A Queen Among Crows_Book One of Empire's End

by M. S. Linsenmayer

  I was curious, so I asked.

  "Sadly, tis but the garden," Dame Julie answered "Ravenous man eating wild apes are a pain to keep, and the alligators simply do not thrive in this climate. Much too cold for them. Although I suppose if I tossed several of the legal advocates in a pond it might have the same effect.... And here we are"

  The "here" was perhaps 200 yards in length, with a wide paved open area pinned between two fountains, statues in cast metal and carved stone, and dozens of flowering plants I simply had no idea what they were, except possibly pretty. The sisters at the orphanage would be ashamed, although their education did allow me to recognize that one bronze as being Danae of Argos.... Although I suspect that was a more modern interpretation of 'shower of gold'.

  Or perhaps not, the Greeks were a strange people.

  Intruding into this secret garden were about 300 people, most milling to either end of the paved center; many were dressed as if for a winter party, with fur coats, full dresses, and walking sticks. Servants in the Grand Duke's livery crept back and forth, platters of aperitifs and decanters of liqueurs being quietly offered to their 'betters'.

  I wanted to grit my teeth. I also wanted some snacks. Hypocrisy, they name is Eryma Minerva Soteira.

  At the far fountain stood the Grand Dukes and their retinues. In front of them, wearing only his white linen breeches, gaiters and boots, stood the Colonel ....and his sons.

  They must be freezing. I glanced down. Yes, they were freezing.

  Well point for me before this even began, my heavy wool uniform and combat boots was far more practical. I strode towards the middle of the plaza, where a circle had been marked down, taking what was clearly meant to be my place at one end. The Colonel bowed to me once, then marched boots clinging on the stone out to face me.

  I expected Dame Julie to be the referee, as she was well known even in the colonies as the finest sword in the world, but she stayed her place; instead Grand Duke Aleksandr handed his great coat to a waiting officer and strode into the circle, as if he owned it.

  The Grand Duke looked at me, taking in my non-European clothes and weapon; in response, I bowed, once in reply to the colonel, then once again to each Grand Duke.

  "Madame Eryma," Grand Duke Aleksandr began "I see you have elected a nontraditional weapon, which is your right as the challenged party; however doing so means Colonel Zardov may choose a nontraditional weapon as well, and he is a well-known master of several. You may elect to exchange your infantry saber for a traditional dueling weapon now, if you wish."

  "I thank you, and the Colonel, for the honor of the offer, But I prefer my own blade" I replied, "As long as the colonel has no objection."

  "An objection? Hardly" The Colonel gestured, one of his sons brought out not one but two unsheathed swords; they were long, single edged, with no hilt to speak of and definite curves at the tips.

  I had never seen the like.

  "Very well." Grand Duke Aleksandr continued " As this is a nontraditional combat, the rules are simple; leave the circle, either by choice or force, and lose. Battle ends at surrender or death. No one may interfere, and Madame Eryma, this includes your birds. I Shall enforce the latter, with prejudice. This your last chance; does either wish to abandon the field?"

  The Colonel said No, I merely shook my head and raised my blade en garde.

  "So be it. On the count of three, you may begin" The Grand Duke stepped back out of the ring " One, two and begin!"

  I stepped sideways, and crouched down into the crab position, as I did so the Colonel gave a great shout, and came directly at me, swinging the two blades around himself in some figure eight pattern, almost too fast for me to see.

  What in the seven hells?

  Fine, let him wear himself out then. Juggling tricks never won any wars I knew of.

  He led with his right, in one of those blinding cross cuts, I lunged against his blade, pushing it down and away from attack, and his second blade swept up and under straight across my sword arm, cutting my sleeve and drawing blood from the top of my arm.

  "Madame " The Colonel said, stepping back "you are an amateur. Please surrender now."

  I grinned, before launching my own attack; he blocked the first, but barely, the force clearly coming as a surprise, my heavy blade and more than normal strength pushing him back a place. The second blow he was prepared for, rolling with it like a circus acrobat to come up to my left; both of his curved blades sang as the crossed against my side in a scissors cut.

  Again, he stepped back, surprised; that cut should have ended me. As it was, I was bleeding clearly, but not in any way deeply.

  The Colonel glanced to his left, looking at Captain Alessandro for a moment.

  "So," He said," You are like him, then. The eyes, the throat, or perhaps the arteries it shall have to be then."

  Well enough of that. Too many strikes and he would just bleed me out.

  I closed, taking the fight directly to him, ignoring the small strikes as they came, waiting for my chance. He fought back, tumbling, moving, keeping his distance; it was a race then, which would bring the other down first- my blood loss or his exhaustion.

  It was geometry that ended the duel; I could move him, he had not the strength to move me. Forced against the edge of the circle, he had to stand his ground, and it was there I caught him, or at least his swords, using my hands to hold his blades in place.

  He tried to throw himself free, instead I yanked him back, and unwilling to release his blades his body followed, meeting his face directly into my too hard skull. His nose and jaw broke, stunning him, and I followed through with a frontal kick directly to his chest, the force tossing him directly out of the circle and a dozen feet farther, bowling over his sons like waiting ten pins.

  To hell with my modesty.

  I pulled off what remained of my shirt, using the parts not yet ruined to mop up the blood off my wounds, quickly checking myself. Most of the cuts were superficial, not doing more than slicing the skin, but the side slash against my ribs had gotten a bit into the muscle, small silver threads jutting out between the skin where strands of muscle had been cut.

  "Madame Eryma, congratulations on a .... Unique victory." Grand Duke Aleksandr said.

  "Thank you, your highness." I replied. "Is the colonel badly injured?"

  "The surgeons are seeing to him now." Aleksandr continued "Perhaps, now that you are warmed up, you might enjoy a stiffer challenge? Just for the sport, of course."

  "And whom would that be? " I asked.

  "Why, me of course." He raised his hand in some strange sorcerer's gesture.

  Some force hit me like a cannon shot, throwing me just like I had the Colonel a minute before. I flew across the yard, rolling like some tumbleweed before landing, gasping, at the feet of marble statue.

  I choked for breath, trying to find myself for a minute. Coughed once, then again, trying to push myself up on one arm.... Two black cavalry boots thudded beside my head. I looked up.

  "Your arrogance" The Grand Duke Aleksandr said "has been amusing so far.... But it ends now. As great as you may be, Europe is a far larger lake then your colonies. Whatever your intentions may have been coming here, my family is your master now. There will not be another demonstration. I bid you good day."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Fizz-Ex Lessons

  Interlude:

  To:His Honorable James Peachtree, Governor, Her Majesty's Colony of Massachusetts

  From:Dr. Humphrey Lathrop, Chief Physician, Danvers Colonial Hospital for the Criminally Insane

  RE:Patient Inmate 0709-301

  Good sir; May it please her majesty, the requested and lawfully judged medical operation has proved a success. While the inmate was difficult and uncooperative to the last, the skills of the attending physicians, Doctors Marsh and West, was up to the task, and the restraints both physical and electrical were entirely effective.

  Inmate 0709-3301 has been turned from a dangerous rebel and a terrorist into a useful
and productive citizen, although her use will be limited, of course, to the most basic of menial work and will require full oversight for the rest of her natural life.

  She will be ready for public display as an example to others as you requested, at your time and command.

  All my regards,

  Dr. Humphrey Lathrop, August 9th, 1905

  PS: Her last words as such, should anyone have a ghoulish curiosity, were " My birds shall bleed you for this."

  Quite over dramatic, don't you think?

  "It is still entirely impossible!" Lois threw her pen down in disgust.

  "I thought," I grunted in pain from my bathroom sink, as James added another stitch into my side "You had it figured out this time. Static electric buildup, you said."

  "I thought," Lois craned her head around the bathroom door "I thought, yes. I was wrong, the range is simply too great; against the resistance of the air, the amount of charge is simply far too much for a human body, even a gifted or augmented one, too hold. The waste heat alone would cause him to combust."

  "But mother," One of the hatchlings chimed in "If the Grand Duke does not use electricity or magnetism what could it be?"

  "Gravity" another said "It could be Gravity!"

  "No, dears" Lois replied. "Eryma was pushed away, not pulled towards, and anyway, while no one truly understands how gravity works, it must have something to do with mass. I am beginning to believe in the supernatural."

  "Maybe that is it." I said.

  "Really, dear?" Lois glared at me, in some disgust.

  "Not magic, but the other magic. Stage magic. He made some gesture before his attack, and while I have seen people do so before it's really just for dramatic reasons. What if instead it was a signal to someone else?"

  "A second Bishop?" Lois said.

  "Think about it, dear. Run your numbers; if there was a second one behind me, could they create some sort of voltage force between them, like a spark plug? I don't believe in spirits or magic, but I do believe in tricks. Very useful for confusing an opponent, tricks. I do believe we have done quite a few of them ourselves over the years."

  "Like the specter! Oh, we want to play the specter game!" The hatchlings chorused.

  "Ahem. " James put down his needle, and pulled up the bottle of antiseptic." Do we really need to figure this out? He is not a god, no matter what he may think. The Specter (he deepened his voice into a breathy husk) has .... Ways.... In .... The.... Darkness."

  I was wrong. The antiseptic did not hurt; it hurt a lot. I gritted my teeth and tried not to whine. It would have been a bad example for Lois's kids.

  "It would be nice," I ground out " To have some idea what he can do so we can plan ahead. Does he take time to charge? Is there a range limit? How damage resistant is he? And what does this say about his mother, Catherine herself? Legend has it she routes armies."

  "Legend has it" Lois said " So do we."

  "Yes," I said "but we cheat."

  A knock came at the chamber door, and a call of 'Madame Eryma?'

  Dame Julie. Wonderful.

  "One moment!" I yelled.

  "Places, everyone" I told my crew "The show must go on."

  #

  "Wait" Dame Julie raised her brows "You, actually, want me, to drive you somewhere? In my automobile? Perhaps you should rest more."

  "Yes, to the pharmacy located at Bad Honnef and Konrad appen.... Adden.... However, you pronounce it." I said, wincing as we walked out to the castle parking lot.

  "Konrad Attleborough on Wheatley auto way, yes, I know it, but the castle has its own pharmacy, and if you don't trust that, I am sure we can find others closer.... Not to mention open, anything on Konrad will be closed by the time we get there."

  "Perfect. And yes, my birds did find three closer, and one of them even did have a late-night visitor, but it was a quite desperate young woman pounding on the front door, with a sick child at home. The visitors to the pharmacy on Konrad came in by the loading door, at three am, with large packages, and paid the police men who were patrolling the area a fair amount of money in order to stand at the end of the street and do a fair amount of nothing."

  "The best sort of work to have, I would think. But what horrible things could these poor criminals done to attract our attentions?" Julie asked.

  "Mastectomies, I am hoping. Also castrations, and other fun surgeries.... All of which require medicines. " I winced again, getting into the automobile. My side was going to be a problem, it seemed.

  "So," Julie pulled us out onto the road and ignited her driving lights " Either it is the Skoptsy, or criminals, whom you hope the Skoptsy purchase their medicines from, as they would have difficulty doing so legally."

  "Yes, and as it's getting dark, we have time for you to drive more reasonably.... The police men complained of the time last night, they expect the daily shipments a bit earlier normally."

  "Aha interesting.... Especially as you do not speak German. The criminals and police men were all English?" she accused.

  Damn, damn, damn.

  "No" I confessed "The local birds speak German."

  #

  By the dark and foggy night, I crouched on top of the slated roof of the townhouse, staring down at the snow dusted alley three stories below me. My birds, nearly invisible in the black sky, flew circles above us; all I needed for the perfect penny dreadful drama was a black mask, a cloak, and a gargoyle to lean upon. I glanced to my left, and took in Dame Julie's maniacal grin.

  Well, I had a gargoyle, but I was not going to lean on her.

  The click of boot heels on the winding alley below told me the two police men were returning, this time one with a pretzel and the other with.... Some sort of meat tin? This was their third meal of their shift, at least.

  "That" I whispered "Is why they turned to crime".

  "Are canned sardines that unlawful in the colonies?" Dame Julie whispered back.

  "They should be. But seriously, they eat more than we do. Possibly more than Captain Alessandro. The cliché is downright painful. "

  "The truck is coming" Dame Julie pointed.

  I turned my head to look. Slowly, with lights turned off, a medium sized van came down the street, I stared hard to see the writing on the side.... " Fizz Ex?"

  "A very popular stomach medicine, here in the sausage stew capitol of the world."

  The truck braked, then carefully- with no signal- turned and backed partly into the alley. The driver left the engine running, hopping out and to the back of the vehicle, I heard the metal clank of a door open and the long draw of a loading ramp drop.

  "So.... Do we want the Police men, The criminals, The pharmacy men, or the truck?" Julie asked.

  "Ahh Julie" I felt my lips pull back into my own devil's grin. Checking my saber, I raised my left hand; at this signal, James and a baker's dozens of locals dropped down into the open van door.

  "We want them all."

  CHAPTER NINE

  On the Fritz

  Interlude:

  The first impact occurred approximately 6,700 years ago in what is now modern day Mugla, Aanatolia, Ottoman Province. We know from recorded history that the first Temple of Zeus was built there; archaeological excavations have shown it itself was built on the ruins of a much older structure, that was then built on the impact crater.

  Of the original impact object, only traces have ever been found.

  The second impact, of about 2,400 years ago was in northern Asia, on the slopes of Mount Sutai in Outer Mongolia. As the area is barely inhabited, it was only discovered in our own era by a joint Russian/ Chinese expedition in 1759. Whatever was recovered there, only Catherine knows, and she is not telling.

  The third impact, in Libya, and the fourth, in Norway, where both in this era, and thus much more directly observed by the peoples of the times, and it is from these early astronomical records that Sir Issac Newton was able to make his famous predictions; calculations which have been confirmed by our own most recent and accurate astronom
ical data.

  The "Finger of the gods" is indeed returning, my lords and ladies, and as it closes back into the sun it has begun starting to break off fragments again.

  It will pass by our world during June of 1908

  I say, without any hyperbole, recovery of whatever artifacts it may leave us this time is the greatest military task of our generation; the partial recoveries of the past, by primitive people, changed the destiny of our race. What possible horrors or wonders could our modern science teach us from a full examination?

  It must be ours. Our survival as a people demands nothing else.

  - Sir William Caudwell, speech to Parliament, British Empire, January 1906

  The fat officer, I soon learned was named Fritz, which was quite possibly the least original name for a German police officer, ever. His slightly smaller comrade in pretzels was named Schultz, and the two did such an excellent job of securing the roadway that neither noticed the strange and estranged noises coming from inside the cargo van, or the sound of the engine going from idle to actual motion, or even the rather loud clank of the vehicle being moved into gear.

  Fritz finally did notice the sound of the brake release, and realizing someone was trying to steal the van he was supposedly guarding, drew his side arm and stuck his head in to investigate. He may have expected thieves, criminals, or the Spanish Inquisition, but he did not expect a rather gigantic black raven sticking it's face one inch from his own and screaming the battle cry of the colonies as loud as avian-ly possible directly up his nostrils.

  Fritz screamed.

  My birds screamed back, even louder.

  The van jerked once- in reverse, knocking over half the criminals who were still unloading- a raven cry from inside of “the other drive gear!” and then scraping the brick sides of the alley, tore off down the street, just missing Schultz as he threw himself out of the way.

  He kept his pretzel, too. I was impressed.

  "Eryma" Julie turned to me, staring in shock "Your birds can drive??"