Night Flight

Crysta K. Coburn

“So who’s your boss?” Mika Grayburn asked, brassy brows raised slightly.

From that expression, Harold did not think he would be able to con her. He didn’t really know how to con anyway. He was an honest man, a good worker, and this was the first time his boss had asked him to carry a package for him all the way from Pallets City to New London.

“Smith,” Harold answered. She did not believe him. “Garson Smith! He’s a real person!”

Mika pursed her lips and studied Harold from his yellowed cane, hat with the red and blue band all the way to his scuffed black shoes. She did not look impressed and Harold couldn’t help feeling offended. Mr. Smith had told him to wear his best clothes when seeking passage on an airship, and this was it. Who was she to judge him anyway, in her black trousers with patches in the knees, shabby blouse and checked grey and white vest? She was young, sure, but no great beauty with black coal smudges beneath her eyes and goggles perched on the top of her blonde head. She was also the only woman at the docks at the end of Market Street (a common place for people to find quick and private passage by sea or air). Harold had found her less intimidating than the men, thus he’d approached her.

“You got the money?” Mika asked.

“Right here.” He defiantly opened an envelope filled with notes.

“Please don’t flash it around,” she sighed, then continued her interrogation (or so it felt to Harold). “Is this Mr. Smith human?”

“Of course he is.”

“Yeah? Because you look like a goon. Are you some Other’s lackey?”

“I’m not a goon!” Harold fairly shouted and immediately regretted it as there were a number of smartly dressed men around who most probably were. “I’m not a goon,” he repeated in a whisper.

Mika chuckled. “I didn’t really think you were. I just wanted to make sure. We don’t really like goons on our ship.”

She gave him a knowing nod, which he returned automatically. A lot of working class humans didn’t like the Others, and the goons who worked for them, though fully human, often meant trouble. Harold had seen goons, of course (he was currently surrounded by many of them), but never had anything to with them. He was a respectable person. He’d also never seen an Other. He knew they were supposed to resemble humans, though he’d been raised by parents who insisted they were, emphatically, not anything like humans. Others only came out at night (they used the goons as day men), and Harold always did his business during the day, so he didn’t think he’d ever be likely to run into one either.

“Alright,” Mika finally said. “You’ve got yourself a cabin. Give me a third of the fare now, and the rest when we take off. It’s a small ship, but fast. You want the particulars?”

Harold considered that for about two seconds. He knew nothing about ships that sailed through water or air. “Not necessary. When should I meet you?”

“We leave tonight just before sunset. Is that too soon?”

“No, that’ll do fine.”

She nodded curtly. “We’ll be east of the main airfield, away from the commercial ships. You’ll see signs, then you’ll see me. Ok?”

“Uh,” he stammered. “I think so?”

“Just take the steam shuttle to the airfield and get off at the last stop. Ship’s called the Mermaid’s Revenge. We’ll be by the woods.”

“Right. Got it.” he said...at least, he hoped he did.

***

Harold arrived at the airfield well in advance of sunset. He was the only one left on the shuttle as it reached its final stop, a fact that made him nervous. Had he made the right choice? What kind of name was Mermaid’s Revenge? It sounded like a pirate name. He spotted the ship instantly as the shuttle approached. It was completely on its own out there. After disembarking, there was still a fair bit to walk. Refusing to feel daunted Harold raised his chin, clutched his valise, and started to walk.

He soon spotted Mika who was checking items off on a list with a half-chewed pencil. She glanced up at his approach and held out a hand. He gave her the envelope with the rest of his fare, which she quickly counted.

“Excellent!” She grinned. “Welcome, Mr. Green, to the Mermaid’s Revenge. I’ll take you aboard.”

The ship was, indeed, small and Harold questioned whether it could carry much cargo. There was a short, squat foredeck and no aft to the gondola. A short set of steps led to the upper deck and next to it was a similar set that led down into the hull. This second set of stairs is where Mika led Harold. The hallway was tiny, and six slim doors opened onto it. Mika opened the middle door on the right and gestured for Harold to go in ahead of her. As soon as he stepped through, he stopped dead.

“Is this it?”

She shrugged. “I warned you it was small.”

“This. Is a closet.”

“Lucky for you it’s a short trip.”

Harold dropped his valise onto the slip of a bed and slumped his shoulders. Mika patted his back.

“Buck up, boyo,” she said. “Three meals a day, and once we’re in the air, you’ll have use of the upper decks. You’ll be so in awe of the view, you won’t want to spend any time in your cabin, I promise you. But until we’re in the air, you’ll have to remain here. There’s a lamp by your head.”

She closed the door behind him and Harold sank to the bed.

***

When it came time for take-off, Mika gave a rap on his door to warn him. There were no windows in the cabin, so he could see nothing of the procedure. He imagined there was a lot of wind as the lines were cast off and the engines started up. The gondola pitched fiercely two or three times, so it was probably better that he was inside. A singular gas lamp that hung from a hook in the ceiling swung so violently from the shaking that Harold turned it off and took it down from fear it would break and leave him permanently in the dark.

He noticed that the rumbling never quite stopped, but the ship seemed to even out at some point. He wondered if it would be safe to leave his cabin, but Mika never reappeared. Deciding a peek couldn’t hurt him, he cracked open his door, but stopped when he heard voices he didn’t recognise, listening a little more closely he recognised them as belonging to a man and a woman. Perhaps it was more of the crew and he would be chastised for exiting early. That didn’t stop him from listening in, however.

“...perfectly safe...” Harold made out from the woman. The man’s response was lost. The woman’s tone was confident in its reassurances. This was Harold’s first airship ride. Had something gone wrong? Should he be worried as the other man seemed to be? Sweat trickled uncomfortably down the back of his neck.

He fumbled in the dark for his valise. The package that Mr. Smith had given him was still there. Somehow, this helped to reassure him. Though what anyone on this ship would want with a packet of business papers, he didn’t know. Still, if they were taken from him, he would be lost. Stretching out on the bed, Harold prayed this was an honest ship and it really would be a swift and comfortable voyage.

***

The next morning, Harold was woken by another rap on his door and a quipped, “All clear!”

Harold was relieved to be able to leave his cabin. He changed his shirt and trousers and ran a comb through his hair. There was no mirror and he hoped this was enough to make himself presentable. He found Mika on the foredeck with a pot and a small stack of bowls in her hand. She ladled steaming brown slop into the top bowl and handed it to Harold along with a spoon she’d had in her trouser pocket.

“Breakfast?” he asked weakly.

“Breakfast,” she confirmed.

It looked awful, but it smelled surprisingly delicious, like cinnamon and something else he couldn’t identify. There was no chair in which to sit, so he settled on the stairs leading to the upper deck. The wind was strong and tousled his hair every which way.

A moment later, a tall woman in a burgundy jacket emerged from below. She greeted Mika and accepted her own bowl of slop. As the two women settled together on the deck with crossed legs to eat, Harold eyed the scenery over the railing. He couldn’t quite bring himself to look over the side, and he was afraid of being blown off balance besides. They were higher up than he’d imagined, and the countryside before him was laid out like a painting. It didn’t look real!

“Hey!”

Harold almost spit out his food. He looked up to find the woman in the burgundy jacket standing only a few feet away. Her hair was short and red and danced in the perpetual wind.

“I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Captain Belladonna Grayburn. Mika says you’re Harold Green flying from Pallets to New London.”

Harold bobbed his head, fumbled with his bowl (the spoon almost flew over the side), and stuck his hand out to shake. The captain’s grip was firm and transmitted confidence. He realised this was the woman he’d heard the night before.

“Pleasure to be aboard, uh, Captain.”

She nodded her thanks. “I hope it’s a pleasant stay. Only one stop to resupply, then we’ll be in New London.”

“Yes, thank you. You said your name is Grayburn?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you and Mika sisters?”

The two women exchanged a look that Harold could not decipher.

“Sure,” Captain Grayburn answered. “We’re sisters. Enjoy the view, Mr. Green.”

With that, she returned below decks. Mika gathered the breakfast materials and appeared ready to follow her.

“Miss Mika, wait!” Harold called and rose from his perch.

She looked up expectantly.

“I was just curious, are there any more passengers on board? Another man, for instance?”

She raised a brow. “Well, there’s the Gentleman in the engine room. He doesn’t really have a name. We just call him the Gentleman. I don’t think you’ll see him, though. He prefers to keep himself. He’s... A little crazy. Are you done with your bowl?”

While Harold took a moment to digest that information, Mika took his bowl and spoon from his limp hand and pushed past him. Suddenly finding himself alone, Harold didn’t know what to do. It was terribly windy, true, but open air might be preferable to a cramped, dark cabin. He wished he’d thought to bring a newspaper.

***

Harold lounged on the deck, still afraid to get too close to the rails, and was almost slumbering when an explosion rocked the deck. He scrambled to his feet and whipped his head back and forth looking for another ship. Were they under attack? Were there pirates?

He saw nothing in the air beyond puffy white clouds and the occasional bird in the distance. He was still standing there feeling quite unsure of himself when Captain Grayburn appeared.

“Ah, Mr. Green, there you are,” she said. “Just wanted to assure you that there is nothing to worry about. Just had a little trouble in the hold.”

“Trouble?” Harold echoed. “So we aren’t under attack?”

She raised her auburn brows. “Attack? No. And there is nothing wrong with the engines either.”

“Is it the work of that crazy man Miss Mika was telling me about?”

The captain coughed into her hand and cleared her throat. “If you mean our engineer, then yes. It’s just something he was working on. Nothing to worry about.”

Harold smiled weakly.

A little while later Mika appeared again on the deck with food for the midday meal - a leek and potato stew with bread - and Captain Grayburn again joined them. Nothing more was said about the explosion, and no engineers, crazed or otherwise, made an appearance. Mika and the captain discussed where they would land to resupply the next day, and Harold added that it would be nice to stretch his legs. This seemed to amuse both women, though Harold was mystified why.

After lunch had been cleared away, he decided to nap in his cabin and was still dozing when Mika rapped on his door to announce dinner. He wasn’t very hungry, but he went up to the deck anyhow figuring that, having paid in advance, he might as well get his money’s worth out of the trip.

He was disappointed with dinner, however, as it was a rehash of lunch with a lump of dry, brown meat in the middle of the bowl. Still, it was food, and he had paid for it. The usual trio had barely dug in when there was yet another boom and the deck rocked.

Mika cursed, slammed her bowl down, and jogged down the stairs and through the door to below decks. Captain Grayburn sighed, rose to her feet, and suggested Harold finish his dinner in his cabin. After the threat of twice now almost being tossed over the rail, he was only too happy to oblige her.

***

A short time later, Harold heard footsteps and voices in the hall again. They were the same as before. Harold cracked open his door. The captain and mystery man seemed to standing at the far back of the hall, where Harold had thought he’d seen another set of stairs leading down earlier that day.

“...explosion? ...was worried...” came the man’s voice.

The captain was clearly there to reassure the man, which meant he probably wasn’t the crazy engineer who’d caused the incidents. So who was he? Harold strained to hear more wishing he could get closer to hear better.

“...imperative we arrive... no delays...” the man went on.

“There won’t be.” The captain’s voice came through clear and firm, like she was putting all of her energy into convincing him that all was well. “We’ll arrive in New London with no more distractions, I promise you.”

The man’s response was too soft to be heard, then a door was closed, and Captain Grayburn went down the stairs to the deck below. Harold waited to see if anyone else stirred. He was too awake, now, to return to sleep, and he’d spent enough time in his cabin. Slowly, quietly, he slipped into the hallway and crept up the stairs to the foredeck, where his heart nearly stopped beating.

There, along the port rail, was a pale, thin woman in a flimsy white dress and matching scarf. Her hair was woven into a single dark braid that flapped in the wind like a loose rope. When resting, her hair must have been down to her hips. She looked like a ghost and Harold was frozen to the deck in terror. But no, her breasts rose and fell with each breath, and she occasionally raised and lowered her shoulders, shivering in the cool night air. She was no ghost.

Still, it took a few moments for Harold to gather his courage and approach her. He didn’t want to frighten her either, being right up against the rail as she was. He was just wondering how to get her attention when she turned to him and smiled. It was a beautiful smile with full red lips. He stammered his greeting.

“Hello. I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be up here. Or that anyone else was on board. Besides the captain and whatever Miss Mika is. And did you know there’s a crazy engineer in the basement? Not the basement. They don’t have basements on airships, do they.”

The woman’s smile broadened and she giggled. Harold couldn’t keep from smiling back.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I should probably start again.”

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m See...”

Her lips froze and her gaze seemed to shift over Harold’s shoulder. He turned to look, but saw nothing there. The woman (was her name really See?) then stepped swiftly past him and toward the door to the hallway.

“Oh! Wait!”

Harold stumbled in his haste to catch up to her. When he reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the door, she was gone. She must have disappeared into one of the other six doors. Had she returned to her own cabin? Was it impolite to go knocking on doors? Considering this was the middle of the night, it probably was rude. Harold returned to his own cabin and lay awake most of the night pondering this mysterious passenger. Mika definitely hadn’t said anything about other women being on board, only the crazed engineer. Nor had the captain. He would confront them in the morning. He didn’t like being kept in the dark. And with that decision made, he turned out the lamp and went to sleep.

***

The next morning at breakfast (more of the same brown slop), the captain did not join them on deck, so Harold could only confront Mika, which he honestly found less daunting then the two of them together.

“I never said you were the only passenger on board,” she protested between mouthfuls. “I said the only other man was the Gentleman. Which is true, in a manner of speaking.”

“Well, speak more plainly then,” Harold retorted.

She fixed him with a look. “You’re the only passenger I have to worry about feeding or getting sunburned.”

He opened his mouth to reply, stopped, and considered her words carefully while she went on eating.

Was it possible that woman, that pale, too lovely woman with the luscious red lips wasn’t human? Was she an Other? Sweat slithered down Harold’s spine.

“But you said you’d never have goons on board!” he burbled.

Mika shrugged. “Goons are bad news. I hate goons. Did the person you saw look like a goon?”

Harold coloured. “No.”

“There you are then.”

“There...? What? Why did you allow me to think I was the only passenger when there are at least two more?”

“Because,” said Captain Grayburn from behind him. “You didn’t need to know. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t babble on about it. Some people like their privacy.”

He turned and saw her standing with arms akimbo. “I’m sorry,” Harold stammered. “I didn’t mean any offence. I just felt...”

“Like we were cheating you?” the captain demanded.

“No! Not that. I just...” Harold felt foolish. “I just don’t like being lied to.”

“World’s full of lies and half truths,” Captain Grayburn answered. “If you didn’t know that by now, we’ve done you a valuable service.”

“Nothing’s changed,” Mika put in, handing the captain a bowl of breakfast. “We’ll still get you to New London. There’s a latch on your door if you’re worried about someone coming in at night. And if it makes you feel any better, I will personally vouch for your safety for the duration of your stay on the Mermaid.”

Captain Grayburn nodded her agreement. Harold regarded the two women who ate in silence. They seemed totally unconcerned. Perhaps he really had nothing to be concerned about. He apologised again, and the women both shrugged.

***

Later that afternoon, the Mermaid’s Revenge landed near a human farming community to pick up supplies. A small group came out to greet them selling sweets, trinkets, and snacks. Harold purchased a bag of nuts and a journal to read later.

He noticed a tall, spindly man talking to a local who looked like a mechanic. He wore a grease-stained leather apron, and his long hair was tied back in a thick ponytail. He hadn’t removed his dark goggles from his eyes. Harold could hear his high-pitched cackling laugh from across the field. That had to be the Gentleman, he decided, and it was definitely not the same voice that he had heard in the night speaking to the captain. His assumption was confirmed when Mika started yelling at the man to get moving. He obediently loped off to do her bidding. There was no sign of the two mystery passengers.

***

That night, back in the air, Harold stayed awake with one ear pressed to the door, hoping to hear the woman (whom he’d come to think of as See) pass in the hall. There was never even a whisper outside his door. Eventually, he decided he may as well go in person and see if she had appeared. He was fairly certain now that she was not a ghost, though if she were an Other, he might have new reason to worry.

But See didn’t look inhuman. In the stories his mother had told him, Others always had glowing eyes, mouths full of razor-sharp fangs (the better to devour naughty children with), and their hands were supposed to end in knife-like claws. Maybe he had, indeed, seen Others in his life, Harold mused, and simply hadn’t recognised them. They were supposed to be fabulously wealthy and lived in an entirely different world alongside the humans with whom they shared the planet Nyx. Harold went to the foredeck, hoping to meet See again, and perhaps if she were there he could ask her if she really wasn’t human.

When he crept onto the stairs, gently closing the door behind him, Harold did find See waiting at the rail as she had before, only this time she was not alone. A man stood at her side, cradling her hand in his. He had short brown hair and wore the finest pinstripe brown suit that Harold had ever seen. This man was either an Other, or the richest human on Nyx.

Harold crouched low, using the stairs to the upper deck to hide himself from the pair. Bits of conversation floated his way.

“Are you worried?” the man asked See. His voice matched the one Harold had heard in the hallway speaking with the captain.

See smiled at him. “Should I be?”

“No, of course not.”

Harold could see that his words were meant to comfort her, but there was a look in the man’s eyes that intimated he was less assured than he wanted her to believe.

“Nico,” See admonished. “Then why the secrecy?”

The man, Nico, drew her toward him. “I just want to be careful, that’s all.”

See wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed. They stayed together like statues for a few moments, embraced by the half-light of the moon. Harold didn’t even try to take his eyes away, they were so beautiful together.

“You’ll have me forever,” See told him as they at last parted.

A feral smile crossed Nico’s face. He nudged See’s head to one side and gently pressed his lips against her neck just below her ear, then again further down, leaving a trail of kisses down her white neck. See’s body went rigid for a second, then she relaxed with a moan into his arms. Harold’s face burned, but he felt frozen to the spot, watching, unblinking.

With one arm still wrapped firmly around her back, Nico ran his free hand slowly down her side, tracing with one finger the curves of her waist then hip. See rolled her body in response to his touch, as if trying to press herself further into him.

“Ah!” she gasped. “Shouldn’t we go back to our cabin?”

Nico snorted. “Too small.”

Both of his hands moved to twist her hips, and she turned to face away from him, giving him full access to her breasts and the button between her legs. See threw her head back as one hand pressed against each spot. Nico pressed his lips again to her neck. See’s legs shook and her hands flew to the railing to prop herself up.

And then he wasn’t just kissing her. Harold wasn’t certain at first - maybe it was just a trick of the light - but the sweat dribbling down his spine told him he was right. Nico’s mouth was latched onto See’s neck, and while she shuddered and wobbled against him, he didn’t move. He wasn’t human.

Harold told himself that he should flee. His cabin door was only a few steps down the hall, and Mika had told him there was a latch to lock it. He tried to move, to crawl even, but he couldn’t even get his legs to twitch. His eyes were glued on the pair at the railing as if enchanted.

Nico unclamped his mouth and trailed kisses along See’s shoulders and exposed upper back. He snaked one hand down See’s thigh and bit by bit pulled up her glowing white dress. She bent a little at the waist and stuck out her rear. Gathering her skirt up over the small of her back Nico pulled See’s lace panties down to her thighs (Harold’s face and ears burned.). He then unbuttoned the front of his trousers and, judging by the way See’s jaw dropped and her body jerked, entered her quickly.

Nico’s arms wrapped firmly around her as they ground together so she wouldn’t fall. Harold could see the man - the Other - was strong. He didn’t think he could hold himself up, let alone another person had their roles been reversed.

Just as Harold felt pulled together enough to perhaps inch his way through the door toward the safety of his cabin, See let out a shout, then a moan that rose and fell. Her elbows bent, straightened, then bent again and she lowered her head, spent. Nico gave a few more thrusts, then settled against her. He kissed her back, her neck, withdrew himself, pulled her panties back up and lowered her dress. As he buttoned up his pants, his eyes slithered over to Harold’s hiding spot, a terrible smirk on his face.

The bottom of Harold’s world dropped from beneath him and he bolted.

***

He couldn’t sleep. He was too terrified and turned on. How could these two opposite emotions coexist in his trembling body? He wanted to splash cold water on his face. Hell, he wanted to jump in a cold lake! But mostly he lay pinned to the bed straining his ears for footsteps that never sounded.

And then it came. A third explosion rocked the Mermaid. Harold nearly passed out. Moments later, Mika rapped on his door and announced: “Emergency landing. Stay in your cabin until further notice.”

Emergency landing!? An absurd giggle welled up inside Harold and spilled over his lips. Emergency landing.

***

The Mermaid’s Revenge landed safely in a clearing in the middle of nowhere. Bright moonlight made it easy to see, even through the sparse trees that surrounded them. Once he’d disembarked, the crew ignored him. Mika was busy with securing the ship while Captain Grayburn screamed at the cowed Gentleman. Harold happily wandered away from that scene. He went to the trees, where he relieved himself, then followed the sound of running water, hoping to get that cool splash of water on his face.

It was there that he found his fellow passengers. See stood by the edge of a stream with Nico by her side, a protective arm around her. He seemed wary, as if he feared some kind of ambush. Harold started to leave when the man called out to him.

“You needn’t leave,” he said.

Harold stopped, one foot raised. “I thought I’d give you some privacy,” he stammered back lamely.

Nico’s chuckle was deep and rumbling. “No need. Come and refresh yourself.”

Harold mumbled his thanks then circled wide as he approached the water. He knelt with relief, unsure he could hold himself for too long on his shaking legs, dipped his hands in the cold water and patted his flushed face.

“What is your name?” Nico asked.

“Harold.”

“Just Harold?”

Harold eyed him warily. “What’s your name?”

Nico smiled. “Well met, Harold.”

“Sir.”

Harold didn’t really mean to be terse, but he was afraid and embarrassed.

“So much for getting us to New London without further interruption,” Nico went on. “Eh, Harold?”

Harold looked up at him. A small smile played about the Other’s face. His amber eyes sparkled.

Harold looked away and splashed more water on his face. “Yeah. Do you think we’ll be able to take off again?”

“I certainly hope so.”

There was a grit in his tone that puzzled Harold. Then he realised dawn was approaching.

See spoke for the first time since Harold’s arrival at the stream. “Everything will be all right.” Harold saw her reflection turn toward Nico. “You told me so.”

Nico smiled gently and gave her arm a squeeze.

“We should pass the time together,” she continued, her tone almost childlike. “Harold, are you stopping in New London, as well?” She fixed her bright eyes on him and smiled sweetly.

“That’s right,” he answered.

“Pleasure or business?”

“Business.”

“What is your business?” Nico asked. His tone was less conversational.

Harold debated whether or not to answer. His silence intensified Nico’s gaze, however, and Harold finally blurted. “I’m a courier. I deliver things.”

“For whom?” Nico again.

“Garson Smith.”

Nico’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “Of Pallets?”

“That’s right. You, uh, know him?”

“I am acquainted with an associate of his. Will you return to him when your business in New London is completed?”

“I plan to, yes.”

Mika interrupted them. Harold hadn’t noticed her approach.

“We’re so sorry for the interruption.” She sounded tired. “Everything has been handled and the Mermaid is prepared to fly. If you’d be so good as to follow me.”

***

It turned out their little adventure hadn’t put their timing too off, and the Mermaid’s Revenge arrived in New London late the next evening. It was an enormous city and Harold stayed on the deck, mouth agape, gazing down for as long as Mika would let him. He didn’t catch a glimpse of neither See or Nico until they were landed and ready to disembark. He waited at the rail, against his better judgement, hoping to see them.

Finally, when Nico silently mounted the stairs to the foredeck, See trailing behind, he actually smiled upon seeing Harold, and approached him with an outstretched arm. Surprised, Harold held out his own hand for a firm shake. And there was something else. Nico had pressed something into his palm. Harold immediately slid it into his pocket without looking at it.

“Well,” said Nico. “It was nice meeting you, Harold. Quite the adventure we’ve had. May you have a safe journey back. And might I suggest you find alternative transport?” His strange eyes were sparkling again.

The corner of Harold’s mouth quirked up into a half smile. “Thank you, sir.”

Nico stepped aside and See wrapped her arms around Harold in a very unexpected hug.

“Thank you so much,” she said and released him.

Nico tipped his head and they departed.

Harold didn’t know what she’d thanked him for until he remembered the paper that Nico had slipped him. Perhaps that was it. He took his valise, thanked Mika for the ride, and went in search of the inn Mr. Smith had recommended to him.

When he was safe in his room with the door bolted, Harold took out the paper. It turned out to be two papers. One was a folded letter with “G. Smith” written on the outside. The second was a 100 note bill - payment for delivery, Harold supposed, though it was quite high. Why had Nico slipped it to him in secret? What was the letter? Should Harold be worried? He’d never carried anything for Others before. The couple had clearly been running from something. Was it something dangerous? What had Harold been pulled into? But the letter was addressed to his employer, Mr. Smith, so whatever it was, Harold might already be involved.

Harold went to the water basin, splashed his face, and stared at himself in the mirror.

“Pull yourself together,” he told his reflection. “You’re a professional.”

When he felt that his reflection agreed with him, Harold stood tall, squared his shoulders and prepared for bed. 100 notes aside, he did owe Nico something for spying on them. He would deliver Mr. Smith’s letter when he returned - by train - to Pallets City.

Harold thought back over his ride in his first airship and the mysterious fellow passengers. His face flushed as he remembered See’s cry and moan that night, how the moonlight had played on her dress and skin. He turned out the light, lay down in bed, and did not fall asleep for over an hour.