The Children of Archipelago

by B A Simmons

  16

  The Trial of Rob Engleman

  R ob balanced the tray on one hand while he lifted the door latch with the other. Once the door opened, he brought his free hand back to steady the tray. Using his foot to push the door, Rob entered the room of Ludovico d’Silva, his master’s son and heir.

  He set the tray on the table near the bed before following the orders he’d been given to open the curtains. Daylight flooded the room and a pillow sailed across the room toward Rob’s face. Reflexively, Rob caught the pillow and with a wry grin on his face, returned it to the bed.

  Ludo raised his head, his eyes blinking in the sunlight. “Oh, the new guy, eh? I should have known Corey would send you.”

  Rob bowed, “Portato tuoi rinfreschi.”

  “Speak Engle. I’m not my mother and your Iyty offends my ears.”

  “I’ve brought your morning refreshments. Would you like me to draw bath water for you?”

  “Sí, sí.”

  The young man rose from the bed. He was nude, but while Rob turned away, he couldn’t help but note Ludo’s athletic physique. Even at just sixteen years of age, the Falcon nobleman was a member of the Home Guard. As Rob had learned since his arrival on King’s Isle, the Home Guard protected Deep Port and all the port towns on the island. While made up of sixteen to eighteen-year-olds, they were well-trained and commanded by veteran soldiers from the ranks.

  With the recent merchant riots, the Home Guard had their hands full and their training was put to use as they worked to keep order. Rob pondered a moment on the idea of fighting Ludo to see who was the better fighter. Yet even as he imagined the possibilities, Ludo snapped his fingers at Rob.

  “The water is too hot. Go fetch some cold water to cool it down,” He said.

  “Sí, signore.”

  Rob followed the orders, filling an amphora with well water and returning to Ludo in record time. He diluted the bath water for his young master and stood aside with the amphora. Staring at the wall, his mind began to wander toward Engle Isle and his family. Yet his thoughts did not dwell there for long, for the door opened and Liliana, holding a folded piece of parchment and dressed only in her loose-fitting chemise, stormed into the room.

  “Ludo! What did you say to Rosanna?!”

  Ludo scowled at his older sister and continued luxuriating in his bath. “Please Lili, don’t even mention that name to me.”

  Liliana opened her mouth to respond but paused as she noted Rob looking at her. “She… She liked you, and you dismissed her feelings with such contempt.”

  “Contempt? Stop using made up words. Just because your Engle is better than mine.”

  “Rob!” Liliana said, turning her ferocious eyes on him. “Is ‘contempt’ a real word in Engle?”

  Rob’s eyes went wide, he stammered. “Uh… um, yes?”

  Liliana cocked her head to one side and gestured to Rob with her hand. Ludo rolled his eyes.

  “You owe her an apology!” Liliana said.

  “Just because one of them makes desperate attempts to win my affection, doesn’t mean I owe them anything,” he shot back. “It’s bad enough that you and your friends don’t support the emperor; stop trying to pull me into your dangerous… affari.”

  Liliana turned her scowl from Ludo to Rob. Her fierceness made Rob smile and this, in turn, softened her countenance. Recovering herself, she furrowed her brow and pointed an admonitory finger at Ludo before turning to leave. Rob thought he glimpsed a smile flash at him as she slipped out the door.

  “Never mind her,” Ludo said. “She’s one of those fightsy types.”

  “Do you mean flighty or feisty?” Rob asked.

  Ludo pondered for a moment before responding. “Yes. Bring me my clothes.”

  After completing his morning attendance on Ludo, Rob returned to Corey for his next assignment. His mind bounced between two thoughts. Why did Ludo and Liliana argue in Engle instead of Iyty and was there something behind that smile she gave him? Corey placed him as a kitchen servant for the cook, Helen. As the day passed, his mind dwelled more on the smile. He listened to the gossip among the servants and gathered information from them with innocent-sounding questions. In this way he was able to learn that Signore d’Silva was not only a cousin to the emperor, but a member of the royal council. That Signora d’Silva remained as far from politics as possible. She neither visited the other families tied to the throne, nor did she express opinions of them; not in public or privately.

  “She won’t even talk about the trial of her cousin,” Helen said.

  “Oh, is she close to this cousin?” Rob asked.

  “Until recent events, he was one of the Signora’s closest confidants.”

  “Recent events?” Rob said.

  “Oh, of course. I forget you are new here. The Signora’s cousin was the ambassador to some island or other near the war. He’s been accused of treason.”

  Rob’s mind immediately shifted to the face of Marcel Aquila. Helen went on, unaware that Rob was only half-listening. If Marcel was on trial, Rob had to know why. Could it be that Pete had been successful in obtaining black powder using Marcel’s name? Was there some other offense he’d given the emperor? Perhaps Edwin’s use of the elixir had muddled Marcel’s mind so much that he’d given away secret information.

  “When is the trial?” Rob said, interrupting Helen.

  “What? The trial? I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

  Jerry entered the kitchen. “Rob, you are being requested by Signora Liliana. She wants you to attend on her during her meeting.”

  Rob squinted at Jerry. “Meeting?”

  “Yes, our young mistress often hosts several friends, daughters of other prominent families. They mostly talk, play games and act silly. Mind you! Just because she asked for you to attend on her, doesn’t mean she favors you. Don’t touch them, don’t talk with them, just serve them their refreshments.”

  “Yes sir.”

  A few minutes later Rob carried a large tray with cake and drink to Liliana’s quarters. Performing the same balancing act he’d nearly failed at earlier that morning, he opened her door and stepped inside. He was met with a hush. Seven young ladies, all seated on thick-cushioned sofas, paused in the middle of their conversations to watch him approach with the tray.

  ” Posso servirti?” he said.

  “Just place the tray on that table, Rob,” Liliana said.

  With the tray on the table, Rob set himself to pouring wine into the several goblets. The girls started speaking again, but in low hushed Iyty. Rob overheard one of them say, “Quanto bello.”

  When the last drink was ready, he turned again to Liliana, opening his mouth to ask her what else he could do. At that exact moment, Liliana spoke to her friends.

  “Ladies, we are forgetting the most important rule of our club.”

  The others quieted down again, looking to her as children might look to their teacher. Rob was unsure what to do. Should he stay to attend on her or leave to allow them their privacy. Yet as he caught Liliana’s eye, he noted that she was staring back at him; the same fire in her eyes he’d seen that morning.

  “You want us to speak in Engle while he’s here?” One of the girls asked.

  “We always speak Engle. That is our rule. Rob is not here merely to serve us, he’s here to help educate us. Aren’t you Rob?”

  Rob bowed. “I am here to serve you.”

  A few of them giggled. Liliana smiled at him. Rob felt heat on his face.

  Liliana rose from her sofa and approached Rob. “And if I say that I want you to serve me by talking with us?”

  Rob gulped. “Jerry said—”

  Liliana rolled her eyes and taking Rob by the hand, led him to a chair she had placed between the sofas so that Rob was in full view of all her guests. “Rob, if I wanted to get you in trouble, I know of several more amusing ways than this. Each of my friends is here because we believe there should be more to our lives than the political marriages our parents have arrange
d for us.”

  “We should be allowed to own property without having to marry for it,” a short brunette girl said.

  “We should be allowed a voice on the royal council and allowed to become mayors—” said the girl to Rob’s left.

  “They should let us run businesses.”

  “Or even fight in the military!”

  “Girls!” Liliana’s voice rose above the rest to calm them. “We haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. Rosanna, why don’t you start?”

  The short brunette stood and curtseyed to Rob. “My name is Rosanna Amelia d’Torrelli. I am sixteen years old and I live in Deep Port on King’s Isle.”

  Her rehearsed words made Rob smile, recalling when he’d muddled through a similar introduction in Iyty with Doctor Morris. The girl next to Rosanna stood and made a similar introduction. Her name was Ivana d’Silva, she was a cousin to Liliana. The next three girls, including the one who had complemented Rob as he served the drinks, each said their names; Nicoletta, Gabriella and Bianca.

  The last girl, who sat closest to Liliana, had long dark hair and for some reason, Rob felt as though he’d seen her before.

  “My name is Patrizia d’Benicia. May I ask you, Rob, where are you from?”

  The question took Rob off guard. He hesitated to answer while his brain ran through possibilities. If he answered truthfully, there could be direct consequences. The likes of which would keep him from attaining his goal. Yet, if he gave Liliana and her friends a lie, he might lose his favor with her forever.

  “My home island is small and out of the way. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”

  “Still, I’d like to know.”

  Liliana looked at her friend with furrowed brow. “Patrizia, if he doesn’t want to answer the question, we shouldn’t be rude.”

  “It’s just that…” Patrizia let her words die in her throat. She relaxed and sat back, though her eyes kept looking at Rob. Rob kept looking toward the door, certain that at any moment Jerry or Signora d’Silva or worst of all, Liliana’s father would come marching in and demand his head in a basket.

  “It’s my turn,” Rosanna said. “How come you become a slave?”

  “That’s not right,” Gabriella said. “How did you become a slave?”

  Rosanna frowned at her friend, or perhaps at her own lingual mistake. “Come sei diventato schiavo? How come you become a slave, I said it correctly.”

  The others shook their heads politely and smiled to appease her, but then all looked at Rob for his answer.

  “That’s a long story. Essentially, I was found adrift after my ship, er… the ship I was in sank. The Falcon captain that found me took me to Longbeard where I was mixed in with other prisoners and brought to Porto Profundo.”

  “Deep Port,” Liliana corrected, “Call it Deep Port while we speak together.”

  “Do you not want your parents to understand what you talk about? Is that why you hold these meetings in Engle?” Rob said.

  Liliana smiled. “Rob, we are working toward real change in the empire. There are meetings like this happening in many places in and around Deep Port. We don’t like the way our fathers and brothers treat us, or how they treat people like you.”

  “Do you like being called an ‘alien’? Do you like having to work for us without pay, without rights?” Nicoletta said.

  Rob shrugged. He wanted to believe them. Part of his brain screamed at him to tell them everything; who he really was and how he actually came to be there. Yet, he knew he couldn’t do that. His mission was not to reform the empire. He wanted to destroy it. At least, that’s what the other part of his brain said.

  “What we want you to tell us, is how you would like to be treated. What kind of life would you live if you were allowed to have it?” Liliana said as she reached out and placed her hand on his.

  Her touch struck Rob with as much weight as the question. It seemed a long time since he had considered what he wanted. How long had it been since Mark died? How long since he had given up his desire for exploration aboard the Entdecker so that he could carry on the fight against the Falcon Empire?

  And here sat a beautiful young woman, asking him what he wanted and appearing to have genuine consideration for his desires. This, despite the fact that she was a citizen of the very empire Rob wanted to see broken down to its foundations.

  “I don’t feel I’ve been treated poorly since coming to work in this house.”

  Ivana threw her hands up, “He’s just another servo ignorante, Liliana. We’re wasting our time.”

  Rob couldn’t help but scowl at her, understanding the insult. Liliana shared Rob’s scowl, though it was directed in equal portions at him as much as Ivana. Rob’s heart felt heavy for the first time in weeks. He did not understand the disappointment weighing on him as he watched Liliana stare for a moment at the floor.

  She stood again and motioned to the door. “Thank you for your attendance on us today. You are excused.”

  Rob stood and bowed. He walked to door but turned back to Liliana before leaving. “I remain at your service, always.”

  The kitchen staff paid little mind to Rob as he came in. Helen pointed to a plate waiting for him, but otherwise he was left to eat and digest his thoughts along with his food. However, he did not have long to do either. Jerry returned and seeing Rob otherwise unoccupied, ordered him to help another servant in the stables.

  Shoveling asino dung was far worse than goat dung. Yet he was still working when Signore d’Silva came out. He ordered his carriage prepared before taking a walk through his garden. As Rob assisted the stable hands in connecting asino to carriage, he watched the master of the house tend to the blossoms and foliage among the various garden plants. Rob recognized one of the blossoms, the rhododendron, as it was also grown in several gardens on Engle Isle.

  Rob sighed and made his move. Approaching Signore d’Silva, he knelt to dig his fingers into the soil. The older man paused and watched him with mild annoyance written on his face.

  “Vorresti… um, mescolassi dello sterco… in questo terreno? Uh, aiuterebbe… i rhododendron crescere,” Rob said and he hoped he had the right words.

  “Rododendro. Chiamamo rododendro. Sei un giardiniere?”

  Rob nodded. Understanding that he was asking if Rob knew how to tend a garden. “Ero un contadino.”

  A smile appeared on d’Silva’s face, and Rob allowed his own to return the expression. He needed to be in the Signore’s favor and perhaps this would be his best chance.

  “Sì, puoi mescolare nello sterco.”

  The coachman arrived to let the master know his carriage was ready. Signore d’Silva left Rob to work the rhododendrons and ascended into the carriage which started off at the slow asino pace as soon as he was seated.

  Rob enjoyed a peaceful hour of garden work, chuckling to himself at the idea that he used to hate such toil; his mind always somewhere other than Engle Isle. Now that he was somewhere else, he relished the memories of working with his family on the farm. Lost in these memories and letting his hands work the dung into the soil, he was unaware of being watched. His mind barely registered the quiet footsteps that approached him until the feet stood in front of his face. They were a woman’s feet, shod in green velvet slippers.

  He smiled and lifted his head, expecting to see Liliana standing over him. His smile disappeared when he realized that it was a different young woman. Standing up, he stared at her with a quizzical expression.

  “Are you from Engle Isle?” Patrizia asked.

  Rob stood, unable to keep the fear from his eyes, he stared back at her, his mouth open in dumbfounded silence.

  “You are Rob Engleman, aren’t you?” She said. “It is alright. I am a friend of Edwin Johnson.”

  Rob’s mouth dropped lower.

  Patrizia looked around them to ensure they were not being observed. She sat on a nearby stone bench and motioned for Rob to lower himself below the tall flowering bush.

  Patrizia continued speaking
in a hushed tone. “Edwin saw you last week at the plaza of auction. He wanted to purchase you, but Signora d’Silva outbid us.”

  “That was you and Edwin!”

  “Shhh… listen to me. Edwin had to leave. The city is in violence about foreign merchants like him. He… he is not likely to return.”

  “What? Why? He was selling his elixir here, was he not?”

  “Yes,” Patrizia looked both concerned and miserable. Rob wondered why. “But it is too dangerous for him here now. If we, Liliana and our friends, are successful at making change in our government, then he can come back and I will help him rescue you.”

  “You want me to help you make that change,” Rob said.

  “I know it means telling Liliana who you are, but I assure you that she will not judge you harshly for that. It will not be difficult for her, as it was for me when Edwin confessed his true intentions.”

  “What can you hope to change? You said yourselves that women aren’t allowed in politics.”

  “There are men who agree with us and will help. Plus, we know how to influence men.”

  Rob couldn’t help but smile at the confidence Patrizia exhibited. She sat there, looking at him, waiting for his answer.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  She smiled, “First, come talk to the group again and explain what you know of the war at Engle Isle. Tell us the horrors that our leaders refuse to acknowledge. Help us expose the war for what it is, a wasteful tragesty of lives and money.”

  “I think you mean tragedy,” Rob said. “Alright. I will help you.”

  17

  The Siege of Harrisville

  P ete stood in the center of the street, supporting Riley while receiving support from him. The two wounded Englemans found their family at John’s and Lisette’s house. Despite its small size, this house was the only remaining shelter for the entire Engleman family. Brandt and Greta saw them coming and while the former ran to help them, Greta dashed into the house to alert the rest of the family.