“Oh my!” Captain Isenhart followed his gaze and froze, caught in the glory of the shining rings.
Lexi took the frozen Benjamin’s arm, while Hedric took Dolores’s, and the two young people led the two older ones to a circle of heavy furniture surrounding a large crackling firepit. The temperature in the observatory bordered on cool, but that was quite all right. Lexi was garbed in a heavy wool dress while Hedric wore wool slacks and a short black wool jacket over a white silk shirt.
Hedric poured wine for all and waited politely, until they had all taken their first sip. “I promised you the full story, Benjamin.” He took a deep breath. “I was born in Castle Schwendau, on the island of Dun. I’m the spoiled son of the queen of the land and crown prince, and I was a royal pain in the ass. Such a pain that the Goddess Selene, who was involved with the workings of my family, sent her friend and confidant, Padraig Hansen, to try and shape me up.” Hedric gave a little self-deprecating laugh. “It didn’t work too well. I wrecked the airship Selene gave Padraig, and fell out in the middle of a terrible storm. I still don’t know why or how I survived. I woke up on a river bank, all alone, covered with mud. I almost died any number of times before I finally met Shadow and Dawns-Light-on-a-Foggy-Morning.” He grinned at Lexi. “Perhaps I should explain about K’Dreex before I go much further.”
For three hours he talked, explaining his failures and his successes. Dolores gasped when Lexi took over the explanation, telling her mother about how Hedric had saved her, by giving Lexi her own K’Dreex, and she told them about Moran. At last Alexandra told her mother and Benjamin about the day they died, and were remade—as something else. Finally, Hedric told them about Medin and Thallia.
Colonel Benjamin Harrison drained the last of his wine. “So, let me see if I have this right. You are really the crown prince of a huge country, and you and little Lexi are doing the goddesses’ work for them. You saved us from the plague, and died doing it, and this magical mysterious moon brought you both back to life. Now you’re going to come to our rescue and save us all from the boogey-man monsters. Is that about it?” He refilled his glass with what remained in the bottle, and drained it with one long swallow. Dolores was staring at him in shock and dismay. “Bullshit!” Colonel Harrison glared first at Hedric and then at Alexandra. “What sort of imbecile do you take me for? I stopped believing in fairy tales when I was five. Everything you’ve told me is just a fabrication—like the smoke and mirrors of this place.” He waved a hand at the magnificent planet overhead that was just falling into the shadow of evening.
Lexi tilted her head to Hedric. “I told you it wouldn’t work. He’s too thick headed to believe in anything.”
“I had to try. I owed him that much.”
“What are you going to do, little boy? Call on your big bad moon to thrash me?” There was a sneer on Benjamin’s face.
Hedric stepped forward. “I don’t need Medin for this. Swim home, Colonel.” The soldier was gone.
“What did you do with him?” Dolores Isenhart gasped, jumping to her feet.
“I helped restore Colonel Harrison’s faith, Dolores.” Hedric’s smile was sad. “He is about a hundred yards out into Boston Harbor, swimming for the nearest pier.”
“But that water is freezing!”
The young man chuckled dryly. “You know, I believe you’re right.”
Dolores smiled thinly. “He really did deserve it, but you had better send me down to the pier to make sure he’s safe. Could you arrange for a carriage?”
Hedric’s eyes went empty for a moment. “One is on the way.” Turning, he opened a large hassock, removing a thick blanket and handed it to the woman. “He might need this.”
Dolores looked at him strangely. “The man insults you, and does everything but challenge you to a fight, and still you care.” Hedric looked a little embarrassed, shrugging.
“I think that it has something to do with love, Mother.” Alexandra put a slim hand on Hedric’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”
The Captain nodded. “And thank you for trying…” She was gone.
“Damn.” Hedric swore softly, as he pulled the cork from a new bottle of wine. He looked up at Lexi, and she nodded. He poured, and handed her the glass. “I’d really hoped for one more supporter.”
“I’m your supporter.” Alexandra said gently.
Hedric laughed quietly and took her hand. “Love, you support me like my left leg supports me. Without you I’d be flat on my back.”
She sipped her wine and smiled. “We really should eat dinner before we drink too much more.”
“Medin, are you serving dinner yet?”
“Dinner is about half over. Would you like to attend?”
He looked over at Lexi, who nodded her approval and set her wine glass on the table. “We would love to go.”
“Be warned, sir. With all the children, things are a bit noisy.”
Hedric laughed. “I don’t mind a little racket, Medin. It would probably be refreshing.”
There was a baritone chuckle. “As you wish.”
A wall of noise greeted them. Hedric guessed that five hundred orphans were all trying to have dinner at exactly the same time. The result bordered on chaos.
A dour, dark-eyed woman, the same they’d last seen with Molly, looked up from a table and stood, making her way toward them.
Hedric felt Lexi tense. “Uh oh…” Her voice was a whisper.
The woman stopped in front of Hedric. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know what you’re doing.” Hedric held his breath. “But I want to thank you.” She took his hand in both of hers. “Look at the children. Look at the women. This is the first time they’ve smiled or laughed in weeks. This is the first real meal the children have had since they came to the orphanage.” Her face creased in a frown. “It IS real food, isn’t it? Not just smoke?”
Hedric gave her a gentle smile. “Please don’t panic at what I’m going to do. Medin? You heard the woman’s question?”
“Yes, Hedric, I did,” Medin replied. The young man saw the dark-eyed woman start, and look around in fear, like a frightened rabbit. When nothing else happened, she seemed to relax slightly. “The food is completely real and nutritious. I’ve enhanced the vitamins and minerals in the children’s dinners somewhat, because they seemed to be suffering from a slight case of malnutrition.” The older woman was staring open-mouthed into the air when, with a little shriek, a small blond haired missile tackled Hedric around the waist.
“Mister Hedric!” Molly’s voice was muffled somewhat, since her face was buried in his waist. “You came to see me. It’s all come true, just like a fairy tale.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Molly.” Hedric replied, grinning broadly. “But how did you learn my name?”
“Oh, Mister Logan told me, when he and his kids were showing me the lake where we’ll go swimming. I just wish…” She paused, and Hedric heard her sniff.
“Wish what, sweetheart?”
“Oh, I just wish my mommy and daddy could see this too. But they’re gone.” She sniffed again, and Hedric saw that her blue eyes were full of tears. “I know that they’re dead. I ‘member the monsters coming, and I ‘member the screams.” She clutched him tighter. “Mister Logan an Goddess Rhiannon both said I’m lucky I have you.”
“But…” Logan looked down on the small tow-colored head.
“That’s right, little one.” Alexandra murmured, kneeling by the little girl and taking her hand. She shot Hedric a quick look, and he got the distinct impression that he was to keep his mouth shut. “You have Hedric, and I have Hedric too. We both have him, and he has us.” There was a small smile playing with the corners of the young woman’s lips. “But we have a job to do, right now, so you will have to depend on Mister Logan and Goddess Rhiannon until we finish.”
“What do you have to do?” The small blue eyes were wide.
“We have to save all the rest of the children, and the mommies and daddies too, from the monsters.”
“Nooooo!” The little girl wailed. “Don’ fight the monsters. They’ll eat you too.”
Hedric put a reassuring hand on the girl’s head. “We’ll be very, very careful, Molly. No monsters will get us.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Hedric and Lexi replied together. “Now, let’s get dinner.” Hedric took the small hand, and winked at the dark eyed woman. Surprisingly, she smiled back.
“The other kids say we’re having chicken.” Molly exclaimed brightly, pulling their hands to hurry them along. “I like chicken.”
Over the girl’s head, Hedric looked at Alexandra. “We’ve been had.” He mouthed with a crooked smile. She nodded her reply.
Much later that night, the two lay in their huge bed under the dark skies. Lexi’s head lay on Hedric’s bare chest.
“What now?” Her voice was soft, and she felt him shrug.
“We wait. We wait for the fairies and the D’Tril to get back. That will give us something to make plans with, not just react to each new threat.”
“I hate waiting.”
Hedric sat up slowly, leaned over and gently kissed the juncture of her soft shoulder and her neck while his hand cupped the rounded perfection of her breast. She tasted salty. He could see the goose bumps travel from the back of her neck, downward over the swell of her hip and disappear under the blanket. “We’ll just have to devise some way to use the time…”
Chapter 16
Ten days later the fairies arrived back at the Golden Fleece. The monster activity had been strangely, ominously quiet and Hedric knew through Captain Isenhart that Colonel Harrison was using the time to his advantage, consolidating his forces and fortifying his positions.
“Tad, uh, Hedric, wake up!” Someone was shaking him, and he muttered a curse. “Wake up. The Captain wants to see you, right now.”
He groaned. “Did you tell her that I worked all day, and only got to bed a couple of hours ago?”
“I did.” Young Doander Feltz looked flustered. “She said to get your ass up on deck now. I think you’re in trouble, again.”
Despite the fact that the Captain had told the crew that Tad Swimming was in reality, Hedric Schwendau, Doander still seemed to be having trouble remembering the correct name.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Hedric blinked. “Up on deck?”
“Yeah, some strange flying creatures landed on…”
Hedric leapt out of bed, not bothering to look for his shoes or even put on a shirt. “Wake up Lexi. Tell her the fairies are back.” Doander just stared, openmouthed. “Tell her now! I’ll be on deck.” He left the room and the openmouthed Doander behind as he ran for the ladder up to the main deck.
A half dozen crewmen were crowded around the small fo'c'sle. The Captain looked up at the sound of his feet on the deck, and pushed some of the other sailors aside.
“They just landed a few minutes ago.” Hedric’s heart clenched when he saw the little battered group. Red seemed to be unlashing one of the fairies from a sling he carried across his chest. It was the Dimsdale group, but the young man frowned. There weren’t enough of them. Five had set out, including the D’Tril. Four had returned. A small figure limped up to face him, armor dented, blood on her fine face. “I’m sorry, Hedric Schwendau, my friend. I know Liriope was your special friend.” Red finished unbinding the small shape, and gently lowered it to the deck. The small fairy’s face was pale, almost gray, her wings dull and lifeless. Her bandaged left arm was black. “I knew that you might save her if we were to get her to you alive, so we opted for speed.”
Hedric nodded. Every decision he could possibly make was bad, or worse. He looked at Captain Isenhart, shrugged and turned to the young woman. “Lexi, love, will you please take Liriope to Medin. He’s the only one who can save her now. I have to deal with the rest of this.”
She gave him a sympathetic look, and touched his face. “Of course, Hedric.” She reached down gently and picked up the small limp body. “Medin. Please take us directly to the Medical Lab.”
“We’re ready for you.” The mellow voice said out of thin air. Hedric heard several gasps from crewmen. There was a flicker, and Lexi and Liriope were gone. More gasps and a few unfriendly mutters. Captain Zanna stopped unbuckling her armor when Hedric turned to her.
“Who didn’t come back, Captain Zanna?”
The small being seemed to sag. “Desta. A tentacle beast struck her somewhere south of Blight Lake. There was no chance of saving her.” She looked up and held him with her blazing eyes. “There are between two and three thousand monsters headed this way, in one huge wave. The smallest, and most numerous monsters are as big as you. The other half are about evenly divided between the great red pincered beast we killed on our way north, and the tentacle beast that you are also familiar with.” Hedric sat down hard on wet deck. “They will be here in three to four days.”
“Three thousand.” He muttered to himself, in a tone of disbelief. “How the bloody frozen hells of Nimrod can I ever hope to defeat that many?”
A hand touched his shoulder. “You’re not alone, Hedric.”
He looked up. “Thank you, Dolores.” He sighed and wedged himself to his feet. “I guess I’d better get dressed before anything else…” He stopped, and stared out into the night. “I hear something. Wings, I think.” He stared out toward the dark and threatening east. The sound of wings became louder. Two shapes emerged from the black, staggering through the air, to collapse on the deck almost at his feet.
“Glykera, Rosalva.” Captain Zanna cried, rushing to her fellow flier’s sides. “What happened to Ilona and the D’Tril, Blue?”
A panting, bleeding Glykera opened her eyes. “Ilona was eaten.” Her voice was flat with exhaustion. “Injured, Blue fell behind as we crossed the last range of mountains. She told us to keep going. She was very brave.” Captain Isenhart placed a small bowl of water on the deck, and all the fairies lapped gratefully. Finally, when they could hold no more, Red picked up the bowl and drank the rest, setting it down with an appreciative sigh. Glykera looked up. “There is a wave of monsters coming directly from the Blight. Four or five thousand strong, the smallest are the size of the great red pincer beast and the tentacle monster. The rest…” She shuddered. “Twice the length of this vessel. Some a bit more. These monsters move slowly, though. It will take them another week to ten days to arrive.”
Hedric stifled his hysterical laughter. “As if a few days matter. We don’t have a chance of beating off the smaller wave if we had a year to prepare, and now this?” Captain Isenhart looked sick. “Medin.”
“Yes, Hedric.” The mellow voice replied.
“Would you please take our flying friends and make them comfortable in those caves Zanna was talking about in the forest? I don’t think they will last very long in the coming battles, and it would be a shame to lose them. Please patch up whoever needs patching up.”
“I agree, and I’ll see to the patching.”
“Wait a minute.” Captain Zanna interrupted. “I won’t let you send us away when…”
“Goodbye, Captain.” Hedric cut her off. “Now would be nice, Medin.” It was done. “How is Liriope doing, Medin?”
“She will recover, but growing a new arm will take some time. Alexandra is introducing her to Molly as we speak. I suspect that those two will be anxiously waiting your return.”
“You’re setting me up, my friend.” There was dead silence in the air above the deck. “Medin, are you laughing at me?”
“Would I do that, sir?”
Hedric ignored the flippant comment. “I need to have a council of war. Who would you suggest?”
“I would suggest Logan MacKennit, his second in command, Tam Kirby, and Padraig Hansen. Unfortunately, Padraig is unavailable at the moment.”
“Uncle Padraig? Do you know where he is?” There was concern in Hedric’s voice.
“He is some thousand leagues to the northwest, in a battered airship. He knows where you are, but I s
uspect that it will be some time before he arrives. I’m afraid that you are on your own.”
“You won’t invite Selene and Rhiannon?”
Medin began to laugh. “Rhiannon spent several hundred years imprisoned by savages, and it took her husband Logan to finally rescue her. She is, however, the brightest of the pair. Selene managed to get her primary human/K’Dreex pair almost killed. Stick with humans, Hedric. It’s safer.”
Hedric lowered his voice. “But you know that I’m not human.”
“You know what I mean. You were a human. You think like a human. You act like a human. In your heart you’re a human.”
“Granted.” Hedric turned his gaze on the Captain. “I think that you should come too. I need your wisdom if we’re ever going to think a way out of this.” Dolores nodded. “Is Lexi available yet?”
“Yes, Hedric. She just finished.” There was a pause. “Shall I provide more appropriate clothing, for you and the young lady?”
He looked down at his half naked body with a little dismay. “It might be better if you did. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Everyone is ready now.” There was a flicker.
Hedric looked down and smiled thinly. Medin had dressed him in casual, but still semi-military clothes of black and silver. Lexi, standing next to him, was dressed in a similar outfit, but one that was just a trifle snugger, emphasizing the fact that she was an attractive young woman. Hedric held the chairs for the two women, and then pulled out his own. Across the table sat Logan MacKennit and an unfamiliar gentleman, with a close cropped military style haircut. Both were sipping coffee.
“Well, lad.” MacKennit began, smiling. “What’s the problem?”
Hedric took a deep breath. “My scouts just returned this evening, and informed me that we have two waves of hostile creatures headed our way.”
“Your scouts?” Logan’s eyebrows rose. “I didn’t know you had scouts. Let’s hear this report from them, if you will. Your version might be slightly prejudiced.”
Hedric glared at the man. “Medin, if you would be so kind as to invite Captain Zanna, and Scout Glykera to our meeting?”
The Finger of God: a Thalassia novel Page 25