by Lian Tanner
It hadn’t said a word since its second ‘I AM COE’. It just stood there, arms akimbo, while the flames leapt around it. It was impressive and a little frightening even to Dolph, who’d been raised by the toughest, sharpest officer on the Oyster. She couldn’t imagine how it must seem to the townsfolk.
The three Devouts who were still on their feet were staring up at it, mouths agape. No. Wait. Poosk’s mouth had closed and one of his hands was twitching—
Not yet, thought Dolph. Don’t get your wits back yet. I’m not close enough to the prisoners.
She wriggled a little faster and at the same time silently begged the giant, Do something more. Keep ’em off balance.
But the giant just stood there.
There were noises from below now, as if folk were beginning to get over that first shock. Soon the fighting would start again.
As for Poosk, he shook himself like a seal coming out of water, and said, ‘It is a trick. It cannot hurt us.’ And he spun back to Dolph.
She was on her feet in an instant, knife at the ready. But her wrist wasn’t working properly, and now the other two Devouts were shaking off their awe too, and advancing on her.
Dolph shifted her knife to her left hand and tried to look as if it made no difference. But it did. She could hardly even fillet a toothyfish with that hand; her mam had been the same. With her right hand, Dolph was the best fighter on the Oyster. With her left, she wasn’t much better than an unweaned bratling.
Right up to the end, she reminded herself. If I can just delay ’em a bit, Mister Smoke and Missus Slink might be able to get the cap’n away. And Fin’s mam and the Fetcher too.
Poosk had that gentle, evil smile on his face. ‘It is time we finished this once and for all,’ he murmured to his men. ‘Kill her. Then fetch me the prisoners.’
Dolph braced herself. ‘Mam,’ she whispered, ‘I’m sorry we argued so much. I was too much like you to be an obedient daughter. But I am your daughter and proud of it. They won’t take me down easily.’
Then she stepped forward to meet those hulking men, knowing it was the last thing she would ever do.
The half-curtain was almost completely burnt, and there was nothing more to throw on it. The fire was dying down.
Gwin could hear Nat talking in a rapid undertone. ‘First principle of Fetcher performance: keep your audience’s attention. Because if you let it slip it’s twice as hard to get it back. And the shock only comes once.’ He paused. ‘What’s happening, Gwin? Can you see Papa?’
‘I— I’m not sure.’ Gwin swayed a little, trying to see past her improvised hood. ‘No. I can see Poosk, though. He’s turning away from us, Nat. And so are his men!’
‘I knew it,’ said Nat. ‘I knew that’d happen. What’s taking Sharkey so long?’ His voice rose. ‘What’s he doing?’
Gwin had no answers. She was strung so tight with wishing and hoping that she was afraid she’d snap in half. Come on, Sharkey, she thought. Come ON!
The noises from below grew louder. Someone screamed. The fighting was starting up again.
‘The cable,’ hissed Petrel. ‘It’s humming! We’re ready. Go, Nat. Go!’
Gwin saw Poosk raise his cudgel. But before it could descend, Nat spoke again. The flames had died, so his amplified voice came out of complete darkness.
‘I AM COE,’ he cried. ‘THE DEVOUTS TAKE THE LIGHT AWAY. I GIVE IT BACK!’
And suddenly, shining from the topmost stone of the monument, there was the sun—
I AM NOT MADE FOR FIGHTING
Petrel’s blood was humming as loud as the cable, but she held the powerful spotlight nice and steady, so it lit up the monument and the townsfolk and the combined army of shipfolk and Sunkers. It lit the Devouts too, and their hostages, trailing back down the road.
The townsfolk had fallen on their faces in awe. More importantly, so had the Devouts. A few of them might’ve known about the eclipse, but they had no idea what this was. West Norn hadn’t seen lectricity for three hundred years. The brightest thing they knew, apart from the sun, was a brace of candles or a flaming torch.
Brother Thrawn was cowering in his chair with his hands over his eyes. Poosk and his men seemed to be trying to bury themselves in the stones of the monument, frightened out of their senses.
The Sunkers and shipfolk, however, were rallying. They recognised lectric light when they saw it. This might be brighter than they were used to, but they didn’t fear it. After that first shock, hundreds of them dashed towards the column of Devouts, seized the bratling hostages and carried them to safety. Others snatched cudgels and knives from their owners, and others still found ropes and began to tie up anyone who looked important.
There was little resistance.
We’ve got ’em, thought Petrel with amazement. We’ve done it! And she eased the spotlight down onto the stones, so her hands were free.
Beside her, the lower half of Coe whispered, ‘Do you think I should shout again?’
‘Don’t reckon it’s needed,’ murmured Petrel. ‘But stay where you are a bit longer just in case. I’ll leave the light turned on, too. And I’ll free your da, don’t worry.’
She set off down the monument, skipping from stone to stone with her bones feeling as light as a gull’s. We’ve done it. We’ve DONE it!
Dolph was already cutting the prisoners loose. She looked up when she heard Petrel, and grinned widely. ‘Thought it might be you. Where’d you find a great big light like that?’
The woman whose ropes she was loosening – Fin’s mam, thought Petrel – whispered, ‘I’ve never seen such a thing.’
‘It’s just lectricity.’ Petrel smiled and grabbed the discarded ropes. ‘It’s nothing to be scared of.’
She was determined to be pleased about Fin’s mam. No, she told herself firmly. I AM pleased. Soon as we’ve tied Poosk up, I’ll say something to her about Fin, about how brave he is and how he’ll be here as soon as he can. And maybe I’ll tell her that he’s my best friend, because she should know that if she’s gunna take him away—
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar and very dear voice – one she’d feared she might never hear again. ‘Hello, Petrel.’
It was the captain. His eyes were open, and although half his face was battered almost beyond recognition, he was gazing up at Petrel with all his old joy and wonder.
‘Cap’n! You’re back!’
‘There’s nothin’ like a Baniski coil for settin’ things to rights,’ said Mister Smoke, his paws working busily at the captain’s ropes. ‘But Slink and I could do with a hand on these knots.’
Petrel dropped down beside the two rats, her fingers pulling at the knots even as the words poured out of her. ‘We found the Singer, Cap’n. She’s the one who gave you up to Poosk, but she had good reason for it and I don’t blame her anymore. And we found the root of the tree – I mean, we found what the root meant, the one in the Song, remember? That’s it underneath us, did you hear the rumble when it started up? I reckon it was your Serran Coe who left it for us – at least, he really left it for you, but you were in no condition to do anything about it. I hope you don’t mind us jumping in and pulling that lever, but we didn’t know what else to do. There, that’s the last knot, I think—’
She stopped to take a breath, and heard a whisper of sound behind her. Dolph shouted, ‘Watch out!’
But before Petrel could react, an arm went round her throat and jerked her upright, and a violent kick sent Mister Smoke and Missus Slink flying.
Dolph flung herself at Poosk, but pulled up short when he tightened his grip on Petrel’s neck. ‘Any closer,’ he snarled, ‘and your friend dies.’
Petrel struggled, but it was no use. Poosk dragged her across the stones to his two men, and booted one of them in the ribs. ‘Get up, fool.’
The man didn’t move, but Petrel heard his muffled voice say, ‘But Brother, they brought back the sun—’
‘It is not the sun,’ hissed Brother Poosk. ‘It is something from
the old times, that is all. Are they afraid of it? No. So we should not be, either. Now get up, both of you, if you want to live. Quickly, or I shall have you hanged.’
The men scrambled to their feet, averting their eyes from the bright spotlight. Poosk turned back to Dolph. ‘Hand over my prisoners. And your weapons.’
Dolph didn’t move.
Poosk nudged Petrel forward until her feet teetered on the edge of a stone. ‘It is some distance to the bottom of the monument,’ he said in a conversational tone. ‘Especially head first. I doubt if your friend here would survive it.’
Before Dolph could respond, one way or the other, the captain stood up. ‘Here I am. There is no need to hurt anyone.’
‘No, Cap’n,’ croaked Petrel. ‘You’ve gotta fight ’em.’
‘I am not made for fighting,’ came the quiet reply.
‘You hear that, Brothers?’ cried Poosk. ‘It seems we are not beaten after all. Take hold of the creature.’
His men didn’t want to touch the captain, that was clear, even though there were two of them and only one of him. But after a bit of whispering back and forth, they slung one of the ropes around his arms and knotted it tight.
Above their heads, the sky was just beginning to lighten, like a new dawn. But Petrel’s heart had seldom felt darker. Idiot! she raged at herself. Sharkey and Rain TOLD you how tricky Poosk was. You should’ve run a rope around him straight off, before you said a single word to the cap’n.
It was too late for that now. One of the Devouts picked up a chunk of stone and weighed it in his hand. ‘Can we smash the demon, Brother Poosk? Then burn it? We will not be safe till we do.’
‘Very soon, Brother,’ replied Poosk. ‘Very soon.’ He swung back to Dolph. ‘My other prisoners, if you please. Or the girl dies.’
Fin’s mam had been untying the Fetcher when Poosk seized Petrel. Now, after a quick glance at each other, they stepped forward too.
Poosk nodded approvingly. ‘Woman, untie Brother Cull. Quickly! Now relieve her—’ He jerked his chin towards Dolph ‘—of her weapon.’
With a sigh, Dolph handed her knife to Fin’s mam, who passed it to the newly freed Cull. Behind them, Mister Smoke and Missus Slink were limping back up the stones.
Poosk raised his voice. ‘Come no closer, imps. And you—’ He pointed at Dolph again. ‘Go and join them. . .further away than that. . .further still. Ah, that will do. Brother Cull, watch them, if you please. Make sure they do not move.’
Down below, shipfolk and Sunkers were beginning to realise that things weren’t going quite the way they’d thought. As the sky grew lighter, they squinted up at the monument, trying to work out what was happening.
‘Bring the demon over here,’ Poosk said to his men, ‘so they can see we have it. Hold it up, and prepare to throw it onto the stones below.’ He grabbed Petrel under the arms and picked her up so that her feet dangled in midair.
Petrel could hardly believe that everything had changed so suddenly and disastrously. We came all this way for nothing, she thought. Fin’ll never get to hug his mam. Gwin and Nat’ll never get their da back. And the cap’n and I—
‘Invaders!’ shouted Poosk. ‘Where are your leaders?’
There was a bit of shouting back and forth below, then Adm’ral Deeps, First Officer Hump, Krill and Albie shoved their way through the crowd and strode to the base of the monument, murmuring to each other as they came. Behind them, the townsfolk could see the way things were heading, and were beginning to slink away, with their freed bratlings clutched to their sides.
‘Stop there and throw down your weapons,’ shouted Poosk, ‘or my prisoners will die.’
Krill and Hump exchanged a glance, then all four of them stopped. But they kept hold of their knives and wrenches.
Out of the corner of her eye, Petrel saw five figures jumping from stone to stone down the monument. Gwin and Nat were at the front, hand in hand, and behind them came Sharkey, Fin and Rain, their faces bleeding and their clothes in shreds from that awful climb.
Cull tapped Brother Poosk’s shoulder. ‘The rest of the cubs have turned up, Brother. Including the Initiate.’
Poosk’s chest creaked like an un-oiled hatch, and Petrel realised he was chuckling. ‘Initiate!’ he cried, beaming at Fin, while at the same time keeping half an eye on those below. ‘How kind of you to grace us with your presence. As you can see, your mama has changed sides yet again. She is now my friend. What do you think of that, eh?’
Fin didn’t answer. His face was like ice, and he didn’t even look at his mam. But Petrel knew him well enough to see the pain behind that blank expression.
There she is, so close, and he can’t do a thing, she thought. And Gwin smiling so wide and bright at her da, though there’s nothing to smile about, not that I can see. And Sharkey waving to the adm’ral, who hates him. . .
‘Make sure they stay at a good distance, Cull,’ said Poosk, with another of those horrible chuckles. ‘We do not want any little accidents, do we?’
He turned back to the four leaders below and the chuckle vanished. ‘Down weapons. I will not warn you again.’
Adm’ral Deeps gazed up at him for a long, long time. Then, ‘Your first mistake,’ she said loudly and clearly, ‘was thinking that we care about the girl.’
To Petrel’s horror, Krill nodded as if he agreed with the adm’ral. She felt a sharp pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the danger she was in.
‘Your second mistake,’ continued Deeps, ‘was thinking that we care about the mechanical boy.’
This time it was First Officer Hump who nodded.
No! thought Petrel.
‘Perhaps there is some residual fondness for the two of them, among our crews,’ Deeps said blandly. ‘But nothing more than that. You will not get what you want by holding their deaths over our heads.’
It’s a trick, Petrel thought desperately. It’s got to be.
She could understand folk not caring about her, but the captain was special. He carried all sorts of important knowledge inside him, ready to rebuild things when the Devouts were beaten. What’s more, he was kind and honourable. And he was Petrel’s friend. He wouldn’t turn away from her, like Krill had just done.
I can’t let the cap’n die, she told herself. I WON’T let him die!
Poosk glared down at Deeps. ‘You’ll change your tune when we burn the demon.’
‘Burn away,’ said Deeps. ‘You won’t get a thing out of us.’ She paused. ‘But we are willing to consider a truce.’
She took another step forward and lowered her voice a little so that Poosk and his men had to strain to hear her. ‘Personally I don’t like the idea. As far as I’m concerned you’re all scum.’
‘But—’ prompted Albie, from beside her.
‘But I cannot deny your strength. You’ve held this country for three hundred years – we were mad to believe we could destroy you in a few weeks.’ She threw up her hands in disgust, paced a few steps one way, then back again, as if she was thinking aloud. ‘Besides, I don’t like the mood of the peasants. We can’t feed them as much as they want to be fed and they’re growing angry because of it. If they turn against us we’ll be in trouble. And if we throw down your lot, the peasants will be leaderless. The land will fall into chaos and who knows what will happen then? Perhaps an even worse regime will arise—’
Poosk couldn’t take his eyes off the adm’ral. Petrel could tell from the way his hands tightened on her arms that he was imagining the future, imagining the Devouts returned to their lives of power and luxury. With Poosk the one who had negotiated it.
He hadn’t forgotten about Dolph and the others, and neither had his men. But Petrel’s friends had no weapons, and besides, they were too far away to take the Devouts by surprise.
Which meant that Petrel was the only one of them who saw what happened next.
Gwin and Nat had taken a step away from their companions and were wiping their hands surreptitiously on their knee pants. Gwi
n, her face pale, climbed onto a higher stone as if she wanted to see better. Her brother cupped his hands and braced his legs.
Petrel thought she heard someone whisper, ‘One, two, three.’Then Gwin jumped down towards her brother.
No sooner was her foot in his cupped hands than he heaved upwards with all his might. And Gwin flew! She somersaulted across that uncrossable gap, as quick and clever as anything Petrel had ever seen. And when she came out of the somersault, one of her feet was aimed straight at Brother Poosk’s head.
Petrel was ready for her, but the Devouts weren’t. At the last moment, they saw something flying towards them and ducked. Their grip on their prisoners loosened. Gwin’s foot clipped Poosk’s ear and knocked him sideways. Gwin’s da threw up his arms – and caught his daughter.
Petrel was away from Poosk and grabbing hold of the captain before the Devouts had time to draw breath. ‘Come on, cap’n!’ she cried.
A mechanical boy couldn’t move quickly, not on those treacherous stones. But three seconds later Dolph was there and so were Sharkey and Fin, helping Petrel with the captain, helping Fin’s mam and the Fetchers, while Mister Smoke and Missus Slink skipped along behind them, stabbing at the Devouts’ ankles with knife and screwdriver. Rain stood higher up, shouting, ‘Sharkey, behind you. Dolph, on your left!’
And then Adm’ral Deeps, Albie, Krill and Hump were surging up the monument and into battle, with fish knives and pipe wrenches in their hands. Albie winked at Petrel as he passed, as if they were old friends.
‘We fooled you, lass, with our talk of negotiation,’ he cried. ‘I could see it on your face.’
And then he was gone, slipping in and out of the melee with his usual vicious cunning, leaving Petrel dumbfounded and not sure what to believe.
Poosk’s men fought with desperate intent, but they were outnumbered and outfaced. Within a couple of minutes they were lying on the stones, bruised, bleeding and begging for mercy.
Only Poosk still resisted. He had tucked himself in behind the fighters, looking so pathetic that no one had bothered with him. But now, with his men overpowered, he dashed towards Petrel and the captain.