This Deadly Engine Read online

  What thoughts ran amok in his head? Did he have any idea that I watched? Or did he search for me on the roof?

  “Father!” Rebecca said.

  Bishop Donnavan hurried for the door. “I cannot sit here and do nothing!” He dragged his daughter along.

  I joined her in restraining him as I took the Bishop’s other arm. Two more hurried to lend their assistance. I said, “That is a machine, an automaton. It is not your wife.” It took all I had to keep him in place. My back wound opened with a shot of pain.

  Tears rolled down the Bishop’s cheeks. “How can we be sure? What if she truly is my wife?”

  Unfortunately, Lady Donnavan did possess the body. Schaever’s minions controlled and manipulated the poor lady such that she did earnestly plead. She genuinely believed that her husband ignored her, that perhaps he no longer loved her.

  Telling the Bishop the entire truth, however, would drive him to more irrational acts. I had a difficult enough time holding him. My back sent more spasms through my shoulder. “That is an automaton. Reginald Schaever plays with you. He wants you to believe she is real. He wants to drive you mad enough to do something foolish.”

  “I cannot take the chance, Alexander.” He pushed with all of his might. “Let me pass!”

  My back screamed to the point that I had to release him.

  The Bishop broke free of Rebecca. In his desperation, he pushed the other men away.

  Lord Diggerty stopped him with a slap on the right cheek, followed by one on the left. “Do not be a damned fool, man!”

  Bishop Donnavan stood in stunned silence.

  His wife’s voice drifted through the sanctuary. “Johnathan, they will kill me if you refuse to come out. Do you not care?” Her tone became one of pleading. “They will torture me. They are monsters.”

  The Bishop peered at the lane with confusion and pain. “What if it truly is the love of my life?”

  Lord Diggerty sniffed. “In all seriousness, man, do you not know your wife better? Does she not know how much you adore her? Would she ever question your commitment to her?”

  When Rebecca went to look, I stepped in her way.

  Her brow creased. “Step aside, Ash.”

  “Rebecca—”

  She pushed past me. When she peered outside, she gasped and covered her mouth. She turned away and dropped to her knees.

  I went to her. “That is not your true mum.”

  She nodded as she wiped at her eyes. “I know. But…”

  “She appears real.” I helped Rebecca stand. “Let’s get you away from the door.”

  Lady Donnavan screamed, the sound of which made several on-lookers cover their ears. She ended with a sob, then screamed again.

  Rebecca ran to her father. They hugged each other as the automaton sobbed louder.

  “This is different,” the lady who resembled an old bulldog, Lady Avery, said. “Why does no one accompany her? Why does an orc not hold a knife to her throat?”

  “Because she is an automaton,” I said.

  Lady Avery waved the others away from the doors, then closed them. “Maybe, but this feels different. I cannot put my finger on it, but this has a strangeness about it. Something is not right.”

  Someone pounded on the doors. Lady Donnavan’s voice carried through. “Let me in, Johnathan. Save me from them. They are coming.” Fear filled her voice. “Don’t let those six-legged monsters kill me! They are here!”

  The howl of a bloodhunter pierced the air. Cries of fear arose from the street.

  “Stay where you are,” Lord Diggerty said when the Bishop gave into his own desires and started for the doors. “My airship arrives in a few hours. At least see your daughter safely away before sacrificing yourself. Do not let her watch a demon-spawned monster take you.”

  Lady Donnavan screamed yet again, even as the bloodhunter howled. The monsters stood on the other side of the doors. Both sounds ceased at the same time. Those inside gave a collective gasp.

  If the bloodhunter killed her, Schaever would put her in a new body. I hoped she could not remember the moment and the cause of her ‘death.’ I prayed she thought it nothing more than a nightmare.

  Bishop Donnavan and Rebecca held each other tighter. The former asked, “Did they…”

  “It was a machine,” Rebecca said, yet doubt creeped into her voice. “The Duke is trying to force you to give yourself up. You must stay strong. The people of this town need you. Who else will stand against the terror?”

  The Bishop motioned to the doors. “Do the people care? Schaever’s light shows and extravagances keep them mesmerized. They look to him for entertainment and a sense of the extraordinary. Do they care who he is or what he does? Do they choose ignorance for the sake of momentary, fleeting thrills?” He looked at all of us. “What difference can any of us make against his power and influence?”

  Rebecca stepped away from her father. “What do you mean? All it takes is one person, one day, trusting in God.”

  The Bishop’s shoulders slumped. “My daughter is wise beyond her years. She refuses to let me complain, even when the task before me seems insurmountable.”

  I said, “Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies.”

  Both turned to me. The approval on their faces made my belly twist.

  Why can I not do something to drive them away? Why can they not see me for who I am and not what they want me to be?

  Lord Diggerty said, “Now that we are comfortable in our roles, we should all prepare for our departure.” He checked his watch. “I expect the airship promptly at eleven o'clock. Promptly!” He returned the watch to his pocket. “Remember to be on time, else you will remain here with the Bishop to share in his fate.” He walked away.

  Bishop Donnavan said, “Gather around and let me say a prayer for safe passage.”

  Everyone circled and held hands. After the prayer, Lady Avery said, “I still say there was something amiss about this evening. Surely Reginald Schaever knew that nothing would happen by parading that monster in the streets.” She shrugged. “But maybe I’m merely a foolish old lady who looks for something where there is nothing.” She walked away, too.

  I told the Donnavans, “The voyage to London could be tiresome. I plan to rest until we meet on the tower.” Truthfully, I wanted to stay away from Rebecca. I had to keep her out of my room, so I stretched my back and winced at the pain. “I need to rest my wound.”

  Rebecca stepped towards me. “I will come with you.”

  I patted her hands. “Nonsense. Stay with your father these last hours. Enjoy his company while you have the opportunity.” I walked away. “We will have plenty of time together.”

  Yet I had to agree with Lady Avery. Something was not quite right, and I looked forward to leaving it behind with Campden.

  The hour of freedom drew nearer.

  Chapter 4

  The top of the north spire offered an unparalleled view of the expanse of Campden. The last time I had looked upon the town from such a height, Schaever sent me catapulting across the sky. Sheela saved me by digging me out of a crater in a field, and in doing so proved exactly how much she loved me. Reckard helped because of our friendship.

  So much had happened, so much had changed, since that fateful evening.

  Rather than focusing on the past, however, I forced myself to focus on what lay before me. The grounds of the Exposition glowed as lights illuminated the buildings and tents and amusement rides. Even at this distance, I heard the sounds of joy and delight.

  Perhaps Bishop Donnavan spoke true in saying the people of Campden willingly turned a blind eye to Schaever’s nefarious schemes in return for his eccentric entertainment. So long as he fed them what they wanted, then half-breed orphans would run the streets, orcs would terrorize every cat owner, kidnappings could happen without consequence, and anything could be stolen simply because it might be magic. And I dared not fail to mention the elixir bars that trapped more and more in their cold, unrelenting grasp.
How many victims would the elixirs claim when so many new visitors to the town had unrestricted access to them for the first time in their lives?

  The canon said, “Perhaps you should work with Bishop Donnavan again. These are real people with a real need for help.”

  The old Alexander would have been glad to do so. Yet this Ash only hoped the Bishop actually did some good in the town…if he survived the coming days. I did not envy him the difficult, perhaps impossible, job he faced.

  If Schaever truly wanted the Bishop to perform the ceremony, he would only increase the pressure. I did not want to consider the things the man might do.

  “You appear as if you are contemplating life’s deeper meanings,” Rebecca said from behind. She still wore her canon disguise. “What thoughts are running through that mind? Perhaps you are wondering what we will do in London? I want to talk to you about the magic. You might have insight into how to use it better in medicines. We can make that our mission – improve lives through the elixirs.” She all but hopped with delight at the thought. “Have you asked yourself where we will settle once we are out of danger?” She placed a hand on my arm. “Do not look so ill at the possibilities and certainties, Alexander. We will make a fine couple, and I will make you happy. Of that, I have no doubt. You, too, will come to that realization in time.”

  Her assumption and continued insistence of love irritated me. Under normal circumstances, I might not speak so blunt. This, however, was anything but normal. “Truthfully, I thought about the last time I stood here. I had just escaped from the mechanical Guardsmen. I carried part of the Statue of Forneil. Schaever’s airships closed in.”

  And speaking of airships, none currently flew. Since my escape with Lady Elizabeth from Chen’s Theatre, they had been a constant companion to the clouds. The hum of the engines had become as normal as the singing of birds. The fact that quiet prevailed created a distinct strangeness to the night.

  “We will work on that nasty magic addiction.”

  If she could ignore what I said, I could do the same with what she said. “The night I rescued you I had a broken arm. I fell when an old man tried to shoot me. In many ways, I wish his aim had been better.”

  She slapped my arm. “If it had, then I would be an automaton by now.” She sniffed, as if she wanted to cry. “Like my mum.” She turned away. “I hate this town. I hate what it has turned my family into, what it makes us do. I hate it has broken you so much that you are too hurt to let yourself enjoy life. I will be more than glad to put this place behind us, to move onto a new life with you.” She hugged herself. “Except I still have Father and Mum to worry over.”

  The canon said, “Perhaps you have more in common with her than you know. Or want to acknowledge.”

  She needed someone to hold her and tell her everything would work out for the best. In the time of her uncertainty and sadness, she needed comfort and understanding. I almost gave her those very things, but caught myself on the first step.

  The next several hours would prove difficult enough. Giving her more hope only complicated my final good-bye in London.

  The canon said, “She needs you. Do not deny a lady who can use your help.”

  I refused to move despite the voice’s insistence. It was better to do nothing. For Rebecca. For myself.

  The canon said, “The Bishop was correct in saying that you are acting the part of a coward.”

  I rubbed the spot where Sheela shot me. In that moment, I saw myself standing on the front steps of the house in Schaever’s underground lair. Sheela did not hesitate to aim her pistol. She simply did as told without question, without concern for my well-being. She proved her loyalty to the Elders as sure as Aimee proved hers to The Gatherers. And they both had hurt me as deeply as anyone could.

  Yet I stood accused of cowardice?

  I took a slow breath. I had to stop complaining, to stop dwelling on the past, to stop worrying about what could have been. At that point, only tomorrow and the new beginning mattered.

  The canon said, “A tomorrow that is better with Rebecca at your side.”

  Lord Diggerty appeared from the stairway. He stopped and made a show of smelling the air. “This is a splendid night for a ride in an airship.” He checked his watch. “We should see the ship approaching soon. They will run with their lights off, of course, so we might hear it before we see it.” He moved past Rebecca and me. “I am leaving nothing to the chance of being discovered.”

  “Where are Schaever’s airships?” I asked.

  Lord Diggerty gave a mischievous smile. “There are many ways to ground an airship. All you need do is to pay the right people the right amount to assure that it happens. It did cost me a small fortune, though.” He spoke in a more somber tone. “But I will see it repaid with interest by Reginald Schaever himself.” He checked his watch again.

  I joined Rebecca at the edge of the roof. We looked over the town for the last time.

  Rebecca said, “I think I must feel like Lot the moment before he fled Sodom. Can I be as strong and not look back?”

  “Leaving is so easy, yet departing is so difficult. I did have good moments here. I had some happy times. Not every day was filled with danger and pain and misery and the threat of death.” Once upon a time, I walked the streets without fear. “I will miss Branagh’s Ale the most.”

  “I will miss walks at the Royal Fountains. I will miss visiting Duke Schaever’s underground paradise.” She gave a short laugh. “For all his evil, he created a nice haven. I enjoyed speaking with Lady Elizabeth there…in the days before she tried to kidnap me. Before I knew her true nature.”

  Schaever’s underground home embodied the essence of peace. Yet Rebecca had no knowledge of what lurked in the storage rooms on the side – jars full of body parts, tanks full of experiments, a factory for automatons. Just thinking of those horrors made me wish I had already departed. The darkness of Campden far outweighed the beauty.

  Rebecca said, “My father believes there is much worth saving here. He believes good can still be found. I want to believe him.” She paused. “But I worry, and I wonder.”

  Voices arose from behind as others emerged on the roof. They wore expressions of subdued excitement in anticipation of release from their months-long prison.

  Bishop Donnavan joined Rebecca and me at the same time that we heard the hum of airship engines in the distance. He took his daughter’s hands. “My dearest child, I will rest much easier once I know you are safe and far from this devil’s prison of a town.”

  Rebecca hugged her father. “I will be safe so long as Alexander is with me. But I wish you would come with us.” She stepped away from him and made a show of straightening the top of his robe. “I know you think the town needs you. I know you stay for Mum’s sake, but…”

  Bishop Donnavan smiled a sad smile. He placed Rebecca’s hand in mine. “Do remember your promise, Alexander. Keep watch over her.” His voice carried a tone of resignation.

  Had I been a man of better conscience and of better disposition, I might have stayed. Yet, even if I could help, Schaever would capture us. So why call it running away when the game had ended? And the game stopped the day Aimee walked out of my life. I should have left Campden then, instead of trying to hold onto some semblance of my old life.

  The airship emerged from the darkness when the lights below illuminated the nose and the belly of the machine. A single light appeared on the bridge. It swung back-and-forth for several seconds before disappearing.

  Lord Diggerty answered with his own lamp in the same manner.

  I stepped away from the Donnavans so they could say their last farewells in private. I glanced over the town one final time.

  I would leave Cavendish behind. I still had no knowledge of Pienne’s whereabouts, or whether he survived the explosion at The Misters. As for Sheela? For once, I would not pine for a lost love. That lesson I had learned with too much difficulty. It was the best for the both of us if I simply walked away. The Elders would take c
are of her.

  Yes, I took a terrible chance. Fleeing bloodhunters and bounty hunters would likely consume more of the rest of my days. Still, I hoped to find happiness somewhere. And for a time.

  I moved to the back of the already-formed line of refugees, every one of whom watched the airship with anticipation.

  The craft itself appeared on the smaller side, shorter by at least fifty feet than the ships used by the Guardsmen to patrol the Campden skies. The rounder envelope, one-level gondola, and small, but quieter engines on each side of the tail indicated the purpose of the ship – carrying a small party in comfort. It would not last long in a fight.

  That fact likely motivated Lord Diggerty to insist on keeping a schedule. We needed to clear of the town before Schaever’s men made any of the bigger ships air worthy again.

  The rescue ship slowed as it approached the tower. The pilot turned the craft to put its side to us. A door opened, and two airmen rolled out the boarding ramp. It gave a distinct thud when it struck the roof. Lord Diggerty led the way across. The other six followed, almost pushing one another in their haste to depart.

  I motioned for Rebecca as she gave her father one last hug. She hurried over and took my hand before stepping onto the platform.

  “We haven’t all night,” Lord Diggerty said from within the airship’s door. “As soon as we are away from the town, I consider my debt paid.”

  I joined Rebecca on the ramp.

  Did I dare to let myself hope? Did I dare to let myself be glad that I flew out of Campden? The feelings were so anathema to the darkness and despair that had gripped me for so many years.

  Rebecca glanced behind and smiled.

  The expression on her face encompassed everything I felt. She radiated joy, even if her eyes spoke of sadness. She took a breath of expectation even as she sighed in discontent. She squeezed my hand in assurance even as she did so for reassurance.

  She appeared alive. And beautiful. And innocent. And warm.

  As it filled me all at once and true hope coursed through my body for the first time in months, the airship shuddered. It lurched to the right, pulling away from the Cathedral. The boarding ramp dropped, spilling Rebecca and me onto the roof. She fell part of the way off the edge and reached out.