The voice of the supervisor of the guards who had accompanied Jason north toward Danalee sounded unhappy over the long-distance far-talker. “He suddenly got all excited. He’d just been sitting there, but when the train was slowing down to go through Minut he jerked as though someone had said something to him. A moment later he started yelling at us. And then he pulled himself out the window next to him and jumped before we could stop him! By the time we got the train stopped and ran back to check he had disappeared.”
“What did he yell?” Mari demanded.
“He said, ‘It’s the dobblegongeh. Tell them it was the dobblegongeh.’ And he insisted that Lady Kira was on the Imperial ships.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him we would inform Lady Master Mechanic Alli and Sir Mechanic Calu as soon as we got to Danalee. And that was when he jumped out.”
Alain nodded to Mari. “The response of the guard supervisor was reasonable.”
Mari nodded as well before hitting the transmit button on the large, long-distance far-talker again. “I can’t fault that. Obviously it wasn’t enough for Jason, though.”
“No, Lady, it wasn’t. He kept saying it would take too long, that Lady Kira needed help now.”
Mari lowered her face into her hands, collecting herself before answering again. “Make sure all the Minut authorities know that Jason is out there, and make sure every form of transportation out of the city is under the closest watch possible.”
“Yes, Lady. I deeply regret failing you.”
“Let’s just try to fix it now,” Mari said.
She turned to Alain. “We’ve lost both of them again.”
“What does dobblegongeh mean?” he asked.
“I have no idea. Why would Jason say that?”
“It seemed that he expected us to know what it meant.”
“Kira never told us anything about that. Was she supposed to have?” Mari paced restlessly. “It’s not a Mechanic term. As far as I can recall it’s nowhere in the tech manuals that survive from the great ship. But maybe I forgot it. I skimmed most of those texts twenty years ago in pretty tense circumstances.”
“We should ask the keepers of the tech manuals at the library in Minut to look for the word.”
“Good idea. What else can we do?”
“It is time to head north,” he replied.
“Foresight?” Mari asked hopefully. But those hopes were immediately dashed as her husband shook his head.
“A…feeling,” Alain said. “Nothing more.”
“That’s good enough for me. The one thing I feel certain of is that Kira is getting farther from Tiae with every hour. Going east toward the Empire would dead-end us against the Waste and the lands around Ringhmon. If Kira really did fly on a Roc in that direction, she’s out of reach already. But if she’s on those Imperial ships, going north into the Confederation will bring us closer to her.”
“Jason acted as if he felt something,” Alain added. “As if for a moment he knew what Kira was experiencing.”
Mari paused, looking intently at her husband. “What are you thinking?”
“I am remembering when we were in Ringhmon, and I felt your pain as you were struck from behind.”
“But that was because you already had that weird thread thing that isn't there leading from me to you,” Mari began. “Because you were already in love with me even though you didn't—” Her breath caught. “Asha feels the same thing linking her to Dav. Kira has some Mage powers. Do you think she could be experiencing that? And somehow reaching through it to Jason?”
“It is possible,” he said. “How else to explain his sudden urge to act?”
“That would certainly answer the question of whether or not she's in love with Jason! And it would mean she does need our help! How long will take to get Rocs lined up?”
“They await us now,” Alain said.
“I love you.” It took only a short time to say their farewells to Queen Sien, assemble some packs small enough to bring with them on the Rocs, and head for a nearby courtyard, where the population of Tiae was giving very wide berth to two immense Rocs.
Mage Alera turned to look at Mari, which among Mages counted as an effusive greeting. “Kira is in trouble?”
“Yes,” Mari said. “We need to get to Dorcastle. If Swift can get us to Danalee, we can find other Rocs there to take us the rest of the way.”
She had never before seen Mage Alera actually look offended. “Kira needs us. Swift will take you all the way to Dorcastle, but stop in Danalee if that is needed.”
Mage Saburo, standing by his Roc, spoke in the same dispassionate tones as Alera. “Hunter will carry Mage Alain all the way to Dorcastle.”
“That is a very long trip,” Mari said. She smiled at both Mages. “Swift and Hunter are mighty Rocs.”
Minutes later she and Alain were lying on the backs of Swift and Hunter, respectively, the Mages seated before them, as the Rocs leapt upward, their mighty wings driving the impossible and magnificent birds upward and to the north.
Chapter Five
Kira sat up in her bunk.
The feel of the ship had changed. Instead of a repetitive roll along the ocean swells, the ship had begun twisting, the bow rising and falling in quick, irregular pitches and heaves.
They were in the Strait of Gulls.
Why hadn’t anyone intercepted these ships yet?
She couldn’t wait any longer. This would be her best chance to escape.
Kira breathed deeply, readying herself. The guards outside must have orders to do something if Kira seemed to be in trouble.
She stood up, going to one of the ornamental curtains hanging beside the sealed porthole and yanking down the curtain with as much noise as possible. She dragged the chair under one of the light fixtures and made noises as if tying the curtain to it. Another inhale, then Kira kicked the chair loudly to one side, and as she ran to stand by one side of the door let out a brief shriek of pain and terror that ended with the best choking sound she could manage.
The lock clicked and the door slammed open, a guard stepping inside quickly.
She hit him hard, a disabling blow that would take out even a large man. Without pausing, Kira leaped past the falling guard and hit the one still outside the door, a flurry of blows rocking the surprised man against the side of the passageway, dazed.
Kira ran, seeing a ladder going up, a shaft of light beckoning her with the promise of freedom. The light was grayish, filtered through haze, so it was either much earlier in the day than she had thought or the weather was bad outside.
She passed one, then two, startled sailors, who didn’t react in time to stop her. Up the ladder, taking the steps two at a time, past a shocked Lady Elegant whom Kira shoved aside.
She was on the deck, the side of the ship only a few lance lengths distant. Fog enshrouded the ship, allowing vision out only a few hundred lances before the world was swallowed in gray gloom. The lands on either side of the Strait of Gulls were invisible, giving her no clue as to which way to swim for safety. That didn’t matter. She had to get off this ship.
Kira headed for the rail, aware of the sailors turning to see her, shouted orders, men and women beginning to move to cut off her escape.
The fog had condensed on parts of the ship, dripping down to form pools. Her foot slipped as it hit one such puddle, slowing her movement and requiring a moment to right herself.
Kira recovered almost immediately, launching herself for the rail, but the instant lost was fatal. Hands grabbed at her, slowing her further.
She fought her way through, her hand almost on the rail to pull her the rest of the way over the side, but now there were several members of the crew on her, seizing her arms and her body, holding her back.
They pulled her away from the railing, two holding each of Kira’s arms and two more holding her body from behind. She made a convulsive attempt to break free, almost getting one arm loose, then subsided as the grips on her tightened. Kir
a almost growled with frustration, breathing heavily after her effort, her hair drifting across her face.
Prince Maxim appeared before her, his expression angry. “Who—”
Kira snarled and swung a kick at him, narrowly missing as the crewmembers jerked her backwards and Maxim hastily took a step away.
Maxim glared, not at Kira, but at those standing near him. “Who let this happen?”
The two guards she had gotten past were shoved forward, their eyes enraged as they looked at Kira and fearful as they turned back to Maxim.
Maxim shook his head. “Which one of you unlocked her door?”
One guard instantly pointed to the other, who stared at Maxim.
“You will spend the next day shoveling coal for one of the boilers,” Maxim said. “Until this time tomorrow you will work constantly, no breaks, and if you fall or cease to work you will be cast over the side. If you survive, you might be permitted to serve me again. I do not tolerate failure. The next person who fails me,” he said, looking around the deck at everyone, “will not receive any second chance.”
“Coward,” Kira spat. “Hiding behind thugs with less honor and feelings than the worst Dark Mage.”
“Take her below,” Maxim ordered. “I will deal with her later.”
“You’d better have a lot more people holding me the next time you get within reach of me!” Kira yelled, furious as she was dragged back down the ladder.
“Careful,” she heard the crewmembers holding her advise each other. “Don’t let her bite you!”
“I know who her mother is!” the man who had been warned snapped in reply.
She got a last glimpse of the weak daylight coming down through the hatch as she was carried through the passageway to her prison and tossed inside. Before Kira could get back to her feet, the door shut and locked.
She walked to it and kicked the door as hard as she could, the sound echoing in her room and the passageway outside.
Why had they thought she would bite them?
“You’re evil, Kira.” It was that Mara nonsense again. The crewmembers were the sort of Imperials who believed that her mother, and Kira, were tied to the old legend. I know who her mother is. Apparently the Imperials, seeing her with Mari, had decided that Kira must be the daughter of the vampire rather than Mara herself. They had feared she was after their blood, and Kira reflected that she had probably looked angry enough to drink someone’s blood when she was carried back down here. Maybe she could use those Imperial fears to help herself. If she got the chance.
Some time later she felt the motion of the ship change, and knew they had cleared the Strait of Gulls and were steaming eastward through the Sea of Bakre.
Where was the Confederation fleet? How had the Imperial ships gotten through the Strait of Gulls, even during fog, without some Confederation ships engaging them?
* * *
Alli and Calu met them as the Rocs landed at Danalee. “Have you heard anything about Kira or Jason?” Mari asked as she slid off of Swift’s back to stand on the paving of a large courtyard that had rapidly cleared as the huge birds came in to land.
“Only Jason. He got out of Minut,” Alli said.
“How?”
“I can only guess,” Alli said. “And that guess would be that your daughter taught him a few things.”
“Blazes. Is there any idea where he went?”
“Fast freight to Larharbor.”
“Then—”
“Which he wasn’t on when it got there,” Alli said. “Best bet is that at the new railyard north of Lake Annan, Jason jumped to an express passenger train for Gullhaven.”
Mari slapped her forehead. “Are the authorities at Gullhaven looking for him? How hard is it to catch a single teenager?”
“You know how hard it was six months ago,” Calu said, depressed. “Jason’s a quick learner, and he’s been listening to Kira. And we know who taught Kira how to not get caught.”
“This is not my fault,” Mari said.
“What made Jason suddenly run off? Any ideas?”
“Kira's in love with him, whether she realizes it yet or not.”
Both Calu and Alli frowned at her in confusion. “How could that—?” Alli began.
“It's a Mage thing. Alain? Did you have any visions on the way here?”
“No,” he said.
“Why does your foresight only work when I don’t want it to? Yes?” Mari added as an official ran up to them.
“We’ve just received a report from Gullhaven which may be related to the search for Jason of Urth,” the official reported breathlessly. Mari’s momentary leap of hope vanished as he continued. “A boat was stolen from the harbor this morning.”
“A boat?” Alli asked sharply. “What kind of boat?”
“A small craft, single sail, suitable for short jaunts out to sea. Something one person could handle alone.”
“Blazes.” Mari looked helplessly at Alli and Calu. “Have either of you ever heard the word dobblegongeh?”
“No,” Calu said. “Alli and I have been wracking our brains. Maybe it’s a word from Urth.”
“What can we do if it is?” Mari asked.
“Maybe Doctor Sino would know what it means.”
Mari hit the side of her own head hard enough to sting. “Gah! I’m an idiot! Doctor Sino! I didn’t even think about her because she only does healer things. Where’s the nearest long-distance far-talker?”
“In my offices,” Alli said.
It took a frustratingly long time before they heard Doctor Sino’s voice coming over the far-talker. “This is a cool radio. Really retro. Voice only? Amazing.”
“Doctor,” Mari said, trying to sound patient and calm, “have you ever heard the word dobblegongeh?”
“Dobble-what?”
“Something like dobblegongeh,” Mari repeated.
“Huh. That’s a new one on me. It’s not one of your words?” Before Mari could say anything else, her heart sinking, Sino continued. “I brought my med bag. Let me do a search. My med bag’s database isn’t nearly as exhaustive as the one on the ship that left, but it might find something. Hold on. You know, it’s a good thing my gear can recharge using solar or it’d be cold dead by now. Hmmm. Are you sure the word wasn’t doppelganger?”
“What is doppelganger?” Mari asked, hope blossoming again.
“It’s an old term on Earth. I’ve got it in my database because sometimes people get a little off-balance mentally and think a duplicate of themselves is causing trouble for them or scheming to replace them. It’s rare, but it happens. And then there’s the related Capgras delusion, where someone thinks one of their friends or family members has been replaced by an imposter who’s an exact double.”
“A double?” Mari asked. “You mean like a twin?”
“Right,” Sino answered. “Only not a twin. Someone malevolent who isn’t actually related but looks identical.”
Alain’s sudden grip on Mari’s arm surprised her. “A double. Someone who looked like Kira. She did not leave Sien’s palace at dawn that day. It was a double you saw in her bed, and a double the guards saw at the palace and at the east gate to Tiaesun.”
Mari stared at him. “That’s why she smiled as she mentioned going to Palandur? Of course. Why didn’t we think of that? But if Kira didn’t leave the palace at dawn—”
“She could have been abducted much earlier. Early enough to be brought to the Imperial ships before they left at midnight. We suspected this had been done, but did not know how. Now we know.”
Mari nodded, weak from relief at the first solid clue since Kira had left. “Doctor? Thank you. That’s exactly what we needed to know.”
“Is Kira going to be okay?”
“I hope so.” The call ended, Mari looked at the others in the office, which now included the local militia commander. “Kira is on one of those Imperial ships. We can do something now.”
“Can we?” Calu asked. “We don’t have proof. This dopple…“
“Explains the actions of the person who looked like Kira, but there’s no evidence to support it. We have only Jason’s word for it.”
The militia commander had the expression of someone knowing she was delivering bad news. “I had a message sent to Gullhaven while we waited to hear from Doctor Sino. They replied that if the Imperial squadron has maintained the speed they are capable of, they have probably just cleared the Strait of Gulls.”
“The ships were not seen?” Alain asked.
“No, Sir Mage. Bad weather. Fog. That’s not unusual for the Strait.”
“If the Bakre Confederation sends out ships now from Gullhaven and Dorcastle,” Alli said, “they might be able catch the Imperial ships. But the Sea of Bakre is wide past the Strait. And what will the Confederation do when we have nothing but the word of a seventeen-year-old boy that Kira is on one of those ships? I believe Jason. But would the Confederation be willing to commit an act of war on his word alone?”
“If the daughter demanded it…” the militia commander began with clear reluctance.
“I could force a war to start,” Mari finished, feeling sick. “I could use some advice, people.”
“Talk to President of State Jane,” Calu urged. “See what the Bakre Confederation is willing to do. They know the daughter wouldn’t ask something of them without very strong grounds for it.”
“What if this what the Empire wants?” Alli asked. She clenched her fists in frustration. “I’m sorry! I like Jason. And he may be dying somewhere out there now! But we’ve been out-maneuvered.”
“I’ll call Jane, and then Alain and I will go on to Dorcastle.”
“Lady,” the militia commander said. “I have some experience with naval matters. Even if the Bakre Confederation orders ships to sail from Dorcastle and intercept the Imperials, they may not be able to get up steam and sortie quickly enough to catch them before they are past. If it’s a stern chase toward the Empire, and those new Imperial ships are in the lead, we won’t be able to catch them.”
“I understand,” Mari said. “But if it comes to that, maybe the arrival of Confederation warships off of Landfall will make it clear to the Empire that they had better cough up Kira fast.”
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