“It’s just—” she felt awkward. “I joined the diplomatic corps to do something good. But it seems like everything’s gone so wrong since then, and I don’t know who to trust anymore, and I’ve had to kill people, and it’s— it just feels like everything is falling apart around us and I need to do everything I can to hold it together.”
Cristof drew in a breath. She expected his usual exhortation that she’d only done what was necessary to survive, but instead he slowly exhaled and hugged her again.
“I’m lucky you stay with me,” he murmured. “Sometimes I still think too much like an exalted.”
Puzzled, she pulled back and searched his face. He gave her a crooked smile and tapped her keel.
“Look at this mess. You know salt water will ruin your wing mechanisms, don’t you?”
She smiled uncertainly back. She wasn’t sure what was going through his mind, but she was relieved to be back on familiar ground again.
“If you’ll get me some fresh water and your kit from the Firebrand, I’ll clean it while we wait,” he continued.
“The ambassador of Ondinium can’t be seen cleaning an armature!”
“Oh, to hell with the ambassador of Ondinium. All he ever does is argue and start wars. Your husband is proud to keep his heroic wife’s armature well-maintained and ready to use.”
Taya blushed and beamed, standing on her toes to kiss him. He looked startled but gratified as she slipped off to fetch her cleaning supplies.
* * *
Later, the justiciars descended, with the Firebrand’s officers, to relay their decision.
“In terms of the challenge,” Xu Chausiki announced, “the Impeccable Justiciary finds Alzana’s Indomitable victorious, leaving Ondinium’s Firebrand unable to continue the combat. The Indomitable has won the right to keep Patrice Corundel with its crew while it remains within the Cabisi Thalassocracy.”
Taya stared at the justiciar, shocked. A ripple of protest ran through the Firebrand crew. Even the Cabisi in the audience seemed surprised, leaning their heads toward each other to murmur comments. Taya glanced at Cristof, but his expression was hidden behind his mirrorlike mask. Captain Amcathra might as well have been wearing a mask, too; his face was inexpressive. Behind him, Imbrex and Dautry frowned.
“However,” Xu continued, “the Impeccable Justiciary finds the Indomitable guilty of intentionally causing harm to Justiciar Tu Jinian. Accordingly, we declare the crew of the Indomitable in violation of Cabisi law and subject to arrest and return to Os Cansai for a hearing. We believe the Indomitable is fleeing our nation and we are therefore sending signals across the Thalassocracy reporting its fugitive status and asking for updates regarding its flight path. If the Indomitable lands in Cabiel, its crew is subject to arrest.”
Well, that’s something, Taya thought, nettled.
“In gratitude for your rescue of our justiciar,” Xu continued, looking at Taya, “the Os Cansai harbor agrees to help you repair your ship and see you on your way as speedily as possible. The Impeccable Justiciary also agrees to convey to the continent, on the next ship departing for Mareaux or any other destination you prefer, any message you wish to send to your Council.”
“Thank you,” Captain Amcathra replied.
“Finally,” Xu added, “Tu Jinian, a justiciar, seeks to challenge the captain of the Indomitable, an Alzanan aerostat, for ordering her murder and throwing her overboard. Although Captain Fiore is not here to offer his defense or accept the challenge, after hearing witness testimony, the Impeccable Justiciary agrees that Tu Jinian’s complaint is valid and approves the challenge according to the laws of the land.”
Tu bowed to the justiciars, looking satisfied.
“Are there any questions about or protests against these decisions?”
Taya turned. The Firebrand’s crew shifted restlessly, their glances cutting toward Captain Amcathra and Lieutenant Imbrex. The two officers shook their heads.
“Thank you,” Xu concluded, bowing. Taya and the Firebrands glumly followed suit. Then, as though released, the Cabisi onlookers divided into smaller groups, talking and exclaiming over the battle.
“Captain Amcathra,” Tu said in Alzanan, approaching the lictor and bowing. “May I travel with your crew back to the continent?”
“Do you intend to pursue the Indomitable?”
“I do.”
“Then I have no objection.”
Chapter Ten
The Firebrands observed funeral services for the three lictors who had died in the battle— the one who had been lost overboard and two who had been killed on deck during the firefight. Thirteen crew members were left. Captain Amcathra, after a drawn-out consultation with Cristof, reluctantly agreed to allow a select group of Cabisi engineers and shipwrights aboard to assist with the repairs.
“The Council will hate the thought of foreigners on the ship,” Cristof told Taya, “but since Ondinium’s secret is out, anyway, I don’t see any reason to keep them off.”
“I’m still surprised the captain agreed to it.”
“He doesn’t have much choice. The damage is extensive. Our crew can perform simple repairs, but they’re not aeronautical engineers.”
“And the Cabisi are?”
“They’re the ones who sold dirigible designs to the Alzanans, so they have more technical knowledge of aerostats than most of us. I’m sure they’ll be able to help.”
“Will we be able to leave soon, then?”
“Not for a few more days, at least.”
“But that means the Indomitable will reach Ondinium before we do!”
“I don’t think it’s going straight to Ondinium, love. Remember, the ship was badly damaged, and its crew doesn’t know King Agosti is dead. I expect it will return to Alzana to be repaired and to deliver its cargo. That means the Alzanans won’t have a chance to use the serpentfire cannon for several more weeks.” He squeezed her hand. “The Council will get our warning long before that.”
She hoped he was right. Amcathra, Cristof, and Pitio had worked out a coded message to be carried by Cabisi traders to the nearest port in Mareaux. From there it would be telegraphed to Terminal, which sat on the Mareaux-Ondinium border. The lictors at Terminal would relay it by luxograph to the capital. If they were lucky, the whole process would take about a week, but Taya could imagine dozens of things that could go wrong with the plan.
In the meantime, she and Cristof had little to do. The Cabisi showed the Ondinium ambassador around their factories and laboratories, and they attended several exhibitions of dance and music and a private reception at an art gallery. Liliana attended the cultural events but skipped the industrial tours in favor of going out boating and sightseeing with Xu Sankau and her friends. She seemed to be coming to terms with her losses, although Taya still caught the young principessa gazing into the distance from time to time with a forlorn look on her face.
Taya wished she could skip the industrial tours, too. She was usually able to avoid the worst of her husband’s gearhead enthusiasms, but whenever his fascination with machines overlapped with his activities as an ambassador, she had little choice but to accompany him.
“I do not think it is good to work too closely with your spouse,” Tu Jinian mused one afternoon over lunch in the marketplace. Cristof was spending the day on the Firebrand, where he could chat unmasked with the Cabisi engineers who were proposing improvements to the ornithopter’s engine and wing structure. “A little working together is important, or you have nothing to say to each other, but too much working together leads to numerous opportunities for argument.”
“Are you married?”
“No, not me. Husbands want attention and children, and I am not yet ready to dedicate my time to either one.”
“They do need attention, although Cri — the ambassador — doesn’t want children.”
“Do you?”
“Do you think you can?”
“I think he secretly enjoys children. He’s just afraid to have any of his own. His family— wasn’t the best.”
“Then it is wise to wait and let him grow more comfortable with the idea.” The justiciar pushed her empty plate to one side, leaning back in her chair.
“So what do you do when you aren’t a justiciar, Tu?”
“Please, call me Jinian, or Jin, if you prefer. I am a kattaka.”
Taya remembered the term. “A temple guardian?”
“Yes.”
“I’d better warn you that my husband isn’t very religious.”
“That is not important.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Why should religious belief be important?”
“So that you’ll do the right things to attain a better rebirth!”
“Does he do the right things, your husband, even without belief?”
Taya hesitated.
“Yes. Mostly. He’s honorable and loyal and tries his hardest to be a good person. We’ve both had to kill people, but….”
“Killing is sometimes the right thing. The Dance unfolds in many ways and requires us to strike many poses over the course of our life.”
That’s right, Taya reminded herself, picking up her glass of palm wine. I’m talking to a religious warrior in a country where dueling is an acceptable way of settling disputes.
“On second thought,” Taya said, “you two will probably get along just fine.”
Jinian looked pleased.
The Cabisi engineers had a number of excellent suggestions for improving the ornithopter, Cristof reported that night, although some of them were impractical for the amount of time they wanted to spend in Os Cansai. Still, the work moved along quickly with their help and within a week the Firebrand had been repaired, refueled, and reprovisioned. Captain Amcathra took the opportunity to buy new Cabisi ammunition and to bring several Cabisi weapons on board, including new cannon to replace the heavier Ondinium weapons.
“Did you buy any serpentfire cannon?” Taya asked with trepidation.
“The manufacturer had none left that were close to completion,” Amcathra replied. “The Indomitable bought all three working models.”
Taya shivered.
The ceremony to bid them farewell was as simple as the ceremony to welcome them, with a dinner the night before and then a line of justiciars and a mob of curious townsfolk at the harbor the next morning. When the group reached the Firebrand, Cristof went below to change out of his mask and robes while Taya stayed on top to watch their departure.
“I liked Cabiel,” Liliana said, next to her. The girl had bid tearful goodbyes to her new friends the night before, but that didn’t stop her from growing teary again as she watched the harbor recede. She wore her best Cabisi dress and a number of the bright bangles her friends had given her as going-away presents. “I felt safe there.”
“Are you not safe in Alzana?” Jinian asked, leaning against the rail. She had stepped down from the Impeccable Justiciary before leaving and now wore regular Cabisi garments and jewelry. However, like the kattaka in the Pearl Temple, she wore two belts around her waist, one metal and one supporting a long dagger.
“I always had guards and maids wherever I went,” Liliana explained. “We always had to be wary of kidnappers and assassins….” She looked at Taya, her expression crumbling.
“Then it is true that the Families in Alzana fight each other without rules?” Jinian asked as Taya squeezed the girl’s hand.
“My Family’s enemies killed my mother,” Liliana said, her voice catching. Jinian’s eyes widened. “And my oldest brother, and my grandfather Il Re, and I don’t know about Silvio and Pietra yet, but….” Her fists clenched on the ship’s rail. “Taya and the ambassador rescued me and promised to help me get revenge.”
“You are fighting a vendetta right now?” Tu looked astounded.
“Nobody told you?”
“No.” Jinian looked at Taya.
“We fled Alzana after the rebels killed the king and framed us for the murder,” Taya said, feeling uncomfortable. “We weren’t in time to save Liliana’s family, but we were able to take her with us when we left.”
“Does Xu know about this? Or are you keeping these secrets from the justiciary?”
“Well….” Taya squirmed. “It wasn’t a secret from the justiciary, exactly. We didn’t want the Alzanans to find out their king was dead, so we forbade our crew from discussing it. I suppose we could have mentioned it to the Impeccable Justiciary after the Indomitable had fled, but… it didn’t occur to us. We were so concerned about getting the Firebrand repaired that we forgot you didn’t know the whole story.”
“I see.” Jinian gave her an evaluating look. “Even if that is true, the ‘whole story’ is now very important to me, since I am traveling with you.”
“If you don’t… we could drop you off at one of the islands….” Taya bit her lip.
“As it happens, I have no objection to helping a foreign princess defeat her enemies. You have my assistance, Liliana, if you wish it.”
Liliana nodded, wiping away incipient tears with the back of her hand.
“Thank you, Jin.”
“Good.” Jinian folded her arms. “Is an Alzanan vendetta nothing but kidnappings and assassinations? I do not care for such tactics.”
“Not always. Sometimes there’s direct combat when the Families run into each other on the street, or one Family invades another’s lands. Other times there might be ambushes.” Liliana dropped her gaze from Jinian’s expression. “My sister Pietra knows more about vendettas than I do. She’s a major in the army.”
“Excuse me,” Captain Amcathra said, stepping up behind them. “Now that we have left the harbor, I would appreciate it if passengers stayed off the forecastle.”
“We were telling Jinian about Liliana’s vendetta,” Taya explained.
“I am certain that can be done just as effectively on the quarterdeck.”
“Are you also one of Liliana’s allies, Captain?” Jinian asked.
“I serve the exalted, and I respect his alliances.”
“Good. I need somebody to tell me more about our relative strengths and weaknesses compared to the Alzanans.” Jinian looked around. “Perhaps we can begin with this ship.”
“Icarus…”
“We’d better let the crew get to work,” Taya said. “Maybe Captain Amcathra will show us around when he’s off duty tonight.”
“It would be more efficient to assign a lictor who is off-duty right now to answer your questions.” He turned to the nearest crew member. “Tell Sergeant Lucanus to report to our passengers.”
“Yes, sir.”
“In Cabiel,” Jinian said, “we expect our most respected experts and leaders to serve as guides to their facilities. They provide more insightful answers than less experienced employees.”
Amcathra’s eyes narrowed.
“If you wish, I will be available to answer your questions after dinner, Justiciar Tu.”
“I am not serving as a justiciar anymore, Captain. Now I am a kattaka again.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Taya said quickly, leading her friends away before they could try the lictor’s patience any further.
“He’s always in such a bad mood.” Liliana sighed. “I don’t think he likes me.”
“That’s not it,” Taya assured her. “He’s just busy.”
“Are you fond of the captain, Liliana?” Jinian asked. The principessa shot
her a mortified look and the Cabisi woman laughed.
“I’m not!” the girl protested. “I’m worried about my Family and if I’ll ever be able to go back home to Alzana— I don’t have any time to care about some bad-tempered old Demican soldier!”
“Your worries are serious, Liliana, but they are not made less serious by taking the time to admire a man. Your bad-tempered Demican soldier is too pale for my taste, and I do not find Ondinium castemarks attractive, but he is not old and he has a very nice body. I imagine he looks quite handsome naked.”
“Jinian!” Liliana was shocked.
Taya burst into laughter.
“For the Lady’s sake, don’t ever let him hear you say that!” she exclaimed. “And don’t let the crew hear, either.”
“Why not?” Jinian looked puzzled. “Is this another Ondinium taboo?”
“He’s the captain. He has to maintain his dignity.”
“How does admiring a man threaten his dignity? Most men are proud to be admired.”
“Excuse me, ladies?” The short but sturdy-looking lictor stood to one side of their small group. “I’m Sergeant Cento Lucanus. I’m here to answer any questions you have about the Firebrand?”
“Oh…” Liliana looked flustered.
Lucanus gave them a conspiratorial grin. “And for the record, if you feel like admiring me, my dignity won’t be threatened at all.”
Jinian smiled. “I am glad that not everybody with a black stripe on his face lacks a sense of humor.”
“It is a caste requirement, but the Great Examination isn’t perfect. May I ask whose dignity is at risk of being over-admired?”
“No,” Taya said, firmly. “But Tu Jinian would appreciate it if you’d give us a quick idea of how well ornithopters stand up to dirigibles in a fight.”
“Happy to oblige, Justiciar Tu.”
“Just Jin, please. I am not a justiciar now.”
Lucanus was well into his explanation when Cristof finally joined them.
“Haven’t you heard enough lectures over the last few days?” the exalted asked, sliding an arm around Taya’s waist and kissing her hello. “I could have sworn you’d be sick of machines by now.”
Clockwork Secrets Page 17