Quicksilver Soul

by Christine d'Abo

“Where’s Aiko?”

  “She had errands to complete.”

  Timmons rolled his eyes. “She’ll be furious.”

  “I’ll make it up to her. Plus she’ll understand. Giant robot, Rory. It’s brilliant!”

  Sergeant Hawkins snorted on his way to his desk. “Only if we get to the boy first. That fool Clements will see to it that Keegan and the rest of the Underlings are thrown in shackles and put to work on the first airship heading to the Americas. Right now, we have time to set things right.”

  The men continued to chat, planning out strategies on the best way not only to stop Keegan, but also to ensure no one was hurt in the process. Her opinion was consulted more than once, and the annoyance she’d experienced earlier vanished as they listened and incorporated her ideas. Everything was going well until a new arrival appeared at the door. The men all stopped talking, their gazes snapping to the small brunette woman who entered.

  “No one told me we were having a party. I would have brought cake.”

  “Piper.” Emmet’s smile melted the ice in his eyes. “You look well.”

  They embraced, a hug that went on for several heartbeats longer than Nicola cared for. She wasn’t the only one, as Sergeant Hawkins was standing stiff as a board, not once looking away from them until Emmet finally released her.

  Piper was beautiful in the classic sense. She had fine features and a sense of style Nicola nearly envied. Unlike her own practical attire, Piper carried herself in full skirts and a silken corset, her hair stylishly piled atop her head. The white rings around Piper’s eyes did nothing to detract from her appearance. Nicola shouldn’t be jealous of Emmet’s friendship with her—they’d known each other for years—but she couldn’t stop the small twist in her gut the longer she stared at the other woman.

  “You look very well.” But as soon as she said it, Piper reached up and cupped his face. “When did you perform an extraction?”

  “Two days ago.” He stepped back, breaking the contact. “It’s a long tale.”

  “One relevant to our case.” Hawkins crossed his arms, but let his gaze slip from Emmet’s. “Sorry, I’d forgotten.”

  “You’re not given to gazing into my eyes to be constantly reminded. Bastard.” They all chuckled, even as Emmet retreated further away from where the couple stood. “Besides, my memories have been wiped. And my recollection of the events surrounding the extraction is spotty at best.”

  They took a moment to bring the rest up to speed on the details of their time held hostage. Emmet’s description was clinical, as emotionally detached as she’d ever heard him. He went through the details of what Edison had done, his ability to control the mechanical horses from their carriage, the boy’s abilities to manipulate and build the automaton, their attempts at delaying their progress with the extractor. But as he got further into the story, she could see him begin to struggle with the details. Missing bits that were relevant, if not critical. Soon she was filling the gaps, and before long she’d taken over the rest.

  “Mary is… was, Thomas’ wife. She worked for him, which is how they got familiar with each other. She was every bit as brilliant as he was, more so in many respects. When they got married and she retired from works, I was surprised. It didn’t seem right for her to give everything up to raise her family.”

  “Some still believe that a woman can only hold one role in her life.” Piper shook her head as she bumped shoulders with Hawkins. “We do our best to correct them.”

  “I’m not certain if the decision was hers or Thomas’, but in either regard, her memories, once transplanted into the automaton, appeared angry. Mary was sweet natured and even tempered, but I can imagine death would have changed that.”

  “You’d be surprised.” Piper and Hawkins shared a look, but said nothing further.

  She was surprised when Emmet moved to stand beside her. “We know where to start our search for the boy.” He brushed his hand along the side of her shoulder. “Can you send men out?”

  “Already done.” Hawkins turned and took Piper by the shoulders. “Timmons and I will lead the search. Mind running things from here?”

  “You’re going to have me stay off the street and away from all the action?” Piper looked over at Nicola once more. “See what I have to put up with?”

  “You’re in no condition to be out there yet and you know it.”

  Nicola cocked an eyebrow, but Piper said nothing further to her. “I’m aware. Fine. I’ll run the lads from here and get them where you need them to go. But you better keep me informed, or else I’ll come looking for you.”

  “Nicola and I will also continue the search. Give me some men, Samuel, and we’ll head straight out to—”

  “No.”

  Emmet stiffened beside her. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

  “The two of you are not members of the Sentry. You have no place out on the streets chasing this thing down. We’ll let you know when we find her.”

  Nicola crossed her arms and kicked her hip out to the side. “We’re not going to abandon this now. Keegan needs our help.”

  The sergeant looked between them, but she could already tell he had no intention of relenting. “You’ll have your chance to help. After we catch him. For the time being I believe you’ve earned a reprieve. Dennison, be a good host and take her out. Show her the sights. And if you happen to come across a giant rampaging robot, please let me know.”

  “I believe that’s our cue to clear the office.” Timmons pushed his brother out the door. “You and I need to speak.”

  “Come now, Rory. I’m a grown man and more than capable of looking after myself.”

  “Move.”

  Nicola found herself being tugged as Hawkins and Piper turned toward one another. Emmet held his hand out for her to take. “Would you like a fresh tour of New London, Miss Tesla?”

  “Most definitely. I do believe you were going to show me Big Ben. We might have a good view of the city from there. See if there are any rampaging robots.”

  “Indeed. Exactly what I was thinking.”

  As they left, Nicola turned her head in time to see Hawkins lean in and place a kiss on Piper’s forehead. The coil of jealousy wound tight in her chest loosened.

  “The sergeant seems rather possessive of Piper.” In Nicola’s experience, that never turned out to be a positive trait in the men she’d known.

  “He has good reason to be. Not that long ago she was almost killed by Jack the Ripper.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  “She’s only been back on her feet for a short time and insisted on starting her position far sooner than Samuel would have cared for. Not that anyone can stop Piper from doing what she wants.”

  Perhaps Nicola could take the time to get to know her. She seemed a woman after her own heart. Then again…

  “You two seem rather close?” There it was again. She had no reason to be jealous of a woman who was clearly in love with another, and yet her rational mind wouldn’t let her pull away from the memory of how Emmet looked at her. “You spent a lot of time together?”

  Emmet nodded. “Samuel left us behind, myself, Piper, and Jones. She took it rather hard.”

  “And you were there to offer comfort?”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “But you wouldn’t have minded if it was.” He stopped walking, forcing her to slow and turn around. “What?”

  “You’re jealous?” It wasn’t so much accusatory as curiosity. “Why?”

  “I’m not. I have no reason to be. We’ve only shared—” She stopped herself short, looking around to ensure they didn’t have an audience. She lowered her voice as her gaze slipped to the floor. “We’ve only shared physical intimacies in times of stress. I never assumed any emotional connections would develop between us.”

  No, she hadn’t assumed, but recently she’d started wishing that it might come to pass. That in itself was an odd turn of affairs for her; never once had she been even the slightest bit interested in forming
a permanent relationship of any kind. So why she’d spent the better part of the night after leaving Emmet thinking about what might be, she hadn’t a clue.

  “As an archivist, I can’t. You know that.”

  “Piper and Samuel are together.”

  “Piper is no longer an archivist. She resigned her position after Jack had… after Jack. She’s now a resident of New London, free to be with whomever she chooses.”

  “And that’s not something you’d want for yourself? To be free to choose?”

  “No.” He said that single word with such certainty, she was left with no doubt of his sincerity.

  “I see. Then I shall simply enjoy our time together before circumstances part us.” Smiling, she pushed away all future thoughts of relationships to focus on what was truly important—her work. “If you think we still have time, I would love to see Big Ben in his tower.”

  If Emmet questioned her change of attitude, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he held out his arm for her to take. “I’ll have a carriage brought around.”

  It was for the best, to keep things between them light, casual. She’d worked too hard to simply throw everything away for a man who’d committed himself to an order. In time, she’d come to resent him, especially if she was forced to give up her ability to work, as Mary had been with Thomas. And she’d never ask Emmet to do the same.

  She’d treat her time here as a break and a chance to test her theories. Sex was wonderful, but the opportunity to discover if her theory about electrical currents was correct would prove far more lasting.

  * * *

  The ground shook beneath them as Keegan rode upon Mary’s shoulder. Even in full daylight, few people spent time in this section of the city. Unsavory people. These were the men and women who used the Underlings to perform their dirty work, to do such tasks they deemed beneath even them. One such man, who went by the name of the Baron, would hire the smallest of their group to climb deep inside the steam engines to clean out the works.

  If the boys were lucky enough to survive the task, they were then left to defend themselves against the advances of the Baron himself.

  Keegan had been one of the lucky few to have barely escaped both the machine and the odious man’s touch. But many of his friends hadn’t been as fortunate, something he wished to address.

  Yes, we will have a conversation with him. Nice and long and pointed. Keegan smiled and patted Mary’s shoulder.

  The building was one of many in this part of the city, covered in pipes that carried the steam heat to places other than where it was needed most. Dirt and soot from a bygone time when they used such crude materials as coal to heat and drive the power New London consumed was still caked to the stones, forever stained. The warehouse was smaller than where Mr. Edison had kept him, but was large enough for the Baron’s business. The machine fashioned large metal ribs that were critical in the manufacturing of the king’s airships. That was all he made, one single part on the backs of those who never shared in his fortunes.

  Keegan patted Mary’s shoulder once again. “Stop here.”

  The metal creaked as she slowed, coming to a rest before the warehouse door. It only took a moment for him to slide down Mary’s tall body to land firmly on the cobblestones.

  “Baron!”

  He had no doubt the man had already been informed of his approach long before Keegan had rounded the corner of this courtyard. Like many others who lived on in these parts of the city, his network of spies was always on the watch. So when the Baron stepped out of his building, three of his enforcers in tow, Keegan wasn’t the least bit surprised.

  “Well, now, what’s this we have here?”

  “Greetings from the Underlings.” Keegan laced his hands behind his back to hide the fact they were shaking. He didn’t want to give the impression of being scared; he was far from that.

  “What happened to Glyn?” The Baron stepped closer, ignoring Keegan in favor of staring at Mary. “And what the bloody hell is that?”

  “Glyn isn’t in charge anymore.” He stepped closer. “I am.”

  “You don’t say?” The Baron chuckled and pointed the club he’d been carrying at him. “I remember you.”

  “And I remember you.” Keegan’s stomach threatened to spill its contents. He hadn’t been right since leaving Mr. Edison’s care. He needed to find more of those sweets. “I’m here to tell you that the terms of your arrangement with the Underlings have changed.”

  “Oh? And what are your new terms, little master?”

  “No boys will work for you unless payment is received in advance. We expect thirty percent of what you make.” That had been Mary’s idea. Keegan wasn’t certain how much thirty percent was, but she insisted on it. You need to get what you are due. And if he won’t, then take it.

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

  “And no boys will ever be alone with you again.”

  The Baron stared at him long and hard before he spit on the ground between them. “Fuck you. Boys.”

  The three men advanced as one, clubs raised high as they rushed at Keegan. He knew he should be afraid for his life. These men didn’t care if he was a boy, unarmed and defenseless. They would kill him where he stood, disposing of his body without a second thought. He should be running for shelter, lifting his arm to protect his face from the inevitable blow of wood against flesh. Keegan simply stared at the Baron and grinned.

  Before the first one got within striking distance, Mary stepped forward and swung her giant hand. The unfortunate man was sent flying high, his body landing with a sickening thud against the side of the stone wall. His lifeless corpse landed in a heap on the stones.

  The other two men stopped short, their full attention now focused on Mary. They circled around them, trying to attack from both sides simultaneously. A noise bubbled from her voice speaker that sounded like little more than a screech, but Keegan suspected it was a sound of pleasure, if such a thing were possible.

  Mary reached out and grabbed the larger of the two men by the front of his shirt. The second seized the opportunity to launch his attack, slamming the club against her side. The blow was strong enough to dent her casing near where the lock was housed. A few more like that and there was a possibility of her getting hurt. Not that she gave them the chance. With a simple move she swung her captive around and slammed the two men together. They knocked heads, sending a spray of blood across the stones. Then she simply stepped on their unmoving bodies, ending any further assaults.

  Now defenseless, the Baron edged backward toward the safety of his warehouse. “You’re fucking mad.”

  “No, I’m tired of others being in control of my life.” With a silent command, he sent Mary after the Baron. The man was too fat to escape and was soon dangling from her metal grasp. “I’m tired of men like you and your abuse. Taking what you want, never caring about the consequences.”

  “Put me down! I’ll fucking kill you!”

  “I’m tired of the guilds taking who they want to live and work within their buildings. I’m tired of not knowing what happened to my parents. Of trying to survive on my own.” His hands shook to the point of no longer remaining clasped behind his back, so he let them fall to his sides.

  Keegan knew she was toying with him, a cat playing with her prey before moving in for the kill. Maybe he could rework her face and mold a metal smile on her lips. She seemed the sort who would like that, to be always smiling.

  “Get this metal bitch away from me.”

  “I don’t think so. She’s my friend and she’s here to help me fix things. See, this city is broken from the inside out. Them muckety-mucks don’t see it. They’re not down here in the dirt with the rest of us. They let the guilds do what they want and they let strangers come and do what they want and no one cares about us. Well, I care, and I’m going to make things right!”

  Keegan gave Mary a mental push. The sound of metal gears grinding against each other filled the air, masking the screeches from the Baron
himself.

  “I think it’s time you have a closer look at your machine, Baron. I think it might need a cleaning.”

  “No. No!” He struggled uselessly as Mary carried him into the warehouse toward the giant pipes of the machine.

  The few workers present fled from the place without so much as a backward glance at their employer. Keegan struggled to keep pace with her, his head spinning from the exertion. Mary waited for him before the giant boiler, steam hissing through the pipes and heating the small space to a nearly unbearable temperature, even in the cold winter.

  “Put me down and I’ll give you whatever you want. Gold, money, anything.”

  That’s what they all say. They promise and promise to give you everything, but in the end they only take and take and take and take. The sound of Mary’s voice in his head sent another wave of pain through his body. Let me do this for you. I’ll give and it will be wonderful.

  “Please, boy.”

  “Can you give me back my old life? Can you find my parents and have them walk through that door to take me back to our home that no longer exists?” Tears came from nowhere, streaming down his cheeks. “Can you make up for all the cold nights I spent alone? Hungry and scared?” When the Baron said nothing, Keegan shook his head. “I thought not.”

  Without Keegan telling her to do so, Mary turned and began to climb up onto the boiler, the Baron still struggling in her grasp. When she got to the top of the closest steam pipe, she opened the maintenance hatch and shoved him inside. With a clang she shut the door on his screams, bending the handle so it would never be opened again.

  Chapter Nineteen

  There were 334 limestone stairs to the top of the Clock Tower, and Nicola counted every single one as they climbed the winding staircase. The air around them grew colder the higher they rose, making her wish that she’d retrieved her thicker wool coat from the inn before making this journey. Despite the dropping temperature, sweat trickled down between her breasts as they continued on their steady pace. It was far from pleasant, and she couldn’t be happier.

  After having spent their days cooped up in captivity, it was amazing to find freedom as she climbed. Emmet had retreated into his shell, leaving her with only her thoughts. The engineer in her was ecstatic at the opportunity to see firsthand the craftsmanship of the double three-legged gravity escapement she’d previously only heard about. More so, she wanted to set eyes upon the cast iron spire to inspect the handiwork.