The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone

by Geonn Cannon

  “Three, besides her.”

  “The master suite and two first-class suites. Whatever else she needs, give it to her without question. As far as the crew is concerned, her orders supersede mine. Is that understood?”

  Bodhi seemed dazed but he nodded his assent.

  “I’ll be down in a moment to greet them. Have Ajay prepare us for departure immediately. Lady Boone will tell you the course he should set.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  Once he was gone Araminta went to the head and wet her fingers under the tap. She ran them through her thick dark hair. She was wearing her standard on-duty uniform, so there was no way to smarten that up unless she went all the way and changed into her dress uniform. She knew that Lady Boone would be annoyed at any pretense, so she left her jacket and slacks untouched. She knew that if anyone saw her preening this way they would accuse her of fawning over a rich passenger, but her reaction had nothing to do with Lady Boone’s wealth or notoriety.

  Years earlier, Araminta had been married in all but name to a beautiful woman named Miranda. Araminta saw Miranda on the docks, helping to load, her sleeves pushed up to reveal powerful biceps and pale white skin that glowed in the sun that bounced off the Thames. She learned the dockworker’s name and took to the library to read Shakespeare, memorizing lines until she found the perfect way to greet the beautiful goddess. She chose her moment carefully, conspiring to cross paths with the blonde when they were alone on the docks.

  She almost backed out at the last moment, nearly offered a casual hello before moving on and never speaking to her again. But just as they passed one another, as Araminta’s sleeve casually brushed the bare skin of Miranda’s arm, Araminta said, “O, brave new world, that has such people in it.”

  Miranda stopped and looked at her. “Pardon?”

  “From the play. The Tempest. By... Mr. Shakespeare.”

  “I’ve never seen it. Sorry.”

  Miranda started to walk away, but Araminta couldn’t let all of her planning come to naught. “I could take you to see it. Or I could loan you my copy. Well, the library’s copy.” She cringed. “The... character is named Miranda. The one who says the line I said to you. I thought you might, um, have heard it or knew it or something.”

  “Why would I have heard it?”

  “I’m sure people tell you you’re beautiful all the time.”

  That made Miranda smile. “No. You’re actually the first in quite a while.”

  Araminta smiled. “Well, then. It was all worth it. Have a good day, Miranda.” She turned and tried to flee, but Araminta whistled to get her attention.

  “I still don’t know your name.”

  “Crook. Araminta Crook. You can call me Minty.”

  Miranda smiled again and nodded. “I may have to do that.”

  Three months later they were lovers, a change so life-altering that Araminta almost instantly couldn’t remember a life without Miranda in it. They read Shakespeare together, and attended performances in the park where they held hands in the grass and spent more time looking at each other than the actors onstage. They were blissfully happy for almost five years before Miranda fell ill. The doctors they contacted couldn’t give any relief. The medicine only provided brief respite from the pain. The War was over, and Araminta had been given the Skylarker only weeks earlier, but she was prepared to sell it in order to pay for experts to see if they could help. She was literally writing a letter to a potential buyer when Lady Dorothy Boone appeared at their door.

  She explained that a cursed artifact from a tomb in Cambodia was improperly packed following an expedition. The people who uncovered the artifact had already succumbed, and Dorothy had been called in to see if there were any other victims along its path from the subcontinent to England. Araminta rushed Dorothy to Miranda’s side, confident that there was now a cure or some sort of salve that might bring Miranda back to her. Dorothy sat by the sickbed, took Miranda’s hand, and very kindly revealed that there was nothing she could do.

  By that time Miranda was comatose. Araminta lost every shred of hope, every filament of potential salvation severed and dropping her to her knees. Dorothy gathered the weeping woman in her arms and rocked her until the tears stopped.

  “I am terribly sorry,” Dorothy whispered, “but there’s no remedy. When the illness has advanced this far, it is impossible to bring the victims back. But there may be some solace to be had.”

  Araminta brushed away her tears only to have them replaced by fresh tracks. “I’ve lost the only person who matters to me. What solace could there possibly be?”

  Dorothy said, “A chance to say goodbye.”

  It turned out that she had in her possession a tablet which could temporarily draw the ills from one person and give it to another. She explained kings and pharaohs had once used it to give final pronouncements if they fell too sickly to serve. It gave them a chance to name successors or ensure their work was finished before they finally passed on. Dorothy offered to take Miranda’s illness on herself so that she and Araminta could say a proper farewell.

  Araminta felt guilty accepting the phenomenal gift from a perfect stranger, but there was no possibility she would say no. The ritual was brief and to the point. Almost instantly after the incantation was finished, Dorothy clutched her stomach and had to be helped onto a bed. While they were tucking the blankets around her shivering form, Miranda sat up and asked for Minty. Araminta explained what had happened and that their time together would be brief.

  They said their goodbyes. They held one another and whispered everything they wanted to be their last words to each other. They kissed one last time, knowing it would be their last, and Miranda made Araminta promise she wouldn’t be lonely or alone. “I know that it will be difficult, I know you’ll feel as if you’re betraying me, but the betrayal would be abandoning the vibrant, alive person you’ve become. Don’t let all my hard work go to waste.”

  Araminta promised, and they lay quietly together until the effects of the table wore off. Araminta felt Miranda slip away, and looked over to see Dorothy was awake. Miranda passed on that evening, and Araminta made a point of inviting Dorothy to the funeral. They had very few friends, as Miranda was private and secretive about their relationship. They stood alone at the gravesite and watched as she was lowered into the ground.

  “I can never repay you for what you did.”

  “It wasn’t a gift. It was necessary. One human to another. I hope it brought you peace.”

  Araminta nodded. “It hurt like hell, but my goddess.” She smiled and shook her head. Tears were caught in her eyelashes. “My ship is yours.”

  “Never.”

  “No, I... I only mean...” She turned to face Dorothy. “I know your work takes you far afield. It requires traveling overseas, to the continent and China. And I know that this blastable War has been making that sort of travel nearly impossible. I may not be capable of taking you to the far reaches of the globe, but if you ever require an airship, it’s yours. I will drop whatever I am doing and your journey will take precedence.”

  Dorothy was shaking her head. “That is far too high a price.”

  “It’s cheap,” Araminta snapped. “For what you gave me... for every sleepless night you took away from me, for every unanswered question I might have had for the rest of my life that you let me ask, a few flights here and there is a pittance. From this day forward, I am your personal ferryman.”

  To her credit, Dorothy only took advantage of her generosity on the rarest of occasions. In the past year, Dorothy had come to her only once, and then for a short trip. They did meet up a few other times, but only for tea and brunch. Dorothy knew that Araminta would still be lonely and grieving her wife, so she provided companionship and conversation. Her discretion convinced Araminta that whatever had brought her to the Rookery today, it was a matter of vital importance. Araminta convinced herself that she was presentable enough and finally left her cabin to greet their esteemed passengers.

&nb
sp; #

  Dorothy grimaced and crossed an arm over her abdomen to apply pressure next to her navel. Trafalgar glanced at her but said nothing, and Dorothy didn’t offer an explanation. They were waiting at the base of the Skylarker’s gangplank with Beatrice and Leola standing behind them. The woman who had told them to wait was lingering near the entrance to the ship, and her posture changed as a man came hurrying toward them. The two crewmembers whispered back and forth for a moment, and then the woman approached Dorothy with a large smile.

  “Lady Boone! My apologies for the delay, but we needed the captain’s approval.”

  “I understand entirely. How is Captain Crook?”

  “Captain Crook is doing better now that you have graced us with your presence!” The reply came from deeper in the ship. Araminta Crook, resplendent in her blue leather jacket and tan slacks, took long strides across the staging area. She held her arms out and laughed. “Dorothy Boone! It is wonderful to see you again. You look magnificent.”

  Dorothy laughed and hugged the captain. “Minty! It’s been far too long.”

  “Well, you can stop by for reasons other than taking advantage of free airfare.” She squeezed Dorothy’s shoulder and looked at her companions. “Trix, I know. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your other friends.”

  “Ah. Trafalgar of Abyssinia, this is Captain Araminta Crook. This is her associate Leola... ah...”

  “Leola Kidane,” Leola offered.

  Dorothy nodded. “Yes. My apologies for not knowing your surname. Completely rude of me. Araminta is the owner and captain of this fine vessel.”

  Trafalgar said, “They allow women to own airships?”

  Araminta chuckled. “We’re preferable. Back when people were first taking flight, it was a benefit to be as lightweight as possible. Men could fly, of course, but it was easier to adjust for an operator who weighed closer to a hundred pounds than two hundred. So we got our place in the pilot seat before anyone even know an aeroplane existed. Now it’s not so much of a consideration, but people still tend to believe smaller is better even on a beast like this. Follow me and I’ll show you to your rooms. I’ll have someone see to your baggage.”

  Beatrice and Leola both stooped to pick up the bags, indicating it wasn’t necessary to bother the crew, and Araminta linked her arm around Dorothy’s elbow to lead them into the body of the ship. Dorothy patted Araminta’s hand.

  “I do hope we’re not keeping you from anything important. We might have quite a long journey ahead of us.”

  “Might?”

  “The length of our trip depends on what our quarry does when he sees we’ve departed.”

  Araminta raised an eyebrow. “Intrigue and skullduggery. I don’t know why I claim you fly for free when you more than make up for it in excitement. Is there anything else I can do to make your stay more comfortable?”

  “The standard perks should suffice. I’m not sure of Trafalgar and Leola’s diets, so you’ll have to confirm with them. And, ah...” She lowered her voice as a crewman passed. “If you’ve a hot water bottle aboard, I would be greatly obliged.”

  Araminta winced sympathetically. “Oh. Unfortunate timing for one to get her monthlies.”

  “Well, it could be beneficial that it’s happening now while we’re in transit. By the time we reach wherever we’re going, I should be my normal self once again. But until then...”

  “I’ll get you the hot water bottle, of course. Rags?”

  “I have plenty. Thank you.”

  Araminta nodded and led them to the large, luxurious cabins near the front of the vessel. “This is where you’ll be staying. Once you’re settled you can join me in the passerelle to help plot our voyage.”

  Dorothy kissed Araminta on the cheek. “Thank you, Araminta.”

  “A drop in the bucket compared to what you’re owed.” She smiled and slid her hand down Dorothy’s arm before turning to the others. “Make yourselves comfortable. The crew serves at your command, should you require anything. The galley is open at all hours so please feel free to help yourselves. If something arises that you need, don’t hesitate to ask me or a crewman. I hope you have a very pleasant journey about the Skylarker.”

  #

  Once Dorothy was unpacked and had changed into more comfortable sailing attire, she met Araminta in the passerelle as instructed. The bridge was shaped like a seashell, with a forward-slanting wall of glass that currently looked out over the greenish-brown water of the Thames. Araminta’s crew of blue jackets manned their stations, going through their final checklist to prepare for a long-term trip. She approached Araminta’s station, a plush seat flanked on one side by an intercom and on the other by a ticker tape machine that fed her information from all points of the ship, and Araminta directed her toward a map of England and Europe hanging on the back wall.

  Dorothy explained the situation in hushed tones. When the Watershed Society came up, Araminta tensed. She waited until the story was done and then said, “Watershed. They’re the ones... they...” She was shaking, so she crossed her arms to pin both hands against her sides. She looked at the floor. “I did some digging and I discovered the man in charge of the expedition that brought back the improperly packed relics was a member of the Watershed Society. I couldn’t find much about the group, and what I did find indicated they were defunct. His money came from them. If it wasn’t for them, Miranda... she...”

  “Oh, crumbs,” Dorothy muttered. “Minty, had I known...”

  Araminta looked at her with fury in her eyes. “If you’d known, I hope you would have come here sooner. I’ve been waiting years to bring those blaggards down.”

  Dorothy nodded. “If you’re certain.”

  “Absolutely. For Miranda.” She looked at the map and began to mentally plot their journey. “We must look as if we are setting out, but without actually setting a final destination. We’ll head out from here and follow the Thames to its estuary. Anyone paying attention will think we mean to follow the coast rather than flying overland. We’ll wait at Southend-on-Sea until your men on the ground get word to you about movement back here in London, then we’ll adjust our plans accordingly. We have a range of twelve-hundred miles, so we should be able to reach France, Germany, or Spain. We can stop in Paris for refueling and to resupply if necessary. We should be ready to shove off within the hour and we’ll reach the estuary an hour after that.”

  Dorothy nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”

  “Depending on where we are tonight, I would love to have dinner with you. It would give me a chance to get to know this Miss Trafalgar of yours.”

  “Of course. But be careful of her. She’s still a mostly unknown quality. We’re allies by convenience, not choice.”

  Araminta smiled. “Ah.”

  “Do not ‘ah’ me, Minty.”

  Araminta drew her finger across her lips as if sealing them. Dorothy smiled and they both addressed the map again. After a moment Araminta said, “If this voyage does eventually lead to you destroying the Watershed Society, then we may come out of this with me indebted to you even further.”

  “If we come out of this with those bastards in shambles, we’ll consider it even.”

  #

  An hour later the ship slowly lifted from its perch, angled east, and set off following the serpentine trail of the river Thames. The center of the gondola was taken up by a common room that included dining facilities and a relaxation area. Oval floor-to-ceiling windows on either side provided a view of the countryside. Araminta’s crew followed the river without keeping strictly to its edge, drifting sometimes to cut a corner or avoid a bend. Trafalgar and Leola were seated in one of the booths near the galley, and Dorothy nodded to them without violating their privacy. She walked to one of the river-side windows and peered out.

  The scope of what they were planning to do was starting to hit her. They had next to no information on the Watershed Society, no knowledge of its members or practices, no way of knowing who or what would come
after them. Or if their adversary would even take the bait. There was a very real chance that they were just wasting their time as well as that of Araminta and her crew. Dorothy remembered the day Araminta swore allegiance to her; taking Miranda’s illness on herself had been an equally spontaneous decision. The moment the ague settled onto her she had wished there was a way to back out of the arrangement. The instant agony was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She was terrified she had mistranslated, that she would discover there was no way back.

  She hated taking advantage of Araminta’s kindness because she had regretted her decision from the moment she made it. She would have taken it back if she could, reversed the beautiful gift she had given to a stranger. She liked to think she would do the same thing again - the opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one was next to miraculous - but she doubted she would have the courage. Since that day she had tried her damnedest to make sure she never dove headfirst into anything without at least the semblance of a plan. But the damage had been done and, deserved or not, Araminta now considered herself in Dorothy’s debt. Dorothy often agonized over it was a greater sin to use Araminta’s ship or to refuse her a chance to repay a kindness.

  The ship was traveling at a steady pace of sixty-two knots, which would get them to the coast in another fifteen minutes. She had taken out her fob watch to check the time when Araminta entered the common room with an unreadable smile on her face. “Lady Boone, Miss Trafalgar. I thought you would like to know we just received an odd transmission.”

  “Odd how?” Dorothy asked, rising as Trafalgar and Leola crossed the room to join them.

  “It seems the airship Kestrel wanted me to know it was setting off twenty minutes behind us. There was quite a fervor at the Rookery after we left. Calls going out, passengers arriving without baggage as if they were in a great hurry... someone saw Lady Boone and Miss Trafalgar boarding my ship, and that someone became very rushed to get in the air.”

  Trafalgar looked at Dorothy with something like approval. “Our plan seems to have worked.”