by Ben Chandler
‘You’ve already spoken to them?’ Kenji demanded. ‘Why did you do that?’
Missy was taken aback. ‘I thought –’
‘Demon’s wings!’
‘What is it, Mister Jackson?’ the captain asked.
‘I don’t suppose you kept me out of it?’ Kenji snapped.
Missy swallowed. ‘Um …’
‘Oh, that’s just great!’
‘What’s the matter?’ Shin demanded from the tiller.
‘Nothing,’ Kenji muttered, then scrutinised one of his charts. ‘Nothing at all.’
Lenis received the order to land and began making the necessary adjustments to the engine. He vented some of Aeris’s power, making sure the airflow was even between each wing balloon. There was something infinitely soothing about working the Hiryū’s engines. He could forget all about whatever else was going on and focus completely on the business at hand.
But then the Ostian princess spoke, shattering his calm. ‘You can feel things.’
It wasn’t a question, but Lenis answered anyway. ‘Yes, I can feel things.’ He didn’t bother to soften his tone; it wouldn’t make a difference to her if he did.
‘Can you feel me?’
‘Excuse me?’ Lenis forgot all about the engines. ‘What?’
‘Can you feel me?’
The princess stepped around the engine block, right up to Lenis, and grabbed his hand. She placed it on her chest, between her breasts. Just because the girl was empty didn’t mean Lenis was. His cheeks flushed crimson as he tried to snatch his hand back. Anastasis was too strong for him, though, and she kept his hand firmly where it was.
‘I have to get back to the engines.’ Lenis looked longingly at the Bestia compartments, hoping Anastasis would get the hint.
Of course, she couldn’t. ‘Can you feel me?’
‘Well, um, yeah,’ he mumbled.’ Yes. I can feel you.’
The princess frowned. ‘You can feel me?’
Lenis realised what she was asking. He sighed and concentrated on her. As usual, she was just empty. Disma was nowhere nearby, so Lenis couldn’t sense anything other than her hatred for Butin, but that was always there. Then he remembered their brief encounter back in the woods near Fronge. That time, he had felt something. He focused his powers and pushed deeper, past the tumult of Butin-directed rage. But there was nothing. He started shaking his head, but then he felt it. A wisp of longing. Nothing more. It was so small, but in her it was immense.
‘There is something …’ Lenis tried again, and there it was! Deep in her core Anastasis longed for something besides Lord Butin’s destruction. But what was it? He couldn’t tell. It was too faint. ‘You want something. I can’t tell what.’
Anastasis nodded, but she wasn’t looking at Lenis. While she was distracted, Lenis pulled his hand away and made several non-essential adjustments to the engines.
‘There is more,’ Anastasis said. ‘I did not realise there could be more.’ She turned to walk out of the engine room.
On impulse, Lenis ran after her and grabbed her arm. ‘Wait!’ he whispered, looking around to make sure her Lilim familiar wasn’t nearby. ‘Promise me something.’ She gave him her usual blank look. ‘Promise me you won’t give this to Disma. Keep it for yourself. Please! Promise me!’
He didn’t know why he asked this of her, and why it suddenly mattered to him. Perhaps it was because Anastasis’s bond to her Lilim reminded him so strongly of the negative effects the Quillblade had on his sister. Whatever his reasons, Lenis felt something else stir deep inside Anastasis.
The corners of her mouth twitched up and then back down. ‘Very well. I will keep this, just for me.’ The princess shook free of his grasp and headed towards the galley.
Lenis stared after her for a moment. When he heard the captain’s voice through the speech tube, he hurried back to make the final adjustments for landing.
The airdock was nothing more than a long, raised shelf almost at the bottom of a narrow ravine. The Hiryū had no problem descending through the cleft, guided by the lone light-shedding Bestia waiting on the airdock’s lip, but there was no way an airbarge could have made it through. It turned out that Haven wasn’t actually under the mountain but roofed in tight netting the inhabitants had covered with brush and scrub.
The first thing Missy noted was that this was not a Heiliglander settlement, at least, not entirely. The people who had come out to meet them were all wearing long, flowing gowns in dark shades covered in black overcoats. The gowns looked Lahmonian to Missy, but the coats were definitely Kystian. The people wearing them were of differing nationalities.
The second thing Missy noted was that the air was fresh. For a settlement in the middle of the Wastelands, this was unusual. There was no green fog, and there didn’t seem to be any Demons about. Missy followed Arthur and the captain out onto the deck and over to the gangplank. The black-coated people of Haven waited in a ring below.
‘Why are you here?’ one of them called up in the common tongue. Missy tried to place his accent. She thought it was Lahmonian but couldn’t be sure.
‘We are just passing through,’ Captain Shishi replied. ‘We seek Kolga’s temple, just to the northeast of here.’
The group bent their heads together and whispered amongst themselves. Finally, their spokesperson called up. ‘You have a man with you. We saw him in your message.’
Missy tensed. What had she done now?
‘We have several men with us,’ the captain called down. ‘You will have to be more specific.’
‘Do not play with us, Captain.’ The spokesman raised an arm and a number of Bestia emerged from behind rocks and within crevices. ‘Kenji Jackson is aboard your airship. Bring him to us.’
‘What do you want with him?’
‘He knows what he owes us.’
Kenji appeared at the Hiryū’s railing. ‘All right, Michael, here I am.’
‘Hello, brother,’ the spokesman, Michael, called up. ‘It has been too long.’
‘Brother?’ Missy asked.
Kenji rolled his eyes at her. ‘Not literally. It’s a form of address.’
‘Only if you’re a … you’re a priest?’
‘Is that so hard to believe?’ He looked over the railing. ‘I’m coming down, Michael. Don’t stab me with anything. Oh, and I have a pistol.’
‘Thanks for the warning,’ Michael replied. ‘Are your friends joining you?’
Kenji looked at the captain. ‘Probably. Don’t stab them either. They haven’t got anything to do with us.’
‘Their safety is assured.’
‘Mister Jackson, could you tell us what is going on here?’ the captain asked.
‘It’ll be all right, Captain.’ Kenji jumped onto the gangplank. ‘They won’t kill you.’
‘That is hardly reassuring,’ Arthur noted, his arms crossed over his chest.
‘It’ll be fine. You’ll see.’ Kenji held his pistol ready as he began walking down the gangplank. ‘You’d better come along. She’ll want to meet you all.’
‘She?’ Arthur asked.
‘The Cunning Lady,’ Kenji replied. ‘Welcome to Haven, home of the Brotherhood of the Nine-Tailed Fox.’
Missy looked to the captain and then to Arthur. The Kystian shrugged. ‘We had better go with him. Fetch the others.’
She nodded and ran below decks. Missy passed through the galley, stopping only to tell the doctor, the cook, and Shujinko what had happened before hurrying on to the engine room. Her brother was waiting for her in the doorway.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked. He was holding Suiteki close to his chest.
Missy was suddenly reminded of a much younger Lenis standing in the doorway of their hut in the slave pens. ‘I don’t know, but you’d better come along. They want us all to meet the Cunning Lady.’
‘The who?’ Lenis asked, following her up the stairs.
‘Don’t know. She must be the one in charge.’
The twins were the last ones to
leave the Hiryū, save Princess Anastasis and Disma, who were waiting by the railing.
‘You aren’t coming with us?’ Missy asked.
‘There’s nothing here for us,’ Disma told them. ‘You’d better hurry up.’
Missy and Lenis ran down the gangplank to catch up to the others, who were being herded along by the figures in the large coats. As they moved through Haven, Missy saw that the buildings were a mismatch of different designs. They passed small stone huts, larger wooden buildings with heavy foundations, and lines of canvas tents. There was no fire. The only light came from the many Bestia scattered about. Missy hadn’t seen so many Bestia gathered together in one place since she’d left Pure Land, but these ones weren’t in cages. They were running free.
Missy was aware that they were being watched from inside the various dwellings around them, but no one came out onto the street. She realised then that their silent guides were more likely guards from the town. She had the distinct impression the crew was under arrest.
Eventually they came to a wide paved area, across which was a wall of rock. Set into the rock was a rectangular opening Missy found hauntingly familiar. Like something she had encountered before … the entrance to Neti’s temple! Missy looked up and saw what appeared to be a starburst design carved above the doorway. The star had nine points.
‘Well, here we are again, Kenji,’ Michael said. ‘You want your friends to wait outside?’
Kenji seemed to consider it. ‘No. They better come with me. They might be able to convince the Lady not to eat me.’
Michael laughed. ‘Oh, she wouldn’t really eat you. At least, I don’t think she would. She might bite you a bit.’
‘How do you bite someone a bit?’ Kenji asked.
‘An intriguing question. Be sure to ask the Lady before the end of your trial.’
‘Trial?’ The captain raised an eyebrow and looked at the Hiryū’s navigator.
‘Nothing to worry about, sir,’ Kenji told him. ‘Just a formality. I’m sure the Lady plans to kill me either way.’
‘Mister Jackson,’ the captain barked. ‘This is not funny.’
‘Oh, but it is, Captain. It’s absolutely hilarious. You’ll see.’
The crew was ushered inside. Missy couldn’t quite work out if they were in trouble. It was hard to tell if Kenji was joking. He certainly didn’t seem too worried for a man who was about to be condemned to death.
They passed through a darkened corridor and emerged into a hall festooned in burgundy bunting. Billowing orange cloth hung down from the ceiling, and there were red cushions edged with gold tassels strewn around the interior of the temple, if it really was a temple at all. Bestia of every shape and size lounged upon them. Most were sleeping. A few looked up as the crew entered. At the far end of the hall Missy saw a massive divan with a woman draped across its length. She had mousy brown hair down to her waist and was wearing a flimsy gown of pink gauze. Missy almost gasped. The fabric was so thin she could see right through it in places.
‘Kenji Jackson has returned, my Lady,’ Michael called from behind them. He hadn’t entered the hall but remained cloaked in the shadow of the entryway.
The woman propped herself up on one elbow. The neckline of her gown drooped, revealing most of one of her breasts. Missy caught her brother staring. His face was as red as the bunting.
‘Kenji Jackson?’ the woman asked in a sleepy voice. Her tone made it hard to place her accent. Missy detected hints of Lahmonian in it, and maybe some Ellian. ‘What’s he doing here?’
‘I won’t be staying long, my Lady,’ Kenji called across the hall.
The woman squinted over at them. ‘Oh, this is silly. Come here, all of you.’ She motioned with both her arms, and her gown fell down to her waist. Missy poked her brother in the ribs as the woman absently adjusted her outfit so that she was covered. ‘Well, come on. Now.’ On the last word her lethargic demeanour vanished, and there was no doubting the note of command in her voice.
As one the crew looked to Kenji, who shrugged and began picking his way across the hall through the clusters of reclining Bestia. The others had no choice but to follow. By the time they had reached the other side, the woman was sitting fully upright, facing them.
‘Kenji Jackson.’ She looked down on him from her perch atop the raised divan. ‘Kenji Jackson. What am I going to do with you?’
‘Michael thinks you might bite me,’ Kenji offered. If he was actually concerned, he gave no sign of it.
The woman tilted her head to one side, as if considering it. ‘I’m not sure I’d like how you’d taste.’ Kenji laughed and rubbed the back of his head. ‘How’s Pure Land?’
‘The same,’ said Kenji.
‘Pity.’
The captain cleared his throat.
The woman turned to stare at him, unblinking. ‘Yes? What do you want?’
‘I am Captain Mayonaka Sh –’
The woman cut him off. ‘I asked you what you wanted.’
‘We only wish to moor our airship to your airdock for a time,’ Captain Shishi told her. ‘We have business –’
‘That is a simple enough matter. I’m sure Michael can arrange for some sort of fee. You can pay, can’t you?’
The captain bowed his head slightly. ‘Of course.’
The woman waved her hand. ‘Then it’s settled.’
‘Um, my Lady?’ Kenji asked.
‘Yes, Kenji, what is it?’
‘There was just the small matter of –’
The woman sighed. ‘Oh, yes, your sentence. I had almost forgotten. I suppose I’ll have to kill you.’
Kenji gulped. The sound was audible throughout the hall. ‘Is that really necessary?’
‘It seems appropriate. Don’t you think?’ She tilted her head to one side, and Missy got the distinct impression that she was actually interested in Kenji’s input.
‘Well, I was sort of hoping …’ His voice trailed off.
‘You would.’ The woman smiled, showing her teeth. It seemed to Missy that her eyeteeth were quite a bit longer and sharper than was normal. ‘You always were clever, Kenji, and sneaky. Dishonest too. And shrewd. Oh, and manipulative.’
Kenji bowed low. ‘Thank you, my Lady.’
The woman inclined her head. ‘You’re welcome. However, I never suspected you were disloyal.’
‘Never that, my Lady.’
‘No?’ The woman arced one perfectly shaped eyebrow. ‘Then the reports I received were false? You aren’t working for the Puritan Ruling Council?’
Missy glanced at the navigator. He was an agent of the Council? But why? What did he want? What did they want? As she contemplated the possibility, she realised the answer was simple. A spy aboard Warlord Shōgo Ikaru’s new airship. It was so obvious she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. That was why he alone had remained of the Puritan crew who had flown the Hiryū over to Shinzō. He was working for the Ruling Council all along. Another piece fell into place. His pistol. Missy had always wondered how he had managed to smuggle one out of Pure Land, not to mention how he had gotten his hands on a working one in the first place. Now she knew. The Council had probably given it to him.
Kenji spread his hands wide in supplication. ‘I don’t suppose you’d be willing to trust me.’
He isn’t denying it! He is a Puritan spy!
The woman just laughed. ‘You are always such fun to have around, Kenji. I shall miss you.’
‘How about a trade?’
The woman’s eyebrow shot up again. ‘What sort of trade?’
‘My life, naturally.’
‘I had assumed as much. What do I get in return?’
Kenji grinned. ‘Another Totem artefact to add to your collection. And a quill from the Thunder Bird.’
Missy gasped.
‘Makes a pretty good sword. Or a pen, I suppose. Oh, and I’ll include a baby Totem into the bargain.’
Swords were drawn. The crew moved to circle the navigator. Missy stood by,
mouth hanging open, unable to believe what Kenji had just said. He was selling them out to save his own life! How could he even consider it?
‘Do we have a deal?’ Kenji asked, ignoring the crewmembers arrayed against him.
‘A baby Totem?’ The woman on the divan clapped her hands together. ‘I have to see it!’
Kenji pointed at Lenis. ‘The boy has it with him.’
‘No!’ Lenis shouted, clasping his robe closed and hunching his shoulders, no doubt shielding Suiteki from the man. In an instant both Yami and Captain Shishi were standing between them, swords levelled at the navigator’s chest.
‘What is this, Mister Jackson?’ the captain asked in a low voice.
‘Don’t bother killing me,’ Kenji said. ‘If you do, the Brotherhood will destroy the Hiryū before you set foot outside the temple.’
‘You do not disappoint me, Kenji!’ the woman cried. ‘Tell me, what game are we playing today?’
Kenji shook his head. ‘No game, my Lady. I want to live. You like powerful objects. Seems like a fair trade to me.’
‘Kenji!’ Shin cried. ‘You cannot do this!’
Somehow, Missy found her voice. ‘I can stop you, you know.’
Kenji turned to look at her. ‘Yes. I know.’
Missy shook her head in disbelief. ‘Then why?’
Kenji shrugged. ‘I’m glad you asked.’
Just then Michael shouted from the entryway, ‘Demons are attacking Haven!’
The woman flicked her wrist towards the back of the hall. ‘Deal with it.’
‘There’s a Demon Lord with them,’ Michael called back. ‘We think it’s Etana.’
The woman pushed out her bottom lip. ‘Him again. What a shame. I was having fun. You.’ She pointed at the captain. ‘Captain Whatever-Your-Name-Is. You have weapons. Go and defend my Haven.’
‘Lady, you’re crazy,’ Andrea said. Her knives were drawn and held at the ready.
‘Etana has to go through your airship to get here,’ the woman pointed out.
‘She’s right.’ Arthur looked to the captain. ‘We can deal with Kenji later.’