Brimstone and Lily (Legacy Stone Adventures) (57 page)

Twenty minutes later, as we all watched the shattered
Croatan
go down like a gorgeous sunset, Commander Pitcairn turned from smooching Roberta to announce, “Did I tell you that it wasn’t always called the
Croatan
? That’s the new name the Obverse scum gave it, to commemorate one of their nastier achievements. De Latte says he served on her, years and years ago. Britannic whaler, true enough, but she went by the name
Pudding
.”

Fergus, still scrubbing the odd speckle of demon blood from his weathered skin, said, “
Pudding
, sir? I think De Latte’s havin’ you on.”

“Oh, no, it was really called the
Pudding
. The last time the builder ever let his tiny daughter christen a ship.” Pitcairn tipped his tricorn to Gracchus and his Legion. “And that’ll be the last time the Obverse takes my Marines for granted, I suspect. All honor to you, gentlemen, for cutting those grapples.”

“Our pweasure, sir!” the rats shouted, nibbling on their reward cheese.

“The
Puddin’
, eh?” Jasper said to me. “So it’s a case of rats sinkin’ a dessert ship.”

That had been so bad I almost hurled myself overboard. “I can’t believe you said that. Good thing nobody else can hear you. They’d probably make me walk the plank.”

“Plenty more where that came, missy,” my sword-spirit cackled. “The cook, Mr. Van Tassel, is from Holland.”

“So?”

“So, his food is so bad the crew calls it the Curse of the Frying Dutchman.”

“Aah!” I shrieked, out loud. Everybody stared. I turned red and tapped my noggin. “Jasper again. He’s…pun-ishin’ me.”

“Ha-ha,” he sighed in a deadpan voice. “The child thinks it has wit. Tryin’ to out-joke her magick wea-pun.”

I mastered my temptation to use Morphageus to cut off my own head. Instead, I hugged Ma some more. It amazed me that she had any stuffing left, since I’d been squeezing her with Stone-strength every chance I got. Some of the color had come back into her cheeks, but she still looked weak from expending all her magick in the battle. If I’d known she was a demon-butchering mage I’d have gotten into a lot less trouble at home all these years.
Lucky all I got was stood in a corner, instead of bein’ turned into a chicken.

“Honey, could you ease up just a smidge?” she asked. “You’re a might stronger since I saw you last. I imagine Eddie will have trouble arm-wrestling you now.”

I looked down, ashamed that I’d hardly thought of him with everything else that’d been going on. “Hope he gets the chance,” I whispered.

Ma frowned. “Why? What happened?” She raised my chin up with a knuckle and stared at me. “Where is he?”

“Gone,” I told her, lip trembling. “Venoma took him to London. That’s why we’re out here. If I don’t show up at Merchantry headquarters by the next moon they’ll…they’ll…”

She held my head to her shoulder. “Oh, baby girl. And here I was all worried about myself.”

“I worried for you, too. But I figured you were better able to take care of yourself than Eddie, him bein’ in the hands of monsters and all. Just dumb luck that you were on the ship that chased us.”

“No, I doubt that it was all just chance. With magick few things are. As for me being able to take care of myself, well…” She gave me a tight sour smile. “All the sorcery in the world does you precious little good when you’re stupid enough to climb onto an Obverse boat.”

Roberta spoke up, peering down through her spectacles at where we sat. “Which leads this old bird to wonder how that happened?”

Ma leaned back as she relived that awful first night. “I got back to the house after putting costumes away. No kids in sight, but I figured they were off someplace re-enacting the swordfights they’d seen. While I tidied up and waiting for Verity to get back I found her note. In the middle of reading it something landed on the roof. Something weighing hundreds of pounds and running across it. My guard should have been up, as it’s been for a dozen years, ever since we lost her father. But I was tired. I went into the alley to chase off what I thought was another Saturday night drunk. Venoma almost got me. If I hadn’t seen a one-eared cat hiss at something in the dark I wouldn’t be here to tell you this. Got a force shield up just in time to deflect her attack. Animated it and sent in after her. She flew against a wall but came back for more. We went at it for a few moments, then I saw that she just trying to drive me into a Bully circle, an enchanted web of magick that I couldn’t have escaped without more preparation and embracing a Songline. I just had time to get into the house, leave you that one-word message, and bolt out the front door. Once I’d made it down the street a block or two I took a minute to think. Verity was gone, along with Romulus and Ernie, and Merchantry assassins had shown up at just that moment. Either we had the world’s worst luck or the Stone-Warden had found Morphageus earlier than expected.

“So I embraced the line that runs beneath the theatre, took on Mr. Ford’s image, and risked a trip there to hunt for the kids. Two Bullies were on watch, but I strolled right past them. Bullies can’t sniff a shape spell to save their souls. It didn’t take long to stumble onto that basement temple, same as you did, dear. We’d always known that you’d find Morphageus someday, probably on a major Songline, but I never dreamed that it was at Ford’s all along. Deep down, I’d hoped you’d never find it. Never have need to. But once I saw that it had happened I high-tailed it out of there.”

“But how’d you end up on the
Croatan
?” I asked, still trying to imagine my ma and Venoma duking it out in our back alley.

“Long ago, while I still carried you, your father and I had the Equity set up a series of safe houses, bolt-holes, and escape ships to prepare for the day when you’d be called. I used some of them to get to Alexandria. Every few blocks I changed to a new shape, nearly wearing myself out doing it. Dressed as a seaman jumping ship, I passed myself off as a man in need of passage to the Sceptr’d Isle, willing to work in exchange. They readily agreed. I knew that no matter where you ended up, the Merchantry would soon find out, at least until you acquired the skills to cloak yourself. That’s how they found you so soon. Your magick signature is enormous right now. If I was in London, inside their Sanctum, I’d hear where you were and could come help you.

“But I hadn’t reckoned with Obverse treachery. They’d infiltrated the
Croatan
’s crew, who were mere mortals for the most part, just waiting for the day when you’d take up Morphageus and reveal yourself. At first I noticed nothing wrong, just kept swabbing decks and doing whatever odd job they gave me. Pretty soon, though, the crew began avoiding me. No one spoke, no one came near me in any way. Then one night a sack was jammed onto my head and I got trussed up tight. Turns out they had a Spellchequer on board. Sprites who do no magick of their own, but can detect it in others, especially shape spells. She revealed me to Captain Rowling and I found myself in their brig. I gave them a long sob story about being disciplined by the Proprietor and wanting to get back to London to redeem myself. They seemed to accept that but kept me locked up anyway. I gathered they must have decided that since they found you they’d return across the barrier to the Obverse instead of going to London. Double-crossing the Proprietor or whoever sent them. Too many factions in the Merchantry to keep track of. So I became a menu item instead of a passenger.”

I hugged her again, taking care not to smush her. “Well, you’re our passenger now, and to London after all. Don’t imagine it’ll be much of a pleasure cruise. But Eddie sure needs us and that’s a fact.”

Sha’ira nodded. “You speak the truth. We will need a sound plan by the time we disembark. Strolling into the lion’s den carrying its favorite food is rarely wise.”

I gulped at that. How on earth did I think I could get into the lair of the world’s most powerful mages, grab Eddie from a deep dark dungeon, and sneak out again?
Hope all these here experts have some ideas, ‘cause I sure don’t.

“We’ll give that constant thought on our way to Europa,” Pitcairn said. “The wind is in our favor, the weather fair, and our wake is free of enemies. Let’s bury our dead, physic our wounded, and thank our lucky stars we escaped this mess.”

Ma stood up on her own and took a deep breath of the sea air. “I need a change of clothes. This wool stinks of demon. Then we’ll start Verity on her course of instruction.”

“Instruction?” I frowned. “School’s out for the summer.”

“Don’t you wish,” she smiled, heading across the deck. “Your schooling is only now going to begin. Or continue, I should say, as we’ve been teaching you since birth.” I stopped and looked at her with a puzzled face. “History, writing, sword-fighting, solving puzzles, acting, make-up, accents? Surely you didn’t think I encouraged all of that by pure chance?”

“You’ve been trainin’ me to be Stone-Warden all this time?”

“Um-hmm. All the while praying you’d never be called. And now we’ll get to work on the real learning. If she’s willing I’d like Sha’ira and commander Pitcairn to school you in real combat, not stage make-believe.”

I recalled all the times I’d almost been turned into Swiss cheese by others’ blades. “Fine by me.”

“And maybe a little dreamwriting, if you think it wise?” Sha’ira asked.

“I do think it wise,” Ma agreed. “And perhaps some instruction in how to tell a story, for when she writes her annals of this quest.”

“Of course. Just like the others.”

My eyes went wide. “Others? Other Stone-wardens have written about their adventures?”

“All them that lived,” Ernie said from atop Romulus’ back.

Ma gave him a flustered look. “Um, exactly. Someday you’ll read them to learn from their mistakes and successes. And I’ll also start you on a course of Songline instruction. Not much good aboard a ship, even this one, since the lines only run through Mother Earth, but at least you’ll have a head start for when we get back onto true dry land.”

“If I might sit in on those lessons as well?” Sha’ira requested, looking more shy and respectful than I’d ever seen her toward anyone.

“Of course,” Ma agreed. “We’ll need all the combat magick we can muster to get poor Eddie back. Once we’ve managed that then Verity’s true quest to overthrow the Merchantry can start.”

I waved my hands and stopped dead. Roberta and Pitcairn bumped into me and a silly chain of collisions began, like when train cars close up as the locomotive slows. “Wait a minute! Combat, magic, writin’. Sounds like a lot for one girl to take on in a two-week trip.”

“It is,” said Ma, “but you’ll do fine. No one expects you to become a master of any of it in such a short time.” She touched the Legacy Stone where it hung from my sweaty neck. “But the Stone, combined with Morphageus, increases your natural gifts. You’re already a quick learner. Look at how well you do in school. The Stone will let you absorb new skills at a far faster rate than a normal mortal. You’ll see.”

I gave Romulus a pat on his broad head. He licked my hand and grinned his floppy doggy grin at me. “What about Romulus here? Does he stay a dog now?”

“Only if he wants to. As long as he’s on this ship my spell allows him to shift back and forth at will. I imagine the curse will re-establish itself when he leaves the
Kiss
, though. The Proprietor’s magick won’t be easy to break permanently without several mages and a strong Songline.”

“Looks awful happy to me as he is.”

The great mastiff barked his agreement and started dancing in ecstatic circles. Ernie held on as if he were riding a bucking horse. The Marines all chanted, “Womuwus! Womuwus!”

Sha’ira showed her lovely teeth in a broad smile. “And you are right about that. He’s as content as I’ve ever seen him. Come, let us check on Captain Tyrell and his marvelous steed.”

Down in the sick bay we found the Redeemer captain propped up into a sitting position with several pillows. His eyes were open and he seemed to recognize all of us, though he still looked mighty fuzzy. I introduced him to Ma and told him about the battle he’d missed. Despite his injuries, losing out on demon-massacring seemed to irritate him more than all of his pain.

“Damnation!” he grumbled, slapping the bunk. “A hundred Obverse monsters sent to perdition and here I lie like an old sick granny.”

“Hey, I’d have let you take my place in a heartbeat, if it makes you feel any better,” I assured him.

Ernie raised a paw. “Me, too. No problem here.” He held up his knitting needle lance. “Need a weapon, mate?”

Tyrell laughed, then winced and held his head. “Ooh! Probably all for the best that I was indisposed. Would’ve been precious glory left for the lot of you if I’d been there.” He snapped his fingers. “Alcibiades? What happened to him?”

“Down below,” Roberta said, “livin’ off the fat of the land and our entire apple store. Wing’s bent up a bit but he’ll fly again soon.”

“But you won’t, my good captain,” announced the doctor. “I’m not letting you out of that bed for at least another week, maybe longer.”

I grinned at that. “Looks like you’ve won free passage to the Sceptr’d Isle.”

Tyrell sank back into his pillows and closed his eyes again. “I’ll miss the whole blessed war at this rate.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, “I’m pretty sure we can provide all the fightin’ you’d ever want, once we get to London.”

After a visit to Alcibiades with a pocketful of sugar, where I loved him up some and groomed him, I made my way to Pitcairn’s cabin, where a big banquet had been laid out on the chart table. Extra chairs had been brought in. Despite Jasper’s snide comment about Van Tassel, the cook had come up with quite a tasty feast for a pirate ship. Turned out he had an enchanted food locker that could keep things fresh and cold for an entire voyage. We had tender beef and pork, crisp vegetables, delicious soup, and even ice in our drinks. Best use of sorcery I’d seen since falling in that hole at Ford’s. While we ate we caught everybody up on all the happenings they might have missed: how I became Stone-Warden (since I’d already let that cat out of the bag during the battle), my first night with the sword, how Ma came to be with us, my trip to the coast with Tyrell, meeting Sha’ira and fighting the Merchantry hordes at the beach, our encounter with the demons on the
Croatan
, all of it. Jasper kept up a snotty running commentary in my head the whole time, but I’d expected nothing less. When the storytelling ended we had some music. It turned out that Fergus could play a squeezebox, Mr. De Latte violin, and the doctor had a nice singing voice. After we exhausted all the happy songs we knew, Rochester ended with “The Vacant Chair” and we all blubbered about the friends we’d lost fighting evil. I thought about the vacant chair at our house, my pa’s, empty ever since the night I’d been born. Not even a photograph or painting of him in the house to let me know what he’d been like. Ma said she couldn’t bear to be reminded of losing him. She’s make an occasional reference to something he’d once said or how I’d done something in a particular way that reminded her of him, but that was it.