Rebel Magisters

by Shanna Swendson

  Her opponent didn’t miss this fact. “And who do you think they’re going to blame?” he asked, gesturing at her attire. “You’re doing this dressed as Mechanics. That’s going to make them clamp down on the city. We’ll have warships in our skies and soldiers billeted among us.”

  “But that won’t affect our people.”

  I could hold my tongue no longer. “That’s not fair at all!” I blurted. “Do what you want, but be brave enough to take the consequences for yourselves. You can’t go pretending to be Rebel Mechanics and then not care what ills might befall them while you remain unscathed.”

  The silence that followed my outburst was unsettling. Into it, Henry said mildly, “Verity is here as a liaison of the Rebel Mechanics. We’ve been trying to convince them that we have common interests and that they can trust us. Now, I’m not so sure. Really, wouldn’t it make more of a statement to take action as magisters? The governor expects the Mechanics to make noise. I can assure you it would shock him to the core if he knew his own people were turning against him.”

  “It doesn’t matter at all since we can’t get to the ships,” Brad said. “We were hoping Henry might have a solution, but it appears he doesn’t, since he’s rather more confrontational in his illegal actions.”

  “What, exactly, are you running into?” Henry asked.

  “There’s a magical barrier blocking access to the ship,” Camilla said. “Nothing we tried could break it. We don’t even know for certain what lies beyond that. My hope is that since the barrier is so secure, the ship won’t be as tightly guarded.”

  I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring it up. Would the Mechanics want to cooperate with the magisters, and what good would come of it for them? On the other hand, this might be a way to bring the two groups together in Boston and perhaps gain some funding for the Mechanics. I caught Henry’s eye, and I could see from his face that the same thoughts had crossed his mind.

  “If you’d thought to include the Mechanics instead of merely impersonating them, they could have taken care of this for you,” I said.

  There was a loud rumbling in response, as everyone in the room began discussing this among themselves. Maude put a stop to their discussion with one graceful wave of a delicate white hand. “How so?” she asked in the ensuing silence.

  “They have a machine that dampens ether so it can’t be used magically,” Henry said. “I’ve seen it demonstrated.”

  The response to that was vehement. Shouts of “How dare they?” and “That is an outrage!” rang out.

  “What are they supposed to do when magic is used to oppress them?” I demanded, shouting at the top of my lungs. “They must have a way to fight back, and they have more cause for revolution than you do. You sit here playing at it, making showy gestures while you lead lives of privilege. They’re shut out of the entire system because of an accident of birth, and then are penalized for trying to make up for that with their ingenuity.” I realized I was essentially paraphrasing one of Alec’s speeches, but his points had been valid even if he’d been less than genuine in the context of that speech.

  “You both have the same goal,” Henry said. “We all want freedom from the British Empire and all the oppression that entails. Do you plan to exclude the nonmagical from our new nation? Or do you want to build an even stronger nation by combining strengths?”

  “We are up against an Empire,” Maude said. “And we’ve seen that we can’t even make a small protest on our own. Do you think the Mechanics would be willing to help us?”

  I felt every eye on me. “I don’t know. They won’t be happy that you were planning to implicate them. They’re already unhappy about the trouble you’ve caused them. But this would be an opportunity for them to test their device. I imagine they might have some terms for their participation.”

  “Go ask them,” Camilla said firmly. Her glare was enough to silence the grumblers.

  Chapter Ten

  In Which

  I Attend a Tea Party

  “Do you think they’ll help?” Henry asked as we left the mansion.

  “I hope so. But I’m concerned that rather than help the magisters, they’ll take the idea and go off on their own.”

  “We’ll have to remind them of the possibility of test subjects and money,” Henry said.

  The streets were much quieter this night, and I wondered if that had anything to do with the previous night’s activities. If there was a tighter curfew, we might not be able to move so freely around the city. There were policemen and soldiers about, but they left us alone. They were on the lookout for a mob, and they weren’t expecting anyone dangerous to come out of the magister district. There were a lot more uniforms once we were in the less exalted part of the city, near the Mechanics’ place.

  We waited until a pair of policemen had walked to the end of the block before we approached the basement door and I knocked, remembering the pattern Mary had used. As we waited for an answer, I hoped that we’d even find them here, that this hadn’t just been a place they’d used to meet with us.

  Adonis soon opened the door. He favored me with an appreciative smile before saying, “Back so soon? Do you have news for us?”

  “Probably more than you ever expected,” I said. “We need to talk.”

  The parlor was slightly more crowded than it had been the night before, and the atmosphere was more social. We had to weave our way around small clusters of chatting Mechanics to reach the settee where Athena sat, surrounded by admirers hanging on her every word.

  “They’re back!” Adonis said. “And it sounds like they’ve got something interesting for us.”

  “How would you like a real-world test of your device?” I asked.

  “I would like that very much,” she said.

  Henry and I explained the situation. “And so,” I concluded, “they can’t make their protest without your help. I thought it might be a good idea to make them aware that they need you. If they saw your device in action, it would be proof of what you could do. That might get you money from them.”

  “Or they might just exploit us the way they always do,” Adonis said, sounding significantly less genial.

  “They’re doing that with or without your help,” Henry said. “They’re dressing as Mechanics to carry out this scheme. You might as well be there.”

  One of the men said, “Yeah, we might as well be there, doing it ourselves!” That got widespread agreement from the Mechanics.

  “But if you work with them, you’d have access to test subjects and money to allow you to produce more of your devices,” I argued desperately.

  “I don’t know, that much tea on the black market would bring in a lot of money,” Adonis mused, which got another cheer.

  I turned to Henry, but I wasn’t sure what I expected him to do. They were less likely to listen to a magister than they’d been to listen to me. “But working together…” I said, my voice trailing off as I realized how futile that argument was.

  “What do they have that we don’t?” Athena asked, rising to her feet. “They have magical power, yes, but that is what they wish us to remove for them. We have the device, we have manpower. We should claim our own victory.”

  That got a rousing cheer from the whole group, and a number of them hurried out, presumably to make preparations and rally more troops.

  “Thank you kindly for the intelligence,” Adonis said with a sardonic bow. “This time, perhaps the authorities will be correct in blaming the Mechanics. Or should we dress as magisters? Now, allow me to show you out. We have work to do.”

  “Well, that didn’t go the way I hoped,” Henry said once we were outside.

  “What should we do now?” I asked. “The magisters will be waiting to hear from us.”

  “And they’re not going to be happy that we failed.”

  “The tea will still be gone, and the authorities were going to blame the Mechanics, anyway,” I said, trying to rouse an ember of hope in my heart. “Will it make
that much difference to the magisters who actually does the work? This way, they can stay at their party.”

  “Who knows? Maybe they will see it that way,” Henry said with a shrug. “But I suppose we’d better break the news.”

  When we arrived at the Seton mansion, the front door was slightly ajar, so we entered without ringing the bell. The party in the ballroom had grown even wilder in our absence, with more people present. The collection of weapons near the ballroom entrance suggested that this was more than a social gathering. They were here for a mission, and they weren’t likely to welcome our news.

  Camilla, Maude, and Theo still sat on their cushions in the corner, and Camilla rose to meet us as we approached. “Well?” she demanded. “Where are your Mechanic friends with this device?”

  “On the way to the harbor,” Henry replied.

  “To meet us there?”

  “To destroy the tea on their own,” I said. “Or steal it. Since they were going to be blamed, anyway, they decided they may as well use the device to get past the barrier.”

  “They’ll never succeed without us!” Camilla declared. “How can they, without magic?”

  “They are rather resourceful,” Henry said.

  “You couldn’t do it with magic,” I added.

  “And they’re going to steal the tea? That’s all wrong. We’re making a statement about taxes, not being common thieves.” She whirled, shouting out, “Maude! Theo! Where’s Brad? We must go, now!”

  Theo pulled himself rather unsteadily to his feet. “Go where?”

  “The Mechanics are going to the harbor!”

  “Without us?” Maude asked from her pose on her cushion.

  “We have to stop them!” Camilla said. “They’re going to steal the tea, which will ruin everything.”

  “What do you propose to do against them?” Henry asked, his voice remarkably calm. “Their machine neutralizes your magic.”

  “We have weapons,” Theo said, reaching for one of the shotguns resting against the ballroom wall.

  “You can’t fight them!” I cried.

  “Why not?” Theo asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “Because you’re on the same side. You’re fighting for the same thing, against the same people. You should be allies. You certainly shouldn’t be shooting each other.”

  He didn’t acknowledge my objections. I watched helplessly as the magisters streamed out of the ballroom, picking up weapons as they went. “A few at a time!” Camilla called out. “Don’t look like a mob.”

  I turned to Henry. “We have to stop them, or warn the Mechanics, or do something!”

  He checked his pocket watch. “If we go, we’ll be out very late. You should probably head back. You’ve done your part, and this is risky.”

  “I’ve been in far more dangerous situations before,” I protested.

  “I’m aware of that. I’m not worried about your physical danger, but I’m worried about what could happen to you if it’s discovered that you’ve been out all night.”

  I tried to smile. “Somehow, I don’t think my employer will mind.”

  “If we were in our own house back home, that would be fine. But at the moment, we’re under the governor’s roof, and even if I didn’t dismiss you, he could send you home.”

  “The same is likely to happen to you if you’re caught.”

  “I’m a young bachelor. I’m expected to be out on the town. I won’t be suspected of rebellion.”

  “But your fitness as guardian of the children might be questioned if you’re discovered to be out at all hours. You know he’s only looking for an excuse to take the children from you.”

  “Are you suggesting that both of us go home and stay out of this operation?”

  “I’m suggesting that neither of us wants to miss it and we both have something at stake.”

  “You just want to write the article,” he teased.

  “And you’ve missed danger since giving up banditry.”

  “There, we understand each other,” he said with a broad grin. “Now, shall we head to the harbor?” He held his arm out to me.

  With a grin of my own, I took it. “Yes, let’s.”

  The front door had been left open because constant opening and shutting was more likely to attract notice in the dead of night than a door remaining ajar. The streets were even quieter now than they’d been earlier. The only people about were policemen. We avoided most of them by keeping to the shadows, but every so often I felt a slight brush of magic from Henry that suggested he was doing something to keep us from being noticed.

  Once we’d made it to the harbor district, there was more action. Soldiers were more evident, as were workers. The docks never shut down entirely. The first task would be to get past the initial perimeter, but it didn’t appear as though they were checking credentials. They were ready for a mob, not for individuals.

  “I don’t see them,” I said as I scanned the docks anxiously for signs of the Mechanics.

  “You can’t expect them to ride in on a steam engine, singing ‘Yankee Doodle’ at the top of their lungs.” He paused, quirked an eyebrow, and added, “Well, perhaps your friends in New York might, but I suspect this lot will be different for this operation. It’s the magisters who are more likely to make a spectacle of themselves.”

  Ahead of us, I spotted what appeared to be a well-bred couple dressed for an evening at the opera. They were so out of place that they drew my eye, and then I recognized Mary as the woman. “Over there!” I whispered to Henry, and he followed my gaze.

  “Well-spotted!” he said, and we picked up our pace to follow them to a warehouse on the docks. I quickly took the Mechanics insignia out of my pocket and pinned it on my lapel as we approached the warehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was my gear and ribbon or if I was recognized, but no one questioned our entry.

  The Mechanics were already gathered, most of them dressed like ordinary workers rather than in typical Mechanics garb. Adonis and a few others had put on evening attire, like a magister might wear. Athena stood next to a small roadster that had a canvas-draped object sitting in the passenger seat.

  “Should we warn them about the magisters?” I whispered to Henry.

  Before he could answer, there was a sharp whistle from outside. “It’s time!” Adonis called out.

  Athena got into the driver’s seat of the roadster. It moved forward silently with its magical engine. I hoped its owner wasn’t among the magisters heading toward the tea ship. With a glance at each other, Henry and I fell in with the crowd. He caught my hand and held it tightly, keeping us together in the mass of people. Most of the crowd hid in the shadows, only the roadster with its lady driver visible to anyone who wasn’t looking for us.

  The crowd of Mechanics stopped and took cover behind crates and the various structures on the dock. I noticed a faint shimmer in the air, blocking the pier that led to a ship whose masts looked naked with their sails furled, like winter-bare trees. Guards stood behind that shimmer, looking alert.

  A few of the Mechanics crept forward, lurking behind the roadster as Athena called out, “Excuse me! I seem to be quite lost.”

  “You aren’t supposed to be here, miss,” the nearest guard told her.

  “I’m not even sure where ‘here’ is,” she said with a girlish laugh. “I must have become very turned around.” She leaned over to the passenger seat. “I have a map around here somewhere.”

  I knew she’d activated her device when I got that now-familiar feeling of being frozen and Henry’s hand tightened on mine. I forced myself to breathe normally so I could pay attention to what was happening.

  The moment the shimmering barrier came down, the Mechanics rushed from behind the roadster and swarmed the guards, knocking them down and silencing them before they could sound an alarm. It took Henry and me a moment to recover from the jolt of the device and join the Mechanics.

  Once we were all past the barrier, Athena turned a dial on her device, and I felt like I’d been freed
from chains. Next to me, I heard Henry let out his breath in a long sigh. “That barrier should hold anyone from coming after us until we’re done!” Adonis called out. “Now, let’s have ourselves a tea party!”

  “Not so fast!” another voice challenged, and all of us turned to see that Maude, Camilla, Theo, Brad, and about a dozen other magisters stood behind the reactivated barrier. Most of them were dressed like Mechanics, making the whole gathering seem like a world turned upside down. Camilla strode forward almost to the barrier, her eyes flashing. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “We’re stealing some tea,” Adonis said. Giving her a sweeping bow, he added a sardonic, “Milady.”

  “You can’t steal it!” she protested.

  “Why not? It still keeps the Empire from collecting taxes on it.”

  “But you’re playing right into their hands. If you steal the tea, you’re just a bunch of thieves, and they can pretend it’s merely the action of common criminals. If we destroy the tea, it’s a statement about our refusal to pay unfair taxes.”

  “Says the person who’s never had to worry about paying for anything,” Adonis shot back.

  She shook her head and moved closer, keeping her eyes locked on his. “You don’t know anything about me. Why do you think I’m putting myself on the line for this cause? My family is so burdened with taxes that we’ve had to sell almost everything we own. We have a grand mansion that’s empty, and it will soon be sold, as well. I can’t remember the last time I had a cup of tea.”

  The Mechanics laughed at her. “I’m so sad that you’re uncomfortable in your mansion,” Adonis said, his voice heavy with mock pity. “That must be terrible for you.”

  Maude moved forward to join her, linking her arm with Camilla’s. She’d put a heavily embroidered opera cloak on over her flowing white gown, and she reminded me of a Greek goddess from a Renaissance painting. “We can help you,” she said, her voice soft and earnest, but still carrying. “Wouldn’t it be interesting if the governor learned that it was a crowd of magisters who protested his government’s policies by destroying the tea?”