Revenge of the Mad Scientist (Book One: Airship Adventure Chronicles) (21 page)

“Rett?” A spark of something lit his eyes and Belle’s heart expanded with a surge of hope.

“Will it happen precisely at noon?” Rett asked. “Give us all the details you can.”

“Yes. This is an ancient tradition full of symbolic ceremony. It must occur when the sun is at its peak. People will gather before and receive stones from the execution committee. Then the victim is brought in at noon and placed against the brick wall. The holy leader, the Mashari, will direct the people to begin the stoning at that time.” Lord Ismatan looked at Rett with growing eagerness.

“Can you get to her with a message?” Rett asked.

“No, she is in a cell in the temple and is not allowed visitors after my appeal to the raja failed. There she will be purified so she may ascend to Heaven after her death.”

“Will she be bound?”

“No, there is no chance of escape from the arena so the victim is left free. It’s a horrific spectacle.” His voice broke.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” Rett motioned them around him as he laid out his plan.

###

In an hour, Lord Ismatan left to carry out his part of the plan and they were in the air. The ambassador took Belle’s letters with him to send off to Urbannia in an urgent missive. Then he would play the role Rett had devised to give them the cover of a diversion.

Rett wanted to fly over the area early so they knew the lay of the land. Belle stood at the rail with Benji and Jasper scanning the city for the semicircle of death. Lord Ismatan had drawn a crude map of the area to help them identify the site of the execution.

“There’s the t, t, temple.” Benji pointed to a building in a pyramid shape with a tall parapet that rose in the air like a dark red needle.

Belle looked to the east. There among some square structures rose the dome-shaped landmark the ambassador had described. That building was a theater and just beyond it was the amphitheater and the open market of the old city. A shiver ran through Belle as she looked down at the rough half circle of crumbling brick structures. A pale red brick wall ran along the back of the arena. Rough bleachers of the same color ran out from the wall in arches leaving a small circle of sand in the center where the victim would be placed. She could even see the old patches of brown where unfortunate women had bled in the past centuries—their blood soaking into the porous bricks. Poor sad women.

A few people were already gathered in the seating area, eager vultures wanting a show of death, unmindful of the life they destroyed. A shock of anger made her want to kill them all. But then she would be as guilty as they.

Rett swung the ship around and began timing the flight away from the amphitheater. It was vital they returned at exactly noon. He sent Belle a half smile and she nodded in return. They had to make this work.

She went with Benji and Jasper to the bow of the ship. They had prepared a rope with knots every few feet. Benji made sure it was coiled without any kinks to impede its deployment.

Then he came to Belle’s side and put his hand in hers—a gesture he had not made in years, causing her to blink back tears. She knew Benji had developed a special friendship with Armani and suffered more than he admitted.

“Will it work, B, B, Belle?” He searched her face for reassurance.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Yes, I’m sure it will.”

The truth was, she couldn’t help being extremely worried. There were so many things that could go wrong. Armani’s life rested in their hands and that thought terrified her.

“Coming about,” Rett called. “Get in position.”

Sam went below to the engine room, ready to release more helium if they were successful. Now Rett had to use his skill to position the ship perfectly while everyone else focused on bringing Armani up to safety.

Belle gave Rett a wave to let him know they were ready. The ship swung around and headed back to the Circle of Tears. They leaned over the rail so they would know the right moment to lower the rope.

“Here it comes,” Jasper said. “We must be precise.”

A larger crowd had gathered in the half hour since they left. Belle’s stomach pitched in nauseating horror. Were there really so many people eager to see the death of a young woman?

“Bastards,” she whispered.

Two tall muscled men escorted Armani to the brick wall followed by a priest in black robes carrying a sack of stones. She’d been dressed in a flowing white tunic and skirt, the attire of a bride. Her unbound hair flowed like a dark river down her back. Belle was glad they could not see her face, fearing the terror there would unnerve her. The crowd yelled and raised fists as the men placed her before the wall. Belle’s stomach turned over again.

Suddenly, a shout rent the air. Yes, there Lord Ismatan stood at the back of the amphitheater calling on the citizens to reconsider this barbaric act of murder. It was the diversion they needed to draw the vicious crowd’s attention away long enough for their rescue.

“Now!” Belle said.

The three of them hauled the heavy rope over the side and it spilled down to the ground. Rett positioned the fans to stall their progress and they leaned over and called to Armani directly below them now.

“The rope, Armani. Grab the rope,” Benji yelled, waving to her.

She looked up, dazed and staggering. When she saw the ship her face cleared instantly and she grabbed the rope, wrapping her legs around it.

“Hold on,” Belle called. “Hold tight.”

“Now!” yelled Rett, stomping on the engine room hatch.

The ship gave a lurch and then soared into the air just as the crowd realized what happened. They surged toward the small sand circle and the ascending girl, futilely waving their arms. Robbed of their sacrificial victim they howled in anger, shaking fists in the air. Lord Ismatan raised a hand to them and then dashed off to safety before the crowd could turn their anger on him. Benji and Jasper hauled the rope up to the ship with Benji constantly urging Armani to hold on.

Armani screamed as a quick member of the furious crowd reached the rope before the trailing end left the ground and latched on. Belle’s heart sunk when the man climbed up the rope hand over hand.

“Hurry, pull her up,” she yelled, watching with growing terror as the man closed the gap between himself and the weaving form of Armani.

Belle held her breath as Armani swung and twisted on the knotted rope. If she fell now she would be dead. Although her face was screwed up in fear she held tight and wrapped her legs around the rope as well. They pulled her up as fast as they could, praying she could maintain her grip until she reached the ship.

At last they had her at the rail, but the man below managed to reach her and had a hand closed like a clamp around her ankle. Armani cried out as she slid backwards.

“Hold her, pull her in,” Belle yelled to Benji and Jasper who grabbed the girl’s shoulders and heaved her up over the rail. Belle yanked a belaying pin from the rail and attacked the man who had pulled himself up to the top of the railing by hanging onto Armani’s foot.

When he saw Belle coming at him he grabbed a brace and tried to swing one leg over the side while still hanging onto Armani. Jasper and Benji tugged on the girl, fighting to keep him from dragging her backwards. Belle beat the arm clinging to her leg until he finally released, letting Armani and the two men fall into a heap on the deck. The attacker turned his attention to Belle his fanatical face twisted in rage as he yelled curses of God down on her head. He grabbed her jacket in an attempt to maintain his hold to the side of the ship.

She continued to hit him with the pin until her jacket tore in his grasp and he let out a howl of terror as he pitched away from the hull and plummeted to the earth. Rett yelled as she fell to the deck breathing hard and shaking all over.

“Belle, Belle,” Armani scrambled across the deck and collapsed in Belle’s arms in tears. Benji and Jasper wrapped their arms around the two women laughing and shouting.

“Thank you, thank you,” Armani said, crying effusively. “Oh, Benji and Jasper.”

She hugged all of them.

Tears flowed down Belle’s face as well. She couldn’t believe they had done it. She looked up at Rett. His face had gone white as he stared at her with a strange expression. Sam ran up from the engine room. He put an arm around Rett’s shoulders when he saw them all safe and laughed in relief.

“I can’t believe it,” Armani cried. “You rescued me.”

Belle hugged her tightly and rocked her back and forth until her sobbing and shaking ceased. She stroked the girl’s hair and murmured words of comfort as she recovered from the shock of a near death experience.

Rett turned the ship to leave Jandaharra and headed for Carabarras. Belle pulled Armani over to the seats, asking Jasper if he would make her some tea. She trembled from the adventure herself and would welcome a cup.

“Oh, Belle, I thought I would never see you after I left yesterday. Here you are rescuing me again.” Armani wiped tears from her red streaked face. “After my uncle failed with the raja I felt certain there was no hope for me.”

“He came to see us this morning and explained what happened. How horrifying for you,” Belle said.

“Are you ok, k, kay?” Benji knelt down at her side.

“Yes, Benji. Thank you. I can’t believe how brave you were to stand up for me.” She gave him a rather worshipful gaze, and his face turned red.

Belle blinked at the exchange. Fortunately Jasper arrived then and set a tea tray on the small table in the sitting area. He handed a cup to Armani and she gave him a grateful smile as she sipped it.

“But what shall I do now?” Her bottom lip trembled. “I am forever without a home or family.”

“That’s not true. You have a home with me as long as you need it,” Belle said. “But I’m afraid you may be placed in some danger. I have to find my father and there are very unscrupulous people holding him.”

Armani set her cup on the table and took both of Belle’s hands in hers. “Oh, Belle, as if I would consider such danger. I shall be honored to help in any way I can.”

Belle patted her hand. She left her with Benji and went up to the aft deck to talk with Rett.

“Thank you, Rett. You did a good thing today.” She smiled up at him.

He gave her his rakish half smile. “Hey, it was fun depriving those assholes of their victim.”

Emptiness crashed in as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. The fear of losing Armani brought into perspective all that needed to be accomplished in these eastern countries. She felt a new found respect for her father and his fight to make order in the world. If this fiasco had not occurred, Gandiss would have taken a giant step forward into modern society and civilization.

“It’s hard to believe such a tradition exists.” She gazed over the barren landscape that stretched out from the city.

“Women are not treated the same here as in Urbannia,” he said.

She gave a short laugh. “And even there it was shocking when I started my own business. If I survive this adventure, I shall devote my life to changing the role of women in this world. These archaic barbarisms must end.”

Rett looked at her for a moment with no expression and then he smiled. He reached out and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Yeah, I can see you doing that.”

A thrill ran through her at his touch and she quickly looked away. Why should she be so pleased at his approval?

“Now where are we heading?” Having any charitable feelings about Rett made her uncomfortable.

“We have to cross the Durbon Mountain Range and then I suppose the best place to start our search is in the capital city of Terrabba.” He glanced sideways at Belle. “We’re going to need to stay alert. Crossing the mountains is treacherous enough, but once we’re in Carabarras the skies are full of pirates.”

“Why is it so dangerous crossing the mountains?”

“That range has the highest peaks in the world. We’ll be traveling at elevated altitudes and the wind currents there tend to be unpredictable and high velocity. An airship can be smashed into the face of a mountain before you know what hit you.”

Belle frowned. Despite the danger they had already faced, it seemed the worst might be yet to come. They also had to worry about a Sarc who would be hunting for her to recover his sacred stickpin. She shivered.

“How soon before we reach the mountains?” she asked.

Rett held up a brass sextant to his eye and flipped several lenses down and rotated a small wheel on the side as he scanned the horizon. “Less than an hour.”

“Then I’d better go prepare the others. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Just hang on and don’t fall off the ship,” Rett said.

She hoped he was joking but, somehow she didn’t think he was. So she hurried down to the main deck and let the others know what lay ahead. Benji and Jasper went to their cabins to find their warm coats and gloves. Belle took Armani with her to see what she could give the girl from her wardrobe.

In Belle’s cabin, Armani removed the elaborate silk tunic and skirt she wore. She folded it carefully and when she looked up her eyes were narrow and hard.

“These were to be my bridal clothes,” Armani said. “Can you believe they made me wear this to my execution? They said it was to remind other women to stay pure for their husbands.”

Belle pressed her lips together. She had a mental flash of Armani lying on the ground, dead, with the delicate white dress streaked in her own blood. She took the folded bundle and put it in a drawer below the bed.

“That is your past. You can be whatever you want to be now and choose the man you want to marry because you love him.”

“Such a future is a bit frightening to someone who has been as sheltered as I have.” Armani pulled on the navy twill skirt Belle handed her and a thick wool sweater belted with a leather corset.

“Don’t worry. You have all of us to help you.” Belle gave her an encouraging smile. Then she gave her Pasha Arian’s thick velvet cape. After a moment’s thought, she rummaged through her bag and found her multi-shooter and box of ammunition.

“What is that?” Armani asked eyes wide.

“It’s a multi-shooter. Similar to a pistol but it has a larger cylinder which holds twenty bullets. It also has a secret lever on the side which releases a knife out the handle.” Belle felt a twinge of sadness as she loaded bullets into the cylinder. “My father gave it to me about five years ago and taught me to shoot it. He also taught me to fight with swords.”