The sundering hours, p.46
The Sundering Hours, page 46
At first, it had been easy losing himself in the crowds. He’d joined a small gaggle of street urchins who followed Blackwood’s steps from a distance, calling for him to throw them a coin or two. Ink had even joined in their cries. The winding stairs down to the sea had been trickier, but once the group had descended into the floor of the colonnade, he was able to quickly make his way to the circle of pillars. There he had stopped, tucking himself behind the nearest column that would give him a vantage point down the stairs. He heard the receptionist welcome them, heard the great iron door open and close within. He could go no further. If he marched up to the desk and tried to talk his way inside as a personal friend of Blackwood’s, chances were he’d be kicked straight back out again. If he was successful, however, he wouldn’t be able to run back to the Chain Breaker for help if things went wrong. Until they returned again, he could only wait for something to happen.
It was twenty minutes before he heard another noise—the same sound of a heavy door opening and shutting again. Then there were voices below, the words indistinguishable, but soon growing louder as the speakers approached the stairs and ascended. Ink hunched down to make himself smaller, not daring to even glance around the column until the two men had passed and he could observe them from behind. It was Blackwood and Hawkesworth, with the latter gesturing excitedly to his boss as he spoke to him. Both walked quickly to the winding stairs and climbed to the upper street.
That was the second indication of trouble. Seherene and Chester were trophies, ones the Vampire had not hesitated to parade through town without shame. Why had he left them behind? Ink stood up, intent on making his way down the stairs. But another chorus of voices suddenly sounded from below, forcing him back to his hiding spot.
“Come along!” a woman’s voice rang out. “Quick as we can!”
Footsteps sounded on the steps. Daring a glance, Ink watched a well-dressed woman stride quickly across the marble platform and towards the winding stairs, much as Blackwood and Hawkesworth had done. She was followed by half a dozen men in striped uniforms. Then came another sound of screeching and groaning, followed by a metallic thunk. More footsteps, running this time. It was another uniformed man, who—as he hurried to catch up with the others—cast a worried glance behind him. Ink cursed aloud and broke his cover, racing to the top of the observatory entrance.
The door at the bottom of the stairs was shut. He ran to it and pulled against the wheel, tugging and twisting and turning every which way. He banged his fists and kicked against it.
“Seherene!” he cried. “Martin! Chester! Are you in there? Can you hear me?”
He shouted until he was hoarse, until his hands were bruised and his toes were numb. He cursed again and raced to the top of the stairs, intent on dragging one of the uniformed men back by the scruff of their neck. But they were long gone. He couldn’t even see any passersby on the road above to whom he might call for help. He froze in horrified panic. Racing back to the Chain Breaker was the obvious move, but what if there was something here he’d missed? A side door or release lever?
At that moment, the ground shook beneath him, accompanied by a great boom and an awful noise of grating, screeching metal. He clung to the nearest column to keep his footing.
And there, a few dozen feet from the edge of the colonnade, a huge bubble broke on the surface of the sea. Ink had no idea what it meant, but before he knew it, his legs were carrying him back to the ship as fast as they could.
Ink hadn’t even finished his explanation of events before Harriet rushed to the weapons chest near the companionway and threw it open. Simon raced to the top of the stairs and shouted down to the lower decks.
“Evering! Jeremy! Get up here!”
“Everyone to arms!” Delia shouted. “Skiff and Jasper, I want you both to remain behind! Keep an eye on that villain’s ship and shoot any one of them who comes this way!”
“Load the swivels as well!” Radburn cried.
“Will do!” Skiff replied.
“Should we fetch the horses?” Margaret asked. “They’ll get us there faster.”
Harriet rushed past her with a rifle in both hands. “There’s no time to lose! Come along, Ink! Show us the way!”
“Ink!” Delia shouted before he could run off. “Take this!”
She pushed a pistol into his hand. He tucked it into his belt, then turned and sped back towards the dock.
In another minute, ten Colonists were flying along the main street of the harbor town, openly armed and with no regard for being recognized.
“Listen up, all of you!” Daniel cried as they ran. “I know you’ve been used to only wounding your attackers, but that’s not going to help us here! If we meet resistance, they’ll want you down for good and as quickly as possible. Keep your heads down! Stick to cover when you can and shoot to kill! You must shoot to kill!”
“Ink! If there’s shooting, you stay out of sight!” Simon shouted.
“There weren’t no one around when I left!” the boy called back. “Come on! This way!”
The townspeople stared as they rushed past. Evering brought up the rear. When the Colonists began to descend the stairs at the cliffside, he turned and raised his rifle at two rough-looking men who stood nearby.
“Don’t try to stop us!” he cried. “We’ve got no quarrel with you!”
One of the men laughed. “Are you serious, boy? D’you even know where you are?”
“This happens at least twice a week,” the other said. “No one here could care less.”
Evering frowned, bewildered, then turned and followed Jeremy down the stairs. Ink, who’d heard the exchanged, clenched his fists in anger as both men laughed. He pushed on, forcing himself to run faster.
At the bend in the pathway, his heart dropped. A dozen armed men stood on the marble platform, blocking their route to the observatory. Ink halted and held out his arms, forcing the others behind him to stop.
“Who are they?” Amos asked, breathing hard. “They don’t look like his men.”
“It doesn’t matter who they are,” Harriet said angrily, then strode forward to the edge of the colonnade.
The gunmen raised their weapons. Delia pushed her way forward, moving ahead of Harriet while the other Colonists spread out beside her. Margaret reached for Ink and pulled him back. Radburn cocked his rifle. Simon stepped up beside Delia.
“I’m afraid there’s no use now,” one of the gunmen said. “It’ll be too late to save ‘em. Best you turn back rather than get yourselves killed.”
Ink saw Delia take a deep breath and relax her shoulders.
“We’re truly sorry for what is to come,” she said. “But we have no time for lies.”
She raised her rifle and shot him in the chest, dropping him to the ground. Everyone—the gunmen included—dove for cover behind the columns. Ink stuck his fingers into his ears as a loud volley of gunshots exploded into the air.
“Again!” Martin cried.
With a mighty heave, they flung the sofa into the largest pane of glass across from the door. It bounced off with no effect and splashed into the freezing water, which was now up to their waists. The phonograph floated nearby. Seherene removed her cloak and cast it behind her.
“It’s too strong,” she said. “We have to weaken it some other way first.”
“Here!” Chester pulled a pistol from inside his breast pocket. “We can use this!”
Martin put a hand on his arm. “Wait! If the bullets don’t shatter the glass we have to be ready to throw the sofa again! And quick as we can! Remember, that bulkhead is going to slam shut at the smallest breach!”
“Fine! You take it!” Chester shoved the pistol into his hand. “I’ll help with the sofa.”
“The water will rush in quickly,” Seherene said, now removing her knife belt. “Probably push us back. We have to be ready to fight against it. And if the lamps go out, remember to head for the sunlight. It should still be strong enough for us to see by.”
“Right!” Chester said, then picked up one end of the sofa. Seherene took the other.
Martin positioned himself directly in front of the window. He took a deep breath, cocked the pistol, and raised it.
“Are we ready?”
“Wait!” Seherene said. “Can you swim well enough with only one arm?”
“I can. Might be a little slower than you two, but I’ll be fine.”
“Best we all stand as close to the window as possible,” Chester said. “And try not to cut ourselves to pieces when we go through.”
Seherene nodded. “Ready, then?”
Chester took a deep breath. “We can do this. We can make it. We’re all going to make it.” He ended this inspiring sentiment with a loud and colorful expletive, then looked at Seherene apologetically. “No offense.”
“None taken. I quite agree.”
Martin extended his arm, assumed a firm stance, then fired off six rounds in quick succession.
“Now!”
The sofa crashed into the glass. This time, a great crack appeared. Water came through the bullet holes, which widened and fractured in every direction.
“Brace yourselves!” Martin cried.
The sea surged through the window, crashing down on them. Seherene took in a deep breath of air just as it struck. They were pushed back almost to the iron door as an alarm sounded from inside the antechamber. The metal bulkhead appeared in three separate pieces, all of which slid towards the broken pane on the far side. The next moment, the surge of the water drove Seherene down, twisting her sideways. She kicked off against the wall and struggled forward.
The lamps had gone out. There was only a dull glow to see by, but she could just make out Chester ahead of her. He paused for a moment and turned back as if to locate the others. She gestured as fiercely as she could, urging him to continue, then glanced to her left. Martin was a few feet away. The force of the water had spun him completely upside down. He jerked this way and that, having lost his sense of direction. She swam to him, grabbed him by the shirt collar, and pulled him along.
Dark shadows closed in around her, the bulkheads mere seconds away from joining together and sealing them inside. Her heart pounded in her chest. Chester made it to the gaping hole in the glass and paused, reaching out both hands as the metal walls came nearer. Seherene pushed forward with all the strength she could summon. Martin tried to help, swimming as best as he could but still not righted all the way. They were seconds from their escape route.
The bulkheads reached the crevice and slammed into Chester’s waiting grasp. He winced and began to crumple, little match for the strength of their force, slowing but not stopping them. They were out of time. Feeling the undertow shift back towards the window, and with an effort that forced half the breath from her, Seherene pushed Martin ahead and into Chester. As both men plunged into the open sea, the bulkheads shut tight with a scraping squeal, leaving the Entress in utter darkness.
She forced herself upward, hoping against hope that the chamber hadn’t yet completely flooded. Moments later, she broke into open air with a great gasp, treading just hard enough to keep her head above water. She reached an arm up, her hand pressing against the glass ceiling.
There was twelve inches of breathable air. And though the shattered glass had been sealed by the bulkheads, water was still pouring in through the damaged floor below.
Seherene felt the cold enter her body, straight into her bones. Her teeth chattered. Her gasping breaths echoed around her. She heard a distant noise of banging from outside the bulkhead. Martin and Chester were trying to force it open again.
She knew it wouldn’t work.
Chapter 31
The Friends of Captain Ramm
Back on the surface, four gunmen lay dead on the marble floor. Another had tumbled backwards down the entrance stairs and did not appear again. Ink had made his way behind a large rock near the colonnade which the waves lapped against, soaking him to the knees. He was out of bullets now, and he reckoned he hadn’t actually managed to hit anyone—particularly as he’d kept his eyes shut each time he’d pulled the trigger.
The others had begun to run low as well. Some even stopped firing altogether unless they could be certain of a clear shot, which was difficult as everyone was staying firmly behind cover. Ink peered around the rock again in time to see a gunman—no doubt out of bullets—jump Jeremy and bring them both tumbling to the ground. Another man used the distraction to leave cover and take aim at someone. Daniel stepped out from his pillar on the other side and quickly took him down. Jeremy struck his assailant with a hard punch to the jaw. Radburn came up from behind and landed a final blow to the man’s head with the butt of his rifle. Simon got a lucky shot and struck another in the shoulder. Amos finished him with a shot of his own. The remaining four gunmen were desperately determined to stay out of reach.
Delia took the opportunity to fall back to the rock beside Ink.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. Is anyone else?”
“I can’t tell. But we’ve got them now. Just stay here.”
“Watch your backs!” Evering cried.
Ink and Delia looked towards the pathway. Another host of armed men ran towards them, brandishing swords as well as pistols. Shouts and cries filled the air, along with a renewed round of bullets.
“Hang it all!” Delia turned and swung the muzzle of her rifle towards them.
The Colonists were now pinned down. One of the swordsmen let out a wild cry, then tossed what looked like two small bombs towards the marble platform. A flash filled the air, blinding everyone. When it faded, Ink found himself surrounded by a thick fog of smoke, hardly able to see his hand in front of his face.
“Stay here!” Delia cried again before rushing forward.
The noise was unbearable. There were screams and grunts and rifle shots. Steel clashed and bodies fell, but he could see nothing at all. He stepped around the rock and held his pistol by its barrel, thinking to copy Radburn and do damage by hammering it on the nearest assailant. Shapes twisted in the smoke. He staggered forward, squinting. Two shapes wrestled to his right. He moved towards them, raising his pistol to strike, but realized he couldn’t tell who was friend and who was foe. Footsteps ran past. Red gunfire streaked overhead. A shadow suddenly swung towards him and struck him in the chest. He lost his breath, stumbled back, and fell into the water.
He struggled desperately for a handhold, but the water was deeper than it looked. Before he knew it he was sinking down and with barely any breath in his lungs. As the bubbles streamed out from him, he shut his eyes and clenched his fists as if to stop them.
“Kick! Kick with your feet!”
It was Caradoc’s voice in his head, the same words he’d spoken the first time Ink had almost drowned in the stream on Riverfall. He kicked as hard as he could. He felt his boots weighing him down but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get them off before he started to swallow water. It was happening already. He clapped a hand over his nose and mouth and tried to use the other to pull himself upward. But he sank further still.
Then, a shadow appeared above. There was a noise of swirling water. A hand gripped him firmly by the shirt collar and heaved him up. Ink spluttered as he fell to the rocky ground, coughing and gasping.
“You’ll be all right. Stay down.”
At the sound of his rescuer’s voice, Ink looked up in astonishment. “Caradoc?”
There was only a moment to glimpse the scarred face before he turned and plunged into the thick of the battle, disappearing into the smoke.
Ink hauled himself to his feet. “Caradoc!”
He rushed after him, ran into a column, and huddled back against it. Shots were fired on every side. Bodies slumped to the ground. Soon, the noise around the colonnade quieted, and the smoke began to clear. Jeremy, Simon, and Daniel appeared, standing in the middle of the platform and looking bewildered.
“What happened?” Daniel said. “We were surrounded and then . . .”
The smoke faded further, revealing Delia, Harriet, and Amos huddled behind rocks and firing off shots towards the cliffside. In the murky distance, a shadow leapt from one gunman to the next, taking them down in a matter of seconds.
“Bloody hell!” Amos cried. “Who is that? Is that one of us?”
Ink ran forward, a smile breaking across his damp face. He leapt into the air and punched his fist towards the sky.
“Caradoc! It’s Caradoc!”
“Hold your fire!” Delia shouted.
The smoke dissipated. The gunshots stopped. The Colonists stepped out from cover, looking towards the sight with amazement. The Keyholder was moving faster than they’d ever seen, landing blows and tossing attackers like they were made of straw. Amos, Daniel, and Jeremy ran to help him—though it was hardly needed.
“He’s got them!” Margaret cried. “It’s over!”
Ink frowned. “How’s he moving so fast?”
“The door!” Delia shouted. “We have to get it open! Hurry!”
They rushed to the entryway. Simon was first down the stairs, pushing aside the dead gunman as he went. The door wouldn’t open for him, nor for anyone else who tried.
“Oh, God!” Harriet cried, staring down from the surface. “Please, God!”
Radburn gestured across the water. “There! Look there!”
Two figures were swimming towards them. The glare from the sun was so strong no one could quite make out their faces, but Harriet rushed to the very edge of the water and called out.
“Martin? Chester?”
“She’s down there! Sarah’s still down there!”
It was Martin’s voice.
“We broke the glass to get out!” Chester cried. “She got trapped! You have to get her out!”
