Emilie & the Hollow World (20 page)

The
Sovereign
steamed toward the Aerinterre aether current, reaching it after the end of the next eclipse. The
Lathi
trailed behind, sailing under its own power, and Dr. Marlende's airship soared overhead.

Lord Ivers airship had been left behind on the island, a broken, charred ruin. The rigid metal framework of its balloon, exposed as the gas inside had been released and then the fabric covering burned away, had looked like a huge creature's skeleton. It depressed Emilie to see it, and somehow seemed to bode ill for their future prospects.

As Lord Engal had decided, Lord Ivers and his men were now locked up in one of the
Sovereign
's secure holds. It made Emilie nervous to have them there, though there were four armed crewmen guarding the door at all times. Lord Ivers had thrown a fit and made angry threats when Lord Engal had given the order, but since he and his men had already given up their weapons, there wasn't much he could do.

Emilie thought Lord Engal and Dr. Marlende had taken every precaution, at least every precaution that they could think of, but she was still uneasy. Standing at the railing with Miss Marlende, watching the giant round cloud of the Aerinterre current loom overhead, she said, “I'm just worried, that's all.”

“I'm worried, too,” Miss Marlende admitted. She was watching the airship move closer to the
Sovereign
, angling in to get as close to it as possible in anticipation of joining their protective spells. This seemed to be a fairly difficult and potentially disastrous operation, and it was making Emilie edgy just to watch. Miss Marlende continued, “I won't feel easy until we're steaming into port.”

“We couldn't leave Lord Ivers behind on an island and come back and get him later?” Emilie suggested, only partly joking.

“It's tempting,” Miss Marlende said. “But somehow I don't think travel down here is going to become all the rage. Especially if the trip through the current tends to damage the aetheric engines. Ivers admitted that after he arrived his sorcerer had to repair the aether navigator in his motile too.”

Emilie glanced up at her. “That was what you thought was wrong with the
Sovereign
's motile, wasn't it?”

“Yes, and it turned out I was right, though there were apparently a few other adjustments that needed to be made that had confused the issue. My father repaired it fairly quickly last night. But it's the protective bubble that's the real problem, of course.” Dr. Marlende had spent part of the night on the
Sovereign
, getting its protective spells ready to work in concert with his airship. Then he had called the airship on the wireless, had it lower a ladder over the
Sovereign
's deck in the glare of the spotlights, and dramatically climbed it to finish the repairs and preparations aboard it.

“Why didn't Dr. Barshion, and Mr. Abendle and Ricard know about that, then?” Emilie asked, somewhat annoyed. “At least we would have known what was wrong.”

Miss Marlende grimaced. “I don't know. I don't think Barshion's in over his head, but I do think perhaps he was overworked, and overtired.” She sighed. “But I suppose it doesn't matter now.”

Her eyes were on the
Lathi
, which had anchored at a safe distance from the current. Emilie followed her gaze. They had already said their goodbyes before leaving the island, and the Cirathi were only waiting to watch them enter the current before they began their own voyage home. Emilie said, “I wish we could say goodbye again.” She wished she didn't have to say goodbye at all, but she knew that was impractical.

“It wouldn't make us feel any better,” Miss Marlende said, sounding glum, and gave Emilie a hug.

It took some time, lots of maneuvering, and various people with megaphones shouting warnings from the
Sovereign
's decks, but they managed to lower the airship down over the water, so its cabin was level with the
Sovereign
's second deck. Emilie watched this process from the deck above, in the enclosed promenade with Miss Marlende, both of them braced to run inside if the propellers swung their way. The rigid balloon was bigger than the
Sovereign
, blotting out their view of the sky.

Mikel stepped out onto the catwalk and tossed a line across to the waiting sailors. “Just attach it to the railing!” he called.

Lord Engal motioned for the man to go ahead, and he looped the line around the metal railing. Oswin, who had just come up from below, said worriedly, “If the wind changes and pushes the airship away, it'll take that railing with it.”

“It's not meant as an anchor. It's a symbolic connection between the two vessels, for the spell.” Engal turned to the nearest hatch and called to a waiting sailor, “Tell Barshion we're ready!”

A few moments later, a deep vibration shuddered through the deck; the
Sovereign
's aetheric engine engaging. Emilie gripped the railing nervously, remembering how the deck had heaved last time, but Miss Marlende said, “It's considerably smoother, isn't it? My father must have made some adjustments.”

There was an answering roar from the airship that made Emilie jump; before this it had been relatively quiet. Then the gold barrier rose up, cutting off their view of the water, streaming upward to enclose the airship and the
Sovereign
together in a giant bubble. The noise of the two engines rose and fell, and Emilie saw the airship's propellers had stopped spinning.

She followed Miss Marlende down the stairs and out onto the open deck. As they arrived, Dr. Marlende and Mikel were dropping a set of metal stairs down from the catwalk over the
Sovereign
's railing to the deck. It was at a steep slant, but at least the airship was still now, steady as a rock, held in place by the protective bubble.

“We're ready when you are, My Lord,” Seth called from the catwalk, and stepped back into the airship.

On the deck below, Lord Engal told Oswin, “Get down to the engine room. Notify me immediately if there are any problems supplying power to the aetheric compartments.” Oswin bolted off and Lord Engal turned and strode inside.

Miss Marlende pushed away from the railing. “Let's watch from the wheelhouse.”

They hurried through the corridors, reaching the wheelhouse as Lord Engal was ready to give the command. The big ports around three sides of the room were filled with the golden light of the bubble, except for the one to starboard, where the bullet-nose of the airship's balloon was visible. Emilie could just make out the sea past the barrier, though the glare of the sun made it difficult. Captain Belden and the other two sailors looked suitably stoic, but Emilie thought they were sweating. Lord Engal saw them and said grimly, “Better hold on.”

Miss Marlende and Emilie braced themselves against the cabin wall. Lord Engal nodded to Captain Belden who took the lever of the engine telegraph and pulled it down, sending a “full ahead” message to the engine room.

The entire ship shook, metal screeched. Then Emilie felt the deck push up at her feet. Her stomach lurched and she gripped the railing more tightly. The aether current drew both vessels up out of the water; she could see the surface dropping away below. Somehow this sensation hadn't bothered her aboard Dr. Marlende's airship; maybe because Dr. Marlende's airship was actually supposed to fly.

They went up and up, faster and faster, until the sky darkened and they could see nothing past the protective bubble. Lord Engal let out his breath and said, “That's that. All we have to do now is wait until we reach the surface, and the rift in the ocean floor.”

Oh, that's all, Emilie thought, but everyone relaxed a little, breathing again.

Emilie found this return journey much more tense than the trip down, which didn't seem to make much sense. Maybe it was the fact that now she knew just how difficult and dangerous traveling in an aether current was. The first time it had just seemed like magic, the easy powerful magic of fairy stories. Now she knew it was really the hard uncertain magic of philosophical sorcery, and that it might fail at any moment and kill them all.

It didn't help that she felt as if these short days in the Hollow World had aged her at least ten years.

She spent the time with Miss Marlende, sitting in a couple of hard chairs in the chart-room. It would have been more comfortable to go down to one of the lounges, but neither of them did. It eased Emilie's nerves a little to be here, watching Lord Engal check the aether navigator and his copies of Dr. Marlende's diagrams. Sometimes he sent a sailor down to take a message with hastily scribbled figures to Dr. Marlende on the airship, or below decks to Dr. Barshion with a question.

But nothing went wrong, and tension started to segue into boredom. Emilie and Miss Marlende got up to stretch their legs, and walked around the ship a little. It was oddly quiet; everyone in the crew who wasn't manning a station had been told to stay in their quarters. It was eerie, and something of a relief to get back to the wheelhouse.

After a few hours, Mrs. Verian served a brief meal of sandwiches and tea, which Emilie helped her carry up from the galley. Having a full stomach made it harder to stay awake, at least for Emilie, and she dozed off and on for a bit, waking whenever she almost fell out of her chair.

She straightened up finally, blinking the sleep away, to see Lord Engal pacing back and forth in front of the wheel, rubbing his hands together briskly. He called a sailor in and sent him off with a hurried message for Dr. Marlende. “What's going on?” Emilie asked Miss Marlende.

“We're almost there.” Miss Marlende stretched and rolled her shoulders. “It's getting close to the time when we'll break off from the airship and make our way out through the fissure in the ocean floor.”

Emilie hugged herself, breathing out in relief. “We made it.”

Miss Marlende said, preoccupied, “I'll feel better when we're out of the current.” She glanced at Emilie. “What will you do when we get back, Emilie? Did you want us to drop you off at Silk Harbor?” She hesitated. “Or did you want to go home?”

Emilie frowned at the polished wooden floor, which was marred by sandy footprints and sandwich crumbs; it had been a few days since anyone had had time to think about things like sweeping the floors. Realistically, she knew her future at Silk Harbor was uncertain. Karthea would be hard-pressed to be able to provide her with any other wage than a place to sleep. You don't even know if she'll let you work for her. But if she won't... I'll think of something else. She said, “Silk Harbor. I still want to see if my cousin will let me help with her school.” She added tentatively, “Perhaps I can see you and Dr. Marlende again, when you're in town?”

Miss Marlende watched her, her brow furrowed in concern. “Are you certain? I'm sure whatever difficulty you had with your family- Perhaps I could help-”

“I can't go home.” Telling Kenar had been much easier, probably because he hadn't really grasped the full implication of what she had said. When she had first arrived on the boat, telling anyone else, especially Miss Marlende, had seemed impossible. But Miss Marlende knew her better now. Emilie glanced around, making sure the men in the wheelhouse were too busy to overhear, then reluctantly wrestled the words out. “Even if you and your father and Lord Engal gave me letters explaining what happened, even if you came with me and lied and swore that I'd been chaperoned the entire time, it wouldn't do any good. That's why I left.”

“Chaperoned? Oh.” Miss Marlende's frown deepened. “I think I see. There were accusations without basis?” She read Emilie's expression accurately. “And perhaps some threats of punishment for things you hadn't done, or didn't contemplate doing?”

“Yes.” Emilie felt a tightness in her chest ease. “My mother ran off to become an actress, and although she got married...”

“You would think, in this day and age...” Miss Marlende's mouth set in a grim line. “You don't believe there is any chance of reconciliation?”

“Not now. Especially not after I ran away,” Emilie admitted. “Maybe later. Years later.” The situation between the Sealands Queen and the Nomads had given her some perspective. She thought too much had been said on both her part and on her uncle's part for anyone to back down.

Miss Marlende said slowly, “Well then, perhaps, if the situation with your cousin doesn't work out, you'd be interested in a position as my personal assistant?”

“What? Yes.” Emilie blinked. “Doing what?”

Miss Marlende smiled. “I do a great deal of work for my father, writing letters, monographs about his work, plus traveling and meeting with members of learned societies, that sort of thing. I could use some secretarial help. And perhaps, if I have a younger woman in tow, I'd look a bit more matronly to some of the men I have to meet with, and they would be less inclined to treat me like a frivolous debutante.” She shrugged wryly. “Probably not, but it's worth a try.”

Emilie nodded rapidly. “Oh, yes. Thank you.” It sounded less like adventuring and more like a junior social secretary, but still... Social secretary to adventurers would be far more interesting than schoolteacher. It was a fabulous opportunity.

Lord Engal interrupted then, stepping out of the wheelhouse, frowning distractedly. “Evers? Where's Evers?”

“You sent Evers with a message to my father,” Miss Marlende reminded him.

Emilie thought she might as well start being useful immediately. “Do you need someone to take a message, My Lord?” She had remembered to call him “My Lord” that time; she hoped he had noticed.

He said, “Yes, to Dr. Barshion, if you don't mind. I asked him to send me the adjustments for the aether navigator we'll need to make for the Aerinterre surface current. It's not urgent at the moment, but I don't want to waste time once we break through to the surface.”

“I'll be right back.” Emilie went down the stairs, glad for a chance to work off the excitement. Her heart was pounding a little. She found herself looking forward to getting back a great deal more now.

She went all the way down to the lower deck, just above the engine room, and down the aetheric compartment corridor. The air was hot and damp. She passed the room with the device that kept the air clean inside the bubble. It had the same mist, earthy smell, and bemused operator as the first time she had seen it.

She reached the doorway of the aetheric engine room, where a sailor stood on guard. He nodded to her, smiling, and she recognized him as one of the men who had helped search the island where they had found the
Lathi
. “Hello. I've got a message for Dr. Barshion.”

Ricard poked his head out. He looked tired, and sweat was beaded on his forehead, but his expression was cheerful. It was another sign that things were going well down here. “Hello, Miss Emilie. He's not here. He went up to the wheelhouse to see Lord Engal.”

“No, he's not there,” Emilie told him. “That's where I've come from. Lord Engal wants the adjustments for the aether navigator for the Aerinterre surface current.”

Ricard stepped back and Mr. Abendle came to the doorway. Behind him, Emilie saw the copper dome on its plinth, connected to all the pipes and tubing. It was humming loudly and hissing a little as wisps of steam escaped from its pipes. Mr. Abendle had a bandana tied around his head like an old pirate. He said, “That's odd. Oh, I bet he went to Dr. Marlende first. I'll get the figures for Lord Engal and send someone up with them.”

“All right, thank you.” Emilie started away, feeling sweat already sticking her shirt to her back. She hoped she would have time to take a bath after they reached the surface.

She reached the cooler air of the stairwell, and stopped. The stairs that led down to the main engine room and the boilers were at the opposite end of the aetheric room corridor. This stairwell led down to the forward hold, where Lord Ivers and his men were held prisoner.

It wasn't that she was suspicious... But this was an odd time for the
Sovereign
's aetheric sorcerer to go missing, even temporarily. If, just say if, Lord Engal sends a sailor with a note, asking for the figures, she thought, Dr. Barshion pretends it's asking him to come to the wheelhouse, and no one knows where he is. That would be one reason for Lord Ivers to put himself in Lord Engal's power, if he had a man on the inside, someone who could help him... Do what? Escape after we get to the surface? she wondered.

You've read too many novels, Emilie. But now the thought was like an itch in a place you weren't allowed to scratch in public. I'll just take a look at the guards to make sure everything is all right.

She went down the stairs. There was a short corridor at the bottom, but only one open hatchway along it. She headed toward it, prepared to say that Lord Engal had sent her to see if everything was all right. Though that was a little unlikely. Maybe she could say...

Emilie froze in the hatchway, staring. The four crewmen left to guard the hold lay sprawled on the floor, and the door behind them was wide open. They were wearing only their shirts and drawers; their uniform jackets and trousers were missing.

It took her a full minute to believe her eyes. Especially since Dr. Barshion was also sprawled on the floor near the crewmen, a bloody gash in his forehead.

He stirred and moaned a little, and Emilie hurriedly knelt beside him and patted his cheek, demanding, “Dr. Barshion, are you all right? What happened?”

Barshion groaned, his eyelids fluttering. He said, “I told him I wouldn't do it. Sabotage, slowing Engal down, that was what he paid me for, not murder. I'm not-” His eyes opened and he focused on her. He grabbed her arm, hard enough to hurt, and gasped, “Stop him. Separating the vessels, it could kill everyone aboard...”

Dr. Barshion slumped back, his eyes closed, and Emilie shot to her feet. She ducked back out to the corridor and tore up the stairs. She wanted to shriek at the top of her lungs for help, but if the escaped prisoners were nearby, they could catch her, stop her from warning the others. Lord Ivers had had a crew of nine besides himself, though only four would have
Sovereign
uniforms; it was mainly those four she was worried about.

She ran down the aetheric compartment corridor, reaching the startled sailor guarding the engine. She stepped into the doorway, where Ricard and Mr. Abendle were checking dials and writing down the readings. She said breathlessly, “Lord Ivers' men escaped! You have to lock yourselves in until they're caught.”

They both looked up, incredulous. Mr. Abendle said, “What? Escaped?”

Already backing away, Emilie said, “The guards were drugged, knocked out, I have to warn everyone- No, you stay there!” she added as the sailor started to follow her. “Guard the engines!” Running for the stairwell, she hoped he listened to her.

She ran up the stairs and paused on each landing to look down the corridors, but she didn't see any other crewmen to alert. She reached the second deck and hesitated, torn between running up to the wheelhouse to give the warning and going immediately to the airship. No, better go to the airship first. She would alert them and then take the word up to Lord Engal. The airship was far more vulnerable than the wheelhouse.

Emilie ran lightly down the corridor, her bare feet making little noise. Losing her boots was standing her in good stead now. The ship was still quiet except for the distant engine noise, but now that seemed sinister rather than serene. As she reached the outer corridor, the one that ran parallel to the deck, she saw the nearest hatch was partly open.
Uh oh.
She was certain Captain Belden had ordered all hatches be kept closed. It was possible whoever had taken the last message to Dr. Marlende had left it open. Possible, but not likely, Emilie thought grimly. She flattened herself against the wall and peered through the opening.

The first thing she saw was Daniel, standing on the airship's catwalk above the steps that led down to the ship's deck. A sailor in the dark
Sovereign
crew uniform was just starting up toward him.

Emilie's eyes narrowed, then she swore in recognition. It was Cavin, the man who had guarded Rani's prison cell in the Sealands city.

Emilie shoved the hatch open and ran onto the deck, and shouted, “Daniel, stop him, he's one of Lord Ivers' men!”

Daniel looked toward her, startled, and Cavin charged up the stairs at him. Daniel stepped forward to block the stairs, ducked a punch from Cavin, and grappled with him.

Seth came out of the door behind him, shouted a warning to the men inside, then dove forward to help Daniel fight off Cavin. The other escaped prisoners ran out of a hatch at the stern end of the
Sovereign
's deck, Lord Ivers among them, and Emilie ducked back into the corridor. Now she had a clear path to warn the wheelhouse.

She ran back to the cross corridor and nearly slammed into the chest of a crewman. She stumbled back, saw his face and his ill-fitting jacket over a stained shirt, and yelled, “They know you've escaped, I've warned everyone-”

He grabbed her shoulders and snarled, “Shut up or I'll-”

That was as far as he got, as Oswin loomed up behind him and cracked him across the back of the head with a pistol butt. He fell away from Emilie and collapsed onto the floor. Emilie gasped in relief. She told Oswin, “There are more of them, outside, I tried to warn the airship-”

“We know; Mr. Abendle sent Ricard to the wheelhouse.” Oswin brushed past her, followed by six large sailors. They ran back to the outer hatch and charged out onto the deck.

Emilie started to follow them out the hatch, but jerked back as gunshots rang out. She peeked around the edge of the hatch more cautiously, saw men fighting in a confused scramble toward the end of the deck. Then the attackers retreated back through the hatch there, leaving a couple of men lying unconscious or dead on the deck. Emilie heard them pound down the corridor toward her. Alarmed, she darted out onto the deck and slammed the hatch behind her.

Oswin and his men pursued the prisoners back into the ship, obviously determined to protect the wheelhouse and the engine rooms, but Emilie saw the door to the airship hung open.
Oh, no.
She ran forward to the end of the stairs that led up to the catwalk, trying to see inside. Figures fought in the dimness inside the cabin, but she couldn't tell who they were, who was winning.