Roar of Sky

by Beth Cato

  Weakened as she was by exertion and fear, not even the braces could hold her up anymore. She dropped to the pavement on a knee and hand, gasping for breath, mind reeling. She forced her gaze up to the Bug again.

  “Oh my.”

  Sylphs. So many sylphs. Thousands upon thousands. Maybe a hundred thousand. She couldn’t actually see them, though—they knew the dangers of human cities and thus were invisible, but through their ambient magic, she could tell their cloud was almost the size of the Bug’s envelope. The comparison was easy to make, as the sylphs had clustered on and around the airship, causing it to sag slightly on its moorings.

  “Is it the fox?” asked Cy. He hadn’t looked at the Bug yet.

  “Has the ship sprung a leak?” asked Captain Sutcliff.

  “No, but I imagine Fenris has, as he stares at the dials and panics,” she whispered, pushing herself to stand again, the men on either side of her this time. “It’s not the fox, it’s—”

  A sinuous line of sylphs flew down to greet her. we returned! we returned! friends came! an-pan! jamu-pan! need to try jelly doughnut! They cheered with a low, subtle buzz.

  She turned to Cy. “Did T.R. give us enough money to buy a bakery?”

  Chapter 20

  Cy was a naturally pale-skinned fellow, but upon hearing the nature of their problem, he blanched as if he were about to faint. “Can you get the fairies off the envelope? Lord, they might be inside, too. The hatch is open. Fenris must be apoplectic about the weight on the ship.” He paused, a hand pressed to his head. “How many sylphs are there, to weigh that much?”

  “Where should they go? Where can they be safe?” Ingrid asked.

  “We don’t need them to completely vamoose. Tell them to land on the top deck for now. It can support heavy freight, so it can stand up to them. I hope. How long can they stay invisible?”

  She thought of what she’d learned of sylph biology in recent weeks. “Their invisibility provides natural camouflage for their survival in the wild. It drains them quickly when they cover us, but I think they can hide themselves for hours and days, so long as they have food.”

  “Food may prove to be problematic with such a large number of sylphs,” added Sutcliff.

  “Perhaps it may be necessary to rent an empty barn in the morning?” murmured Mr. Sakaguchi, taking this new development with characteristic calmness.

  “I doubt I can find an available barn. The farmers around are likely using theirs. We’ll figure out something.” They started up the mast.

  “I promise you, Cy, I had no idea that the sylphs that left had decided to recruit all of their friends from the Sierras to come to the Bug.” Ingrid leaned on the rail, her legs weary but able to maintain a good upward rhythm.

  “I know. These are fantastics. They think on a different level than us.”

  “One with an apparent fondness for pastry.” Mr. Sakaguchi softly chuckled. “Oh, if your mother were here, Ing-chan, I can well imagine how she would have busied herself with baking for them!”

  “I can, too,” she whispered, and almost burst out in tears all over again. Mr. Sakaguchi was here. Boarding the Bug. She could talk with someone who knew Mama. Who knew home, as it once was.

  Dizziness overwhelmed Ingrid on the final flight of stairs. Cy moored her with a hand to her waist. Sylph magic warmed and thickened the air and felt as if it contained a physical weight. It wasn’t painful, though, like when they directly utilized their magic on her. It simply was too much.

  She would have laughed, had she the breath. Truly ancient beings like the two-headed snake and Pele had carried immense, deep power, but the sylphs’ high numbers radiated something more akin to sweetness. Ingrid could readily believe that eating them embodied a delicious, magical wallop.

  “Bring your friends down to the deck,” she said to the familiar sylphs who hovered nearby. “But slowly.” She wanted to make sure the metal structure could indeed support them.

  As they walked across the deck, invisible sylphs descended in a slow torrent but left a clear path for the humans to access the Bug. She felt as if the way were flanked by fire.

  “Fenris!” Cy called into the Bug.

  “Cy! Cy! Something is terribly wrong, the dials! It’s not a leak, but the pressure and elevator readings . . . !” Fenris’s voice echoed from the cockpit.

  Cy, Ingrid, Mr. Sakaguchi, and Captain Sutcliff climbed into the airship.

  Cy drew up the hatch and locked it. Ingrid stood there, Mr. Sakaguchi beside her. The moment felt utterly unreal. She was afraid to move, to breathe, to do anything that might shatter this wonderful dream. Mr. Sakaguchi was a mere foot away, but that distance still seemed so far, so fragile. If she awoke from this moment, to find out it was all in her imagination, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.

  Mr. Sakaguchi must have felt the same way. He gazed at her with love and longing, his feet pressed to the tatami mat, his arms slightly outstretched as if ready to catch her.

  After a minute or forever, Ingrid moved forward and they fell into each other’s arms. Sobs shuddered through him, his tears soaking her shoulder. Mr. Sakaguchi was crying. Him, the stoic warden from a culture averse to any public shows of weak emotion. Ingrid bawled. She squeezed him in a hug. He felt too skinny, he stank, but she didn’t care. He was here, he was alive, this was real, real, real.

  “Fenris, we’ve been invaded by what may be tens of thousands of sylphs.” Cy’s voice was low in respect for the moment. “Ingrid’s sending them all to the deck below. How are the Bug’s numbers reading now?”

  “Better, but the gas readings are not where they should be at this elevation, the pressure’s been—”

  “Then we’ll take care of that at sunup, along with buying every available pastry in town. Deep breaths.”

  Ingrid pulled back from Mr. Sakaguchi. “When did the problem start, Fenris?”

  “About thirty minutes ago.” He stood in the doorway, face flushed, his thin frame still heaving from anxiety. “Oh. Hey. You made it.”

  “Nice of you to notice,” she said, laughing as she swiped at her tears. “Mr. Sakaguchi, I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend Mr. Fenris Braun. He was Mr. Jennings’s business partner in San Francisco. With the help of him and his airship, the Palmetto Bug, we’ve stayed alive this past month.”

  Fenris’s face was strangely sober as he moved forward to shake Mr. Sakaguchi’s hand. “An honor to meet you, warden, sir. Ingrid has said a lot about you.”

  Mr. Sakaguchi returned the handshake and then bowed. “The honor is mine. Thank you for taking care of my Ing-chan. I know she can be something of a handful.”

  At that, Fenris gave a customary snort. “That’s an understatement.”

  “I rarely had the chance to speak to Lee in recent weeks as he recovered. We were kept apart or under watch most of the time,” Mr. Sakaguchi said, turning to her. “How did you escape from Seattle? Has Ambassador Bl—”

  Ingrid motioned for silence. “Don’t say her name. It carries too much power. We’ve been referring to her as ‘the fox.’ I . . . I will explain more about that later. It’s best to avoid saying my full name, too, though I think ‘Ing-chan’ is fine.” There was so much to tell him. “Thank you, Cy.” She accepted a canteen and took a long drink of water before passing it to Mr. Sakaguchi. Captain Sutcliff stood to one side, reverent and patient. Her feet took in the warmth of the sylphs like the heat of a fireplace through exterior chimney bricks.

  She continued, “We evaded her by traveling to the Vassal States. I met with Mrs. K.” That evoked both happiness and sorrow in his smile. “And we met with my grandmother, Madam Pele.”

  “She truly is your grandmother . . . ?” Mr. Sakaguchi murmured, with a wary glance at Fenris and Cy.

  “You can speak freely in front of both of them, Ojisan. They know everything.” Fenris snorted again. “Madam Pele is . . . beyond description. She has a way of putting things in a proper perspective.” She glanced down. “I went to her for help. In Seattle,
I inlaid magic into a ward to prevent the fox from tracking me. That effort pulled significant energy directly from my body. According to doctors, I damaged the nerves that connect my extremities and my brain.”

  “For a few days there, we were afraid she might not ever walk again,” Cy added quietly.

  “I recovered, to a point, but I journeyed to Madam Pele with the hope she could tell me more about my power and that my legs could heal further.” Ingrid shrugged. “The damage is permanent. Most of the time I still manage to get around, though. Cy and Fenris have helped a great deal in that regard.”

  “I noticed a difference in your stride,” Mr. Sakaguchi said. “New stiffness.”

  “Orichalcum support braces within her boots,” said Cy, with a small measure of pride.

  “Incredible.” Mr. Sakaguchi shook his head and took another drink of water.

  Cy waved him to the control cabin. “Please sit—make yourself comfortable.”

  As Fenris fiddled with dials and jotted notes in his records book, Mr. Sakaguchi and Ingrid faced each other in the wooden seats by the door. Sutcliff lingered nearby, a cold shadow.

  “Ojisan, we need to know about Lee. What’s their plan?”

  “I was kept insulated from most of my captors’ conversations, but I did hear them speak of the flying citadel, Excalibur.”

  “The culmination of the Gaia Project,” Ingrid murmured.

  “I feared as much.” His eyes fluttered closed for a moment. “To my knowledge, Lee is there now. Yesterday a number of tong members departed to smuggle themselves aboard the citadel along with a shipment of pharmaceuticals. Excalibur’s crew is incapacitated—I do not fully understand how. The Chinese men’s goal is to commandeer the craft, and if they can’t figure out how to fly it, they will employ explosives to bring it down here.”

  “How many in this infiltration team, sir?” Cy asked sharply.

  “About ten.”

  “That number’s not enough to pilot Excalibur, just keep it afloat.”

  “I imagine they will realize that soon, then, and do what they can to destroy the vessel.”

  Cy released a hiss of breath. “My sister’s likely aboard. She’s the brilliant fool who created that thing.”

  Mr. Sakaguchi’s expression was sorrowful. “They won’t show any mercy to a woman.”

  “No. And I’m not certain she deserves any. Pardon me.” Cy pushed himself from the doorway and stalked down the corridor. Ingrid considered following him to offer comfort, but she wanted him to have space to control his emotions, too.

  “The crew is incapacitated by some sort of influenza that is now running rampant in Atlanta and other cities,” Ingrid said. “The mortality rate is high. I . . . I believe I have been inoculated by Lee, as have Cy and Fenris. I don’t suppose you were jabbed with a needle in recent weeks?”

  “No.” Mr. Sakaguchi’s eyes were wide. “Are you saying this illness was engineered by the Chinese? That Lee knew what was planned?”

  Even as he spoke, it was evident that he knew what the answers would be. Even so, he still had to ask.

  Ingrid’s throat clenched with emotion. She nodded. Grief swept over Mr. Sakaguchi’s face. He wavered in his seat. Ingrid reached out to steady him and realized anew how frail he was.

  “I’m fine,” he murmured.

  “You’re still trembling. Do you need anything?” Ingrid asked. She hadn’t let go of him.

  “No. I need to know these things. I need to accept them.” He took in a deep breath, his eyes half shutting. This was how he had so often appeared when entering meditation—and yet he looked unlike himself, too, emaciated and shaggy. It tore at her heart.

  He gave her a tiny nod. She let her hand return to her lap.

  “Meanwhile, the UP is biding its time as sickness runs rampant through Excalibur,” said Fenris, his voice low.

  “If the Army & Airship Corps suspects the Chinese are aboard, the gunships will open fire,” added Ingrid. “The UP would never stand for their prize to be in Chinese hands.”

  “I bet the Chinese could shoot down the gunships first. The weaponry on board would be easy to figure out compared to the engineering and piloting systems,” said Fenris.

  “If we could get aboard—” Ingrid started to say, then gasped. “We can get aboard. Fenris, can you open the hatch for me?”

  The full magical radiance of the sylphs filled Ingrid’s senses as she carefully climbed down to the deck. Captain Sutcliff remained at her side, his expression one of blatant curiosity. Though still invisible, the sylphs’ sheer density distorted the air like a faint heat mirage. She’d need to find out if the others could see it, too. If so, the sylphs would need to split into smaller groups before sunrise when dock traffic picked up.

  She drew on her well of power. “Greetings.”

  The response was a happy cacophony, rather like announcing to the young geomancers-in-training that they were about to have a surprise cake and lemonade party, but magnified by a thousand. Their power buffeted her. She hadn’t realized she had staggered backward until she bumped into Cy’s tall, solid form, his hands brushing her arms to steady her. She had been so distracted, she hadn’t noticed that the men had joined her.

  Ingrid glanced back at him. “I’m going to have a conversation with the sylphs. If you feel my skin start to cool, give me a pinch. That shouldn’t be necessary, since talking with fantastics drains little energy compared to other tasks, but still . . .”

  He squeezed her oh so gently. “I’m here for you. Do what needs doing.”

  His faith buoyed her spirits. She gave herself a nod and closed her eyes, letting her consciousness dip into her reservoir of energy. Her awareness flowed out, seeking the original sylphs she had rescued in Seattle, including the ones that departed in Bakersfield. They had congregated in a group right before her.

  “The first-come sylphs.” She sent an image to the cloud of the cage in Seattle, the salt-crusted iron bars, the sylphs limp as molted feathers. At the dread memory, the entire cloud quivered in abject horror, which changed to ecstasy as she changed the vision to that of freedom, companionship, and pastries. “There are so many of you now. My first-sylphs, will you speak for all of your number and relay what I say as well?”

  yes! No hesitation.

  “Why have so many sylphs come here?” she asked.

  mountains hot too early. little snow to melt. many people. Visions flickered through her mind. Spring flowers blooming and withering all too soon. Blank, blue skies. Dead grass, and subsequent fires. Men plowing hillsides. Wandering with guns. Some bearing nets and laying traps laced with honey to lure in desperate sylphs. The sylphs knew these traps were bad, but they were starving, and the honey smelled so sweet . . .

  Damn it. How could she ask the newcomers to leave soon when that meant their death? But they couldn’t stay with the Bug for an extended time either, or they’d still starve—and deplete their human allies of money and resources as well.

  She couldn’t think that far ahead. Right now she had to concentrate on how they could all survive the next day.

  “The Palmetto Bug here—” she started to say.

  home! Their happy vibrations made the air quiver.

  “Yes, home.” She laughed. “You first-sylphs have made me and my friends invisible before. Can you hide the entire Palmetto Bug?”

  She felt Cy’s gasp. He murmured something to Mr. Sakaguchi and Fenris, but she kept her focus on the sylphs.

  They considered her proposal as a group, buzzing among themselves for a minute. it is home. we keep small nests invisible when threatened. many sylphs here now. if bellies are full, we can hide our home’s sight and most sound for . . . They showed her an image of the sun moving a quarter of the way across the sky.

  She nodded. “I want to initiate a new business transaction with all of the sylphs present.” She pictured the breaking of sweet bread, an equal exchange in return for their assistance. “I have an existing agreement with the first-sylphs. That
remains. With the new sylphs, our transaction may only last a few days.” She showed them the passage of the sun and the dark blink of nightfall.

  Ingrid waited in suspense for her message to be relayed. The sylphs were silent for several long seconds, then a positive surge struck her. second-sylphs agree. airship will be a night-by-night nest. will work once they have bread. will continue to work for more bread in days to come.

  “Very well.” Local bakeries had better not let them down. “Everyone you see here with me”—she motioned behind her—“is a friend. Every other person is a potential threat. Hide from them. Stay here on the deck for now.” She gestured around her.

  yes, said the first-sylphs. we will continue to hide here.

  With that, Ingrid opened her eyes. She touched Cy’s hand on her neck. She hadn’t even fully registered his contact there until now.

  “Your skin feels about as cool as before,” he said, answering her before she could ask. “We could feel the sylphs’ happy buzzing. I take it they want to deal?”

  “The newcomers know this won’t be permanent, but they’ll work for bread over the next few days.” She turned to face him. The lights beneath the Bug were set to dim, but she could easily read the chagrin on his face. “I know. I’m sorry. I can’t even guess at how many pastries we’ll need.”

  “We’ll buy out the town and hope it’s enough.” He shook his head. “Using sylphs to cloak a full ship. I don’t think anyone’s tried that before.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” said Fenris. “As suicidal as anything else we’ve done.”

  “I believe there was an attempt some years ago to create an invisible airship envelope, but the inventors utilized the wings of dead sylphs, and they underestimated the sheer number of wings required,” said Mr. Sakaguchi.

  Ingrid shook her head. “No one would think to ask the sylphs.”

  “Most folks wouldn’t have that option,” Cy chided.

  “Well, true.”

  “Rendering the ship invisible is useful, but what good will that do if a UP sailor recognizes the distinct roar of an airship from the otherwise empty sky?” asked Mr. Sakaguchi with a skeptical eyebrow.