Ichor Well Read online

  Nearly five minutes after he’d stepped onto the elevator, it reached the bottom. A shack had been built around the base of the rails, and inside was a taller, more sturdily built fug person in mining gear.

  “So, how did it go? Did they show up?” the man said, with all the enthusiasm of a child asking about the circus that was in town.

  “They did. My hands are still shaking. It was an imposing lot.”

  “Imposing, sure, but a fun lot. You get to meet Lil and Nita?” he asked.

  “I got the meet them all, Kent, but most of my direct dealings were with Lil, the captain and… I believe the name was Coop?”

  “Oh sure. Fun lot, all of them. They agree?”

  “I believe we shall see them all, at least once more, at the indicated meeting place.”

  “Oh, they’ll see it through. Like I said. A great lot. If they could take down the Phylactery, they can tackle this, no trouble.”

  “Again, having met them, they certainly seem vicious enough for the task. It’s… off-putting, Kent. One moment they appear simple but civil. The next, weapons are raised and they seem cheerful at the chance to draw blood.”

  “They ain’t in it for the blood, Digger. My only dealings were as one of the inmates they set free when they brought the prison down. If they’d wanted to, they could have killed the lot of us. They took careful pains not to, and even patched up the ones who were tossed about too much. I’d hate to be on their wrong side, or between them and what they’ve set their minds to, but they don’t kill except those who’ve earned it and those who work for those who’ve earned it.”

  “I’ll make no argument with your assessment of their formidable nature, though owing to your history with them, I would hope if they do rendezvous with us, you will speak to my trustworthiness.”

  “They didn’t seem like they trusted you?”

  “As you say, they are more than willing to murder those who have earned the targets painted upon their backs. I would not be the first Ebonwhite to bear that distinction, or even the third. Their estimations of my character are justifiably skewed.”

  “I been working with you near since I got set free, Ebonwhite, and I still only understand every third word you say. But I’ll do my best to set their minds at ease about you.”

  “How have things progressed in my absence? Any unforeseen difficulties?” Digger asked, pacing toward the door of the shack.

  “Nothing unforeseen, no. We saw every one of them coming. First, guns and things of that sort have been easy enough to get, but ammunition has been in short supply. We’re pretty thin on volunteers for either the gathering of our chemist or the expedition into The Thicket. For the chemist, most of the folks I shared the prison with aren’t keen on showing their faces in a place where they might be recognized and returned to… wherever they’re putting folks like us now that the Phylactery is down. I don’t imagine you need me to describe the reasons for not wanting to travel past the posted roads in The Thicket. The sound alone from what lurks among those trees is liable to test a man’s resolve.”

  “It’s a wonder we were able to get any samples of the ichor at all. What happened to that… Louis gentleman who brought these back, and who completed the map to the place?”

  “He set off on another trip to the well, seeking more samples, so he said.”

  “When do you expect him to return?”

  “Four days ago. Or more accurately, not at all.”

  “Good heavens… has he any next of kin to inform?”

  “I don’t think a man with next of kin would have made the first trip, let alone the second.”

  “I hate to sound uncaring, but—”

  “We’ve got copies of the map. Donald, one of the fellows unlucky enough to be on the first expedition and lucky enough to get back, vouches for the accuracy.”

  “Excellent. And the other preparations?”

  “Plenty of raw materials. Lumber, steel, brass, pipes, valves, and such. We can build a fortress, if the wildlife can be persuaded to leave us be long enough to do it.”

  “And the machinery? For mechanized defenses?”

  “Loads of bits and pieces, like I said. And most of us made our wages in shipyards and factories. We can build from plans just fine, but there aren’t any designers and inventors among us, so there would be the issue of who might provide the instructions. But if what Lil said about Nita and Gunner is true, passable designs should be forthcoming.”

  “We are placing a good deal of confidence in these people.”

  “Digger, I’ll say this to you, and then I’ll be on my way, because two days is barely time enough to finish up the tasks ahead. I know what it’s like to be a friend to these folks. And we’ve all heard what it’s like to be an enemy to them. Of the two, I’m keen on being the first and pray nightly that I never become the second.”

  Kent turned and packed off into the darkness, lit by the lamp on his helmet.

  “That doesn’t quite set my concerns to rest, Kent,” Digger said.

  “It wasn’t meant to, Digger.”

  #

  Hours into the hardening night, Gunner remained at the helm. As ever, he was sharply dressed, his heavy clothes coordinated and ornamented as a member of the military, even if his present position was firmly civilian. Lil was on watch, and both Nikita and Wink had joined her. Each was huddled within the coils of hose that fed the turbine on either side of the envelope’s underside. The steam running through them kept each nest toasty warm, though from their expressions when they glanced down, the wind still chilled them a bit.

  Lil paced up to the wheel and lingered in the dim glow of the phlo-light that kept Gunner from working in complete darkness. She had her rifle at her shoulder and was bundled even more thoroughly than Digger had been.

  “Look at ’em up there, Gunner. All huddled and shivering with every gale. You reckon we could make something for ’em to wear?”

  Gunner looked at Lil. “We didn’t worry about that during the several prior winters Wink had to endure as our inspector.”

  “That’s before the little bugger turned out to be a such a grumpy little sweetheart. Plus he’s got his little friend. Puts a special light on something, having to see it happen twice at once.”

  “You already coddle and cuddle them. Now you’ll dress them up?”

  “If it’ll make ’em more comfy, why not?” She turned to the bow of the ship. “So how’s the navigation going?”

  “We are following the shoreline south, Lil. It isn’t a puzzle. Put the land on the port side and continue until Keystone presents itself. It is more of a test of endurance than anything else, which is probably why the captain entrusted it to me.”

  “How’s the Wind Breaker handle these days?”

  “Like a proper ship, and has been ever since Nita joined the crew.”

  “… Ever since Nita joined the crew…” Lil said quietly to herself.

  “What was that?” Gunner asked.

  “Just thinkin’ out loud.”

  “Better that way than not at all, I suppose.”

  “Gunner… the, uh… the cap’n bought that island, right? Laylow?”

  “He did. Or at least he’s set down the initial payment and hasn’t missed any subsequent ones.”

  “Why do you figure he did?”

  “The man is in his declining years, Lil. I imagine it is for his retirement.”

  “You reckoned that too, huh? Nita said the same thing.”

  “Like navigation at present, it isn’t a puzzle.”

  “I hadn’t worked it out, myself.”

  “This doesn’t surprise me.”

  “When do you reckon the cap’n’s going to hang up his hat?”

  “His share of what we’ve got, plus what we’ve got left to earn, is just enough for the full cost of the island. But our primary income being trade, there’s still the matter of exchanging those goods for items that could be used to balance the debt with the city of Lock. If it could be achieved
in less than two years, I would be quite impressed. He’ll also need to construct a home, though I suppose with enough additional income that could happen while the payments are being made, provided trustworthy labor could be found.”

  “What do you reckon happens after that?”

  “He moves in, puts his feet up, and actually sleeps for the first time in forty years, I would imagine.”

  “… And what happens to us?”

  “I haven’t a clue, Lil. That would depend on a number of decisions the captain would have to make. The Wind Breaker is his ship, after all. If it continues to operate under another captain, or if he sells it to an interested party, or perhaps trades it to the bank to expedite the purchase of the island, all occurs at Captain Mack’s behest.”

  “But any way you weigh it… we ain’t the same crew no more,” Lil said. In spite of her best efforts, her voice trembled.

  Gunner looked to her. “Is something wrong, Lil?”

  “Let’s suppose Cap’n says he’s hanging it up, and he’s getting rid of the Wind Breaker.”

  “Of all possibilities, I think that’s the least likely.”

  “Even so. If the Wind Breaker crew gets broke up, where do you reckon you’ll land?”

  “I am a classically trained munitions officer from West Circa Academy. I’ve got more than a decade of capable, if not decorated, service. I’m sure any venture private or military would be happy to have me.”

  “Even with you threatening to blow the side off the ship twice a month with your tinkering on this and that?”

  “… I imagine I’ll need to curtail my more ambitious experiments.”

  “And Butch… she’s a good cook and a good doc. She’d be able to get a job anyplace too. I reckon Cap’n would keep Wink. But then there’s me and Coop. We ain’t winnin’ any prizes. Folk won’t be trippin’ over themselves to take us on.”

  “You follow orders with reckless enthusiasm, the both of you. You’ll have no trouble finding work.”

  “Even so!” Lil snapped. “It won’t be with this crew. This thing we got. This little, heck… this family we put together, would be all torn up and parted out like a busted-up boiler stripped for parts. And yeah, maybe every part will find a place and keep on spinning and doing its work. But it ain’t the same boiler no more.”

  “Crews change. This isn’t my first ship, and I didn’t have any illusions on it being my last.”

  “It is my first ship, and I sure expected it to be my last.”

  “No sense worrying about it now, Lil. Judging from the challenge we’ve all agreed to take on, the idea of us all having to go our separate ways in a few years is rather optimistic. For all we know, our ship could be minus a few members in a week.”

  “Aw, we’ll come through this just fine. … You been… you been the one getting the most direct education from Nita about how to tinker with the boiler and turbines and such.”

  “I have, in relative terms. It would be a more equitable split if you, Coop, or anyone else aboard showed even a fraction of the interest and capacity as I have.”

  “Didn’t she chase you out of the boiler room two weeks ago yelling something about overpressure or similar?”

  “She is highly protective of the systems and unwilling to permit me the leeway to uncover any potential martial applications to her modifications.”

  “So you reckon she’s not liable to hand the care of the boiler over to you anytime soon, do you?”

  “I swear, Lil. This is by a wide margin the most inquisitive I’ve ever seen you. If you’d had this same zeal for knowledge in the past few months, you would be the one preparing to take Nita’s task from her. What does it matter to you? Eventually we’ll all learn it.”

  “And then she’ll be on her way,” she said, her voice trembling again.

  “Egad, Lil. You sound nearly as troubled at the suggestion of our engineer leaving as at the thought of the whole crew disbanding.”

  “She’s my friend, Gunner. And the only lady we ever had on this crew near my age. And her leaving isn’t something that’s maybe going to happen next year or maybe the one after. Her days with us are numbered. I feel it in my bones.”

  “Has she announced her intention to leave?”

  “She said she doesn’t know yet, but you and I both know it would take a dang fool to willingly stay in this sort of life when you been raised expecting the sort of life she left behind. She’s here out of obligation and maybe out of gratitude, but neither of those is cause for a life of flitting about for a girl too pretty and too smart for such.”

  Gunner looked to her again. “I’m not entirely certain what worries you more. The thought of her staying or the thought of her going.”

  “Neither’s a rosy outcome. One’s good for me and bad for her, and the other’s the other way round.”

  “What can I say, Lil? Ignorance is bliss. Your present vexation is evidence at least of wisdom finally breaching your thus far impenetrable defenses.”

  “Yeah, well, if this is wisdom, you can keep it.”

  “I should point out, the sources of your concern are Nita and Captain Mack. Have you brought your concerns to either?”

  “I already told you, I talked to Nita, and that’s how I know she ain’t decided.”

  “But have you discussed your feelings on the subject with either?”

  “No.”

  “Don’t you think that’s worth doing?”

  “Ornery as the cap’n is right now, and with all the doing that’s to be done, you reckon now’s a proper time to bother him with such?”

  “No. But I wouldn’t have wanted you to bother me with it, and that hasn’t stopped you. And how does that factor in to your decision to leave Nita in the dark?”

  “Aw heck, I don’t know.” She pulled her coat tighter. “Air’s got a nasty bite to it this evening. I’m going in to fetch some hot cider. You want any?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “All right. Oh, and just so we’re clear, just because I talked about all this with you doesn’t mean you can go running your mouth to other folk about it.”

  “Nothing could be further from my intention.”

  Lil made her way from the deck. Gunner shook his head. After a moment or two, a light tapping along the rigging over his head drew his attention.

  “Nikita?” he said.

  Lil told me not to… tell anyone what she told you.

  He furrowed his brow and set his eyes on the flickering lights set atop the taller mountains.

  “She told the inspector. She told the inspector before she told me. I don’t know what it says about that girl that she’d tell her woes to a creature. Or what it says about me that I was the second choice,” he muttered. “And I certainly don’t know what it says about me that I’m irritated by the idea of being runner up to Nikita in that regard. … What I wouldn’t give for a wailer attack right about now…”

  Chapter 4

  Perhaps it was because the most organized of their enemies had their attentions elsewhere, or perhaps it was because the growing reputation of the crew had given the majority of their disorganized enemies pause, but the journey to Keystone and back had been uneventful. The reaction of the locals had been evenly split between awed reverence of the crew and their exploits and vicious anger at the complications those exploits had heaped upon their lives. Money and goods, however, hold no grudges, and even the most irritable of shopkeepers had been willing to part with the supplies they required when a fair price was offered. For the most part…

  “Shame we couldn’t get our hands on some burn-slow. Between the trip down and the trip back, it don’t look good,” Coop said from the lookout position on the starboard side.

  “Yes, Coop. I worked the numbers and saw the inventory. I know we’re coming up short. That’s what this whole endeavor is intended to set straight, or weren’t you paying attention?”

  “Just idle talk, Cap’n,” Coop said sheepishly.

  “Idle talk is talk
I ain’t got time for at present, Coop, so keep it to yourself.”

  The setting sun marked the end of the second day of travel, and they were pulling up to a feature of the Westrim coastline called Indigo Falls. It was a low, narrow valley leading nearly to the sea. The valley was carved by a river that now trickled with inky blackness down the mountainside, staining it deep purple. Layered atop this waterfall was a second one, formed by the fug itself, which poured in a steady stream through the valley and onto the sea there.

  It was a handy landmark for navigation, but for the bold or those interested in avoiding observation it had a different purpose. The relative abundance of the fug on the seaward side of the valley made it undesirable for surface settlement, and the relative thinness of the fug on the inland side made it undesirable for fug settlement. This left it almost entirely unobserved, and thus anyone wishing to enter the fug quietly could do so through the valley with little threat of being seen. It was also just a few hours southwest of their intended rendezvous with the Well Diggers.

  Captain Mack steadied the wheel with his knee and pulled his well-worn fug mask from the pocket of his overcoat. In the past he’d had to wear it when handling things like the repair of his ship and the acquisition of fug-made supplies during trips to Fugtown. Lately the uses had been more varied but less frequent.

  “We’re about to enter the fug,” he said, leaning low to the speaking tube. “Masks on, and sound off when they are secured so we can enter.”

  One by one the crew replied over the speaking tubes, their voices slightly muffled by the filtering apparatus.

  “I want all of you up here on lookout, except Gunner and Glinda. Gunner I want ready to load the fore guns. Glinda I want ready to treat casualties. The rest I want with your eyes peeled for any sign of fuggers on land or in the air. Hostile or otherwise, I want to know if anyone down there sees us. Because if we’re walking into the jaws of a trap, this is the first chance they’ll get to spring it or, failing that, to tip their hand to their intentions.”