Starving, poor, and selling death devices to the rich for pennies on the dollar, and yet covered in glitter and gold. This is why we fought the revolution, for this filth? The thought formed in Cassie’s brain and hovered on the razor sharp edge of her tongue. Only Adrian’s interference kept her from spewing them like poisoned darts at the woman.
“Cassandra, it’s time to go. You have enough pretty baubles.” Grabbing her arm, he steered her away as if he were a devoted husband, and she the spoiled wife.
Wanting nothing more than to spew a rancid stream of unladylike curses, Cassie clamped her lips down into a hard line and glared straight ahead. The entire market had lost its glamour for her in a single interaction. Instead of glorious and exciting, it became just another tool of society to control the poor and make the rich richer.
Adrian allowed her the time to pout as he steered her off the main thoroughfare and down a small side alley. They had been walking for several minutes before Cassie noticed that the scenery had drastically changed. Sweeping her eyes over the dusty shop windows, broken shutters, and shadowy figures lurking at a discreet distance, she shuddered.
Her voice was barely a whisper as she asked, “What are we doing here, Adrian? I thought we were coming to visit a friend.” They had told her little of what to expect on the trip, and trusting Max as she did, she hadn’t bothered to ask.
“We are, my pet. We are. Let’s just say that we decided it would be best to keep this meeting as private as we could.” Adrian grinned at her discomfort.
Before Cassie could ask any more questions or begin to protest, Adrian stepped up to a door that held no sign or address and knocked. A familiar face appeared on the other side of the murky glass, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter. The crazy goggles balanced on the long nose and held on by straps that ran behind two giant ears would have been funny on their own, but the way the lenses magnified the already large, brown eyes was hilarious.
The door flung open and Cassandra flew into Julius Granger’s arms. “You haven’t changed a bit, Julius. I’ve missed you so!” Looking down at the only man she had ever known to be shorter than her own five-foot stature, Cassie beamed.
“You have only grown lovelier with time, Cassie dear.” Then as if remembering the meeting was meant to be clandestine, he pushed the strange glasses up to the top of his head and looked anxiously from side to side. “Come in, come in. We shouldn’t dawdle about here on the street.”
The inside of the small shop was filthy. Thick cobwebs hung in the corners of the main room, and an inch of dust layered the sparse furnishings. The only thing that looked as if it had seen life in years was the small boiler that inhabited one corner of the room and pumped steam into the radiator type heaters.
“Ignore all this, it’s just for show. Most of the dust is courtesy of my housekeeper back down on the Mainland.” Julius led them though a door and into another world. The gaslights provided dim, but sufficient lighting, and a fireplace held low flames flickering within. Though the various tables held all sorts of mixtures, gadgets, odds, and ends, the room was clean of dust and cobwebs.
“Well, Jules, I see you are still the mad scientist of the group. What is it that you and Max have been keeping such a secret?” Cassandra ran one delicate finger over an odd-looking dial.
The back door opened and a man appeared, shadowed by the light pouring in behind him. “Max, what are you doing here? You aren’t supposed to leave the house. Have you forgotten the plan, man?” Adrian’s frustration showed clearly on his face as he shoved his thumbs into his vest pockets and shook his head.
“Adrian! You can’t expect him to just sit and wait.” Cassandra moved across the room toward Max, the odd fact that he hadn’t yet spoken or moved further into the room niggling at the back of her mind. “Come in here, Max, and let us in on the plan.”
She reached his side and gasped, backing away much quicker than she had moved forward. The resemblance was uncanny, but the eyes were all wrong. The same type of glassy, dead eyes that had peered back at her from the woman at the train station stared at her from her lover’s face. Panic struck her heart and head simultaneously, leaving her stammering.
The horror of the moment grew to new heights as Julius, looking ever so pleased with himself, pulled a sheet off a lump that sat in the only chair in the room. From beneath the covering, an exact replica of Cassie appeared, frozen in its unanimated state. Somehow, seeing herself staring unblinking and lifeless was worse than seeing the man she loved fashioned into a mortech.
Her voice was weak and her knees gave out. She hit the floor hard, sounding as if she were speaking through a haze. “Jules? I don’t understand.”
Adrian instantly appeared at her side, his voice sharp, “Julius, I’ve had enough of this. You’ve given poor Cassandra a hell of a fright. I suggest you stop playing with these monsters, and tell us what is going on here.”
Julius looked petrified, “Cassie, I’m so sorry. I only wanted to gauge your reaction before I explained. It’s imperative that these creations be as close to the real thing as possible. Max and I thought if we could fool you and Westing, we’d be able to fool anyone.”
Cassie allowed herself to be swept up and placed in a sitting position on one of the long tables with Adrian’s coat draped over her bare legs. She couldn’t decide whether she was angry or impressed as the mortech versions of herself and Max stood together in the corner of the room. The quality of Julius’s creations was astounding, but the distress of seeing them still made her heart flutter inside her chest as if it were a bird trying to escape.
“Okay, Julius. On with the explaining because these things are seriously frightening.” Cassie shivered, unable to get over the uneasiness her doppelganger produced.
“You see, Max developed a plan to destroy the Time Clock, but in the process it would destroy him. He planned to strap enough explosives to himself to level the machine, and then make a show of freeing the population of the curse he had set upon them.”
Cassandra felt her eyes go wide and fill with tears, “Oh, Max.” The sadness in her voice could have broken the strongest heart. “What changed his mind? How did you guys decide to use these things?”
“You changed his mind. The moment he condemned himself to die as a martyr, he realized he couldn’t because of you. To live without you was hell, but to die without telling you how he felt, well, that was unthinkable. That is when he contacted me. It was a long shot on his part. I could have easily reported him or said no. You see, after the revolution, I traded in my banner for a nametag and a position at my father’s factory. I am the creator of the mortech, and these,” he gestured to the robotic couple, “are the newest in our collection. More lifelike than any machine known to man.”
Cassie and Adrian pieced the plan together except for one single factor. “I get that he plans to use this version of him as the martyr, but what about Cassie? Why create one for her as well?” Adrian puzzled over the idea as he circled the mortechs, studying the flawless design.
“Stop moving around, will you? The way their eyes follow you scares the hell out of me.” Cassie couldn’t see the reason behind her mechanical-self either, and she was growing irritated by the fear that the thing inspired.
“That’s the beauty of it, you see. The police are searching for you, Cassie. They want to return you to your father, who I can only imagine, wants to make sure your timepiece is installed soon. Having the mayor’s daughter run about without one can’t look good. Especially, now that his time is near. If you die alongside your star-crossed lover as a revolt against the establishment and your father, you and Max’s story will be a legend known worldwide. In reality, you will be given a clean slate to make your getaway, and the two of you will finally get the start to a new life that you deserve.”
“It’s brilliant!” Adrian was thrilled with the concept. “That’s why it was always Max who was our leader, it was like he could always see further down the road than the rest of us. Two questi
ons though. How are we going to get these contraptions back down to the Mainland, and aren’t people going to notice these things aren’t real? Cassie can’t be seen with Max, and she can’t very well go walking about with herself. Not to mention, they may look real, but they certainly don’t act it.”
“I believe I can help with that.” The deep voice of Barrington Cross came from the doorway, which led to the front room of the shop.
Cassandra spun, and squealed, “Barry, is that really you? Oh, it’s been so long.”
“That it has, Cassie girl. It’s mighty good to have you back among these rapscallions. No class, this bunch.” The massive man ducked under the low door and stepped fully into the room, decreasing the empty space considerably.
Cassie stepped forward, marveling on how she had forgotten Barrington’s larger-than-life size as he hugged her gently. Her head rested just where his breastbone ended, and the arms encircling her were easily the same circumference as her waist. Both she and Jules could easily stand behind Barrington and not be seen, so great was his muscular form.
“Ah, so another piece to this puzzle comes together. What part shall you play in our great debauchery, Barrington?” Adrian raised one eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest.
“My ship is waiting at the edge of town, a little private strip of land that I got back there. My job is to deliver some large wooden crates here, and then get you four and the cargo back down to the Main, without being seen and then wait. That is all I know. Max, as usual, is the only one who knows the full design of his schemes.”
“Ah, the crates must be for the mortechs!” Julius nearly rubbed his hands together in anticipation of watching his creations in action.
“The wha—“ Barrington started to ask, but then he saw the mechanical Cassie and Max in the corner. His dark skin nearly went white. “What the hell are those?”
Cassie couldn’t help but giggle. “I believe that’s what the wooden crates are for. Creepy aren’t they?”
Barrington shook his head and stared at the creatures for a moment. “Yes, they are. Now, boyos, come give me a hand with these crates. The wagon’s around back.”
As quickly and as quietly as they could, they brought in three wooden crates perfectly sized to fit a human form inside. “I don’t get it. Why are there three?” Julius looked absolutely perplexed as he pushed his odd magnifying goggles down over his eyes and stared at the array of small holes that had been drilled into the top and sides of the last crate.
Taking a side step away from Cassie to ensure he was out of reach of her fists, Adrian informed them, “Well, I believe that one is for the real Cassandra.” Barrington chuckled, Julius looked shocked, but Cassie’s reaction was the one he feared.
“I will not, he can’t expect me to….” She stammered, her small fist bawling up at her sides, wanting to hit something in her frustration, but not knowing who or what.
The loading of the crate into the wagon, unloading it, placing it on the little airship, and even the woozy feeling of lift off hadn’t been as bad as Cassie had expected. However hot and cramped she felt inside the little box, she knew it was all for good reason. Max had thought of everything, it seemed.
“Almost there, Cassie. How are you holding up?” Adrian’s voice sounded muted as he spoke quietly through the side of the crate.
“I’m fine, Adrian, just get me out of here soon, okay? I’m starting to get a little claustrophobic.” Cassie couldn’t help but think that she understood how it would feel to be buried alive, and she didn’t like it at all.
Adrian patted the box gently, “I can see the Mainland now. Only a bit longer, I’m going to go check in with Jules and Barry, see how things are going.”
Cassie listened to the fading sound of his boots on the wooden floor of the cargo hold. With nothing left to do, she let the smothering heat and rocking of the airship lull her into sleep. When she next woke, it was to the sound of harried voices and loud bangs. Forgetting where she was, she tried to sit up. The instant pain at the front of her forehead gave her a smart reminder that she was trapped in a crate in the belly of an airship. Panic sank in, and she pushed at the lid, desperate to escape the dark confines and discover what was happening.
Julius’ voice came to her as a harsh whisper. “Cassandra, be still and quiet. We’ve landed but we have trouble. There are policemen here searching for you. We are going to cover the crate with stuff before they get a chance to search. Just try not to move, okay, love?”
Cassie whispered that she would be still, and as the sound of heavy items being tossed on top of her wooden box, her heart hammered and her throat went dry. Fear of discovery took over, making her quake and want to cry.
The room suddenly went quiet, and she knew that she was alone. Instead of finding that knowledge comforting, Cassie’s mind made things worse. The barrage of doubts and fears manifested into a full-blown explosion inside her head, making it difficult not to stir.
What if they open the crates? What if they don’t open the crates? What if they take Jules, Barrington, and Adrian away? What if I’m stuck in here for days? I’ll die! I won’t be able to get out, and I will starve to death. Or the temperatures will rise, and I will keel over from heat stroke. I don’t even know where I am. If I do get out, I could be miles and miles away from help.
The only thing that managed to silence her thoughts was the sound of footsteps and unfamiliar voices. Cassie took a deep breath, and lay perfectly still, though she was certain that if someone drew near enough they would hear the hammering of her heart.
At first, the voices were too disjointed to discern what they were saying, but as the heavy tread of boots on wood came closer, the conversation bled through.
“Mr. Cross, are you telling me that you haven’t heard from anyone of them since the end of the revolution?” The officer’s voice was full of doubt.
“Look, Haniker, I got me a nice set up here. Everything’s on the up and up, and I don’t need scoundrels like Westing or Max involved in a legit business. Those boys’ names are enough to shut me down. As far as Cassie goes, I’d like to see the girl again, but she ain’t come calling on me. I hope you find her, and get her back to her father before she gets tangled up in that nonsense.”
Cassie could almost picture Barrington, standing tall and looking mean as he glared at the officer, but then his words registered. Wait, Westing? Where the hell is Adrian if the police don’t know he’s there?
“Granger, are you saying you haven’t had contact with Cassandra, Westing, or Gauswald as well?” The officer wouldn’t let up.
“As I told you, Chief, I have no use for them either. I, like Barrington, have gone on the straight and narrow. My involvement with those folks was bad judgment on my part. I was one of the first to volunteer to have the timepiece put in. I hired Barrington to bring down some supplies for me while I work on a new project for my father. The only reason we are using his private airstrip is to avoid the hassle at the depot, and there’s nothing illegal about that. So if you have no more questions, I have work to do.”
Cassandra had no doubt that Julius had volunteered to get his timepiece, for him, it would have been in the name of science. The man would cut off his own arm if he thought it would produce some kind of knew scientific discovery. However, she was beginning to worry about being set up. She could almost see the possibility of Julius turning them in, his innocent act all a ruse, and perhaps that was what had happened to Adrian.
“The up and up, eh? Well then, I guess neither one of you will protest if I have my men open one of these crates.” The officer’s tone sounded as if he wanted to scream ‘Ah-hah, I gotcha now!’ in the silence between his question and Julius’ answer.
“Be my guest, you won’t find anything amiss. I doubt your men would even understand what they were looking at.”
Just when Cassie thought she couldn’t become anymore scared, she felt something hit the side of her box. Clamping her hands over her mouth, she tried not to screa
m. She held her breath, waiting for the lid to be ripped off and her presence revealed. Julius, you traitor!
The sound of cracking wood interrupted her mental rant. Turning her head very slowly, she peered out of one of the small air holes drilled in her crate, closing one eye so she wouldn’t see double. All she could see was the blue pants of a man, a crowbar, and the lip of another crate. The man pried at the lid, and another harsh crack erupted as the wood splintered.
She couldn’t tell with her limited view if it were one of the boxes that held her doppelganger or Max’s. All she could do was wait, listen, and pray as the men slid the lid aside and looked into the box. It seemed to Cassie as if she heard a collective intake of breath, or maybe it was just her own, echoing inside the small container.
The seconds passed like hours as she waited for the commotion to burst outward like a hurricane inside the gulley. Expecting discovery, Cassie braced herself for a fight. I will not go back to father. I will not have my life adjudicated by a machine instead of the Creator. I will not allow myself to be cheated out of what Max and I have, again.
“Well, looks like you boys are good to go. If you hear from anyone about Cassandra, let us know.” When the officer spoke, the glee of certainty had faded from his voice.
Cassie couldn’t believe her ears or eyes. She wanted to kick her feet with glee, but of course, that would get them caught. Not to mention, she was sure her legs were asleep. Instead, she allowed herself an enormous grin.
*****
Maxwell and Justice stood in an abandoned house on the edge of the square, waiting for the others. The owner had passed months before, leaving a litter of unloved and unwanted items behind. The Death Day decorations still hanging among the cobwebs and dust were a stark reminder of why the sad and neglected site had been chosen to hatch the last of their nefarious plans.
Cogs in Time Anthology (The Steamworks Series Book 1) Page 12