Sky Pirates

by Liesel Schwarz

  Suddenly the light in the braziers flared up and they flickered. For a moment, Elle could have sworn that she could see Vivienne’s skeleton. She pulled her hand out of her mother’s bony grasp and stepped back. The young and beautiful Vivienne flickered back into view. She smiled at Elle serenely.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t accept what you are telling me about my future. This place isn’t all that either.” Elle looked at her mother. “And so, if it’s all the same to you, I think I might politely decline your offer, Mother.”

  Vivienne put her fingers to her forehead in a gesture of measured frustration. “Please, Elle, you must heed my warning.”

  Elle sighed. “Look, I will do what I can to stop Patrice. I know I can manage him, so please don’t be so worried. You may take my word as your daughter on that. But as for the rest, I think I will choose a different destiny for myself, if you don’t mind.”

  Vivienne snorted. “What? And you think that silly stone apsara is going to help you?”

  “I don’t care about dominating everything in the universe. All I want to know is how to bring my husband back. Nothing more.”

  “Oh, Elle, the apsara is not going to be able to tell you how to do that!” Vivienne said.

  “She will tell me what it is that I most ardently wish to know. And the knowledge of how to bring Hugh back is just that, so she won’t have much choice in the matter.”

  Vivienne let out a little noise that sounded almost like a whine. “The apsara will not be able to help you. Forget about her. You have to believe me when I tell you this.”

  “No!” Elle said. She heard her voice echo down the hallway. “I refuse to believe that. Not after everything.”

  Vivienne glanced over her shoulder into the darkness. A low rumble started emanating from the gloom behind them.

  Vivienne blanched. “Someone is coming. You have to go now.” She grabbed Elle by the arm and led her to the chair. “Please, sit here.”

  Elle did as she was told. The bone chair felt smooth and cool under her.

  She watched as Vivienne closed her eyes. Her mother’s lips started moving in a fast chant.

  Elle felt a strange rush of energy and suddenly reality started spinning and whooshing as she was transported through the portal Vivienne had created.

  … remember, I am here waiting for you always, my darling daughter. I love you more than words can say … Vivienne’s voice echoed in Elle’s mind for a moment before she was catapulted back into the realm of Light.

  Elle felt the soupy heat of the jungle enfold her once again. The buzz of insects and the calls of the myriad creatures that prowled the jungle at night filled her ears.

  She opened her eyes and lay very still, willing the disorientation to dissipate. She lay there for a long time, just breathing slowly and waiting for the dizziness to settle.

  Far off in the distance, Elle heard a wolf howl. It was a deep, unearthly sound which sounded profoundly lonely. She tutted and rolled onto her side. Wolves in the jungle. Honestly, she really was busy losing her marbles.

  CHAPTER 24

  From the observation deck, Patrice watched the ocean of dawn-tinged clouds turn orange. Dawn would break soon, but so far sleep had eluded him. He stared down at his hands. The little half-moons of his neatly manicured nails were a pale blue color, the skin of his fingers pale and clammy. He balled his fists to stop his hands from shaking. Strange things had started happening to him since the night he had reinstated the barrier. Well, stranger than usual; he was a man who was rather prone to strange happenings.

  “Everything all right, sir?” one of the flight stewards asked politely. “Would you like me to bring you a coffee?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Patrice said with a stiff smile. He had chartered the small passenger ship by buying all the available tickets himself. This meant that he was the only passenger on board a fully crewed dirigible.

  It was rather extravagant , but he needed to make sure the ship was attractive bait and there was nothing more attractive than a defenseless passenger ship. And who knew, the crew might make excellent bargaining tools later.

  The steward appeared with his coffee, which turned out to be surprisingly good for airship fare.

  Patrice sipped the dark brew appreciatively. They had crossed the Caspian Sea overnight and somewhere out there in the distance before them lay a mysterious mountain range shrouded in clouds. It was here that he would find them. The fabled Aeternae. The storm riders of the Hindu Kush.

  He had been most surprised to learn of the air raid that had swallowed up so many pirate ships. The sensational news that the Aeternae had broken cover and were appearing over the skies of Siam had even reached the papers in London. There was much speculation as to whether the Empire was at risk, but Patrice knew that this could only be the doing of one person. And that person was Eleanor Chance.

  Once the ingredients were all there, hatching his nefarious plan really wasn’t that difficult at all. All it took was a little research and a few carefully placed enquiries.

  He pulled out a small leather box from his pocket. Inside was a perfectly polished oval stone attached to a strip of leather. On it, numerous fine characters was carved out in Sanskrit. Carefully he lifted the stone and held it up in the light. It was a summoning stone, cunningly liberated from the vaults of the British Museum. He had orchestrated the theft by means of a series of carefully placed bribes. He pulled his arm back and struck the stone against one of the metal struts that arched up and around the windglass. The impact set off a soft subsonic hum, inaudible to ordinary human ears. Patrice repeated this two more times before carefully placing the stone back into its box.

  It was done. He had sent out the call. All he had to do now was wait for the storm riders to answer.

  He smiled despite himself. Yes, he knew where the Oracle was. And this time he was going to make sure she would not slip away.

  Patrice did not have to wait long for the storm riders to arrive. In fact, he had just sat down to an early lunch when he noticed the crew whispering and walking off as fast as they could without causing alarm. In a way he almost felt sorry for them, he thought as he calmly finished his asparagus and quail egg salad. A steward cleared the table, his face pinched with worry. “I’m sorry, sir, but we are going to have to interrupt your luncheon.”

  “Why on earth would you need to do that?” Patrice said, dabbing a corner of his mouth with his napkin. He knew the answer, but he was taking pleasure in taunting the man.

  “I don’t wish to alarm you, but the captain has asked that we escort you to one of the escape balloons. There might be a little trouble with some pirates and we want to ensure that our passenger is safe.”

  “No,” said Patrice.

  “But, sir, we need to get you to safety.”

  Patrice shook his head. “Tell the captain that I am going nowhere. In fact, you can tell him to slow down so my guests can catch up with us. Tell him to open one of the cargo doors, so they may board easily.”

  “Sir, but these are vicious raiders. They will kill us all if we do that.”

  Patrice gave him a reassuring smile. “Oh, I don’t think that is strictly correct. You see, I have an appointment with these gentlemen. So I think it might be more correct to say that they might kill some of you once they are on board. I, on the other hand, will be perfectly safe.”

  The steward blanched.

  “Now go and tell the captain what my instructions are.”

  The steward wavered.

  “Now!” Patrice barked.

  He looked around the dining room of the dirigible with its silver tableware and starched linen. Yes, this would be a good place to await his new allies.

  The dreadnought arrived accompanied by darkening skies. Lightning crackled in the clouds around them and the passenger ship shuddered as it was boarded amid buffeting winds. Patrice put the summoning stone on the table before him and waited long moments as the Aeternae strode on to the ship. There were four of them. Thre
e were tall and muscular, their skin tunics decorated in a macabre pattern of little bones. Patrice could see the little bones of bird skulls woven into the intricate patterns. The fourth man was small and dressed in a simple gray robe. The electromancer. The one who made the storms for the Aeternae to ride.

  “We have been summoned. Who wishes to speak with us?” their leader grunted. Patrice noticed that his teeth had been filed into sharp points.

  “Gentlemen, please sit.” Patrice gestured for them to join him at the table. “Would you care for something to eat or drink?”

  The leader of the Aeternae spat on the carpet. “We are not here to feast. Say what is needed.”

  “Very well,” he said, holding up a conciliatory hand. “My name is Patrice Chevalier and I come with a proposal.”

  The Aeternae leader struck his chest with his fist. “Ga-Rok,” he said.

  “Well, I am pleased to meet you, Ga-Rok. How would you like to have access to as many ships as your heart desires?”

  Ga-Rok frowned. The skin around the sharp, bony protrusions in his head wrinkled. “We are storm riders. We chase and capture all the ships we wish already. Why should we need more?”

  Patrice shook his head. “No, no. What I meant is how would you like to join me? You bring your dreadnoughts and I will provide food and clothes for your wives and children. No one will ever go hungry.”

  This answer did not seem to have the desired effect, as Ga-Rok roared with indignation. “How dare you pass insult like that? The wives and children of storm riders are not starving or poor. We are good hunters.” The other Aeternae were looking at one another and shaking their heads.

  Patrice rubbed his forehead in consternation. This meeting was not going the way he had hoped.

  “That is not what I meant. I meant that I will give you access to all the gold and riches you desire if you fight for me.”

  “Who will we be fighting?” Ga-Rock said.

  “A war is coming,” Patrice said. “Many will die, and I want to make sure that those who are with me are safe and protected. This is why I need you.”

  “This war is none of our concern. We will leave now.” Ga-Rok started to turn away.

  “Not so fast,” Patrice said.

  The Aeternae turned back to him with a look of ill-disguised amusement.

  “I am the Shadow Master. I control the barrier between Shadow and Light. I also control him.” Patrice pointed at the electromancer who was, at that moment, staring at him with wide eyes. “Just like I control all electromancers.” Patrice made a sweeping move with his hand and the little man dropped to his knees.

  The Aeternae gasped in horror and drew their wide-curved blades.

  “You stop now!” Ga-Rok shouted.

  “Come, that is no way to speak to an ally,” Patrice said. “You see, you need me. Without me there will be no lightning and storms.” Patrice paused and gestured for the Aeternae to put away their blades.

  The electromancer in his grasp groaned in pain, and this seemed to galvanize the storm riders into action.

  “What do you want, Shadow man?” Ga-Rok said.

  “Ah, that’s better. Now please sit down, so we can speak properly,” Patrice said.

  The Aeternae shuffled forward and sat down at the table. They looked hideously out of place and extremely uncomfortable—just the way Patrice liked it. He needed to show these savages who was their master, and this was a good start.

  “So, as I was saying,” he continued. The electromancer made a few feeble gagging sounds and waved his hands in desperation. His face had turned a peculiar shade of purple.

  “Oh all right, you may live.” Patrice waved his hand and the invisible force that held the little man by the throat disappeared.

  The electromancer collapsed onto the floor and rolled over clutching his throat. He made terrible gasping sounds as he drew deep breaths into his lungs.

  “Do not hurt him anymore. We will listen,” Ga-Rok said.

  “An excellent decision, Mr. Ga-Rok.” Patrice ran his fingers around the edges of the summoning stone. “Now, where was I? Oh yes. I am in need of an army. An army that will strike terror into anyone who hears its name. And you, my new friend, already have a reputation that I envy. So you bring your dreadnoughts when I call, and I will make your electromancers more powerful than they have ever been.”

  “How powerful?” With the initial shock over and his electromancer safe once more, Ga-Rok’s eyes had lit up with the realization that this negotiation did, after all, hold some possibilities.

  Patrice sat forward. “Powerful enough to attack cities. With no one to stop you.”

  The other Aeternae started talking rapidly to one another and nodding their heads.

  “And you say we may take what we wish?”

  Patrice nodded. “Within reason, yes. Once you have done my bidding, you may loot and pillage to your heart’s content. Your wives and children will be covered in furs and gold.”

  “Gold!” the other Aeternae said with relish.

  Ga-Rok crossed his arms. “And who are we fighting?”

  Patrice laughed. “Oh, it is an enemy that is feeble. A woman.”

  This made Ga-Rok frown. “Why do you insult us again? We are strong. We do not fight weak women.”

  Patrice shook his head. “No, she is a witch with very strong powers. She will launch ships to try to stop me.”

  “This witch, we think we have seen her in the sky before.”

  “Ah yes, of course you have. She made half the airship disappear and left the other half hanging in midair, didn’t she?”

  “It was not a good raid,” Ga-Rok admitted.

  “Well, it is this witch and her ships that we will be fighting. And we will win the fight. I have foreseen it.”

  Ga-Rok nodded slowly. “If it is foretold, then we may not say anything about it.” He pulled out a small dagger from the folds of his tunic and drew the blade across the back of his hand. A fine red line appeared. He looked at Patrice. “We make this pact in blood.”

  Patrice pulled a face. “Oh, is that really necessary?”

  The Aeternae grabbed Patrice’s hand and dragged the knife over his knuckles. Then he pressed the back of Patrice’s hand against his own. “Two open hands. The pact is made.”

  “Wonderful,” Patrice said as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his knuckles. He would have to go in search of some strong antiseptic the moment this meeting was over. These creatures before him were none too clean, judging by the pungent odor that emanated from them.

  Ga-Rok looked around the dining room. “So now we take this ship. It has many shiny things.”

  Patrice shook his head. “No, my odiferous friend. I need this ship to go home in. But there will be others. I promise.”

  The Aeternae started muttering, deeply disappointed to hear this news. Ga-Rok stabbed his dagger into the table. “That is cheating. We have been summoned to plunder. How do you take that away from us now?”

  Patrice sighed and reached into his breast pocket. He pulled out a booklet and flicked across the table to where the electromancer was sitting. “I assume you can read?” he said with bored contempt.

  The electromancer nodded and picked up the booklet, starting to leaf through the pages. His face lit up as he took in the contents.

  “It’s the dirigible liner company’s flight timetable,” Patrice said.

  The Aeternae frowned.

  “It lists every flight between Paris and Tokyo for the next three months,” he said, speaking slightly louder than he normally did.

  “We will know where the ships are by this?” Ga-Rok’s eyes started glittering with greed.

  “You’re welcome,” said Patrice. “As long as you promise to leave this ship be for the moment. I have very important business to attend to—so important that there will be no raiding unless I complete it. Do I make myself clear?”

  Ga-Rok nodded, somewhat distracted by the veritable smorgasbord of air prey the electromancer was des
cribing to him.

  “Right, gentlemen, shall I leave you to see yourselves out?” Patrice said pointedly.

  Ga-Rok and his compatriots rose. He nodded briefly and they made their way out of the dining room with a stiff formality. This did not, however, extend to the hallway, and they broke into excited chatter as they made their way out of the ship.

  Patrice smiled to himself as he took in the black elbow-and handprints that his new allies had left on the starched linen of the seats. Who cared if they were unwashed and horrible? They could fight like demons and that was what he needed.

  Yes, nefarious plans really weren’t that hard once you got the hang of them.

  CHAPTER 25

  Elle looked up from the stone bench where she had been sitting. It was mid-morning and the sun was shining, but here beside one of the fountains in the rich shade of a cassia tree, the air was cool and lovely.

  She was sitting among trails of exotic orchids that bloomed from the most impossible of crevices, and for the first time in longer than she cared to remember she felt at peace.

  She had been studying the battered journal that had traveled with her all this way in her coat pocket. Some of the text had been damaged by mud and rain, but there was still enough to work from.

  She had been here at the temple for almost a week now. Dashwood had spoken less than a handful of words to her since their first night here, and she had hardly seen him, save for the odd encounter at mealtimes.

  This made her sad, because she found that she missed his banter and his easy manner. But despite the undercurrents involving the captain, Elle felt well fed and rested. In fact, she found that she was growing increasingly fond of this exotic place.

  “Good morning, venerable Hari,” Elle said. She bowed her head with respect as she had seen others do during her time here.

  Hari returned the greeting, bowing with his hands pressed together. “Chum reap sur. Good morning. I trust that you are well.”

  “I am,” Elle said. “In fact, I cannot remember the last time I felt as well from within as I do here.”