Imprudence (44 page)

While they refilled, Anitra explained that the Daughters of Sekhmet had been arguing about coming to their aid when the Drifters sought refuge. When Ay's balloon bobbed down to collect them, a dialogue had ensued. The cats agreed to help, not for the sake of Rue and her crew, but for the sake of reuniting with the Drifters. “It's a romantic notion, lost tribe, lost pride, returning to a nomad's life. Leaving the lake for the desert. They are ready to rejoin the world, I think. Ay can be most persuasive. He didn't become a leader solely through skill in trade.”

Miss Sekhmet grunted out a cat sound of disgust.

“Whether or not they are really ready for the world, they are excited to be part of a culture that reveres cats once more.”

Primrose raised both eyebrows nearly into her hat. “Those poor Drifters.”

Tasherit twitched her whiskers.

“Well, you do get rather superior, you shape-shifter types.” Primrose verbally twitched her whiskers right back. “Yes, I include you, Rue. I
like
the Drifters. They seem a decent sort.”

Anitra smiled. “I think my people will do fine. There will be growing pains, but watch this.”

The
Spotted Custard
finished the helium refuel and let the tube go. It floated back and was gathered in by the werecat crew.

While Percy checked to make certain everything was in decent working order aboard
The
Spotted Custard
, the massive airship floated away from them. The Drifters circled in around it, looking very small next to such a great lumbering thing.

The Drifters netted out, one after another, arranging themselves so they seemed to orbit the werecat's craft, colourful bumblebees to one tumescent muddy flower.

Together they caught a breeze and began drifting northwards towards the Sudd and the desert beyond. Homeward for all of them.

“
W
ell, that was fun.” Miss Sekhmet broke the ensuing reverent silence by returning to her human form.

“They look good together.” Primrose sounded as if she were observing a newly married couple. She turned to Anitra. “You're staying with us?”

Anitra turned to Rue. “You don't mind?”

“Course not!” Rue grinned at her. “Stay as long as you like. I'm sure Formerly Floote will love that.”

“I won't be a burden?

“Goodness no! You're handy with your medical herbs, fluent in various languages, and accustomed to floating. We're lucky to have you. Primrose will put you on the roster. Won't you, Prim? Assign permanent quarters and whatnot? Oh, and we have a resident ghost now. You'll need to decide where to install his tank so that he has the most shipboard access. Quesnel will help with that.”

Prim held up a hand. “We need food, Rue.”

“And fuel,” Percy said. For some reason he was looking particularly pleased about something. He was letting the
Custard
drift and not running the propeller any more.

“How long do we have before both are exhausted?” Rue snapped to business.

“Two days.” Prim knew without having to check her ledger.

“Four with minimal use. One and a half at full power.” Percy didn't call the boiler room; no doubt he, too, had already checked.

It's like we're a proper dirigible crew at last!
Rue was secretly delighted, but she did give their situation some thought.

She came to a decision. “We make for the aetherosphere.”

“Rue, it's uncharted,” Percy protested, but his hand was already hovering over the puff button.

“So we chart it. Find something that takes us, what, eastwards? Where do you think the nearest major city is?”

“Zanzibar,” said Percy promptly. “But that's the other side of Kilimanjaro.”

“Zanzibar it is.”

Naturally, he found them a current. Percy may be a pill of particularly fine vintage, but he was awfully good at navigation. He was ridiculously pleased with himself as a result, making murmurs about reporting
his
new current to the Royal Geologic Society and whether he could convince them to name it the Tunstell Thoroughfare.

Nearly everyone who could be spared went to bed the moment they hit the grey, leaving Percy and a skeleton crew up top in case anything more went wrong. Miss Sekhmet, of course, was dead to the world regardless. Formerly Floote stayed trapped in the ghost holder while they were in the aetherosphere. Everyone else went willingly to their respective beds.

Except Rue. Rue went to Quesnel's bed.

They'd moved him back from engineering to his improvised sickroom, much to his disgust. Rue promised he could go back to his platform in the boiler room once he got some sleep.

They were both beyond exhausted.

Rue insisted Quesnel take a little more laudanum because he was back to looking positively awful. He agreed to a dram
only
after she settled on the bed next to him, trying not to jostle him.

“Where are we off to now?” He snaked his good arm around her, tugging her close against his side, and began stroking her tangled hair in a meditative way.

“Zanzibar, we hope. We'll catch a restock and a refuel there.”

“And then?”

“Got us a stateroom full of prisoners. I'll turn them over to the German authorities as poachers. Except my dear cousin. He's staying with us.”

“Oh yes?”

“What, shouldn't I get to know my family better?” Rue gave a vicious smile.

“And by
get to know
I'm assuming you mean with a few sharp objects? Try not to cut off anything important.”

“I don't like being hunted. I thought I might take the time to instruct him as to how
much
I don't like it.”

“That's my sweet gentle girl. And then?”

“Exploring. If there are werelionesses and weremonkeys, what else might there be out there?”

“Other kinds of vampires, like the Rakshasa.” He wasn't trying to put a dampener on her enthusiasm – just trying to keep her realistic.

“Eww. Yes, but also new and amazing creatures we haven't even dreamed of! Immortals lost to myth and history and… Oh, it will be
such fun
.” Rue's zeal was arrested by a sudden fear. She turned against his side and leaned up on an elbow to look into those amazing violet eyes.

“You'll stay?”

When Rue had first pulled together a crew, she promised the officers it would only be temporary.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“You'll have to fix this kefuffle with Percy.”

“He's staying?”

“He likes this life. Won't ever admit it, but he
does
. Secretly always had a flair for drama and adventure, despite his hermit tendencies.”

“And Primrose?” The poppy was starting to slur his speech. “What a silly question. Of course she is staying.”

“She still claims to be engaged. We'll have to settle that when we return to England. But for now, yes.”

“Which means Tasherit is staying.” Quesnel smiled at her.

“And Anitra.” Rue smoothed back his hair, the strands soft against her fingertips. “And Formerly Floote.”

“About Percy. We've come to an agreement.”

“Anything to do with his wearing your wrist emitter? You know he saved my life with that thing.”

“As he should. We've agreed to co-publish. Of course, we can't decide on who gets to be first in the byline, but… ”

Rue laughed.

“So you
do
want me to stay,
chérie
?”

“For as long as you're willing.”

He smiled. His eyelids were beginning to close whether he willed it or not. The robins and their feathers were pressing in. “I have a great deal more to teach you. Years and years worth.”

“Should we marry, do you think?”

“That'd likely make it easier. With the lessons, I mean.”

“I do love your lessons.”

“And me?” His pansy eyes opened wide and winning; perhaps the laudanum hadn't quite taken him yet.

“Yes. I very much love you, too.”

“Thank goodness.” The poor boy was shaking ever so slightly. “I really thought you'd never take me seriously.”

“I wouldn't go overboard if I were you.” Rue bent and peppered his neck with little kisses, careful to avoid the bandages. He squirmed a bit. “Hold still.”

“Don't tease,
chérie
.”

“Don't you want to know how well I remember said lessons?”

“More than you could possibly imagine. But I'm not exactly capable of a full assessment at the moment.”

Rue chuckled and relaxed down next to him. She did want to do more. But he was right: he was still recovering, and apparently, they would have the rest of their lives to pursue this particular line of study.

He was drifting off. The lines of pain pulling on his face eased. The happiness remained.

“You'll sleep here?” He pulled her as close as he could with his good arm.

Rue felt a spike of giddy joy. So he
did
want to sleep next to her. “All night?”

“I promise not to snore if you promise not to turn into a wolf, or a lioness, or a mongoose, or any other odd supernatural thing next to me.”

“Agreed,” said Rue.

Place and street names in this book (when not entirely fictitious) are based on those listed in Amelia B. Edward's
A Thousand Miles Up the Nile
(published in 1877) and written on maps of Africa from the 1890s. Spelling is authentic to the time period, e.g. Assûan, Wady Halfeh, Abu Hammed, and Khartoom.

This one is for my fans, with particular love to all who have taken time to reach out and connect with me over the years. You know who you are. You who started fan groups and helped moderate them; who wrote reviews and asked for interviews; who created costumes, artwork, and delicious baked goods – Skye, Ty, Ris, Katie, Stephen, Nicole, Dick, Jami, Clinton, Veronica, Angelica, Hannah, Claire, Christine, Amanda, Bethany, Miss K and the St Louis Parasol Girls, and so many more! Your support means everything. I feel like I have enjoyed life's greatest gifts: to be blessed with many friends.

You see, I have always written, but without you (yes, you with the eyeballs reading this now) I'm only a writer, not an author. When a reader takes time to reach out to me the circle completes and I know I'm not sending words out into an empty void.

Thank you.