by Brad R. Cook
“No more heroics, all right?”
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. He wouldn’t like it anyway.
“We have to hurry.” Genevieve pulled away from the baron. “We must reach the hidden city of the sky pirates before they do.”
I nodded. “Captain Zerelda is there, and she has a horsemen’s heart.”
My father looked at me and held out his hands. “What did I just say?”
”We can’t stop now.” I walked over to the captain. “Mr. Singh said you might know where the city is.”
His belly laugh shook the grating we were standing on. “Of course I know where the hidden city is. I’m a sky pirate!”
He threw his arm around me and pulled me against his side. We started to walk off toward the stairs, but he stopped and glanced over his shoulder at the baron. “Oh, sorry your lordship, but we won’t be able to bring the Duke.” He turned back around and laughed. He pulled me closer and said, “I tire of that pompous windbag. He’s almost worse than the Kaiser.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
He kept laughing as we stepped onto the bridge, the others all following. The baron walked over to Mr. Singh, “Send a lantern signal to the Imperial Airship, inform them to continue the search for the Milli-train.” He nodded and they stepped off.
Once in his captain’s chair, Baldarich announced in a boisterous tone, “Heinz, take us to the coast. We’re off to Zanzibar!”
CHAPTER 32
THE HIDDEN CITY OF THE SKY PIRATES
It was good to be back on the Sparrowhawk, and good to be back in the sky, but it felt more like the end of the journey than the climax. Our heading would take us to the hidden city of the sky pirates, but there was no chance my father, the baron, the Duke, or anyone else was going to let me track down Zerelda. My time on this adventure was over, if they didn’t trust me to with this, I’d never be allowed to hit the Knights of the Golden Circle and bring them to justice.
No, they would expect me to return to Eton, but since the captain was taking us to Zanzibar, I would spend the entire time right here, staring out a porthole.
Owethu came and sat next to me at the back of the bridge. “I hope when this is over we can visit my homeland.”
“Me too. It might actually be sooner than later if the Knights of the Golden Circle want to overthrow the Zulu and seize your land.”
“I am worried.” Owethu stared out the window. “What if these people destroy Zululand?”
“Well, the good news is, you aren’t alone. We’ve dealt with them before.”
“I am very glad I went to Eton, Alexander Armitage.”
“Just think, if we hadn’t discovered the connection back at Eton, no one would know your homeland was threatened.”
“Leave it to Alexander to find himself in the middle of trouble.” The captain walked up behind us and clasped his hands behind his back.
“I don’t mean to find the center of trouble,” I said.
He laughed, clapping his hands together. “Of course you do, it’s in your name. Alexander the Great used to look for a moment to seize victory. Alexander Armitage looks for that same moment, but from the midst of chaos.”
Owethu grinned and nodded.
“Ever been to Zanzibar?” the captain asked us. Owethu and I shook our heads. “It’s an island just off the coast from East Africa”
He pointed out the window. In the distance, a port city gleamed in the afternoon light. I pressed against the window and squinted but couldn’t see anything but the regular city. “I don’t see it. The sky pirates didn’t make this place easy to find.”
The captain chuckled. “No they didn’t. In fact,” he glanced over his shoulder at Heinz, “aim for that ravine. There,” he pointed, “where no roads, or rails, or path will lead. The only way into this city is by air.”
The airship descended between high rock walls and drifted along the ravine. The captain walked over and stood behind Heinz. Genevieve came onto the bridge and joined Owethu and me. She watched outside with the same fascination we did.
The fading light disappeared, plunging the ravine into an eerie darkness. Every so often we would see cannon and other anti-aircraft guns lining the walls. The sheer walls gave way to a caldera, a circular depression encasing the city. The buildings encased within the walls were arranged in a series of rings connected by a latticework of steel beam gangplanks and catwalks. Airships filled the multi-level airdocks ringing the jagged rim of the caldera.
One thing I did know, it was a good thing the rest of the fleet had not followed. Only sky pirates would be welcome in this city. No Duke’s allowed.
The captain turned to us and said, “Welcome to Zanzibar, the hidden city of the sky pirates.”
“Is it safe?” I asked.
“They prefer independent pirates to crown-serving privateers like myself, but no worries. With a lightning cannon on your hip, they tend to leave you alone.”
The baron, my father, Chief Zwelethu, and several crewmen stepped onto the bridge and gathered around the map table. “Captain,” the baron motioned him over, “we should discuss our plans.”
“Agreed.” He walked over to the wall behind the map table and grabbed a scroll of parchment from a series of cubbyholes and spread it before them on the table. “I won this in a bet from one of the city guards.” He pointed to a large building in the center of the city marked ‘Tower Black’. “Here is where we’ll find Zerelda.”
“How do we know she’s there?” my father asked.
The captain laughed. “The Sky Witch made no bones about where she’s hiding. Every pirate, and scoundrel heard her declaration. After fleeing London, she swept in and seized the town. Ever since, she’s been challenging anyone and everyone to kick her out. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was gunning for the title of ‘Queen of the Pirates’.”
The baron pulled his fingers along his chin. “I thought the pirates liked their autonomy.”
“Usually, but you know what they say about the golden rule—she which has the gold, rules.” Baldarich chuckled. “Besides, the Sky Witch still has a horseman’s heart.” The captain poked the map with his finger. “I suggest we land and head here to this bar. I have a cohort who knows everything that goes on in the city.”
“Sounds like a good place to start.” The baron turned to the three of us, standing by the windows. “You three stay here this time and let us handle Zerelda.”
I grumbled under my breath. This was exactly what I expected. Genevieve whipped around giving her father her back. The three of us certainly deserved to go. Owethu was a hunter and warrior; Genevieve was the best swordsman I knew; and I, well, I might be of help, too. We’d proven ourselves as capable warriors, no matter our age.
As our parents headed toward the gangplank to depart the instant we landed, Captain Baldarich strode over to us, stopped, and bent down to look out the window. “Keep an eye out. You see anything out of the ordinary, you come tell us.” He winked and walked off, failing to dole out any duties to keep us occupied.
I turned back toward the window and studied the city.
“What are you doing?” Genevieve asked.
“Watching for anything out of the ordinary. Like the captain said.” I continued to scan the city, from the pirates unloading their loot along the airdocks, to the crowds gathered in the gaming pits. “From this vantage point he knows we have a better chance of spotting Zerelda.”
“How do you know that?”
“He winked.”
I watched my father, the captain, the baron, and others walk across one of the catwalks to the city. The web of iron surrounded a multi-level city of flimsy-looking wooden buildings and converted ships hulls. One building a tall black tower, the only made of stone stood surrounded by high walls with jagged iron shards protruding to form battlements, it dominated the center of the city.
We stared at the city in silence. I pointed to the bow of a ship now serving of as the awning of a store. “This city wasn’t bui
lt; it was pieced together.”
“I don’t see a single tree or bush,” Owethu noted.
He was right, a few birds darted through the buildings or circled the rim, but no grass or any trace of nature remained. It was a city without an overall design, formed with whatever could be found, salvaged, or reinterpreted.
“What a strange and extraordinary place, but such darkness.” Genevieve pulled her coat closed. “This place just feels evil.”
CHAPTER 33
ZERELDA THE PIRATE QUEEN
I had focused so much on the pieced-together city. I’d lost sight of my father and the others. When I spotted them again, I pointed. “There they are. Looks like they’re talking to a shopkeeper.”
Although my stomach began to ache, it was not the kind of pain that normally doubled me over when there was trouble. As I steadied myself with my palm against the porthole, I saw several swarthy men emerge onto a street a couple of blocks away. That wasn’t unusual; this city was filled with pirates. What really caught my attention was the woman with long, dark, curly hair and a sultry stride.
“Zerelda,” I blurted out. Genevieve and Owethu followed my finger to the pirates. “With bodyguards.”
Genevieve leaned closer toward the window. “That is her. Let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked.
“After her,” Genevieve said.
Owethu added, “Yes. The captain said if we spotted anything out of the ordinary, we should come find him.”
I chuckled. “Owethu, I like the way you think. We’re going to be friends for a long time.”
Owethu bowed slightly and nodded his head in agreement.
“I’ll send Rodin to find my father and the captain,” Genevieve said.
“Perfect. Let’s go.”
As we stepped onto the gangplank, Genevieve scratched Rodin under his chin and fed him a bit of food. “Find my father, and then come find us.” He screeched and flew off.
A voice cut through the three of us, Mr. Singh, but he appeared behind us. “You weren’t heading off without me?” Mr. Singh said from behind us.
“Absolutely not. As a matter of fact …” I spun around and leaned a little closer. “We found Zerelda.”
The Sky Witch was easy to track. All we had to do was the follow the crowds. Around every bend, people attempted to rush up to Zerelda, blurting out their issues, only to be knocked away by the four burly men who cleared the streets ahead of her. She strolled along with a sultry stride, holding her head high, like a queen with a smug, aristocratic expression mocking the nobles I’d seen at Lord Marbury’s manor.
I pushed through a crowd of men who smelled like gunpowder and oil, checking behind me every few steps to make certain the others kept up. I bumped into a man stumbling out of a bar. He spun around, but instead of yelling at me, he punched the guy beside me. In retaliation, the man bashed his fist into the bushy and beer-soaked beard of the drunk. The two then fell into the dusty road as four more men joined in the scuffle.
Genevieve grabbed my arm and pulled me through the gathering crowd. We’d lost sight of Zerelda. After a short distance, we stopped at a set of stairs leading down to the mid-level section of the city. From this vantage point, we could see half the city. I scanned the area below in hopes of finding her again. Nothing.
“We’ve lost her.” I kicked the metal grating and the sound echoed across the entire city.
“We didn’t.” Owethu pointed to a nearby building, better constructed than most, especially on the outer levels of the city. The multi-story building, perched like a bird along the rim of the caldera, was connected to the airdocks with catwalks. “Look,” Owethu said, “she rises up the side of the wall.”
“A steam-powered elevator … here?” Zerelda and her bodyguards stood on the wide platform wrapped in a metal railing, as it rose from the street to the second floor of the structure. “How follow her without being seen?”
Mr. Singh pointed. “There. On the side of the building. A door.”
“But what about herguards?”
“We need a distraction,” Genevieve added.
I looked around for anything that might draw her men away. Think like the captain, like a Templar, I told myself. Something, somewhere deep inside me screamed that it was foolish to fight all her bodyguards.
“Won’t the fight suffice?” Genevieve pointed to the bar brawl still raging behind us.
“That’s probably normal. We need something out of the ordinary,” I said. “Like that.” Nearby, a man struggled to tie up a dozen camel, behind the dozen already secured to the building.
“What do you have in mind?” Genevieve asked, her coy smile growing.
“Free the camels. Herd them toward the building to distract the guards, and then slip through the side door while they are busy.”
“Then what?” Genevieve asked.
“Then we find the Sky Witch. Remember, Zerelda has a heart. That’s why Kannard is here. We get to it first.”
Mr. Singh and Owethu nodded in agreement. Genevieve nudged me with her arm as she walked past. “I like the way you think.”
Although I knew we were probably walking into something we might not get out of, I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. Hearing Genevieve acknowledge and admire my plan gave me the courage to move forward.
One after another, we slipped along the raised street toward the camel dealer, careful to avoid his field of view. I paused between two buildings and scanned the area to be certain we weren’t being followed or watched.
A ripple of pain in my stomach wrenched me into knots. Looking over the edge at the ground below the airdocks, the Iron Horsemen rode toward us.
I gripped the wall for support as the blood surging in my temples pounded with each beat of my heart.
Hendrix, Kannard … and the lady assassin. They were here. What if they were already inside the Black Tower? What if they already confiscated the heart?
As I looked up, Genevieve motioned for me to follow, but turned away and continued toward the camels, giving me no time to show her the Iron Horsemen. I knew I couldn’t yell at her and draw attention to myself, or else we might never get the heart.
Pushing through the pain I stumbled toward the camels tied to the building and slipped in between the herd. I grabbed the rope that bound them together, struggling to untie the knot, when Mr. Singh joined me. He raised his Katar dagger and in one quick slice, cut through the rope. “Gordion’s knot,” he whispered. I stifled a laugh.
Slipping to the back of the camel herd and Mr. Singh slapped one on the rump. The camel bound forward, breaking free. When the other camels realized they were free, they broke loose in a panic and we rushed them toward Zerelda’s soldiers. People along the walkways fled or tried to dodge them. As dromedaries dashed along the catwalks the soldiers ran in front of them, waving their arms. In all the chaos, we slipped in the side door undetected. Inside, I led the way up the stairwell to the second floor. Near the top, I stopped. I peeked my head up over the floor and saw a large room full of people: pirates, captains, well-dressed gentlemen, and servants.
Owethu tapped me on the shoulder. “Trouble.”
I looked over to him. “You got that right.” But he wasn’t talking about what I saw. I followed the nod of his head to two men standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh … you meant that trouble.”
“Follow my lead.” Genevieve drew her saber and stormed up the steps past Owethu and me, her heels clattering on the wood.
I sprang up onto the floor and followed her. I knew exactly what she intended. Another duel. Her second. A finish to the duel they began on the Sparrowhawk. Genevieve pushed through the crowd and seized the center of the room, standing before Zerelda. I came up along next to her. Owethu and Mr. Singh followed.
The raven-haired sky pirate sat on a throne crafted from airship parts with two cannon barrels for armrests. Her corset was still adorned with silver skull buttons, but now, each donned a four-pointed gold crown. Zerelda merely smi
led as her guards surrounded us. Fortunately, there were only five. The others still herded the camels.
CHAPTER 34
THE DUEL
Genevieve pointed her saber at Zerelda. “I’ve come to finish our duel, Zerelda.”
“That’s Queen Zerelda, you blue-blooded brat.” She motioned with her hand and her pirates moved in closer. I chanced a quick look and saw that two of the men drew revolvers, and one even whipped out a blunderbuss.
“Afraid to face a little girl? Afraid you’ll lose?”
Queen Zerelda leaned forward on her throne, and, in a Dutch accent, spat, “I fear nothing. Especially the prattle of a little tart such as you.”
“Is that why you fled when we faced each other in combat when you raided the Sparrowhawk?”
Zerelda gripped the cannons and glared at Genevieve, but she did not rise.
I had never been more impressed by Genevieve than at that moment. She imparted such strength, yet retained her noble grace. Her eyes burned like fire, and never wavered from Zerelda.
“I demand an end to that duel.”
“You demand,” the witch cackled. “I don’t take commands. I give them.” She doubled her fists and pounded on the cannons.
Zerelda glanced at the others in the room. So did I. I knew that the focus wasn’t on Genevieve, but Zerelda. Her reaction to the command from Genevieve, would speak volumes to the room full of vipers.
I nearly laughed out loud. To save face she would have to kill Genevieve. It was the only way she’d retain the throne. This plan didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.
Zerelda stood up and drew an old flintlock pistol that rested against her hip beneath her skirt. She raised the gun and aimed it at Genevieve, “Let me show you how a pirate duels.”
Genevieve didn’t flinch, but my heart jumped into my throat. Flintlock pistols were notoriously inaccurate which meant she could hit any one of us. One of Mr. Singh’s steel ring chakrams whizzed by my ear, and the sharpened edge cut into the flintlock’s barrel.