by Henry Vogel
“Very well, Callan,” Nell raised her hands in mock surrender. She gave me an appraising look, obviously trying to figure out what task she could safely assign to me. “Um, what would you like to do?”
“What you really mean is what can I do without ruining it.”
“I’d never have put it so indelicately, Callan,” Nell grinned, “but yes, that is what I meant.”
“I’ve been known to stir pots without ruining their contents and can ladle food onto plates with the best of them,” I replied.
The simple tasks kept me busy and the next hour passed quickly. By the time everyone was fed and everything cleaned up, the crew seemed willing to accept me as one of the family. After that, Captain Cochran led a brief memorial service for the three crewmen who died in the crash. I mentally added the names of the airmen from my little airship, those lost from the Vanguard, and most especially young Chris during the prayers.
Captain Cochran was five words into the final prayer for the dead when the wind carried a distant sound to our ears. An airship was approaching from the east!
Cochran fell silent for a few seconds, balancing on his makeshift crutches, listening to the sound of the airship’s engines. He gave a nod and resumed his prayer for the dead. It ended with the entire crew voicing “Amen,” after which everyone remained quiet, heads bowed, perhaps privately adding their own words to the Captain’s or simply remembering friends now gone.
Respecting the solemnity of the moment, I added my own prayer for the Wind Dancer’s three lost crewmen. When the crew stirred and the gathering broke apart, I waited while Cochran exchanged words with any member of the crew who wished to speak with him. After the last crewman wandered back to the fire, I approached the Captain.
“God knows I realize just how inadequate words are at this time, Captain Cochran, but I am deeply sorry for your losses.” Unbidden, my mind brought forth images of all the men who gave their lives to save mine. I blinked rapidly to clear away the tears that always accompanied those memories.
“Thank you, Your Highness. And I’ve no doubt you know equally well that it’s the thoughts behind the inadequate words that truly matter. Your thoughts are written plainly on your face.” Captain Cochran smiled sadly, his gentle eyes meeting my own. “But much as you wish to offer comfort, I’m sure you have other matters on your mind.”
“I’m afraid you’re right, Captain. What did your nod mean after you stopped the prayer and listened to the airship?”
“I don’t know whose airship approaches, Your Highness, but it’s not the one that flies without an envelope.”
“You can tell that just by the sound of the engines?” I didn’t even try to keep the awe out of my voice.
“I’ve been sailing the skies of Aashla since I was a lad, Your Highness. I’ve picked up a trick or two during those years.” Cochran turned to the east and looked off into the night sky. “The engines on the airship that wrecked the Dancer sounded quieter than they should have. That’s because the noise didn’t echo off the envelope, as it would on any other airship. Taking distance into account, the engines driving the airship coming this way sound normal to my ears. That means it has an envelope.”
“Do you think they’ll offer their help?”
“Likely they will. This route is too lightly traveled for raiders to waste time on it and no reputable captain would refuse help to a crew in need.” Cochran looked at his family and then me, before adding, “That said, I’d prefer you and my family get under cover until we’re sure of their intentions.”
I nodded in agreement and allowed a crewman to guide Nell, Will, Sasha, and me into the shelter of a mostly-intact piece of the Wind Dancer. To my relief, Captain Cochran did not put us in the same place he’d stored the Sunes. We sat quietly, listening as the engine noise grew louder. We even looked up, as if trying to see through the timbers blocking our view of the sky.
Nell remained outwardly calm for the benefit of her children. Imagining how I’d react if my own Rob and Anne were with me, I strove to match her equanimity. So intent were we upon the sounds of the airship, we both jumped visibly when a crewman poked his head into our shelter and spoke.
“Cap’n says it’s okay to come on out, ladies.”
I followed the Cochrans out into the open. Looking up into a night sky lit by the bright band of the planetary ring arching over us, I laid eyes on a most welcome sight.
A mighty airship floated no more than fifty feet above us. Green flags bearing a golden falcon snapped and fluttered in the wind, stirring my heart even more than the Mordanian flag normally does. Several officers clustered at the bow, one of them pointing my way.
Captain Jorson, Naval Commander of my expedition, and his miraculously-undamaged airship, the Tercel, had found us. More importantly, the intact warship indicated an intact crew—including a full contingent of Marines.
Captain Jorson slid down a quickly lowered rope and bowed before me. “I cannot put into words my relief at finding you alive and well, Your Highness! When we saw that freak storm knock the Vanguard from the sky, we feared the worst for you.”
Remembering the airship crash and David’s frantic, Boost-enhanced efforts to keep the two of us alive, I shuddered. “By a miracle and David’s quick reactions, he and I survived the crash. Our crewmen did not. Many of the Vanguard’s crew died in their crash—as well, and many more were killed when trogs attacked them.”
Jorson rose quickly from his bow and fixed his intense stare on me. “Is the Great One on the march again? I thought he liked Captain Rice and Your Highness.”
“No, I’m positive this has nothing to do with the Great One, Captain. I’m rather unclear about who is behind all of this, but it’s not him.” As quickly as possible, I outlines the events of the previous twenty-four hours. I told what little I knew of David’s actions after we split up and then got Captain Cochran to add what little he knew.
Wrapping up the tale, I asked, “And what of the Tercel, Captain? How did you keep the wind from dashing your airship to the ground like it did to the Vanguard and my ship?”
“Credit for that goes to my second-in-command, Your Highness. He was the officer of the watch when we spotted the Vanguard in distress. He immediately ordered the ship to land, deflate the envelope, and anchor the airship.” Jorson gave a self-deprecating smile. “I relieved the man from duty when I learned what he ordered. The storm struck before the guards even got Lieutenant Tucker below deck. I rode out that horrible windstorm wondering just how many members of my crew Tucker saved with his quick thinking.”
I nodded, looking at the huge envelope strung above the Tercel’s hull. “And you spent most of the time since then re-inflating the envelope?”
“Just so, Your Highness. Of course, we only had heated air available to refill Tercel’s envelope rather than proper gas, so she flies low in the sky. But she flies!”
“The important thing is that you’re here, Captain. How many men do you have in total?”
“Three hundred and forty-six, including eighty Marines.” A humorless smile played across the Captain’s face. “I can assure you each and every one of them wants a go at those who downed their sister ships!”
“Excellent! Lift me onboard and we can set off after David.”
My request took Captain Jorson by surprise. “I do not believe that is wise, Your Highness. You should stay here, where you will be safe. Once we’ve found Captain Rice or subdued the trogs, we’ll return for you.”
I expected this argument and had my defense ready. “Do you know where you’re going, Captain?”
Jorson pointed south along the edge of the mountain range. “It doesn’t seem like a particularly complicated route, Your Highness.”
“Perhaps I should rephrase the question. Do you know where you’re stopping, Captain?”
That gave Jorson pause for a few seconds before he shrugged. “No, Your Highness, I do not know where we’re stopping. I don’t suppose you’d care to describe the mountain to
me?”
“I’m not sure I can give you a description adequate to to your needs, Captain, but I’m absolutely positive I will recognize it when I see it.”
“Somehow, I just knew you were going to say that, Your Highness. Will you at least promise to remain on board the airship when the fighting starts?” At my nod, Jorson turned back to his airship and called, “Lower a sling for Her Highness!”
I gave quick hugs to the Cochrans and promised to find Jade and keep her safe, as well. Then I was hoisted onto the Tercel and we sailed off to find my husband.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
David
With no place to hide and no energy to run, I did the only thing possible. I drew my sword, offered up a prayer for a miracle, and waited for the trogs to round the bend in the path.
Seconds later, four trogs walked into sight. Talking among themselves, they walked several feet before noticing me blocking their way. The four carried spears instead of the expected blaster rifles. Was this an answer to my prayer or had Thor made a point of examining all of the blaster rifles when he returned to base. Had he discovered just how filthy the guns were? Either way, the trogs regarded me quizzically for several long seconds before their leader handed his spear to one of the others. Holding his hands up to show he was unarmed, the trog took a couple of careful steps my way.
I readied my sword, which made the unarmed trog raise his hands higher and wave them back and forth in the human sign of negation. I relaxed my stance and lowered my sword, relieved the trog hadn’t seen my arm shaking slightly from the exertion. A strange buzzing assailed my ears, no doubt further proof of my exhaustion.
The trog pointed at me with his left hand and then pointed to his right hand. Finally, he made a fist with his right hand and hit himself on the chest. He did this another time before turning a questioning look my way.
What the hell was this trog trying to say? My exhaustion fogged brain couldn’t figure it out. I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”
The trog muttered something in his own language. I imagine it was along the lines of, “Why is this human so stupid?” Then he went through the entire pantomime a second time. When he hit himself on the chest, though, he added a theatrical head roll and his tongue lolled from his mouth.
As tired as I was, even I could figure out the trog was playing dead. With that minor realization, I caught onto another part of it. Careful not to appear threatening, I reversed my hold on my sword, ran it between my left arm and my body, and copied the tongue lolling.
The trog nodded and took a step my way. I jumped back and raised my sword again. “Whoa there! I didn’t say you could just walk up and kill me.”
The trog shook his head, gave me a dark look, and returned to his squad. Once again armed, he and his patrol readied their spears.
Damn my exhaustion! I’d obviously missed any chance to get out of this without fighting—that meant I’d probably missed any chance of getting out of this alive.
“He’s asking if you’re the Hand of Death.”
The voice, young and feminine, came from above me. As one, the trogs and I looked up. Fifty feet over us floated the Wind Dancer’s pinnace. Captain Cochran’s daughter Jade stared down at us from the railing. How in God’s name had we not heard the pinnace approaching? A trick of the rocks and wind? Simple exhaustion? I pushed aside those thoughts and focused my mind on the trogs.
The trog leader pointed at Jade, looked at me, and then nodded.
“Can you understand what I’m saying?” I asked. Trog vocal cords are very different from human ones, making it all but impossible for either race to speak the other’s languages. But you don’t have to speak a language to understand it.
The trog nodded.
“And you were asking if I am the human the Great One calls the Hand of Death?” When the trog nodded, I said, “Yes, I am that human.”
The trog immediately launched into a far more elaborate pantomime. Within seconds, I was completely baffled.
“Hey, trog,” Jade called from the little airship, “do you know the trade signs?”
With a look of considerable relief, the trog nodded.
Jade vented gas from the pinnace’s envelope, bringing the little craft closer to the ground. “Let me land this thing and then I’ll translate for you.”
I scanned the pinnace’s railing for signs of Callan. Seeing none, I asked, “Where is my wife?”
“When we reached the wreck of the Dancer, Captain Dad insisted she stay with him and the crew.” The girl’s voice broke slightly when she mentioned the airship whose name she selected. “He didn’t really want to let me come after you, but we had to know if you were safe.”
“Remind me to thank your father for both keeping Callan safe and sending you to check on me. How did he convince my wife to stay behind?”
“He didn’t. As I lowered the pinnace, Her Highness was leaning over the rail arguing with my father over his plan. Mom and the others had already slid down lines to the ground, so I gave a signal to Dad and pushed the princess overboard. You can tell she grew up around airships because she can swear like an airman when she’s angry.”
Jade hopped lightly from the pinnace when it touched down. She and the trog exchanged gestures for a minute or so before Jade turned to me. “The short version is the trogs are honored to meet the Hand of Death and don’t want to test the truth of your name. In fact, they really just want to get away from the crazy humans—those are my words, the trog called them ‘sun touched’—and go home.”
I turned to the trog leader. “If I let you go in peace, will you tell the Great One about this place? We may need his help before this is over.”
All four of the trogs nodded emphatically and hurried past me. Jade and I watched them trot along the path and disappear from sight.
“It’s a good thing trogs can’t read human body language,” Jade said. “Could you have beaten them in your current condition?”
“Probably not. So allow me to thank you doubly for your timely intervention.” I kissed the girl’s hand and was rewarded with a blush and a giggle. “And now, m’lady, you should return to your father and report my condition to him.”
“You can’t send me away now! What if you need another translation? I-”
The buzzing I’d heard earlier returned, stronger and much louder than before. It drowned out Jade’s protests and we both looked around for the source. A hundred yards away, a glowing silver ball emerged from the top of a rock chimney. Tiny lightning bolts flashed from the ball and off into the sky. Within seconds, a stiff wind sprang up, rocking the grounded pinnace.
Jade broke for the airship as soon as it moved. I caught her arm and pulled her back.
“Let go! I’ve got to get my pinnace away from this storm!”
I pointed to the silver ball. “It’s not a natural storm, Jade. The wind is just getting started. When it reaches full power, it will smack that pinnace out of the sky as easily as you could swat a bug. We’ve got to find cover now or it might even blow us off of this mountain.”
Jade gave the pinnace a forlorn look then followed me along the path. We were still out in the open when the full brunt of the wind struck.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Callan
I stood in the bow of the Tercel accompanied by Captain Jorson and an ensign with a spyglass. Captain Jorson kept the airship no more than seventy feet off the ground, choosing to forego the advantages of altitude for the advantages of a quick landing. During the first part of the journey, I gave the Captain my third-hand explanation of what was going on. Jorson listened attentively to everything Captain Cochran told me about everything Raoul told David. The Captain’s face grew graver with each passing moment.
“If I understand this, Your Highness, these galactics have figured out how to install one of those implant machines and give a man Boost, just like Captain Rice has?”
“It appears so,” I replied. “I know that is supposed to be classified
information in the Terran Federation, but you know as well as I do that secrets of that nature eventually get out.”
Jorson nodded, conceding the point. “They’ve also figured out how to smuggle their blaster weapons onto Aashla in pieces and have armed men and trogs with the weapons. And if all of that weren’t enough, they’ve got some kind of machine that creates windstorms so violent they knock large warships out of the sky. Is that about it?”
“Begging the Captain’s pardon, sir, you left out the airship that flies without an envelope,” the Ensign added.
“Yes, thank you, Ensign Bodver,” Jorson growled. “Since you’ve obviously been listening to our discussion, perhaps you would be so good as to tell me what you should be on the lookout for?”
“The strange airship, obviously, sir.” Bodver appeared unfazed by his Captain’s demand and answered without taking his eye from his spyglass. “But I think the strange glowing ball that shoots off little lightning bolts is the main concern. Does Her Highness know where on the mountain this ball will be found?”
“I only got a quick look at it,” I said, “but it was near the top of the mountain, Ensign Bodver.”
“Very good, Ensign,” Jorson said. “Sing out if you see the wreck of the Vanguard or that glowing ball.”
“Aye aye, sir!”
“Captain, might I offer a suggestion?” I asked quietly.
“You are my princess, Your Highness. You command, should you so desire.”
“I would only consider commanding in the direst of emergencies, Captain Jorson. The Tercel is your ship and you know her and her crew far better than I.” Jorson smiled, inclining his head slightly at my comment. I continued, “If Ensign Bodver spots that glowing ball, it’s imperative the Tercel land as quickly as possible. May I suggest you pass word that the crew treat the Ensign’s warning as an order to land?”