“Oh, I have no doubt,” Elle said. She had seen enough strange things in life to know not to dismiss stories of things that referred to the Shadow. They always had the rather inconvenient habit of turning out to be just so.
“I always was of a mind to travel to the Orient. Just think how wonderful it would be to discover an entire lost city.” Gertrude looked at Elle.
“Well, I suppose it certainly would bring its share of fame and fortune,” Elle replied.
“I would need a competent pilot to fly me there,” Gertrude said.
“Would you now?” Elle said.
“Know anyone who might fit the part?” Gertrude’s eyes held a strange twinkle that spoke volumes. “I happen to know that such a charter would pay extremely well if the right patrons are secured.”
Elle smiled. “Gertrude, if you want to ask me, you should. I am certainly open to persuasion.”
“That is excellent news. We should keep in touch once we land in England. I have some work to do overseeing the cataloguing of these Nubian artifacts, but as soon the expedition is finalized and I have started preparing the proposals, I will let you know.”
“You know, I think going on an expedition with you might be just the thing I need,” Elle said.
“Well, it would be absolutely lovely to have the company of another lady. Especially one who knows how to conduct herself in extraordinary situations.”
They sat together in silence for some time after that.
As the companionable silence stretched between them, Elle allowed her thoughts to wander. The warmth of the cabin and the steady drone of the engines lulled her into a state of deep thought. It had been a while since she’d even considered any long-term plans, but somehow the thought of having something to look forward to was rather appealing.
Beside her, Dr. Bell nodded off and started snoring softly.
Suddenly, the Water Lily shuddered. Elle shook herself out of her reverie. She caught the movement of a shadow from the corner of her eye.
“Bugger, balls and blast,” she said as she scanned the instrument panels.
“What was that?” Dr. Bell sat up and blinked at Elle’s peppery use of language.
“Gertrude, are you sure the freight is tied securely down in the back?”
“I suppose so. It’s as secure as it’s ever going to be.”
Another shadow whooshed past the windscreen and darted off, just out of view. The Water Lily shuddered again.
“Say, what is that shuddering sound?”
“Gliders,” Elle said. “They are getting into position to fire on us.” She adjusted the direction of the thrusters and the Water Lily banked to her starboard side, which was just as well, because before them, a giant ship loomed into view.
“Oh my,” Dr. Bell breathed as she took in the sight of the 800-foot vessel that floated so ominously before them.
“Oh my, indeed,” Elle said between gritted teeth.
The ship floating before them was a leviathan compared to the Water Lily. She was a proper warship, fully encased in armor cladding. From balloon chambers to keel, her sleek double-hull bullet shape glittered ominously in the red of the setting sun. Fine spider webs of rigging held her together. She was close enough to see that her huge hull was battered and scarred. The ship’s broadsides bristled with grappling hooks and cannons. Bits of net and scrim trailed in the air currents and made it look even more eerie and sinister.
Around her, a dozen or so small spark-powered wood and canvas gliders buzzed, ready for action.
“Pirates!” Elle breathed as she watched the ship before her unfurl the skull and crossbones off its prow. “Dr. Bell, I fear our peaceful journey is to be disrupted. We are about to be attacked.”
Dr. Bell closed the biscuit tin and placed it in the cubbyhole before her. “Well, I had better put these in a safe place then. Looks like it’s going to be a bumpy flight.”
“We are small and fast. I am going to try and outrun them,” Elle said as she started twisting knobs and pulling levers. As a small commercial freighter, the Water Lily carried no cannon. Even if she did, it was unlikely that she would ever be able to take on the likes of the dreadful hulking ship that floated before her. However, what the Water Lily lacked in size, she more than made up for in speed and agility; that was her only defense. And right now, Elle was praying as hard as she could that speed would be enough.
She cranked up the spark reactor and angled the ship in the opposite direction. The Water Lily creaked and the engines hummed.
“Let’s give them a run for their money, shall we?” she said to Dr. Bell, and with a surge of power they took flight.
The Pirates had expected the Water Lily to adopt evasive maneuvers, it seemed. Elle watched through her rear-view periscope with a growing sense of trepidation as a swarm of gliders slipped into formation behind them. And just then, as if the universe was truly conspiring against them, a stiff headwind fuelled by the heat of the desert rose up and met them head-on.
The Water Lily groaned as she hit the hot updrafts. Elle shook her head in frustration as she pushed the engines harder.
The pirates had been clever. They had waited until she was on course and facing the headwinds before they chose to strike. The little out-fliers suffered far less from wind drag than the dirigibles did, and soon they were almost upon her.
One flew past almost touching the windglass. The scruffy pilot, dressed in goggles and a dirty aviator cap, waggled his wings as if to taunt her, while he made another loop in front of the cockpit. It did not take much to work out their plans, judging by the large reel of rope and grappling hook attached to the side of the glider.
Elle pushed the thrusters till they were fully open and jammed the autopilot controls into place.
“Watch that gauge,” she said to Dr. Bell. “If the line dips below the red line, call me.”
Dr. Bell nodded. “Will do.” The older woman was looking a little wide-eyed and pale.
Elle strode over to her storage cubby and unlocked it. She pulled out her shotgun and a box full of cartridges. The shotgun was inlaid with silver and emblazoned with the Greychester family crest, but that was not something she wanted to be reminded of right now. It was one of he few items she had taken with her when she had left Greychester House.
“Gertrude, do you know how to use a shotgun?”
“Do I ever! I am a crack shot. Been grouse hunting since I was a mere slip of a girl,” the older woman said with a touch of pride.
“Well, then take this and shoot anyone who comes through that hatch,” Elle said, pointing up above them. “We won’t be able to defeat them, but let’s hope we can fend them off long enough for me to fly us out of here.”
Dr. Bell took the shotgun and started to load it. “Do you think you could perhaps perform your sandstorm trick?”
Elle shook her head. “No, it’s too dangerous. If I summoned that amount of updraft out here we will only end up blasting ourselves out of the sky in the process,” Elle said. “I do have another idea, though.”
“Then get to it, girl!” Gertrude said. “I for one would prefer to go down fighting and not end up being pirate quarry, if you don’t mind.”
“Right then, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Elle closed her eyes and focused on the barrier. Here, high up in the sky, the barrier was less prone to wear and tear by Shadow creatures so it was thicker than it was closer to the ground. She took a deep breath and slipped into the space between the worlds. As soon as the golden light enclosed her, she started looking about for the globules of energy, but to her dismay, she saw none. Before her, the barrier stretched out, all glorious and pristine. She felt her heart sink, since without the snags caused by wear and tear, there was nowhere for any excess energy to accumulate. Elle looked about in a state of indecision. If she followed the barrier down to look for globules of energy, she might lose her place in relation to the realm of Light. If she went the wrong way, she could end up stepping back into thin air, miles away from the W
ater Lily. Dr. Bell would be left to fend for herself unaided and she would most likely end up falling to a gruesome death.
No, she had to turn back. As she turned, she looked up and saw one small globule high up above her. Using all her strength, she jumped. As she drifted through the aether, she reached out and grabbed hold of it. It split and she absorbed it almost instantly. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. She took a deep breath and slipped back to the Light.
“They’ve been dropping hooks on us,” Dr. Bell said as soon as she reappeared.
“How long have I been gone?”
“A good ten minutes or so. I was getting a tad worried.” Dr. Bell was indeed looking rather anxious.
“Right, well, time to see if we can fend them off.” She grabbed hold of the controls to turn the ship round. She pulled the steering lever, but nothing happened.
There was another large thump above them and the ominous clinking sound of grappling hooks dragging against the fuselage. She tried to turn again, but the thrusters would not budge.
She consulted her periscopes with growing dismay. “The bastards have snagged my thrusters and they are busy tying them down!” she exclaimed. Long cable lines were being reeled back to the pirate ship by the gliders.
The engines of the Water Lily suddenly started whining loudly as the thrusters reached their absolute limited. The ship lurched forward but the tether ropes that held them rang taught.
Elle felt her herself go cold with fear. The Water Lily was stationary, hooked like a fish by the large ship behind them.
She reduced the power to the thrusters, and the hull creaked as the ropes picked up the slack.
The next move for her would be to kill her engines and dump helium in the hope that the sudden dip would dislodge the grappling hooks, but as they drew closer, she could see them already being lowered from the hull of the pirate ship. They were waiting for her to duck so they could ensnare her.
“Gertrude, I need your help,” Elle said, thinking quickly.
“Tell me what to do.”
Elle strode over to the flight console. “I want you to sit in this seat and hold this.” She pointed at the steering controls. “When you hear the ropes release, I want you to push forward on the thrusters as hard as you can. Do you think you can do that?”
“Leave it to me,” Dr. Bell said.
“Let’s give these blighters a run for their money then, shall we?” Elle said. She grabbed the large rigging machete she kept in one of the cubbyholes. It was a broad steel blade, about a foot long—an essential tool for severing snagged rigging. With the blade in hand, Elle climbed the maintenance ladder that led to one of the upper hatches.
“We have got to sever those ropes before we are reeled in, come what may.”
She flung the hatch open and gasped as she felt the freezing air hit. The wind whipped the loose strands of hair that had escaped from her aviator cap into her face, and the icy air made her eyes stream. She pulled her goggles over her eyes and blinked.
Four thick ropes now tethered the Water Lily to the pirate ship. Her engines were fighting bravely, but Elle could see the ropes tightening and straining as the pirate ship slowly reeled them in.
She closed her eyes to steady herself against the wind and dizzying height. All she needed to do was sever these four sets of rope. That would give them enough time to get away before the pirates managed to rally their gliders in order to launch another attack.
Carefully she reached inside herself for the globule of power. She drew a little of the energy forth and aimed at the space before her where the ropes spanned. She breathed in and out, in an attempt to steady herself. There would be one chance only to succeed at this.
She raised her arms and flung the white ball of light at the ropes.
There was a flash of light. The air crackled with bright blue flashes of energy, before they went out with a fizzle and a pop.
“No!” Elle gasped. The wind and the thin air up here made combustion difficult, and the amount of power she had managed to grab from the barrier was simply too little. Without something to direct the energy, such as the barrel of a cannon, the blast had simply dissipated in the wind before it had had any effect.
Aether would not help her out here. She was on her own and this was going to have to be done the hard way. Bracing herself against the cold, she hoisted herself up out of the hatch and onto the roof.
She grabbed hold of one of the rigging ropes which held the hull of the Water Lily to her balloon. The icy wind took her breath away, and far below the earth stretched out a mass of desert and sea. She gritted her teeth, for this was no time to be cowardly. Step by tiny step she edged her way along the edge of the fuselage toward the tethers. Her movements were slow, hampered by wind and cold, but eventually she made it. With a small sob of relief, she sank to her knees next to the rope. Her hands shaking, she pulled out the blade and started hacking at the rope.
Elle gave a cry of triumph as she watched the strands of the rope wind and untwist of their own accord as the rigging blade hacked into it. The rope twanged and whizzed as the tension was severed, but the end of the rope closest to her shot up and hit her squarely on the chin.
The blow nearly knocked her out and she fell back hard. She grabbed hold of the rigging just in time to stop herself from flying over the edge. But in her scrabble, she let go of the machete. She watched helplessly as it skidded to the edge of the fuselage and then, slowly, slip over and disappear into the nothingness below.
“Eleanor! Come back inside. It’s no use and you’re going to get yourself killed!” Dr. Bell called from the hatch where she had appeared.
Elle stared at the taut tether ropes in despair. Without the rigging machete, there was nothing she could do. She would have to find another way. Carefully she edged her way to the hatch but the fuselage was slippery from condensation and she felt her foothold falter.
“Here, take my hand!” Dr. Bell said as she grabbed hold of Elle and they both dropped down into the ship.
Inside the Water Lily the engines were still screaming. Steam was hissing from a blown pressure valve.
“Sorry. I tried,” Elle managed to gasp as she caught her breath. “I was able to get one rope but it recoiled and hit me in the face. I lost the blade.” Her jaw and neck were throbbing as if she had been punched in the face, and it felt like one of her molars had become loose. She reached out to steady herself from the wave of dizziness which had overcome her. She would have a nasty bruise on her face—if she lived long enough.
In answer to her thoughts, the ship creaked and listed slightly to one side as the remaining tether ropes tightened and strained.
Elle strode over to the controls and eased off on the thrusters. The engines slowed down to a slightly lower revolution per minute. The Water Lily lurched again as the tether ropes picked up the slack.
“Perhaps we should see if we can negotiate with them. The artifacts for our lives,” Dr. Bell suggested.
Elle shook her head. “They’ll take the artifacts no matter what we do. They are just a bonus. The real prize is the Water Lily. These men want the ship and there’s no telling what they’ll do with us once they have it. Pirates are animals. They are the roughest and lowest of men. It might be a fate worse then death,” she said in a low voice. This was her worst nightmare. Suddenly all the arguments she had had with Marsh about her safety when flying came sharply into focus. Elle did not want to admit it, but she was utterly terrified.
“It’s time to abandon ship,” she said with a grave expression.
“What do you mean?” Gertrude looked at her in surprise. “Surely you are not suggesting we jump overboard.”
“Not exactly, but you are going to have to trust me,” Elle said.
The older woman nodded. “Do it,” she said.
Slipping into the barrier up here was going to be exceedingly dangerous, but it was their only option now. Elle was simply going to have to try and hope for the best. She closed her eyes and
reached out for the barrier. Then she stopped and frowned.
“What is it?” Gertrude whispered.
“There is nothing here,” Elle said. She closed her eyes again and concentrated harder. Before her, in the place where the barrier usually opened up for her, there was nothing but air. She focused more of her attention on opening the space, but it was in vain.
“Elle, what are you doing?” Gertrude said again, this time with more urgency.
“It’s gone,” Elle said.
“What is gone?”
“The barrier. Our means of escape. It was here a few moments ago, but now I can’t seem to open it.” She stared at Gertrude in disbelief. “Gertrude, you saw me disappear.”
“Maybe they’ve done something to stop you from escaping,” Gertrude said.
“Or perhaps my powers have failed me,” Elle said, feeling a sudden urge to panic. “I had them just a few moments ago. Why are they not working?”
Gertrude laid a hand on Elle’s shoulder. “This is the problem with aether. It’s is so very unpredictable.”
“Gertrude, we are trapped. I’m so sorry. I thought I could whisk us out of this mess. What are we going to do?”
Gertrude looked in Elle’s eyes. “If we are truly trapped, then I say we stand and fight. I’ll not go down without protest. That’s for sure.” Dr. Bell’s face grew stern.
The Water Lily groaned again as the ropes tightened more.
Elle looked about in frustration. There had to be a way … “I am going to try something,” she said over her shoulder.
She took hold of the controls and pushed them in the other direction. The engines slowed down dramatically and almost stalled midair. Immediately the roped slackened. Elle pushed the purge valve to dump helium. With the reduced gas levels, the Water Lily started sinking rapidly.
“Yes!” Elle said as she watched one of the grappling hooks slip loose and fly past the windglass. Now all she had to do was to create enough clearance to miss the bilge hooks attached to the hull of the pirate ship above them. With a little luck they could slip past at a lower altitude. Once clear, the other hooks would slip free. It would be a fast plummet to the ground before she’d be able to refill the balloon, but she was sure the larger vessel would not be able to turn around fast enough to catch them.
Sky Pirates Page 5
