The Witches of Ne'arth (The Star Wizards Trilogy Book 2) (20 page)

“Carrot, even if the ship was ready for flight, the Leaf has the hangar under heavy guard.  Colonel Krobart will not let us take the ship even on a short excursion!  If you even go inside the hangar enclosure, you'll be arrested, and he's on the verge of taking me off the project as well.”

“Matt, are we to do nothing?”

“Well, there's nothing that we can – “

Suddenly he forgot what he was going to say.  It was as if a loud noise drowned out all thought. 

Images flashed, more vivid than reality.  He saw the airship in flight to the Other Side.  He visualized the Other Side as a single island with his archival clone standing in the center, holding a scroll.  His clone turned the scroll to Matt and unrolled it.  A bright light burst from the parchment, and Matt knew it was the answer to everything.  Because Carrot was in danger, and he had to rescue her, and his clone had the secret.  Matt had to go there and find it, to save Carrot. 

He had never been more certain of anything in his life.

“Matt, are you all right?”

Jolted from the vision, he resolutely met her gaze.  “Yes.  I know what to do.  We've got to hijack the airship.”

“Does 'hijack' mean what I think it means?” Mirian asked. 

“We'll do it as soon as possible.  Tomorrow night at the latest.  I'll make arrangements.  In the meantime, the three of you stay out of sight.”

They made plans for contact.  He bowed to Norian and Mirian, kissed Carrot, and took a winding path back to his hut.  He couldn't sleep, and knowing that he couldn't plan in a vacuum, had Ivan knock him into a dreamless limbo.  In the morning, he arose early and went to the hangar.  On the pretext of discussing a technical issue with Prin and Andra, he conferred with them in private about his intent.  Before he could ask, they both volunteered to risk the surreptitious departure.

“We have no reason to remain here,” Prin said.  “Krobart's suspicion grows no matter what we do.  As we are Romans, if we stay here it is only a matter of time before we are placed under some form of permanent confinement.”

“How about flight status?” Matt asked.  “Can the ship be ready in time?”

“Therein is a problem.  The starboard engine is stripped, we'll need to fill the cells, top the tanks, conduct an inspection.  I don't know how we do all that without the Leaf's notice, what with their spies watching everything we do.”

“I can put Savora in charge of the tasks,” Andra said.  “She's not being watched.  She's not a spy, and she's worth any two men on the work crew.”

“I do not doubt her ability,” Prin said.  “However, the fewer people who know of our plans, the better.”

“I'll tell her the preparations are for a ground test,” Andra said. 

“Even so – “

“I think Savora should help,” Matt said, surprised at his vehemence.

“I will concede as I am outvoted,” Prin said.  Shrugging, he glanced at the Leafmen patrolling outside the hangar.  “What about the guards?  Krobart has given them stern orders not to allow us to fly.  A day ago I had angry words with a guard and a sword drawn on me for simply touching a mooring line.”

Matt hesitated.  On the way in, he'd noticed that the number of guards had been doubled.  He didn't want to fight the Leaf, and that it would be Carrot who would be doing the fighting didn't make him feel better.

Before he could say anything, Andra exclaimed, “Archimedes will be able to handle the guards!”

“He's rather old for fighting, don't you think?” Prin asked.

“What I meant is, if anyone can, he can conceive of a way to steal the ship despite the guards.”

“I knew what you meant, dear.”

Andra patted Prin, and said to Matt, “Matt, you know what you want to do.  You should be the one to speak to him.”

“Who?  You mean, Archimedes?”

“Yes.  I then will speak to Savora.  Prin, perhaps you could speak to Geth?  I think it would be good to have him along too.”  

“This is Matt's affair, dear.  He should make the decisions.”

“I agree with Andra,” Matt said.  “Talk to Geth, Prin.  I'll talk to Archimedes.  Let's do this.”

“Imagine, Prin!” Andra exclaimed.  “We are about to journey to the other side of the world!”

“Or crash into the sea,” Prin murmured.

“Dear, will you hold my hands as we go down?”

Matt didn't think that was as funny as Prin did. 

Matt immediately went to the hut that Archimedes was using as an office.  The door was closed and barred.  When he knocked, he heard a hasty rustling of papers within.  Bok opened the door with a cold appraisal while Archimedes stood at the table, whose top other than a lantern was bare – which made no sense to Matt, as he knew that Archimedes lived for clutter. 

“I'd like to speak to you in private,” Matt said.  “It's very important.”

Archimedes bade Bok to depart, and Matt explained their intentions.  As he spoke, Matt noticed the old man's sagging expression, the labored breath, the weariness in the eyes.  There were times he forgot how old Archimedes was.  Since his coming to Britan, however, the years seemed to have caught up. 

Matt concluded:  “So, do you have any ideas about how we can pull this off?”

Archimedes stroked his beard.  “A few thoughts.”

He took a blank sheet of paper and began making sketches, providing a running narration as he did so.  When he finished outlining the plan, he went behind the stove and grunted as he dragged a satchel into view.  He opened the drawstrings to reveal a mound of silver coins imprinted with the image of the former Emperor Hadron. 

“I had this hidden amid the ballast of the ship,” Archimedes said.  “Alas, thanks to Geth, the other two thirds reside at the bottom of the Yuro Sea, but there's over a hundred kilos here.  You should find it to be of use on your journey.”

Matt caught the inference.  “You're not coming?”

“I'm an old man, Matt.  The journey here heavily exhausted me, I cannot imagine the stress of an expedition to the other side of the world.  It is an opportunity that I have dreamt of and would almost give my life for, but at the same time I can clearly see that I would only be in the way.”

Matt sensed the fatigue in the earnest look.  Prior to Ne'arth, he had never been in the presence of people old enough to die of 'natural causes.'  Back on Earth, people died from accidents or because they wanted to die.  No one died against their wishes simply because their body was breaking down.

In addition to empathy, Matt felt more than a little terrified.

“Are you sure you'll be all right alone here?”

“I won't be alone, Matt.  I have Bok and Senti and Tret and Layal and . . . well, I suppose that's all I have.  But it's enough to take care of one old man.  You and Carrot are who we need to worry about, going off on these dangerously unknown adventures of yours.”

Matt stared at the floor, realizing that Archimedes might not be there when he came back, trying to think of something appropriate to say.  “Meeting you was one of the best things that has happened to me since – ”

“Don't start with that, Star Child, or Carrot will become jealous.” 

Archimedes rolled out a small wagon and with more grunting attempted to place the satchel on top.  Matt ended up doing all the lifting.  Archimedes handed him the sheaf of sketches.

“Good luck on your journey, Matt.”

Archimedes clasped Matt's hands and smiled.  Feeling horribly awkward, Matt smiled and bowed back, and that was their parting.

In that evening's twilight, Matt met with the others in the seclusion of the woods north of the base and they reviewed the plan that Archimedes had developed.  Andra reported on ship preparations, Prin reported that Geth refused to come on the principle that he had a sworn duty to the Leaf.  Carrot was downcast at that news.

Mirian sniffed and cried, “Silver!  Sweet silver!”  She opened the satchel and kneaded the coins.  “Haddies, Norian!  Did you ever see so many?”

“They're for the mission, Mirian,” Norian said. 

“I know that.  I know that.”  Mirian sighed and sealed the satchel.

Past midnight and with 'shadows' evaded, they made rendezvous at the edge of the woods by the hangar.  Mirian knelt, opened a jar, and dipped an arrow halfway into it.  With a flick of flint, the arrow head and shaft caught fire.  She aimed high.  Loosed, the flame arched through the dark sky and embedded onto the thatched roof of the supply hut.  

The fire rapidly spread across the roof and the interior of the hut belched smoke.  Guards scurried and shouted.  Archimedes had said to Matt that the guards were greatly fearful of the explosive reputation of hydrogen gas, and he hadn't exaggerated. 

Norian's turn was next.  He raced across the clearing to a portion of the fence facing away from the fire.  With a few deft chops of an ax, he splintered a plank, creating a gap before the others caught up.  They slipped through, Carrot with the coin satchel slung over her shoulder.  There was no need to chop a hole in the side of the hangar, for Matt had left a window unlatched earlier that afternoon.  He climbed in, unbarred and opened the rear door for the others. 

The workers had quit for the day hours earlier and the guards had evacuated with the alarm of fire.  The airship gondola rested on the floor, its balloon grounded by ballast and tightly secured by a score of mooring lines.  Light from the fire flickered through the front doors and played against the envelope, which reflected a dim glow through the dark interior of the hangar. 

With the benefit of Ivan's sensors, Matt's eyes saw into the infrared.  He readily perceived that a figure was standing near the starboard engine, working with a wrench inside the open housing.  Savora started at his approach and squinted in the darkness. 

“Is that you, Matt?” she asked.

“What are you doing here?” Matt asked.

“I told Andra I wouldn't leave until the engine was fixed and I found more problems.”  She glanced at the others.  “I knew it!  You're planning to steal the ship, aren't you?”

“Not steal,” Norian said.  “It's rightfully the property of Carrot and the Wizard.”

Matt knew there was no time for debating legal points.  “How much longer will it take to repair the engine?”

“Hours,” Savora said.  “The piston rings are a mess and they all have to be replaced.”

“We can't wait hours,” Prin said, glancing toward the burning hut.  “The guards may return before then.  Matt, what are we to do?”

Before Matt could respond, Savora said, “You can still leave now.  The engine can be repaired while the ship is in the air.  Take me with you and I will do it for you.”

“I don't – “ Matt began. 

“Take me with you!  I want to go!  I can help!”

Matt felt that he was being pushed into something.  More, he sensed that it was highly improbable that Savora would 'just happen' to be working on the engine at that very moment when they were attempting to hijack the ship.  Despite his suspicions, however, he felt an overwhelming sense that even without the pretext of the engine repair, Savora would be needed on the mission and that they had to bring her along.  

“All right, y
ou can come,
” Matt said, yet somehow it felt like someone else was saying it.

Savora slammed the housing and Andra helped her carry the tools inside the gondola.  Mirian stood watch at the threshold while the men and Carrot undid the lanyards that secured the Sarkassian-silk roof.  The foil limply slumped to drape against one wall, revealing a sky of stars blotted by clouds whose bellies were lit orange by the supply hut conflagration. 

While the others boarded the gondola, Norian drew his sword and hacked at the mooring lines, one swift swipe for each.  The ship's structure creaked with the shift in stresses.  Mirian left her watchpost and joined her husband to contemplate the looming underside of the balloon.   

“It looks top-heavy for a ship, Norian.  Does it really fly?”

“Get in and you'll see!” Norian snapped.

He scooted her with himself inside the gondola and Matt gave a shouted, “Go!” and Prin released the ballast levers, spilling water onto the hangar floor.  The ship groaned as the hangar doors burst open wide and, silhouetted by fire, several sword-wielding guards burst in.

They were too late.  The gondola swayed as it ascended past the walls of the hangar and into the open night.  Inside the forward cabin, Matt steadied himself and slipped forward, helping Prin and Andra with switch and valve settings.  He almost bumped into Savora, who was assisting as well.  Norian and Carrot stowed the satchel of silver and inventoried the other gear. 
Mirian was the only person aboard who was not busy.  She pressed her face to the window and stared with wide eyes at the expanding view and had nothing to say.

Soon there was nothing for any of them to do but watch.  The base dwindled below as a bucket brigade tackled the supply hut fire while a scattering of soldiers of the Leaf helplessly gaped upward at the receding ship. 

Archimedes was standing by the entrance of his hut.  He watched for a moment, then turned and walked back inside.     

This is it
, Matt thought. 
We're on our way. 
He wondered if any of them would see Ravencall again.
 
He felt he was sending them all to their deaths, and he had never wanted more to not be the Wizard.