Agatha H. And the Clockwork Princess (58 page)

Everyone within earshot stared at the Captain in astonishment. Finally Bangladesh couldn’t contain herself any more and burst out laughing as she hit a lever. “Or we could just blow it up!”

The other crewmen relaxed. The scope operator wiped her brow. “You had me going there, Captain.”

On the keel of the airship, a bomb-bay door fell open and a small dropedo screamed earthwards, landing within two meters of Agatha’s projector. There was a satisfying explosion, and the giant image disappeared.

On the firing line, everyone blinked at the sudden cessation of sound. Even the crowd paused for a second, before continuing their advance.

“Eyes front!” Scorp roared. “The enemy is still advancing!”

Tarvek stared upwards at the smoldering keep. Suddenly, the ramifications of the silence hit him. The background music had stopped. Which meant—

He whipped around in time to see Lucrezia assess the situation. He shouted to the soldiers. “Ignore the crowd! The Heterodyne Girl! You’ve got to grab—”

The gunshot echoed from the stone walls and froze everyone. Tarvek dropped to the ground as Lucrezia tossed the revolver away. “Such a waste,” she sighed. Then she shouted. “
KILL THE SOLDIERS! KILL THEM ALL!
” And with a laugh, she vaulted over the nearest railing and darted off.

“Where’n the hell did she get a gun?” Scorp yelled.

The medic paled. “This… this is my gun, Sergeant.”

“You and you!” the Sergeant pointed to two troopers. “Get after her!
Take her down!
” To the rest he roared, “Firing positions!”

He then faced the onrushing mob of unarmed civilians and grit his teeth. “
FIRE!
”

Lucrezia heard the boom of rifles, followed by the roar of the machine cannons from behind her and smirked. “That will keep them busy.” She turned a corner and almost tripped over a wounded and shackled Vrin.

“Lady?” The Geisterdamen roused herself and smiled out from under the bruises. “I knew you would return!”

Lucrezia frowned. “You look terrible. I doubt you can run—” she examined the staple driven into the stone wall
⁷³
, “—even if I could release you.”

A pensive look stole over Vrin’s face. “Lady, please—”

“I’m sorry, but I simply can’t leave you here for dear Klaus to interrogate.” She stepped close and fixed the trapped woman with her full gaze. “
Vrin—DIE.
”

The chained woman jerked and fell back, and with a look of agonized betrayal frozen upon her face, began choking and gasping as she thrashed upon the ground.

A pair of Wulfenbach troops pounded around the corner, saw Lucrezia, and raised their rifles.

She looked over her shoulder as she took off. “You wouldn’t dare—”

Two bullets whipped past. One perforating her sleeve, the other clipping a few strands of hair. “Stop!” she screamed, “I surrender!”

She turned, hands raised, and saw the two soldiers taking aim at her heart. “Good.” The left one said. “That’ll make you easier to hit.”

The unfairness of this statement so surprised her, that a Jägermonster dropping from above and slamming the soldiers’ guns from their hands with a gigantic halberd seemed almost anti-climactic.

In seconds, the two soldiers were overwhelmed by a small crowd of people that included two more Jägers, a woman Lucrezia was able to identify as a Skifandrian, and a tall, good-looking fellow with a great deal of well-placed muscles.

They must be friends of my daughter
, she realized.
They should be easy to fool.

“You okay?” The voice was a bit odd, which was only fair, as upon turning, Lucrezia saw that it came from a white cat in a uniform.

To her embarrassment, she shrieked in surprise. This caused the cat to leap in terror to the top of the tallest thing in the vicinity, which at the moment, was Lucrezia.

There followed a most undignified display of mutual screaming and thrashing that left the two even more entangled than when they’d started.

“What’s the matter with you?” The cat demanded, “You almost scared me to death!”

The Skifandrian looked at her with narrowed eyes, “Are you all right?”

Lucrezia realized that subterfuge was worse than useless, and went straight to bewilderment. She’d always been good at that one. “Actually, I’m not sure. I think I’ve been drugged. I don’t…” she took a deep breath. “Do I know you people?”

They all looked at each other. Apparently her being drugged wasn’t totally unexpected. The tall man stepped forward. “I’m Lars. I’m… we’re all your friends. We’re here to rescue you.”

Lucrezia looked up at the earnest young man and had to restrain herself from running her hands over him. From the look on his face, if her daughter hadn’t done so already, then she had missed an obvious opportunity. “What a shame I don’t remember you,” she said softly.

The startled look on his face told her to dial it down a bit. However it had been a
pleasantly
startled look. Yes, there was fun to be had here when things had settled down a bit.

“So… Lars… what now?”

Lars glanced up at the hovering airships. “First? We get out of Sturmhalten.”

The cat visibly drooped. “The sewers again.”

“Hy go find us a vay in,” Ognian volunteered, and shambled off.

Lars continued. “I’m afraid so. After that? I guess we get you to Mechanicsburg. It’s only about three days away from here by horse if we ride steady.”

Lucrezia froze. “Mechanicsburg?”

Lars looked at her. “Well, yes, of course.” He took her shoulders. “We know you’re a Heterodyne. We’ll do whatever we—”

“NO!” Lucrezia pulled away from him. “I don’t want to go there!” There were too many things that could hurt her there. “I
can’t!
”

The Jägers stirred. “Iz best place for hyu. Keep hyu safe—”

“No! I won’t go there!”

Lars looked at her helplessly. “But… but where will we go?”

Lucrezia desperately tried to think—

“
ENGLAND!
”

The firm voice came from above. They all stared upwards at the tall man in flying leathers who leapt down from the ledge overhead. He stood before Lucrezia and formally bowed. He appeared to have a large bruise upon his forehead.

“I am Ardsley Wooster, of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The Lady Heterodyne should remember me.”

He glanced at Agatha and was perplexed to see the look of bewilderment upon her face.

Maxim stepped forward. “Right now she dun remember nobody, Brit.”

Zeetha nodded, “She’s been drugged.”

“It’s true.” Krosp stared up at Ardsley. “She smells like a chemical lab. Trust me.” He paused, “But
I
remember you from Castle Wulfenbach, you were pretending to be Gilgamesh Wulfenbach’s valet.”

“That was my cover.” He studied Krosp. “I’m afraid I don’t remember you.”

Krosp smiled. “I’m sure most people consider you a pretty good spy, but they probably couldn’t find the stuff you kept hidden in the linen closet air vent.”

Wooster stared down at him and then nodded. “Lady Heterodyne, you are in grave danger here. I am empowered to extend an invitation to you to seek sanctuary in England, as an honored guest of Her Majesty. I have a flying machine at my disposal. It is parked back near your circus, so we must hurry.”

Krosp frowned. “What guarantees do we have—”

“I accept!” Lucrezia declared.

A sharp whistle broke into the conversation. Ognian waved at them from around a corner. “Lezz go, keeds! Qvickly! Dere’s soldiers all over der plaze!”

Shortly thereafter, they were once again clambering through the fetid pipes under the town.

Krosp scooted up to Lucrezia. “Agatha, are you sure about going to England?”

Lucrezia grinned. “Oh, yes! It’s perfect! As long as Albia lives, England is closed to Klaus.” A thought struck her. “Unless… Mr. Wooster, Albia
does
still rule, yes?”

The question caused Ardsley to stumble and he stared at Agatha with frank amazement upon his face. “Good heavens, yes. Why in the world would you think otherwise?”

This was a reasonable question, as Albia had been the reigning queen for a very long time
⁷⁴
.

“I… I’ve been out of touch,” Lucrezia said defensively, “Anything can happen.”

Wooster smiled and turned to continue. “Not in England, Miss. Her Majesty wouldn’t permit it.”

They turned a corner and daylight could be seen in the distance. They quickened their pace at the sight and soon encountered a rusty stormgrate. A shattered lock showed that the Jägers had preceded them, and they emerged, blinking, onto a streambed cluttered with debris. They waded ashore as Maxim and Zeetha reappeared from over a small hill.

“Hokay! Der circus is parked in the caravan staging area, and hy dun see any Vulfenbach troops.”

Zeetha nodded. “They’ve got all the wagons hitched up, so it looks like they’re getting ready to move out.”

Krosp frowned. “No troops at all?”

“That’s a stroke of luck,” Lars said.

“I suspect that Sturmhalten is putting up more resistance than the Baron expected,” Wooster said thoughtfully. “The whole giant lady thing, you know.”

Krosp nodded. “That won’t last though. The Baron’s strength comes from paying attention to the details. We’ve got to get out before he gets here.”

Wooster concurred. “But once
we’re
gone,” he said to Lars, “your people should be safe.”

Lucrezia laughed. “Oh yes. Just tell him that I threatened to kill you all if you betrayed me.”

Lars looked at her askance. “That seems a bit
much
.”

They crested a small ridge, and below them were the caravan grounds. The circus wagons were indeed all hitched up. The horses stamped their feet. A few tenders were busy in the distance checking harnesses.

Wooster stopped. “Where is everyone?”

Lars pointed. A crowd could be seen at the center of the array of wagons. “Pre-travel meeting. Whenever there’s a possibility of trouble, Master Payne assigns places down the road where we can all meet up.” He glanced back at the town and the airships floating overhead. “I think trouble on the road’s a pretty safe bet this time,” he said ruefully.

They came up to the three Jägers, who were looking uncharacteristically glum. Dimo was talking.

“Hyu two eediots gots to take care uf Miss Agatha, now.”

“Yes, Dimo,” the other two replied.

“
And
youselves!”

Maxim and Ognian looked even more miserable. “Ve try.”

Krosp frowned. “Dimo? You’re staying?”

The green Jäger nodded. “Yaz. Ve saw tings dot de Baron must know about. Geistervimmin in der tunnels. Hive Engines—”

“No!” Lucrezia snapped. “I don’t want anyone going to Klaus!”

Dimo looked surprised. “But Lady, diz iz a lucky break for hyu.”

Lucrezia blinked. Dimo continued. “Diz iz impawtent hinformation. De Baron may be after hyu, but he hates vasps and der revenants. Ven he hears dis, he’ll go after der ghost ladies, not hyu.”

Lucrezia thought furiously. “But… but he’ll kill you.”

Dimo frowned. “Vot? No he von’t. Oggie vas de vun who ate all his—”

“Shoddop ’bout dot!” Ognian interjected.

“The Baron’s troops are shooting townspeople! If they’ll do that—”

Surprisingly, all of the Jägers grinned. “Ho! Iz dot all? Dun vorry ’bout dot! Dey’s using stun bullets and ‘C’ Gas.”

“What!”

Maxim nodded. “Ho yez! Hyu ken hear der difference ven dey shoots, eef hyu knowz vat to listen for.”

Wooster broke in. “They
are
standard issue for police actions, M’Lady.”

Tarvek might still be alive,
Lucrezia realized.
How inconvenient.

“So Hy vill buy hyu time—”

“
No!”
Lucrezia screamed in frustration. “You serve me and I
forbid
it! You’ll tell the Baron
nothing!
”

The next question came only because Dimo had been a free agent for over ten years. As it was, it surprised him as much as it did Lucrezia. “But… vy?”

She stared at him. Furiously, she opened her mouth—

“Yes.” The terrifyingly familiar voice said. “Tell them why.”

From the wagon in front of them, Klaus Wulfenbach stepped forward. From the other wagons, doors slammed open and dozens of armed soldiers began to pour forth and encircle them. “
I
would certainly like to know.”

Lucrezia stared at him, frozen by a cascade of emotions, of which both guilt and fear played a large part.

In the distance, Lars saw the circus members being quickly hustled off by a squad of soldiers.

Klaus stared down at her. He was used to reading people, but the reactions he was seeing on the face of the Heterodyne girl seemed inexplicable. “My spotters saw my son’s flying machine, even though he is still back aboard Castle Wulfenbach. I can only assume that he sent his Mr. Wooster here to rescue you from me.”

Klaus ran his eye about the scene. Unsurprisingly, the British agent had vanished. He wouldn’t get far. Klaus turned back to the girl. “It seemed a reasonable guess that you would turn up here.”

Klaus paused. “But perhaps you do not
need
‘rescuing.’ At least, not from me.” His features softened a bit. “You are Bill Heterodyne’s child. You were raised by Punch and Judy, two of the best people I ever knew. My son… believes in you. Most importantly, you seem to have been raised away from the influence of your mother and her family.”
That got a reaction. A small twitch in the left eye. Interesting
.

“If you are indeed innocent, then step forward now. It would be best for you—” Klaus paused, “—For everyone, if you joined me willingly.”

A hush fell over the scene. The soldiers had paused. They were all watching and listening.

Klaus spoke gently, but clearly. “Yes, you will be guarded. This town is infested with a heretofor undiscovered type of revenant. Until I know what has happened here, until it is controlled, I trust no one.” He firmed up his voice, and it rang out. “I can be ruthless, but I
try
to be fair. What is your decision?”

“I…” The fate of Europa teetered upon the edge of a knife. “I…”

“Agatha,” Zeetha stepped from around Lars. “This is the best thing we could have
hoped
for. Why are—”