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Authors: Raven Bond
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said coldly, as he
squatted closer. “We’re listening.”
Chapter Six
Wind Dancer, the Indian Ocean
Will returned to the bridge with his coffee mug in hand and
looked out at the sun on the water. Given their
talk
with Smeadly, they'd
rushed back to Dancer . After a profanity and bribery−laced
scramble, they had grabbed sky that same twilight, mostly re-provisioned.
They'd started from the point the little rat had given them, then begun a
search that took them in an ever expanding zigzag. It should have been nearly
impossible to find a ship in the dark that didn’t want to be found. Only a full
moon and clear skies plus their electric lenses gave them any hope of success.
Still it was a big ocean, and night had turned into day, with no joy.
Will had taken a moment in the late morning to go to the
mess, where he'd been cornered by Devi Neelam, his Chief Engineer, while he
ate. Devi had been with the ship longer than anyone except Lawrence and
himself. Devi looked, and talked, for all the world like an aristocratic
Brahman who should be in silks and jewels, rather than the stained rubber apron
and boots she typically wore. She was damned good at her job though, and had
kept the Dancer flying, sometimes with little more than twine and hot
air.
Will wondered, not for the first time, what had led her to
the airdevil life. Not that it mattered. She was good, and fiercely loyal. He
listened to her for a moment, then cut to the chase, as she did tend to go on
about ‘her engines’.
"So how serious is it?" he asked around the last of
his porridge. With the familiar pained expression she always got when he asked
that question, she sighed.
"This is what I am trying to tell you Captain,” she said
spreading her hands at him, “I do not know this time. The number three Tesla is
flexing again. It is not enough spike that we cannot compensate." she held
up her hand to emphasis her point, "For now. But I cannot swear that it
will not spike enough to totally burn out, fusing the conduit array with
it." Will knew that would leave them floating in the sky with no power at
all.
“Everything I know says that we should take it off line
completely,” She finished, raising her tea mug to her lips for emphasis.
"I thought you said the number three was good for
another six months," Will said half crossly. Now would not be the time for
a serious maintenance issue, not he reflected, that it wouldn’t be the first
time.
"Yes, Captain," she sighed, putting the mug down.
"I was wrong."
"Look Devi," Will said seriously. "We may be
about to go into battle. Can the ship fight?"
"We will make her fight, if it needs to be. But I cannot
give you both cannon and full speed if we take the number three off line,"
She shrugged helplessly. Will thought furiously for a moment.
"Then don't." He raised his own hand to forestall
her protest. "I know what the dangers are here. We have to do this one,
Devi."
"Is it true that we are going after Hu Fan?" She
looked at him soberly. Will studied her. It wasn’t like Devi to ask after
mission details that didn’t affect the ship. What was she about?
“Yes,” he said shortly.
“Do you promise me that you will kill him this time?” She
looked at him with an intensity that was out of character for her. Will chewed
slowly, and then answered.
“I don’t make those kinds of promises Devi,” he said gently.
“If I have to kill him, I will. But the ship and the mission come first, you
know that. Why are you asking this?”
“Because he is an animal on two legs, Captain, as are all of
his kind,” she said fiercely. “A rabid animal should always be put down!” She
looked at him directly. “I ask this because I can smell that this ‘mission’ has
something to do with your secret purpose, and I am afraid.” She held up her
hand as he started to speak. “Please, spare me your jolly evasions. I know that
you and Rogers have some purpose other than money.” She sniffed. “You may fool
the
squatted closer. “We’re listening.”
Chapter Six
Wind Dancer, the Indian Ocean
Will returned to the bridge with his coffee mug in hand and
looked out at the sun on the water. Given their
talk
with Smeadly, they'd
rushed back to Dancer . After a profanity and bribery−laced
scramble, they had grabbed sky that same twilight, mostly re-provisioned.
They'd started from the point the little rat had given them, then begun a
search that took them in an ever expanding zigzag. It should have been nearly
impossible to find a ship in the dark that didn’t want to be found. Only a full
moon and clear skies plus their electric lenses gave them any hope of success.
Still it was a big ocean, and night had turned into day, with no joy.
Will had taken a moment in the late morning to go to the
mess, where he'd been cornered by Devi Neelam, his Chief Engineer, while he
ate. Devi had been with the ship longer than anyone except Lawrence and
himself. Devi looked, and talked, for all the world like an aristocratic
Brahman who should be in silks and jewels, rather than the stained rubber apron
and boots she typically wore. She was damned good at her job though, and had
kept the Dancer flying, sometimes with little more than twine and hot
air.
Will wondered, not for the first time, what had led her to
the airdevil life. Not that it mattered. She was good, and fiercely loyal. He
listened to her for a moment, then cut to the chase, as she did tend to go on
about ‘her engines’.
"So how serious is it?" he asked around the last of
his porridge. With the familiar pained expression she always got when he asked
that question, she sighed.
"This is what I am trying to tell you Captain,” she said
spreading her hands at him, “I do not know this time. The number three Tesla is
flexing again. It is not enough spike that we cannot compensate." she held
up her hand to emphasis her point, "For now. But I cannot swear that it
will not spike enough to totally burn out, fusing the conduit array with
it." Will knew that would leave them floating in the sky with no power at
all.
“Everything I know says that we should take it off line
completely,” She finished, raising her tea mug to her lips for emphasis.
"I thought you said the number three was good for
another six months," Will said half crossly. Now would not be the time for
a serious maintenance issue, not he reflected, that it wouldn’t be the first
time.
"Yes, Captain," she sighed, putting the mug down.
"I was wrong."
"Look Devi," Will said seriously. "We may be
about to go into battle. Can the ship fight?"
"We will make her fight, if it needs to be. But I cannot
give you both cannon and full speed if we take the number three off line,"
She shrugged helplessly. Will thought furiously for a moment.
"Then don't." He raised his own hand to forestall
her protest. "I know what the dangers are here. We have to do this one,
Devi."
"Is it true that we are going after Hu Fan?" She
looked at him soberly. Will studied her. It wasn’t like Devi to ask after
mission details that didn’t affect the ship. What was she about?
“Yes,” he said shortly.
“Do you promise me that you will kill him this time?” She
looked at him with an intensity that was out of character for her. Will chewed
slowly, and then answered.
“I don’t make those kinds of promises Devi,” he said gently.
“If I have to kill him, I will. But the ship and the mission come first, you
know that. Why are you asking this?”
“Because he is an animal on two legs, Captain, as are all of
his kind,” she said fiercely. “A rabid animal should always be put down!” She
looked at him directly. “I ask this because I can smell that this ‘mission’ has
something to do with your secret purpose, and I am afraid.” She held up her
hand as he started to speak. “Please, spare me your jolly evasions. I know that
you and Rogers have some purpose other than money.” She sniffed. “You may fool
the
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