Wind Dancer: Secret War Steampunk Series - Adventure, Mystery + Mad Science (6 page)

“You can stop right there, Smeadly,” Will called out. “I’ve
no mind for your games. Keep your hands were I can see them.” Smeadly stopped
again with a huge sigh, moving his arms out from his body. “Jarro,” Will
ordered, “the chair.”

Jarro pulled the chair out from behind the desk, pushing it
towards the middle of the floor. Will noticed that it was one of the new kind
that rolled on wheels.

“Smeadly, sit,” Will ordered. Smeadly sidled over to the
chair still keeping his hands away from his sides.

“Now, Willy,” Smeadly said in aggrieved tones, “You’re not
still having hard feelings over that Sydney business are you? It was a
misunderstanding is all. Why I’d never hurt you, we’re practically brothers we
is, sharing the same Christian name and all. That’s it, brothers! Besides it
all came out on the up and up in the end right?” Jarro growled deep in his
throat.

“Oh, hullo Jarro,” Smeadly said to him as he sat down. “Still
with him eh? You know you actually look uglier than I remembered. Life must be
good to you.” Jarro growled again.

“Jarro,” Will said quietly, “go watch the front.”

“Do not trust him, Cap’n!” Jarro said glancing at Will. He
turned to face Smeadly, “If you play us false again,” Jarro rumbled darkly, “I
will hunt you down and kill you, I swear it.” He pulled his blade from over his
shoulder with a meaningful look.

“Good to see you too, Jarro,” Smeadly said pleasantly.

“Jarro,” Will ordered again, “now.” He kept his own gun still
aimed at Smeadly's head. As Jarro left, Saira moved to cover more of the room.

“Well, hallo there pretty,” the smuggler leered. “Wot’s your
name then? Willy, you’ve definitely improved in your taste in companions, I
must say.”

“We’ll get to her, Smeadly,” Will said agreeably. He crouched
down at eye level with the smuggler, while staying out of his reach. “To be
very clear, this is not about Sydney. Word says that you’re now the man who
knows everything about how certain commodities move around and out of this
city.”

Smeadly shrugged, and puffed up his chest.

“Told you I’m a man of means these days, Willy. I knows
people it’s true.” He stared hard at Will, all warmth gone from his voice, “a
thing you should keep in mind.” He flashed his steel teeth again.

“Good,” Will replied heartily. “Then this should be easy for
an important man like you. A very expensive piece of gadgetry was stolen from
Shavian Laboratories in Calcutta about two weeks ago. Who did it, where is it
now?” Will watched Smeadly's face, and knew he’d struck gold. “Give me that
and we’re out of your life, easy as pie.” The silence stretched out, as the two
men eyed each other. Finally, Smeadly spoke.

“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you on that subject,
Willy. Some questions you shouldn’t be asking, if you follow me. And please,”
he said, voice harsh with contempt, “Don’t be trying any stupid threats. We
both know you don’t ‘ave the stones to force me. Kill me yeah, but I’m like as
dead anyway if I give that up to you.” He bared his teeth again.

“Well, I’m right sorry to hear that, Smeadly.” Will said in a
sorrowful tone. “Right sorry,” he nodded at Saira. Saira gave the smuggler a very
evil grin. She holstered her gun and pulled one of her knives. “You asked about
my friend here,” he continued, “you see, she’s a Naga. You have heard of them
haven’t you?”

Smeadly looked at Saira as if for the first time. Everyone in
India had heard whispers about the Naga, the sorcerous Serpent People who
killed in the dark. It was rumored that even the Thuggee of Kali gave the Naga
a respectful distance. Smeadly smirked at her.

“This little flower a fearsome Naga?” he asked derisively.
“You must be slipping Willy to think you could pull that one. He laughed and
then the laugh died as Saira caught Smeadly’s gaze. Will saw the man’s Adams
apple work. He could tell Saira was working her magic on him. He sat back on
his haunches to watch silently.

Saira sauntered towards Smeadly, running a thumb lasciviously
along the edge of her knife. Smeadly's eyes grew rounder the closer she came.
Will was reminded of seeing a snake catch a rodent, the rat frozen in place as
the serpent came closer.

Saira straddled Smeadly’s legs pinning him in the chair. She
carefully ran the knife down his cheek, a thin trickle of blood following where
it passed.

“I wonder if those teeth come out easily,” she breathed at
him.

“Oh God, Willy, I can’t tell you, man! I can’t,” Smeadly
erupted in terror, his eyes never leaving Saira’s gaze. “Can you not understand
that it would be the death of us all, you stupid Indian?” Saira stopped his
shouting by placing her blade against his lips.

“First, you should know that the Cap’n is a tribesman from
the Americas, an honorable warrior,” she breathed. “
I
am Indian, as I am
from
India
. You,” she moved the knife towards his eye, “are a
piece
of offal whose soul I will shrive with the rites of pain, and off up to the
Dark Ones in apology for your stain on the soil of my land.”

Will thought she might be overdoing it; he doubted Smeadly
had a soul, let alone thought much of it. But Smeadly screamed like the damned,
never taking his eyes off hers. “No Willy, please! Don’t let her do it!” The
little ganger started crying. “Don’t let her do it!” He broke down sobbing.

Will hated seeing anyone so undone, even a weasel like
Smeadly. It left him feeling unclean somehow. Still, Saira’s hexing seemed to
be working. He didn’t know what Saira was doing to him, but it was best to
continue the playing.

“Huntress,” Will said in low reverent tones to Saira, “I know
your offense at his life is great, but I ask you to spare him if he tells us
what we want to know.”

“But the shriving is such beautiful thing,” she crooned
softly in Smeadly’s face. “There is a moment when the pain is so transforming,
he will gain this radiant glow, and that is hours before death lifts him away.”
With a great sigh, Saira stopped the blade moving. “You may speak,” she ordered
him.

“I can’t tell you much.” Smeadly began hurriedly. “I do know
that powerful people are running this Willy, powerful ruthless people. The
thief was the Cat, you see, as canny as they come. He says as how it was the
big pay off, and would I move it to Hong Kong for him for a nice piece? They
found him yesterday morning in pieces almost too small to recognize.” Smeadly
paused wetting his lips. “He was canny Willy, the best I’s ever seen. Now he’s
mince, and the peelers aren’t even making a row of it.”

“Then that same morning an English toff with dead eyes comes
to me, asking if I could still move the Cat’s swag, only for him now instead.
Bugger wasn’t any local bloke I knows that. I swear Willy, I
looked
at
those dead eyes, and it was like something pissing on me grave. I said no, on
my soul Willy, I said no. I sent him to someone else.”

“Who Smeadly?” Will asked quietly.

“A Chin smuggler name of Hu Fan, runs a sea junk called the
Destiny
.”
Smeadly said. Both Will and Saira hissed between their teeth. Smeadly barked
out a mad laugh.

“I see you knows the blighter, alright!” Smeadly said.
“Figured no loss to me, old Hu runs afoul.”

“Tell us everything Smeadly,” Will said coldly, as he
squatted closer. “We’re listening.”

Chapter Six

Wind Dancer, the Indian Ocean

Will returned to the bridge with his coffee mug in hand and
looked out at the sun on the water. Given their
talk
with Smeadly, they'd
rushed back to
Dancer
. After a profanity and bribery−laced
scramble, they had grabbed sky that same twilight, mostly re-provisioned.
They'd started from the point the little rat had given them, then begun a
search that took them in an ever expanding zigzag. It should have been nearly
impossible to find a ship in the dark that didn’t want to be found. Only a full
moon and clear skies plus their electric lenses gave them any hope of success.
Still it was a big ocean, and night had turned into day, with no joy.

Will had taken a moment in the late morning to go to the
mess, where he'd been cornered by Devi Neelam, his Chief Engineer, while he
ate. Devi had been with the ship longer than anyone except Lawrence and
himself. Devi looked, and talked, for all the world like an aristocratic
Brahman who should be in silks and jewels, rather than the stained rubber apron
and boots she typically wore. She was damned good at her job though, and had
kept the
Dancer
flying, sometimes with little more than twine and hot
air.

Will wondered, not for the first time, what had led her to
the airdevil life. Not that it mattered. She was good, and fiercely loyal. He
listened to her for a moment, then cut to the chase, as she did tend to go on
about ‘her engines’.

"So how serious is it?" he asked around the last of
his porridge. With the familiar pained expression she always got when he asked
that question, she sighed.

"This is what I am trying to tell you Captain,” she said
spreading her hands at him, “I do not know this time. The number three Tesla is
flexing again. It is not enough spike that we cannot compensate." she held
up her hand to emphasis her point, "For now. But I cannot swear that it
will not spike enough to totally burn out, fusing the conduit array with
it." Will knew that would leave them floating in the sky with no power at
all.

“Everything I know says that we should take it off line
completely,” She finished, raising her tea mug to her lips for emphasis.

"I thought you said the number three was good for
another six months," Will said half crossly. Now would not be the time for
a serious maintenance issue, not he reflected, that it wouldn’t be the first
time.

"Yes, Captain," she sighed, putting the mug down.
"I was wrong."

"Look Devi," Will said seriously. "We may be
about to go into battle. Can the ship fight?"

"We will make her fight, if it needs to be. But I cannot
give you both cannon and full speed if we take the number three off line,"
She shrugged helplessly. Will thought furiously for a moment.

"Then don't." He raised his own hand to forestall
her protest. "I know what the dangers are here. We have to do this one,
Devi."

"Is it true that we are going after Hu Fan?" She
looked at him soberly. Will studied her. It wasn’t like Devi to ask after
mission details that didn’t affect the ship. What was she about?

“Yes,” he said shortly.

“Do you promise me that you will kill him this time?” She
looked at him with an intensity that was out of character for her. Will chewed
slowly, and then answered.

“I don’t make those kinds of promises Devi,” he said gently.
“If I have to kill him, I will. But the ship and the mission come first, you
know that. Why are you asking this?”

“Because he is an animal on two legs, Captain, as are all of
his kind,” she said fiercely. “A rabid animal should always be put down!” She
looked at him directly. “I ask this because I can smell that this ‘mission’ has
something to do with your secret purpose, and I am afraid.” She held up her
hand as he started to speak. “Please, spare me your jolly evasions. I know that
you and Rogers have some purpose other than money.” She sniffed. “You may fool
the others, but not I.”

“No, captain,” Devi continued, “I ask this, because it is
possible for one to lose one’s way when you are fixed on a goal too much. I
fear this for you. If you make any deal with Hu Fan that allows him to keep his
life, than I fear that you are indeed lost.” She paused, “I will not be lost
with you.” Will looked at her soberly.

"Devi.” he began, and was saved by the ship's chime.
"Captain to the Bridge, Captain to the Bridge." He stood up, grabbing
his tea mug. Looking down at her, he spoke, "You're the best Devi. Perhaps
I needed to hear that, I don’t know, I can’t say. Keep her in the sky for
me."

“Do not get us lost,” She returned bleakly. He nodded, a
quick jerk of his head.

Will walked briskly to the bridge, thinking on what Devi had
said. It was true that while he would like nothing better than to kill Hu Fan
himself, he
had
been thinking of ways to get the thingamabob back
without a fight. He’d been telling himself that he owed it to his crew to avoid
a fight when he could, which was true enough. But if he was honest, he really
didn’t want any chance that he would lose a chance to get his father’s killers.
After all, it wasn’t his job to police the world, was it? He crossed over to
Lawrence Rogers at the map table.

"What have we got?" He asked looking down at the
map. Rogers pointed to it.

"Crow’s nest just spotted a Chinese junk on the horizon,
here," the First Officer reported.

"Huh," Will studied the map, sipping his tea.
"We couldn't really have gotten that lucky could we?"

"We’re too far away to make a definite
identification." Rogers said. "Still think that Hu Fan is running
that bright red hull?" Will snorted, and took another sip of tea.

“Of course he is,” he said certainly. “Hu is one of the old
style scum. He still thinks that proclaiming his joss is stronger than anyone
else's makes him unbeatable. Let's close on her." Will snorted, and took
another sip. Rogers gave the orders and then pulled Will off to one side of the
bridge.

"He did get away from us at Japan." Rogers said in
a low voice, reminding Will of their last encounter.

"True words," Will said. He sat his cup down and
leaned on the map table, looking out at the sea. "This time though, he
doesn’t have a bunch of innocents for pawns."

"That we know of," Rogers insisted. "He may
though, that is his business."

"Aiya, maybe." Will looked out silently for a
moment. Maybe Devi was right, Will thought. After all the shady deals, the
compromises, maybe it was time to actually do it right, just this once.

"Lawrence,” he said in decision, “this time Hu Fan
doesn’t get away. If the crow comes to the corn, burn him to the water."
Rogers looked at his Captain carefully,

"I thought that our mission was recovering the
packet," he reminded Will. Will nodded agreement.

"And so it is. But Hu Fan isn't going to go free without
a by your leave, hear me?" Hunting Owl fixed his gaze on his First
Officer.

"Will," Rogers said softly, "you can't kill
all the villains in the world." Will grinned his boyish grin at him,
reaching for his tea mug.

"Wait and see," he vowed cockily. Will breathed
easier. This decision felt right to him. If a deal could be struck, he’d honor
it, however much he’d hate it, but it felt better to know that.

"And if he has hostages again?" Rogers continued
remorselessly. Will's jaw hardened. At that moment, Naomi Walters spoke from
across the bridge.

"Crow’s nest reports water ship has red hull,” she
reported. Ship is underway with both sail and prop." Will looked at
Rogers, and grinned again.

“That’s him,” Will asserted. “Let’s dance then." He
pushed off from the map table tugging absently at one of his braids.

"Mister Walters," Rogers called out, "Sound
action stations." The chime followed by her voice rang through the ship.

"Michael," Will said, bracing his legs and staring
out at the ocean waves. "See if you can make a connection. It’s a long
shot I know. Use our identity, and ask for Hu Fan himself. Hiki,” he called to
the bridge look out on his left. “Same message on the heliograph. Let’s see if
they’ll talk."

"Aye Aye, Cap'n” McGuire acknowledged. His set the Aetherwave
to the standard maritime addresses and began calling though them. The lookout
clacked away on the heliograph as well, sending flashes of coded light towards
the junk. Not every ship had a wave, so other methods such as signal lights and
flags where still used as well.

"Lawrence," Will asked, "How long to
close?" Rogers looked at the compass while measuring with a pair of
calipers on the map. He straightened up, looking at Will’s back.

"Unless he has more power than he should, we'll be in
boarding range in about thirty minutes,” he reported.

“So we will be boarding then?” Saira asked, entering the
bridge Saira looked out towards the ship on the water. Will nodded a greeting
at her as she came to stand beside him.

“Most likely we will,” Will answered. “I doubt that he’ll
actually want to turn over what we’re after. He’ll make us come get it.” He
said grimly.

“And what is your station’s status, Arms-Master?” Rogers
asked archly.

“Oh, all the secondary guns are manned and ready, coil cannon
is on stand-by, and the Tigers can muster in ten minutes,” she replied without
turning around.

“I thought that we would be boarding, and so came up here to
see the target, naturally,” she finished innocently.

“Naturally,” Rogers replied in the same tone.

“Enough, you two,” Will ordered them. He turned to Saira
quizzically, “I still can’t believe you said to Smeadly that you would ‘shrive
his soul’ and it worked.”

“Smeadly is a very religious man in his way,” she replied
solemnly. Rogers snorted at this.

“William Smeadly?” Rogers said incredulously. “I’ll believe
that when I see it.”

“No answer on any connection, Cap’n,” McGuire reported. “No
joy on the heliograph either.”

Will nodded, “Keep trying both. Let me know if you get any
answer at all.” He paced towards the electric lens mounted at the front of the
bridge, Saira and Rogers following behind him. They took turns at the lens
examining the ship which sported a wake that indicated they had an engine
running as well as their sails.

“It’s Hu Fan alright,” Will stated, recognizing the ship. “He
can’t imagine he can out run us,” he said musingly. He turned to his officers,
“Thoughts?”

“He’s hoping to keep us from closing,” Rogers announced.
“It’s what they did in Japan.”

“Agreed,” Saira said. “Only this time he has believes that he
has nothing to bargain with, else he would answer our hails. That means no
hostages. We shall take him yes?” She asked eagerly, hand grasping the hilt of
one of her knives.

“Yes, we will.” Will replied decisively. “Here’s my idea,” he
outlined the plan in a few sentences. Saira was grinning in feral agreement
when he finished. “Any other ideas or objections?” he asked finally. Rogers
frowned.

“If I am to direct the attack from the ship,” he glanced
pointedly at Saira, “which I believe we should discuss in more detail, where
will you be?” He asked.

“On the drop with the boarding party,” Will replied. He
answered their surprised looks, “You’ll still be leading it Saira. I have every
faith in you. I’m going along for Hu Fan.” His face brooked no argument.

“Pity,” Saira remarked, hands still on her knife hilts. “I
had hoped for him myself. Still it will be as you say, Cap’n. I shall go muster
for the drop.”

“Do so, I’ll be along.” Will ordered. He watched her leave
the bridge then turned towards Rogers. The First Officer leaned closer to him,
so that no one else could overhear,

“Captain,” Lawrence began earnestly, “I strongly suggest that
I not be given combat command. You should have it, or you should give it to
someone else. If I were to freeze again as on
Defender
…” His voice
trailed off as Hunting Owl forestalled him with a hand to Rogers’ shoulder.

“It’s time you did this, Lawrence,” the younger man said
gently. “I’ve watched you; I know you can do this. As my father used to say,
you have to get back up on the horse sometime.” He went on, giving the
Englishman no time to respond. “Besides, I can’t let Saira have all the fun now
can I? Now I’m going to suit up. You have the bridge,” he finished formally.
Rogers straightened.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Rogers replied stoutly.
"I have the bridge."

Lower Corridors,
Wind Dancer
, China Sea

"We’re suiting up as well." Saira said to Ravin as
they strode quickly down the corridor. She had met him up with him while
heading to the armory. "Most surely yon Chinaman has some sparkies, though
hopefully not many.” She was pleased with how Ravin had settled down after his
first drop.

“Joy,” Ravin said shortly at the prospect. The hot rubber
suits were not comfortable to put it mildly.

Saira privately agreed with him, but had been glad that Cap’n
Will had agreed to the expense of the suits. Electric small arms were becoming
common, and the rubber suits gave the best protection possible against their
‘bullets’. The suits were not perfect protection. If not properly sealed, or if
they got torn, the current could still kill the wearer, but to face sparkies
unarmored was tantamount to suicide.

"Be of good cheer,” she said to Ravin with a smile. “We
go from freezing up here to sweltering down there. It is very good for the
blood. Besides," she continued seriously, “you truly do want the rubber if
you get zapped, trust me. So keep it sealed up.”

They entered the armory, a room with benches for changing
down the middle, weapons racked along the walls, interspersed with suit lockers.
Others were already changing, or checking weapons. The room echoed to the usual
banter and catcalls of the Tigers.