She raised the lenses to her eyes and said, “Hendrix.”
CHAPTER 30
THE FACTORY
Genevieve put her hand on my arm. “Should we wait for the Sparrowhawk?” She handed me the telescope.
I shook my head. “And waste this opportunity to learn more?”
“Excellent; I was hoping you’d say that.”
“The question is where do we go first?” I said, pointing toward each spot in the valley. “The factory? The airships? The Vimana, or the Snake Palace?”
Genevieve studied the valley. “I’m not sure, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a question of where we go without getting caught.”
“There are thousands of pairs of eyes down there.” I smiled. “I say let’s do a little lurking at the Snake Palace.”
“If we take that path,” Genevieve motioned toward a trail, “it will take us by the factory, and we can see what they’re making. That will take us past the Vimana, too.” She looked to me to see if she’d pronounced it right, and I nodded. “Then up to the creepy palace.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I smiled.
Rodin nodded. “He agrees,” she said, patting him on the head. “Always a good sign when the dragon approves.”
We slipped down the trail, moving slowly so we didn’t attract attention. We snuck up to the immense brick factory, like something right out of London. I peered in a window and saw a huge foundry pouring orange glowing molten metal. Genevieve tapped my shoulder and pointed at two guards heading our way. We slipped inside, through a loading dock, and stayed along the edge. Genevieve stopped and covered her mouth to silence a gasp. I came around the large water tank, and saw an assembly line of large metal armors stretching to the other end of the factory.
“I thought they were making parts for the Vimana, but what is all this?”
“It’s an army of Iron Armors.” She turned to me. “Those are meant to fight the Black Knight and the Bronze Knight.”
I nodded. “They have the same tread-foot design, but these are smaller than our armors. I bet that’s why they need the Vimana, to carry all these armors.”
“Frightening,” she said.
“You can say that again.”
We slipped past the armors, careful to avoid the workers being forced to assemble them. Guards stood watch with whips ready. Seeing these people, I could only assume they were the missing villagers. My blood boiled. We passed through empty villages on our way here, and now I knew why—to feed a huge industrial complex that would soon be the scourge of the world.
We left the factory behind us, and used the stacked crates outside to hide. I wanted to climb inside the Vimana that dominated the valley, but every entrance had several guards. Genevieve pointed at some exhaust vents we could use to get inside, but several soldiers walked the perimeter.
“I don’t want to get caught just yet. Maybe we should move on.”
“I agree,” Genevieve said, “Besides you already know what it is, but how are we going to destroy something so big?”
“I have no idea.” I was looking at thick armor plating, a structure bigger than anything I’d seen in the sky, and yet from the propellers and other design elements it looked like this building was meant to fly. “I think a cannon ball would bounce off.”
As we moved around to the other side, we saw workmen installing cannon and other guns on several of the tiers. Three rows of ten cannon lined the bottom tiers, and five cannons on the three above that. I counted five machine gun nests and three Gatling guns on each tier. My mouth dropped open. Genevieve grabbed my arm and pulled me behind one of the train cars that ran from the factory to the Vimana. We crouched down as two soldiers passed where we’d been standing.
“The Vimana is armed to the teeth,” I whispered. “I bet every side has that many guns.”
Genevieve nodded. “We’ll need an armada just to get close to this monstrosity.”
I had seriously misjudged the Knights of the Golden Circle, and so had the Templars. I’d been so focused on the Horsemen; I’d forgotten about the horrors that our modern world had created. “The Templar Knights, they aren’t expecting anything like this.”
Genevieve’s eyes grew wide. “Now I understand what my mother meant when she called them foolish old men without a clue of what was coming. It was a phrase she often used, but I didn’t think she was serious.”
I tapped her shoulder and pointed toward a trail moving up the side of the valley floor. “Come on, this leads up to ‘creepy’ palace.”
We snuck over to the side of the valley and started up the trail. We passed behind the airdocks, and I stared at the huge black Zeppelin. A large, odd-shaped hatch dominated the back of the dirigible, and the gondola was lined with gun ports. Genevieve pulled me along as sky pirates walked out onto the airdock’s catwalks.
Soon we stood at the base of the giant coiled snake palace. Deep grooves cut into the stone gave the appearance of scales, and a golden ridge on the back made for a fearsome roof- line. The tip of the tail curled up and over itself creating a gateway inside. Six coils led up to the head, it’s mouth open as if about to strike, but the lower jaw appeared to be a balcony.
I pointed to the door lying just beyond the curled gate. “I don’t think that’s our way in.”
“Too guarded,” she said. “We should check the back side for a secret way.”
“Excellent idea.” I pointed to a window on the next coil up, “We might even be able to get through one of those windows.”
We squeezed around the back of the palace, and, thankfully, the carved scales continued even into the parts that could not be seen. I grabbed the cut groove and secured the tip of my boot in another. I climbed the side of the snake palace, and once on top of the first tier, I turned around as Genevieve hurried up the scales behind me.
We moved to an open window and I peered inside. “An empty room without decorations, only a twin bed and a chest.”
“Rooms for the Inner Circle’s attendants.”
We jumped through and pressed against the door. I couldn’t hear anything in the hall. I opened the door just a crack, and when I didn’t see anything, we slipped into corridor. The inner half of the structure was a continuous hallway that sloped upward, with rooms dotting the outer side.
“This is an odd place,” I whispered.
“It is, but strategically it makes sense. I bet there are heavy doors every so often that can seal off this corridor, making it harder for an enemy to get to the top. Only one way in and out, means you only have one hall to guard.”
We moved cautiously but quickly. Genevieve was right, within a single turn we ran into three doors, one right after the other. Then on the next level we ran into three more. When we heard voices in front of us we slipped into a room. Spears and crossbows lined the walls and in the center of the room, rifles stood in a teepee like structure. Two soldiers passed by, but they weren’t on patrol or duty. The lack of people in the palace worried me. Had we missed them? With everyone in the valley, I thought for certain they’d be here. I expected more people, though, like the hidden palace I’d snuck into before.
“Why aren’t there more people?” I whispered.
She shrugged. “I assume they’re in the valley, or up in the highest tiers.”
“That’s where we saw Hendrix.”
“They don’t need a lot of guards. They aren’t expecting anyone to sneak in. I bet they’re expecting a big attack. I bet those barracks in the valley are full of soldiers.”
I nodded. “Good theory.” I motioned toward the door. “We can go. I don’t hear them anymore. I was thinking about something... the inner corridor doesn’t have windows. I bet there is a secret way up on the other side of the wall.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The defenders would need a way to sneak past a force and get behind them. Or you could move without everyone in the hall seeing you.”
“Good theory,” she said with a smile and the bump of her hip
against mine.
“Let’s go.” I opened the door and we snuck through the hallway. I looked for any kind of secret door, or opening. I even tried a dozen sconces in a row.
Then I noticed the pattern at the base of the outer wall. A coiled serpent, small enough to fit on a single block. Most were well worn, meaning they were original and there was only one in each section. I stopped at the next symbol, but instead of going to the outer wall where there was no room for a secret passage, I went to the inner wall. I found a stone poking out a little further than the rest. I pushed on it. Nothing happened. Genevieve tapped my shoulder and pointed up the hall. People were coming, I could hear the footsteps getting louder. I pulled on the stone and the wall beside it slid back. We stepped into the secret passage and I saw a stone handle on the same stone I had pulled. I grabbed it and tugged. The wall slid into place. Genevieve exhaled, and I wiped my brow.
Dust covered the floor, and spider webs draped the passage. I pushed them aside and kept moving. There were windows on the inner walls of the passage, but we couldn’t see into the darkness. I could tell there was a ceiling, a room, above the central core. We heard voices on the other side, but they continued on, and we kept going.
Eventually we heard voices, specifically Hendrix’s southern drawl, and stopped. We must have ended up outside a room in the very center of the palace. Genevieve pointed to a beam of light piercing the dark passage and we found a thin slit in the wall. We knelt down and peered through. The Inner Circle sat in high-backed chairs— thrones, really—equally spaced in the circular room. Stairs led up the sloping curve of one wall. We couldn’t see where, but we were high enough that it could only be the head of the snake.
One chair was empty; I guessed it was for the baroness, though I couldn’t be certain. I saw the Pirate Queen Zerelda relaxing in another chair. Seven chairs in all.
Hendrix pounded his fist against the arm of his chair. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalling.”
“I am not. These machines are siphoning off too many men,” A bald man said, his distinctive Persian accent lowered an octave. “I need more diggers to search for the Horsemen relics.”
“Those machines are what’s gonna deliver the world into our hands, not your mysticism.” Hendrix snarled.
“We have almost completed the armors and machines.” The Chinese man I’d seen at the mountain palace said. “After that, I’m sure we can dedicate more men to hunting the Hearts.”
Another man leaned forward, and put his elbows on the armrests. His short-trimmed brown hair and olive skin looked Mediterranean. “Those ugly things are nothing compared to slaves. With an army of a hundred thousand slaves I could do anything. Seize this world in my hand, build any bridge, or castle in days. Your factory has taken months to do what my slaves could do in no time.”
Hendrix stood up and drawled, “Well you only got a thousand slaves.”
“I was only allowed to clear a few villages, none of the towns, and you keep working them to death!”
Hendrix grabbed a goblet from a servant holding a tray and up ended the cup. Much of the liquid splashed over his cheeks and then he threw the golden goblet to the ground.
The bald man held his hand up and my stomach twisted into knots. “My mysticism,” he said with pointed sarcasm, “tells me that someone is here. There.” He pointed directly at us. “Hiding in the wall.”
I clutched my stomach and doubled over. Genevieve gripped my shoulders, and tried to hold me up, but I slumped to my knees. The wall opened and Hendrix looked down at us. Beside him, the bald man held one of the Hearts in the palm of his hand.
CHAPTER 31
THE INNER CIRCLE
“Welcome, Mr. Armitage, Lady Kensington.” General Hendrix stepped to the side and gestured with his hand. “I knew you’d find us.”
My stomach was still twisted into knots, but as bald man stepped back, taking the Heart with him, my insides unwound themselves, and I could stand up straight again. I realized then it was the Heart that set me off; not Hendrix.
Genevieve stepped out of the hidden passage and I followed. The Inner Circle looked surprised, with several staring at us with stunned expressions. However, Queen Zerelda stood up and put her hands on her hips. Her leg stuck out the high slit of her skirt and she still wore all black with golden skulls on her corset. “Well, look who’s decided to join us, Hendrix’s pet and the girl who thinks she’s a swordswoman.”
Genevieve’s eyes narrowed, “You need to stop running away from our duels, so we can finally decide who the better swordswoman is.”
The German chuckled and Zerelda snapped him a look that could have sliced him in two.
“You two never disappoint,” Hendrix said motioning to the servants to place two chairs from the side of the room beside his throne. Sit. I insist.”
I nodded and sat. but Genevieve didn’t move. She stared down Zerelda until the pirate queen stepped back to her throne. Only then did Genevieve sit beside me.
“You might have escaped before but not this time. By the time I’m done you’ll want to join me.” Hendrix smiled and tipped his hat. “Thank you for delivering Alexander, Genevieve.”
“That’s not true! How dare you.” Genevieve turned to me. “Alexander I swear I didn’t lead you here.”
I didn’t think she had. We’d rescued her, after all.
Hendrix clapped his real hand against his bronze appendage. “Didn’t you? I left you at the hidden palace to be rescued. I knew you’d follow us here. I even dropped clues while you were my guest. You did exactly what I wanted.”
Genevieve started to protest again, but I put my hand on her arm and gave her a soft squeeze of reassurance. “We came to stop you.” I turned to face Hendrix. “I know about the Hearts. They’re too powerful to be controlled. They’ll corrupt your minds.”
“They corrupt lesser minds,” Hendrix said with a chuckle. “I bet you saw my machines.”
The bald man stared at the Heart in his hand. “Those soulless hunks of metal will do nothing. The boy is right. It is the Hearts that have the real power. It is the Hearts that will deliver the world to me.”
“To us, don’t you mean?” Zerelda said with venom in her voice.
“Alexander, allow me to introduce the future rulers of our world.” Hendrix made a grand gesture. “You already know Zerelda the Pirate Queen. I believe she and Genevieve can’t go five minutes without a sword fight. Then we have Shangguan Bo, descendant of Shangguan Jie who usurped Emperor Wu all those years ago. Antiocus is an Italian, descended from Roman Senators.” He pointed to the German man, “This is Wilhelm, he’s not one of the Triumvirate like the others, but he is my liaison to the Kaiser, and personally led his troops at the Battle of the Thames. Wilhelm, here’s the kid who stopped you.” Hendrix chuckled, but the German man’s eyes narrowed. “Lastly, we have Xerxes. You might recognize the name; he’s Persian, descended from the great kings of old. Oh and he hates, Alexander the Great. All the western conquerors. What do you call him? That Macedonian Brat. Meet his namesake—Alexander Armitage.”
Xerxes grumbled, and I saw the hatred in his eyes. But he was holding the Hearts that looked like shiny liquid metal. He clutched it close to his chest as if someone around the table planned to snatch it from him.
I looked at each of them. These were the people who had made my life miserable over the last two years. Kidnapped my father, tried to kill the baron, murdered my professors at Eton, and chased me across half the world. Only Hendrix was a commoner like me. Lord Kannard had been a nobleman, and the rest of this room was nobility, descended from great men.
Genevieve looked lost in her thoughts. I wanted to console her, tell her I didn’t believe a word of what Hendrix was saying. But I wasn’t certain what Hendrix was trying to do, other than divide us.
Hendrix pointed at me. “Alexander has been a thorn in our side since Eton. He rescued his father, saved the baron, discovered our plans, and drove the Black Knight to victory. He solve
d the mystery of the assassinations at Eton, tracked us to Zululand—” He counted each point out with his mechanical fingers.
Zerelda stood up. “Don’t forget, trashing my first airship and blowing up my place in Zanzibar. I won’t forget what you and your little friends have done.”
“I shall never forget what you did to the crew of the Sparrowhawk.” Genevieve’s hand slid to the hilt of her saber.
Hendrix laughed. “Ladies, enough or I will have you duel for my pleasure.” He turned to me. “You know how to pick’em kid. I still need a fourth rider, and you’re the one destiny has chosen. There’s a reason you’re a thorn in my side.”
“I’m here to stop you, not join you. An Armitage will always stop the Horsemen.”
Hendrix leaned in and his mechanical sparked with electricity. “You’re going to be a Horseman. Either by choice, the nice way, or by force—trust me you don’t want me to use force. You have friends you don’t want to lose and a pretty girlfriend here you don’t want hurt.”
I tried to bury my fear deep within me, but inside I trembled, my hands were sweaty, and I worried he might be right. What if I did have to join him?
“This is ridiculous,” Xerxes said staring at the Heart in his hands. “Quit your complaining. I am a Horseman, the Heart calls to me.”
“That Heart is going with Shangguan to the Dragonship.”
“No!” Xerxes jumped up, clutching the heart close to his chest. “This one is mine. I will use it to unlock the magical power of the Horsemen.”
The smile faded from Hendrix’s face. He stood and faced the Persian. “That’s not the plan, and you know it. We need the Hearts to power the machines. Once we have all four, then the Horsemen will bring about the resurrection of Emperor Burr’s vision of the world!”
“We are enacting Darius the Great’s imperial dreams!” Xerxes’ snarled and stepped close to Hendrix. “An army of a million slaves lead by the Four Horsemen will lay waste to this world. We’re here to control men, not machines! You will not destroy a plan set in place generations ago.”
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