What readers are saying about Orphans of the Celestial Sea:

" ARG! You swine! I must know what happens next! Great opening chapter. If you can sustain this pace, you have an absolute winner. 
Merchant airships? Fog? Draggers? Bell codes? Kid's Tower? Wow, so many hints: you really have a whole world ready for us to explore - can't wait." – Adam X

“I am hooked. Too much violence in the first chapter would have turned me off, but you kept it real, which can sometimes be tricky in a Fiction book :) 
I want to know what happens next, which I consider to be the basis of a good book, the characters and the epidemic itself intrigues me.”
Well done all round.” – James Murray

"This was fantastic. I absolutely love the ideas behind it, and the use of accented dialogue was superb. A lot of people can't pull that off but you did it well. Awesome how you combine aspects of steampunk, fantasy, and zombies." C.H.

“Nice cliffhanger. I started off thinking, "Okay, I'll just read the first chapter before bed,” and looks like I'm going to be up later reading the next one.” Katrina Forest




Orphans of the Celestial Sea
Episode 3: Mysterious Cargo


By Mark Fenger
Copyright 2012

Published by Mark Fenger at Smashwords

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The story so far…

Tom Cain rescued sisters Nikki and Willow Keats from psychotic Draggers and a Mist infestation with the help of sharpshooter Agatha West. They fled Milton on the apparently deserted airship Hecate. As they were pulling out of Milton, a young woman appeared at the door to the bridge, but she ran away before any of the crew could ask her what had happened.
Now they limp toward the nearest repair station on one engine, with heavily damaged controls.

Episode 2
Chapter 1

“Town ahoy Captain!” Willow withdrew the spyglass from her eye with a grin and leaned back from the railing of the Hecate’s outer deck. She’d raided the spare clothes from the old crew and now wore a pair of flight-goggles, a bomber hat, and an oversized navy pea-coat that she’d belted at the waist with a yellow silk scarf.
“Is it the right one?” Tom furrowed his brow, squinting at the horizon.
Willow rolled her eyes. “Yeah Tom. We took the course heading I gave, arrived within minutes of the timetable I plotted, but it’s the wrong town. Try to have a little faith.”
Tom smiled at her. “Sorry, I’m new to this.”
“Don’t apologise! You’re the Captain, try to act like it, ‘kay?”
“Hey, you two mind moving aside? I’d like to see where I’m steering.” Nikki’s muted voice came through the glass of the bridge. She was doing the best she could on Hecate’s smashed control console, but it made her irritable. She’d returned Tom’s flight jacket and raided the mystery-passenger’s wardrobe for a black-trimmed red wool overcoat to keep her warm. She didn’t quite have the curves to fill it out yet, but if she’d been a few years older it would fit her like it was made for her.
Of the mystery passenger herself, they’d seen no further sign. Tom had locked all the food and drink away at night in an attempt to draw her out, but she either had her own supplies wherever she was hiding, or was too scared to take the bait.
Tom and Willow walked around the side of Hecate’s bridge and in through the forward hatch.
“I should fix us some lunch.” Tom turned toward the galley.
Willow groaned. “Lemme guess, beans and bacon?”
Tom shrugged. “I like beans and bacon, ‘sides it’s the only thing I know how to cook.”
Willow shuddered. “We have got to get someone aboard who can do better in the galley.”
“You wanna cook, go ahead, but I’m not taking any more crew on ‘till we’ve done some cargo runs and can pay ‘em proper.”
“Don’t want to give up more of your share?”
“Exactly, Hecate could be great for all of us. It’s a new start, an’ if we take the right steps we can all live on her as long as we want. Aint you ever wanted to see the world?”
Willow’s eyes crinkled at the corners like she was holding back a smile. “Of course.”
Agatha was bustling around the galley when they arrived. “There’s no food!”
Willow laughed. “There’s hard-tack.” She opened a cupboard and tapped one of the biscuits inside against the table. It sounded like a block of wood.
Agatha made a face.
“I’m cooking up some beans and bacon.” Tom grabbed a pan and slapped it down on the stove.
Agatha’s face grew even more twisted. “Bleh, hard-tack it is.”
“I thought you liked my beans!”
“The first time. Second time they were okay too, but after the fifth meal, I have to say they started to become just a mite repetitive.”
“That’s it, I’ve had enough abuse for one day.” Tom turned the heat off the pan. “I’m gonna hit the town and get myself a nice steak and potatoes in a few hours anyhow.”
Willow sighed. “I wonder if they’ll have pork pie.”
Agatha paused with the biscuit half-in her mouth. “Oh don’t! You’ve got me drooling now. How are we gonna pay for all this?”
“I was gonna talk to you about that. Armoury has way more than we could ever need, why not sell a rifle or two?”
“Yeah, I’ll go have a look.” Agatha set the hard-tack down on the table and turned to go.
“Lock our sidearms away while you’re at it.” Tom tossed her his revolver.
“You sure?” Agatha felt the revolver at her side. “I-I don’t feel right without it on.”
“It’s a big town, we’ll be safe enough.”
“Yeah… okay.” She ducked out of the doorway.
Tom rubbed his jaw, it was starting to develop some stubble, but he was loath to use another man’s razor. “You reckon she’ll stay on?”
Willow nodded. “Yep, she’s got nowhere else to be. She’ll grouse about it, but she’ll come ‘round.”
“And the two of you?”
“That’s a little trickier. Nikki wants to stay, but says we got obligations.”
“What do you say?”
Willow sighed. “I say our family’s prolly all dead. That means we’re free.”
“Free? Why wouldn’t you be free?”
Willow looked away. “Oh, just family debts… you know.”
Tom was about to respond when the zeppelin gondola started to shudder rhythmically. A deep rumble came from the starboard engine. He dashed for the bridge with Willow close behind.
The door to the bridge was locked so Tom hammered with his fist. As he was pounding the shaking and noise ceased. Hecate went eerily silent without any engines running, just the hiss of wind past the canopy to let them know they were still moving.
“Who is it?” Nikki’s voice from the other side.
“Open the damned door Nikki! What’s going on!”
The door clicked and swung open.
“Engine troubles.” Nikki slid back into the pilot’s chair.
“Obviously! Why was the door locked?”
Nikki raised an eyebrow. “You told me to lock up when you or Agatha wasn’t around.”
“Right… right. What’s the situation?”
“Looks like the engine ran out of oil. I couln’t see it ‘cause that gauge is smashed.” She waved at the array of mostly-broken dials above her station. “I think I got ‘er shut down before the engine was completely destroyed. We’ll have to glide the rest of the way and hope the boys manning the mooring tower are lookin’ sharp today.”
“You’re kidding me. Glide a fifty ton airship in, close enough to a dead-stop that a half-dozen boys crewing the tower can reign it in?”
“Do we have a choice?”
Tom glanced out the bridge windows. The town was rapidly approaching. “How long ‘till we hit… err land.”
Nikki gave an aggravated sigh. “About five minutes. Look, this isn’t as easy as it looks. I’m trying to gauge the wind, bleed off some speed by fishtailing back and forth, while keeping enough momentum to make it there. Is there something else you could be doing?”
Tom nodded. “I’ll double up the rigging.” He turned and raced from the bridge. Finally something he knew better than the girls aboard. He’d been a rig-monkey for two years, but even with that practice it would be tight getting four extra guylines in place in under five minutes.
#
The last line clipped in place just as the airship was caught by the mooring towers. The boys down below were sharp, they had six of the lines tied off in a matter of seconds. The stays groaned, cables stretched to their fullest and one of the towers leaned alarmingly far. Tom was thrown forward from his perch, but clung tightly to the rigging with calloused hands. When they’d settled in place he hung for a moment, suspended over the town of Havenvale. Best view in the house.
Tom swung his legs up to the rigging and scrambled down to Hecate’s outer deck.
“Are you crazy!” The Portmaster came storming onto the top of the nearest mooring tower. “Damn near wrecked us you maniacs!”
Tom smiled back. “My apologies. We didn’t have much choice, lost our last engine about five minutes ago.”
“Oh….” The look of anger on the Portmaster’s face faded. “Well, you come to the right place then. We can fix durn near anything, if you’ve got the price.”
Tom grabbed a spare bit of rigging that hung down from the envelope and swung across to the tower. “How’s the market for lead these days?”
The Portmaster frowned. “Look, can I talk to your Captain? I’d rather not have to repeat myself.”
“He is the Captain.” Willow copied Tom’s move and swung across to the tower.
“Is not!” called Agatha from the deck.
The Portmaster looked from one to another of the teens. “Well, is he or ain’t he?”
Tom glared at Agatha and mouthed, “Not now.” She folded her arms and frowned.
“I am the Captain. Hecate is our salvage after the previous crew was wiped out in a Dragger attack at Milton.”
The Portmaster whistled. “That so? We was wonderin’ why the regular flight never came in from Milton. How bad was it?”
“Bad…. Far as I know the four of us are the only ones to make it out sane and alive.”
The boys manning the tower had swung a gangplank across to the Hecate’s deck. Nikki and Agatha walked across to join them.
The Portmaster sized up the crew and smiled. “You’re the whole crew? Just you four?”
Tom beamed. “Yep, Hecate was banged up pretty bad, but we got ‘er here.”
The Portmaster’s grin grew two sizes larger. “Is that a fact?” He hastily wiped the smile from his face and checked his pocketwatch. “Aright, I’ll contact the Guild. A rep’ll meet you here in, say two hours?”
“Sounds good.” Tom slung the long canvas bag with the rifles over his shoulder and climbed down to the ground.
When the rest of the crew arrived he gave them a big grin. “We made it! Time to celebrate.”
Havenvale was as dirty a town as Tom had seen in his travels. There were berths for a dozen airships, but only three in port aside from Hecate. Beyond the port were rows of machine shops and hangars. Sparks flew from welding torches, hammers beat metal into shape, and apprentices ran in every direction carrying a variety of parts. Beyond that was a row of saloons and a few shops for the visiting aircrew. The buildings in town were mostly five or six stories high, made from brick and mortar, every surface varnished a dark hue from years of greasy smoke. There were a few refuge towers on the outskirts, but with the large buildings in town, people would simply climb to the roofs during a Mist attack.
The packed-earth streets and boardwalks bustled with activity, most of it on foot, though horse-drawn wagons were common. There were even a few horseless trucks and autos.
A little guy, about Willow’s height, wearing a flat-cap and suspenders waited outside Havenvale’s telegraph office with a toolbox and large duffle. “Hey, you from the Airship that just docked?”
Tom nodded. “Yeah.”
“Can you ask your Captain if  he could use a hand in the machine room? I’m a journeyman mech, looking for a berth. I work real hard and don’t eat much.”
Tom frowned. “I’m the damn Captain, is that so hard to believe?”
Agatha shook her head. “No you’re not.”
Tom rounded on her. “Look Agatha, I’m getting sick of your attitude! I’m the only one with years of flight experience. Who else is suited to the job?”
“Two years of fixing rigging does not prepare you to command an airship.”
“Who led you three safely out of Milton? Who got us aboard and free from the Draggers?”
“I freed Hecate from the Draggers, remember?”
“Yeah, good shooting, but who told you to shoot?”
Agatha rolled her eyes. “You told me to make my shots count. What kind of lame-brained advice is that anyhow? Like I was just going to waste them doing some target practice? I was the one who figured out to shoot for the bow line!”
“If I’d known you could shoot like that, maybe I’d have thought of it first!”
“Well you didn’t.” Agatha paused, breathing heavily. “Way I figure it, four of us each have an equal share in Hecate. We should vote on who’s Captain.”
“I’m the Captain. Mine’s the only vote that counts!”
The small guy coughed into his hand. “If I can interject here a second….”
Tom barely glanced at him. “No!” He began to move up the street, and the others followed. “We shouldn’t carry on like this in public.”
Agatha nodded. “We do need a mechanic though.”
Tom rolled his eyes. “Fine, we need a mechanic, but not him.”
“Why not him?” Agatha crossed her arms.
“Because he’s a kid! And a liar to boot. Since when does a kid that age get a journeyman’s ticket.”
Nikki slipped in between Agatha and Tom. “He looked about your age if you ask me, just short.”
Tom gritted his teeth. “Even if he’s my age, it’s too young to be a journeyman.”
Nikki clicked her tongue. “Still, it’s worth talking to him. Maybe he’s tellin’ the truth… and we need a mechanic.”
Tom growled in exasperation. “This is a full scale mutiny! Are you all against me?”
Willow winked at him and saluted. “You have my support Captain Tom.”
Nikki frowned. “Are you going to give him a chance?”
Agatha gave an exasperated growl. “Can’t be a mutiny. You’re not the Captain.”
“In order. Thank you. No. And I’ve heard enough of that horse-crap for one day.” Tom stopped in front of a pawn shop and unslung the bag of weapons from his shoulder. “This looks like a good place.”
#
Half an hour later, the four of them sat around a table in a quiet saloon, patting comfortably full bellies.
Tom banged his mug down on the table. “Now that was a fine meal.”
Agatha leaned forward. “We can’t keep this up though. If we pawn off everything on Hecate how are we going to fuel her, or get her fixed up?”
“Obviously. Ain’t nothin’ a little work won’t pay off.” Tom sighed and leaned back. “We’ll be fine, once we pay off the repairs there’s gonna be enough lead left over to get us some operating cash.”
A portly gentleman in a bowler and waistcoat loomed over the table. “Pardon me ladies and gentleman, but I’ve been informed that you are the crew of the Hecate?”
Tom nodded. “Yup, that’s us.”
The man sat at the table without invitation. “Extraordinary, so it’s just the four of you?”
The whole crew nodded and grinned proudly.
“I heard a rumour that you’ve some lead bars you wish to sell, is that correct?”
Tom sat straighter. “You heard right mister. You buyin’?”
The man nodded and proffered a hand. “Ponderoy Charkart, I happen to deal in all manner of goods.”
Tom shook with the man, which he found highly distasteful. Charkart’s hands were cold and damp. He wiped his palm on his pants under the table. “Logbook says we have five long tons of lead aboard. If you’re offerin’ a better price than the mechanics, it’s all yours.”
Charkart whistled. “That is quite the load. I’ll tell you what, I can’t do business of this magnitude on a dry throat.” He waved the bartender over. “A round of beer for our table, your best brew for my new friends.”
Willow wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like beer.”
“Sarsaparilla for the young lady.”
The drinks came fast, and the bartender handed them out along with a big bowl of salty pretzels.
“Now, let’s drink to profitable partnerships, and get down to brass bolts shall we?” Charkart raised his mug. “Cheers.”
The others around the table echoed Charkart’s toast, and copied him as he downed half his drink.
“Right, that hit the spot didn’t it? Are you feeling ready to do business now?”
Truth told, Tom wasn’t feeling good at all. He blinked and shook his head to cure his double-vision, but that only made things worse. “Shii you fizzed our drins you baser.” His tongue was two sizes too large in his mouth.
Charkart leaned forward as Tom heard the gentle thumps of his crewmates sliding to the floor. “I’ve been called worse. Sweet dreams lad.”

 

Episode 2
Chapter 2

When Tom awoke he had a splitting headache and the inside of his mouth tasted like he’d been licking garbage cans. He hawked and spat in the corner. He was in a dimly-lit room with a dirt floor, roughly heaped in a corner with Agatha, Nikki and Willow atop a straw-filled mattress. Four stone walls, a stout wooden door in the middle of one, and high in the opposite wall was a grate of bars, perhaps two feet tall by four across that let in a crack of light from the gas-lamps outside.
Tom grabbed the bars, jumped and held his face level with the opening. The window was set at street level, but there was nobody outside. He dropped back down.
“Uhh, bastard drugged us.” Agatha sat up, rubbing her face.
“What was your first clue?”
“Shut up.” She got to her feet and surveyed the room. “Got a plan to get us out of this mess?”
“If you’re looking to me for a plan, does that mean I’m the Captain?”
“Captain of what? Charkart’s probably flyin’ off in Hecate right now, laughing at our stupidity.”
“Repairs’ll take at least a day.”
“Oh good, so between now and then, all we have to do is escape, make our way there without getting caught, and get past whatever guards he puts on ‘er when he realises we’re gone. Easy, right?”
Tom pinched the bridge of his nose. Agatha was making his headache worse. “I’ll get Hecate back.”
“Yeah, so what’s the plan genius?”
“I don’t know! I’m still thinking, but it’ll come.”
Agatha snorted. “Well good luck with that. Tell you what, if you actually get us Hecate back, I won’t hassle you about bein’ Captain no more.”
“You mean it?”
“Yeah sure, since it’ll never happen.”
“I’ll get her back. Just give me some time to think.” Tom retreated to a corner of the cell and sat, contemplating a way out, while Agatha toured the room, probing, punching, and kicking anything that looked like a weak spot.
Tom stared at the pool of light on the floor. Even that had shadow-bars across it. There had to be something, there was always a way out, he just had to find it before Charkart shipped Hecate off. Tom pounded his fist into the dirt floor, being Captain of an airship had been his dream for as long as he could remember, and for two short days it had come true. He wasn’t going to let it end so soon. Besides, he owed the others, they all had a share in Hecate, and none of them had a place to go if she was lost.
“Uhh, what hit me?” Willow rose unsteadily to her feet.
“They spiked your sarsaparilla.” Agatha frowned. “I shoulda seen it comin’, he was too pushy.”
“Ain’t your fault Agatha.” Tom stood and gazed out the barred window again. “My fault. I shoulda been more prepared.”
Willow shrugged. “None of us saw it comin’ Tom.”
“I’m the Captain! Things go wrong it’s always my fault.”
“Exactly, you’re the Captain. You’ll figure us a way out of this.”
For a miracle, Agatha let it lie at that and returned to probing their cell.
“What happened? I feel like I’ve been run over.” Nikki sat up.
“You drank too much beer.” Tom shrugged.
“This the drunk tank?” Nikki shook her head and winced. “What’s Willow doin’ here then? She was drinkin’ sarsaparilla.”
Agatha stomped over. “Stop messing with her head Tom. Charkart drugged us so he can steal Hecate.”
A metal slot grated open at the bottom of the door. A pitcher of water, a bucket, and a tray of bread and cheese was shoved through from the far side.
Tom ran to the door but the slot closed before he got there. He pounded on the door. “Hey! This ain’t legal! We salvaged Hecate fair ‘n square. You can’t just lock us up and take ‘er away!”
The voice that answered was deep and rough, not Charkart’s. “There ain’t no law in this town but Charkart’s law. He wants somethin’, he takes it.”
“What’re you gonna do with us?”
“Well, yer lucky there son. He figures ain’t nobody gonna believe a bunch of kids word over his, specially if the airship they claim to own is nowhere around. He’ll ship Hecate out when the repairs are done tomorrow night, an’ hold you ‘till the next slaver comes through.”
Tom kicked the door. “Slavery’s not legal in America!”
“Oh quit your moanin’. Cushy life that, slave in Atlantis. No Mist to worry ‘bout.”
“Yeah then why don’t you sign up?”
“I already have a cushy life, running Charkart’s cells.”
Nikki put on a breathy voice. “Well, since you’re the man in charge here, perhaps you could think about letting us go.”
The man on the other side coughed. “Why would I do that miss?”
“Oh, I think I could make it worth your while.”
After a pause they heard the voice again. “I’m a married man… happily married I mean.”
“Surely there must be some things your wife doesn’t do for you?”
“Never you mind that missy, we get along fine.”
“Well, there are other things. Things of value on Hecate. You get us to her and we can pay you real handsomely.”
“Charkart would have my hide. That’s all I’m a gonna say on the matter. G’night folks, might as well get comfy.”
“We could take you with us!” Nikki’s voice lost the husky undertone.
Footsteps receded from their door, and a moment later the streetlamp outside went dark, leaving the crew with only a faint trickle of moonlight.
“Nice try Nikki.” Willow patted her on the shoulder.
“You wouldn’t have… given yourself to him, would you?” Agatha gaped at Nikki.
“No….” Nikki blushed and looked down. “’Course not, I’m not that kinda gal.”
Willow grinned impishly. “Why don’t you tell ‘em what kind of gal you are?”
Nikki rounded on her sister. “Enough Willow!”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean—”
“Pssst!” Someone was at the window.
Tom hauled himself up by the bars so he could see out. It was the short guy they’d seen earlier in the day, the one claiming to be a mechanic.
“What do you want?”
The small fellow doffed his flat cap, he looked older with it off. “Can we try with the introductions again?”
“Fine, Tom Cain here.”
“Elias Short.”
Tom laughed. “Your name is… Short?”
Elias grinned. “Yeah, most people call me Shorty… on account of my name.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s on account of your name, not… anything else.”
Shorty tilted his head to the side with a half-smile. “Hey listen, do you want my help or not?”
“I’m listenin’.”
“I overheard you say each of you has an even share in Hecate, that right?”
Tom nodded. “I’m Captain though.”
Shorty shrugged. “Sure thing, you’re Captain… I want in.”
“In what?”
“You give me an even share in Hecate, I’ll get you guys out.”
“No, you can come aboard for a wage, like regular crew.”
“All right. Good luck gettin’ out.” Shorty turned and took a step away.
“Wait!” Nikki said from below. “Tom, surely goin’ from a quarter to a fifth of somethin’ is better than goin’ from a quarter to nothin’ at all.”
Shorty stopped and looked back over his shoulder.
Tom dropped down and turned to the girls. “You all feel this way?” They nodded. “Okay.” He pulled himself back up to the window.
Shorty grinned at him. “We have a deal?”
“Yeah, get us out of here.”
Shorty produced a small saw. “Work on the bars so they’re almost cut through. Hide the cuts and metal shavings. Tomorrow night, when the streetlight goes out, climb out of there, and get to the port. I’ll have Hecate all warmed up and ready to fly.”
“Right, don’t leave without us.” Tom grabbed the saw and dropped to the floor. “Let’s get to work!”
The sound of Shorty’s footsteps receding was nearly drowned by the rasp of the small saw. They took shifts with it during the night and by the time the first fingers of dawn began to massage the horizon they had one very dull saw and four bars weakened enough so they could be removed by hand.
Tom grabbed some dirt from outside the window and covered up their night’s work. “Oughta do it.”
Willow grinned at him. “I knew you’d come up with something Captain.”
Agatha crossed her arms. “It was Shorty came up with the plan, not Tom!”
Nikki lay down on the mattress and glanced at Tom. “I… I, think it’s time we got some rest.”
“Yeah,” Tom stretched out his sore muscles. “I feel like my arm’s gonna fall off.”
“I’m cold.” Nikki shivered and smiled up at Tom. “D’you think you could lie next to me?”
“Sure.” Tom settled down on the mattress and threw an arm over her. Nikki took his hand, pulled it over her like a blanket, and hugged it tight.
“Oh for the love of—” Agatha growled in anger. “I don’t recall buying tickets to the burlesque.”
Willow lay down beside her sister and settled in for sleep. “Jealous?”
“No! Of course not…. Eww.” Agatha stood over the rest of the crew, hands on hips. “Shove over will ya?” Agatha pushed at Willow until there was a space for her too.
#
The day passed quietly. Around noon their guard came and gave them another meal, exchanged their bucket for a clean one and left again, refusing to let Nikki engage him in further conversation. A thick layer of clouds rolled in around sunset, and a chill breeze came in the open window. The gas lamp in the street came on and soon after the stars were out.
“I’d love to see the look on Charkart’s face when he finds we’ve flown the coop!” Tom did a little jig.
“Better yet, when he finds Hecate’s gone too.” Willow took his arm and spun with Tom across the floor.
“We’re not clear yet.” Agatha jumped and lifted herself on an uncut section of bars. “What time did the streetlight go out last night?”
Tom shrugged. “Dunno, it was full dark when I woke up. Don’t matter, we just have to wait.”
They were all full of nervous energy, pacing, jumping up to look out the window, trying to guess the time. Soon enough their evening meal, and bucket replacement arrived. Nikki didn’t even try to talk to the guard.
They were all quietly eating when the streetlight went out.
Tom jumped to his feet. “Hot damn, let’s get out of here.” He twisted the pre-cut bars free and tossed them down to Agatha, then dropped to the ground and offered his hands like a stirrup. “Ladies first.”
Agatha ignored his hands, took a run and planted a foot on the wall to propel herself upwards, then grabbed two of the remaining bars and slithered through the opening like it was nothing. Tom helped Nikki and Willow through, then jumped and hauled himself out the opening.
Tom’s eyes hadn’t fully adjusted yet, and it was near total darkness on the street. Only the faint light of from distant thoroughfare gave him some orientation. The others were just standing there, doing nothing. “Hey, let’s get a move on!” Tom hissed.
That moment the gas-lamp came back on. Ponderoy Charkart stood underneath it, eyes twinkling. “So, I heard you’d like to see the look on my face when I found out you’d escaped.” He grinned, showing all his pointy teeth and pointed a finger at himself. “Well… this is it.”
Each end of the street was blocked by a half-dozen thugs with cudgels.

 

Episode 2
Chapter 3

Tom grinned. “I don’t suppose you’d like to give us a do-over on the whole escape thing would you?”
Charkart shook his head. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me who helped you?”
Willow whispered out of the corner of her mouth, “Push me down by the side of the road.”
Tom frowned. “What?”
Charkart looked at him, questioningly. “The name of the person who helped you? Otherwise my boys will be forced to play rough with you and your friends.”
Willow hissed, “Push me.” Then aloud she said, “I’m going to tell him if you don’t.”
“No you’re not!” Tom had no idea what her game was, but any plan was better than no plan, which was what he had at the moment.
“It was—” Willow’s words were cut short as Tom slammed an open hand against her chest. She was surprisingly light and flew through the air a lot further than he’d intended, landing in a heap in the gravel at the side of the road. When she got up she didn’t use her hands normally, she clutched at them as though her wrists were injured. Whatever plan she’d had, he must have just ruined by pushing her too hard.
Charkart waved his men forward. “Cut her off from the others. Let’s hear what she has to say.”
The thugs moved in from both sides in a disorganized mass.
Just before they reached her, Willow shouted, “Run!” She turned her hands upwards to reveal two rocks. The first shattered a pane of glass and missed the flame of the lamp, but the second impacted square-on.
A gout of orange flame shot upwards, and in an instant the light was extinguished, leaving a bright afterimage on Tom’s retinas. He grabbed Nikki and Agatha by the hands and propelled the three of them towards Willow. They brushed past someone big, and heard a grunt. A moment later, a man’s voice cried in pain.
In the darkness, Tom heard Willow’s voice. “This way, come on!” He followed it through the crowd, brushing past men, and inducing havoc as the blinded men attacked eachother. He heard Nikki squeal in pain, and a moment later caught a grazing blow to his left ear. The impact deafened him on that side, and he could feel a trickle of blood flow down and over his shoulder. He stumbled and fought off a wave of dizziness.
Finally they were free of the melee. The four of them dashed around a corner to a well-lit thoroughfare. A few late-night strollers were out on the boardwalks.
“Excuse me,” Said Tom, trying to appear calm. “Which way to the airship port?”
A startled young man stared at Tom. “You’re bleeding.”
With supreme effort, Tom refrained from shouting. “Yeah, I know. The port?”
“Five blocks that way, hang a right and go another seven. Can’t miss it.”
“Thanks!” The crew rushed up the street.
Behind them they heard a shout. “This way lads!” A moment later a gunshot shattered the night air.
A small explosion of wood chips flew from the railing beside Agatha. She shouted over her shoulder, “You’re a lousy shot, you know that?”
Tom glanced back and saw Charkart lining up for another shot. “Duck!”
Charkart fired and the shot shattered a window they were passing.
The four of them ran as hard as they could, with Tom and Agatha helping Nikki and Willow to run faster, but the men behind gained. No more shots were fired, but by the time they’d cleared the first five blocks and turned the corner the thugs were right on top of them.
“This way!” Tom led them into the front entrance of a building without looking at the sign. Inside, an array of beautiful women were busily entertaining the establishment’s male clientele. Most of them were barely dressed.
Tom stopped and stared.
Agatha smacked Tom on the back of the head. “Move it, idiot!”
Tom closed his mouth and gathered his wits. He pushed one of the women off a heavy chaise and jammed it under the doorknob just as a heavy weight hit the door on the other side.
A large elderly woman came from the back room and shouted, “Get out! Charles! Get your lazy ass out here, you got some evictin’ to do!”
Tom turned to the young woman he’d just dumped on the floor. “Back exit?”
“That way, hon.” She pointed to a door behind the bar, just as the biggest man Tom had ever seen emerged from it, carrying a large club.
“Shit… Stairs?”
She pointed to the left. Tom led the others for the stairs. Behind him he heard the young woman call, “Y’all come back when you’ve got a bit more time, ‘kay love?”
They charged up the stairs to the sound of splintering wood below. By the time they reached the first floor, they heard heavy boots hit the stairs below.
“Up, up!” Tom shouted.
“Up where?” said Agatha.
Tom didn’t answer, mostly because he had no idea. Running made more sense than stopping, as long as they kept running there was still a chance they might get away.
They reached the top floor panting for breath.
Agatha confronted Tom. “Now which way genius?”
“That way!” Tom pointed to a ladder at the end of the hall. He pushed Nikki and Willow up through the trap-door to the roof while Agatha tipped a wardrobe she’d found down the staircase. Shouts from below told him she’d had perfect timing.
“Go!” yelled Agatha as she tore up the hallway.
Tom scrambled up the ladder with Agatha close behind. He rolled on to the roof and slammed the trap-door shut. “All of you, sit on this!”
The girls sat, while Tom went to survey the surrounding buildings. He could hear thumping noises from below, but the girls were too heavy for the men below to lift. All of the buildings around were too far away to even consider jumping.
“No way out. We’re stuck here,” Tom reported.
Agatha growled angrily. “What now?”
>Boom!< A shot came from below, punching a neat hole in the trap-door, sending splinters into Willow’s arm. The three girls dove off the hatch just as a second shot drilled through where Agatha had been sitting a moment before.
Tom dove forward. “Grab the edge!”
He managed to get his fingers on the lip of the trap-door just as a heavy weight hit it from below.
>Boom!< >Boom!< >Boom!< Three more shots pierced the wood hatch, one narrowly missed Tom’s hand.
“Surrender, and I might decide to let you live!” said Charkart’s voice from below.
“We’d like some guarantee of that before we give up!” Nikki shouted down.
Tom heard a hiss of moving air overhead and looked up. There was a zeppelin, gliding in just above rooftop height, headed straight for them.
“I could give you my word as a man of commerce?” said Charkart.
“Are you serious? I’d rather have a thief’s word!” said Nikki.
“I heard you fellas could use a lift?” Tom turned to see the Hecate’s freight elevator bearing down on him. Shorty hung off one of the ropes, waving his cap at them.
Tom scrambled to his feet just as it reached them. “Grab on!” He neatly swung aboard the leading corner of the elevator.
Shorty grabbed at Nikki, and hauled her into the cage, Agatha jumped nimbly aboard, but Willow missed her grip and fell.
Nikki ran to the rail. “Willow!”
Tom jumped off and ran to the girl. The elevator was moving about ten miles an hour, they could still catch it. He picked Willow up to her feet and propelled her forward. Grasping hands caught her as they neared the elevator. As she cleared the rail, she kicked out and caught Tom in his wounded ear. He tripped and fell on to the gravel roof.
A rectangle of light behind him appeared as the trap-door opened and men came spilling out.
Tom shook his head and got to his feet. The blow to his ear had thrown his balance off. He tried to run, but kept stumbling to the side. Finally he got a pace going, but he was well behind the lift.
The elevator cleared the side of the building just as Tom got up to speed. He ran as hard as he could, but it seemed like it was getting further away. Still, there was nothing for it but to jump. Charkart would surely kill him if he stayed.
Tom leapt harder than he’d ever strained in his life. For a moment it was like he had wings. The elevator swung back in his direction and he landed hard on his chest against the lip of the doorway. It knocked the wind out of him. He scrabbled for a hand hold, but slid backwards, legs pumping madly over empty space. Helping hands pulled him aboard and Tom collapsed. His chest burned where he’d slammed into the elevator and every breath was painful.
Shorty pulled a lever and the elevator began to lift into the belly of Hecate’s gondola, at the same moment all four of her engines kicked to life. The elevator swung alarmingly as she accelerated.
Tom got unsteadily to his feet. “Who’s flying?”
Shorty glanced at him with a puzzled expression. “Who do you think?”
Tom looked at the other three, their expressions reflected the confusion he felt. They were nearly to the cargo bay.
“Wouldn’t be asking if I knew.”
Shorty smiled and shook his head. “You didn’t know she could fly? I thought she was your pilot, way she handles herself on the bridge. That was very clever of you to leave someone behind, but tell everyone it was just the four of you. I couldn’t have come got you without her.”
The elevator halted in the cargo bay with a clang. Shorty opened the door and stepped into the bay. All the lead bars were gone, apparently Charkart had stripped their cargo.
Tom turned to the others and mouthed, “Who?” They just shrugged in response.
“I can see why you left her aboard though,” Shorty continued. “She’s exotic and damn pretty. Liable to attract a bit too much attention in a town like Havenvale.”
The others followed Shorty up the companionway to the bridge. When they got there it was empty.
Shorty turned to the others. “She’s gone. That’s odd.”
“Who?”
“Why, Ishara of course. Is it that strange that she’d help rescue you?”
Ishara, the mystery passenger. In all the excitement Tom had forgotten about her. “Oh… Yeah, I guess.”
Nikki quickly slid into the pilot’s seat and shivered. She ran her hands over the freshly repaired controls. “Looks like they did a good job fixin’ her up. We’re headed due east.”
“Right, Willow, have a look for someplace we can go to find work.”
Willow sat down at her station, gave Sir Furrybottom a hug and went to work.
Tom grinned. He’d won Hecate back, and he was Captain again, no matter what Agatha said. “Shorty, get your gear stowed in the machine room, and then Agatha’ll show you your quarters.”
Shorty nodded. “Aye Captain… You got a first mate?
It didn’t take Tom two seconds to decide. “Agatha’s first mate. Any time I’m not around, you get your orders from her.”
“Aye Captain.” Shorty saluted and left for the machine room.
“Me?” Agatha turned to Tom. “Why’d you pick me, we can’t agree on nothin’.”
“Exactly, you’ll keep me honest, I want you to argue with me when I’m being pig-headed. Just… one favour?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Try not to enjoy it too much.”
Agatha grinned and walked away. “I’m afraid I can’t do that… Captain.”

End of Episode 2

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