Sir Joshua raised a thick, black brow incredulously. “Let’s go into my tent, so you tell me about this city, slowly and rationally.”
***
Henry watched in the cramped tent as Eilian animatedly recounted every detail he could remember and some his companion had even forgotten. He loved seeing Eilian’s face light up with excitement, but as he looked at Sir Joshua and Mr. Barrister, he noticed their countenances had darkened with skepticism. The Anglo-Indian had marveled at the map’s detail and even jotted down the location of some Roman sites, but when Eilian attempted to use it as evidence for their tale, Sir Joshua still held that the map was a forgery.
“These people live in peace because they are self-sufficient and don’t rely on outsiders to support their economy. There is no need for war or empires down there as there is no competition for resources. It seems there are no classes or difference between men and women. Everyone lives on an equal playing field, and they flourish under it. I wish England could have even a semblance of what these people have,” Eilian sighed as he finally slid into the folding chair beside Henry.
Edmund scoffed as he meticulously cleaned the barrel of his rifle. “It sounds like these people have no sense. Money drives the world, money drives progress. These people are stuck in antiquity. What they need is to get with the times like the other savages and at least pretend not to be backwards.”
Eilian shook his head. “You have been in business too long to even fathom what a world without money would be like, Mr. Barrister. When you see it, you will understand how much better it is. We are all invited to come to a feast tomorrow, so we can tell them about our world. They have been in isolation for two hundred years, and it seems they are eager for information. I hope you both will be willing to go and at least see how these people live.”
Edmund and Joshua’s eyes met for a moment before the nobleman answered, “We will go. I’m eager to see this discovery with my own eyes. It sounds too good to be true.”
As Hadley followed Eilian back to their tent, she couldn’t help but wonder if telling the men about Billawra was the right thing to do. Something gnawed at her gut as she helped Eilian take apart his arm for the night with tremulous hands, but she couldn’t figure out what about the other men made her so reluctant to let them into the Billawrati’s world. From the moment she arrived at the camp, Edmund Barrister had put her on edge, and her woman’s intuition, as her cousin called it, screamed to her that he was dangerous. Maybe it was because he was holding that gun, she told herself as she mechanically changed behind the screen and climbed into her cot. No, the realization hit her as she stared up at the tent’s canvas ceiling, unable to sleep, he has eyes like a predator. Hadley remembered seeing the tiger at the London Zoo with her brothers and feeling her pulse quicken as the massive Bengal cat roared and pounced at the visitors with only iron bars between them and his massive jaws. Despite all her clothing and padding, she knew he could smell her fear and sense the moment, as he locked his dull, yellow eyes on her, when her adrenaline stirred. To Edmund, she was prey, and it didn’t matter if she was a man or a woman because in his eyes she was the weakest one in the desert. If anything went awry, she knew she needed to be on her guard because he would go after her first.
***
The clouds above the Negev were dyed pink and blue as the four men made their way, scroll in hand, over the darkening hills and valleys toward the cave of books. Edmund walked with his arms folded across his ursine chest and a deep scowl etched into his countenance as Eilian politely knocked on the wall of the cave to signal their arrival. His thick nose crinkled as he sniffed the mildew-ridden air of the cave and indifferently kicked a fallen tome out of his way with a loud thunk as it ricocheted off the cave walls and skittered down the tunnel. Through the dim light of the cave, an orb loomed in the distance. It bobbed and swayed, growing larger until the fungal lantern was near enough to reveal Neuk’s tall, willowy form. In his other hand was the book the hunter had carelessly kicked, and as he placed it on the shelf, he turned with a smile to Eilian and Hadley.
“Welcome. I see you have brought your companions,” Neuk greeted them with a nod as he looked past Eilian and studied the two strange men gawking at him.
“Yes, this is Sir Joshua Peregrine, and this is Edmund Barrister,” Eilian replied in Billawrati as he gestured with his prosthetic hand toward each man respectively. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed how taken aback his friend appeared while Edmund feigned disinterest by staring at the spines of the books. “It’s an honor to be invited back to your beautiful city, Neuk.”
“It’s our pleasure. We are eagerly awaiting news of what has come to pass for the last two centuries. Ah, I see you have brought back the scroll, splendid. Please tell your companions to mind their heads as we descend. We wouldn’t want them to end up in the infirmary.”
Hadley moved closer and whispered into Neuk’s ear, “Could you please refer to me as Henry? That’s what they know me as.”
The scholar furrowed his brow in confusion but after a moment nodded and motioned for them to follow him down the corridor. Eilian and Hadley easily kept up with Neuk as he bent and slid through the narrow openings in the rock while the other Englishmen lagged behind. Edmund grumbled obscenities under his breath as his bulky frame scraped against the rocks and barely squeezed through the fang-like stalactites. Despite Neuk being several decades older than Sir Joshua, the Anglo-Indian was reminded of the stiffness of arthritis in his knees and back as he lowered himself onto the lower ledge. His knees popped in protest, and he wondered how the old man could still manage to slide and twist through the caves with snake-like agility. As Edmund roughly dislodged his shoulder from a crevice in the rocks, he watched as Henry gratefully took Eilian’s arm as the nobleman easily swung the boyish dandy down to the lower stones. The rough rocks soon gave way to a series of polished steps and finally a tiled path. After another quarter of a mile, the tunnel opened into the hall Eilian recognized as the one that led to the orchards and mines. At first, his companions seemed to be more agitated by the difficult descent than in awe, but as they were led around the curving path, their eyes widened in shock.
Sir Joshua’s heart pounded in his ears as he looked at the buildings all around him, grasping to fathom how vast the city was. His eyes didn’t know whether to study the houses or the mosaics first because his gaze was constantly pulled to the dull, blue glow which seemed to emanate from every surface. How had he missed this? A find so massive had been right under his nose the entire time, and he didn’t even know it. Edmund snorted at the gaudy houses and the floral decorations soiling every surface. The air stunk of fish, and when he moved closer to the luminous columns, he realized to his disgust that they were made of fungus. Of course the savages would use things that live off excrement as decorations, he thought as he once again skulked behind the nobleman and his popinjay. Joshua had talked him into going on this wild goose chase by reminding him that the natives might have something of value stored away, but thus far all he had seen were fungi and rocks.
The hulking man stiffened as they entered the banquet hall. Hundreds of eerily pale eyes fell upon them. He found their hideously white and nearly translucent skin repulsive, but what disturbed him most was how civilized they were. They were sitting at tables with cutlery and plates like a European, but they wore bizarre clothing and lacked all pigment except in their saucer-like eyes. The Billawrati all looked the same to him, causing them to blur into disorienting doppelgangers of each other. The hunter swept his head back and forth as they were ushered up to the head table, and as Edmund took in each person, he realized the creatures weren’t hiding anything of value, they were wearing it. Wrapped tightly around their bodies and draped over them in lavish patterns and colors were long bolts of silk that radiated a pale light. What wealthy lady wouldn’t empty her husband’s purse for a glowing, silk gown? He smirked as the calculations added up to a sum rivaling that of his ivory transactions. Men only needed so many bi
lliard balls or decorative guns, but high society women would always be in need of new dresses.
Chapter Twenty-Three:
Ill-Mannered Guests
From the long table at the front of the hall, Eilian looked out at the crowd of ivory faces as the Englishmen and the Billawrati regarded the other with curiosity. He estimated there were about seven hundred people living in the city, and everyone, young and old alike, had come to the banquet. The stone tables ran the length of the room with four arranged lengthwise and a much smaller one sat at the front like an altar. Each table had been laid out with motley platters filled with what the archaeologist assumed were chutneys, bread, fish, crustaceans, along with fresh fruit and vegetables. His mouth watered as his grey eyes travelled across the plates on their table. After weeks of eating out of jars and cans with the occasional goat or deer, the succulent fish and vibrant fruit was more than he could have wished for. When away from home, he missed Patrick’s cooking more than he missed his own father.
Eilian sat beside Neuk while Hadley was on his left next to Uta, who appeared as equally aloof as she did during their first visit. Sitting farther down the table between Auk and Skean were Sir Joshua and Mr. Barrister. Once the room grew quiet, Neuk stood and addressed the congregation. Barely raising his strong voice, the chamber amplified the sound and allowed it to easily travel the entire length of the space without becoming muddled in the subsequent echo.
“People of Billawra, today is a special day in our history. For the first time in two centuries, we have been graced with the presence of those from the surface. While they are here, we will treat them as our own, and with an exchange of cultures, we will learn from them and continue our path toward happiness and knowledge. I would like you to welcome Eilian, Henry, Edmund, and Joshua to our fair city. My greatest hope is that these intrepid travelers will share with us all that the world has learned and teach us the ways of their people. Before we amass two hundred years of missing history, let us enjoy our feast and entertainment.”
Cheers of assent erupted from the crowd as Neuk sat back on the carved bench that seemingly grew out of the floor. As the scholar turned to Eilian, he found the archaeologist translating his welcome speech to the other men. He reached into his cloak and drew out the old, scratched crystal, gently pulling its antique chain over his naked head. Inside the off-white quartz were dark, dendritic veins with flared fingers that reached out toward the apex. Neuk drew closer to the massive man and his bronzed companion, handing the smaller man the gem while pantomiming for him to put it against his temple. Eilian explained it to them in their language, but when the tanned man put the tip to his temple, the scholar could tell it would not work. Neuk could see the hesitation and disbelief in his eyes as he awkwardly held the point to his head as if it was a gun. After a moment, he shrugged and handed it to the bulky brute, who turned it over in his hands, looked through its core, and moved to put it in his pocket. Before the scholar could react, Eilian stuck out his hand to retrieve it. His metal fingers closed around it as he handed it back to Neuk with downcast eyes.
“I would like to apologize for them,” he muttered, his cheeks reddening from their rudeness.
“It’s quite all right,” he replied with a sigh as he slipped the pendant back on. “Not everyone can accept knowledge this way. You need a very open mind.”
Uta leaned closer to Hadley and whispered into her ear, “It really isn’t.” The red-haired woman looked at her as if she didn’t understand, so she continued, “It’s a grievous breach of manners. To not take knowledge that is freely given to them not only shows arrogance but ignorance on their part. If they weren’t guests, they would be severely chastised for it.”
“Truth be told, I’m glad they did not learn your language. I like being able to speak freely without worrying about them overhearing.”
“Does this have something to do with your suddenly gruff voice?” Uta asked off-handedly as she passed her a plate of blue shrimp.
She nodded as she happily filled her plate. “They don’t know I am a woman. Back in England, women and men are not equals. Women stay home all day and clean or take care of the children. Most of the time, they are not allowed to have jobs or go anywhere by themselves.”
“Why?”
Hadley paused as she thought of the Harbuckles again. “I honestly don’t know. It’s in the Bible, I guess. They don’t think women are as capable as men, and that is how it has been for… forever. I pretend to be a man because I want to be able to do things and experience things for myself.”
“If your friend knows you are a woman and doesn’t mind, then why not tell the others? Prove yourself by doing as much as them, and then you can show them that women are just as competent. All they need to do is look next to them to see women like that.”
“Those two will never believe it. They like women being helpless and want to keep them in servitude. For each shred of evidence we have, they will find a way to dispute it,” Hadley sighed but ended up smiling as she watched Eilian discuss history with Neuk between voracious bites of fruit and fish.
Uta looked past Eilian and shook her head. “Ugh, look at them! They have no manners.”
Hadley frowned as she watched Sir Joshua dissect his food like it was laced with poison while Edmund just sat with his arms folded, not even touching his plate. She opened her mouth to chastise Joshua and remind him that it was the same prawn they would find in England only a different color when music erupted from the rear of the hall. While she couldn’t see the instruments because one of the long tables obscured her view, she could hear drums and something between a flute and a clarinet. Upon listening closer, she realized what she had first thought was a violin was actually several people singing. For the first time, a wide, bright grin spread across Uta’s face, dissolving her hard exterior.
A troop of nine dancers silently strutted into the open space between the pairs of tables with long, confident strides. Both the men and women wore only their skin-tight under-silks, but covering the black and white striped fabric were necklaces and earrings of luminous shells. The woman who stood in the front wore several strings of shells that wrapped around her legs and arms like tiny pearls. She was petite compared to Uta, but her body was powerful. Her taut muscles rippled beneath the tight fabric. As the music picked up, they began their dance, starting slowly and gracefully with outstretched arms and legs. The fair young woman’s face was painted with passion and longing as she leapt and spun to the music, moving in time with her fellow dancers but possessing a mysterious charisma the others lacked. She pulled them in with her fluid movements and expressive blue eyes.
It was unlike any dance Hadley had ever seen in England. The dancers she had seen in operas or ballets were stiff and mechanical by nature with clenched muscles and at times blank faces, but with unbridled emotion, the dance connected to her on a level she had never experienced before. She longed to reach out to them and be pulled into their dance until she heard male voices. Glancing over, she found that Eilian was as enraptured as she was, but Sir Joshua and Edmund were brazenly talking to each other. Hadley could barely hear them over the music, but her eyes widened with disgust as she suddenly understood they were discussing the lead dancer’s body. When she turned back to Uta, Hadley saw that she, too, was glaring at them menacingly. Finally, the music reached a crescendo, and the dancers dramatically dropped to the floor.
As the crowd applauded, the dancers helped each other up, panting and wiping the perspiration from their brows. The lead dancer pranced over gleefully and embraced Uta. The Amazon kissed her dancer’s flushed lips and hugged her close again before moving down to allow her to sit on the bench beside her.
“You danced beautifully,” Hadley complimented with a smile as she looked past Uta to the shorter woman.
“Thank you,” she panted as she loaded her plate with a colorful chutney while Uta added a portion of fish. “My name is Kae. Uta told me yesterday that your name is Hadley. Your hair is an even lovelier
shade of red than Uta said.”
“Thank you. Are you two sisters?”
The women laughed softly. “No, Uta’s my wife.”
Hadley paused for a moment, she had never heard of such a thing. “Women can marry other women?”
“Of course, and men can marry other men.”
As the craftswoman listened to the others speaking around her, she faded back into her own thoughts. England was nothing like this. In London, others had mentioned women who loved other women, but it was said with a vulgar phrase as if their feelings were something repulsive. Uta and Kae’s kiss didn’t seem any less chaste than one between a man and a woman. Men who loved men lived on the fringes of society and were taken to trial if caught, but she never understood why it mattered to the police if biblical morality was enforced behind closed doors when murderers and rapists were on the loose. Her eyes ran from each table, taking in the happy, animated faces. No one was destitute, no one’s mind was left to rot on the vine, and no one was told that love was impossible. While it depressed her to know that she had to go home to a place where no one would ever be appreciated for who they really were, it gave her hope that one day it would be possible. A voice down the table broke through her thoughts.
“Eilian, could you ask them if they would show us how they make their fabric?” Sir Joshua asked slowly as he pushed his food around on his plate and eyed the black and white silk draped around Kae.
***
After dinner was over and the other Billawrati had gone back to their homes, Neuk and Uta guided the archaeologists through the helical caverns to a room guarded by a stone door with a carved relief of what looked like a butterfly. The two lanky chaperones pushed back a thick net before allowing the Englishmen into the muggy, steamy room. Slouching mulberry trees lined the walls, like the orchard they had visited before, but out of the corner of her eye, Hadley spotted a white blur flying toward her head. She stifled a shriek as the massive moth buzzed her head before disappearing into the copse. Eilian laughed under his breath as Hadley glared at him from the corner of her eye with an abashed smile. As Lord Sorrell stared at the moths fluttering through the canopy and the long, albino larva inching up the oversized trunks, he realized they must have been some sort of mutant silkworm. They were identical to the ones he had seen in Asia, but the mature moths were nearly the size of his head.
The Ingenious Mechanical Devices Box Set Page 17