Two of the soldiers did as ordered, while the other two rushed forward to secure the square in case of more attackers. Staff stepped quickly around the bleeding body of Mother Linton, as well as the steam carriage and found Iolanthe lying on her face. Kneeling down, he gently rolled her over. Blood gushed from a gaping hole two inches below her navel.
* * * * *
“Wake up! Wake up!”
“What are you doing in my bedroom?” Senta asked the steel dragon through bleary eyes. “You never come in here anymore.”
“Come on. Get up. There is gunfire all over town.”
“Where exactly,” she asked, getting up on one elbow.
“I don’t know exactly. It’s all to the east—some closer and some farther away.”
Senta rolled out of bed and began sliding into the dress that awaited her at the bed’s foot. It had a high neck and long sleeves, stretching all the way to the ground, and like many of her recent outfits, it was made of rubber.
“Why didn’t you go see where it was?” she said, poking her head through the dress’s neck.
“You know how I feel about guns. Oh, hey look, a dragon. Let’s shoot it.”
“Gah! Help me. I can’t find the arm hole.”
Bessemer reached out a large, clawed hand and pulled the right arm of the dress taut so that Senta could put her arm through. Then he did the same thing with the left arm.
“Isn’t this the same stuff they make carriage tires out of?”
“Yes,” she said angrily, looking down at herself. “At least this one’s wide enough at the bottom that I won’t have to hop down the stairs. Come on.”
She started for the steps, realized that she hadn’t put on any shoes, then ran back to slip on her sandals. She reached the bottom of the staircase and found Bessemer who was now waiting for her. They threw open the door and ran out into the street.
“I don’t hear anything now.”
As Senta uttered these words, a flurry of gunfire rang through the trees and several bullets whizzed past her head. She turned to see twenty lizardmen, each holding a rifle aimed in her direction. They continued to fire.
“Uuthanum,” she said waving her hand.
Several bullets bounced off the invisible shield in front of her. Others hit the gravel in the road or flew over her head. A single bullet ricocheted off one of Bessemer’s neck scales.
“Ack! You little green wanker!” The dragon took a single hop back, doing his best to hide behind the body of the twelve-year-old girl.
With a wave of her hand, Senta scooped half a dozen of the immaterial gem-like glamours that orbited her head, crushing them in her hand. Three of the lizardmen let out horrible hissing cries as their skin began to slough off their bodies. One burst into flame. Two others shot into the air in arcs that would eventually send them crashing head first into the ground two and a half miles away. Three reptiles curled into the fetal position, their bodies wracked in spasms of pain. And two turned their guns on their fellows and began murdering them. By the time they could stop themselves, they had killed all the remaining members of their group save one. They dropped their guns and, along with the single unscathed reptilian began running away down the road.
Senta turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re getting away,” she told the dragon sternly.
Bessemer launched himself into the air and landed just beyond the fleeing lizardmen. Taking a great breath, he opened his mouth sending a gout of flame shooting out to engulf two of the three. The final reptilian looked from its two companions being reduced to ashes to the steel-colored monster it faced. It hissed out something loudly in its language. The dragon’s tail whipped through the air, the barb at the end decapitating the lizardman.
Senta walked past the reptilian bodies on the roadway, some still twitching, and stepped to Bessemer’s side, sliding her arm around his scaly neck.
“I need a hug,” said the dragon.
“What did he say to you?” she asked.
“He said I was a false god.”
Chapter Twenty One: Revelations
Graham came to a skidding halt in the gravel road. He gasped for breath as his wide eyes looked from Senta and Bessemer to the decimated bodies of the lizzies lying all around. Bending over he put his hands on his knees.
“Did you run all the way over here?” asked Senta.
He nodded.
“That’s kind of sweet.”
“There’s shooting… going on… all over.”
“That’s what Bessemer said.”
“I think there’s a fire over there, too,” said Bessemer, pointing to the south.
“It’s just foggy,” said Senta.
“No, I smell it. It’s a fire.”
“Come on,” said Graham, now with his wind back. “Let’s go see.”
The two children jogged down the street and around the corner. The dragon loped along behind them. By the time they had gone half a mile, they could all smell the smoke. Two minutes later they could see the flames. A house was totally engulfed in fire. Flames flew forty feet in the air. Already nearby trees were igniting.
“That’s Mayor Korlann’s house,” said Bessemer.
“Do you have any spell to put out the fire?” Graham asked Senta.
She shook her head. Then she looked at the steel dragon.
“Take a fly around. See if you see any lizzies.”
Bessemer nodded, and then shot off into the sky, circling slowly around. A few minutes later, they heard the clang of the bell on the fire wagon. Up the street it came, pulled by six volunteer firemen in lieu of a pair of horses. By the time they reached the house, they were so winded they weren’t able to fight the fire. Fortunately other men arrived and connected the hoses to the johnny pump. Then two men climbed up on the wagon to work the hand-powered pump. Graham jumped in as well, pulling the hoses behind the men who sprayed the water.
The volunteer firemen didn’t attempt to save the house, which was a total loss, but endeavored to keep the fire from spreading through the forest. The completely gutted house crashed to the ground, nothing left but embers, only ten minutes later. It was clear by that time that the fire would be contained. Bessemer landed with a whomp. His large left hand was wrapped around a lizardman’s head. His left foot was gripping the lizardman around the waist. The lizzie was clearly still alive, but had given up struggling, and just lay there.
“There were about ten of them heading west,” said the dragon. “I didn’t try to stop them. I just grabbed this fellow.”
“All right, fly him over to the police station,” Senta ordered. “Saba’s going to want to question him.”
Bessemer took off once again, while she found Graham and pulled him away from the hoses.
“Come on. We need to get to the police station too. They’re going to need a translator.”
“You can do that without me.”
“I can understand their words with magic, but I don’t know enough about lizzies to understand what they really mean. You’re the only man for this job.”
As the two walked away from the scene of the fire, Graham pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the dirt and ashes from his face. They cut through empty lots and undeveloped areas, bypassing the road in front of Zurfina’s tower. They were able to reach Town Square in less than a half hour. It was still a scene mayhem and confusion. Lizardman bodies were everywhere and soldiers stood watching with rifles at ready. Bloody spots on the ground testified to where other victims, possibly human victims, had fallen. They passed through the great gate. Two soldiers, one standing at either side, eyed them as they went through but said nothing. Crossing the militia base, they found Bessemer sitting in front of the police station.
“The lizzie is inside,” he said. “I think I’ll fly around and see what other trouble is brewing.”
Senta nodded and stepped up into the station front office. Graham followed her. They didn’t find Saba or Eamon inside. Instead, Radley Staff was
in the center of the room, looking down on Bessemer’s lizzie, who was seated on a wooden crate with its arms handcuffed behind it.
“Good,” said Staff, to Graham. “You’re here.”
“Where’s Saba?” asked Senta.
Staff shrugged. “See if you can get anything out of him.”
Graham turned to the reptilian and spoke to it in its own tongue. The lizardman replied in its hissing tongue, talking at length. The boy listened, only occasionally interjecting.
“What’s he telling you?” asked Staff.
“Everything. He and his buddies are all from Chusstuss, the village to the west of here. Their leader hatched a plan to gain the upper hand over the softskins, that is to say us. They knew they couldn’t get rid of humans entirely, but thought they could knock us down a peg by destroying our leadership. They sent four teams to town.”
Graham spoke again to the lizardman and listened to its response.
“He said the four teams were to kill our ‘witch woman’, our ‘wise elder’, our ‘matriarch,’ and our ‘egg keeper.’ I guess the witch woman would be Zurfina and the wise elder would be Mayor Korlann.”
“That sounds right,” said Staff. “I’m betting the matriarch would be Iolanthe, I mean the governor. Would the egg-keeper be Mrs. Finkler? She sells eggs.”
“I don’t think he means it that way… not, you know, for real.”
“Not literally?”
“Right. I think the egg-keeper might be Mother Linton. Either way, they were hoping to kill a bunch of humans.”
“Where did they get the rifles?”
Graham asked the reptilian again, and again received a long answer in the native tongue. “His village was contacted by the lizard city-state of Tsahloose, several hundred miles to the south. They have contact with another tribe of softskins, who arranged to have rifles sent to them.”
“Freedonians,” said Staff.
Pulling a pistol from his belt, the former naval commander grabbed the lizardman by the shoulder.
“Tell him I’m locking him up, and if he gives me any trouble, I’m going to blow his head off.” When he returned from locking the creature in a cell, Staff said. “I’m going over to the infirmary and check on the injured.”
Graham and Senta looked at one another, and then followed the man out the door and across the lawn. The makeshift hospital was the same size and shape as the police station and the other buildings on the base, having been, like those, originally a barracks. The main room, which made up the front half of the infirmary, was set up with eight beds, four on each side. Three of those beds were now full. Mrs. Bratihn lay with her bandaged leg elevated, her husband sitting beside her, holding her hand and reassuring her. Mrs. Ada Finkler sat beside her son’s bed, in tears. The boy’s whole face was swollen and purple. Across the room, Mother Linton was lying unconscious. Brother Galen was trying to pour the contents of a brown bottle into her mouth.
Sister Auni burst from the door at the far end of the room.
“I need Dr. Kelloran!” she shouted at Staff.
“Dr. Kelloran is dead,” said a voice from behind the group.
It was Honor Hertling. She and Hero entered the infirmary, supporting Mrs. Colbshallow between them. The retired cook had a bloody gash across her forehead. They led her to an empty bed and helped her lie down. Then Staff grabbed Honor by the elbow.
“Come on,” he said. “You’re going to help us.”
He led her to the far end of the room and through the door from which Sister Auni had poked her head. Hero walked back to Graham and Senta. “Let’s go outside.”
“Captain Dechantagne is dead,” Hero said, when they had stepped out. “Lizzies attacked and killed him. Mrs. Godwin and Dr. Kelloran too, as well as several of the Dechantagne’s lizzie servants. Honor and I were just taking a walk by the Dechantagne home, when we saw a lizzie with a rifle chasing Mrs. Dechantagne across the road. It chased her into Saba Colbshallow’s house. It was trying so hard to get her; it didn’t even hear us sneak up on it. I hit it with a shovel and Honor killed it with her lizzie sword. I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”
“Is Mrs. Dechantagne all right?” asked Graham. “And the baby?”
“Yes, they’ll both be fine. After the militiamen came and cleared out the lizzies—the bad ones you know, they found Mrs. Colbshallow. They tried to kill her too, but one of the household lizzies saved her.”
“And how come your sister was carrying a sword?” asked Senta.
“You know… in case of velociraptors. But what’s happened with you two?”
As she spoke, Mayor Korlann appeared around the corner of the building. “Did you say you saw my daughter?”
Hero nodded.
“And she’s all right?”
Hero nodded again. The mayor started for the infirmary door, and then turned to look back to the children. “Graham, can you bring Yuah here?”
“Sure,” the boy replied.
“Have any of you seen either of the PCs?”
“Nope,” said Senta.
“No,” said Graham and Hero together.
The mayor disappeared inside.
“Where are Saba and Eamon?” wondered Senta.
* * * * *
“Come on,” said Staff. “You’re going to help us.”
He led Honor into the back room, where Sister Auni stood over Iolanthe. Draped in sheets, Iolanthe’s midriff was exposed save for a bloody bandage.
“I’ve got to get the bullet out before I can cast a healing spell,” said Sister Auni. “I can’t get it. I’ve never had to do this before.”
Stepping over to a cabinet, Staff opened the drawer and pulled out a handful of metal instruments. Back at Iolanthe’s side, he handed Honor a pair of forceps.
“I’m going to cut. When we get down to the bullet, you grab it and pull it out.”
He pulled the bandage off of her belly. Blood immediately began oozing from the wound. Pulling the skin apart with one hand, Staff cut down into Iolanthe’s flesh with a scalpel. Though still unconscious, she groaned and twisted in pain. He cut deeper and deeper.
“You’re going to kill her if you cut anymore,” said Honor.
“No, it’s here,” he replied, as he felt the steel blade strike metal. “Reach in and get it.”
Staff pulled the wound open. More red blood poured out. Honor stuck the forceps in and tried to grab the bullet. They slipped off and snapped shut. She tried again couldn’t get it. Finally on the third attempt, she pulled the bullet out. Sister Auni immediately pressed her open palm on the gaping hole.
“In the name of the Holy Savior, I heal your flesh,” she said.
A blue light radiated from her hand through Iolanthe’s skin. When she pulled her hand away, the injury no longer bled, though it still looked horrible. The acolyte stepped away and returned a second later with a brown bottle of healing draught. She poured half of the bottle into the bullet hole and then slowly poured the rest into the injured woman’s mouth.
“That’s it, right?” asked Honor.
“Is she going to be all right?” asked Zeah Korlann, sticking his head in the door.
“She’s going to live,” said Sister Auni. “But I need Mother Linton to see what kind of permanent damage might be done. The bullet may have hit her bladder.”
Staff blew air through his teeth. Then he looked at the mayor.
“Are you all right? I heard your house burned down.”
“It did. I’ve been living behind my office for a couple of months now. I rented my house out to a newcomer and his wife. I’m afraid they’re dead.”
“Who are they?”
“A Mr. and Mrs. Rutan.”
* * * * *
Yuah sat on the step of Saba Colbshallow’s house. Cissy stood watch beside her, having arrived a few minutes before with Yuah’s housedress. Yuah couldn’t bring herself to go back across the street to the Dechantagne home. She had watched as Honor and Hero had assisted Mrs. Colbshallow to town
, but the bodies were still inside. Terrence, poor Terrence, was still in the living room. So was Dr. Kelloran and Tisson, and Macy Godwin was somewhere upstairs. Cissy had informed her of Mrs. Godwin’s death and of the other lizzie servants that had been killed—Sirrek and Kheesie. Then there were the bodies of the attackers. She didn’t know whether she would ever go back in the house.
Marzell pulled up in the steam carriage. When he had shown up a few minutes before, she had asked him to get it ready. She didn’t know where she was planning to go, but she knew she wanted to go somewhere. Slowly standing up, so as not to wake Augie, she turned to the lizzie standing next to her.
“Would you keep an eye on things here, Cissy?”
The reptilian nodded and Yuah leaned forward, kissing the beast on the snout. Walking to the street, she climbed into the passenger seat of the steam carriage. Augie stirred slightly.
“Where to, Mrs. Dechantagne?” asked Marzell.
“Town Square.”
The vehicle rolled slowly forward, gathering speed as the boiler gathered steam. At almost the exact halfway point, Marzell pushed down of the decelerator and came to a stop next to Senta, Graham, and Hero.
“We were just on our way to find you, Ma'am,” said Graham. “Your father sent us.”
“Is the baby all right?” asked Hero.
“Yes, thank you, Hero.”
“Do you want us to go with you?” asked Senta. “We can make sure you’re safe.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Yuah, with a harshness in her voice that surprised all five of them. Then she turned to the boy beside her. “Drive Marzell.”
Marzell pulled away from the three children beside the road and drove the rest of the way to the Town Square, where the only other steam carriage in Port Dechantagne sat alone. Yuah looked at the broken window of Mrs. Bratihn’s Dress Shop and the bullet riddled glass in Mr. Parnorsham’s Pfennig Store. She stopped a soldier who was walking by.
“Who was shot?”
“I don’t know the all the injured, Ma'am, but I don’t think anyone died here—any of the humans I mean. They’re all at the infirmary. Nobody has accounted for either of the police constables though.”
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