Encante (5 page)

“Very much so.” I returned her smile. “I always enjoy new cuisine. I met your chef earlier; I must say he’s remarkably talented.”

I was uncomfortably aware of Captain Everett watching the conversation unfold between Drusilla and myself with intense interest. I had an awful suspicion he was aware of how utterly beautiful I found his niece. Drusilla blushed suddenly, for no apparent cause, and I averted my eyes, worried I’d offended her.

“The encante have many gifts,” she said. “As you saw, they’re skilled in farming as well as cooking.” More food arrived and for a moment we were silent.

“I noticed there were none working in the engine room or on the bridge, is that due to the language barrier?” To my right, Drusilla’s father snorted.

“Barrier? They communicate very well when they wish to.” He sounded almost wistful. “Very well indeed.” Minerva’s demeanour tensed noticeably, and she glared at her husband.

“Yes, I noticed you seemed to have a way to communicate earlier.” I glanced at Drusilla, who was taking a large sip of wine to cover a smile over her step-mother’s upset. There was clearly no love lost between them. “That clicking noise?” I asked, nodding at the girl spooning what appeared to be garlic buttered prawns onto my plate, feeling awfully rude speaking about them rather than asking them directly. “Perhaps you could teach me?”

From the smile that lit Drusilla’s face you’d think I’d said something wonderful. “I’m afraid it’s not something easily taught.” She dabbed at herself delicately with a napkin. “Perhaps if you stay awhile I could teach you a little.”

“He’ll be staying at least until we find what we’re looking for, I’ll wager.” Captain Everett suppressed a belch. Minerva shot her brother a disapproving glare, which was then redirected at Axel when her son dared to smirk. “He’s got the sea in his blood this one, Drew, you mark my words.”

“He’d have had it in his lungs too, if Vee hadn’t found him when she did.” Drusilla’s father, Drew, shook his head. “You have to be nickey to get involved in our current adventure, son, to be sure, but hopping to other worlds on a whim with no knowing what you’re falling into? That takes some special something.”

“Some special something stupid, Mister Drew, at least that’s what my CC would say.”

If she knew
, I added silently.

“CC?” the captain demanded, perhaps a little too sharply.

“Mister Escher’s sweetheart.” Axel helped himself to more wine as his mother frowned. I thought perhaps she objected to the notion of pre-marital romance, until I realised she was merely put out he had not allowed the encante serving wine to pour for him.

Interesting.

“She finds your adventurous streak stupid?” Drusilla smirked. “Would she rather you stayed at home and did needlepoint with her?”

I blinked, astonished at the coincidence in her question and my earlier musings about what Cecelie might be doing. “I don’t know that she’d find my stitching appealing, but she certainly doesn’t approve of my travels.”
And that’s without knowing they take me to parallel worlds
. “In fact,”—I hesitated—“I’ll be retiring once this little sortie comes to an end and we’re married.”

Another point upon which Cecelie had insisted. I sensed Cane wasn’t too happy about this, but more because Cecelie was attempting to dictate to him than because he valued my expertise. The truth was, I could be just as useful to him at home, perhaps more so, and he had commented on several occasions that he did not like the prospect of anything ill befalling me while I was away. Or the thought of me getting caught. To be a known member of the rebellion meant certain death. Cane knew this better than most; Oswald Deryn had been his mentor, as Cane was mine.

“Retiring?” Drew sounded genuinely surprised. “On the whim of some wench? You’re hardly older than our Axel here.” He nodded at his son. “You’re most certainly not ready for the shore just yet, lad.”

“I don’t mean to say I won’t work, merely that I will be doing work of a different kind.”

“Such as what?” Drusilla smirked again. “If not stitching, then what? Writing? Or accounts perhaps? Would you be good with numbers, Mister Escher?”

“Simeon,” I stuttered, gaping at her slightly, for Cecelie had indeed proposed I take up accounting, or writing something for public purview, or in fact . . .

“Law, perhaps?” Drusilla asked innocently.

. . . law.

That was disturbing
.

“You’re to be a lawyer upon your return!” she declared.

“I assure you, my lady, I cannot imagine anything more contemptible.”

As I said it, I realised it was the truth. For the first time it occurred to me that perhaps it was unfair of Cecelie to expect me to give up my career in such a manner, even if she didn’t know what that career truly was. Especially, in fact, if she didn’t know what it was. She had no idea how important our work was; how could I possibly expect her to understand I had to continue? I’d have to tell her, I realised with a sinking heart, knowing the reaction I would get. I’d simply have to, it was the only way to get her to understand I could not do as she asked. But the moment the thought occurred to me, my heart sank further, as I realised it would be impossible. Even if Cane were to allow it—which he would not—it would only make her more determined to keep me at home.

“The captain had the right of it.” Drew shook his head. “The sea’s in your blood, boy, near as damn as it’s in my Drusilla’s; you don’t give up your blood without a fight.”

“Forgive my father, Mister Escher, you should of course do as you please. If you love this Cecelie with all your heart then you should do whatever it takes to make her happy, as I’m sure she does for you.”

Drusilla watched me carefully, and I had the disconcerting notion that she knew. She spoke fair, but she
knew
. As I stared into her eyes, I sensed that she knew I feared Cecelie did not truly love me at heart. That I suspected Cane had encouraged her in our match as he wished for me as a son-in-law. That she had gone along with it to please him, and that she herself was woefully unhappy about our coupling. Perhaps most disturbing of all was that Drusilla also knew that it hadn’t been until that very instant, as I looked into her face and saw my own feelings staring back at me, that I’d understood I didn’t truly love Cecelie at all. In all the time I had known her, I had never once felt anything close to what I was feeling in that moment, as I stared into the eyes of a total stranger. I had told myself I had fallen in love with her, but how was I to know? I had never been in love before. To what was I comparing my feelings for her? Childhood crushes and passing infatuations. Of course I felt more for Cecelie than that; she was the daughter of my closest friend.

But was that love?

“Why is the sea in your blood, my lady?” I blurted the question before I had chance to consider it. It only seemed to make her smile all the more.

“My mother was encante,” Drusilla said.

Minerva pushed her seat abruptly back from the table, picked up her considerable skirts and stalked out of the room. None save Axel marked her departure, and he only to roll his eyes.

“She passed on, I’m afraid, some years ago,” Drusilla continued, as if the departure of her step-mother had not even registered for her.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I lost both my parents to the Kabbalah when I was young, so I know what it is to lose your mother.” She met my eyes again, and for the first time I saw the violet shine that should have been the giveaway. I also saw the pain there, the desolate hole left in one’s heart when they lose someone in such a manner. I had always thought that was something Cecelie and I shared, the common bond of losing a parent, for her own mother was dead also, but I realised now she had never felt the loss as I did. Perhaps because her father was still alive; perhaps because he had taken a lover so soon after his wife’s death. Cecelie might never have been without a mother at all. She was so young at the time I doubt she even recalled it. “I’m sorry,” I repeated.

“So am I.” She smiled sadly and returned her attention to her meal. A meal, I noticed suddenly, that included no form of fish.

Chapter Six

S
leep eluded me that night, despite the relative comfort of Reuben Williams’ bed. My conversation with Drusilla had left me restless for more than one reason, and I sought the soothing half-light of the watery windows which graced the corridors of the Narwhal. Somewhere in the ship, floating to me down those corridors, was music so sweet I might well have been dreaming. My feet followed the melody, or possibly only the casements of water, one after the other, until I arrived, perhaps inevitably, at the hydroponics bay.

I took a few furtive looks around, fearful of encountering Garrett and his boxlock again, but it appeared he was abed. The encante seemed to be absent also; I wondered if they slept, and if so, whether their beds were watery or dry. I had noted their odd ability to emerge from the water as dry as if they had never been in. They were certainly the strangest amphibians I had ever seen, and that was before I considered the odd mechanical tails they employed while swimming.

I gravitated towards the belvedere, oddly comforted by its familiarity. I had a gazebo of a similar nature in the forest gardens of the home Cane had provided me with in Hollowvale: dome-roofed with elegant columns and arches giving out on all sides to an expansive view of the valley. I’d been wondering what was within this one since I first saw it. Now it would seem I was about to find out. The lights were dimmer than they had been earlier. Evidently Garrett chose to save on whatever fuel powered the overhead spheres, which had illuminated the room upon my arrival. Now the only light came from the water below and a smattering of half-guttered sconces on the walls. I picked my way carefully, peering into the water beneath me only long enough to determine the light there came from some of the vegetation itself, perhaps even some of the larger fish, who didn’t seem quite so coy now they thought themselves alone for the evening. They were quite mistaken in that belief however, and so, as it happened, was I.

As I stepped inside the belvedere, movement startled me. It was so unexpected I reeled backwards, the heels of my ill-fitting boots catching on a join in the platforms. I tumbled backwards, flailing like a fish in a net, and would have drowned for the second time that day had I not been caught at the last and righted again.

“My apologies, Mister Escher, you surprised me.”

“And you me, Axel, I’d thought I was alone.” I smiled at the captain’s nephew, who was far more visible now he’d stepped out of the shadows. I glanced behind him to see sumptuous pillows surrounding a low table within. Upon it lay a bottle of wine that appeared mostly empty, and a large, cerise flower of such exquisite beauty I wondered instantly what it would look like in Drusilla’s hair. The thought did not become me, and I blushed, thankful the dim light would hide it from Axel. He seemed too distracted to notice, however, and I wondered suddenly at the oddness of him drinking alone in the dark with a flower.

“I have trouble sleeping,” he told me, as if by way of explanation. If he was in any way drunk, his words showed no sign of it. “I come here for the ambiance.”

I glanced around us. “I can well understand why. I’m afraid I was having a similar problem. Forgive me; I should not be wandering the ship alone.”

“And why not?” he asked. “You are our guest; if you see fit to wander the ship alone at night, I say let you. Wander wherever you choose.” He laughed as if something were painfully amusing, and I wondered if perhaps he was a little tipsy after all. “I’ll say nothing to stop you,” he assured me. “Hell, I’ll encourage you.” He leant closer to me. “I’d even suggest you try the places I couldn’t show you earlier.”

“So there were areas you kept hidden.”

Axel snorted. “Areas? People more like. My uncle is concerned you will not understand the . . . racial demographics of our society.”

“You mean the encante?” He nodded. “There is more to your relationship with them than Everett would have me believe, that much is plain. It has been obvious since I arrived, if for no other reason than this is my fourth visit to Idele, and I have never before seen one of them. I have never even heard mention of their race, on this world or any other. They are of a lower class?”

“Class?” Axel exclaimed. “Franklin Garrett is of a lower class; Bridger Quinn, is of a lower
class
. Even Reuben Williams, our third mate, the man in whose bed you should even now be sleeping, is of a lower class.” Axel shook his head. “The encante are not separated from us by class, Mister Escher, but freedom.”

“You mean to say they are slaves?”

“Of course they’re slaves. You think they wear those god forsaken machines of their own volition?”

It took me a moment to catch up. “The tails?” I considered the implications of a species who could breathe underwater and swim at great depths, living in a submersible with ready access to open water. “They keep them from escaping somehow?”

“Yes, one of Amos Newton’s
finest
inventions, don’t you think? A device which allows its occupant to swim outside the ship enough to remain healthy, perform maintenance and other duties, but which incapacitates them should they try to stray too far.”