Emilie & the Hollow World - By Martha Wells Page 0,41
pointing at them, clearly amazed by the two ships' appearance.
“They've never seen anything like this vessel before,” Kenar said under his breath. “It doesn't mean they haven't seen the airship.”
“I'm hoping they have seen it,” Miss Marlende murmured, her eyes on the city ahead.
Yesa's boat was leading them into a harbor of sorts at the edge of the city, where the channel broadened into a large lagoon. A long building with two stories of pillared galleries stood at its edge, with piers stretching out across the water. The piers stood only inches above the surface, so they were constantly awash, which didn't seem to bother the merpeople at all. Dozens of boats were tied up along them, of all sizes. Their large escort ship broke away to head toward the other end of the harbor, where several larger barges of a similar design were anchored, some bigger than the Lathi and even the Sovereign. From what Miss Marlende and Kenar had said, one of them should be more than large enough to carry the airship. But it's not here, Emilie thought, studying the further docks. At least not where we can see it.
The Sovereign slowed to a crawl, then dropped anchor near the end of one of the piers. Yesa's small boat came around to speak to them again, and Emilie followed Miss Marlende and Kenar back to the port side.
Lord Engal, Captain Belden, and Oswin were already waiting there. The boat drew up next to the Sovereign's launch platform, and Yesa took out her talking shell to say, “You will come in your small boat and speak to our Queen now?”
Everyone looked at Lord Engal. He let out his breath, and said, “Give us a moment to ready ourselves, please.”
Yesa nodded and lowered the shell. The other merpeople were taking the chance to get a better look at the Sovereign and her crew in the daylight, pointing and talking among themselves.
They moved back from the railing. Lord Engal scratched his chin and said thoughtfully, “We'll have to go. It would be the height of rudeness to ask her to come out here to speak to us.”
Captain Belden said, “You shouldn't go, My Lord.”
“I'll go,” Kenar said. “I've met with stranger people than this, believe it or not.”
“And I,” Miss Marlende added. “Kenar and I have the most at stake, after all. We should take the risk. If there is any.”
With some asperity, Captain Belden said, “I appreciate your confidence, Miss Marlende, but all we know about these people is that they might have made off with an airship and kidnapped a number of people, and then lied about it. If you-”
“That's enough,” Lord Engal said. He told Belden, “Of course I'm going, it's a foreign monarch, I can't risk insulting her. If Menea develops any sort of trade and diplomatic relations with this world, we'll have to deal with these people as they're the closest to the aetheric current outlets and they clearly claim this territory. I'm not going down in history as the man who started off on the wrong foot.”
Captain Belden pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy. “I'm not keen on going down in history as the man who stood by while Lord Engal was killed, My Lord.”
“Well, that's just a chance you'll have to take.” Lord Engal added, “I'll take Kenar with me, and Oswin, and two sailors. Sidearms, but no rifles. If we don't reappear or send a message within…” He checked his pocket watch. “Two hours, leave the harbor, and do what is necessary to get the ship back to the surface world.”
“The Queen sent a woman as her emissary,” Miss Marlende said pointedly. “It would only be sensible to send a woman to speak with her-”
Lord Engal cut her off. “Sensible, but not absolutely necessary, and I'm not risking anyone else on a whim.” He stepped to the railing and told Yesa, “We'll be ready to leave in a moment.”
Yesa waved an acknowledgment, and signaled her boat to withdraw, taking it toward the nearest dock to speak to some merpeople waiting there. Oswin called for sailors to lower the launch, and everyone scrambled to get ready. Emilie stood aside with Miss Marlende, who fumed silently, her jaw set. Emilie sympathized. There hadn't been a hope in hell of getting herself included in the party, but she had thought Miss Marlende would surely have a chance to go. She said, “At least he didn't say it was because you were a woman.”