smoke ring. ‘He gets away with murder, quite literally! I’d say
you’d been pretty lucky.’
‘Well I don’t feel lucky. Thanks to him I’m probably going home. I thought I was going to like Siberia but I don’t think much of it so far.’
‘Well, that’s ’cos you ain’t seen the best of it,’ he said. He reached into his pocket and spread a sheaf of grubby postcards on the table. They showed a variety of
snow-covered scenes: mountains, trees heavy with white crystalline frost and icy lakes. ‘
This
is what Siberia’s all about.’
She ran a finger lightly over a picture of a snow-capped mountain. It seemed to gain a new intensity as she gazed at it – as though it was a living window through which she could climb.
She imagined she could hear someone chanting, a hypnotic voice that seemed to pull her towards the picture. As soon as she lifted her finger the chanting stopped and the picture returned to being a
faded and cracked photograph. She realized Bulldog had been talking.
‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’
‘I said Siberia’s a beautiful place, but terrible too. It’s minus sixty in the winter and as dark as a witch’s armpit, with frozen lakes that can swallow a rig
whole.’ He exhaled another plume of smoke. ‘But give me a clear day in the mountains with the smell of diesel in the air and any rigger’ll tell you it’s the best place on
Earth.’
At that moment the door to the dining room swung open and Verity and Calculus walked in together. India could see right away that Verity knew all about her encounter with Sid. She looked as dark
as thunder.
‘India, are you all right?’ she said. ‘Calculus told me all about it. I could kick myself for leaving you alone. Sid could have killed you on the spot!’ She turned her
eyes skywards and groaned. ‘And they’re expecting us at Trans-Siberian to tell them what we know about Ironheart.’
‘Ironheart, eh? said Bulldog. ‘There’s a fair few riggers have died chasing that dream.’
Verity turned sharply to glare at him.
‘This is Captain Bulldog,’ said India quickly. ‘He’s a free rigger!’
‘Pleased to meetcha!’ said Bulldog, extending a giant hand.
‘Well it’s not mutual, Captain,’ she said, folding her arms, ‘and this is a private discussion so, if you don’t mind?’ She raised an eyebrow and Calculus
moved to stand at her shoulder.
Captain Bulldog pulled back his unshaken hand and grinned. ‘Of course, of course, just on my way anyhow I’ll say this, though. If you go looking for Ironheart you’d best be
careful on account of what’s there.’
‘Why?’ said Verity suspiciously. ‘What
is
there?’
‘The thing you want most in the world,’ he said. ‘Whatever that is. Gold, diamonds, precious relics. They say it was the last resting place of the Siberian crown jewels. Others
say it holds all the lost knowledge of the ancient world or technology a hundred years ahead of what we have now Whatever you’re looking for, Ironheart will promise it. But it’s the
song of the siren. It’ll lure you in, but it always ends in death.’
Verity snorted. ‘That’s just rigger talk, Captain,’ she said. ‘I don’t pay attention to superstition and rumour.’
‘Izzat so?’ he said. ‘Well, here’s some hard facts. There’s something at Ironheart that Lucifer Stone wants badder ‘n anything in the world, and him and his
boy are as crazy as a pair of cornered snakes. If I were you, I’d watch my step! Good day, ladies.’ He pulled on a fur hat that made him look like an overstuffed teddy bear and strode
out of the dining room.
Calculus watched him go. ‘It may have been unwise to engage that man in conversation,’ he said. ‘It is possible that he is not entirely trustworthy.’
Verity frowned. ‘India, what the hell were you thinking? That man was a pirate!’
‘Well you were the one who blurted out about Ironheart,’ said India. ‘In any case he was just being
you’d been pretty lucky.’
‘Well I don’t feel lucky. Thanks to him I’m probably going home. I thought I was going to like Siberia but I don’t think much of it so far.’
‘Well, that’s ’cos you ain’t seen the best of it,’ he said. He reached into his pocket and spread a sheaf of grubby postcards on the table. They showed a variety of
snow-covered scenes: mountains, trees heavy with white crystalline frost and icy lakes. ‘
This
is what Siberia’s all about.’
She ran a finger lightly over a picture of a snow-capped mountain. It seemed to gain a new intensity as she gazed at it – as though it was a living window through which she could climb.
She imagined she could hear someone chanting, a hypnotic voice that seemed to pull her towards the picture. As soon as she lifted her finger the chanting stopped and the picture returned to being a
faded and cracked photograph. She realized Bulldog had been talking.
‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’
‘I said Siberia’s a beautiful place, but terrible too. It’s minus sixty in the winter and as dark as a witch’s armpit, with frozen lakes that can swallow a rig
whole.’ He exhaled another plume of smoke. ‘But give me a clear day in the mountains with the smell of diesel in the air and any rigger’ll tell you it’s the best place on
Earth.’
At that moment the door to the dining room swung open and Verity and Calculus walked in together. India could see right away that Verity knew all about her encounter with Sid. She looked as dark
as thunder.
‘India, are you all right?’ she said. ‘Calculus told me all about it. I could kick myself for leaving you alone. Sid could have killed you on the spot!’ She turned her
eyes skywards and groaned. ‘And they’re expecting us at Trans-Siberian to tell them what we know about Ironheart.’
‘Ironheart, eh? said Bulldog. ‘There’s a fair few riggers have died chasing that dream.’
Verity turned sharply to glare at him.
‘This is Captain Bulldog,’ said India quickly. ‘He’s a free rigger!’
‘Pleased to meetcha!’ said Bulldog, extending a giant hand.
‘Well it’s not mutual, Captain,’ she said, folding her arms, ‘and this is a private discussion so, if you don’t mind?’ She raised an eyebrow and Calculus
moved to stand at her shoulder.
Captain Bulldog pulled back his unshaken hand and grinned. ‘Of course, of course, just on my way anyhow I’ll say this, though. If you go looking for Ironheart you’d best be
careful on account of what’s there.’
‘Why?’ said Verity suspiciously. ‘What
is
there?’
‘The thing you want most in the world,’ he said. ‘Whatever that is. Gold, diamonds, precious relics. They say it was the last resting place of the Siberian crown jewels. Others
say it holds all the lost knowledge of the ancient world or technology a hundred years ahead of what we have now Whatever you’re looking for, Ironheart will promise it. But it’s the
song of the siren. It’ll lure you in, but it always ends in death.’
Verity snorted. ‘That’s just rigger talk, Captain,’ she said. ‘I don’t pay attention to superstition and rumour.’
‘Izzat so?’ he said. ‘Well, here’s some hard facts. There’s something at Ironheart that Lucifer Stone wants badder ‘n anything in the world, and him and his
boy are as crazy as a pair of cornered snakes. If I were you, I’d watch my step! Good day, ladies.’ He pulled on a fur hat that made him look like an overstuffed teddy bear and strode
out of the dining room.
Calculus watched him go. ‘It may have been unwise to engage that man in conversation,’ he said. ‘It is possible that he is not entirely trustworthy.’
Verity frowned. ‘India, what the hell were you thinking? That man was a pirate!’
‘Well you were the one who blurted out about Ironheart,’ said India. ‘In any case he was just being
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