Sparrow Falling (31 page)

“Tinder?”

“I was in hospital,” Tinder said. “When I got burnt. I watched ’em. You gotta press on it, bind it up. It’ll hold the blood in. Later it’ll have to be stitched but we en’t got the stuff. Light.”

Beth reached into her bag, and pulled out her torch.

Hard white light flooded the room. “Turn it off!” Ma said. “They’ll think the place is afire!”

But Beth was looking at Evvie. Her clothes were drenched with blood, her face grey, her breathing a dreadful low rasp.

Hands trembling, she adjusted the little wheel on the side of her torch, and the blazing light diminished.

Tinder made a thick pad of cloth and pressed it over the wound. “Lift her. Careful.”

Madeleine, tears pouring down her face, slid her arms under Evvie. Ma moved forward. “
Stay away from my daughter
,” Madeleine hissed.

Working quickly, neat-handed, Tinder wrapped linen strips around and around Evvie’s torso, under her clothes, binding her like a mummy.

Eveline stirred, her eyelids fluttering. She coughed, and moaned.

“It’s all right, my darling, I’m here,” Madeleine said. “Hush.”

Tinder knotted off the linen, and said, “Water. She’ll want water.”

Beth, glad to do something useful, grabbed a jug and a mug from a nearby nightstand, and Madeleine trickled water into Eveline’s mouth. She coughed again, and opened her eyes. “Baby,” she said.

“Shhh, don’t try and speak,” Madeleine said.

“Baby. Did he...” She coughed again, her eyes closed and she went limp.

“Best move her while she’s out,” Tinder said.

“How?” Madeleine said.

Beth ran to the window. They might be able to get Eveline down the ladder as firemen did, but... dammit, there were people down there, moving towards the back of the house, a couple, seeking somewhere private. If they hadn’t noticed the ladder yet they would, in minutes. She snatched the top bar, hit a small lever, and the ladder snapped together, ratcheting up on itself, good thing she’d designed it to be quiet. It folded down to something that could be carried on the back, so she slipped it over her shoulders.

“Why did you do that?” Adelita said. “We could have...”

“No, we couldn’t,” Beth said. “People.” If only there was a way to make the
Aerymouse
fly in place, hovering as a bee did... but she would have to fly it and land it again, and even if there were enough fuel to do it twice, there was no room in the tiny garden behind the embassy.

She looked at the others. Madeleine and Tinder were both bloodstained; how could they go back through the house? But she suspected if anyone tried to separate Madeleine from her daughter they’d have a fight on their hands.

“Ma?” Adelita said.

But Ma was staring at Eveline, her hands clenched at her sides, as though someone had switched her off. “I never...”

“Ma, we got to get out of here!” Adelita said.

“I know. I just gotta think. I...” With a visible effort, Ma clenched her jaw. “Right. Tinder, get out of them fancy togs. Can you get them bloody clothes off Evvie and your dress on without hurting her worse?”

“Yes, if we’re careful.”

“Good. Make sure that pad’s covered over. What you got under that dress?”

“Only me shift.”

“Adelita, I reckon there’s servants rooms a spit away. I need a dress, apron and cap fit for a kitchen skivvy. And at least two fancy shawls – or cloaks, if you can find ’em. We need to cover that blood. Don’t you get caught.”

“Yes, Ma. I won’t, Ma.” Adelita dashed away.

“What do you plan?” Madeleine said, not taking her eyes from Eveline.

“Tinder goes out through the kitchen, en’t no-one going to notice a skivvy. They’re worried about people coming in, not out. I’ll find me own way, better we’re not together. Beth, can you take that bloody machine up again?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Ah, Adelita, you got it. Tinder, put it on. Doris, you and Adelita and Missus Sparrow, you’re going to have to take her out. Beth, you’re the strongest, you got to carry her.”

“Me?” Beth knew she was strong, from working with machines, but she’d never picked up someone else.

“I do it they’ll notice. You look enough like a manservant it’ll seem normal. Keep that cap on and your head ducked. The rest of you can help. Anyone asks, she got overcome by the heat and fainted. Girls, anyone pays too much mind, you distract ’em, you know what to do. Doris, don’t you go lifting anything, last thing we need’s attention. You lot can’t go through the kitchens, they already noticed Beth. I’ll let you know when the stairs are safe. Get to that machine and get off, don’t wait for me’n Tinder.”

Beth stood trembling as they put Eveline in her arms. She wasn’t as heavy as Beth had expected, but she was so limp and quiet. Eveline was always sharp and quick, it hardly seemed like her at all.
She’s still breathing.

Ma Pether went ahead of them to the end of the corridor. Music and chatter drifted up the stairs. She held her hand up,
stay.
A man’s voice, a gabble of Russian, laughter, a taint of cigar smoke. A door, closing. Ma beckoned.

They crept towards her. Adelita and Madeleine helped support Evvie’s shoulders and legs, Doris went ahead. Madeleine had a shawl tied across one shoulder and draping down the front of her gown, hiding the worst of the blood – but the hem was thick with it and patches had smeared past what the shawl covered. Tinder had Evvie’s blood-soaked jacket and skirt bundled under her arm. There were already dark red-brown smudges on her dull skivvy’s dress.

Beth couldn’t stop seeing the blood, blood everywhere for all their care. It seemed to shriek its presence. Surely someone would notice? She almost hoped they would – they would look after Evvie, Evvie who was lying so quiet, getting heavier and heavier in her arms.

But Evvie had broken in, and they would take her to prison, and who would care for her then?

It hardly occurred to Beth that she, too, would probably go to prison.

Ma waved them on and she and Tinder disappeared. Beth felt bereft as soon as she was gone. They started down the stairs; wide, sweeping stairs with fine curved bannisters. The gas-lights hissed, unforgivingly bright. Below, two women passed by, chattering, not looking up at the group creeping down towards them. The hallway seemed huge, the tiled floor stretching for miles to the front doors, and the backs of the pair of Cossack guards standing looking so tall and forbidding.
It’s only their hats make them seem so tall,
Beth told herself.

“Hold up,” Adelita muttered. “It ain’t far.”

A burst of music, and a group of men came out of the ballroom, laughing together. “Must go look upon the hedge, old man,” one of them said, and started up the stairs. He was young, with a thick mop of blonde hair. “I say, everything all right?” he said.

“My daughter, she fainted,” Madeleine said. “The heat.”

“Oh, dear, what fragile flowers you ladies are! Need any help?”

“No, no...”

Madeleine’s voice sounded thin as mist.
If
she
faints we’re done for,
Beth thought.

“Why, sir, that’s
terribly
generous of you, but our chauffeur can manage.” Adelita rolled her eyes and flirted her fan. “My sister’s fainted a dozen times at least, it’s terribly vexatious of her.” She gave the rest of them a meaningful look. “
Do
take her out, Mama, so at least the
rest
of us don’t have to have a wasted evening.”

Beth felt Madeleine straighten. “Now don’t think I’m leaving you here alone,” she said, “... miss. Come along.”

“Yes, Mama. Now tell me, are you with the embassy?” Adelita smiled up at the young man. “
Such
an important job.”

Madeleine was trembling. Doris moved up to take Eveline’s shoulders, glanced down, and muttered, “Hurry.”

Beth realised that her arm felt warm. And damp.

The blood was coming through.

“Excuse us,” Madeleine said, as they approached the guards. “I have to take my daughter home.”

The guards barely glanced at them, but looked back as Adelita approached, all flurry and laughter, “Oh, I dropped my reticule.” She bent to pick it up, sweeping a corner of her skirt across the floor. “There, I have it. Mama, wait for me!”

They crunched across gravel. Oh, such a long way, and so many people looking. Beth’s arms were starting to shake, and a low, ugly pain was blooming in the small of her back like a dark red cloud.

The
Aerymouse
was surrounded by curious onlookers. Someone had even climbed in the cockpit. “Excuse us,” Madeleine said.

“Astonishing thing, what is it?”

“Where does the horse go?” some wag said.

“Have to be Pegasus, old boy.”

“My daughter is ill,” Madeleine said, her tone icily calm. “We need to take her home.”

“Oh, sorry.” The man who had climbed in the cockpit looked up, blushed, and scrambled over the side. “’pologies. Never seen – here, let me help. Give her to me.”

“We can manage, thank you,” Madeleine said.

“Let me at least...” He held his arms out.

“No!” Beth said, clutching Eveline closer, though her arms were shuddering with strain and her back moaned. If he held her he’d get blood on him.
Just get out of my bloody machine, you stupid man!

Madeleine stood, waiting, until the young man climbed down, looking nonplussed. “Well I must say...”

Madeleine pushed past him and climbed in. “Give her to me.”

Carefully, so carefully, aware that their every move was being watched, they manoeuvred Eveline into the craft. Beth laid her in Madeleine’s lap, stood straight and gave a croak of pain as something in her back seized.

“Beth?”

“It’s all right,” she said, clenching her teeth against the pain, fumbled her way to the front, and lowered herself into the seat. She extracted the small glass bottle from her pocket.

About an inch of fluid glowed inside.

Enough. Probably.

Fed, the
Aerymouse
sputtered and shuddered. A few people moved back, others pressed closer.
Aren’t you all supposed to be at a party? Get out of the way!

There was a large black rubber bulb in front of Beth. She squeezed it, and a gout of noise blatted from the
Aerymouse.
“Out of the way, please,” she shouted, and hauled the nose around. The
Aerymouse
faced across the lawn. Wheeltracks. The Ambassador wouldn’t be pleased. Beth bit her lip, and pulled the bar towards her.

The
Aerymouse
began to move. Two men in conversation walked across her path, and Beth blatted the horn again, making them jump and scurry.

There was barely enough room, less than in Drape’s yard. The trees and wall at the end of the lawn rushed towards her. She hauled back. The nose lifted.
Not enough, not enough...
she hauled back some more.

The
Aerymouse
scraped the top of the trees with a horrible sound like claws gouging its belly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please fly,” Beth muttered, and the little craft struggled up into the smoke-thick London air.

The Sparrow School

L
IU CAME RUNNING
out of the school as they landed, his face ghost-white in the darkness. “Eveline?”

“Help us with her,” Madeleine said.

“I tried... I couldn’t find her... the fox... what...”

“Oh shut up and help,” Doris said.

Liu did, taking Evvie in his arms and carrying her into the school, without another word.

Beth eased herself out of the cockpit and climbed down, trying not to cry out. Her back was a red band of pain. She leaned her head against the
Aerymouse’s
warm, glossy side, looked up at the moon, a misty smudge beyond the clouds, and cried.

“L
IU,
I
NEED
you to listen,” Madeleine said, once Evvie was settled in bed. “She’s very badly hurt. We need a doctor, a good one.”

“One who won’t ask questions,” Adelita said.

“I...” Liu looked down at Eveline. “Yes. Wait.”

And he was gone.

“H
OW DID
I get here?” Eveline said.

“Eveline, dear, don’t try to talk.” Madeleine said. “I’ll get you some tea.”

“Yes, please, Mama. But how?”

“We found you and brought you home. You’re safe now. But you’re to stay in bed.”

“
How...
Beth?”

“Sorry, Evvie,” Beth said, hovering by the door.

“You told ’em.”

“Evvie, I
had
to. When you didn’t come back I knew something had gone wrong. And... there was no-one else. What happened?”

“It was Simms. He took the baby.” She looked at Beth.

“What baby?” Madeleine said. “Eveline? What baby? What have you done?”

The Crepuscular

S
TUG FELT HIS
innards writhing with impatience as he waited for the Queen’s permission to approach. Her gown teased his eyes with constant, flickering movement.

Finally, she beckoned him. Her court shifted and whispered; beast-headed, tree-limbed, beautiful and grotesque and both together, all of them watched him as he walked towards the throne with the child in his arms.

Seated at her right hand was the Huntridge child. It seemed she was still pleased with that gift, too.
Soon, soon...
he imagined what it would be like to carry his son. Not this foreign brat, nor some stinking whining creature from the stews and slums.
His son.
No more of this. This one would buy him what he desired, and that would be the end of it. Once he had dealt with Simms.

He reached the foot of the dais, and bowed low. He realised her gown was made all of butterflies – whole, live insects, fragile legs woven together beneath their tiny furred bodies, wings fluttering helplessly, folding and unfolding, allowing glimpses of the Queen’s pearly skin.

“Your Majesty,” he said.

“You have brought me what I desire?”

“I have.”

“Bring it to me.”

He stepped closer, even as the hairs on his neck crept and crawled.