“What strain is that?”
“Engelsrein. That was the name before the split. Now they call us Sky Heads. Our hair gets bleached by the sun.”
Mary indicated she was ready to move on. “Gwendolyn is the only siren commissioned as a knight, or in any military capacity, at least within Raykez. We don’t generally advertise that she is a siren.” They walked under a tunnel formed of trees. The landscaping looked like the work of alfanar.
Gwendolyn said, “That’s an interesting bow.”
“Ninette.” Visor gave it to her.
She aimed Ninette proficiently.
He gave her an arrow.
She knocked an arrow, placing the shaft on the outside of the Ninette’s riser.
“You use an outside set.”
“That’s the way the Moon cavalry trains—with a thumb release.”
“Oh, right, with the thumb, you’d position on the outside.”
“It better-aligns the launch angle.”
“And lets you fire around the horse’s head.”
Ninette’s sight began to glow. “She glows, like Blitzkrieg.” Gwendolyn pulled out her sword, a long sword with a sophisticated hand guard. She concentrated and the blade glowed. Blitzkrieg discharged a flicker of electricity.
Visor flicked Blitzkrieg’s blade with a finger, creating a pleasing ping. “Nice.”
Mary said, “Gwendolyn is an expert swordsman.”
Visor put Ninette away. “I might be making a move against a bounty hunter in the near future. I could use an expert swordsman.”
Mary slipped her hands around Visor’s arm. “If the cause is just, I imagine the Moon Knights will assist you.”
Visor led them toward the starfish exhibit. “It is Talon. I have reason to believe he is involved in abductions. I’m pretty sure the Com is involved as well, but Talon is the one actually holding the prisoners. He may also be involved in some other illegal activities.”
Mary said, “He is. He has been summoned by the Sanctuary for questioning. He has ignored the summons. The sheriff has yet to put a warrant out on him. Kyle considers the evidence insufficient.”
“Why not send the Moon Knights to arrest him?”
Gwendolyn said, “It’s too risky.”
Mary said, “They could arrest him if they could be certain to catch him. But if they set out to serve a Sanctuary warrant and he fled, it could turn into a complicated situation.”
Gwendolyn said, “The Com might get involved. That would be a disaster.”
Mary said, “The Sanctuary is supposed to be neutral. We don’t officially oppose other organizations or get involved in the politics of Raykez. We are funded solely through donations precisely so that we aren’t beholden to anyone.”
Gwendolyn said, “The Symphonic Knights could take him if the sheriff would write the warrant.”
Visor said, “So we need to get evidence for the sheriff. Or just kill him.”
“The Knights of the Moon can’t—well, if we—it isn’t …”
“It is preferable to get evidence,” said Mary.
“But we can’t.” Gwendolyn huffed. “He gets away with it—always!”
“That is because he knows what we are going to do before we do. He is an oracle.” Mary fixated on Visor. “It would take another oracle to catch him.”
Visor did not meet her gaze. “Our action will take place in the next two weeks, if at all. Then we have to leave for another errand.” It was late afternoon. “Shouldn’t Rapture be out by now?”
Mary stared at him until they reached the starfish exhibit. “She should be along soon. Rapture stayed in my suite last night. She started to tell me about the day you met, but didn’t get a chance to finish.”
Visor touched the water above a bright orange starfish, causing ripples in the water. “I first noticed her during a break from a conference on carriage designs. We were in a breezeway, in a crowd of people. I suddenly couldn’t breathe. I turned around and there she was, looking at me. We talked for a bit. Then all of the sudden, it was like I saw her all the time.”
“You began an intimate relationship right away?”
“No, I mean that I saw her all around the keep and the courtyard. It was like, when she was anywhere in sight, I would notice her.”
“Does her red hair stand out in WaterCrescent? Isn’t it mostly brunette there?”
“Brunette is most common, but it wasn’t that. It’s colder up on the cliff. People wear hoods or bandanas over their heads. But she’s still easy to spot. Obviously, if you see her walk, she has the limp. But even if not, she stands a little off center. Then there’s her whole demeanor, when others are talking, she’s calm, yet attentive—so bright and alive. And when she smiles … it is with her eyes—her whole body. I guess she shifts a shoulder forward slightly, and tilts her head. And she either blows out one cheek or pushes her tongue against it. I never really thought about exactly what it is. Maybe it’s just that her dimple on one side is less pronounced.”
“But among other Godiva’s, she blends in?”
“Not really. If they all have their hair down, hers is a little thicker and goes further down before the curls start. And the curls are softer. And then if you are close enough, you can see how she has the freckles a little lower on this side.” Visor pointed to his left cheek.
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“Well, her hairline part is a little higher than others, and her skin tone is lighter. With that and with the freckles, she appears to be more pale, which you can see from a distance—well, at least humans can. And if you’re up close, you can see that she holds her jaw more softly.”
“I see. And how do I differ from, say, Lara?”
“Oh, well Lara’s older, of course. I guess comparing you to Lara’s daughter, though, I’d say she’s perhaps a bit thinner. I can’t tell if it’s just because you’re pregnant, though. She wears her hair tied back. She doesn’t dress as nicely.”
“But side by side, fresh out of the bath, and not pregnant, how would you tell us apart?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to spend more time with you, I guess.”
“I see. Rapture left you last night. Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.” Mary sat on the rocky edge of the exhibit and immersed her hand in the water. Some of the starfish shimmied toward it. “You were not honest with her—or yourself.”
“I was—” He recovered himself. “Well, I’m at the mercy of the binding. You must know what I mean.”
“I don’t know. My bindings were described as ‘natural’ and ‘meant to be’ and ‘perfect’. They were adoration more than devotion. Both my partners and I felt this way. Gwendolyn?”
“What? Oh, mine was like you say, Mary.”
Mary said, “Perhaps it is because you are so oddly intelligent, Visor—the reason that yours is more analytical.”
“Why do you say ‘analytical’?”
“Analytical in that it sounds more like you made a conscious decision to love her—that you can lie to her.”
“I didn’t, Engel.” The provocation faded from his mind—everything did. His lungs tightened. He turned to find Rapture approaching, escorted by a Moon Knight and Burke. She smiled. She was so beautiful.
Chapter 53
Virtuosa
Evan leaned back on the back two legs of her chair. “Hey Meole.”
Ranie took a sip of rum. “Yes, Ev?”
“Remember that time we kicked the shit outta Talon’s thugs?”
“You mean two days ago, Ev?”
Evan laughed. “Yeah!” The Virtuosa tilted on the leeward side of a wave and Evan fell backwards. “Ow! Dammit!” She rubbed the back of her head.
Up on the stage, Sorana spun and swept Athian’s feet out from under him.
Athian rolled and whined on the mat. “Owww … uuuung.”
Cheers
and groans went up from the crew of the Virtuosa as money exchanged hands. The stage was retracted to the first deck. It could be raised through an opening to the main deck. Some of the crew on shift had gathered around the edge of the opening, referred to as ‘the balcony’.
The one-legged Thorsius was easy to spot, sitting along the edge of the balcony. He winked at her. Ranie smiled in return. Thor lacked social graces, but he was nice enough to her—more respectful than most men, anyway.
Sorana took off her make-shift ear muffs. She accepted and downed a shot of some presumably alcoholic drink.
Ranie held out her hand to help Evan up. “They’ll never tag her.”
Evan said, “I could.”
“You could barely stand up straight after your pounding last night.”
“Well, Quenton missed me. I guess Talon didn’t lock him up with the difference nymph after all. Where is the ho, anyway?”
“They’re keeping Ursula, the siren, in the medical bay.”
“I might need you to take the pounding for the next few days. My monthly is starting, and I don’t want Quenton turning gay.”
Ranie spluttered a laugh. How could anyone not love Evan? “Ev, I don’t even know where to start. First of all—eww. Secondly, regarding selective homo-erotic maritime behavior, I believe the reference is to extended military deployments. Our being on a ship doesn’t mean he’s going to suddenly ‘turn’ gay.”
Another challenger was selected.
Someone took Sorana’s cup. She replaced her earmuffs and blindfold. She tugged at her blindfold to prove it was in place. She faced the wall and took some sort of martial arts stance.
The challenger stepped up to the far end of the mat and got up on his tip-toes, as if that made him lighter.
One of his friends smacked the wooden floor, thinking he was drowning out the challenger’s footsteps. Ranie was pretty sure the extra sonic waves only made it easier for Sorana to detect the challenger.
Ranie continued. “Thirdly, I’m sure you’ll find a way to satisfy him.”
“What’s up with you? Are you all bummed out because Visor let your boss on board?”
“He’s not my boss. Finnur’s just my prof—never mind.” Ranie grabbed Evan’s left ringer finger and twirled the wooden promise ring back and forth. “Fourthly, he’s wearing one of these too, you know.”
“Oh, right.”
“I would rather Finnur not be on the Virtuosa. But with his research on Ursula and Rapture, he shouldn’t bother me too much. He says he’s learned as much in the past week as he has in years at the university. He actually wants to be here.” Ranie let out a frustrated groan. “I can’t believe I promised a year of service for Quenton’s rescue. Who would’ve though Donnie would actually do it?”
“I dunno. He pretty much does whatever he wants.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Well, one week down—51 to go.” Ranie took another sip. The rum was starting to work, dulling the headache caused by the crowd. “I can’t be here.”
“What?”
“Here, on this boat.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve had too much again.”
The challenger started tip-toeing across the mat.
“No.” Ranie focused. It took more concentration to lie. “I mean that I can’t be here because I have too much to do back home. We had all the renovations planned for the house. All that money will be wasted. The materials are going to be ruined or used somewhere else by the time we get back to it. And remember my Archon club was preparing for the tournament against the White Heart.”
“So, can’t Renaurd run that? It’s just a game.” Evan coughed. “You can play with your friends in the next one.”
“Yes, Renaurd can run it.”
Evan sighed wistfully. “Just too bad Talon wasn’t home. Ida been all mmf … mmf!” She made some boxing motions.
“You would have had to have been there, too.”
The challenger closed in on Sorana. She spun, ducked, and tapped him in the belly with a closed fist. She downed another drink and conversed with a crewman that was handling her cut of the winnings.
Someone lit some incense sticks. He was trying to mask the next challenger’s scent. That was relatively insightful for this sausage-fest.
Donnie took a seat on the other side of Ranie. “Is she punching out Talon again?”
Ranie said, “Apparently he hasn’t had enough. I didn’t see you come in.”
“Just got here.” He gestured at Sorana. “She’s something.”
Ranie said, “Quite exceptional.”
Donnie said, “Yes, though it was some time before I learned just how exceptional. Yet somehow, the first night you met her at McKinsey’s, you knew. You started that fight on purpose.”
“Who me?”
“You knew what she would do to those guys.”
“How would you know? Seems you were distracted by your boobie doll.” Insulting the love of his life will make things better.
“I guess around that time, the drinks were getting to me.”
“I think there was something in the drinks—that one round, at least.”
“I know what she did to Ignas last week.”
“He’ll live.”
“I hope she understands what she did.”
“I didn’t ask her to. It was her idea. She’s my friend, Donnie.” Ranie waved her hands in sarcastic surprise. “I know! Some people like me.” Or more likely she just appreciated my hospitality and felt she owed me.
Another challenger was up. He had wide grin as his friends cheered him on. Sorana repositioned facing the wall and took her stance. The challenger leaned over, touching one hand to the ground, ready for a sprint.
Ranie said, “This will end well.”
Donnie said, “It’s pointless without a rubber body suit and magnetic helmet. But I guess they don’t know that.”
“Yeah, pretty sad. Only an idiot could be entertained by this.”
Evan sat with wide eyes and clenched fists on the edge her seat, intently watching the game.
The challenger charged.
Sorana turned and delivered what should have been a foot-heal tap to the gut, but the challenger jumped at the last moment and caught her foot in his groin. Most people in the promenade sucked in air through clenched teeth as the challenger fell to the ground in agony.
Evan fell out of her chair laughing. To be fair, her balance was inhibited by her sea-sickness.
As the challenger dragged himself off the mat, normal conversation resumed.
Donnie said, “We’ve finished deposing Guivan … for now.”
Ranie forgot about the tag game. “Oh?”
Donnie said, “I thought you’d want to know. Finnur is finishing his notes. I’ll take you to him.”
“Sure.” He didn’t make me ask. That was kind. He’s always kind to me. Ranie followed Donnie to the medical bay. “What’s that smell?”
“That’s Vinok’s quarters.”
“The alfanar tree grower?”
“That’s one way to describe him. His quarters are right over there.” Donnie pointed. “He’s got some sort of disturbing brew-in-a-barrel going on in there. Apparently, you don’t really need dirt to grow a tree. It just sucks nutrients straight from this alfanar brew. Anyway, he’s growing a tree and shaping it to strengthen and retrofit the Virtuosa as we travel.”
“Is that the alfanar we rescued from Talon’s?”
“No, a volunteer from the consulate. Though he did volunteer in part because of the rescue. Apparently, he helped grow the alfanar ambassador’s ship. I asked about getting that one, but they wouldn’t sell it for anything. They want to keep it in case they have to evacuate their embassy in a hurry. A grown alfanar ship would’ve gotten us to Eurydice a lot faster and more safely. The Virtuosa gives us room, though. I also hired another alfanar—a poisons expert.” Donnie k
nocked on a door.
Finnur said, “Come in.”
Donnie led the way. “How is Ursula?”
“She’s still suffering withdrawal. She was bound to Talon.” Finnur shook his head. “I’d heard that could happen, where a siren becomes bound to a captor. This withdrawal is excruciating to watch.”
“So I heard,” said Donnie. “I had an idea to try to relieve her symptoms this evening, but we can discuss that later. Are your notes on Guivan complete? Ranie wanted to look them over.”
“Close enough to done for us to look at.” Finnur sat at a desk and spread out some papers. “He is a priest of White Heart, but not a member of the Paragon. He has been a go-between for certain elements of the Paragon and Talon for two years. He is aware of discussions that took place regarding reports of mass miscarriages, but would not characterize those as a plan for actually causing mass infanticide, by the Paragon or by others. He had no information on a plot to kill a siren, but did say that the Paragon has been expending a lot of resources to check into the background of Sister Mary. Let’s see … what else. He feels that Talon is more responsive to the Com than to the Paragon. He recently viewed a hologram of the Pale Siren.”
Ranie said, “The Pale Siren? As in Wescott’s lost prediction of the Banshee?”
Finnur said, “Yes, he said something along those lines.” He shuffled papers. “Here it is. He calls it ‘Demise of the Mortal Banshee’.”
Ranie said, “What did he say about it?”
“It followed the local folk tale. A woman on a white, flying horse with two horns attacked the Mortal Banshee.”
“What did she look like?”
Finnur looked up at her with concern.
Donnie asked, “Are you okay?”
Ranie made herself focus. “Yes, what did she look like?”
Finnur said, “White hair and tan skin … human or sirenic in appearance … high cheek bones … violet eyes.”
Ranie said, “Brown eyes. In my research, she always had brown eyes.”
Finnur studied her. “Rainaria, are you sure you’re okay? How about you let me check your temperature? You might be getting sea-sick. Lord knows Evan has had it bad.”
Ranie shook her head. “No—no, I’m fine. She had brown eyes, though. Um … thank you.”
Ranie went back to the captain’s cabin. She spent the next several hours alone, thinking in circles. At some point, her roommates dragged her out to the deck for a short sunset concert by Rapture and Ursula. It was probably beautiful. Rapture had dolphins doing something. Cespenar did something with lights. Thorsius gave her water and offered some food. Occasionally, Evan asked if she was okay. Later, back in the cabin, Athian turned Cespenar off and the lamps were dimmed, but Ranie’s mind did not turn off.