Part 23 (1/2)

'So kill me,' Bon said. Leki's hair hung around her face, and snow fell past her head, into his eyes. She looked like some daemon out of a child's story book.

For a moment, Bon thought she would do just that. And why not? For all the claims that she had no wish to harm him, she was Arcanum, and loyal to the Ald. Whatever her personal beliefs a and she claimed atheism, though he had his doubts a she had her masters to think of, and obey. And he was obstructing her purpose. Preventing her from sending her message, in which she would have told the approaching Spike army to head north.

But Leki leaned back and sheathed her knife in one smooth motion. Then she stood and hauled Bon up beside her, one-handed, thumping him back down into a sitting position in the snow. She pointed at his face, tilting her head in a warning gesture. No words.

Bon sat still and watched her gather the steam valves. Then she kicked through the snow until she found the shoot dust tube, examined it, tucked it back into her jacket seam.

'So what now?' he asked.

'Now I leave you,' she said. 'I have to go south, to meet the Spike as they come inland.'

'Come with me,' Bon said. He could sense her surprise at the emotion in his voice. And, in truth, it had surprised him. Not quite pleading, it had been an exhortation to stay with him, because the idea of being parted from Leki sent him into a spin. To watch her leave would tug at his heart. He was convinced that he could never love a servant of the Ald, but she was not like anyone he had ever met.

'Anywhere near that thing will be dangerous,' she said.

'Not if it doesn't mean harm.'

'I mean from what will happen when the Engines fire up.'

The idea heavily between them. Snow almost obscured Leki for a moment, then he saw her again. Nothing had changed.

'Wouldn't you serve Alderia more by coming to see what it wants?' he asked. 'The Ald see only fear and hatred and danger, and they answer with the same. So, run to them with nothing, or come with me and see.'

'See what?'

'Perhaps wonders,' Bon said.

'I don't believe in G.o.ds. Any G.o.ds.'

'Nor do I. But I believe in things that none of us can understand, and for many that is what makes a G.o.d.'

'Your dead son has blinded you to what's happening, Bon.'

'No. My son died years ago, and that is the single thing that opened my eyes.

'I have to tell them,' Leki said, but her hesitation was clear.

'Come with me,' Bon said again. 'Not far. I don't think it's far.'

'How do you know?'

He ignored the question. 'Come with me.'

'How do you know?'

'Come, and I'll tell you.' And he would.

Leki brushed snow from her jacket, a futile gesture. She retied her hair into a gentle braid, sighing heavily.

'My husband sails with the Spike,' she said.

'Husband.' Bon's heart sank.

Leki did not name him, and did not elaborate. But she nodded, and said she would go with him.

They left camp. Bon knew Leki less, and was more fascinated with her, with every moment that pa.s.sed. The bond between them had changed, but remained unbroken. He was glad they faced this adventure together.

Chapter 16.

deep Sol Merry's hopes for an easy landing on Skythe were dashed several miles from sh.o.r.e.

In their preparations to sail they had made a point of placing a sailor from the prison s.h.i.+ps on board each attack vessel. They'd hoped that such knowledge might enable them to avoid troublesome areas of ocean, where the deep pirates were known to operate and decapuses stalked. And, so far, that idea had worked well. They had sailed a curving route from Alderia, heading in towards Skythe to the east of the main islands of the Duntang Archipelago. Amongst those islands was where the largest, oldest of the deep pirates dwelled, surrounded by evidence of their plunder and the displayed bodies of their many victims. But in the open ocean, spinebacks were the greater danger.

Their navigators had ploughed a careful path through violent seas. The Spike were always at the ready, but as they drew closer to Skythe, Sol could sense the relaxing of guards. We're not there yet! he'd screamed at his Blade over dinner, and they armed up and went on deck for drills. The deck guns needed easing and greasing, gears and actions being constantly a.s.saulted by the aggressive salt.w.a.ter, and they unpacked and rewrapped their various hardweaponry. Sol walked amongst them. He commanded respect and loyalty, and he also treated his soldiers as friends while maintaining the distance of command. That afforded him the greatest respect of all.

And then the first shout from the skynest, and the attack began.

Sol had already agreed that should a spineback get amongst the fleet he would cede command of his Blade to the big prison s.h.i.+p sailor Drake for the duration of the a.s.sault. As soon as the alert was sounded, Sol nodded to Drake and watched as the man sprang into action.

Shouting orders, das.h.i.+ng back and forth across deck, signalling to the wheelman and the lookout up in the skynest, rus.h.i.+ng from one harpoon gun to the next, Drake was a revelation. For the bulk of the journey he had remained a surly drunk, slouching on the steps leading up to the wheelhouse and abusing anyone who came near. He'd instigated several scuffles with Spike soldiers that had left him bloodied and battered. Now, he was a sailor again.

Soldiers strained to see the spineback, a creature of legend to many who had never even seen the sea before this expedition. A little fear, but mostly excitement, thrummed across the s.h.i.+p. But then Drake froze close to the railing, and ran for the mast. As he scrambled quickly up to the skynest, Sol searched for what he had seen.

There was a shape to the west, a wave amongst waves that was cutting the wrong way. Though distant, Sol could already hear the impact of the shape upon the surging sea, and great showers of foamy spray erupted at regular intervals.

'Spineback,' he muttered. 'It is. Must be.'

Gallan arrived by his side, s.h.i.+elding his eyes. 'What's happening?'

Sol did not reply. Instead he looked up for Drake, and saw the sailor busy signalling with other s.h.i.+ps using a rig of coloured flags. His hands moved quickly, flags rose and flapped, fell again, furling and unfurling as if in defiance of the direction and strength of breeze. Then Drake swung over the side of the skynest and slid down a rigging rope, hands moving too fast to see as they went from grip to grip.

'Something worse than a spineback,' Sol said. Drake leaped from the rope and slid to a halt a few feet from Sol, a harpoon setting receiving his attention. He was sweating. He looked scared.

'Drake!' Sol called.

'Deep pirate. One of the old ones.'

'Deep pirate?' Gallan said. 'I thought they only hunted in the Archipelago.'

'In and around,' Drake said. He dashed to another harpoon mounting and started switching gears, working mechanisms.

'But you took us this far east to-' Gallan protested.

'It doesn't matter,' Sol cut in, and Drake glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. 'What do we do?' Sol asked.

'Hope it's alone,' Drake said.