.
"Well, I know we shouldn't keep our Earth cousins from visiting us, but we might have to exercise some precautions from now on." Caveman pointed to a dark circular object on a wide plain ahead of them. "If I'm not mistaken, I see movement."
Hernando leaned forward and dropped his arms encircling Olivia. "It must be our destination, but how... I thought we had a while to go yet."
"We do, according to the Alphans," Caveman agreed. "What we're seeing, I think it's some distance away."
Olivia gulped. She pressed her face closer to the observation window. "Whoa. The thing out there is beyond huge. It's enormous!"
Moreau, who had been conversing nearby with family members, approached and announced, "The protective device lies ahead. However, my father claims it's grown since the last time he saw it in person."
"Grown?" Caveman furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. "You're not saying it's organic, are you?"
"No, but it is biomechanical in nature. With the help of Earth technology, we have built small robots to repair the structure, and these robots are self-replicating."
Nanobots run amuck? Something about the idea gave Olivia the creeps. "Who is in charge of these small robots?" she asked.
Moreau hesitated, his brow furrowing. "We are. Our technicians are not there at present, so the robots should be deactivated."
"But they're not, are they?" Caveman barked. Every head on the observation deck swiveled and focused on their conversation. "So, who is in control of them?"
Olivia peered out at the growing circle on the plain. She was just able to make out land vehicles whizzing about the small city-sized area. There were lights and other signs of habitation coming visible. No one from their expedition traveling overland could have arrived yet—they wouldn't catch up with the airships for hours. A simple explanation was often the best.
Somebody else was already there.
Councilors and advisors gathered around Caveman and Moreau. Clan Alpha's supporters stood few and far between. In spite of all that had happened to her under their watch, Olivia felt the Alphans were owed a fair hearing. She had a very bad feeling it would end in tears if she didn't try to de-escalate things.
"Let's not leap to any conclusions before we land," she began, scanning faces as the mood on the observation deck grew tense. "The Alphans said they switched off their robots before they left and have no other reason to believe they'd been reactivated in their absence. I believe them."
Moreau's family members nodded their appreciation.
"Then whoever is down there is working on the protective device without Clan Alpha's or the ruling council's approval?" asked Councilor Winn, ever a stickler for protocol. "Who else besides our fellow passengers has been given permission to be there?"
"No one but a handful of technicians and scientists," Moreau explained. "All swore their loyalty to Clan Alpha. They would not disobey orders."
"Someone could have threatened or bribed the information out of them, could they not?" Winn probed. She turned to Caveman. "I believe we need to begin a thorough investigation of who had knowledge of this device before it was revealed to us in council chambers. I'd be happy to head a panel of investigators into this matter."
"Thank you for volunteering, but it can wait, Councilor," Caveman said, pointing ahead. "We're landing soon enough. We'll know who we're dealing with when we get there." He exhaled a long breath and stood taller. "All right. Everybody sit down and keep your wits about yourselves. Now isn't the time for making baseless accusations."
The crowd dissipated. Cavemen turned to his chief security officer and lowered his volume. Olivia leaned in closer to hear.
"Contact the other airships. Make sure everyone is aware of the situation, and make sure all security personnel are ready to deal with confrontation—just in case our surprised hosts aren't too friendly."
Chapter Eleven
"There goes the neighborhood."
As their airship came in closer to land, Olivia spied the red emblem on the small black flag fluttering in the dry breeze over what appeared to be the operation's headquarters. She sighed and shook her head, slumping lower into her seat. It had to be him. Who else could it be?
Hernando frowned. "The flag with the large letter G in the center... It's him, isn't it? It's our kidnapper's corporate logo."
"Yep, Roland Grundfest at your service—or should I say at his service. It's all about 'profits over people' with that man."
"I don't see how the Alphans fell for his lies." Hernando balled his fists on the armrest. "They're intelligent and cautious. It's unbelievable they'd actually trust Grundfest not to take advantage of the knowledge they've shared with him in order to sell their artworks on Earth. How could they have acted so stupidly?"
Olivia patted his arm. "People do stupid things sometimes when they're under stress, or even sometimes to get attention." She pointed to herself. "Case in point: yours truly."
Hernando relaxed his fists and raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't paying you enough attention, so you risked your safety to become a vampire bride to spy on Clan Alpha?"
"No, not quite, but I felt like my actions to help BloodDark weren't being taken seriously, so..." She shrugged. "I volunteered to do a stupid thing after I received some rather poor intel."
"Annara still has a lot to answer for," Hernando muttered. He took Olivia's hand in his and kissed it. "It's important to you to be taken seriously, though, isn't it? You're unhappy if you're not focusing your energy on important things. You can't sit back and let others do the work halfway when you know you can do things better."
"Guilty as charged." She smiled. "I guess it's why I can't see myself as a full-time college student right now. I need to be out there in the field, taking action and taking names."
He nodded. "I understand. Before I left Earth, I told your parents you could work for the embassy again, and they said they'd give their blessing only if you agreed to take college classes online while working an internship program at the embassy."
"Oh, so they made you promise me a job and college credit?" Olivia laughed at her parents' audacity. "Gotta hand it to them, they only want what's best for me."
"So do I." He leaned over and kissed her lips. "So do I."
"Attention passengers," a voice interrupted over the loudspeaker. "We are about to land. You might notice some vibration, but don't panic. It's normal when we turn on our landing motors, and it's happening just about... now."
The cabin shook and the entire structure itself hummed as the vibrations increased. The thrusters appeared to be downward-facing propellers, forcing the airship closer to the surface. Olivia glanced over at Hernando. His dark eyes grew wide, but he kept his grin in place to hide his nervousness.
She squeezed his hand. "It's okay. I'm not sure how this works, either. At least we're not very high up. I can see the top of what looks like a barracks."
"Barracks?" he shouted over the motors' noise. "It's a military operation?"
Olivia bit her lip. "Yeah, I think it is. Grundfest shared what he knew with the military in order to get concessions to manufacture the BloodDark tech he stole from the Alphans later on. Whether this is the American military alone or a joint venture with the U.N. or some other group, we'll see."
They were within a few yards of the surface now. Olivia observed crewmen tossing lines out of hatches and sliding down the ropes to the ground.
"Three, two, one, touchdown," the pilot announced over the speakers. "Give us a few minutes to ready the gangplank and then you can disembark. Thank you for flying the friendly skies of BloodDark Air Transport."
"It's almost like flying on Earth." Olivia shook her head and frowned. "How odd. These airship pilots appear to have copied Earth airlines' customs. Where did they learn the patter? It doesn't make sense if they've been living like hermits in the cliff caves for several centuries."
Olivia's Decision Page 10
