by Lara Nance
“Now!” Belle said.
The three of them hauled the heavy rope over the side and it spilled down to the ground. Rett positioned the fans to stall their progress and they leaned over and called to Armani directly below them now.
“The rope, Armani. Grab the rope,” Benji yelled, waving to her.
She looked up, dazed and staggering. When she saw the ship her face cleared instantly and she grabbed the rope, wrapping her legs around it.
“Hold on,” Belle called. “Hold tight.”
“Now!” yelled Rett, stomping on the engine room hatch.
The ship gave a lurch and then soared into the air just as the crowd realized what happened. They surged toward the small sand circle and the ascending girl, futilely waving their arms. Robbed of their sacrificial victim they howled in anger, shaking fists in the air. Lord Ismatan raised a hand to them and then dashed off to safety before the crowd could turn their anger on him. Benji and Jasper hauled the rope up to the ship with Benji constantly urging Armani to hold on.
Armani screamed as a quick member of the furious crowd reached the rope before the trailing end left the ground and latched on. Belle’s heart sunk when the man climbed up the rope hand over hand.
“Hurry, pull her up,” she yelled, watching with growing terror as the man closed the gap between himself and the weaving form of Armani.
Belle held her breath as Armani swung and twisted on the knotted rope. If she fell now she would be dead. Although her face was screwed up in fear she held tight and wrapped her legs around the rope as well. They pulled her up as fast as they could, praying she could maintain her grip until she reached the ship.
At last they had her at the rail, but the man below managed to reach her and had a hand closed like a clamp around her ankle. Armani cried out as she slid backwards.
“Hold her, pull her in,” Belle yelled to Benji and Jasper who grabbed the girl’s shoulders and heaved her up over the rail. Belle yanked a belaying pin from the rail and attacked the man who had pulled himself up to the top of the railing by hanging onto Armani’s foot.
When he saw Belle coming at him he grabbed a brace and tried to swing one leg over the side while still hanging onto Armani. Jasper and Benji tugged on the girl, fighting to keep him from dragging her backwards. Belle beat the arm clinging to her leg until he finally released, letting Armani and the two men fall into a heap on the deck. The attacker turned his attention to Belle his fanatical face twisted in rage as he yelled curses of God down on her head. He grabbed her jacket in an attempt to maintain his hold to the side of the ship.
She continued to hit him with the pin until her jacket tore in his grasp and he let out a howl of terror as he pitched away from the hull and plummeted to the earth. Rett yelled as she fell to the deck breathing hard and shaking all over.
“Belle, Belle,” Armani scrambled across the deck and collapsed in Belle’s arms in tears. Benji and Jasper wrapped their arms around the two women laughing and shouting.
“Thank you, thank you,” Armani said, crying effusively. “Oh, Benji and Jasper.”
She hugged all of them.
Tears flowed down Belle’s face as well. She couldn’t believe they had done it. She looked up at Rett. His face had gone white as he stared at her with a strange expression. Sam ran up from the engine room. He put an arm around Rett’s shoulders when he saw them all safe and laughed in relief.
“I can’t believe it,” Armani cried. “You rescued me.”
Belle hugged her tightly and rocked her back and forth until her sobbing and shaking ceased. She stroked the girl’s hair and murmured words of comfort as she recovered from the shock of a near death experience.
Rett turned the ship to leave Jandaharra and headed for Carabarras. Belle pulled Armani over to the seats, asking Jasper if he would make her some tea. She trembled from the adventure herself and would welcome a cup.
“Oh, Belle, I thought I would never see you after I left yesterday. Here you are rescuing me again.” Armani wiped tears from her red streaked face. “After my uncle failed with the raja I felt certain there was no hope for me.”
“He came to see us this morning and explained what happened. How horrifying for you,” Belle said.
“Are you ok, k, kay?” Benji knelt down at her side.
“Yes, Benji. Thank you. I can’t believe how brave you were to stand up for me.” She gave him a rather worshipful gaze, and his face turned red.
Belle blinked at the exchange. Fortunately Jasper arrived then and set a tea tray on the small table in the sitting area. He handed a cup to Armani and she gave him a grateful smile as she sipped it.
“But what shall I do now?” Her bottom lip trembled. “I am forever without a home or family.”
“That’s not true. You have a home with me as long as you need it,” Belle said. “But I’m afraid you may be placed in some danger. I have to find my father and there are very unscrupulous people holding him.”
Armani set her cup on the table and took both of Belle’s hands in hers. “Oh, Belle, as if I would consider such danger. I shall be honored to help in any way I can.”
Belle patted her hand. She left her with Benji and went up to the aft deck to talk with Rett.
“Thank you, Rett. You did a good thing today.” She smiled up at him.
He gave her his rakish half smile. “Hey, it was fun depriving those assholes of their victim.”
Emptiness crashed in as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. The fear of losing Armani brought into perspective all that needed to be accomplished in these eastern countries. She felt a new found respect for her father and his fight to make order in the world. If this fiasco had not occurred, Gandiss would have taken a giant step forward into modern society and civilization.
“It’s hard to believe such a tradition exists.” She gazed over the barren landscape that stretched out from the city.
“Women are not treated the same here as in Urbannia,” he said.
She gave a short laugh. “And even there it was shocking when I started my own business. If I survive this adventure, I shall devote my life to changing the role of women in this world. These archaic barbarisms must end.”
Rett looked at her for a moment with no expression and then he smiled. He reached out and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Yeah, I can see you doing that.”
A thrill ran through her at his touch and she quickly looked away. Why should she be so pleased at his approval?
“Now where are we heading?” Having any charitable feelings about Rett made her uncomfortable.
“We have to cross the Durbon Mountain Range and then I suppose the best place to start our search is in the capital city of Terrabba.” He glanced sideways at Belle. “We’re going to need to stay alert. Crossing the mountains is treacherous enough, but once we’re in Carabarras the skies are full of pirates.”
“Why is it so dangerous crossing the mountains?”
“That range has the highest peaks in the world. We’ll be traveling at elevated altitudes and the wind currents there tend to be unpredictable and high velocity. An airship can be smashed into the face of a mountain before you know what hit you.”
Belle frowned. Despite the danger they had already faced, it seemed the worst might be yet to come. They also had to worry about a Sarc who would be hunting for her to recover his sacred stickpin. She shivered.
“How soon before we reach the mountains?” she asked.
Rett held up a brass sextant to his eye and flipped several lenses down and rotated a small wheel on the side as he scanned the horizon. “Less than an hour.”
“Then I’d better go prepare the others. Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Just hang on and don’t fall off the ship,” Rett said.
She hoped he was joking but, somehow she didn’t think he was. So she hurried down to the main deck and let the others know what lay ahead. Benji and Jasper went to their cabins to find their warm coats and gloves. Belle took
Armani with her to see what she could give the girl from her wardrobe.
In Belle’s cabin, Armani removed the elaborate silk tunic and skirt she wore. She folded it carefully and when she looked up her eyes were narrow and hard.
“These were to be my bridal clothes,” Armani said. “Can you believe they made me wear this to my execution? They said it was to remind other women to stay pure for their husbands.”
Belle pressed her lips together. She had a mental flash of Armani lying on the ground, dead, with the delicate white dress streaked in her own blood. She took the folded bundle and put it in a drawer below the bed.
“That is your past. You can be whatever you want to be now and choose the man you want to marry because you love him.”
“Such a future is a bit frightening to someone who has been as sheltered as I have.” Armani pulled on the navy twill skirt Belle handed her and a thick wool sweater belted with a leather corset.
“Don’t worry. You have all of us to help you.” Belle gave her an encouraging smile. Then she gave her Pasha Arian’s thick velvet cape. After a moment’s thought, she rummaged through her bag and found her multi-shooter and box of ammunition.
“What is that?” Armani asked eyes wide.
“It’s a multi-shooter. Similar to a pistol but it has a larger cylinder which holds twenty bullets. It also has a secret lever on the side which releases a knife out the handle.” Belle felt a twinge of sadness as she loaded bullets into the cylinder. “My father gave it to me about five years ago and taught me to shoot it. He also taught me to fight with swords.”
“Why would he do such a thing?” Armani asked. “In my country, women are forbidden to use weapons.”
“Yes, but it is the men in your country making the laws, is it not?” Belle clicked the cylinder back together and put the shooter in her skirt pocket. “My father wanted me to be able to protect myself. I think he always wanted a son, but bless him; he never once made me feel he was disappointed in me as a daughter.”
“Your father must be an amazing man,” Armani murmured.
“Yes, he is,” Belle said with pride.”Now run along up to the deck. I’ll join you shortly.”
Armani gave her a hug and hurried from the cabin.
Belle put away the other clothes they had tried on Armani and paused thinking of how even people like Armani and her uncle who knew so little about him realized how special her father was.
She ran a hand down her torn jacket and reached for her watch. Her fingers touched the place where the pocket flap should have been and found…nothing. Frantically she pulled the jacket off, pulling and patting the fabric, but there was no pocket. It had been ripped off. The man’s hand must have grabbed it when he fell. The button hole where her watch chain clipped was torn into a gaping hole.
Her knees buckled and she collapsed as realization hit her like a ten ton steam engine. Her watch was gone—the most precious possession and only remaining link to her father—gone. She fell over to the floor sobbing, robbed of her only comfort.
Chapter 14
Rett turned the lever on the mechanism of the steering column that locked the wheel in place. They would stay on their current course and altitude until they reached the first peaks in the Durbon Range. Fortunately the weather remained calm at this point and Rett hoped it continued to stay that way.
Sam made a pot of coffee below and brought up two mugs. They sat in the chairs on deck and Rett rolled out their chart on the small table where Jasper usually served tea.
“Will we make for the pass?” Sam asked.
It was just the question that had been nagging Rett since leaving Jandaharra. The Durbon Pass was a passage through the mountains carved in the lowest altitude area of the whole mountain range. It was the way caravans passed between Gandiss and Carabarras since mountains lined the entire border between the two countries. Rett thought it was probably why they stayed out of war with each other, too. Nothing like a big ol’ wall to keep neighbors friendly.
“That’s a good question.” He pointed to the map. “If we take the safe route and go by the Pass, we’ll avoid any dangerous weather in the higher altitudes. But it’s much further north from where we are now and will take more time to reach Carabarras. If we turn east now, we’ll save a lot of time, but risk getting tossed into the side of a mountain by a rogue wind.”
“We’ve never made that run before, mate.” Sam eyed the map with misgiving. “We always take the Pass.”
“I know. That’s why I’m putting it to you. I won’t do it if you disagree. You don’t owe Belle anything.”
“Well, that’s true, but what about world war? That’s something to think about, eh?”
Sam made a good point. It wasn’t about making up for leaving Belle at the altar any more. It wasn’t even just about trying to save Sir John. What they did now might prevent all the countries of the world from entering a disastrous conflict that could leave the world as they knew it in ruins. And what if some madman in Carabarras was successful because he had some powerful secret weapon? What kind of life would they have ruled by some crazed barbaric dictator? Damn, what a time to start being responsible. Couldn’t he start out with something small instead of saving the world?
“So you’re for it?” Rett looked his friend in the eyes.
“Aye, mate. Let’s do it.” Sam slapped him on the shoulder.
“Then I’ll put the decision to Belle, but I already know what she’ll say,” Rett said wryly.
“No question about that. She’s a game one. When this trip is over, maybe you’ll make up for that mistake you made eight years ago.” Sam gave him a wink.
Rett tried to ignore his comment and went off to find Belle. Ridiculous to think he and Belle might end up together after all this time. Wasn’t it? Damn. That woman was a lot of trouble. He didn’t know if he could stand a lifetime of this crap.
He met Armani on the stairs returning to the deck after donning warmer garments.
“Where’s Belle?” he asked.
“In her cabin.” Armani reached out and put a hand on his arm. “Thank you for coming back for me.”
“My pleasure. Always one for rescuing a damsel in distress.” He patted her hand.
She smiled and continued up to the deck.
Rett got to the bottom of the stairs and frowned. Someone was crying. He tracked the noise to Belle’s cabin where the door stood open and he found her in a heap on the floor, her body wracked in sobs.
He ran forward and stared down at her for a second not sure what to do. Confusion filled his head. Weren’t they supposed to be happy? They had just saved Armani. Then instinct took over and he knelt to pull her up to a sitting position, holding her shoulders.
“Belle, what’s wrong?”
Her body was limp, and he had to give her a little shake before she answered.
“My, my watch,” she sobbed, the most heart wrenching sound he’d ever heard.
“What do you mean? What happened to your watch?” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her eyes.
She took the cloth from him and struggled to her feet, then collapsed on the side of the bed. He came to his feet and searched his mind for some reason the loss of a watch would cause such despair.
After several trembling sniffles, she blew her nose and pushed the loose strands of hair out of her face.
“It was a watch my father gave me. It was special, a link between us.” Her eyes squeezed up again and she couldn’t talk for a moment. “That, that man who came up the rope after Armani…he grabbed my coat and pulled the pocket off. The watch was in it.”
“Oh, I’m…sorry. That’s bad.”
He sank down on the bed beside her, not sure what he could do or say to make it better for her. Such a loss after all that had happened to her must be devastating. He took her hand and she actually let him hold it for a moment before pulling back and blowing her nose again.
“I’m okay. It’s just hard to lose the watch, too. I have nothing
left of him now, nothing.”
“Look, it’s a sad loss, but it doesn’t change anything. We’re still going after him. You’re strong, Belle. You always have been, so you’ll handle this just like all the other bad things that happened to you.”
She gave what sounded like a cross between a gurgle and a snort. “Yeah, strong. Right.”
“You are, and we’re going to get through this.”
A sniff answered him, but she gazed up at him, her expression struggling between grief and hope.
“Come on, we need to talk about going over the mountains and I need your input.” He stood up and held out a hand. “We have to keep going.”
She gave another sniff, nodded, and took his hand. “Okay. Okay.”
They gathered around the chart he had shared with Sam and he explained their options.
“Well, we have to t, t, take the shorter route, no question,” Benji exclaimed as if there was never any option of using the Pass.
“Of course,” Armani said. “We must catch up with Belle’s father as soon as possible.”
Jasper nodded. “Yes, clearly the shorter route is our only choice. We’ve lost so much time already.”
Belle looked around at her companions and then to Rett. “There you have it. Unanimous. We take the shorter route.”
“All right then. Get ready for a bumpy ride.” He left them and returned to the aft deck to make adjustments to their course. He used the brass scope and sextant again to find their new heading.
Sam went down to the engine room to add more helium to the inflatable and Gambit soared higher into the air as Rett spun the wheel to starboard. He couldn’t stop a smile curling his lips as he surveyed his crew. Here he was about to enter the most dangerous country in the world with a one-handed engineer, two women, a boy, and a butler. He chuckled under his breath. Somehow he knew it was the best crew he could possibly have.
A twinge of anxiety hit Rett when he noticed Benji inspecting Gambit’s bronze cannons. Sam returned to the deck and let him know the engine was stoked and ready for action.