Emilie & the Hollow World - By Martha Wells Page 0,82

few Cirathi could climb down to the pebbly ground and secure the anchor cables to several squat but sturdy trees. The Sovereign was only a short time behind them, and it soon arrived, towing the Lathi. They waited impatiently on the beach as the steamer anchored and sent the launch ashore.

Kenar leapt out of it before the boat reached the beach and waded in the thigh-deep water. Rani met him halfway and they flew into each other’s arms, and Rani swung him around and nearly knocked him off his feet. It was the most romantic thing Emilie had ever seen in her life, and her eyes welled up with tears. All the other Cirathi gathered around, waiting excitedly for their chance to greet him. Emilie knew the happy moment would end when Rani had to tell him about poor Beinar.

Lord Engal waited more decorously until the launch had actually been drawn up on the beach, before he climbed out and strode up to shake hands. “Dr. Marlende, I presume.”

“You presume correctly, sir.” Dr. Marlende greeted him gravely. “Thank you for sending young Emilie to our assistance; her arrival was quite timely.”

Lord Engal eyed her with exasperation and, she was startled to see, some fondness. “At this point, it hardly surprises me.”

“Now if we can just extract my daughter from Lord Ivers,” Dr. Marlende continued.

“Yes.” Lord Engal frowned, shielding his eyes to look into the distance. “If what he said was true, which is rather a big 'if,' since the man is an inveterate liar and criminal-”

“Yes, of course.” Dr. Marlende neatly cut off the potential diatribe. “But if his aetheric engine has not been sabotaged, then he has no reason to linger here or contact us.”

During the eclipse, as they fled the battle between the Queen's forces and the Nomads, there had been a long three-cornered wireless conversation between their airship, the Sovereign, and Lord Ivers' craft. He had claimed that at some point before he had left the Sealands' capital, one of the Queen's courtiers who had been aboard his airship had sabotaged his aetheric engine, leaving him stranded in the Hollow World.

“You were right, Rani,” Emilie had said quietly. “The Queen didn't intend to let him go. She knew he wouldn't be able to get back, and he'd have to come to her for help, and she'd make him use the airship against the Nomads.”

“Yes, but her plan would not have worked,” Rani said, lifting her brows. “The airships need fuel for the engine in the back that works the propellers. Dr. Marlende explained this, and all the limitations of this craft, when we first began to explore together.”

Emilie snorted. “I bet Lord Ivers didn't explain his limitations to the Queen.”

“But he must have explained the aetheric engine, or the merpeople wouldn't have known how to sabotage it,” Daniel said. He was taking a break from transcribing the wireless, and Seth and Mikel were manning it and the code book. Leaning against the wall near Emilie, he hadn't referred to their little altercation earlier, but he did seem to be making an effort not to act awkwardly around her. It was taking an effort on her part not to act awkwardly around him; she felt she had overstepped herself quite a bit.

Rani said, dryly, “That was stupid of Ivers.”

“Yes, and naive, on his part,” Dr. Marlende had agreed, standing at the airship's wheel. “He thought them too primitive to do anything with the information.” He added, with grim satisfaction, “He's paying for his poor judgment now.”

Lord Ivers had promised to release Miss Marlende in exchange for their help with his engine, though Emilie wasn't counting any chickens until that actually happened. She thought Lord Ivers would try until the last moment to double-cross them. But they had eventually arranged to meet here on this island, and now all they had to do was wait.

As they stood on the beach, Dr. Barshion came up to Dr. Marlende. He shook hands, saying, “It's an honor to see you again, sir. And we can certainly use your help with the Sovereign's aetheric engine.” He admitted, “The ship's engineers and I weren't quite up to the mark, I'm afraid.”

Emilie was glad to hear him say it aloud. She didn't think it would help if Dr. Barshion got stubborn about accepting Dr. Marlende's aid the way he had when Mr. Abendle had wanted to ask Miss Marlende's opinion. But maybe it was easier for him, since Dr. Marlende was both a man and