Fire over Swallowhaven (2 page)

With a gasp of relief, Trundle turned and sat himself down with his back to the mast. At last he
could relax and give his paws and arms a rest.

“Hey, lazybones!” shouted Esmeralda. “No slacking there! If you’ve got nothing better to do, make us some sandwiches. Treacle for me, please—and make it good and thick. I’m famished!”

With a sigh, Trundle set to.

It was a beautiful dawn. The
Thief in the Night
soared through a sky banded with orange and saffron and rosy clouds. Fresh, tangy air blew into Trundle’s excited face as he gazed around in pure joy. The sky was dotted with distant islands in all directions, some just dark spots on the edge of sight, others lit up by the rising sun and glittering like tiny jewels hanging in the endless blue.

It was at times like this he was glad he had given in to that moment of madness back on his homeland of Shiverstones and agreed to accompany the crazy Roamany girl on her madcap quest. The adventures he’d had! The places he had seen!

And rising up swiftly beneath them was yet another spectacular and breathtaking sight: a great island city that stretched almost as far as the eye could see. As the morning sun came out from behind the dark floating mass of Nightreef, its rays glanced on orange and terra-cotta roof tiles, glowed on yellow and white walls, and crept across wide, paved plazas and squares. It shone on marble statues and gushing fountains; it flashed off tall arched windows and lit up elegant towers and spires and domes of white and green and pink marble, where gallant silken banners floated in the breeze.

Jack put an arm around Trundle’s shoulders.

“Swallowhaven.” He sighed, gazing down at the approaching island. “Balm of the weary soul, solace to the sore eye, comfort to the aching foot! It must be five years since last I was here.”

Trundle could understand Jack’s enthusiasm. Swallowhaven was a wonderful and spellbinding vision
in the early morning light. The vast city lapped up to the very brink of the island. There were even buildings that perched precariously over the outermost edge, their windows and verandas and graceful balconies staring down into blue nothingness.

Quays, piers, and jetties of white stone hemmed the outer rim of the city, while here and there, wharves and docks snaked inward, their moorings teeming with a colorful multitude of windships and skyboats.

The travelers had come to the sprawling trading city in order to pick up provisions. Although they had sky charts to guide them, drawn up by the Guild of Observators in Widdershins, they would soon be heading out into regions marked with the comment D
EVOID OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
, which Jack told them simply meant that no one had bothered exploring that far out from the sun before. And as the phoenix feather was leading them right into the Devoids—as they started calling the area—they would need to
take on plenty of fresh food and water for the rest of their trip.

As Esmeralda brought the
Thief in the Night
down in slow loops toward the city, Trundle saw that the sky below was teeming with swallows, skimming along on outstretched wings, darting from rooftop to rooftop, diving in under the eaves and then spilling out again by the dozen, their high, trilling calls filling the warm air.

“It’s quite delightful,” he said wistfully. “So peaceful! What a pity we can’t stay here for a while.”

A cautionary voice in his head whispered: Be careful what you wish for, my lad! But he ignored it.

Just then, a small navy-blue skyboat came sailing up toward them, its mast flying a bright golden flag.

“Aha,” said Jack. “We’re due a visit from the Grand Wardens, I see.”

“Who are they?” asked Trundle.

“You have to understand that this is a very formal society,” Jack explained. “There are rules and
regulations for everything you do. You can’t make landfall here without getting permission from the Grand Master President of the Harbors.” He grinned. “Everything is called the Grand this or that. It’s all very silly, of course, but…” His voice trailed off. “That’s odd,” he said a moment later.

Trundle peered down at the approaching skyboat. “What is?”

“They weren’t armed and armored last time I was here,” mused Jack. “Hmm. I wonder what’s up.”

There was no more time to speculate before the ornate skyboat came alongside the
Thief in the Night
. Trundle saw that the crew was clad in metal breastplates and wore ridged iron helmets. They looked stern and a little frightened, and they all carried long spears.

A fresh-faced young otter in golden livery stepped forward. “I am Grand Junior Warden of the Great Eastern Spice Dock,” he announced. “What is your business here?”

Esmeralda joined them at the bows. “Hello there,” she chirruped merrily. “We’re just passing through, you know. We need food and water, that’s all, then we’ll be on our way.”

The Grand Junior Warden eyed her distrustfully. “Is that so?” he said. “Do you not know that the United Mercantile Principality of Swallowhaven is on a war footing, and that anyone approaching our city without express permission of the merchant princes is liable to be thrown into jail without trial or hearing?”

“Lawks!” exclaimed Jack. “No, we didn’t know that.”

The Grand Junior Warden raised an eyebrow. “Well, you do now.” He lifted an ebony baton. “In the name of the Grand Master President of the United Alliance of Merchant Princes, I commandeer this vessel and demand that all who sail in her be secured and held incommunicado under the articles of war!”

“Here, hold on!” said Esmeralda as the crewmen bristled menacingly at the Grand Junior Warden’s back. “We’re innocent travelers. There’s no need to take us prisoner!”

“Don’t take it personally,” said the Grand Junior Warden. “If you can convince the tribunal that you’re not in league with the pirates, you’ll probably be set free as soon as the battle is over.” He chewed his lower lip anxiously for a moment. “Providing we win the battle, of course. If we lose it…” His shoulders slumped in a way Trundle found disturbing. “Well, it really won’t matter, will it? We’ll probably be captured and sold into slavery—those of us who aren’t slaughtered, executed, maimed, crushed, mangled or tossed off the edge of the island.”

“Um, excuse me a moment,” said Esmeralda. “Did you say pirates? You don’t by any chance mean a particular pirate captain who goes by the name of Grizzletusk, do you?”

The Grand Junior Warden’s eyes narrowed. “Aha! Then you
do
know him!”

“Well, we know
of
him,” Trundle added quickly. “It’s not like he’s our chum or anything.”

“Quite the reverse, in fact,” said Jack. “Truth to tell, he’s been chasing us for some time now.” He nodded fervently. “We’re sworn and bitter enemies, you know. Ask anyone.”

“I’m very glad to hear it,” said the Grand Junior Warden.

“So what’s old Grizzletusk up to?” asked Esmeralda. “No good, I’ll be bound.”

“Word has reached us that he has assembled a fleet of twenty-five windships,” said the Grand Junior Warden. “They’re heading this way right now, apparently, intent on plunder…and worse.”

“Lummee!” said Jack. “Twenty-five, you say?”

The Grand Junior Warden nodded glumly.

“Er, what’s going on down there?” asked
Esmeralda. Trundle and the others followed her gaze.

From all points along the margins of the city, windships and skyboats were rising in their hundreds into the sky, darting this way and that and skimming off into the distance like swarms of disturbed insects.

“That will be the last of the civilians heading off to safety before the battle gets going,” said the Grand Junior Warden. “Just to be on the safe side, the old people and children and all of our most valuable treasures will be hidden away in Mousehole Reach, a little island half a day’s sailing from here.” He nodded thoughtfully. “You never know with pirates—they’re a bad-tempered lot, so I’m told. And to be honest with you, none of us has a clue how to fight them.”

“We can help you there,” said Esmeralda, much to Trundle’s alarm. “Ever heard the name Razorback? He’s Captain Grizzletusk’s bosun, and an ugly, brutal piece of work he is, to be sure.” She pointed at Trundle. “But this fine fellow beat him in a fair battle
in the mines of Drune. Clipped his wings good and proper, he did!”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that,” Trundle began. “Truth to tell—”

“No false modesty now, Trun,” interrupted Esmeralda. “We might not look it, Mr. Grand Junior Warden, sir, but we’re brave and experienced warriors. If I were you, I’d take us straight to the commander of your armies. I’m sure we’ll be able to help in the coming battle.”

“I like the sound of that,” said the Grand Junior Warden. “And it’ll save me a whole heap of paperwork, too. Very well, I will present you to the Grand Tribunal of Adjudicators. Follow me!”

And with that, he shouted some instructions to his men, whereupon the skyboat wheeled around and went looping toward the city.

“What did you say that for?” Trundle demanded of Esmeralda, as the
Thief in the Night
sailed down
behind them to moor at Swallowhaven. “We don’t really know how to fight pirates either.”

“Think, Trundle,” she said. “Would you rather they threw us straight into jail, or would you rather stay free?”

Jack chuckled and rubbed his hands together. “Good thinking, Esmeralda,” he chortled.

“Hmm,” grumbled Trundle. “So with any luck we’ll have time for a cream bun and a nice chat before we all get our throats cut by marauding pirates.”

“That’s the spirit,” Esmeralda said, slapping him on the back. “Always look on the bright side!”

T
he beautiful city of Swallowhaven was strangely quiet and empty as Trundle and the others were marched through the streets by the Grand Junior Warden and his squad. Trundle noticed a few people boarding up windows and nailing planks across doors, but apart from them and the occasional anxious soldier posted on a street corner, it seemed that everyone had fled the coming combat.

Trundle didn’t blame them. He remembered only
too well the sight of diabolical pirates marauding through the streets of his hometown of Port Shiverstones, killing at random, setting fires in the wharves, firing their deadly cannon.

He shivered at the memory. He and Esmeralda had been running from the pirates ever since—and now it seemed that they had gotten themselves tangled up in someone else’s war!

The Grand Junior Warden led them into the foyer of a stupendously huge and opulent building. Watched by the eyes of golden statues, they walked with echoing footsteps over marble floors. Diamond-encrusted figurines glittered on plinths and in alcoves. The walls soared up around them, decorated with frescoes and murals and hung with silken flags. Peering upward and feeling very, very tiny, Trundle saw the high arched ceiling was painted with cherub piglets and vole cupids and plump hamster angels, prancing and leaping among fluffy pink clouds.

“Rich people,” Jack murmured, looking appreciatively around. “It’s no wonder the pirates have their eye on this island.”

They came through a high entranceway and into another long room. At the far end, five elderly animals in impressive robes sat on five high marble thrones.

The Grand Junior Warden bowed low. “Most High and Puissant Castellans of the Grand Tribunal of Swallowhaven,” he began. “I beg to interrupt your august deliberations for a moment in order to—”

“Oh, cut the cackle,” Esmeralda interrupted him, marching up to the five thrones and fixing the tribunal with a gimlet eye. “Listen, it sounds like you’ve got problems with pirates.” She gestured toward Trundle and Jack. “There’s nothing we don’t know about pirates.”

The five Puissant Castellans stared at her with a mixture of outrage and disbelief. Trundle guessed they weren’t often spoken to like this.

“So let’s do a deal,” Esmeralda continued. “We’ll tell you all we know about how to fight pirates—on the condition you give us all the supplies we need and let us nip out the back way before the show begins. How’s that sound?”

The Puissant Castellan in the central throne—an elderly, grizzled bear with weak, watery eyes—leaned forward and stared down at her.