In a world of steamships and Progress, no one who sails due south across the Wild Sea ever returns.
No one knows why.
Dale Mortensen intends to solve the mystery. With the help of an old sailor and a reformed playboy searching for his missing sweetheart, he locates a captain and crew ambitious—not to mention crazy—enough to undertake the journey across the Wild Sea.
The Infinity and her crew sail south, but the truth of what really lies on the other side of the horizon is more amazing—and terrifying—than anything they can imagine.
It’s the adventure of a lifetime—and it may just get Dale and his friends killed.
Find out how this Young Adult steampunk adventure unfolds chapter-by-chapter every Thursday! Click here to start from the beginning. Or if you want to read it at your own pace, buy the ebook for $6.99 from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords or Sony, or get it as a trade paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HORIZON
E. R. PASKEY
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
EVERYONE TURNED IN TIME TO SEE SELDON breeze through the doorway, tugging off a pair of gloves as he entered. He scanned the room with one quick, piercing look before zeroing in on Dale, Raphael, and Hawk. “I thought we told you lot to stay out of trouble?”
“We tried,” said Dale mildly.
“Not very hard, by the look of it.” Seldon did a double-take as he got a good look at Corwin, and something cold and hard settled over his expression. As he approached them and took in their wounds, however, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Did something chew on you, Avarez?”
“Yes,” answered Raphael flatly. “A Streamer.”
Some of the color drained from Seldon’s face, but he recovered quickly. “You’d best be explaining yourself, then.” His eyes darted to Corwin. “As well as why you brought him here.”
Between the three of them, Dale, Raphael, and Hawk laid out what had happened, with Corwin occasionally chiming in. By the end of it, Seldon had taken a seat on a couch they dragged over and his face was pale again. “Good God.” He ran a hand over his face. “All this time, it’s been people behind the Disappearances?”
Dale stared at him. “That honestly never occurred to you?”
“Oh, no.” Seldon shook his head. “Wondered sometimes, we did, when somebody who knew something vanished. Like your friend Belly Skoog,” he added with a nod. “But we never found any way to explain it. Some of the people who have Disappeared had no connections to anybody.”
“They were probably selected at random,” said Corwin.
Seldon ignored him. “We’ve got to get this out for the general public as soon as possible.” He continued to shake his head, looking haunted. “Put out for the Streamers. No wonder we never found any trace of ‘em.” He looked over at Naya. “You, Miss Azlynn, are one of the bravest lasses in Rift City.”
Naya flushed and ducked her head.
Seldon immediately shot a quick look at Elena. “No offense, Miss Mountebank. If you hadn’t alerted Mortensen here to the fact that Avarez was missing, things might not have turned out well at all.”
“None taken,” said Elena quietly, twisting her fingers together in her lap. “I’m just glad to be alive.”
“Right. Well, I suppose you think you’re going to go rescue Peabody? Again?” Seldon’s cool gaze swept along the gathered men.
Dale and Raphael exchanged glances and answered together. “Yes.”
“Tonight,” said Hawk firmly.
“Before Sivak can decide to move the dirigible elsewhere,” added Corwin.
For a second, Seldon just stared at them. Then he barked a laugh and slapped his hands on his knees before rising to his feet. “I’d tell you to save your energy and wait for us to work out a plan, but for once, I think I’ll keep it to myself.”
“Did the men you sent out to search the other locations turn up anything?” asked Dale.
“Last I heard, not a thing.” Seldon shoved his hands into his pockets to retrieve his gloves. “You’re going to need a few more men, don’t you think?”
“We were hoping you’d send us some,” said Dale.
“And some guns,” put in Hawk. “And another set of lock picks, since Sivak’s thugs stole mine.”
Seldon’s face tightened. “You’re sure you want to do this tonight? Before you’ve had a chance to rest?”
“Absolutely,” said three voices.
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.” Seldon turned to leave, but Corwin held up a hand.
“Wait.” He was frowning, looking deeply conflicted.
Seldon raised his eyebrows; everyone else looked at Corwin as well.
Clearing his throat, Corwin said, “We need to speak to my father first.”
That certainly elicited a reaction. Seldon’s features twisted into a sneer, while Hawk and Dale both looked alarmed. Elena gasped; Naya paled again.
Raphael, however, merely narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“Because he’s on the Council.” Corwin slashed a hand through the air, an unhappy slant to his mouth. “Either the Council knows what’s really going on, or they don’t.”
“What you really want to know is if your father is fine with Sivak staking you out to die,” said Raphael shrewdly. Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. “I, too, have an important father. One starts to wonder, at times.”
Seldon was violently shaking his head. “Can’t risk it. Too dangerous, even for us. A group of Revolutionaries willingly showing up on a Council member’s doorstep? That’s asking for a short life. Or torture.” He paused. “Or both.”
“He can help us,” insisted Corwin.
Hawk shook his head. “I’m with Seldon—it’s not worth the risk.”
Dale listened to them all, taking in every word, and his mind started running through all the possible ramifications. “What if we visit your father after we rescue Peabody?”
It took a moment for his words to register.
“After?” Raphael looked askance at him.
Dale nodded. “We go ahead and rescue Peabody and the dirigible, and then once they’re both safe, we go see Hamper.” He looked at Corwin. “By then, your father may have heard some report as to your Disappearance.”
“Probably.” Corwin’s expression turned thoughtful. “He’ll have known I did not come home tonight—and even when the crew and I are out late, I make a point to have breakfast with them so my mother does not worry.” He lifted his chin slightly, as though daring anyone to comment.
“All right…” said Seldon slowly. “I suppose that’ll work. How many men do you think you’ll need?”
“Not more than ten,” said Raphael. “But we’ll need weapons for all of us.”
Seldon nodded. “Done. You think you can get in the same way?”
“We’ll have to—it’s the only way we can.” Hawk shook his head. “Sivak has to have another entrance somewhere, but we don’t know where and we don’t have the time to go looking for it.”
“Right. One thing.” Seldon sat down again. “I’d strongly suggest you lot wait until morning to go traipsing off.”
“Why?” asked Raphael sharply.
“Because you’ll be noticed on the Rail, that’s why.”
“Then we won’t take the Rail,” said Dale.
Seldon goggled at him. “You mean to tell me you lot are going to walk all the way across Rift City to the Mining District?”
Dale spread his hands. “What choice do we have?” He indicated himself. “The rest of you might be able to get away with a disguise, but my height is a dead give away.”
“He’s got a point there,” said Hawk.
“It won’t take as long as you think,” said Corwin. “The only concern is whether or not Avarez here will be able to make it.”
“I’ll make it.” Raphael waved a hand. “Do not worry about me.”
Privately, Dale had his doubts, but Raphael was right about one thing. He knows more about the dirigible than anybody except Peabody. And if he, Dale, had to carry his friend on his back to get him there, he would do it. He addressed Seldon. “The Revolution wants the dirigible, don’t you? To have a chance go back through the Rift?”
Across the room, unseen to him, Naya stiffened.
Seldon considered them for a long, tense moment. At last, he nodded. “All right. We’ll send you men and weapons. In the meantime, get yourselves ready.”
~oOo~
IT took Seldon the better part of an hour to return to Headquarters and put their plan into motion. Dale and the others had a chance to eat something and to rest up a bit before a figure in dark clothes appeared in the safe house to tell them their group was gathering.
Elena kissed Raphael fiercely before he left, clinging to him as though sheer willpower would keep him safe and bring him back to her. Dale did not see; he was too busy trying to find the right words to say to Naya.
“Come back,” she said simply, her fingers curling into the front of his borrowed coat. “Please, Dale, come back.”
Dale raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll be all right.” He nodded in Elena’s direction without taking his eyes off Naya. “Take care of her, will you?”
Naya tried to smile at him as he turned to leave with the others, but her dark eyes were full of worry.
The expression on her face stayed with Dale throughout most of their trek through Rift City.
They slipped out of the safe house in pairs and set off across the walkways and hanging bridges to join the rest of their new team, taking care to stick to the shadows as much as possible. Dale kept pace with Raphael, who was grimly determined not to fall behind. The slick sheen of sweat on his skin, whenever they passed too close to a lamp post, spoke to the fact that he was not as well as he pretended.
Dale only hoped his best friend did not get himself killed because his reflexes were too slow.
As usual for this late hour, a few policemen patrolled Rift City, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary, but the rolling thunder still crashing around them and the patter of rain against the glass ceilings prevented any undue noise from reaching their ears.
This part is easy. Dale cast a glance down at Raphael, who was limping slightly and trying to hide it. Climbing up those rocks again is where things will get interesting.
He himself was tired and worn by the time Corwin led them back to the woodland area that would take them out onto the beach, but he continued to forge ahead while keeping half an eye on Raphael. When they reached the beach, the party experienced their first hiccup.
Seldon had either glossed over the beach when he explained it to their reinforcements, or else he had not quite understood from what Dale and the others told him that they would be in rather close proximity to the ocean.
Here, however, Corwin was of immense help. His no-nonsense attitude and willingness to be the first to step out onto the storm-lashed beach did wonders for the morale of men who hitherto steered well clear of bodies of water larger than a puddle.
Every one of them was instantly drenched to the skin. Dale just gritted his teeth and plowed ahead. It’s better than being tied up in the river, he reminded himself.
When they reached the slope of the mountain that housed the cave, Hawk took the lead. “We can’t assume Sivak hasn’t posted guards in the cave,” he said grimly. “We don’t know if he knows how we got in, or if he’s expecting anyone to try again, so be on your guard.”
One by one, they began climbing up to the cave entrance. Hawk and Corwin cleared the floor of the cave first, and the rest followed. Dale kept pace with Raphael, who was struggling, and offered a helping hand whenever he could.
~oOo~
SIVAK and his men were not expecting an onslaught. The gate barring further entry into the caves had been relocked, but no guard or sentry had been posted by it to keep watch.
Must not think it’s necessary. Dale strained his eyes to see through the darkness nonetheless, just in case someone heard Hawk’s attempts to pick the lock again and came to investigate. Even knowing where the dirigible was in the thick darkness, he could not make out an outline or even a shadow of it. It’s no wonder we missed it the first time.
Hawk tapped him on the shoulder to signify the gate was unlocked and Dale eased it open, taking great care not to scrape it across the rough cavern floor. He made a little noise, but by that time Corwin, Hawk, Raphael, and the others were already filing down the tunnel.
The cavern that housed the glitterglass cube looked just the same as it had when they were here a few hour before—save for the six armed men Sivak had posted to replace the two Dale, Corwin, and Hawk had overpowered. They were involved in yet another card game. Peabody himself lay unmoving on one of the cots, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
Dale almost shook his head in pity at their arrogant stupidity. They’re still not paying attention.
Sivak and his men had not learned a thing.
Dale and his compatriots had.
They charged out of the tunnels, catching the men by surprise. In the resulting firefight, half of their number streamed into the next cavern to take out any men Sivak had posted there and prevent them from warning anyone further down the line.
Dale took aim at one heavy-set man and fired, sending a glitterglass bullet into his chest. The man seemed to shrug it off, so he fired again, this time catching the man in the forehead. He went down and stayed there.
Once all the guards were down, Raphael limped over to the glitterglass cube and waved for Hawk to join him.
“I’ll be,” said Peabody faintly. A large bruise had bloomed on the side of his face where Sivak had hit him. “Can’t say I expected to see you again, Avarez.” His gaze flicked to Dale, who had come up behind him. “Any of you.”
“We were fortunate,” said Dale.
Hawk elbowed Raphael out of the way—gently—and took over unlocking the cube. Wrenching the door open, he sketched a rough bow. “This time, we will not be getting recaptured.”
Peabody picked up his coat from where he had slung it over the end of his cot and shrugged it on. “I certainly hope not. Two failed rescue attempts in one night would be a record—and you look like you’ve been through the wringer, Avarez.”
“My fiancée will kill me if I do not return,” said Raphael soberly.
Dale had to laugh at that. Waving an arm in the air, he pitched his voice to carry across the cavern. “Let’s go! We haven’t got all night!”
Hawk reappeared at the tunnel entrance leading further into the caves. “Only a few men back here,” he reported. “They’re all either dead or tied up. As far as we can tell, none of them had the chance to sound an alarm. We should be in the clear for a while.”
“You can’t guarantee that Sivak doesn’t have communications wired down here,” said Corwin grimly. He had a blood spatter on his coat where one of Sivak’s men had missed him and caught the man next to him in an artery. “The faster we get out of here, the better.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Peabody heartily. Snagging a nearby lantern, he headed out toward his dirigible for the second time that evening.
Find out how this Young Adult steampunk adventure unfolds chapter-by-chapter every Thursday! Or if you want to keep reading right now, buy the ebook for $6.99 from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords or Sony, or get it as a trade paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository.
Copyright © 2013 E. R. Paskey