The Pyrette Queen and the Guillotined Gearmaster

by S. S. Engle

  “We’re going to take our city back.”

  “But how?”

  “By launching the largest coordinated attack Engia has ever seen.”

  2

  It’d been three days since the Dreadcranks had arrived on Rusten Island, and already they were hard at work. Anything that could be used as a sack, or sewn into a bag was being donated to the cause. There was a crew working around the clock to load these sacks and bags full of sand and bolts. Being an island full of exiles and less than desirables there were limited supplies and resources, but they were making do with what little they had. Sand was free, and bolts were in nearly everything discarded on the island used as Engia’s junkyard. There were no airships allowed to call the island home because of the large amount of people they are able to carry, but hot air balloons were in abundance. Nearly ninety percent of all the balloons in reasonable flying condition were being moored on the far side of the island to keep out of view of mainland Engia. The ones in the best condition were being weighed down with the most bags and sacks, while the others were still being surveyed for their ability to return to the island.

  The Dreadcranks mission was simple. At midnight, they would descend upon Engia and assault the skies with their numbers. While everyone in the city will be asleep there will be very limited Ringer presence outside in the streets. All Absynthe Ring hotspots of activity will be primary targets for the sand and bolts. The sand will create impact while the bolts will create a terrible clanging noise. Dropped in succession it will create chaos. The O’Brien mansion was left off the target list per Kassidy’s request alone because of her lack of knowledge of where Harlan was in the city. She wouldn’t bring any harm to him, but he was fairly easy to work around. All the bars, brothels aside from Madame Chauvet’s, and the streets around the outer walls or railroad depot were free for the taking. Maps were drawn of Engia all over the outer walls of the row of houses nearest the airfield. They were etched with rock, crude renderings to be honest, but better than nothing. Some of the gang’s most loyal supporters had been out of the city for years, some even decades. Kassidy was crucial here drawing on what physical landmarks she first used to navigate the city. The Steele River was easy to find, and the Brass Bulldogge, Engia Jail, Patina Parlour, and Seaside Hotel were the largest and oldest buildings left standing. Downtown was to be avoided because of the high concentration of Dreadcrank support around their old headquarters.

  Kassidy and Luca had seen very little of each other for the past three days. Both working heavily all day every day in their own spheres of influence left little time for discussing anything not attack related. But it had come down to the wire now, the sun was setting on the eve of their first assault. Midnight was only a handful of hours away, and as pre-raid ritual, the Dreadcranks were holding a feast. Kassidy remembered them from her childhood, and was taken aback when she learned that Luca had held up the tradition after all of these years. He’d kept it a secret as long as he could to surprise her with something positive to keep her going. With their long hours, exhaustion must be staved off just a little bit longer. What Rusten Island could provide for a feast was meager, potluck style, but that’s what brought the people together the best. Every little contribution helped. Kassidy, who was actually a great cook for as little time she spent in the kitchen, even contributed to getting everything ready. It wasn’t until it was time to eat that Luca was able to get any time to speak to her. He’d been fidgeting with the letter he and Harlan had taken out of her book in the palace all day long. He had to know who it was this was written for, and if it was genuine or a reuse. But no matter what way he tried to word things in his head it always came ack to Kassidy being angry with him for prying through her things. Now was not the time to be angry with each other. Seeing how happy she was at the table beside him, he gripped it in his pocket and abandoned any idea of bringing it up until the assault tonight was over.

  “Evening sweetheart!”

  “Evening. The winds feel promising, don’t they?”

  “They do. I don’t want to jinx us, but I do believe luck is on our side tonight.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “I am. I think we’ve got quite a force working with us. I’m surprised by the turnout. I didn’t think we’d be able to find so many bags to fill, or bolts to load!”

  “These people are really expecting a big reaction from this. I haven’t had the heart to tell them otherwise.”

  “Are you having doubts about this?”

  “I just know how stubborn Asa is. In my experience, I always thought it better to keep your expectations low when it comes to huge endeavors. That way you can’t hardly end up disappointed.”

  “This will have profoundly lasting impacts, I promise you that. The people here live with no morale whatsoever. To see them so worked up over this, that means they recognize there’s still an ample chance at turning things over to our side. The fight has only just begun.”

  “I don’t know how you stay so positive all the time.”

  “I’m a leader, it’s what I do. Though I didn’t come by this naturally.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve told you before, I may not always know what I’m doing at the time, but I trust in my actions whole heartedly that things will work out the way they need to when it’s all said and done.”

  “Sounds like placing a lot of faith in something you can’t even see.”

  “Well those three hundred and twenty odd sacks of sand and bolts say otherwise.”

  “What if all the balloons don’t come back? What happens to the people that crash? What if they get shot down?”

  “The people here know what they are risking. None of them have been forced to join us. No risk, no reward.”

  “How many bags are tied to the Lydia?”

  “We’re the lead ship, the only ship really, so we’re carrying over fifty. I’ve got two men assigned to each bag just in case things go wrong. She can handle the weight, I’ve got the bags evenly distributed. With a favorable wind, we should be able to descend over the city without fail.”

  “So, everyone has their jobs assigned already?”

  “Yes. With only a handful of hours left, I wouldn’t want to spring anything on anybody if they weren’t already prepared.”

  “What’s my assignment?”

  “I left that one up to you.”

  “I’m open to suggestions.”

  “You should know better by now than to ask me where I’d prefer to have you. Naturally, I’d want you by my side. But there are many jobs back here on the island that would be equally as important for you to tend to. Just know that I respect your decision, whatever it is you choose.”

  “I should stay here.”

  “Didn’t take you long to answer.”

  “I didn’t mean anything against you. It’s just, on the ship I’m fairly unusable. Back here I can keep things running smoothly. I saw you loading a lot of wires on board. You’re going to use them to jam their radio frequencies, aren’t you?”

  “Myself and a team of older men from the island that know the grid of the city like the back of their hand. Without being able to get a hold of one another, it’ll render their reaction times nearly useless. It’ll provide just the time we need to get all of the balloons out safely.”

  “Can I suggest something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Don’t jam all the radios. If you could steal some for our purpose, it’d be a good way to keep in touch. I could have some people up here help me rewire the radios to our own private frequency. We can make terrible noises up here and wreak havoc on the city down below. It wouldn’t be permanent, but it’d help create total chaos on the ground tonight. Do you think that’s something we could do?”

  “How’d you come up with such an idea?”

  “I had to rewire a radio once before, for a crooked business deal. I messed up, and the guy I was with threw me back out into the streets for eavesdropping his sensitive in
formation to his rival.”

  “That sounds like an awful tough way to learn how to do something.”

  “But I know what I did wrong. I crossed the input and output wires. I know what I’m doing now. And with enough helping hands I could really get something going up here while you guys are away. Most of the women are staying behind I’ve noticed.”

  “It’d be a good way to make them feel like they were really helping the cause.”

  “And to distract them from being away from their loved ones. If I could keep them busy on a task, maybe the goodbyes tonight won’t be so gut wrenching.”

  “You’re remembering all the times we left ports when we were kids aren’t you?”

  “The crew would be a mess all night long. And after being left behind enough times, I know what it’s like on the other side too. It’s just as hard.”

  “I’d blocked it from my mind until you brought it up just now.”

  “Well when you planned this feast I thought it was to soften the blow later on.”

  “I guess it all works out.”

  “I guess it does.”

  “We’ll be having to say goodbye to each other tonight too.”

  “Judging from the last time you left me when I was unconscious, I’d say you’re not very good at goodbyes, are you Luca?”

  “I’m not used to actually caring about whether or not I come back to somebody.”

  “You’re not alone in that feeling.”

  “Just make sure, wherever you are, that as soon as you get word the Lydia is landing on the island you come find me.”

  “I will. But you be sure as soon as you land that you have word on every man on board with this assault. If I’m going to make friends with these women, they have to know I have their best interests at heart.”

  “You’re far more trustworthy than you give yourself credit for. Being the Pyrette Queen on this island is far more prestigious than being the Pyrette Queen down in the city. And don’t think it’s just the women who are staying. Jasper will be with you too.”

  “I wish Asa hadn’t made it come down to this.”

  “All he understands is physical brutality, so were going to go unleash it on him. He should have been careful.”

  “You need to be careful.”

  “Are you…are you that worried something is going to go wrong and I won’t be coming back?”

  “Don’t make me admit it out loud. But I know to keep everyone safe you’ll take the brunt force of the consequences upon yourself, whatever they might be.”

  “There won’t be any consequences tonight.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I have to walk into this believing there won’t be. The men are counting on me.”

  “And the women are counting on their men.”

  “I should be getting back to the Lydia now and make sure we’re ready to go.”

  “I need to go begin my search for radios. Lots of rewiring to do.”

  “I guess I’ll see you when I get back then sweetheart?”

  “I will see you when you get back.”

  Luca wasn’t sure what to do with himself so he just got up out of his chair and began walking for the Lydia. Kassidy let a couple of seconds go by before she did anything. She realized she couldn’t continue eating, and the blonde woman sitting across from her was pleading with her eyes to go run after Luca. Kassidy had more pride than to be so stereotypical, and shrugged off the woman’s stares. But as she began playing with her fork on the plate her own conscious was getting the best of her. She dropped the fork with every intention of it hitting the table but she missed, and it clattered to the ground. Luca turned at the sudden sound and Kassidy ran and threw herself into his arms. If she was embarrassed by her lack of restraint, then Luca was as well as he picked her up off of her feet and swung her around away from the view of everyone still eating. Seeing as how neither of them were the best at saying goodbye they let their actions do the talking for them. Kassidy squeezed Luca’s neck tight before she let go, lingering her fingers down his chest as he kissed her forehead. He was going to come back tonight. They both knew that much. They had to, or this would have been impossible.

  Midnight approached sooner than expected with everyone feverishly busying themselves with assault preparations. Lots of tearful goodbyes could be heard wailing above and below the steady hum of work. The Lydia left first, trailed by over seventy-three hot air balloons. It was the first time so many of them had taken to the air at once, and it appeared like a thunderstorm of flames were descending upon the city. Kassidy only stood at the window to watch for a few minutes before she resumed her rewiring. The women and Jasper managed to scrounge up every working radio on the island within an hour. Thankfully some women had worked with radios before, so Kassidy was not

  alone in trying to explain what it was they were planning on accomplishing with all of this. All of their work was done for over an hour before any sign of repeating signal form Engia made it back to them. Luca was trying to cooperate, but it was going to take some time. Patience had never been one of Kassidy’s virtues. Jasper had posted himself at the vacant mooring for the Lydia to keep watch of the first sight that the assault had been a success. The winds had picked up by now and were bitterly cold, but he sat out there anyways. With his feet dangling over the dock he scooted over on the edge for Kassidy to join him.

  “Can you see anything from here Jasper?”

  “Every now and then I can see a flare up from a balloon. They’re moving through the city at a good pace.”

  “Did Luca try to give you an estimate on when to expect them back?”

  “He gave me four hours round trip. We’re almost halfway. Most of the bags should be dropped by now.”

  “Have you heard anything?”

  “Not from this far out. The only thing I could probably hear would be an explosion, but I’m not sure I want to try and hear one of those tonight.”

  “That’d mean we hit our target though.”

  “Or that we lost somebody. Coffee’s getting cold. I should go back inside and get another cup.”

  “Fuck your coffee, we’re both getting cold. Nothing good is going to come of you waiting here for something bad to happen. The women need positivity. Go in there and sweep some lonely girl off her feet. It’ll keep us all entertained for a few hours.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Once I get more radios talking back to us from Engia we’re going to need numbers to sound believable up here.”

  “Numbers?”

  “Screaming, cursing, banging, crashing, anything to overload the senses of the Ringers. Think you can handle that?”

  “I can more than handle the Ringers. It’s the women I’m nervous about.”

  “Just pretend you’re talking to me then. You do that all the time.”

  “But you’re taken. I don’t know what to say to a girl that might actually be interested in me.”

  “You’re a Dreadcrank Jasper. You won’t even need to say anything. Just stand there and look like you’ve been through hell. Girls love a guy with a tough backstory.”

  “But I have been through hell.”

  “Then I don’t see a problem.”

  “But Kassidy!”

  “Go in there and be those girls’ hero or freeze outside alone with your cold coffee!”

  “Freezing outside alone is an option?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t like negotiating with you.”

  “Most men don’t.”

  3

  Chaos enveloped the greater part of Engia by three in the morning. The hospital where Harlan had been put up had been assaulted heavily by bags of sand and bolts. With minor earthquake like tremors in the floors below the hospital began to evacuate. Harlan was well enough to walk out on his own, though being shoved through the doorway in an angry stampeded of patients didn’t help matters any. The O’Brien brother found himself in the streets running for cover and safety with not a
friend in sight. Everybody recognized him and nobody would take him in. Doors were slammed in his face time and time again. Hoping that it was Dreadcrank responsible for the attack Harlan decided to try his luck in the southern end of the city. Hopefully Kassidy would be waiting at the palace, or somebody he knew would offer him some much-needed sympathy. With the cloud cover slight and a sliver of a moon Harlan was just stumbling down the panicked cobblestoned streets by streetlights and residual light from fires.

  Women giving hate speeches and horrifying testimonials of being shunned from Engia were blaring from radios placed all throughout the city. It was like no matter where Harlan turned there was somebody new there waiting to give him a good kick in the side. As if he wasn’t injured enough as it was. But nobody cared to learn what it was like living first hand with Asa. Harlan knew what he’d been through wasn’t anything compared to the families that had been ripped apart for nearly two decades, but he couldn’t be blamed for that. Morals are thrown like caution to the wind when people gather like a pack of wild animals. Looting was happening in small business that had borne the brunt of the midnight attacks. The only safe place Haran could manage to sink himself into was an empty train car that had been derailed and turned over on its side at the depot. Huddling into a dark corner he only came out when he heard a familiar voice. Harlan peered out slowly to avoid being noticed and clenched his teeth together for fear it was the Ringers. Luca was lurking in the shadows with a group of five older men, rough by the looks of it. One of them pointe din his direction and Harlan shoved himself as far back into the train car as possible but it was no use. He was overtaken quickly and yanked out like an animal for slaughter. The men gripped him by his hair and his suspenders, dangling him off his feet and waiting for Luca’s orders.