by John Booth
Daisy and Laura followed the men out of the airship and to the edge of the deserted dock. A wooden ramp on rollers led down to a pontoon floating a few feet above water level. The tide was high, but the pontoon was still twelve feet down. The charger had floated further away from the dock in the time since they first saw it.
“I will swim to it with a rope,” Dougal said as he looked around desperately for a rope.
“No need,” Laura told him. She lay on the pontoon so she could use its surface as a pad for her paper. When she finished the bind, the Charger started moving towards them in a slow stately fashion.
The Charger hit the pontoon with a thud. Dougal and Jeremiah jumped aboard to cut the prisoners free. The Queen and Albert said nothing during the rescue, simply helping the men as best they could to cut their bonds. Jeremiah was the last to leave the Charger and as he stepped from it, it sank like a stone.
“Lord McBride, how good to see you,” Queen Victoria said pleasantly. “Perhaps you could introduce me to your companions?”
“It would be my pleasure, your Majesty,” Dougal said and started to make swift introductions. When he introduced Laura, the Queen smiled.
“Bertie will be pleased. He was most upset by reports of your untimely death.”
She spoke to Baum in German after they were introduced, as did the Prince. When Jeremiah was introduced, he touched his hat and said “Ma’am,” in a slow American drawl. The Queen was fascinated.
“My Prime Minister and I have very different views on how the Empire should establish better relations with the United States. I would be delighted if we could talk on it at a later date.”
“Perhaps we should go somewhere safer?” Albert asked. He had drawn his pistol and was looking around nervously.
“There is no need for concern, your highness,” Dougal said. “We have an eleven year old boy manning a Gatling Gun on the dock above, and believe me when I say you could want for no one better in these circumstances.”
Jeremiah laughed. “You can say that again. I’m gonna get that boy to come to the USA if it kills me.”
The Queen frowned, but did not say anything as she and her husband were escorted up the ramp and onto the dock. The dock appeared to be deserted.
“Your Gatling Gun is very well hidden,” Prince Albert remarked.
“Laura, can you tear the bind?”
Laura took a piece of paper from her pocket and ripped it in two. It burst into flames and the Hubris appeared in front of them. Ebb waved at them from the port gun position. Alan stood stiffly at attention.
The Prince turned to Baum and spoke rapidly and excitedly in German. Baum made hand gestures as he replied. Albert turned to his wife.
“You did not tell me you had commissioned the building of a lighter than air craft. You know how much I love such technology.”
The Queen turned to Dougal. “This is what you have been doing in the American Colonies, Lord McBride?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“I was told you were working on a project to develop the mass production of aluminium. I shall have strong words with Lord Palmerston when I next see him.”
“Would your Majesty like a tour of her airship?” Dougal asked.
Before she could answer, Ebb swung the gun to face the dock entrance where two large coaches and horses raced towards them. Everybody turned. Laura put pen to paper and began to write.
The coaches pulled to a stop some distance from them and Trelawney got out and waved. Laura folded the nearly completed bind that would have rendered everyone in the coaches fast asleep.
Eric Kincaid reached the safety of Mercury House and went to his office to sit and think. When Andrea had vanished during the panic to get out of the church, he had wandered around the streets outside looking for her before giving up.
Alan had been telling him all sorts of impossible things that he did not fully believe. The idea that anyone would kidnap the Queen was preposterous and the nonsense Alan had spouted about a carriage without horses or steam power was insane. He wished Andrea was around to explain to him what was really going on.
Eric went up to Andrea’s apartment and knocked on the door. It occurred to him that she might have taken the opportunity to go and visit her real home rather than this temporary accommodation they had been ordered to use. He had no idea where she lived.
When he returned to his office, Gareth Jones found him.
“I want to know exactly what is going on, Eric. And don’t you dare lie to me.”
“Your Majesty,” Trelawney said. “It is good to see you safe.”
“Next time you invite me to a wedding, I am afraid I shall have to decline. They are a little too exciting for my tastes.”
“Does anybody know where Bertie is?” Prince Albert asked.
Laura looked at Dougal who looked at Daisy. Daisy sighed as she realized she was going to have to answer.
“We dropped off Tom to help the Prince of Wales. We believe the Prince was shot by the people who kidnapped you.”
There was a stunned silence. “Tom is the best Healer in the world, your Majesty,” Dougal said, putting as much reassurance as he could into his voice. Even Tom could not heal the dead.
“We must return to the palace,” Victoria said tersely. “I am sure you will make your coaches available to us.”
“Where is Antonia?” Andrea asked. She had been waiting impatiently behind Trelawney and could stand it no longer. “Why can’t I sense her?”
Laura moved to her and rushed her away from the shocked assembly. It was not the done thing to interrupt the Queen.
“Antonia is injured,” Laura whispered as she led Andrea over to the airship. “She banged her head when the ship was attacked by the Spellbinder.”
As soon as they stepped onto the ship, Alice confronted them. “About flippin’ time you got ’ere. I think she’s dyin’.”
Antonia was in her bunk. The lump on her head was bulging and pulsing, her breathing was shallow and she looked like a ghost. There was no sign of consciousness.
“We have to get her to Tom,” Laura said.
“We can’t wait for that,” Andrea said as she picked up her sister’s limp hand. “You need to use a bind, like you did with that boy. She will be dead before Tom can heal her.”
“You should use the airship, your Majesty,” Trelawney said gravely. “Coaches will be seen by the public and it is vital that those responsible for this do not find out their plans are going awry.”
“What plans, Ernest? Do you have any idea what this is about?”
“It was not a kidnapping; this was a planned double murder. With the two of you missing, Bertie would be the heir presumptive, but with him lying injured the succession would be in doubt. This whole operation was to cause confusion and panic in the government, the police and the armed forces.”
The Queen frowned, “But to what end? Is this the start of a coup?”
“The Brotherhood operates only for profit,” Belinda said. “They are not interested in power as such. Though getting away with killing the Queen would give them status in certain quarters.”
Albert nodded, “So the question becomes, what is it that the Brotherhood plan to steal?”
“Ain’t it obvious?” Jeremiah said and everybody stared at the American. “Why any American could tell you that the most valuable things in England are the Crown Jewels.”
Laura stared at the blank sheet of paper and tried to think what to write. With Claude the boy had been whole and all she did was make him be more like himself. Antonia, on the other hand, had a serious head injury. If Laura wrote the same bind, would the head injury increase? She did not know.
“Are you hesitating because she had sex with Tom?” Andrea said suddenly. “Would you be happier if she dies?”
Laura looked up and Andrea saw a genuine look of horror in her eyes. “I might make it worse. I don’t know how to heal her. Her injury is part of who she is. I might make her worse.”
&nbs
p; “Do it anyway,” Andrea pleaded.
Daisy stepped through the door. Neither of them had seen her follow them back to the airship.
“Make Antonia more like Andrea. They are identical twins so that should work.”
Laura threw away the piece of paper she had been writing on and took a fresh sheet. She created a bind in which Antonia became Andrea. She felt power being sucked from her as the bind took hold. A wave of dizziness ran through her mind and the room spun in circles.
When she opened her eyes, Antonia’s injuries were gone and she opened her eyes to give Laura a puzzled look.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Antonia said. She lifted her hand and stared at it as though it was a strange and alien thing.
Laura turned to Andrea, but Andrea was not there.
“You have turned them into one person,” Daisy said in awe. “Andrea vanished as you completed the bind.”
“No, I am still here and so is Antonia,” Antonia said. “We have always been close, but sharing the same body is ridiculous.”
Laura turned back to the bind and stared at it. She half-expected to see it burst into flames, as such a bind must surely be impossible. However, the bind seemed to be holding and there were no signs of singe marks.
Antonia grinned. “You really do have a one track mind, Andrea. But who knows, we might.”
“I am not going to explain this to anybody,” Daisy said slowly. “As far as I am concerned, this has not happened. Invent your own excuses. I am going back to Dougal.”
“She has a point,” Antonia said. She got off the bunk and kissed Laura on the cheek. “Thank you for saving me, us. In any case, we are both most grateful.”
“We need to get you to Tom before the bind wears off.”
“Funnily enough, we were just discussing the very same thing.”
When Daisy returned to Dougal she found the group had reached a conclusion.
“We need Laura to make the ship invisible again,” Dougal explained. “The Hubris will take the Queen and Prince Albert back to Buckingham Palace. However, once they are safe, we will not inform anyone. With any luck the Brotherhood will carry out their plan and we can catch them red handed.”
“Just do not make any mistakes, Sir Ernest,” the Queen said in a warning tone. “A Queen without any jewellery to wear would be quite absurd.”
Trelawney bowed. “I shall use my best people.”
“That is what worries me, Sir Ernest. Your best people are always a little eccentric.”
“But they do get the job done.”
The Queen nodded, “That they do.”
When Trelawney asked for Andrea to accompany him, Daisy was forced to take him aside and whisper in his ear. “Antonia is unconscious and Andrea will not leave her until she recovers.”
“That is a problem. I need them to coordinate operations.”
“I will tell Alan to send Eric to you. He should meet your needs.”
“Very well, but tell him to come to my house without delay.”
The Queen entered the observation room and Alice and Edith gave her a perfunctory courtesy.
“Part of the team,” Dougal said hastily. “Edith is an aberrant Farseer and Alice is a transmitting Telepath, who can shout loud enough in someone’s mind to knock them unconscious.”
The Queen was not amused. “You will be telling me next this ship is being captained by a child.”
“I would never tell you that, your Majesty.” Dougal casually kicked the door to the bridge closed and gave the girls a warning look. They smirked back at him, but took the hint and made no comment.
Laura and Antonia entered the observation room from the rear of the ship.
“Ah Laura, Andrea, is Antonia any better?”
“I stabilized her with a bind. We need to get her to Tom as soon as possible.”
“We certainly do,” Antonia said before giving Laura a most lascivious wink.
“Can you make the ship invisible before we take off? It would be best if we weren’t seen over London,” Dougal added.
“Consider it done.”
Dougal sidled to the bridge door. “I will go and tell the captain to take off.”
“I really would like to see the bridge if I may,” Prince Albert said, extreme eagerness in his voice.
“Err, very well, I suppose,” Dougal said and held the door open as Albert walked through it.
Eric passed on Trelawney’s message and Alan relayed it to Gareth Jones.
“I suppose I have to go?” Eric asked.
“Of course you do,” Jones answered. “You should be proud to assist Sir Ernest. I certainly am. Let us get our coats.”
“You are coming with me, Sir?”
“I would not miss this for the world.”
“What-ho, your ’ighness,” Tricky said as the Prince entered. “Where we off to now, Dougal?”
“To Buckingham Palace if you can find it,” Dougal said, dreading the outburst he expected from the Prince.
“No problem, I knows London like the back of mi ’and. Give us some ’ight, Lucy.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” Lucy said sarcastically.
The Prince turned to look at the small thirteen year old girl handling the attitude controls, and then he raised an eyebrow at Dougal.
“I would be most grateful if you did not tell the Queen about my crew until she is safely home at Buckingham Palace,” Dougal said desperately.
The Prince continued to stare at him. Then he smiled. “When people ask me what I find so admirable about the British and what sets them apart from any other country, I always say it is the promise of their children. I should not be surprised that my own words have come back to bite me. I shall inform the Queen at a suitable later date.”
“Tom, come quickly.” Bertie shook Tom awake.
“What’s happening?”
“Your airship is here. At least I think it is. There is a commotion by the doors to the gardens.”
Tom staggered after the Prince. He felt recovered, but could have done with a little more sleep. When they got to the door, the Queen and Albert were just entering.
“Mama, you are safe.”
“And so are you. I was led to believe you were injured?”
“Gut shot, but Tom saved me.”
Queen Victoria turned her attention to Tom and he blushed. He attempted to bow, but it came out a bit like a curtsy. She smiled at him, which only made his embarrassment worse.
“You seem to rescue my eldest child rather more than is seemly, but you have my eternal gratitude for it.”
“Thank… Yes… Your Majesty.”
Dougal decided to rescue Tom before he made too much of a fool of himself.
“Tom, you are needed at the airship. Antonia has been injured.”
Tom fled the Palace at a run.
Tom hugged and kissed Laura full on the mouth as he entered the observation room, then he turned to find Antonia grinning at him.
“I was told you were injured.”
“I am, or one of me is. Laura, Andrea would be grateful if this could be the time when Tom makes good on his promise.”
Tom turned back to Laura, who had a look of astonishment on her face.
“You mean before he heals you?” Laura asked.
“Exactly so. If you give me the bind we can tear it up afterwards.”
Tom felt that some private joke was being played out in which he was the butt.
“I suppose it would be appropriate,” Laura said. “Not even cheating in some ways. But what if Tom is unable to heal you afterwards?”
“I cannot imagine a better way to go.”
Laura handed over the bind in a daze and Antonia led a very confused Tom back to her room.
“Are they going to you-know-what?” Alice asked. “Don’t you mind?”
“The life of an adult can be most complicated sometimes.”
“But which one is she?”
“I do not think she knows for sure.”
; 27. Resolutions
Cam got out of the taxi and paid the driver. As the Hansom Cab set off down the road she took out the key Trelawney had given her and entered his house. It was very quiet inside as Trelawney had given his staff the day off.
Cam locked the door behind her and stood with her back against it, taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly. She felt weak and vulnerable. Shooting Trelawney and Belinda had put a massive strain on her, being shot and facing death at the hands of Annelise Shultz had made that strain worse. All she wanted to do was find somewhere safe to lie down and fall asleep.
She entered Trelawney’s study and pulled the heavy curtains closed, slumped into one of his stuffed leather chairs and fell asleep.
She woke to the sound of knocking at the door having dreamt that spies were chasing her. Not fully awake, she took a pistol from Trelawney’s gun room and approached the door.
The knocking intensified. Cam opened the door suddenly, a snarl on her face. She cocked the pistol and pressed the end of its barrel against Eric’s forehead. He stood paralyzed, unable to say a word.
“You must be Camilla Burns,” Gareth Jones said calmly from behind Eric. “Please do not shoot the boy, he is not very bright, but he is in constant contact with his brother on the airship.”
Cam relaxed as she became aware of her surroundings.
“Trelawney sent you?”
“We have been summoned here. I take it he has not yet returned?”
Cam nodded her head and lowered the pistol. There was a strong smell of urine and Cam looked down to see a puddle forming between Eric’s shoes.
“Sorry about that,” she said, patting him absentmindedly on the shoulder.
Tom checked to confirm that his manhood was still attached to his body. It had become numb sometime during the second hour. The combined creature that was Antonia and Andrea had been insatiable. There was an urgency and intensity about their needs that drained him, but was still somehow fulfilling.
