“All right,” he said at last. I’m not going back to the mansion, though. Analyn’s already going to throw a fit when she sees you’re gone.”
“Go to the Flying Pig,” I said. “I think Tinker’s room is still unoccupied.”
He sighed, and went wandering back toward the city. As I watched him walk away, I suppressed my urge to call out to him. There were so many things I wanted to talk to him about; so many things that had happened between us. I wanted to discuss what it all meant for us, for our future, but the timing wasn’t right.
Instead of calling out, I watched him walk back into the city and then I turned my attention back to the gyros. We had weapons to install and repairs to do, and I wanted everything perfect before the Vangars arrived. Little did I know that we had even less time than we’d expected.
Chapter 27
The sky turned dark at noon and within the hour, it began to rain. It was a cold autumn rain, the kind that sends shivers down your spine and drives sensible people to their hearths with a warm mug and a book. For us, it meant more work.
I helped Cabol and the others move their tools and equipment into the shelter of the nearest dragon ship, and then we pushed the gyros in as well. By the time we were done, the weather had turned furious. Heavy clouds pressed down, sucking all the color out of the world and making the hairs rise on our arms and necks as lightning flashed across the sky. The thunder that rolled across the plains made us think of the dragon ships, and drove us to work even harder.
Analyn found me eventually, but I was well enough that she couldn’t convince me to leave my work. Robie arrived about the same time. All three of us were standing there when one of Analyn’s newly appointed soldiers came screaming up the road on a steamwagon. He was an older man, balding with a white beard. He was driving so fast we thought he might have lost control. He pulled the brakes just beyond the dragon ship, locking the wheels up so that he slid several yards on the wet ground.
“Highness!” he shouted, jumping off the wagon and running towards us. “My Queen, you must come!”
“Archold, are you mad?” she said. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Vangars on the south side of the city,” he said breathlessly. “Come!”
All three of us broke into a run. We climbed into the steamwagon at once, and Archold released the brake and twisted the throttle. We took off like a rocket, fishtailing back onto the road as we went racing into the city as fast as the steamwagon could carry us. We shouted for people to get out of our way as Archold navigated the streets, sliding dangerously as we cornered around the square. Then we turned onto Main Street and shot out of the city, leaving a crowd of mystified onlookers in our wake.
A group of soldiers had gathered at the front of the city. They were armed with cutlasses and blunderbusses and they were staring out across the plains as we arrived. In the distance, I saw a lone figure on horseback, trotting slowly towards us.
“What happened?” Analyn demanded. “Where are the Vangars?”
“There were three of ‘em on horseback,” Archold said.
“They left,” said one of the others. “All but the one…”
I narrowed my eyes, staring. “That’s no Vangar,” I said. “That’s a human.”
“Drive,” Analyn commanded. Archold shot her a worried look and then thought better of arguing with his queen. He twisted the throttle and we took off, heading straight for the stranger in the distance.
As we got closer, I realized that the man was slumped over in the saddle, barely able to carry his own weight. I knew instantly from the shape of his build and his wild, wooly hair that it was Tinker. My heart froze in my chest as I recognized him. I immediately assumed the worst. He was dead. They had killed Tinker and sent his body to us as a warning.
Despite the great speed at which we were traveling, I rose to my feet, oblivious to the danger. Robie caught my hand and tried to pull me back but I resisted, barely aware of him. I leaned forward, my hands clutching the rail in a white-knuckle grip. “Tinker!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Tinker!”
The horse shied back as we drew near, and Archold braked the wagon so as not to frighten the beast. As we rolled to a stop, I jumped to the ground and went racing up to him. The horse danced sideways fearfully, and Tinker’s body began sliding out of the saddle. I leapt forward to catch him, but Robie was already a step ahead of me. He caught Tinker and I reached out to help lower the old man to the ground. I couldn’t believe how light he felt. Then I saw the withered flesh on his face, his cracked lips, and I knew. They had starved him to death.
I touched his neck, desperately searching for a pulse. To my shock, I found something. It was so faint I hardly dared believe it at first, so I bent forward and put my cheek to his face. Despite the driving rain and wind, I felt the unmistakable warmth on his lips.
“He’s alive!” I said. “We need to get him warmed up.”
We loaded Tinker onto the steamwagon and raced back to the mansion nearly as fast as we’d driven out of the city. We left Archold behind to make room for Tinker. Analyn guided the wagon expertly through traffic, and having seen us pass through once already, no one delayed in moving out of her path. Within minutes, we were back at the mansion.
Robie easily carried the malnourished old man upstairs to an unused room. Robie went to fetch a bed warmer and Analyn rushed to the kitchen for tea and stew. I stripped Tinker out of his wet clothes and covered him with a heavy feather blanket. I pulled a chair up to the bed and sat next to him, placing my hands on his chest.
Tinker’s skin was cold and clammy, his breathing shallow and labored. I instantly discerned that he had been beaten badly and had gone without food or water for several days. I searched for major wounds, hoping that I might speed his healing, but I found only bruises. At his age, Tinker simply didn’t have the strength to withstand the Vangars’ abuse.
Analyn returned as I was working and insisted on pouring some water down his throat. I didn’t argue. Tinker needed the hydration badly. She put the cup to his lips, and to my surprise, Tinker drank deeply. After downing several large gulps, he turned his head away from the cup and his eyes fluttered open.
“You’re okay,” Analyn said, pressing her hand to his forehead. “You’re safe now.”
Tinker grimaced as if he were in pain. “No,” he said weakly, his voice rasping with dehydration. “Not safe.”
“Hush,” Analyn said. “Sleep now.”
“No!” he tried to sit up, but barely had the strength to move. I leaned forward, entering his field of vision, hoping it might comfort him to see my face.
“What’s the matter?” I said. “How can I help you, Tinker?”
He shook his head, closing his eyes. “Vangars,” he said dryly. “Twenty-four hours.”
Analyn’s eyebrows shot up. “Twenty-four hours? That’s when they’re going to attack?”
“Surrender,” he said, “or die.”
He broke into a fit of coughing. When he was finished, Analyn gave him another sip of water. Then he lost consciousness. She turned to me, her face etched with worry. “Can you help him?”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with him,” I said sadly. “He just needs rest. He needs water and food, if he can find the strength to eat.”
“Let’s let him rest in peace then,” she said. “We have much to discuss.”
The three of us went to the kitchen. I took the heavy teapot from the woodstove to serve Analyn and Robie, but she slapped my hand and took the teapot from me. “I’ll serve myself, thank you very much,” she said. “And I’ll serve you two as well. Do not let this queen business go to your head. I don’t plan for it to last.”
“What are you talking about?” Robie said. “You are the queen. There’s not much you can do about that.”
“You’d be surprised,” she said. “After all, I am queen. If I say things are going to change, you’d better take it seriously.”
“Whatever do you mean?” I said. “Will you
step down from the throne?”
Robie snorted. “Is that even allowed?”
“Not exactly,” Analyn said, filling our teacups. “I have something else in mind, a system where every citizen will vote to choose their leaders.”
Robie laughed aloud. “You want to put the peasants in control of the government?” he said.
She fixed him with a stern gaze. “And why not? It’s their land, isn’t it? They are the farmers, the smiths, and the bakers. They’re the ones who make everything work. It’s by their satisfaction that the nobles rule anyway, isn’t it? Revolutions do happen from time to time, when the populace doesn’t approve of the way things are going. And they seem to do just fine at electing mayors and sheriffs without anybody’s help.”
“Still,” he said skeptically, “to give absolute power to the people? They’ll just end up voting for whoever promises the most. That’s how mayors usually get elected. It’ll never work.”
She turned her gaze on me. “And you, Breeze? Do you think my idea is silly as well?”
I glanced back and forth between the two of them, considering it. “I like it,” I said at last. “I think we can all agree that King Ryshan didn’t always do what was best for the people. Many kings and queens do not. This way, the power is in the hands of the people. If they use it foolishly, they have no one to blame but themselves.”
Analyn smiled. “My thoughts exactly.” She finished pouring the tea and settled down at the table with us. “That’s a discussion for later. Right now, we have other worries.”
“The Vangars,” Robie said with a snarl. “I knew they were up to no good.”
“At least we know that we have twenty-four hours,” I said. “That should be enough time to finish our work.”
“Do you think so?” Analyn said.
“Of course! I’ve been to the airfield. They’re making fantastic progress. They’ve even mounted weapons on the gyros.”
“That’s good news,” Analyn said, “but I’m still worried. We may not have as much time as you think.”
“But Tinker said they would attack in twenty-four hours,” I said.
“And you believe him?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You don’t think Tinker would lie to us, do you?”
“No, of course not. I just don’t think the Vangars necessarily told him the truth.”
I stared into my tea, considering that. “You think they lied to him, in order to fool us?”
“It’s a possibility I cannot over look. Consider this: How did Tinker escape? As far as I can tell, they let him go. They even gave him a horse. And they gave him a message to deliver to us: surrender in twenty-four hours or die.”
“You have a point,” Robie said. “Why would they warn us if they planned to recapture the city? Why not just attack? That’s how they’ve always done things before.”
“Indeed,” Analyn said.
I groaned. “And that’s why they sent Tinker. They knew we would trust him. They knew we would believe his warning…” I raised my eyes, staring at Analyn. “They’re going to attack tonight, aren’t they?”
“I think we’d better expect it,” she said. “Breeze, I know you haven’t been well. I don’t expect you to have any part in this. You should be here with Tinker, to look after him.”
“I’m well enough to fly,” I said. “Don’t try to deny that you need me. There’s nothing more I can do for Tinker.”
“And you?” she said, staring at Robie. “Are you prepared for this? When the Vangars strike, it’s like lightning. You’d sooner hold back the four winds. They will show no weakness.”
“Yes they will,” Robie said defiantly. “Before the night is over the Vangars will beg us to let them flee back across the sea.”
Analyn put her hands on the table and stood up. “It’s settled then,” she said. “We all know what needs to be done, so let’s do it.”
Chapter 28
We had little time for discussion that afternoon. Our time was spent training Robie’s pilots and working with the engineers and mechanics to maximize our meager defenses before nightfall. We spent much of the day pulling the cannons out of the dragon ships, and relocating them around the perimeter of the city. The bulk of these went south, in the direction we knew the Vangars would be attacking.
There was a possibility of course, that the Vangars would attack from the west or north in an attempt to surprise us, but Analyn said we should expect a full frontal assault. The Vangars already thought they were going to surprise us by attacking before the twenty-four hour deadline. I hoped she was right because the cannons were heavy enough that once they were in place, we wouldn’t be able to move them again.
The citizens and refugees in Anora banded together, working without rest throughout the day. They labored to move the cannons and build barricades at the front of the city to resist the dragon ships’ attacks. The blacksmiths worked tirelessly to arm the populace with swords and blunderbusses, and managed to replicate more than a dozen of the Vangar artillery shells for the cannons. That left us with nearly fifty rounds, presuming the new shells worked correctly. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to test them. We also didn’t have the time or extra ammunition to test the rifles mounted on our gyroplanes. We could only trust in the mechanics’ skills.
The rain continued unrelentingly into the night, and though we worked under the shelter of the dragon ships whenever possible, there wasn’t a single person in that city who was dry. A group of the elderly volunteered to spend their time preparing food for the army. When Analyn declared that all food goods stored within the city were now public domain, no one dared argue with her. The volunteers raided the cellars and storehouses of numerous businesses, and spent the entire day cooking stews and baking bread.
As night fell, additional volunteers went around the city making sure everyone had been fed. When the food wagon pulled up to the dragon ship where we were working, Analyn was there. It was ten p.m.
We were the last of the army to be fed, not because of any rank or indifference, but because we were the furthest from the city. Analyn apologized for arriving so late with our dinner, and then ate with us because she had been so busy seeing to others’ needs that she hadn’t eaten either.
We had no heart for conversation that night. We sat on makeshift benches scattered around the campfire, forcing food into our mouths because we knew we needed it, but we didn’t taste it. Our minds were somewhere else, numbed by exhaustion and overwhelmed with stress and worry. There wasn’t a soul in the city that night who didn’t realize that this was our last stand. If the Vangars retook Anora, they would rule over us forever.
After dinner, Analyn left us to our work. There wasn’t much left for us to do but wait. With the time we’d had, we had done everything we could. Then, just before midnight, Analyn came back to the airfield.
“Are they here?” Robie said as she pulled up on a steamwagon. “Is it time?”
“No, no sign of them yet,” she said. “Breeze, I came to tell you that Tinker is awake. He’s asking for you.”
I hesitated. I was well aware of the fact that the Vangars might attack any minute, and I knew where my duty was. Robie stepped up to my side, embracing me. “Go,” he whispered into my ear.
I should have known something was amiss that very moment, but I was too emotionally drained and exhausted to catch it. He kissed me and pulled away, staring into my eyes. “I’ll be right back,” I promised. “Just a few minutes-”
“It’s okay,” he said reassuringly, wiping my hair away from my face. “Tinker needs you. Hurry.”
“I will,” I promised. He gave me one last kiss on the lips and I climbed onto the wagon.
Minutes later, we were back at the mansion. Analyn parked at the top of the drive, and waved me off. “Hurry up,” she said. “I’ll wait for you.”
I nodded and rushed into the mansion. Breathlessly, I climbed the stairs and rushed down the hall to Tinker’s room. I pressed the door open quietly. My heart leapt
as I saw him sitting up in bed, devouring a bowl of hot stew.
“Tinker!” I cried out, rushing to his side. I put my arms around him and he patted me gently on the shoulder as if I was still the little girl who’d been left on his doorstep.
“There,” he said. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
I felt tears coming to my eyes and I forced them back. “I was so worried,” I said, reaching out to touch the bruises on his face. “What did they do to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said with a smile. “They weren’t smart enough to kill me, that’s all that counts.”
I laughed. Hearing him talk like that almost made me believe that everything would be okay. “I can’t stay,” I said. “I have to fly.”
“You shouldn’t,” he said.
“Tinker, I have to. You know I do, just like you had to stay in Anora even when you could have escaped. It’s my duty.”
“Leave your duty to others,” he said, pulling me into his arms.
As I leaned into him, I heard a familiar buzzing noise in the distance. I pulled away. “What was that?” I said, my heart skipping a beat.
“What do you mean?”
I ignored him and raced over to the window. I looked to the north, but I had no view of the airfield. Frustrated, I glanced down at the drive to see if Analyn had noticed the noise too. That was when I noticed that Analyn was gone, and I realized that I had been betrayed. To the north, I heard the sound of a second gyroplane engine start up, and then a third. I turned my furious gaze on Tinker.
“What’s going on here?” I said.
He stared at me silently, knowingly.
I raced out of his room, back downstairs and out the front doors. I threw my gaze back and forth across the estate, telling myself that Analyn wasn’t gone, that she had just moved the wagon off the road. I was only fooling myself, of course. She had left me there on purpose.
Tinker's War (The Tinkerer's Daughter Book 2) Page 24