Lucy's Blade

by John Lambshead

  "Sorry, boatswain."

  Gwilym and Lucy walked back to the centre and restarted. Thrust, parry, and counterattack followed at bewildering speed. A quick sideways kick knocked Lucy's feet out from under her but she rolled away and flipped back upright before Gwilym could exploit his advantage. Lucy raced back in at him and Gwilym gave ground step by step as she wove a spider's web of shining steel around his defence. She backed him up against the rail and thrust hard. He dropped his knife and seized her wrist, pulling into her arm so that her blade sank deep in the wood. Then he shoulder-charged her, knocking her backwards away from her knife.

  Lucy scrabbled to keep her feet. He followed up like a bear. She turned into her fall and used the momentum to run away from him. Gwilym pursued her, showing surprising speed for such a big man. She dived around the left side of the mainmast. When Gwilym was committed to go after her, she grabbed at the mainmast with both hands and whipped her legs around off the ground. Gwilym tried to change direction but momentum carried him on. She swung around the mast and kicked him with both legs in the small of the back, throwing him forward into the opposite rail.

  The girl dropped onto her feet like a cat and bounded after him. Gwilym dropped onto his bottom. "Peace, 'ighness. You might be able to go on all day but I'm knackered. 'Ave mercy on an old man."

  William clapped his hands. "Show's over. Back to work. Let's see some action." Gwilym was the best close-combat man William had ever seen but Lucy had matched him blow for blow. How do I repair the damage, William thought? He was realistic enough to know that he would never win fair lady by his learning or smooth tongue. His skills were those of Mars. She will despise me if I crawl but how does a fighter impress a girl who can outfight him?

  Lucy gave Gwilym her hand and pulled him up. "If you are such an old man you should be thinking of settling down with a good woman, like my Millie for example, who won't wait forever for a man." Lucy looked meaningfully at the boatswain.

  "I think we should try and get some sleep," said Simon. "It could be a long night."

  Simon stretched out beside Lucy on the deck. She dropped off immediately. She seemed to be able to go to sleep anywhere at any time. He found that sleep evaded him. It had been fun having Lucy play at wife for a short while but it had confirmed his opinion. He wanted a wife who was the way Lucy had acted, rather than the way she really was. He wanted a wife who would look to him for security and comfort, rather than to her titled family connections. Simon thought William was foolish to want to challenge the social order. It was a denial of the Chain of Being and could easily end in frustration and unhappiness for both parties.

  The crew miraculously restepped the foremast as the sun set. When the last northern twilight evaporated, the pinnace dropped the buoy and sailed out into the mouth of the estuary. Lucy stood in the bow with William. He sneaked surreptitious glances at her. The wind fluttered the hair over her neck. Her eyes sparkled in diamond light. He knew that meant the power was on her.

  Lucy scanned the darkness. "There are two boats entering the estuary," she said.

  William stared in to the darkness. "That will be the last members of the fishing fleet returning. Yes, I can see running lights. That must be one of them."

  "The second one is farther back and to the left," she said.

  "You can see all that?" asked William. "What does it look like? What do you see, milady?"

  "The sea is dark black and the land is a luminescent grey. Boats are light grey against the sea. I can see the crew. People glow like white beacons. Fires flash like stars. It's like looking into the Other World."

  "Look down into the estuary, Lady Dennys. Look for anything making for the sea."

  The pinnace ploughed up and down, just making enough way to hold station against the tide. In the wide ocean, she was a small vessel that was of little consequence. Here, in the estuary, she was a shark among herring. The night wore on. Nothing moved upon the water once the last of the fishing boats was safely home.

  Something flickered on the edge of Lucy's vision. She watched it intently. Minute by minute it grew into a grey shape. The target boat could not be moving above a slow walk. Lucy tapped William on the shoulder. "There," she said, pointing.

  William stared into the dark. He could see nothing but he knew better than to doubt her. He hissed an order to the boatswain and the pinnace turned onto a new bearing. Lucy was impressed by the silence with which the manoeuvre was achieved. This crew had clearly carried out night operations before.

  "Is she carrying lights?" asked William.

  "I can't see any," Lucy said.

  "Excellent." William rubbed his hands. "A legitimate vessel would have lights. Let's hope that they are not innocent smugglers, Lucy."

  The girl was too excited to chastise him for using her Christian name.

  The vessels closed, Lucy conning them in.

  "Captain!" The boatswain hissed.

  William ran forward.

  "There she is, Cap'n, right on the bow, just where the lady pointed," said the boatswain. "How did the maid know?"

  "Magic, boatswain. Just be glad that she is on our side. Get us alongside, if you please."

  "Aye, aye, Cap'n. Stand by to board, pass it on," said the boatswain, softly to the nearest crew. The order passed down the pinnace.

  The boatswain took the helm himself and held the pinnace bow on to the target. The enemy sailed on in for some time in blissful ignorance. A yell, followed by incoherent cries, indicated that the enemy had finally spotted them. The bow of the pinnace must have loomed over them like the wrath of God. William thought the boatswain had judged it too fine but, just when a collision seemed inevitable, the veteran sea dog put the tiller over and crashed alongside. William led the boarding action.

  Gwilym appeared at Lucy's elbow. "You have done your bit, 'ighness. You stay here with me."

  The Swallows stormed aboard the other boat and the pinnace stood off slightly to avoid damage. The helmsman matched speeds with the enemy boat on a parallel course. The Swallows ruthlessly put down all opposition. Simon appeared on the deck of the enemy ship clutching a leather bag.

  "I've got them," Simon said, excitedly. "I have the despatches."

  He stood in the bow waving them at Lucy. A man rose up from the shadows behind Simon. There was a blow and Simon fell. The man grabbed the despatches. William ran Simon's attacker through with a cutlass but it was too late. The man dropped the leather bag into the water between the two ships. Weighted, it sank immediately.

  Lucy dived straight over the side after it.

  William saw her go. He threw his cap in to mark the spot. It slid backwards down the ships as they moved. He walked back down the boat keeping pace with the cap, stripping off his clothes and boots. When he reached the stern, he dived in onto the cap.

  'I can't see the bag, Lilith. It must be the same temperature as the water.' Lucy swam down as fast as she could. The weighted bag must be sinking fast.

  'I am patching in gravitonic senses to your vision, Lucy. The moving bag will create gravity distortions,' thought Lilith. She also opened a file marked "anaerobic biochemistry" from her database.

  Lucy could see a glowing blob in the distance. It trailed filaments as it fell. 'There it is. I can see it,' thought Lucy.

  'Wait, Lucy, you will run out of oxygen long before you can intercept the bag at a safe distance. I have run a model. You won't be able to get back.'

  Lucy did not answer Lilith. She had no idea what oxygen was. She powered down after the bag. Lilith desperately shunted oxygen from Lucy's minor organs to her brain and leg muscles. She twisted the girl's biochemistry to try to set up anaerobic energy pathways. Warning subroutines that she had linked to various parameters in Lucy's body all went off together. There was only so much Lilith could do.

  Lucy reached the leather bag and twisted the strap around her arm. Then she started for the surface so far above. Her body was failing fast and her speed dropped until she floated helplessly. Lucy had
neutral buoyancy in the cold water with the weighted bag balancing the stale air in her lungs. Lilith stopped her breathing reflex so the girl wouldn't gulp in water and shunted all remaining biochemical energy to Lucy's brain.

  'You were right, Lilith,' thought Lucy. 'It was too far for me. I forgot I am not immortal. Save yourself, Lilith, I'm dying. Use the last power in my body to make a jump. Finishing me off quickly will be a kindness.'

  'Never, Lucy, never say that,' thought Lilith. 'We live or die together. I am going to shut you down now to save energy.'

  'Good-bye, Lilith,' thought Lucy. 'I love you.'

  Lilith took stock of their situation. It was not good. Lucy's biochemistry was wrecked but Lilith still had gravitonic energy in her batteries. She extended her senses and swept the area. Lilith spotted a gravity distortion in the water above. She kept Lucy unconscious but she used some power to fire up Lucy's biochemistry one last time. Driving Lucy like this was doing terrible damage. Lucy's body took a firm grip on her blade, pulled it from her holster, and held it over her head. Lilith bled off gravitonic energy to excite the steel molecules. The knife lit up in the visible wavelengths. Liliith had little hope of rescue but she had to try.

  William was frantic; no one could go so long without a breath. He kept putting his head underwater but could see nothing in the dark. Then, below him, he saw a light. It had to be her. He took three long breaths to fill his lungs and dived. He had no way of judging distance and the dive went on and on. Then he was right on top of her. He grabbed her arm and kicked upwards. She was completely limp and he feared the worst. Please God, he prayed. Not like this. Don't take her from me now.

  William's broke the surface. He pushed Lucy's head up but it lolled helplessly. She was not breathing. "Breathe, breathe, damn it, Lucy, breathe."

  Eschewing propriety, he resorted to an old sea dog trick for reviving half-drowned sailors. He put his mouth over hers and blew air into her body. He could not see a reaction so he took a deep breath and tried again. This time she coughed and broke her mouth away. Lucy sucked air in great juddering gulps. Her head still lolled in his arms but she breathed.

  "Thank you, Lord," William said.

  He manoeuvred her around until she lay on her back on his chest, her head out of the water in the crook of his neck. William desperately searched the darkness around. He and the unconscious girl were completely alone. A wave slapped his face.

  The boastswain steered the captured despatch boat into the pinnace and jumped back aboard. "Get this boat turned around, you whoresons. Everyone not on the sails, get to the sides to look for the captain and the lady. We have people in the water. I want silence. Listen for cries."

  Simon grabbed his arm. "Can't we use the other boat as well? That would double our chances of catching them."

  "I don't have enough crew to sail both," said the boatswain. "I have just left a few men onboard to hold the prize."

  "So we need more seamen," Simon said. "Right, come with me, Gwilym."

  The two men jumped into the prize and went to where the prisoners were held. "Who's in charge?" asked Simon.

  No one answered but some of the prisoners looked at a blond-haired man. "We have two people in the water. I want you to get this boat turned around to search." Simon addressed Blond Hair.

  "Why should I?" The man spat. "They can drown for all I care."

  Simon was not in a good mood. His head hurt where he had been struck and his employer's niece was lost at sea because he had been careless and lost the despatches. "Persuade him, Gwilym," Simon said, coldly.

  Blond Hair was a big man but he might have as well have been a child. Gwilym pulled the man's head back, baring his throat for a dagger. The point broke the skin and blood ran down the blade. "You'll do it or I'll kill you."

  The man still looked defiant. He probably thought he was marked for execution anyway.

  "No, I won't cut your throat, that's too quick," said Gwillym. "I'll hand you over to Walsingham and tell him how you laughed at the thought of his favourite niece drowning in the dark."

  The man licked his lips. "Walsingham's niece? The Walsingham?"

  Gwillym nodded. "It'll be red hot pincers for you, matey."

  "Get her round. Jump to it," said Blond Hair to his crew.

  Lucy stood in a sunlit meadow on a warm English summer afternoon. It was one of those days when time seemed to stand still. A bank of glorious wildflowers stretched out on each side filling the air with scent. A dark green forest marched across the skyline behind her and a stream burbled to itself below. Everything was still and quiet except for the buzz of insects moving from flower to flower. She walked down the hill to where Lilith sat on the grass throwing pebbles into the water.

  Lucy sat down beside Lilith. For a while neither of the women spoke. Eventually, Lucy broke the silence. "Am I dead yet, Lilith?"

  Lilith smiled at her. "Not at all. You are back on the surface breathing. Your body biochemistry is a train wreck. I am patching it up. It is easier if I keep you unconscious. Less chance of brain damage, you see. So I created this simulation for us to talk in." Lilith gestured at the meadow. "You remember this place fondly; I took it from your oldest memories."

  Lucy threw a pebble in the stream, watching the ripples spread out. She did not understand what Lilith was doing to her body; she never did when Lilith went into details about magic, but she was aware that Lilith could carry out many functions at the same time. "Are we safe?" Lucy said.

  "I am afraid not. Your sea captain is holding you up but he must be struggling. Unless someone finds us soon, I suspect we will all three drown."

  "He is not my sea captain," Lucy said, automatically.

  "Really?" Lilith said. "He jumped in after you. I suppose he would do that for anyone?"

  "Probably," said Lucy, without much conviction. "He is rather brave and not very bright."

  "Sounds like an ideal man to me," snorted Lilith.

  "I can't leave him out there in the cold on his own. I owe him some company while he dies. Wake me up, Lilith."

  "It will only be partial, Lucy. You won't be able to move all that much. In fact, lie as still as possible. I will have to put you back to sleep after a few moments to protect your brain."

  Lucy nodded at her and threw another pebble in the stream. "I understand but wake me up anyway."

  William forced himself to think clearly. The trick was to stay alive. Just keep them both afloat and try not to let the cold kill. He held Lucy tight to him to minimise heat loss. Her breathing was controlled and regular.

  "Mmm, William?"

  "Lucy. You're awake. Don't give up; we are going to get out of this. My men will find us."

  "Liar," she said, with affection. "Thank you for coming for me, William." She drifted away for a minute then spoke again. "Catch me when I fall."

  "That's right, Lucy. I promised to catch you when you fall. I always will. Don't give up."

  "Like poor Anne Hewet who fell off London Bridge. Master Osborne caught her when she fell. Caught her and never let her go."

  "What mean you, Lucy? Who is Anne Hewet?"

  "Nobody important, just a prize. But mayhap they loved each other. I wonder?" She stroked his face. "William?"

  "Yes, Lucy."

  "Your beard tickles."

  "If we were together, Lucy, I would have my barber shave me every week, every day even, if it pleased you. Whatever pleased you."

  "You have my permission to hold me as tight as you want," she said.

  "I know, as long as you can still breathe," William said.

  "I have never been held like this before, in a man's arms," she said, sleepily.

  "You fit there rather well, methinks," he said.

  "Lilith can't keep me awake any longer, William. I have to go to sleep for a while. I will be back as soon as I can."

  "Hush, sleep now. I will look after you."

  William looked round in desperation. All he could see was darkness and water. He was tired and cold. Had h
e been alone, he would probably have given up and finished it, gone below and breathed in.

  Lucy sat back in the meadow. "I feel guilty about reclining here in comfort while William fights for our lives. He really is rather sweet, isn't he?"

  "I am sure that he would be glad that you were happy. But yes, he is a sweetie," Lilith said. "Have you ever played skimming stones Lucy?"

  "No, I don't think I have," Lucy said.

  "Come on, then. I'll teach you." Lilith bounced to her feet and searched the bank for a suitable stone, which of course she found.

  William spat out a mouthful of water. He was now very tired and he had stopped feeling cold. That was a bad sign. Then he heard a cry, but he could not see anything in the darkness. He tried to yell back but it was difficult as the spray whipped into his face. He had an idea. He raised Lucy's right arm. The blade was still gripped firmly in her hand.

  William spoke into the girl's ear. "Lilith, Lilith, if you can hear me, make light, like you did before. It's now or never, Lilith."

  Without warning, the dagger blazed bright blue-white light. William had never seen anything so beautiful. He heard cries in the distance. They had been spotted.

  "Keep it going, as long as you can, Lilith."

  Gradually the dagger dimmed and went out. But by that time a huge shadow was silhouetted against the night sky.

  "There they are," said a voice. "On the port bow."

  People were in the water all round him, supporting him.

  "Easy, Captain. Let the maid go now and we will get her in the boat," said a swimmer.

  For a moment, he failed to take it in. He still held Lucy tight, his fingers twisted in her clothes. Then thankfully, he released the burden and other people held him up.

  "Gently with 'er ''igness." Gwilym's voice sounded in the dark.

  Hands pulled him up. He snagged his knee as he was pulled over the side. He had never been more pleased to feel pain before. Pain was life. They had made it.

  He crawled across the deck, "Lucy, how is Lucy?"