A Clockwork Fairytale (6 page)

Turk waited until the monk was out of sight before walking back to the open door. His work for the Brothers was so secret only the senior members knew. His Eminence, the Shining Brotherhood’s Primate, Gregorio, stood with his back to the door, lamplight glowing on his golden robes as he poured ruby port into a long-stemmed crystal glass. “Turk, my dear friend,” he said without turning, “a measure of port for you?”

“A half measure, master,” Turk replied as he entered and closed the door behind him. “I don’t wish to miss my step on the way home.”

His master’s familiar wrinkled face creased into a welcoming smile as he turned and offered one of the glasses. “You’ve become a stranger, so rarely do you visit me these days. I miss your company. Please sit.” He gestured to the comfy leather chairs on either side of the cold fireplace.

“Are you well, master?”

Gregorio lowered himself carefully into one of the chairs and sighed. “Winter is past, but these old bones feel the chill of night. Earth is calling me back into its embrace, and, to tell the truth, I’m tired of fighting the good fight when the Royal Victualler glories unchecked in corrupt power.”

“Let me light the fire for you.” Turk kneeled at the hearth and put down his boots. He set out the small pottery bowl, block of lead, and file needed to raise a Fire Jinn.

Gregorio sipped his port while Turk filed a fine metal dust from the piece of lead into the bowl and whispered, “Great Earth Jinn, birther of all life, please give the Fire Jinn leave to rise at my call.” Turk cupped the small bowl in his palms and the filings flickered with golden flames. A tiny fire spirit rose, whirling and dancing in the blaze. “With faith, trust, and truth, I thank you, Great Earth Jinn, for the gift of power,” he whispered as he poured the contents of the bowl over the logs in the fireplace.

“Thank you, boy.” Gregorio patted his shoulder.

Turk set aside the bowl and took his seat. “So what has the
esteemed
Royal Victualler done to anger you this time?” he asked while he watched the Fire Jinn spin manically, catching alight the dried bark with a crackle.

Gregorio shook his head. “Have you got all night?” He sighed, a sad defeated sound that shivered unease through Turk. His master was always determined to defend the rights of the poor, but Turk sensed despair in his tone.

“Vittorio’s latest offence against the sensibilities of decent folk is to sentence four smugglers to execution in The Well. He exercises a rigid policy on the distribution of goods and chattels, yet when the people of the outer circles resort to smuggling in food to feed their families, he executes them.” Gregorio threw up his hands in disgust.

“As the king’s health fades,” he continued, “Vittorio’s power grows. He woos the silly nobles with his mechanical doodads and talk of airships and they can’t see through his deception. I’m certain he’s plotting to seize the throne from my brother. Despite my love of serving the Great Earth Jinn, I dearly wish I had not abdicated the throne. Had I become king when my father returned to the Earth, I would never have allowed Vittorio to acquire such influence. Ah, the wisdom of hindsight.” Gregorio released a protracted breath and downed a large swallow of port.

When Turk judged his master had finished venting his frustration, he deposited his glass untouched on a table and kneeled at his master’s feet, as he had done countless times since the day fourteen years ago when Gregorio had found him on a trash barge. “I come from the shadows to seek your advice, Shining One.”

The old man’s cool fingers touched Turk’s forehead. He waited for the moment of confusion when his master entered his mind, but it didn’t come.

Gregorio’s fingers withdrew. “Rise, Turk. Tell me your news. I’d rather talk tonight than scour your mind for dark deeds. Tell me something to cheer me up.”

Turk returned to his chair and took a moment to sip his port. The liquid burned down his throat while he considered how to broach the subject of Melba. “Yesterday, I accepted a pledge from a boy who wanted to train as a spy. The boy turned out to be a girl.”

Gregorio stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. He slapped the arm of his chair and shook his head. “I can always count on you to come up with the unexpected, boy. So what have you done with this enterprising girl?”

“She’s staying at my palace.” As Gregorio’s smile transformed into a frown, Turk hastened to explain. “There’s something special about her. Not only does she have natural power, but I suspect her to be the lost princess.”

“Great Earth Jinn!” Gregorio whispered. He rested his glass on the arm of his chair and stared thoughtfully at the Fire Jinn dancing among the flames. “If you
have
found the heir to the throne, it will certainly put an end to Vittorio’s ambition to succeed my brother.”

Gregorio’s penetrating blue eyes flicked back to Turk. “If we gain control of this girl, we’ll have a powerful voice in the political decision-making process. This could be excellent news for the people of Malverne Isle.” Gregorio beckoned him closer. “Come, I’ve changed my mind. Let me read you.”

Turk went down on his knees and hazy confusion swept through him as his master surveyed his thoughts. “From your memories she bears a likeness to her poor dear mother, but the twelve toes is the clincher.” He wiggled his own toes inside his gold silk slippers. “The feature is peculiar to my family.”

Turk sighed with a wealth of mixed emotions. Restoring Melba to her family would benefit her and the people of Malverne Isle, but he was not entirely happy with the Shining Brotherhood using her as Gregorio suggested.

“Did you notice from my memories that it was a bluejacket who delivered the stolen babe to Maddox?” Turk asked.

Gregorio nodded. “You were too young to remember, but that was around the time Vittorio was excommunicated from the Brotherhood, and he joined the Royal Fleet. I wouldn’t put kidnapping the princess past him if he thought it would be to his benefit. He was extraordinarily talented and determined when he was a trainee. It’s such a shame his personal ambition fouled his mind.”

“Maddox expected someone to return for Melba before she grew to be a woman.”

“Perhaps whoever left her with the baker planned to marry her to take the throne when her father died,” Gregorio suggested.

They stared at each other thoughtfully. “If Vittorio truly has ambitions to rule, that certainly implicates him in her kidnap,” Turk said. “But why hasn’t he returned for her?”

Gregorio sighed. “I cannot guess. But I do know that the Great Earth Jinn has delivered the princess into your hands for a reason, Turk. You must master this girl’s mind and train her to comport herself in a way befitting a princess so we can restore her to her father.”

Turk reared back, eyes wide. “She’s been raised as a boy, a runner and a thief.”

“I read your mind, boy. I’m fully aware of the enormity of the task, but succeed you must. This is of supreme importance to every man, woman, and child on Malverne Isle. If Vittorio assumes the throne, he will banish me and the Shining Brotherhood from the Isle and his Foul Magic will bring misery and suffering to everyone.”

“But if we return her to the Palace, she’ll be vulnerable to Vittorio’s poisonous influence. She might even be in danger.” Turk’s heart missed a beat when he imagined little skinny Mel in her baggy breeches and tatty jacket trying to stand up to the tainted magic of the Royal Victualler. It took years for the Shining Brotherhood’s initiates to master enough Earth Magic to progress to trainees and then full Brothers, and he would have time to teach Melba only the barest minimum to defend herself.

“We have no choice, Turk. We must restore the heir to the royal family. You must gain her trust and arm her with skills to resist the Royal Victualler’s magic. Once she returns to Court, all eyes will be on her. I cannot see how Vittorio could get away with attacking her.”

“Mastering her will be difficult. She’s untrained in the mental arts, but she instinctively protects her thoughts.”

“That is no surprise. She’s of my blood.” Gregorio, smiled, a hint of pride in his expression. “My brother ignored his magical potential but he’ll have passed it on to his daughter. No doubt she’ll lead you a merry dance, boy, but you’ll succeed. You have to.”

“I’ve accepted her pledge and given it to the Earth,” Turk said.

Gregorio tapped the arm of his chair. “Remember the tide runs both ways, Turk. If she’s strong, she might bend
you
to
her
will. A man and woman traditionally exchange pledges when they marry. The exchange is usually only symbolic, but when both man and wife have power, the practice takes on greater significance.” He raised his eyebrows. “Do you understand my meaning?”

Turk relived the strange pleasure-pain he’d felt when he gave Melba’s pledge to the Earth. The possible significance of that sensation unnerved him slightly. He sucked in air, forced it out again. “That problem had not occurred to me.”

“I must ask you to renew your vow of celibacy. You cannot consort with the heir to the throne under any circumstances.”

Memories of Melba’s dirty face, messy hair, and skinny naked body chased through Turk’s mind. She would not tempt him even if they were bonded like man and wife. “I avow there will be no inappropriate behavior, master.”

Gregorio compressed his lips and gave a satisfied nod. “Very well. I trust you not to let me down, Turk. Make sure the girl does not offer your pledge stone to the Earth. As the pledges were given willingly, the full bond would likely be too strong for you to resist.”

“I won’t teach her the technique, so the problem shouldn’t arise.” Turk concentrated on his breath to center himself. Sweet Earth Jinn, how was he to transform a ragamuffin like Mel into a lady of the Court?

“The girl wants to spy, so teach her to spy,” Gregorio said, rubbing his hands together. “She will be our ears and eyes in Court. But she must think she is working for you alone. No mention must be made of the Brotherhood’s involvement. Also keep her identity secret from her until we're ready to present her to the king. We don’t want her taking fright and running away. The king’s health is fading fast. We only have a short time to pull this off. I want the princess ready to present to my brother before the autumn floods.”

Turk sat bolt upright with shock. “That only gives me four months to work a miracle, master. She knows nothing of Earth Magic and she cannot even read and write.”

Gregorio slid forward to the edge of his seat and reached out to clasp Turk’s knee. “May the Great Earth Jinn be with you, boy. Give me a queen sympathetic to the beliefs of the Shining Brotherhood, and I’ll let you use the king’s reward money to build a refuge for the trash tykes.”

***

Turk stood just inside the door of the dark bedchamber where Melba slept. The gaslights in the hall had temporarily robbed him of his night vision, so he waited, blinking in the dark, until his sight sharpened.

The bed was empty and untouched, yet the whisper of her breath came from that direction. On silent feet, he rounded the foot of the bed and found the girl on the floor beneath the window. The hazy moonlight revealed she was fully clothed except for her boots, which were in easy reach at her side, ready for a quick escape.

He remembered all the tricks. He’d been a survivor as well.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, he crouched and stared at her toes. This girl should be dressed in silk and have her hair glossed with gold. She should bathe in milk and smell of roses and powder like the young ladies at Court who fluttered their eyelashes at him over their fans.

Melba’s feet were dainty despite the additional toes. Her skinny arms and legs and flat chest together with her pretty face made her appear androgynous. Maddox had done a good job of starving her to hide her female shape. Turk could not imagine Melba plump and soft like the fashionable Court ladies.

He felt in his pocket and placed a bar of pink rose soap wrapped in a soft washcloth beside her boots. He smiled into the darkness. It would be a battle to persuade her to keep clean and behave like a young lady, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. The next few months would be a challenge, but he must succeed. He wanted to please his master and foil Vittorio’s plans to steal the throne. But most of all, he wanted the reward for returning the princess. When he had enough coin, he was sure the Trash King would allow him to build the trash tykes a new home.

***

Melba woke to the scent of roses. She sat up and looked around, expecting to find that Turk had brought her some flowers.

She scrambled up from the floor and felt a pang of disappointment when there were no roses. She stared at the huge empty bed. The embroidered coverlet and lace-trimmed pillows were so perfect she didn’t like to touch them. She didn’t belong in this swish bedchamber with polished furniture and gold flowers painted on the walls.

For the first time since she’d pledged to Master Turk a twinge of regret caught her. Had she really been nothing more than a
deal
to Master Maddox? Had he never really wanted her? Everything he’d taught her and the advice he’d given her now seemed tainted. The thought of Maddox made her feel bruised inside, but she missed the other boys and the hustle and bustle of the third circle. It was too quiet in this great big palace with only Master Turk and Gwinnie for company.

She bent to stuff her feet in her boots and noticed a folded cloth. She nudged it warily with her toe and a smooth pink stone fell out. Rose fragrance wafted up so she picked up the stone, sniffed, and touched it with the tip of her tongue. Instead of tasting like roses, it tasted of soap. She had to spit three times and wipe her tongue on her sleeve before she got rid of the flavor.