The captain looked around him. “The whole lot of you wanting to go?”
“No. Only five of us.” Carrick answered.
“One-way passage?”
Carrick and Nathaniel exchanged glances. Nathaniel answered, “That depends on the destination.”
“What would you recommend, sir?” Trixie asked.
“Oh you’ll be wanting round trip passage. The trick is knowing when you’ll be returning.”
“Is that something we can schedule?”
“That depends on your business there, now don’t it?” the captain said.
“How much?” Nathaniel asked, cutting off the conversation.
“I’d say I could take the five of you out for ten shillings.”
Carrick gave Nathaniel a brief nod.
“Each.” The Captain quickly added.
“Wait a minute. You just—”
Nathaniel cut her off. “When can you be ready to leave?”
“Within the hour.”
“Is your crew ready and able?”
“No crew. Just me and Jake.”
“Jake?” Carrick asked.
He pointed to the lump of brown fur curled on a blanket in in the corner. “My dog.”
Nathaniel nodded then looked to Trixie. “You don’t get seasick, do you?”
“No. Never.”
“And you can swim?”
“Of course.”
Nathaniel nodded. “Very well. Within the hour,” he told the captain.
“I’ll be taking payment up front.” The old man held out one gnarled hand.
“We’ll pay when we set sail.”
The old man’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “As you say.” He went about readying the ship.
Nathaniel pulled Trixie along behind him. “Who do you want to send?” Nathaniel asked Carrick.
“I’ll go. Samuel and Fletcher, too. Willis and Jacob can stay here and see if any more characters show up. After we see the destination I’ll return with the Captain and make arrangements for reliable transport. Depending on what we find when we get there, Samuel and Fletcher can either stay with you two or return with me.”
“Just what I was thinking,” Nathaniel agreed.
“What about supplies?” Trixie asked.
“I’m afraid that we’re winging it at this point,” Nathaniel told her.
“Do you think I have time to send a note home?” she asked.
“I can send a message after I return.” Carrick assured her.
“Mrs. Ellison will be worried,” she explained.
“Understood.” Carrick tipped his head toward his men. “Willis or Jacob can take a note while we’re on the ship instead of waiting for my return.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you need?” Nathaniel asked her. “Perhaps a hat with a wider brim for while you’re on the ship?”
“No, I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I’m used to being outside on the airships. I doubt it is much worse than long periods at sea.”
Nathaniel nodded. “That’s probably true.”
“What about coin for the captain?” she asked.
“Between us we should have enough.” Nathaniel raised a brow at Carrick. “But it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra.”
Carrick looked past them toward the docks. “If you will excuse me I’ll go and take care of that right now.”
“What is he going to do?” Trixie asked Nathaniel.
“I suspect that he’s about to relieve a few dice players out of some of their wages. He tipped his head toward a group of men gathered around a table behind one of the pubs.
23
The captain navigated the ship next to a makeshift dock on an overgrown island. Because of the vine covered trees and dense underbrush it was hard to tell if the isle was inhabited or not.
“You left a man here?” Nathaniel asked.
The Captain took the pipe out of his mouth. “Yep.”
Trixie scanned the forest ahead of them with in trepidation. When the boat stopped Nathaniel and Carrick lowered the gangplank then walked onto the boat ramp.
“Are you sure about this?” Carrick whispered.
“Don’t see that we have any choice.”
Carrick grimaced. “I’ll return as soon as possible.” He gestured to the trees. “And I’ll bring supplies.”
“Thank you.” Nathaniel clasped hands with Carrick.
To Trixie, Carrick added. “Both of you take care.”
“We will. Thank you for all of your help.” She leaned up on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on Carrick’s cheek.
He blinked in surprise and shuffled uncomfortably. But he also looked genuinely touched by the gesture.
“Captain.” Nathaniel touched the brim of his hat.
“Thank you for bringing us,” Trixie added.
“Good luck,” the Captain said grimly.
Nathaniel waved Samuel and Fletcher ahead of them toward the trees. At least they had a somewhat worn path to follow. When they reached the edge of the trees, Nathaniel waved to Carrick, then followed Trixie and the others into the dense foliage.
As soon as he stepped into the forest, the sounds changed and the temperature dropped by several degrees. Without the hot sun beating down on them, the humid air became much more bearable.
Nathaniel checked the time on his pocket watch. There should be almost five hours of daylight left. They could probably cross the island in two if they kept a steady pace.
“Since we don’t really know what we’re looking for keep an eye out for treetop structures, caves, or clearings,” Nathaniel told the others.
They hadn’t made it far before Trixie remarked, “Does anyone else think it’s strange that there are no signs of life?”
Samuel glanced over his shoulder at her. “Not really.”
Fletcher stopped. “She’s right.”
The others came to a stop right behind him. Nathaniel frowned. She was right. Why hadn’t he noticed that before?
Her head swiveled back and forth as she examined the tree tops. “I don’t see or hear any birds or insects.”
Fletcher shifted his pack further up on his shoulder. “We aren’t that far out to sea. Shouldn’t there be something living here?”
“You would think,” Nathaniel muttered.
They all searched the trees above them.
“We need to keep moving,” Nathaniel urged them onward.
Samuel nodded and resumed the lead. They walked another thirty meters then Samuel stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Nathaniel asked from the rear.
“Oh my,” Trixie’s voice held a touch of awe.
Nathaniel moved closer and looked over Trixie’s shoulder. The dense forested area had suddenly opened up. In the middle of the clearing someone had built a replica of an old stone castle from one of the English coastlines. It sat both perfectly and strangely out of place.
“How in the world…” Trixie’s words trailed off as they all stared at the imposing structure before them. “Do you think Peter is in there?”
“I have no idea what to think.”
“Should we go in?” she asked.
The men exchanged glances.
“Perhaps we should walk the perimeter to see what we might be dealing with here,” Nathaniel suggested.
“Agreed,” Fletcher said.
“Trixie and I will go this way.” He pointed to the right. “The two of you take that direction. We’ll meet in the middle on the other side of the castle.”
“Got it.” Samuel and Fletcher marched away.
“Come on,” Nathaniel said to Trixie.
She nodded and followed him. “This is incredible. Who do you suppose built it?”
“Someone with a lot of money.”
“But who has that kind of money?”
“Actually I could tell you several members of the ton who could afford it. But I can’t think of any of them who would want to undertake such a thing.”
“Do you think they have a dragon?” she asked.
“What?”
“A dragon. Do you think they have a dragon in the moat? Or somewhere on top of one of those towers? Maybe even a damsel in distress in one of the towers?”
He chuckled. “Let’s hope not.”
“Yeah. A dragon would be hard to beat.”
They followed the rim of the forest to avoid being spotted by anyone in the castle. Despite the size of the castle, he didn’t see people milling about. Strange.
When they made it more than half way around their side, Nathaniel altered their course a bit. He wanted a better look without alerting anyone or endangering Trixie. He weaved around the bushes and statues they found in a tended garden.
He had originally thought the windows to be leaded. Instead they had metal cages over them. Why would they need such security measures on a remote island?
At the primary opening of the structure sunlight glinted off what looked like dozens of statues. Closer inspection revealed the statues were moving. And they were moving in their direction.
“What is that?” Trixie asked.
“Nothing I want to find out about. Run!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the garden. They darted and wove through the paths as he prayed they had not been spotted.
His hopes were short lived. The ground vibrated with the sound of metal footsteps. The steps increased in speed and volume along with the sound of clicking gears.
“Nathaniel, look!” Trixie’s cry of alarm drew his attention. He swiveled to where she pointed.
Through the row of bushes he could see a row of metal bodies, standing at attention.
“What are they?” Trixie asked.
“I have no idea.”
He pulled her away from that side of the garden but soon more metal bodies blocked their way.
He tried yet another path only to find it had been blocked as well.
“What do we do?”
“This way.” He pulled her toward the castle. Perhaps they could run along the outside of the structure.
Another pair of the metal bodies blocked their way.
Nathaniel pushed her behind him in an effort to shield her.
“Now what?” she asked.
The metal bodies lowered their spear like weapons at them, forcing them to back up. The metal men did not attack but continued to advance on them. When they had back up as far as they could go, two more metal men appeared on the right.
They were surrounded.
“I think they want us to go into the castle,” he told Trixie.
“I see that. But why?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe those metal things are some kind of security?” she asked.
“Possibly.”
They followed the metal men into the castle through the main entrance. Inside a massive stone staircase flowed up to the next level. Beautiful, yet imposing. A large metal chandelier hung overhead but wasn’t needed due to the number of windows.
At the top of the stairs five men appeared. Real men. He recognized two. Thankfully neither were close acquaintances so he stood a chance of remaining unknown.
The grey headed man in the dark brown jacket stepped forward. “Good afternoon. What brings you to Candlewood?”
Not wanting Trixie to give anything away about their trip, Nathaniel said, “Good afternoon. We’re searching for a friend of ours.”
“Do you mean the two gentlemen we found in the south gardens?” the same man asked.
“Ah, no.” Nathaniel smiled graciously. “But I am glad you found our companions.”
“Do you realize you are trespassing?”
“I’m not surprised. But no, we didn’t know that when we landed on the island. As I said, we came to find someone.”
“What makes you think your friend is here?” The taller man in a dark suit asked.
“We have it from a reliable source that he boarded a ship that came this way. We thought this might be an abandoned island. Imagine our surprise when we found this beautiful estate in the middle of the sea.”
“I’m sure,” the tall man said.
“We have several guests in residence at this time,” the gray-headed man said. “Perhaps your friend is one of them. What is his name?”
“Peter Wadeworth.”
None of the men reacted to the name.
“And you are?” one of the men he recognized as Phineous Gilbralter asked.
He considered giving them a pseudonym, but the risk of being caught in a lie outweighed his need for secrecy given that two of them were familiar to him. Especially when one of the men he recognized was the Duke of Strathorn. “Nathaniel Dennison.” His past connection to the Wadeworths justified his search Peter without giving away his position with the RIO.
“And she is?” the gray headed man pointed to Trixie.
“My companion.” Nathaniel said simply. “May I ask your name, sir?”
The man glanced at the Duke. “I’m Edwin Thompson. I oversee the estate when my lord is unavailable.”
“And that would be Lord…” Nathaniel asked.
“Not your concern.” Edwin gestured to the metal men. They moved closer to Nathaniel and Trixie. “You’ll understand Mr. Dennison that we cannot have you wandering about the estate unattended. Until we can determine how to best accommodate you, we’ll put you with your companions.”
With that declaration, the five men turned and left the upper landing through a doorway behind them. Three human guards moved out the shadows.
One of the guards gestured to the hallway to their left. “If you’ll follow me, Govern’r.”
The three guards led them as well as a handful of metal men away from the front entrance. Much like Carrick’s estate, their path took them through the kitchens, down a stone stairway, and through what appeared to be the wine cellar. They paused at a large wooden doorway while one of the guards unlocked it.
Dread filled Nathaniel but he maintained a calm appearance. Their accommodations would likely not be plush or comfortable.
The door creaked open. Cool, earthy air flowed around them. Odd. He had expected a damp musty smell. Perhaps even of decay and rot, as many underground areas did. Then again, the castle appeared to be recently built.
The metal men remained in place at the door while the human guards led the way down a set of curving stone stairs. When they reached the landing at the bottom they found two rows of metal cages in a brightly lit stone room.
Samuel and Fletcher got to their feet and moved to the door of their cells when they entered.
“We’ll be taking your things now,” one of the guards said.
Nathaniel slipped his shoulders from the straps of his pack and handed it over. He nodded to Trixie that she should do the same.
“Don’t suppose you’d let me keep my book with me so I have something to read while we wait, will you?”
“No, Miss. Afraid that’s not part of the deal. You see, a book could be used as a weapon.”
Her brow furrowed and she looked to Nathaniel for confirmation.
He nodded and shrugged. “It’s true.”
She scowled at the guard as she slipped the strap of her bag over her head.
“Your pistol as well, mate.” The other guard told him.
Nathaniel slowly upholstered his weapon so as to not alarm their captors. With Trixie standing in their midst, he didn’t want to risk her getting caught in a scuffle. With the barrel end point downward, he handed it over.
“Anything else?” the guard asked.
Nathaniel pulled the knife strapped to his waist out and handed it to the guard also.
“Is that it?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t, but the small knife hidden in his vest and the one in his boot didn’t need to be discussed.
“What about you, Miss? You carrying any weapons?”
Nathaniel held his breath.
“Only the one pistol,” she told them.
“It’s in the bag.”
The guard scanned her from head to toe then gestured to his companion. That guard rummaged through her bag then nodded.
“Very well.” The first guard gestured for them to proceed to the cells.
Nathaniel assessed their surroundings as well as Samuel and Fletcher as they passed. While it was far more clean and well-lit than expected they were still in a dungeon.
“Are you two all right,” Trixie asked Samuel and Fletcher.
“Surprisingly comfortable,” Fletcher told her. “Much cooler in here than out stomping around in a humid jungle.”
“They even brought us fresh water,” Samuel added with false cheer.
“Well good. I’m glad you’ve been taken care of.” She lifted her nose at the guard. “I’m sure this misunderstanding will be cleared up shortly and we’ll be on our way.”
“Right. In you go, Miss,” the guard said as he gestured to one of the empty cells.
Nathaniel attempted to follow her in but the guard stuck out his hand to stop him. “That one—” He gestured to the cell next to hers. “—is yours.”
He exchanged glances with Trixie but moved toward the other cell. He waited until the guard shut and locked the door on Trixie’s before entering his own. He wasn’t about to leave her vulnerable to the guards if he could help it. So far they had acted with decorum, but he didn’t trust that to remain.
The guard gestured for him to enter then shut the door behind him.
24
The clang of the metal door echoed off the stone walls of their cell when the guard slammed it closed. At least the lock didn’t crunch or grind when he turned the key as you might expect in a dungeon. Was it because the locks were new? Or because they were used so often they were well maintained? Neither possibility made her feel better.
Taking her cue from Nathaniel she maintained a calm outward appearance even though her heart hammered within her chest.
“How long do you plan to keep us here?” Nathaniel demanded from his cell.
“That’s not up to me, Govern’r,” the guard said as he and his companions walked away.
Nathaniel moved to the wall of metal bars separating the two of them. “Are you all right?” he asked Trixie.
“Mostly.” She inspected their surroundings. “At least they didn’t toss us into a dark hole.”
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