Boots for the Gentleman

by Augusta Li

  When he got closer, Querry discovered not Frolic but Kristof with his elbows on the metal bar. The young man stood looking out to sea with his hood up. The water lapped calmly against the boat’s metal hull as Querry joined the magician. He gazed out in the direction Kristof looked, but beyond the caps of sea foam closest to them, he saw only darkness. At least it was warmer; Querry’s hands felt fine without his gloves.

  “Trouble sleeping?” Kristof asked. He offered Querry the pipe he’d been smoking.

  “I suppose,” Querry answered. Though he didn’t smoke often, Querry accepted Kristof’s pipe and took a few pulls. It calmed his nerves a little. “Have you seen Frolic around?”

  “No. Is he missing?”

  Querry nodded and passed the pipe back. “He slips away during the night. Says he likes to be under the moon and stars. Last night I found him over by the masthead, singing a song. He told me he was talking to the ocean.”

  “I think he’s reacting to the fey in him. The effect is more profound than I would have thought. Without it, though, I doubt he’d have had the knowledge to understand the magical workings of your clock tower. You mentioned he couldn’t figure it out before?”

  “No, he couldn’t.”

  Kristof nodded, almost apologetically. “Because we used fey words and emotion in the spell, and possibly because of those parts of myself that we used, Frolic understands magic now.”

  The explanation ignited the bitter feelings Querry had been trying to douse since meeting Kristof. He couldn’t help his envy. He didn’t want the faerie gentleman as his partner or permanent companion, but the idea that he preferred Kristof, found Kristof worthier and more interesting, burned at the edges of Querry’s ego. Being the favorite of such a powerful person had defined his sense of worth more than he’d realized. But Kristof was not to blame. He was a humble and gentle sort, especially for a magician. Querry wondered if it hurt him to know his lover would never be exclusively his. “How is he doing?” Querry asked.

  “Sleeping,” Kristof said, shaking his head. “He’s weak with the lack of magic already. I begged him to stay behind, but he’s as stubborn as ever. I told him he wouldn’t be able to help us, with that awful tower siphoning all the enchantment out of the world. He refused to leave me, though.”

  “Because he loves you,” Querry said, trying to comfort the worried, young man.

  “Believe me, I understand the magnitude of what he’s done, choosing my company over his own comfort. It’s contrary to his nature in every way. I just, I’m afraid for him. I—”

  Querry put his arm around Kristof’s shoulders and squeezed him. He tried to think of words that might assuage Kristof’s concern, but he couldn’t summon them when he felt just as afraid himself. “What the hell are we going to do?” he whispered.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never felt so helpless. We’re still a day away from home, but I can already sense the effects Frolic described. By the time I set foot on my native shore, I’ll be powerless.”

  “I still don’t understand it,” Querry said.

  “From your friend’s explanation, I assume that each of the guardians at the corners of the tower is designed to filter elemental magic: fire, air, earth, or water. When these powers are combined in the center of the structure, they’ll form a limitless power, pure possibility. A person controlling that power could do almost anything he wanted: create or destroy. He’d be godlike.”

  “Frolic was meant to be that person,” Querry said.

  “Not quite,” Kristof amended, “he was meant to be a tool by which another controlled that power. Only because his creator granted him free will could he resist. Luckily for all of us.”

  “What will we do?” Querry asked.

  “As I see it, we have only one option: destroy the mechanisms atop the tower. It will be difficult enough if they haven’t found a way to replace Frolic in directing the power, and if they have—” He shuddered. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be much help without my magic.”

  “We’ll need weapons,” Querry said. He wondered where they’d get what they needed now that Dink had left the country. “God help us, what we need is an army.”

  The two of them stood in silence, the weight of the situation crushing down on them. Before long they heard light steps approaching them. Frolic stopped a few feet away and greeted them. “I’ve been looking for you,” Querry told him. “How come you’re not in the bed with Reggie?”

  Frolic looked haunted as he turned his face toward the first sliver of rose stretching across the horizon. “My dreams have been strange. I see and hear things that weren’t there before. I understand things that I never even knew existed. It’s unsettling to feel so unlike myself.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kristof said. “If it’s any consolation, some of the things I saw in the Other Places disturbed me, until I grew accustomed to them. I think you’ll eventually get used to your new perceptions, Frolic.”

  Frolic nodded sadly and thanked him. Querry stroked the curls on the back of his head and felt Frolic press back against his hand. Querry cupped the back of his neck and drew him into his arms. Frolic rested his head against Querry’s chest and said, “I am tired, Querry. Maybe we can try to get some rest. Hold me?”

  “Of course.” He kissed the top of Frolic’s head. “Let’s try to sleep for a few hours before morning. Kristof, will you be all right?”

  The young wizard looked back toward the sea, his features guarded and unreadable. He tapped his pipe against the metal railing, emptying the ashes into the water. “I will be fine. I wish to stay here and think for a bit. Good night to you.”

  QUERRY, Reg, and Kristof stood in line holding the false documents they’d procured before leaving the East. Querry resisted the urge to look over his shoulder and hoped none of the Unicorn’s other passengers would ask the whereabouts of their other companions. They’d tried to keep to themselves during the long voyage, and they’d decided even before departing that there would be no way to get Frolic or the faerie gentleman past the heightened security in their home country. Querry was nervous. The fake papers were good, but he and Reg were wanted criminals and Kristof attracted attention in his outdated clothes.

  Finally their turn came and the few minutes the guards took looking over their paperwork felt like hours. Querry felt himself starting to sweat as the portly, balding man looked from his documents to his face and back again.

  “You all right, mate?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

  “Seasick,” Querry said quickly.

  “Right, well, on your way.”

  Querry struggled not to sigh with relief.

  “Wait,” Kristof said. “Where do we pick up our cargo?”

  “Cargo?” the guard asked suspiciously. “What kind of cargo?”

  Querry froze. They hadn’t planned how they’d answer that question. Kristof was clever and quick, though. “I purchased a set of antique leather chairs for my study. The workmanship is quite exquisite. If you have a crowbar, we can open the crates and admire them.”

  The guard, clearly bored, said, “No time for that. Off you go. You can pick up your things right over there.” He pointed to a gangplank stretching from a barge to a gravel circle where several horse-drawn carts and taxis, as well as a few steam carriages, waited to be hired by travelers. A few crewmen hauled two wooden boxes that looked just the right size to hold leather armchairs. Kristof hurried over and directed them to be loaded onto a flatbed cart pulled by a shaggy, gray gelding. He climbed in beside and pressed his cheek to one of the boxes, stroking it with his hand.

  Querry cleared his throat. “I know those chairs mean a lot to you, but everything will be all right. Let’s not cause a stir.” He climbed into the cart beside Kristof and sat down in the straw. Reg took a seat next to the driver and handed him some money. The driver slapped the reins against the animal’s haunches, and the old beast grunted before starting slowly on his way. A long procession of carriages slowed their progress and caused them le
ngthy and frequent pauses. Querry longed to escape the crowds and scrutiny, and he wondered where Reg thought they might be safe. Finally the pony broke into a slow trot. Querry allowed himself the relieved breath he’d been holding. The thick snow that had been pushed to the sides of the streets had started to melt, and icicles dripped from the eaves. Querry smelled new grass forcing its way up through the piles of garbage and horse manure that littered the walks. He saw a few snowdrops blooming between the tree trunks and the fences that surrounded them. It surprised Querry not to see more people out strolling or visiting the shops and booths. Normally after such a brutal winter, every person in the city made his or her way outdoors as soon as the temperature reached above freezing. The streets should have been crowded and the air heavy with the new hope that spring always inspired. The few people Querry saw walked with their heads down, their eyes darting from side to side as they hurried to their destinations. The thief had seen enough fear and anxiety to recognize it, and he wondered as to the cause. Even so, Querry relaxed a little and smiled at Kristof. “It’s going to be fine,” he told the harried-looking wizard.

  “Where are we going?” Kristof said. “When will we be there? Soon?”

  “I’m sure it won’t be long.”

  “Does this not seem odd to you?” the magician continued, looking at the empty walks.

  “A bit,” Querry admitted. “But please don’t worry yourself.”

  “How can I not? Imagine yourself stripped of your sword and pistol, without even your fists to protect the ones you love. I cannot remember ever being without this power; it has been my companion since childhood. Never could I have imagined anything to rival magic, let alone a machine! Can you understand how this feels to me?”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Querry promised, and, looking at the crates, added, “any of us.”

  “Thank you. I just wish I knew where we were going. This does not feel at all like the country I left behind.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Querry agreed. “But we’re going to put it right.”

  The pony stopped at an intersection and waited while some pedestrians crossed the street. A blond young man pushed his way past the skittish stragglers and, to Querry’s surprise, jumped onto the cart and sat down beside Reg. It took a few minutes for Querry to recognize Lizard, as the boy had grown several inches in the months he’d been away. Lizard looked seriously at Reg and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Reg nodded gravely, spoke to the driver, and handed the man more money. The cart made a sharp left, shifting Querry, Kristof, and the two crates to the side. Querry crawled around the wooden boxes and tapped Reg on the shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “Lizard says the city is in trouble,” Reg explained. “He says there are people who will want to speak with us. That we’ll be safe there.”

  “We need your help, mate,” the boy said. “At least hear us out.”

  “I thought you were leaving with Dink!”

  “Things happened,” Lizard said. “I’ll explain more in a bit. Ain’t safe to talk out here.”

  “Why?”

  The young man looked about nervously, curled his shoulders forward and pulled his hat down over his eyes, inviting no further questioning. “Just wait, and hear what we have to say.”

  “We didn’t have any better idea anyway,” Querry conceded. He shared the news with Kristof, who looked impatiently at the crates. The elderly pony slowly ascended a hillock, and the litter grew sparser and homes and grounds larger and finer. The two of them settled back in for a quarter-of-an-hour ride to a quiet, residential neighborhood. They stopped in front of a three-story, brick building surrounded by an iron fence and old trees covered in ivy. Querry and Reg unloaded the crates while Lizard went to the front door and spoke to someone when it opened the tiniest crack. He looked over his shoulder and motioned to the others.

  “Inside,” the boy said. “Hurry.”

  “Not without—” Kristof began.

  Querry put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. “I say, Lizard, can you find us a hammer or a crowbar?”

  Lizard went inside and returned with an iron bar. Querry pried the first carton open and Kristof hurried to help the faerie gentleman out, embracing him and whispering to him in fey. He brushed away the sawdust that clung to the faerie’s fine clothes. Querry freed Frolic and took his weapons back from his companion, who’d been keeping them safe in his hiding place. It felt good to have his gun and sword back by his side. He handed Reg his pistols, and the five of them followed Lizard inside and through the house to an expansive cellar. Some oil lamps set on the mismatched tables lit the faces of about forty men and women, many of them foreigners from Rajallah and Xiana. Querry noticed right away that all of them were well armed, and that their hands went to their weapons as they eyed the newcomers suspiciously. If he’d sensed nervousness on the city streets, in here, Querry felt outright panic and paranoia.

  “Stop right there,” said an older man with thick muttonchops. He wore pieced-together bits of military and naval uniforms and had a rifle strapped to his back. “We were told to expect three men.”

  From the darkened corner of the basement, another man spoke. Querry smiled when he recognized the accent. “These men can be trusted. They saved me from the clock tower and recovered the book about its operation. They are the kind of fighters we need.” Dink made his way to where they stood and patted Querry on the shoulder. “Hello, mein old friend. We are very glad to have you back.”

  “Glad to be back,” Querry said, embracing Dink.

  The smile dropped from Dink’s face when he saw Kristof and the faerie gentleman standing behind Reg. He broke away from Querry and pointed. “How could you bring him here?”

  Kristof stepped in front of his companion protectively. “Just what’s going on?” he asked. “Who are all of you?”

  “Concerned citizens,” the man with the rifle said. “We need all the help we can get, but we don’t need help from the likes of him.” He pointed at the faerie.

  “Kristof, let’s go,” the gentleman said weakly. “We certainly don’t need anything from these ignorant peasants.”

  His statement drew angry retorts from the people assembled. Some of them stood up, and Kristof reached inside his cloak. Querry’s hand went to the hilt of his sword before he knew what he was doing. He stepped backward and stood beside Kristof. “We don’t want any trouble,” he said in warning.

  “You got trouble,” said a portly woman with a rolling pin in her hand. “You’re a traitor. Faerie lovers! You come to the wrong place!” Most of the room agreed with her enthusiastically.

  “I wouldn’t,” Kristof said, his voice low and threatening in a way Querry would never have thought it capable. Frolic balled his fists and took his place behind Querry’s right shoulder. Even Reg, despite his animosity toward the faerie, brought his hands to the pistols on his hips. A few more people stood up and produced weapons of their own.

  “Wait!” Lizard said. “I told them they’d be safe here! They came to help!”

  The crowd grumbled angrily. Querry could pick out just a few curses and slurs. It would be a fight after all, and a hard one.

  “All of us need to settle down,” Dink said above the din. Eventually everyone sat down, muttering to themselves. “If Querry trusts this- this man, then so will I. If you trust me, value me as one of you, then I beg you to give them a chance. They are the hope we have prayed for these past months. If we have any chance of saving this land, then we must work together.”

  “Is that it?” a young man asked, coming closer to inspect Frolic. “Is that the clockwork that can control the tower?”

  “His name is Frolic,” Reg snapped. Once again the people in the room began talking in excited and nervous whispers. “Enough,” Reg finally shouted. “Tell us exactly what is going on here or we’re leaving.”

  Dink showed them to a wooden bench beside the wall and all of them sat, except the faerie gentleman, who stood sneering with his arms cross
ed. Chair legs screeched against stone as the people assembled gave him a wide berth. “Many of us have noticed a change in the city over the past few months,” Dink explained. “The people have fallen into despair. They have no joy in their lives. They’re confused and afraid. I can’t say what is happening, but somehow he is sucking all of the life out of this place.”

  “Who?” Querry asked. “Thimbleroy?”

  “Fools,” the faerie said with a sardonic chuckle. “You’re missing the magic you claim to despise so much.”

  “It is not just that,” Dink continued. “He has taken control of the tower and is using its power to destroy anyone who stands in his way. He’s purchased several factories and is building those horrible clockwork men by the dozens. We have sabotaged them several times, but they are repaired again in days. Some of the stories I have heard—the stuff of nightmares!”

  “How?” Querry dared.

  “The way the clockworks are built, I have heard, is from things beside metal and gears. Living things, some say. We are among those citizens who know he must be stopped.”

  “So he’s managed to harness the power,” Kristof said, shaking his head. “And now he’s using the knowledge to build an army.”

  “Who’s in charge here?” Querry asked.

  “I am,” said a female voice. The woman, her face hidden by a hood like Kristof’s, stood up and approached the bench. “I was one of the first people he came after. My home was destroyed, and most of my staff and family killed. I only live because that monster thinks I perished.”

  “And who are you?” Querry asked.

  “Elaina, Duchess of Lisine.”

  “My Lady,” Reg said, reaching for her hand. She pulled away before he could take it.

  “What exactly happened?” Kristof asked. “What sort of magic did he use to attack you?”

  With a trembling hand, she pushed her hood back. Querry and the others gasped. The entire left side of her face had been burned. The skin had healed in ghastly bumps and whorls. Missing flesh revealed her teeth, gums, and the entire orb of her eye. The hair on that side was gone, and on the opposite side it hung in white tangles. A stunted antler, like a young deer’s, protruded from her forehead. She opened her cloak and stretched out what had once been her left arm. It had been shortened by half, and ended in two long, black claws. A spine extended from her elbow and loose skin hung down in a horrifying suggestion of a wing. “At first I thought it was a storm. I saw flashes of light outside my bedroom window, heard the wind battering the house. Then the roof above me was torn away. Streaks of energy circled me, and strange things began to happen: plants growing from the walls, the furniture moving about as if alive. When that energy hit my body—” She pointed to her horrible deformities and looked away from the men.