by Nick Travers
Chapter 27
It’s a disaster. Nina could have been hundreds of miles away, trying to get past the other two ships in our split flotilla, but she’s not. Call it instinct, call it gut feeling, but as soon as I saw that storm heading towards Newtonsteign I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Nina Swift would be inside, surfing that storm front. It’s just the sort of fabulously reckless thing she would do.
She had plenty of opportunity to get away from Ashcroft Ascent ahead of us, but somehow, we arrived in the vicinity of Newtonsteign just ahead of her. We were patrolling for less than a day before the storm hit. We had already been bugged by a Microtough patrol from Newtonsteign, concerned we were too close to their airspace. To keep our two ships together, we had no choice but to run before the storm.
All night we battle the winds until at dawn the storm finally blows itself out. And then we see her—the Shonti Bloom. Somehow, using the cover of the storm, Nina has positioned herself between us and Newtonsteign. I have to admit, I grin when I see her. Nina must be a superb pilot to have ridden inside the storm front and not only survived, but navigated round us.
“What are you grinning at?” Borker snarls. “Get us under way so we can catch her.”
It’s useless of course. Despite our superior speed, the white airships of Microtough soon put in an appearance.
We heave-to and let ourselves be boarded, to show we bare no hostility towards them.
I address the white uniformed Captain Wallace, who has crossed over from the Microtough patrol ship, with as much authority as I can muster. “Captain, we are in pursuit of a dangerous criminal. Her name is Nina Swift and she is aboard an airship called the Shonti Bloom. That one there in fact,” I point to the whale—tail of Nina’s ship as it disappears into the distance. “She is wanted for murder and platform arson. Please allow us to pass so we can apprehend her. Maybe you could even help us catch her before she gets to Newtonsteign.”
Captain Wallace listens politely, but stony faced. I can tell he has no intention of letting us pass. “You have no authority here. In fact, you are already inside Newtonsteign airspace. By rights I should arrest you all and impound your ships.”
I wonder whether to mention I am the son of the Mayor of New Frisco, but in the end decide to take a more direct approach. “But you are not going to, are you Captain, because that would cause a diplomatic incident.”
“Agreed. You will remove yourselves immediately from Newtonsteign airspace and if you come here again we will impound your ships. I will investigate the ship you have mentioned, and its occupants, and if an arrest is made your government can apply for extradition. Understood?”
I nod, knowing we will get no further. We will just have to wait around and try to spot the Shonti Bloom on her way out from Newtonsteign. “Understood.”
Borker is beside himself with frustration. Losing Nina again is more than his pride can bear. He barges his way past. “Just let us catch the little bitch and we’ll be gone,” he growls, waving a fist at Captain Wallace. I want to haul him back, but I dare not touch him—partly because he makes my skin crawl, partly because I don’t want him hitting me in front of my crew.
The Microtough troops immediately raise their weapons.
“Lieutenant,” I bark, “we are leaving.”
Borker just stares at me with daggers in his eyes. “Stay out of this, Puppy.”
“Lieutenant,” Captain Wallace snaps in a dangerous tone, “You are leaving!”
Borker’s back involuntarily snaps ram-rod straight and he looks as if Wallace has slapped him. I wish I could summon that sort of commanding voice, one that demands instant obedience and threatens dire consequences.
Borker is insufferable for the next few days, taking every opportunity to put me down in front of the crew—I hate him with a vengeance. On one occasion I’m so frustrated I try a Captain Wallace voice on him, I reach deep inside myself to summon every shred of authority. “Lieutenant, back to your post!” The two crew members on the bridge with us look impressed.
Borker just laughs. “Captain Wallace is a killer. He speaks with the authority of bitter experience. When you’ve flogged a crew member with your own hands, hung a traitor, and ordered troops to certain death, you will speak with the sort of authority Wallace can summon. Just pray you never become that person.” It’s a moment of rare candor from Borker. Then he spoils it. “Until then, you better hide behind me, Puppy.”
He has a point, sort of: to emulate Wallace, I would need to become Wallace and I’m not at all sure I want to be that person. Since the encounter with Wallace, Borker has taken to calling me ‘Puppy.’ It annoys be intensely and Borker knows it.
Eventually, a couple of Microtough patrols make an appearance and force us further away from their airspace and we give up our vigil.
We head, instead, to a frontier platform called Serendipity where we refuel and restock. Borker sends off pigeons to his mysterious contacts and eventually announces that Nina Swift has left Newtonsteign and disappeared into the vastness of the clouds.
“They made no attempt to apprehend her,” Borker growls bitterly, “in fact, they drove us away from their airspace on the same day she left. I bet they did it out of shear spite.”
I have to admit, it certainly looks that way.
We have no option now but to head for the Village of the Dammed and hope we can find Nina there.
I bet Nina is lounging around in comfort, sipping iced drinks, and laughing at our expense.