The First Sin

by Jessica Brawner

  Pretending to consider this question seriously, I replied, "I think he's a bit young for you. But I can call him in and we can find out."

  David chuckled, "I think if we are going to try another menage a trois, then we should find someone of the appropriate age."

  He scooped me up and carried me to the bunk, nibbling on the side of my neck. "Shall we do things that would make your crew blush?"

  "Mmmm, yes. Let's."

  An hour and a half later, fully clothed, David ran his fingers through my hair loosening it as I worked to pin it back up. “You have such beautiful hair, darling. One would almost think you a noble.”

  I froze as he tweaked an errant lock playfully. Forcing myself to breath I said through a mouthful of hairpins, “Oh, I’m just lucky. Nothing noble about me.” David knew some of my history, but not that crucial bit. Stabbing the last hairpin in hastily I stood. “Can I pour you some coffee? He smiled fondly and released me.

  Chatting over coffee in my sitting area I continued talking about the crew.

  "Niccolò needs manners, and quickly. I like the lad quite a bit, and he has made significant progress, but I'd rather he learn when it is a more-than-friend I am dealing with and not a potential client.” I chewed on the edge of my thumbnail. “He is a good lad. Very bright. I’m more than happy for him to stay with us, but should he choose at some point to leave us, I’d like him to have the skills necessary to make a good life somewhere." Pausing, I smiled at David as I idly stroked the back of his free hand. “You haven’t met him yet, but I think you will like him too.”

  David nodded and sipped his coffee. "Has he shown any aptitude for mechanical workings? That’s a skill you can take anywhere.”

  “I should check with Marie. I know he’s been spending time in the engine room with her.”

  David paused, considering me for a moment, then continued along a different line of thought. “While I'm here, do you mind if I look over some of the upgrades I've made to the ship and make sure they're functioning properly? I want to check on the heat booster I installed last time and see if it’s performing as expected."

  I smiled. "You know you have full run of the ship anytime you're on board. Do you want to take my airhopper, The Inara out later today? Test out the upgrades on the steering system for yourself?" I wanted to spend some time with David but needed to do some reconnaissance as well. Biting my lip, I hoped that David would ignore the fact that he had already tested the upgrades and come along for the ride.

  "That would be great. I have a couple of ideas for additional modifications for the rest of the ship as well, if you want to look over them. I’ve come up with a burner system for the heated balloons that Marie could control from the engine room. It would allow her to inflate specific balloons instead of doing all of them at once and risk overfilling some and under-filing others.”

  “I’ll take a look. We’ll be in port at most a week. Probably less, due to some unforeseen circumstances. Can I tempt you to come with us this time?” I took a sip of my coffee and raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

  “We’ll see.” He smiled. “For now, let me look over the ship.”

  I spent two hours discreetly studying the other ships in port. The Rome contingent, when I found them amongst the sea of other docked airships, was mercifully on the far side of the airfield from us, with at least five large ships between us. Even so, it had only taken me two hours to find the sleek blue and gold Papal air cruiser, and they were looking for us too. It looked like Charles had tried to disguise his ship, but the distinctive colors made it stand out in port. Why hadn’t they found us yet? Or more to the point, why weren’t we swarming with Swiss Guard yet?

  David found me on deck pondering options. Without speaking, we made our way down to the hold. My airhopper, The Inara, was built to carry two. As David slid into place behind me, I fired the propulsion system, opened the launch hatch and we went sailing away.

  David slid his arms around me and cuddled up close enough to be able to talk into my ear. "Did you have a place in mind?"

  "Not really, just somewhere away from the ship," I replied, navigating around the berthed behemoths in the airfield.

  "There's a little cafe on the edge of the city that we should try," he replied. "Head north and I'll show you where to set down."

  I nodded and turned the airhopper away from the bay and back towards the city. We flew in silence for several minutes enjoying just being together. Our rendezvous were infrequent and our time completely alone even more rare.

  The cafe was on a quiet side street. We parked The Inara in the field reserved for public parking in this quadrant of the city and walked hand in hand. It was nice having a moment of normalcy. I smiled and looked over at him. "Come join us, David. It would be wonderful to have you onboard."

  He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. "Jac, you know I can't do that. My research doesn't lend itself to your lifestyle. Some of the chemicals I work with are very delicate and do not react well to altitude, and you simply don’t have the space for my mechanical research. "

  I sighed ruefully. It was a conversation we'd had before. "Travel with us for a little while? I miss you, mon chéri."

  He smiled. "Now that I can do, at least briefly. I was coming down to Marseille for a conference on antiquities when I got your message. I would love to stay onboard while I’m here. Perhaps I could even convince you to come to one of the stuffy academic parties one must attend at such events."

  The cafe had floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the street. We sat in the back corner shielded from view by the high booth walls. The waitress came with menus and brought a carafe of chilled white wine.

  "Oh, I don't know," I said teasingly as I poured a glass of wine for each of us. "With that kind of party recommendation, I'll just have to go."

  "I was coming down for the conference because one of my old schoolmates will be here. I haven't seen Abraham in years. He is a professor in America specializing in ancient religious garments."

  I choked on my wine, coughing and sputtering. David jumped up, and the waitress rushed over. "Is Madam okay? Can I get her anything?"

  Coughing I waved them both off and dabbed at the front of my vest with a napkin. David looked at me quizzically. I shook my head, glancing at the waitress. "Later. I'll explain. Tell me about this friend of yours. How well do you know him?"

  David raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, as I said, we're old school mates. We were close back in the day, and have kept in touch, but our lives have gone in different directions." He paused as the hostess returned with a glass of water. A waiter followed with our lunch. He set the tray down with a flourish and passed out salad plates, setting a bowl of chilled tomato soup in front of each of us, and a basket of fresh bread on the table. I smiled my thanks and dipped my spoon in the thick red soup.

  "He was, as I recall, a fair student, and has managed to secure himself a tenured position at the University of New York. When we were in school he was a loyal friend, and never told the Deans when our pranks got out of hand. All in all, he's a decent chap. I'm looking forward to seeing him again."

  David dipped a piece of the bread into his soup distractedly and pondered. "Not really much else to say. He's devoted to his research, and his scholarship. I had a bit of an interest in those topics myself during our University days, but I rather suspect it was just because he was so enthusiastic. Abraham can make the dullest of subjects sound interesting."

  I nodded, pondering, tearing bits of bread into small pieces. My face must have given something of my thoughts away, because David raised an eyebrow. I smiled serenely in return. "Ah. It's like that," he said, chuckling. “You’re on a job right now.” He paused.

  "Jacqueline, you know I would never actually want you to be more like conventional women… but sometimes I wish you were more like conventional women.”

  I chuckled. "David, if I was a more conventional woman, we never would have met, or if we had you would have grown instantly bored, a
nd I would have been appalled with your profession. Have we decided on a title for you yet? Mad Scientist, perhaps."

  David pretended to look offended. "Mad Scientist, indeed. I am of quite a mellow temperament, thank you very much. And what of yourself, captain? Privateer? Pirate?" He waggled his eyebrows at me menacingly and I burst into laughter.

  "Oh stop. When you do that it looks like two fuzzy caterpillars have come to life on your face and are trying to tango."

  He smiled roguishly. "Let's finish lunch and then you can take me back to your ship and show me your treasures."

  My laughter drew disapproving glances from our waitress and a few other patrons. I bit my lip and stifled my giggles.

  We finished up at a leisurely pace. David settled the bill and we strolled back to The Inara hand in hand. "When you come to Paris next, you could maybe stay for a week or two?"

  I smiled, aching inside. My connections to the nobility in France, and my role as an airship Captain rather than a Contessa, made staying in Paris uncomfortable. I had to keep a low profile to avoid drawing the attention of the King, or his advisors, lest I find myself married off, my crew murdered or imprisoned, and my ship grounded. Staying in Paris for long periods of time wasn't an option for me. "I'll see what I can do."

  Back on the ship I took David to my quarters. "So, mon chéri. I have something to show you."

  He waggled his eyebrows at me again and said, "Your treasure box perhaps?"

  I chuckled, "Yes, but perhaps not the one you want to see." I turned him so he faced the wall. "No peeking," I warned, as I tweaked the end of his nose playfully.

  "On my honor as a gentleman," he said.

  Standing in front of my bed, I opened the secret compartment and removed the Miter. Closing everything up, I turned and set the hat in the center of my desk. "Okay, turn around."

  Still smiling he turned around and glanced at what was on the desk. His expression showed curiosity, nothing more. “It’s a hat, religious by the look of it, not cheap certainly, with the beadwork and thread. That’s what you wanted to show me?”

  I nodded. "The ceremonial hat of the pontiff, Pope Clément. And someone paid us a handsome sum to acquire it."

  David gingerly touched the peak of the hat, as if afraid it might bite him. “This is the actual Miter…? How long have you had it in your possession?"

  "Five days,” I replied. "Why?"

  “Jac, how on earth did you get this?"

  He picked up the hat and examined it closely. The outside was decorated with thousands of tiny seed pearls, and the cloth below was stitched with gold thread so fine it looked like it was the fabric itself. A crimson cross adorned the front, edged in diamonds. Running his fingers over it he said, “Abraham used to talk about the Miter of St. Peter. Legend, or rumor at the very least, holds that the Miter is the key to the final scripture, Naturally this makes it a highly guarded …”

  "Do you really want the details?" I replied.

  "Perhaps not." David continued examining the Miter, turning it over in his hands. "Jac, you know they'll be coming after you."

  "The meeting with our buyer is next week. I only have to keep it hidden until then.”

  “Then for God’s sake why are you sitting in port and not hiding on some remote island somewhere?!” David’s face was pale, eyes searching about as if he expected the Swiss Guard to burst in at any moment.

  “It was a mistake to show you this,” I said, taking the Miter out of his hands. “David… this is what I do. You know that.”

  David scrubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. “I know that. I just… I’m not usually confronted with it quite so openly. This is dangerous Jac. The Vatican – if they catch you, you’ll likely hang, or burn. And the crew with you.”

  I nodded. “We all know the risk. What I want to know is, can you get information from your friend about the Miter? Or is there some way you can arrange for me to meet him to ask him a few questions?”

  David hmmd. "So this is why you were quizzing me about Abraham.” He paced back and forth for a moment. “I’m sure I can set up a meeting with him, but Jac, I do not want him caught up in this. He’s a friend, and an academic. If any hint of scandal came back on him he could lose his position at the university. Not to mention of course if Rome found out."

  I nodded. “I understand. Perhaps a casual meeting at one of those oh-so-boring receptions for the conference you told me about. Surely discussing his topic of expertise at an academic conference wouldn’t cause much of a stir?”

  “Jac – why do you even want to know about this? I thought the motto was ‘do the job, don’t ask questions’. The Job is very nearly done. You aren’t acting like yourself with this one.” David studied me out of the corner of his eye, troubled.

  “It’s... I am having doubts about the job, like we shouldn’t have taken it in the first place. The pay was too good, it was too easy to get in to the Vatican, the job went too smoothly. It’s like everyone was looking the other way all at once. One of the priests, Father Michael, helped me to escape. Even now – there’s an air cruiser out of Rome sitting at the other end of the airfield, and they haven’t found us yet. It’s like they’re waiting for something.” I looked up at David from the other side of my desk. “The Swiss Guard isn’t known for being slow or stupid, and yet they board us, wander around for a few hours and leave? It doesn’t make sense. There is something about that item,” I waved in the general direction of the Miter. “I mean to find out what is going on.”

  David nodded, face still troubled. “I see what you mean. The opening reception for the conference is tonight. I will arrange that you and Abraham have a discreet introduction. Be ready to go by five o’clock.”

  Charles

  Charles was fumingly angry. The Airfield Master in Marseille was an insufferable bureaucrat. Yes, the mid-air near collision had been his pilot’s fault. The man had been disciplined, and Charles had already agreed to pay the fine for endangering the other ship. To keep his ship on lockdown however, seemed beyond what was reasonable, and refusing to answer his questions about the ships in port without a direct authorization from the Vatican was nothing but a delaying tactic.

  From the deck of the Blue Raven Charles could see The Indiana on the far side of the port. Every time he tried to get near it, or any other ship, he found himself accosted by the Airfield Master, or one of his employees. He was shocked that the ship, a known privateer, was allowed to dock so openly. When questioned, the Airfield Master shrugged. “The Indiana has no open warrants out against it in France, the crew pays their port fees, and they don’t cause trouble in Marseille,” was all he would say.

  In addition, Charles was shocked to find, Rome held very little sway here.

  He could not search the ship with impunity, he must seek permission from the head of the city – something the man was loath to give. Charles cursed his luck – either everyone in power was protecting The Indiana, or his association with Rome was hindering his ability to get the warrant he wanted.

  While he didn’t want to use the carte blanche that the Holy Father had given him, it was looking more likely by the moment. Pulling Yusef aside he said, “Who amongst the squad has experience in surveillance and following people?”

  Yusef named off three men, detailing their strengths and weaknesses. Charles nodded, annoyed with himself that he had not yet had time to learn this for himself. “Excellent. Assign them to watch The Indiana. Get as close as they can without arousing suspicion and follow anyone from the crew who leaves the ship. I want to find out who their buyer is. Privateers like Captain Jac don’t work for free, and it seems to me that knowing who is willing and able to pay her fees to rob the Vatican would be almost as valuable as the item itself. For now it seems the Airfield Master is protecting them, and until I receive word from the Mayor of Marseille we cannot move against the ship.”

  Yusef nodded. “Aye, Captain. I believe you’re right about finding the buyer. I’ll have the boys repor
t back if they find anything.”

  Charles nodded. “In the meantime I’m going to send a message back to Rome informing the Holy Father that we will be going after the buyer as well.”

  Jacqueline

  Iwas waiting for David outside the airfield gates dressed in a well-cut women’s suit of heather grey. The skirt, divided for easy walking did not require a corset, and one of Marie’s golden bees decorated my lapel. David’s carriage stopped, and the driver jumped down to help me in. It was a carriage for hire, and the red cushions had seen a great deal of wear, but it was clean and serviceable. David’s suit, an older style, showing wear, had a small grease stain on one cuff. The brown tweed had seen better days.

  The hotel, near the university district, was lit up with chandeliers and glowing like a jewel box. The carriage stopped in front of marble steps worn smooth by countless feet. The driver handed me out and David offered his arm, a roguish smile on his lips. “You my dear, will make me the toast of the party.”

  I smiled and gestured for us to proceed.

  The hotel interior was well kept but worn. The fresco painted ceiling was in need of repair, and years of use showed in the décor. One of the hotel’s employees looked us over and gestured down the hallway. “You will find the academic’s reception at the end, on the left.”

  The room was large, well lit, and comfortably full. Our entrance caused a brief stir in one corner, when a gentleman raised his glass and waived at David. Conversational groups had already begun to form, and servers with trays of wine and small finger foods circulated through the crowd.

  “Come. That’s Abraham in the corner. I sent him a note earlier letting him know we were coming.” David guided me through the crowd with his hand on my back. I plucked a glass of wine from a passing server, just as we arrived at Abraham’s cluster of friends.

  A sandy haired, slightly portly gentleman, clapped David on the shoulder and his face split into a grin. “David Scheherazade it’s been eons since we last saw each other! I’m so glad you were able to come to the conference. Who is this delightful creature you have brought with you?”