The Airship Aurelia (The Aurelian Archives) (33 page)

             
“
Fae vous vene dans lamité
?” the voice came again, a woman's voice, friendly, if nervous.

             
“Is someone speaking Northern?” Hayden asked with interest as he and Gideon came onto the bridge, Gideon with his hand rooting around in Po's tin of biscuits.

             
“Yeah. Oceanuns.” Reece stretched back his arm, passing the com box. “Talk to them.”

             
Hayden hesitantly took the com as Gideon plopped down sideways in the navigator's chair, chewing loudly. “It's been months since I've worked on my Northern. I'm sure I'm-” He broke off as the woman's voice patiently repeated the question a third time, and quickly cleared his throat, lifting the com box. “Yes, eh,
journes! Nous d'Honora venes danen lamité. Nous soitous vouser…autoradans?
” He winced, hitching up his spectacles with a finger, probably scolding himself for mispronouncing his gibberish.

             
The woman replied, sounding relieved, “
Vous tes bienvenu, lamis veux.
” She and Hayden went on to have a brief exchange while Reece tried to remember enough of his few Northern lessons to work out what they were saying, and Gideon continued munching on his biscuits, looking bored. After a few moments of this, Hayden actually laughed, looking sheepish as he said in Plain Speak, “It wasn't my foremost area of study, I'm afraid.”

             
“You did better than most,” the woman said graciously. Gideon and Reece both perked up with interest. There was something so magnetic about the Oceanun accent. No one Reece had heard try to impersonate it ever properly nailed the rich, flowery
thickness
of it. It sounded like it was sticking in the woman's throat even as it flowed.

             
Hayden clicked off the com box. “Reece, she wants to know if we'll accept an escort through the atmosphere.”

             
Reece's eyes thoughtfully watched the little blip on the green, then darted back to Oceanus, swelling across the canopy window. He wasn't surprised by the request. Even Honora had a policy regarding unidentified ships breaking atmosphere too near the city. Usually an “honor guard” of Dryads was sent up, conveniently armed to the teeth. It made him wonder what sort of Oceanun technology was locked on Aurelia at this very moment, weighing the old-fashioned ship in its sights.

             
“Tell her we'd be honored. Make it good.”

XVI

The Land of No Princesses

             
Oceanus was bright, clean, and colorful where Leto had been all dark faded colors and stuffy closed quarters. Gideon knew it was a relief for the rest’a the crew, but he personally preferred the dim grunginess’a Leto over the pristine cleanness’a Oceanus’s capital city, which Scarlet called Neserus. Sure it was pretty, but it made him feel like he had at the masquerade a few months back, when he’d been surrounded by lords and ladies with his face caulked with dirt and blood. Stared at and unwelcome.

             
The surface’a the planet was nothin’ but wrinkled, endless blue-green water. From the canopy window’a the bridge, all he’d been able to see’a Neserus was the tips’a its tallest spires, pokin’ up outta the waves likes reeds stuck in the mud. He almost took them for huts with their spindly roofs and round portal windows; it wasn’t hard to imagine someone openin’ a door and walkin’ out across the water from hut to hut as if
that
was the city. He was glad he didn’t say anythin’ about it when Reece took the Aurelia down closer to the water and pointed at the hazy shape’a the actual city hulkin’ in the depths’a the ocean like a many-legged creature.

             
Instructions in that thick Oceanun accent came over the com for Reece to make for the western towers and wait. When he complied and hovered Aurelia over the water there so it rolled back in ruffles, a thin, pearly bubble’a energy clapped neatly about the ship, and cuppin’ it, started easin’ down into the water. Reece set the controls to autopilot while Aitch fidgeted nervously and Gideon glared through the foggy bubble, watchin’ the ocean lap and swirl against its boundaries as the ship was swallowed by the waves.

             
Through the crystal clear water, they could see the city taperin’ off into the distance in all directions, crawlin’ over shelves and down into basins, marked by bright white lights in round windows and fluted towers like porcelain or glass. Honestly, the thing just looked breakable to Gideon. The bubble, which he could now see was bein’ directed by three beetle-like ships with claws that pulsed white energy, weaved between skinny shinin’ towers that a strong sneeze might’a been enough to splinter. Didn’t seem like a great design for an underwater city, but no one was askin’ his opinion.

             
The bubble came to rest in a square corral’a docks bobbin’ where they were tethered to the pebbled floor’a the city. Squintin’, Gideon could just make out another layer’a pearly energy archin’ over them, which explained why the half dozen men walkin’ towards Aurelia weren’t drownin’. Not that that put him at ease. The Oceanuns glarin’ up at Aurelia didn’t look like a welcome committee so much as an armed guard meanin’ to chase them back into space. They were all tall and broad, at least compared to Honorans, with shaggy to long hair in shades’a red and orange and unwieldy-lookin’ clubs weighin’ down their belts. They weren’t carryin’ that he could see, but then, they could be hidin’ their guns in their loose, flowy, by all means
ridiculous
-
lookin’
clothes that came in the colors’a the sea, blue, grey, green, and purple.

Reece observed them out the window for a moment, tappin’ his fingers against the lip’a the flightpanel, and then all at once stood, grabbed his coat, and headed towards the cargo bay, where the others had been told to wait on his orders. Snappin’ Po’s tin shut, Gideon stood, still chewin’, and went out on Aitch’s heels. He probably should’a paced himself with the biscuits, but the longer he kept them around, the better chance Reece would get sticky-fingered when his back was turned…and the cap’n already had a lot to his name without gettin’ greedy.

No one was more surprised than Gideon to see that by the time he and Reece and Aitch arrived, the cargo bay door had already been opened to accommodate the delegation’a Oceanuns standin’ in a neat formation with a willowy girl at their head. Reece muttered under his breath at the sight’a Scarlet chattin’ amiably with the girl, but it was probably a good thing she’d been on hand, because Mordecai, Nivy, and the Vee were also in the bay, and they didn’t make much’a an impression. Numpty and the old man were sittin’ on either side’a Owon on a crate, and each had a gun casually slanted in his direction.

“
Reece,” Scarlet hailed, beckonin’ for Reece to join her. Gideon followed him outta habit, eyein’ the line’a redheads with their clubs. Aitch warily took his place on Reece’s other side.

“
You must be Captain Sheppard.” The girl was the voice that had guided them into Neserus. She looked younger than Gideon would’ve expected, with a round, delicate face and hair the color’a cinnamon that fell in big ringlets over one’a her shoulders. She looked like a porcelain doll. And if the men were dressed peculiarly, her outfit was just downright strange. Her blue pants billowed over her knee-high boots, and she wore a sleeveless tabard belted twice at the waist. “I am Talfryn of the Western Pier Deniels,” she said, her accent makin’ her words run together into one long song, “Under Delegate of King Pryor, your host and servant. I welcome you to the planet Oceanus, and its governing city, Neserus.”

Po hurried breathlessly into the cargo bay, and Gideon glanced back to watch her take a seat in front’a Owon before shakin’ his head to himself. She added a bit’a brightness to the bunch, and he trusted her with Mordecai if he trusted her with anybody, but he’d told her a dozen times now she ought’a stop bein’ so nice to the Vee. Girl was gonna get herself killed if she didn’t stop trustin’ everythin’ with two eyes and a smile.

Reece told the Oceanun girl, “I hope you don’t have to say that more than once. Sounds like a mouthful.” Scarlet elbowed him hard in the ribs, but he just grunted and grinned, and the tension fizzed out, the Oceanuns relaxin’ as their leader laughed self-consciously.

“
It’s considered proper etiquette, but I hardly ever get it right,” Talfryn admitted. She looked around the cargo bay with guileless curiosity. “I’ve never seen a ship like this. You’re Honoran?”

Reece nodded.
“Travelers,” he said simply. “On route to the Rhea. We had a scrape with raiders at our last stopover and need to restock pretty badly.”

With a glance at the crew—her eyes paused on Owon for a beat—Talfryn asked,
“Is anyone hurt?”

Before Reece could answer, Aitch stepped forward and held up a hand to draw attention to himself—somethin’ he would never have done before this whole adventure started, Gideon thought.
“I’m the ship medic. We did have a few injuries in the…scrape…but I tended them straight away. Still, it might be good to get them into a proper examination room.”

“
You’re a doctor?” Talfryn blinked at Hayden, studyin’ him with the same curiosity she’d turned on the ship. Aitch went red about the ears and fiddled with his shirt buttons, and that at least was like old times. He never had been good at holdin’ up under a pretty girl’s scrutiny. “I’m sorry, you’re just awfully young.”

“
Well,” Hayden stammered, “you’re awfully young to be Under…um—”

“
Under Delegate of King Pryor. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you-”

“
No no, that’s alright, I
am
young, it—”

“Oh, so am I, I just thought—”

“Yes, we’re all young,” Reece cut in. It was hard to tell whose face was redder, Talfryn’s or Aitch’s. “Is there someone we can talk to about making a trade for supplies? We’re kind of on a tight schedule.”

Talfryn nodded.
“You don’t plan on staying the night? You all look as though you could do with some decent rest. Or maybe a swim in the hot springs?”

Gideon couldn’t be the only one sneakin’ Reece a hopeful sideways glance. He didn’t know about hot springs—he was used to swimmin’ in the pond at Emathia when it was cold enough to freeze over—but one night’a no guard duty, no chores, and no reason to look over their shoulders couldn’t go amiss. Besides, it was still Sterlin’ Eve.

Reece, no doubt aware’a the stares hittin’ him from all sides, frowned at a distant point and crossed his arms, his finger tappin’ out a rhythm on his sleeve. “Just the one night,” he finally said to Talfryn, sighin’ when he heard Po give a faint whoop’a victory. “We can’t stay past dawn.”

“
Of course,” Talfryn said quickly, eyes bright and excited, though she kept the rest’a herself in check as she gestured for them to follow her down the bay ramp and under the canopy’a energy holdin’ off the million tons’a ocean. “I would be happy to show you around. Maybe then you can tell me more of your Honora.”

The girl was a numpty for wantin’ to hear about borin’ old Honora when she lived in an underwater city that was more or less one big palace, but Reece and Scarlet humored her, answerin’ her questions while the r
est’a the crew gawked at Neserus. Their walk down the docks might’a been the most impressive part. Somethin’ about standin’ on a narrow plank’a wood and starin’ around at a world full’a water, blindly trustin’ the thin barrier’a Oceanun energy to hold back a power as old as the Epimetheus itself, made Gideon feel as small as an ant. He didn’t like it. He was used to bein’ the biggest thing around. But he was still in as much grudgin’ awe as the rest’a them as schools’a spine-backed fish made shadows ripple over their faces, and a bloated fish as big as a bus-ship bellowed in the distance.

They walked through an arch'a smooth wood inlaid with spirals’a gold and then through three or four corridors that were dirt near identical. Their floors and walls were all clean sparklin’ marble interrupted by long panels’a windows and softly round pillars. Deep green cloth draped a wall here or a window there and pooled at the feet’a glitterin’ gold vases that Gideon knew better than to touch because he’d probably just break them. He kept wantin’ to scrub his dirty hands down the front’a his waistcoat.

The stares were mostly thanks to the Vee. At a sly gesture from Reece, Mordecai and Nivy had grabbed either’a Owon’s arms to escort him along for the tour. That didn’t sit well with Gideon, but he’d learned his lesson about crossin’ Reece in public. If he wanted to chew him out, he’d have to do it later, when he could trust Reece would hear him out rather than just shut him down directly. Talfryn didn’t ask too many questions after Reece said in short that Owon was a prisoner that would need to be detained somewhere in the city, but her glances in the Vee’s direction doubled. Like the looks she’d given Hayden and Aurelia, they were simply curious where the other Oceanuns’ were wary and uncertain. As well they ought’a be.

Some’a the corridors they ventured down were tunnels’a heavyglass, tubes that connected the steeplin’ towers and looked out over the star-shaped city below. For each’a t
he four big piers, there were four smaller ones strung artfully between them. Four was apparently a key number, for the Oceanuns. Neserus was one’a the planet’s four grand cities. Talfryn had named them all, but Gideon only remembered two other than Neserus, and those just because they rhymed. Haldon and Faldon. Stupid names.