Dinner progressed pleasantly as the islanders continued to sing softly in the falling night. By the time the stars had fully emerged, the feast was all but totally consumed. The king and queen bid their guests good night and left the tourists to enjoy the rest of the evening. Most of the others wandered off to their cabins on the ships that were moored just off shore, but Twist and his companions remained as the fire slowly began to die on its own.
Twist slipped down onto the sand and leaned back against the tree trunk to watch the stars spin gently, while Myra nestled herself comfortably under his arm. Skye stretched out on the tree trunk and laid her head on Jonas’s lap without so much as a word. Although Twist sensed a slight, undefinable disturbance in the buzz at his neck, Jonas didn’t offer protest at being used as a pillow.
“Any planets out tonight?” Skye asked lightly.
“Venus is still over there,” Jonas answered, pointing to a very bright star that hung over the dark, glistening sea. “And that’s Jupiter, right at the top,” he added, nodding upward. Twist’s imagination placed the dragons and their glass spaceship in the stars above them, as the monsters steered the ship for Jupiter’s volcanic yellow moon and the caustic blue fountains of gas that filled its sky.
“Am I the only one who occasionally wonders if that’s really the moon or not?” Myra asked, watching the nearly full moon climb up over the trees.
“No, you’re not,” Twist said with a sigh, remembering the time that a false moon had landed beside them after an airship crash and taken them to a village that sat on a cloud. He glanced up at Jonas. “It is the moon, right?”
“Yes, it is,” Jonas said, watching it with purple eyes. “This time.”
“You guys have a weird life,” Skye mentioned with a smirk.
Twist’s ears caught a faint, mechanical buzzing sound. Skye jerked suddenly, sitting up. The others all turned to her quick motion as she opened the small locket watch that always hung over her heart. She touched the switch, opening the tiny brass cage over the clock face, and then touched it again. The clock face flipped over, and an electric-blue light washed out of it to brush her face.
“Agent Blue,” she said into the light. “What’s up?”
“I have a message for you, Blue,” a voice said from within the light.
“A message?” Skye asked, frowning. “I’m still on vacation.”
“It’s marked urgent,” the voice responded.
“All right,” Skye said with a sigh. “Who sent it?”
“The message was relayed from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and the sender is a friendly civilian by the name of Mrs. Aazzi Rodés.”
“Aazzi?” Twist asked. The image of the vampire’s mahogany face came instantly to Twist’s mind. The last time Twist had seen her was in London, before he and Myra had left for Australia in search of a way to retrieve Jonas from outer space. Despite her frightening vampiric nature, she had been nothing but kind and helpful to Twist ever since they had met aboard the Vimana on his first journey into the world.
Skye looked to him. “You know her?”
“Yeah, she’s family,” Jonas answered. “Why’s she calling you?”
“Should I continue with the message?” the light asked.
“Yeah, go ahead,” Skye responded.
“The message says, ‘Please inform Jonas Davis. Emergency assistance needed immediately. Philippe taken. Vimana down. Please hurry to Freetown.’ That is all. Agent Blue, do you have a response?”
Twist’s blood ran cool as he listened to the message, and he felt the buzz in his neck tighten like a death grip. Jonas’s face was grim, and his eyes had gone cold and gray. Twist reached up to take his hand. His Sight washed over with the white fog, but this time it was ice cold, confused, and full of nervous energy. Jonas seemed to wake from a trance to look at him, his expression held calm despite his sudden fear.
Skye looked to Jonas with concern. “Jonas?” she asked softly, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder.
“Tell her we’re on our way,” he said, his voice level but dark.
“Where is this place we’re going to?” Myra asked as she stuffed a sari into the travel bag on her bed.
“Jonas said it’s in Africa,” Twist said, handing her the small box of jewelry that had been on her bedside table. “But not near Suez or Cairo, where we’ve been before. It’s on the west coast of the continent.”
“We’re very far away from that, right now, aren’t we?” she asked with concern as she looked around the room for any forgotten items.
“Apparently, the fastest route is to fly over South America,” Twist answered. “It looks rather far to me, but Jonas said something about the air currents just south of the equator being faster than most, going that direction. It should only take us a few days by airship.”
“Oh dear…” Myra breathed, slipping one last sandal into her bag before closing it. “I hope Aazzi and Philippe will be all right until then.”
“As do I,” Twist said with a sigh. He put his own bag on his shoulder and took Myra’s with his free hand. “Come, let’s get going.”
Twist and Myra met Jonas at the raised wooden airdocks that hung out over the bright blue water, farther up the coast. The huge, pointed volcanic peak that had shaded their beach nearly until noon each day served as a perfect wind guard for the docks that clung against it. Jonas stood leaning on a side railing but came to meet Twist when he saw him.
“Where’s Skye?” Twist asked.
“Getting the tickets. We’re taking that one,” Jonas said, pointing to a sleek, double-hulled airship that hung at a nearby jetty.
The vessel didn’t appear to have any sort of balloon; it was instead held aloft by three large propellers that poured a torrent of air down at the water below. A cloud of huge, white, angular sails stretched out over the long nose of the ship, promising great speed in a good wind. Twist could see her aeronauts preparing to set off, while a few passengers also climbed aboard.
“Nice choice,” Twist said, looking back to Jonas.
Jonas didn’t respond. He was looking hard into the middle distance with chilly, pale-green eyes that were almost yellow. Twist stepped into his gaze and caught it with his own. Jonas focused on him, and his eyes took on a little more color. Twist gave him a supportive smile.
“I’m fine,” Jonas said with forced brightness.
Twist raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I thought we weren’t going to use that word.”
“I just want to get moving,” Jonas said with a sigh, looking away. “I hate standing still.”
“Aazzi’s no idiot,” Twist said gently to him. “And she’s with the rest of the Vimana’s crew, surely.” Jonas nodded, his eyes cooling into a true green.
“Look, there’s Skye, and Aden too,” Myra pointed out brightly.
Skye joined them, with Aden beside her. The leader of the Rooks was dressed in a black suit, despite the climate, and gave Twist and the others a consolatory smile as he approached. Twist also noticed that, like everyone else, Skye had changed her attire back into her norm: chocolate trousers that clung snugly to her legs, a white men’s shirt, and a bright red waistcoat with a silver tailcoat. Twist smiled, realizing that while Skye was a woman, she always looked much more dapper in her masculine costume than Jonas did.
“I’m very sorry to hear about this business, Jonas,” Aden said with a sympathetic tone. “Family trouble can be the most distressing sort. I hope you’re able to work everything out in Africa.”
“Thanks,” Jonas muttered.
“Here’s our tickets,” Skye said, handing one each to Jonas, Twist, and Myra. “Thanks for letting me go with them, sir,” she said to Aden.
“Of course,” Aden said. “You’re only on vacation, as it is. And don’t worry,” he added to Twist and the others. “I’ll explain everything to the king and queen on your behalf. I’m sure they’ll be sorry to hear that you have to dash off. But do send me a message if you run into anything extraordinary. You people seem to
be forever falling into trouble,” he added, with a smile. “If you find any more hidden myths or caches of Caribbean treasure, be sure to let me know.”
The crew of the airship called for all remaining passengers to board. Twist and the others hastily bid Aden farewell and then hurried for the airship. As they waited in the short line that led on board, Skye quietly slipped her arm through Jonas’s and looked to his distant eyes. Jonas glanced away from her, farther up the line.
Skye said, “I can stick with you on my own time, so long as Aden doesn’t need me. I think he’d rather you had a Rook with you, anyway.”
“Thank you,” Jonas said with a weak smile, keeping his gaze off of her. “I’m just very glad you were still with us to receive the message.”
“Me too,” Skye said with a nod. “That was lucky. Well, you’re stuck with me for a bit longer, I’m afraid,” she added with a great sigh.
“Oh, but isn’t that lovely?” Myra asked brightly. “It’s always nice to travel with friends.”
“Indeed,” Twist said, mimicking her light tone. “Especially if your friend has a pet tiger.”
“Oh, I see,” Skye said, narrowing her eyes at Twist. “You like Kali more than me.”
“No, no, I’m simply more afraid of Kali than of you.”
Jonas gave a surprised laugh. “No, Kali’s a pussycat, compared.”
“Shut up, you!” Skye snapped, slapping at him with her free hand. “Oh, speaking of which,” Skye said, handing her ticket to the porter as they began to board, “any idea how much trouble we’re heading into? I mean, the message wasn’t exactly specific.”
Jonas shook his head. “Could be anything. But Aazzi never would have called me unless she was out of other options. And using magpies, as well…”
“That’s pronounced Rook, honey,” Skye mentioned sourly.
Jonas gave a halfhearted tone in reply; his thoughts seemed already halfway around the world.
They and the other passengers gathered to one side of the narrow deck that ran the length of each side of the double-hulled airship, while the crew made ready to sail. A few levels of boxy cabins spanned the two hulls in the rear of the ship, but to Twist’s horror, the empty space between the front half of the two hulls was spanned with nothing but a rope netting. He tore his wide eyes off of the perfectly visible drop. Skye was now standing in front of Jonas, one hand in his, as she looked earnestly at his lidded eyes.
“You sure you don’t want me to ask Aden to lend us some backup?” she asked. “I mean, if they’re in real trouble—”
“It’s fine,” Jonas said, shaking his head. “There’s no point in asking for help before we know what’s happened. We bother Aden too much as it is. I can’t owe him everything.”
“Sure, sure,” Skye said before a sigh. “But you let me know the instant you change your mind, okay?”
Jonas gave her a thin smile, not raising his eyes to hers. “Of course.”
The crew called out a warning to the passengers as the ship began to drift slowly away from the docks. The sound of the three propellers rose into a throaty growl as the ship lifted into the air. One of the other passengers, a young boy in a suit that was a little too big for him, stepped out onto the rope net that hung over the growing empty space below. His mother gasped and reached for him, but he was already out of reach, smiling with wonder as he sat himself down in the center of the net. One of the crew gave the worried mother a smile and then stepped out onto the netting himself. It held his weight easily, only shifting its shape to carry it more evenly.
“It’s perfectly safe,” the crewman said to everyone. “Please, feel free to roam about the deck as you like. We’ll be serving drinks in the rear cabin in a few moments.” With that, he hopped easily back onto the deck and returned his attention to the rigging.
Twist watched with grim fascination as a few of the other passengers gingerly stepped out onto the netting or sat at the edge of the deck to let their legs hang out over the empty air. His stomach turned when the tight ropes began to creak.
“Oh, shall we try it too?” Myra asked him, eyeing the netting eagerly.
Twist looked to her in shock and dismay.
“What’s the matter?” Myra asked. “He said it was safe.”
“Go ahead, poppet,” Jonas said. He placed a hand on Twist’s shoulder, chilling Twist’s anxiety with the fog in his touch. “Heights. You remember,” he added delicately.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Myra said to Twist, a hand over her lips and concern in her eyes. “I forgot all about that. You never mention it much anymore, dear.”
“It’s fine,” Twist said, forcing his voice to loosen despite the state of his pride.
“Myra, come on!” Skye said brightly. Twist turned to find her already out on the netting, on hands and knees, gazing straight down with a wide smile. “You’ve got to see this!” Myra moved to join her instantly, while Twist turned his gaze away to stop it from spinning so badly.
“Deep breath,” Jonas said gently, giving his back a pat.
“We couldn’t have taken a ship with a bottom, then, could we?” he asked tightly.
“This was the fastest one in the harbor,” Jonas said, his voice still gentle. “Do you want me to touch your neck?”
For a moment, Twist considered accepting the offer and the numbing effect such a touch from Jonas would have on him, but then the air around them took on a distinct breeze. Twist glanced back to see that they had risen above the peak of the mountain now. The wind off of the ocean tasted cool, salty, and wild. The sails flapped anxiously in the wind, as if eager to leap into the heavy, scattered, cottony clouds that hung out over the open sea. The ship turned slowly into the wind and then suddenly caught. It leaped forward as the sails went taut, streaking through the air like an arrow.
Twist stumbled a step back, but Jonas only swayed lightly on his feet as he looked up to the sails. Catching his balance again, Twist thought of the sailing ship they had taken from Bombay to Suez, across the Arabian Sea. That ship had barely touched the water, but it felt more like flight than any airship Twist had ridden until now. As the propellers shut off and the mechanical sounds died completely into the gentle whisper of the wind, the airship seemed to gain speed, clinging to the wild rush that tore over the glistening waves below.
Twist heard the other passengers gasp and mutter happily to each other as the reckless thrill of true, free, inhuman flight and speed gripped them. He felt his own heart lean into the excitement and release the fear. He took a deep breath and savored the pure, animal freedom of the energy that the wind poured right through to his bones.
“No, I’m all right,” he said to Jonas. His voice sounded solid now in his own ears.
Jonas smiled at him knowingly and then looked out to the horizon. Twist saw nothing but an endless, brilliant line where the sea met the sky. But after setting out so many times, to so many places that were entirely new to him, he now found the image of the unknown to be a familiar one. The thought of another long journey across new continents fit comfortably in his mind.
Within a matter of hours, Myra had managed to meet every other passenger on the ship. There were fifteen in all, including Twist and his companions; other than an older couple from Rio de Janeiro who had been the first to charter the flight, most were American tourists. Since all of the others could catch transferring flights when the ship made a stop in the peaks of the mountains of Peru, the captain had been more than willing to take on as many passengers as the ship could carry.
Twist checked his pocket globe to see that a route through Brazil would take them almost all the way to Africa. If they could catch another equally fast airship, there would be less than a day’s flight across the Atlantic from the easternmost point of Brazil to the western coast of Africa.
“What’s Brazil like?” Myra asked eagerly of the couple sitting at a table with her and Twist, in the small lounge in the back of the ship.
“Well, Rio is a lovely city on the beach,” the
older man said brightly with an accent Twist had never heard before. It struck him as vaguely Italian or maybe Spanish. “But most of the country is still jungle,” the man added.
“Oh, how fascinating,” Myra said, appearing wholly enthralled.
As the man began to list off animals that one might encounter in a rainforest, Twist toyed idly with the little paper umbrella that the crewman tending the small bar had put into his drink. Why his drink was in danger of rainfall, here inside the lounge, was beyond him. Some of the other passengers sat on the padded benches that rimmed the room or the chairs placed around the small tables that were bolted down, and each one—including the man and woman sitting with him and Myra—also had an umbrella in his or her drink.
“That sounds so exciting,” Myra said brightly, much to the couple’s obvious delight. They both smiled at her with the same expression that Twist always saw on strangers’ faces: as if Myra were the most charming and beautiful young lady in the world. “I think I’d like to see a jungle,” she added with conviction.
“You like everything, don’t you, my dear?” Twist asked her with a knowing smile.
“No, I don’t,” she answered instantly.
“Name one thing you don’t like.”
Myra put on a pensive face. “Cyphers,” she said suddenly. “I can’t stand Cyphers.”
The couple’s faces snapped into a more serious expression.
“Fair point,” Twist said, nodding. “I don’t like them either.”
“But Cyphers are just a myth,” the woman said softly, with an accent that matched her husband’s perfectly. “They’re not real, surely.”
Twist looked up at their confusion blankly while his previous encounters with Cyphers played in his mind—stealing Myra in Suez with giant mechanical moles, sending a thunderstorm to crash their airship over Utah, and the two dangerous encounters with Lord Loki, not to mention the fierce airship battle Lord Shiva had had with the Rook armada over the summit of Mauna Kea.
“Of course not,” he said with a smile. Myra gave him a curious glance but didn’t correct him.
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