The Floating City

Sabreur's reaction was predictable.  He had the firebomb out with his thumb on the detonator faster than Langley could grab his wrist.  Then the twins were immobilized, the armed firebomb poised for throwing while the captain of the skimmer just looked on, the blob of black flesh and bone wavering what might be a head back and forth.

"Um," Sabreur finally said, "I can't disarm this."

"I know," Langley replied, turning her attention to the captain and addressing him next, "I'm sorry for putting you in this awkward situation, but is there a nearby part of the ship that you wouldn't mind having blown up?"

The captain raised one hand.  It trembled and the flesh adhered tight to the bones, the dark splotches more visible now.  They weren't from age – this man did not have the look of the elderly – and they seemed to swim under nearly translucent skin.  He pointed at the door across the hall.

"First mate," he said, "Just open the door, throw that contraption in, and slam it shut."

"Where is the first mate?" Langley asked.  She let go of Sabreur's wrist and he hurried over to the door and flung it open.

A shriek came from within, strong enough to almost knock Sabreur back and Langley pulled her hat down over her ears, swearing as she did.  It was difficult to tell if the inhuman voice was screaming in pain, fear, or anger.  Even the copper-blob flattened into a puddle, yet the captain remained unfazed.  Sabreur threw the firebomb in, slammed the door shut, and with a muffled explosion the scream stopped.  

"That's the first mate," the captain replied.

The twins just stared at him.  He gestured at the small table.

"Come, sit down.  This is going to take some explaining."

He had both his arms visible now and his right hand was missing.  The stub of his arm was black and had a strange consistency to it, like melted wax.  As the twins watched, the copper-blob oozed across the table, reached up, and attached itself to the stub.  The small bones inside arranged themselves accordingly and the dark material swam back into the captain's flesh, his hand now whole again save for spaces where there simply wasn't enough skin to cover the bones.  This did not seem to bother him and he folded his hands before him.

"I set that on fire," Sabreur said, staring at the hand.

Bones small enough to be those of a rat... or a human hand.

"I guessed as much," he replied, "My name is Captain Joeshe.  Please, seat yourselves.  I've been eating the copper of the ship as I've found I've lost all taste for anything else.  You're safe."

The twins exchanged glances and then slowly made their way to the table, uneasily sitting down.  The dark spots in his cheeks swam downward into the neck.

"I'm Langley," she said, "and this is my brother Sabreur.  The City sent us to find out what happened."

"I think you can guess," Joeshe replied with a wry smile, "We hit a hot spot."

"How bad?"

"Small but strong.  We didn't realize we had found one until we were on the fringes.  I have it mapped out in my log... you'll want to take that with you.  Our 'mancer tried to secure the ship and minimize the impact."

"We saw the kitchen," Sabreur volunteered.  The captain closed his eyes in pain.

"Yes," he said softly, "It didn't work.  We were securing everything we thought could be warped and he... he went down to the boiler room when we hit the center of the hot spot.  And he lost control.  The ship is alive now... I've been sending out bits of this, this THING, I've become to eat the relay lines and stop his influence.  Two of my crew were lost to the kitchen.  Their eyes – did you see?"

He sighed and turned, pulling a black book off a nearby shelf and passing it to Langley.

"That's the log.  It's best if you assume the entire crew is lost.  I'm not even sure what happened to my first mate.  Too afraid."

"There's some flooding," Langley said carefully, passing the log to Sabreur to stow in his satchel, "How extensive is it?"

"Kitchen is minor.  Crew corridors are breached and flooded.  Some spilled over into the boiler before we got that patched.  Waist deep."

"So another couple explosions should do it," Sabreur mused, "I think we got the charges already set.  We're good to go."

"You could come back with us," Langley offered.

The captain shook his head and more black spots swarmed about his appearance.  They congregated and his left ear partly liquefied before the twin's eyes, sliding slowly down the cheekbone as black fluid.

"Too late.  We're all dead or dying.  I do ask one thing though."  He stared at them, the first glint of madness in his eyes.  "The boiler.  That's what our 'mancer went to check on when everything went wrong.  Find it.  Destroy it.  Then sink the ship.  Now get out!"

"But..." Langley began.

"OUT!"

And the captain lunged at them from across the table.  His jaw unhinged as the flesh supporting it dissolved, streaming down bare teeth like black blood and there was the popping of tendons.  His arms bent at odd angles and the twins scrambled for the door, nearly falling over each other, and the captain crawled after them, pieces of him sliding off and leaving a trail of vicious liquid behind.  And all the while he screamed from a decaying throat.  Only a few words could be made out... cannot die... boiler... we cannot die... boiler....

Langley tripped on Sabreur's legs, managed to kick herself out, and kicked the door to the cabin shut.

"Seal it!" she yelled, "Just – something!"

"No – move!"

And Sabreur grabbed his twin, dragging her to her feet and the two stumbled down the hall towards the ladder leading to the next level, while behind them they heard beating at the door, like someone was swinging a wet sack at the wood, and it was quickly bursting at the seams.

Langley threw up once they were down the ladder.  Sabreur pulled the hatch down, sealing the two in the room.  The smell of burnt kelp hung heavy in the air and did nothing to help with Langley's stomach.  Neither spoke for the longest time.

"Don't think we can go back that way," Sabreur finally said.

"No," she agreed, wiping off her mouth, her skin pallid, "Press on.  Find the boiler, blow it, and get out.  It should be above the water-line – if we put a hole in the hull we can get out and swim the hell away before blowing the charges you placed."

"Yeah.  Do you..."

"I'm not thinking."  She stood, pulling out a pistol and checking the shot.  "I'm done thinking.  If he comes after us, we use fire.  Now c'mon.  There's a stove in the kitchen that needs to be fed some firebombs."



Mihos sat cross-legged in the middle of Crystal's cabin.  Crystal knelt behind him, carefully braiding his hair.  Silver, streaked with the colors of birds, it seemed almost metallic in the light.

"So she's going to be alright?" the Avatar asked.

"That's what the doctor said," Crystal replied, "Would you have fixed it?"

"Of course."

"I didn't mean to hurt her.  Bryna is so nice."

Mihos didn't reply.  There was no use telling Crystal his thoughts.  Of course he would have fixed the woman's eyes if she were blinded permanently.  It was his champion's fault and was only right.  But as is, Bryna would be flash-blinded for about a week.  Long enough to severely irritate Ajiin, surely, and long enough to keep her from trying to teach Crystal more 'mancy.

Forget control.  He was an Avatar.  Crystal could throw around as much 'mancy as she wanted to.

"Are the twins safe?"

"Hm?"

Crystal finished tying the braid away and scooted to sit in front of him.  His gaunt frame seemed to tower over her in the glow of the summoning circle.

"They're finding a lost skimmer."

For a moment Mihos looked distracted.  There were so many things to keep track of.  If it wasn't in his domain.... so hard to remember.

"I'm not sure," he finally said, "Unless their souls wind up in my realm I cannot really keep track of them.  I'll check with Cansin, though, as I think he's already staked a claim on the souls from that skimmer."

"Then the crew is all dead."

Mihos stood, gathering his robe about him.  The skeletons cavorting among the bird feathers seemed brighter than usual.

"Not yet," he replied, "It'll be a mercy when they are though."

"Can you promise me something?"

Mihos didn't reply.  Crystal looked up at him, her gaze innocent and hopeful.

"Bring Langley and Sabreur back safe for me?"

"I'll try," he lied, "But don't worry. Everything will be fine."

Mihos was not omnipotent.  For example, he wasn't aware that the twins were, at that very moment, standing just outside the kitchen with armed firebombs, while Langley calmly counted to five.

Everything would be fine, indeed.

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