The 7th of London (44 page)

T
HE
days leading up to the wedding were surprisingly uneventful in Undertown. Days were routine and slightly boring. The highlight had been the shipment of lightning rifles from Midnight based on Tesla’s designs and utilizing the shipment of miniature Faraday wheels in place of the Tesla bulbs. They needed much calibration to fire focused beams of energy, but between Sev, Kettlebent, and Heph, they managed it.

Plans were finalized and teams assembled and assigned duties and attack routes. Heph had a model of the palace with the specifics of the wedding ceremony procured by Sutherland and filtered through Midnight.

As boring as it was below ground, above, the city was bustling with life. Guests and dignitaries were arriving from all over the world, and the citizens of London, Fairside, and Blackside were preparing. Entire armies of servants were being assembled to tend to the needs of the aristocracy and their guests, and though spirits should have been high, there seemed an odd air of apprehension seasoning the moods of the above-grounders.

Below, the air crackled with excitement. It was a grim, serious excitement, but it was excitement nonetheless. Sev had spoken with many of the children. They were nervous, worried about the fight that lay ahead, and he hadn’t sugarcoated anything. They were curious as well. Most of them had never tasted freedom, having grown up under the bootheel of industrial and societal oppression, and they wondered what it would be like to finally get to choose a future for themselves.
This certainly is a strange age
, Sev thought. Anything could happen in the next two days. Based on what Sev had seen in his short time on this earth, no one could predict what the outcome might be.

K
ILDEGGAN
called a meeting the night previous to the eve of the wedding. All of Undertown gathered at the base of the tower at half-six. His intention was to address the Undertowners and the friends of the cause and then have a giant feast, relax, and enjoy another night as children before they became soldiers or worse.

Midnight and the Duke of Sutherland arrived together with Madame Beauchamps just before six. This would be Faraday’s final night in Undertown as well. He’d been invited to the ceremony and needed to return in time to prepare. Xiang had done all he could in the time he’d had, and he, along with Faraday, was to return with the duke and Midnight. The Duchess of Inverness had been asked to be in the ceremony and had to decline Kildeggan’s invitation.

Sev and Silas met Midnight and Sutherland at the base of the tower. The two men were heading up to join Kildeggan and Madame Beauchamps for Heph’s speech.

“Good evening, Silas, Seven,” the duke greeted them. “I understand plans are proceeding apace.”

“Thanks in no small part to my ingenious stroke of inspiration to convert Fervis’s factory to our cause,” Midnight added with little humility.

“Our cause?” Silas demanded. “Since when is it
our
cause?”

“Aw,” Jack noised, reaching out and pinching Silas’s cheek. “Mr. Kettlebent, your persistent indignation is just adorable.” Silas slapped Midnight’s hand away. “Touchy,” the villain cooed.

“Jack, please.” Sutherland’s tone was scolding. “We’re all on the same side.”

“My apologies, Kettlebent,” Midnight said ungenuinely.

“After Kildeggan’s speech, would you two join us in the office? We need to discuss some specific details about the day of the ceremony, and I have something of a surprise that may give us an added advantage,” Sutherland explained.

“Of course,
Your Grace
,” Silas agreed.

Sutherland scowled at Silas’s jesting formality. “You’re as bad as he is.” The duke indicated Midnight. Silas blanched but said nothing. “Well, I think we should join Hephaestus. What do you say, Jack?”

“After you,
Your Grace
.” Jack bowed and motioned for Sutherland to enter the lift, although he looked up and tipped Silas a wink.

“My point exactly,” Sutherland stated. “I can’t wait to have a look at the artifact.”

“Oh, it’s impressive,” Midnight replied. The rest of their words were obscured by the sound of the lift.

“Come on, Silas,” Sev said, attempting to divert his friend’s anger. “Let’s see if we can find Rat.” They picked their way through the gathering crowd, and found Rat standing alone near the back of the group. “All right, Rat?”

“Aye. What’s up with them blokes?” Rat dragged on his pipe, then let the smoke drift out.

“Same old,” Sev answered with a shrug.

“Oy, Benty,” Rat said to Silas.

“Hello, Ratty,” Silas answered with undisguised annoyance. Rat had adopted Midnight’s pastime of taking the piss out of Silas, and the nickname was his newest form of torture. Silas hated it, but Sev was convinced it was helping Rat get over Annie’s death, so he’d asked Silas to tolerate it for a bit. Rat felt horrible, guilty that it had been Annie and not him, and Sev was sure that when Rat’s guilt, his pain weren’t so fresh, he’d abandon the constant needling. To Silas’s great credit, he agreed, and though he didn’t pretend to enjoy it, he never punched Rat in the mouth.

A grinding whine sounded over the loudspeakers, and then Heph’s voice replaced it. “Good evening, my friends. We’ve been working hard these past months and diligently for even longer than that. And I thank you.” He paused as applause erupted from the street.

“The last few weeks have gone according to plan. We’ve been making our preparations, and though it was a tad dodgy for a bit, it has been smooth recently. Almost easy. We can’t let that lull us into a false sense of safety.

“This is the calm before the storm, people. And we are that storm.” Another pause for a round of cheering and whooping. He raised a hand to quiet them. “But we do not have an easy fight ahead of us by any means. Nothing can truly prepare us for what we are about to face.

“We stand on a precipice, my friends. But we stand together. We are the harbingers of change and for better or worse, the day after tomorrow we march into battle to save our queen, to save our city, to save our empire! We march into battle for the future of every child in London!”

Madness and excitement exploded from the gathered mass of children. The hardship they’d faced and were about to face brought them together in a way that no one else could understand. They cheered, clapped, and embraced one another. Someone took up chanting “Undertown” and soon everyone in that cavernous space had raised their voices as one. Sev would be surprised if the above-grounders couldn’t hear or feel the vibrations from the commotion below. Heph didn’t try to calm them this time, just let them wind down. He waited nearly a quarter of an hour until the crowd had settled.

“All right, my friends. This is it. Tonight you are just children having a good time. Tonight you are just children without a care in the world. Have fun. Eat well. Be young.” The silence that met his final statement was almost as deafening as the cheers that had come before it. “Off you go,” he told them. “Murry’s been cooking since last night, you blighters! Go!” The children laughed and clapped at that, obeying their mentor to file off to dinner.

“Not bad, as speeches go,” Rat critiqued.

“We have t’meet with Heph and the rest up in the office. Care t’join?” Sev asked him.

“Aye, all right.” He puffed his pipe as they waited for the crowd to disperse a bit before walking to the tower.

K
ILDEGGAN
was sitting on his desk with Sutherland and Madame Beauchamps occupying the two chairs in the room. Midnight leaned near the window, absently stroking Henry, who’d apparently joined them when he’d seen Sev entering the tower. “Ah, good. Come in. Come in. You’ve brought Rat, excellent.” Heph waved them over. Rat strode around Heph’s desk and climbed into the man’s chair, leaning back and putting his feet on the desk. Heph didn’t protest. “Rat, I want you to be one of Prometheus’s gunners.” Rat sat up, shocked. “What do you say, old man?”

“I, uh. Yeah! Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Heph turned to address Sev and Silas. “William’s been in touch with Michaels.” Heph indicated the duke.

“Yes,” Sutherland confirmed. “And he’s agreed to cause a small distraction, which should give you access to the grounds.”

“Those two groups will be our first response when the situation escalates. You’ll need to get in quickly, unnoticed, and remain that way until the proper moment,” Heph explained further. “It’s not going to be easy, and I want each of you to lead one of the teams.”

“You’re splitting us up?” Silas asked.

“It makes sense,” Sev agreed, nodding. “Where will ye be?”

“I’ll be on the grounds before you arrive.”

“How?” Sev asked.

“Despite your dislike of secrets, this will remain so until the ceremony.” Sev knit his brows in response. “Seven, allow me this little bit of theatricality.” Sev waved his acquiescence. “Thank you.” Heph continued to talk, showing them on the model of the grounds where the Steamcoats would be positioned. It would be up to Sev and Silas to disable as many as they could without being discovered before reinforcements arrived. “We’ll reserve Prometheus to guard the flank. The Steamcoats who rush to the alarm will be dealt with by that team.”

“We’re expected t’do this in broad daylight?” Sev asked. He knew they would be required to, but he expected more of a distance attack. “Why don’t we just pick ’em off from a safe vantage point?”

“We have to get the Tear as close to the queen as we can before anyone realizes anything is amiss. That’s my job. Fairgate won’t be happy when he realizes what’s going on. That’s where you fellows come in. If we just try to shoot Fairgate from afar, there’s a chance the queen may get caught in the crossfire.”

“I share Seven’s concern about trying to remain undetected in the middle of the afternoon,” Silas said, adding his objection.

“I may be able to help with that,” Sutherland offered.

“
You
?” Rat startled everyone with his exclamation. “What’re
you
goin’ t’do?”

“I shall cause a constant source of gossip and confusion, not just among the guests but among the help and the military as well,” the duke answered with uncharacteristic smugness.

“And how do you presume to do that?” Silas asked.

“My invitation indicates that I may bring a guest of my choosing.”

“And?”

“I’m going to invite a guest the aristocracy will find shocking and offensive.”

“Oh dear,” Madame Beauchamps exclaimed, fanning her suddenly blushing skin.

“Someone they all know, but would never in a million years expect me to show up with,” he continued to explain, beaming at the aging prostitute. “A person of dubious employ.”

“You don’t need to ask, darling,” Madame Beauchamps assured him. “I will be happy to accompany you.”

“I appreciate the offer, my lady, but I’m afraid you just wouldn’t be shocking enough.” The duke shook his head.

“An old whore’d make most o’those stuffy bastards shite their breeches!” Rat blurted.

“Mr. Rat,” Madame Beauchamps admonished him.

“Sorry, mum.”

“Who then?” Madame Beauchamps asked.

“Me, of course.” Midnight stepped out of the shadows with a malicious grin.

“What? No!” Beauchamps exclaimed. “You’ll be hanged!”

“I don’t think so,” Sutherland disagreed. “It’s too important to Fairgate that the wedding proceed with no hiccups. And stopping the ceremony to arrest a prominent member of the aristocracy would certainly be a hiccup.”

“I’ve done some dangerous things in my time, but even I have t’say this might be takin’ things a bit far,” Sev said.

“I appreciate your concern. All of you. But I haven’t heard from the one person whose opinion on the subject is of the greatest concern.” The duke leveled his gaze at Midnight. “Well, Jack?”

“I’d claim I have to think about it, but I’d be lying. Yes. Of course, I will join you at the wedding. For the good of
our
cause.” Midnight smiled thoughtfully. “Whatever will I wear?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Silas sneered.

“Yes. I’m sure you’re right, Benty. Not a lot of notice, William,” said Midnight.

Sutherland shrugged. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well, it is that,” Heph agreed. “If they’re half as thrown off by this as I am, then we’ve nothing to worry about.”

“This has all been fascinating, but I’m rather in need of some nourishment,” Madame Beauchamps announced a bit too curtly. “Is there anything else?”

“No, I think that about covers it. Shall we go to dinner, then?” Heph offered the madam his arm, and she warmed a bit as she took his elbow.

“And shall we?” Sutherland asked Midnight, offering his arm in an imitation of Kildeggan. Jack took it mirthfully, and they strode happily to the lift. Silas and Sev stood with Rat, watching the adults load into the lift.

“This is one daft revolution,” Rat commented, before joining Sev and Silas on the lift.

T
HE
day before the royal wedding held tension for the inhabitants of Undertown. Most of them remained awake and reveling as long as they could manage, desperate to hold on to what might be their last night as children. The day started off sluggish with many people just milling about attempting to mentally prepare themselves for what awaited them.