The Turncoat's Gambit Read online

  As the Perseus sailed northward, the Doomsday Machine remained in view. The absence of its head served only to make the colossus’s presence more unsettling. Charlotte agreed with Linnet, hoping never to learn if such a machine could accomplish its task.

  6.

  THE PERSEUS DROPPED anchor shortly after passing Shackleford Banks while night shrouded the coast. When Charlotte joined Meg on the deck, the air was cool and thick with salt. A steady breeze ruffled the ship’s sails, restored to their original positions as the Perseus slid through dark waves. Heavy clouds hid the moon, but the sky and sea were illuminated at intervals by the sweeping beam of Cape Lookout’s lighthouse.

  Charlotte was more at ease under the cover of night, but she noticed Meg’s tight grip on the ship rail.

  “Do you disagree with the captain’s decision to leave us here?” Charlotte asked.

  Meg relaxed slightly, smiling at Charlotte. “It’s not that, Lottie. I’m just weary and a bit heartsick.”

  “About Ashley?” Charlotte was surprised that Meg would make such an admission.

  “That’s part of it,” Meg said. “But mostly I wish I didn’t have to make difficult decisions. Decisions that always seem to take me away from those dearest to me.”

  Charlotte looked at Meg in alarm. “You’re leaving us?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Meg took Charlotte’s hand. “We’ll talk of it when we’re ashore.” Squeezing Charlotte’s fingers, Meg said, “But I have decided that this time I won’t make the decision alone. All of us will be affected, so all of us should be involved in making the choice.”

  While it was better than waking up to find Meg gone, Charlotte’s chest seized up with fear and sadness at the thought of her leaving them for a second time.

  The crew of the Perseus lowered one of the ship’s small boats into the water. Sailors climbed down the rope ladder to fill the boat with bundles that Charlotte assumed were provisions Lachance was giving them.

  “Let’s go,” said Meg.

  Lachance and Linnet were waiting beside the rope ladder, while Jack and Grave had just emerged from below and were crossing the deck to join them. Meg descended first, followed by Jack, then Grave.

  “Charlotte.” Captain Lachance offered his hand and assisted her over the rail.

  The thick rope of the ladder bumped against the side of the ship as Charlotte climbed down. When she reached the bottom rung, Charlotte turned toward the boat, but a pair of hands was already clasping her waist and lifting her aboard. When her feet touched wooden planks, she quickly turned to find Jack looking down at her.

  Charlotte was about to scold him, but his hands were still holding her lightly, their warmth countering the damp breeze off the sea. Without saying anything, Charlotte carefully pulled away from him and took a seat beside Grave. Her heart was still skittering about, and her expression must have been strained, for Grave said, “I don’t like being this close to the water either.”

  Charlotte offered him a little smile. “We’ll be ashore soon enough.”

  Grave smiled back.

  Jack sat on the other side of Charlotte while Meg, Linnet, and Lachance sat opposite. Charlotte hadn’t expected the pirate captain to accompany them in the small boat, but then again, he might have been reluctant to say his goodbyes to Linnet aboard the ship and was using this excursion to the shore to prolong his time with her.

  Four of Lachance’s men rowed them across the inlet and between the small islands closer to the shoreline. In the darkness, Charlotte couldn’t make out any signs of a town or settlement until they were almost to the beach. Houses, shacks, and huts of clapboard formed clusters along the coast. A few larger buildings huddled around a long fishing pier where boats rocked quietly while their owners slept.

  The sailors hopped out to haul the small craft onto the sand, their splashes in the surf alarmingly loud. When they were ashore, Charlotte encouraged Grave to hurry out of the boat. She immediately followed him, avoiding any offers of assistance from Jack—she had no desire to act the helpless maid in front of pirates . . . or ever.

  Lachance’s men unloaded the supplies. The captain took them aside, speaking quietly. When he’d finished, the men returned to the small boat, pushed it into the water, and scrambled aboard.

  Lachance sauntered over to them.

  Linnet pointed at the sailors rowing away. “Where are they going?”

  “Back to the ship, of course,” said Lachance.

  She poked him in the chest. “Why, then, are you still here?”

  Lachance lavished his most radiant smile on her, which only made Linnet scowl.

  “The interests I currently wish to pursue are here,” Lachance said.

  “Your interests?” Charlotte had never heard Linnet screech, but it seemed she was on the verge of doing so. “Your interests?”

  “Now, now, ma sirène, assuming I meant you. Such vanity.” Lachance pushed her finger away. “I have a business venture here, and it’s been some time since I’ve stopped in for a visit.”

  Wrestling her emotions into submission, Linnet said flatly, “You hate being ashore.”

  “I do,” Lachance replied. “But a man cannot flee his fate.”

  “In this case, I think maybe he should,” Jack whispered to Charlotte. “He’ll live longer.”

  Charlotte covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

  Linnet stepped closer to Lachance, her voice low. “I fulfilled the terms of the contract. This is not what we agreed on.”

  “And I encountered many surprises on our journey that I had not agreed to,” Lachance said. “The tables have simply turned, Linnet.”

  After casting a last look at the boat rowing away, Linnet said, “At least tell me you know of a place we can stay.”

  “Do not fear, ma belle,” Lachance replied. “I would not dare disappoint you.”

  He scooped up two bundles of supplies, but rather than heading toward the seaside buildings, Lachance began to walk inland. Jack and Grave grabbed the remaining bundles, and the rest of them followed the pirate.

  The beach gave way to a grassy dune that pitched steeply upward. When they’d scrambled over it, Charlotte spotted what appeared to be a proper town a short distance away. Their destination proved to be a tavern, the Weir, that sat on a corner of the town square.

  Lachance took them around the building. Linnet raised an eyebrow at him when the pirate produced a key to unlock the back door.

  “As I said,” Lachance told her. “A business venture.”

  The door opened into a small corridor. To their right, a staircase led to the second story of the tavern. Ahead, Charlotte could make out objects and furnishings that indicated a kitchen, and to their left was a larder. A light appeared at the stop of the stairs, outlining the shape of a man.

  “S-s-sir!” A jerk of the man’s hand caused the lantern to waggle from side to side, making dizzying shadows run up and down the walls. “I had no word of your impending arrival.”

  “An unplanned visit, Thomas.” Lachance took off his hat. “But not one meant to cause you trouble. My friends and I need food and beds.”

  “Yes! Yes! Right away.” The man scrambled down the stairs to take the hat from the captain. “I’ll wake Matilde, and she’ll make preparations in the kitchen.”

  Thomas glanced around at their group. “How many rooms, sir? In addition to your suite, I mean.”

  “We three ladies can share a room,” Linnet answered before Lachance could speak. “And a second should suffice for these two gentlemen.” She indicated Jack and Grave.

  “No trouble at all.” Thomas bowed awkwardly and hurried back up the stairs.

  “You own this place?” Jack asked Lachance.

  The pirate nodded. “I use it when I need to move currency . . . through more traditional channels. Though its existence is a secret I guard closely. N
ot even my men know of it.”

  “Speaking of your men,” Linnet interjected. “What are they going to do? Just stay in the inlet with the ship?”

  “I’ll explain when we have a place to sit and food to eat,” Lachance said.

  After a series of thumps above them, a plump woman appeared on the staircase. She had a girl of about ten or eleven in tow; the child was still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

  “Ah, Matilde.” Lachance planted kisses on each of the woman’s cheeks. “My apologies for rousing you at such an hour.”

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way, sir.” Matilde guffawed as her cheeks went rosy. “You remember our daughter, Jeannette.”

  Jeannette yawned.

  “Manners!” Matilde said, appalled. “Captain Lachance puts a roof over our heads, child.”

  Her mother’s tone startled Jeannette into wakefulness. Eyes wide, she quickly curtsied to Lachance. “I’m sorry, sir.”

  Lachance patted the top of her head. “No need for apologies, ma petite.”

  Jeannette blushed and curtsied again.

  Soon mother and daughter had a fire roaring in the stove, and the clattering of pots and pans filled the background as the surprise guests gathered around a table. The main room of the tavern was simple but pleasant, with a long bar and wood furniture that gleamed in shades of honey. Thomas set a jug of cider and cups before them. Lachance filled the cups, and once they’d been passed around, he lifted his.

  “To narrow escapes and unexpected adventures.”

  Charlotte wasn’t certain those were things she wanted to toast, but they all raised their cups.

  Lachance gulped his cider down in a few swallows.

  “Now, my friends,” he said, refilling his cup, “there are decisions to be made.”

  He waved his hand at the spacious room. “This place is refuge enough for a time. But I prefer action to repose.”

  “What are you up to, Lachance?” Linnet asked.

  “There is a problem that must be solved,” he answered. “I will help you solve it.”

  Charlotte could think of any number of problems they currently faced. She didn’t know which one the captain meant.

  “You cannot brook a traitor in your ranks,” Lachance said. “The turncoat must be found.”

  Linnet’s finger traced the rim of her cup. “You’re right. But why would you help us?”

  “This knave is troubling to me as well,” Lachance replied. “And not just because he tried to wreck my ship. I pay a good sum to certain authorities to ensure the Empire doesn’t go out of its way to hunt the Perseus. Whoever is hunting you ignored those payments.”

  Charlotte didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended. “You want to help find the turncoat because he . . . or she . . . is ignoring your bribes.”

  Lachance grimaced. “Bribes are a serious matter. If a respectable payoff no longer holds sway, the world has become a dangerous place.”

  Jack gave a derisive snort, but Linnet nodded. “Ott would say the same.”

  “You think that whoever orchestrated this chase is working outside the usual channels of authority?” Meg’s brow furrowed. “Or thinks himself above them?”

  “Yes.” Lachance reached over to fill the glass Linnet had just emptied. “My men are now on their way to Nassau. While ruled by the Empire in name, the Bahamas are in truth controlled by entrepreneurs like myself.”

  “It’s a pirate haven.” Jack snatched the jug out of Lachance’s hands. “Everyone knows that.”

  Lachance shrugged. “However you name the place, it offers a harbor where the Perseus can safely dock. The Empire’s henchmen can then search the ship to their hearts’ delight. Once they realize the cargo they seek is not on the ship, my crew will be free of their harassment. When the time is right, I’ll return to them. Until then, it is my purpose to ferret out whoever has caused me such grievances.”

  “And how do you plan to find this person?” Jack asked.

  “By going to the Floating City,” Lachance said. “Where I’m certain my gold still buys information.”

  Charlotte threw an anxious glance toward Grave. “I thought you brought us here to be hidden. Taking Grave to the Floating City would be madness!”

  “You will not be coming with us,” Lachance told her.

  Charlotte went quiet. She didn’t want to go New York, but she cared not for the idea of being left behind.

  Linnet had picked up on something else. “Us?”

  “You have better access to the keys that might unlock this secret than I, ma sirène.” Lachance lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her fingertips before she could snatch them away.

  Linnet didn’t reply, looking instead at Charlotte and then back at the pirate.

  “He’s right, Linnet,” Meg said. “You need to get word to Ott about what’s happening. He needs to be made aware of the danger in our midst. And if anyone can find a way to trip up this saboteur, it is Ott.”

  After taking a long draft of her cider, Linnet said, “Yes. I’ll go with you.”

  “I’ll be going as well,” Meg added.

  Linnet startled, knocking over her glass. Lachance leaned forward, assessing Meg.

  “There’s a danger to Grave other than the Empire.” Meg said, and calmly returned Lachance’s piercing gaze. “I believe I can put an end to that threat.”

  “The Order of Arachne?” Charlotte straightened in alarm. “You can’t go back to the Temple!”

  Meg put her hand over Charlotte’s. “Don’t be afraid, Lottie. The Sisters will be swayed by the insights of Nicodemus, the conjurer. I’m sure of it. They must be made to understand that Grave’s presence in this world is not evil. If I don’t go to the Temple, he will never be safe.”

  When Charlotte’s face remained stricken, Meg added, “I’ll not go alone. My mother will accompany me. Though she’s not of their fold, the Sisters respect my mother’s spiritual gifts. Her support will lend credence to my message.”

  “I have no qualms about your traveling with us,” Lachance said. “In truth, the fewer of us who remain, the safer Grave will be. This is a small settlement. Three travelers visiting the Weir will garner little gossip. Double that number—adding the risk that I could be recognized— and word of your presence could easily spread, inviting trouble.”

  Charlotte grasped the reasoning of this strategy, but it meant she would have only Grave and Jack as companions. Given Grave’s unusual character, she was likely to rely on Jack for conversation. She wasn’t sure she was ready to rely on Jack for anything. They hadn’t been alone since Jack appeared on the Perseus. So many things between them remained unsettled—what would it be like when the others left?

  She glanced at Jack and found him staring into his cup, which made her suspect his mind had turned to the same thoughts occupying hers. Feeling her gaze, Jack lifted his eyes. Charlotte didn’t look away; she couldn’t bring herself to. Not with the sudden crackling warmth upon her skin. She’d done what she could to avoid Jack in New Orleans, but perhaps now was the time to stop evading him and to face the truths hidden in her own heart.

  7.

  ASHLEY MARSHALL HAD faced many hardships throughout his eighteen years, but until now he’d never felt miserable. As someone who prided himself on having a stalwart character, Ash didn’t want to acknowledge his misery. Yet after the morning he’d had, he could no longer deny his sorry state: dejected, betrayed, lonely. Miserable.

  And he wasn’t about to stand for it.

  Scoff, Birch, and Pip looked at Ash expectantly. After all, he’d summoned them to this obscure corner of the city. It was Scoff’s corner, actually, at least for the moment. Surmising that Scoff might suffer from boredom or lack of purpose due to the absence of an apothecary in the Daedalus Tower, the ever-resourceful Aunt Io had secured a shed in the Garden quadrant, where he could continu
e his experiments.

  When Scoff had profusely thanked Io, she’d told him, “I’d be dishonoring my dear Albion if I didn’t do all I could to help young talent continue the work he so loved. I do hope you won’t turn yourself into a bird. Your friends would surely miss you. Though I’m sure Albion would love the company. And you’d be a fine bird.”

  Scoff went a bit gray in the face, but managed to smile and nod.

  If Aunt Io’s remarks had unnerved Scoff, such fears weren’t in evidence in his new, makeshift laboratory. Gardening equipment had been shoved into one corner, making room for glass jars and bottles in an array of shapes and sizes, mortars and pestles of stone and brass, weights and scales, and a pile of pouches from which emanated an amalgam of unidentifiable odors.

  “You’ve done an impressive job of procuring all the necessities for your work, Scoff,” Ash remarked.

  “Incredible, isn’t it?” Scoff said. “Another gift from Io.”

  “She purchased all this for you?” Ash surveyed the room again. While the furniture appeared used, it was still of a high enough quality to be costly.

  Scoff rapped his knuckles on the tiered mahogany cabinet with dozens of small rectangular drawers that were no doubt awaiting contents of the pungent pouches. “No. It belonged to her friend Albion. He had no family, so when he . . . disappeared, Io became the beneficiary of his estate. She had all of his things stored away, and she told me I could use whatever I’d like.”

  “How serendipitous.” After a quick search for anything that looked like a diary or collection of notes, Ash asked, “You didn’t, um, borrow any of his formulas, did you?”

  Scoff looked a bit guilty. “Only to study.”

  “I’ll just repeat what Io said,” Ash told him. “Don’t turn yourself into a bird.”

  “But if you do by accident, I promise to feed you,” Pip added. “And keep cats away.”