chapter 15

Miss Deverrin went to Brendan’s side and put her hand on his arm. He shook his head in confusion. The other Deverrins seemed too shocked to move. Down the hall, one of them slid to the floor.

Dr Marlende and Professor Abindon moved to haul Lord Engal up and toward the wall shaft. His voice tight with pain, Lord Engal said, “You may have to leave me, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dr Marlende said, shouldering Lord Engal’s arm.

“Yes,” the professor added from his other side. “Don’t make a bigger spectacle of yourself than you already have.”

Lord Engal said, “Madam, if I’m to die, I have some rather frank things I would like to say to you about your personality–”

Dr Marlende interrupted, “Emilie, is Hyacinth all right?”

“No, it was shot.” Emilie swallowed back a sob and tried to lift Hyacinth. For a moment it was like holding a limp bag of laundry. Then it suddenly shoved itself up and shivered its blossoms. It weaved back and forth, then wrapped an arm around her forearm. “There, you can walk. It’s not so bad.” She hoped it wasn’t so bad.

The professor fished into her bag and pulled out the translator. Without letting go of Lord Engal, she handed it back to Emilie. “See if our friend is well enough to move.”

Emilie held the translator up and read the words I can move. Is the pirate truly dead?

“It’s a puddle, like the other one,” Emilie told it.

A relief. And perhaps a sadness. I do not know what else we could have done. It shivered. Ouch. That was an extremely painful weapon.

“Just try to keep moving,” Dr Marlende said, with a glance back at the Deverrins.

He and the professor hauled Lord Engal into the wall shaft and Emilie followed with Hyacinth. It was easier to guide Hyacinth with the force in the shaft pushing them slightly upward. Emilie looked back over her shoulder, but the Deverrins still weren’t following them. She admitted to mixed feelings; the Deverrins had tried hard to kill them and might very well have permanently injured Lord Engal and Hyacinth. But they had been in the power of the aether pirates, just like Daniel had been. And she didn’t want Miss Deverrin to be left behind. Or maybe she didn’t want any of them left behind. I think I’m having a fit, she thought. If I was inclined to it, I might faint. Maybe later she could have a good faint, once they got out of this place.

“Is the creature really dead?” Lord Engal asked. “It’s not going to be sneaking about after us, is it?”

“I believed it lingered too long in Dr Deverrin,” Dr Marlende said. “Perhaps the being inside Daniel died for the same reason; after inhabiting a human, it was unable to switch to a different host or exist in its normal state.”

Ahead, the others reached the top and stepped out into the corridor. As they reached the turn that led to the topside hatch, Emilie looked back and saw Miss Deverrin and Brendan stumble out of the wall shaft. She said, “Dr Marlende.”

He looked back and called out, “This way!”

The Deverrins had caught up with them by the time they reached the topside hatch, still open to the light and air of the outside. Emilie heard the airship’s engine and it was possibly the sweetest sound imaginable. It was even better when Miss Marlende poked her head down through the hatch and said, “We’ve got Daniel aboard… What happened?”

“Both aether-beings are dead,” Dr Marlende said, “We need to help Engal and Hyacinth, and get all the Deverrin party onto the airship.”

It turned out to be fortunate that the Deverrins had decided to come. It would have been extremely difficult to get Lord Engal up and out of the hatch without Brendan and another young man to lift him from behind, especially in the angled position the aether-sailer had settled in. Emilie put the translator back into her bag, and she and Hyacinth went up the shaft to the hatch together, it still holding tightly to her arm.

They climbed out onto the top of the aether-sailer, clinging hard to the slanted metal. Emilie only had time to take one breath of air before she saw the situation was much, much worse than she thought.

The aether-sailer had hit the ridge and now balanced on it, its engines keeping it from sliding down into the camp below. Because of the new angle, the airship had been able to avoid the sails and move much closer, and hung only about twenty feet away, its boarding ladder draped across the aether-sailer’s hull. The sling and winch were out, which must have been how they had gotten Daniel aboard. Seth, his head bandaged, stood at the railing next to it, looking worriedly at them. But through the gaps between the sails, Emilie could see the far range of what they had thought were mountains but were actually piled-up fragments of lands brought from other worlds to build this place. They were breaking up.

Emilie stared, watching chunks break off and fly up and away. If the pieces were big enough to see from this distance, they must be huge. With her free hand, she pointed wordlessly. Her face set and grim, Miss Marlende said, “It’s happening all around us.” Gripping the edge of a sail to steady herself, she turned to face the airship. “Throw the sling!”

Emilie looked the other way and saw a giant chunk of the forest fly through the air. Her throat went dry and she turned back toward the airship. There was nothing she could do about it, and looking at it was terrifying. This place was breaking to bits around them.

She was about to ask where Efrain was when he banged out of the airship’s door and hurried to help Seth with the sling. They tossed it down, and Dr Marlende and Professor Abindon began to bundle Lord Engal into it.

Members of the Deverrin party were still climbing up from below, confused, staring at the airship. Emilie hoped none of them fell off. Miss Marlende said, “Father, get up to the airship. You need to start working on the spells to get us out of here.”

Professor Abindon tightened the last strap on the sling. “Yes, go, Marlende.”

Dr Marlende hesitated, then said, “Take care and move quickly, both of you.”

As Dr Marlende started to climb the ladder, Emilie said, “Lord Engal, can you carry Hyacinth?” It was huddled beside her and she thought its wound was worse. Between the blood that Lord Engal was dripping and the ichor from Hyacinth, the hull was getting slippery. Lord Engal held out his arms and Emilie pushed Hyacinth into them. She had to gently pry its blossoms off her arm. Lord Engal held on, grimacing in pain. Seth and Efrain started the winch, and the sling’s rope tightened, pulling Lord Engal and Hyacinth up and off the hull.

Dr Marlende reached the airship’s gallery, and Miss Marlende ordered, “You next, Mother. Hurry.”

The professor hesitated but didn’t argue, turning to the ladder. Miss Deverrin moved over to stand with Emilie and Miss Marlende. Miss Marlende asked her, “Is that all your people? I hope so, because if there’s someone left in that camp…”

“No, that’s all of us.” Miss Deverrin looked down at the camp, the wreck of the Deverrin airship, as if she had never seen the place before.

“Get them up the ladder, quickly,” Miss Marlende ordered. Miss Deverrin nodded and called to Brendan. The other Deverrins started to climb, slowly at first, until the hull shuddered under their feet. “Go, hurry!” Miss Marlende yelled.

Emilie clung to the sail, her fingers leaving sweaty prints on it. The view of the camp seemed much closer now, and she had to swallow back bile. Then Efrain called from above, “Emilie!”

She looked up to see the professor and Efrain at the railing. The professor tossed down a bundle of straps attached to a rope that was secured to the gallery. Miss Marlende grabbed it and shook it out to reveal a safety harness. She slung it over her shoulders, buckled it, and pulled Emilie close to fasten an attached belt around her waist. “Here, hold on to the strap at my shoulder.”

Emilie gripped the strap in relief, feeling much more secure. The last three Deverrins were on the ladder, only Miss Deverrin and her brother remaining behind. Brendan still seemed confused, and Miss Deverrin urged him onto the ladder first. She was about step onto it herself when suddenly the hull lurched underfoot and pulled away from the airship. The ladder was snatched out of Miss Deverrin’s hands and it swung away. Miss Marlende said, “Together, Emilie!”

As Miss Deverrin started to slide across the hull, unable to catch herself, Emilie realized what Miss Marlende meant. When Miss Marlende surged forward, Emilie ran with her right into Miss Deverrin. Miss Marlende wrapped both arms around Miss Deverrin and Emilie grabbed her with her free hand. Miss Deverrin gasped in fear but gripped their arms.

Then they swung free, dangling from the airship’s gallery, as the aether-sailer slid away down the ridge. Emilie stared at it in fascination as it rolled over and crashed into the remains of the Deverrin’s airship. Then a crack appeared in the far side of the ridge, and with horror she watched the whole side of the mountain split open. “It’s getting worse,” she said, her voice thick.

Then the rope jerked and they were suddenly reeled upward. The ladder still hung down, but Brendan and the other Deverrins had made it to the gallery. As Emilie and the others drew near the railing, lots of hands reached for them and pulled them up. Emilie was dragged onto the metal deck and had to force herself to let go of Miss Deverrin and the harness strap. The professor shouted for everyone to get inside, and they all stumbled through the door.

The cabin was crowded with confused people. Miss Marlende tore the harness off and started for the steering cabin. Professor Abindon slammed the outer door, locked it, and called, “Everyone’s aboard; get us out of here!”

The airship powered away and Emilie grabbed the nearest person’s arm to steady herself as the deck angled underfoot. Then she realized the person she had grabbed was Efrain. He looked scared. He said, “I thought you were going to fall!”

Emilie had thought so, too. Her knees still thought so and were trembling uncontrollably. She asked, “Where’s Hyacinth? And Lord Engal? And Daniel?”

“Up here.” Efrain led her toward the front of the cabin, shouldering his way through confused members of the Deverrin party.

Efrain went through the door into the steering cabin. Dr Marlende and Miss Marlende sat at the front, working quickly over the control boards. Lord Engal had been placed in one of the chairs toward the back of the room, and Mikel leaned over him, pressing a folded bandage to the wound above his hip. Daniel sat near the door, leaning back against the wall, and Hyacinth sat on the floor like a pile of discarded foliage. Emilie went to Hyacinth first and knelt beside it. She didn’t know where the translator had ended up. “Is it still bleeding?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel crawled forward. He looked awful himself. “I’m not sure it’s still conscious. It’s just been sitting where we put it.”

“We need to stop the bleeding.” A medical kit lay open on the floor and she pulled out more bandages.

As she looked at Hyacinth more carefully, she saw the blossoms were wilting in two distinct spots on opposite sides. The bullet must have passed right through its body. She tried to press the bandages against the wilted spots, but they were immediately soaked with the clear, violet-tinged ichor.

Professor Abindon strode in, dropped her satchel on the deck, looked from Engal to Hyacinth, then said to Emilie, “Try clamps. I’ll be with you in a moment,” and went on to Lord Engal.

Lord Engal gasped, “No, help Hyacinth. This is an opportunity for a concord between our species–”

“Be quiet,” the professor said, and took Mikel’s place at the chair. She told him, “You get back to the engine cabin; they may need you.” Mikel hurried out.

Clamps, Emilie thought, digging through the medical kit as Efrain held it steady for her. The airship shook as it pushed upward away from the disintegrating ridge. Miss Marlende had the wheel now, fighting it to keep the airship on its course. Dr Marlende leaned over the aether-navigator, carefully adjusting it. Emilie asked, “What do clamps look like?”

Daniel crawled over to the medical kit, and fished out two metal clips. Emilie took the clamps and handed Efrain the professor’s bag. “Look for the translator. Ask it if this is what we should do.” She was all too aware that Hyacinth wasn’t human and that they could hurt it while trying to help it.

As Emilie fumbled to use the clamp to hold Hyacinth’s wound closed, the sky outside the ports turned dark purple-gray and the airship jerked violently. Miss Marlende cursed. Dr Marlende said, “Just keep us as steady as you can, my dear.” The professor swayed but stayed on her feet, her hand pressed to Lord Engal’s side. She was murmuring something that Emilie hoped was a healing spell.

Efrain got the translator out of the professor’s bag. “Hello?” he said into it. “Hello, can you hear me?” He shook his head. “There’s no answer, Emilie.”

Daniel said, “The mechanism could be broken, or it might need some other power source to work.”

Emilie grimaced, realizing he must be right. The translator must have other parts it needed to function, aboard the lifeboat and the aether-sailer. With those both gone, it was useless. She steeled her resolve, leaned in, and fixed the clamp around the first wound. Efrain watched and winced. Hyacinth didn’t react except to move a few blossoms weakly.

Emilie hoped that was a good sign. She moved around to fix the second clamp into place, and the deck shuddered violently. Bracing herself, she shifted around and managed to clamp the second wound.

Then Miss Marlende yelled, “Hold on!” Emilie grabbed Hyacinth and Efrain held her arm. The professor dropped into a crouch and gripped the arm of Lord Engal’s chair, and Daniel braced himself against the wall. The airship jerked suddenly, the deck lifted under Emilie’s feet, and she, Efrain, and Hyacinth all slid into the back wall of the cabin.

The ports went dark, then suddenly filled with the deep blue light of the aether. The airship went still. Miss Marlende turned, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I think so,” Emilie said, disentangling herself from Efrain and Hyacinth. She could tell Hyacinth was still alive, though it didn’t seem inclined to move much.

Daniel tried to get up, then subsided back to the floor. “We’re in the current?”

“We’re back to our first position, where the aether-sailer was trapped,” Dr Marlende said.

Miss Deverrin, looking very disheveled, stepped into the doorway from the rear cabin. “We’re not all dead, so I assume things are going well.” Her voice sounded brittle, as if it was taking all of her self-control to appear normal.

“The disruption is already shrinking and will soon be gone from the current,” Dr Marlende told her. He sounded a little brittle himself. He asked the Professor, “How is Engal?”

She was leaning over him again, though he seemed to be unconscious for now. “He’ll do. If we can get back home within a reasonable time.”

“That is theoretically possible.” Dr Marlende looked toward Hyacinth, frowning. “That isn’t going to help our castaway, though.”

Miss Marlende asked, “How is Hyacinth, Emilie?”

“I don’t know,” Emilie said. It sat in a heap of blossoms, unmoving. She felt a lump of misery take up residence in her throat. Hyacinth had no way to get home, even if it didn’t die from its wounds. And they had no way to communicate with it anymore. She picked up the translator from where it had landed against the wall. “We can’t even talk to it. This isn’t working; it must have needed…” She trailed off, because the translator was forming words. It was saying, Hello, hello. Strange ship, can you hear us?

Daniel and Efrain leaned over her shoulder to see what she was staring at. Daniel said, “Uh, I think we need to look outside.”

The others turned toward the nearest port, and Emilie shoved to her feet, clutching the translator.

Some distance away, floating in the aether, was a lifeboat just like the one that they had crashed. Of course, Emilie thought. Hyacinth was supposed to follow them if it couldn’t free the aether-sailer. When it didn’t, they sent someone back.

Miss Marlende smiled. “Answer them, Emilie.”

Emilie leaned over the translator, cleared her throat, and said, “Yes, we can hear you.”

Drawing close enough to the lifeboat to transfer Hyacinth to it was easier than they all expected. The lifeboat was far more maneuverable in the aether than the airship. Emilie watched from the port as it moved in close, guided by Miss Marlende on the translator. Then it turned so that its stern hatchway was just over the airship’s gallery and inside their protection spell.

Dr Marlende ordered everyone else to stay back so the flower people wouldn’t think it was a trap, and it was only Emilie and Miss Marlende who waited on the gallery with Hyacinth. She had been talking to Hyacinth the whole time, though so far it hadn’t been able to reply. Its blossoms had begun to look better now, and it was able to move by itself when they urged it out onto the gallery.

The door to the ship slid open and two flower people peered out. They were both different colors, one with more yellow blossoms and the other a deep dark green with flowers that looked like grass spikes. Emilie had thought they would all look alike, which she realized immediately had been quite stupid. It wasn’t as if humans looked alike, either.

Hyacinth turned to her and the translator started to move in her hands. It said, I told them to go, but these two are members of my family, and they took their lifeboat to the nearest stable current and waited.

Emilie nodded. “That’s what families should be like.”

Hyacinth curled a blossom-arm around her wrist. And you and I are true companions, even if we do not see each other again.

Emilie swallowed back the urge to cry, part sadness, part relief that Hyacinth must be getting better if it could talk. She said, “We are true companions. And thank you for helping us. We would all be dead without you.”

It shivered its blossoms at her, in a way she read as amusement. I suspect you would have thought of something. But we were most clever together.

Emilie and Miss Marlende picked Hyacinth up as gently as possible and handed him up through the door to the others. Emilie took the translator from where it sat on the gallery and tried to hand it up to them.

The green one pushed it back to her. The translator said, Keep this. Then if we find each other again in our explorations, we will be able to speak.

“Thank you,” Miss Marlende told it. “I hope one day we do meet again.”

The flower people disappeared inside and the door swung shut. Emilie and Miss Marlende hurried back into the cabin, and the lifeboat moved smoothly away from the protective spell.