“Waiting here until C.L. catches up,” I say, throwing the brake once the horses have stopped.
“But we’re less than half a kilometre from the checkpoint.” Martin looks frantic.
“I know where we are,” I snap at him again. “We’ll be fine under this cover of wood.” I look around, searching the trees for lights. I see nothing, though a small piece of me is worried, too. We can’t sit here for long. But we can sit here for now. Time ticks, agonizingly slowly, my chrono-cuff the only heartbeat in the forest. “Maybe I should go back.” I twist round again, scanning the road behind us for signs of C.L. “Dress Clementine and me in the armour and go back.”
Martin lowers his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re too close to the city for you to reveal that. One sighting of a winged horse and the whole plan is blown.”
He has a point. I lower my chin. My mind leaps ahead to Urlick in his cell. If we don’t reach him today, he’ll face his fate first thing in the morning. That is, if they’ve stuck to their word, not holding dippings on the Sabbath. If they haven’t, we’re already too late. I shake the niggling thought from my mind. I don’t know what the officials will do in Smrt’s absence. Oh, where is C.L.? I close my eyes and imagine him back there in the woods, surrounded by criminals, their teeth bared, crowding in. Please don’t make me choose who to save, Lord. Please don’t make me choose between the two of them.
“It’s almost second twilight, miss.” Martin’s voice pulls me back to the moment. “We need to make a decision. And quick.” His eyes are kissed with a forlorn sadness. “We need to think of what’s best for ourselves.”
I fling myself around one more time and stare into the woods. The dashes of cloud cover reveal nothing. No sight of C.L. anywhere. Perhaps it’s already too late.
“He would have wanted you to continue on, miss. He wouldn’t want you to give up on the mission.”
I turn round, gazing into the swollen, glassy eyes of one of C.L.’s dearest friends, feeling the bubble of hope I’ve been holding on to burst in my chest.
“You’ve got us now, miss. We won’t let you down. Master Urlick, he’s waiting.”
I pray that it’s true and that he’s not already gone like C.L. Sorrow bunches in my throat.
Urlick will be sorry to learn that C.L. lost his life trying to save his, and even sorrier to find out I left C.L. behind. I don’t know what to do. Something soft tears in my heart. We can’t sit here any longer or I jeopardize the lives of all the rest. I reach up, steering a tear from my eye. “You’re right,” I say weakly, picking up the reins. “C.L. would have wanted us to save Urlick.”
Martin nods his head. He hesitates as if saying a quick, silent prayer, then looks to me. “I’d better take my place behind the bars, now, miss. We can’t be sailing through the checkpoint with me up here. You be all right up here alone?”
“I’ll have to be, won’t I?” I swallow hard.
Martin stands and hikes himself up onto the roof of the train car. “Remember, whistle twice if they ask if they can search. That’ll give us time to fake the chains. And keep your hat down low over your eyes, and your hair under it. That way, they’ve less chance of figuring out you’re female.”
He jogs his way to the next car along the centre path on the roof, opens the trapdoor, and drops down into his cage below with a thud. There’s a release of the bars, a creak of the hinge, then a whistle, signalling for me to go ahead. He’s ready. Am I ready? No.
I take one last look into the forest through soggy eyes, dreading the thought of C.L. at the hands of the criminals. I never should have agreed to leave him there. I never should have gone ahead without him. I can only hope they kill him first and don’t eat him alive.
I close my eyes and slap the reins down over the horses’ backs. Two black Persian mares surge forward, hooves slopping
“But we’re less than half a kilometre from the checkpoint.” Martin looks frantic.
“I know where we are,” I snap at him again. “We’ll be fine under this cover of wood.” I look around, searching the trees for lights. I see nothing, though a small piece of me is worried, too. We can’t sit here for long. But we can sit here for now. Time ticks, agonizingly slowly, my chrono-cuff the only heartbeat in the forest. “Maybe I should go back.” I twist round again, scanning the road behind us for signs of C.L. “Dress Clementine and me in the armour and go back.”
Martin lowers his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re too close to the city for you to reveal that. One sighting of a winged horse and the whole plan is blown.”
He has a point. I lower my chin. My mind leaps ahead to Urlick in his cell. If we don’t reach him today, he’ll face his fate first thing in the morning. That is, if they’ve stuck to their word, not holding dippings on the Sabbath. If they haven’t, we’re already too late. I shake the niggling thought from my mind. I don’t know what the officials will do in Smrt’s absence. Oh, where is C.L.? I close my eyes and imagine him back there in the woods, surrounded by criminals, their teeth bared, crowding in. Please don’t make me choose who to save, Lord. Please don’t make me choose between the two of them.
“It’s almost second twilight, miss.” Martin’s voice pulls me back to the moment. “We need to make a decision. And quick.” His eyes are kissed with a forlorn sadness. “We need to think of what’s best for ourselves.”
I fling myself around one more time and stare into the woods. The dashes of cloud cover reveal nothing. No sight of C.L. anywhere. Perhaps it’s already too late.
“He would have wanted you to continue on, miss. He wouldn’t want you to give up on the mission.”
I turn round, gazing into the swollen, glassy eyes of one of C.L.’s dearest friends, feeling the bubble of hope I’ve been holding on to burst in my chest.
“You’ve got us now, miss. We won’t let you down. Master Urlick, he’s waiting.”
I pray that it’s true and that he’s not already gone like C.L. Sorrow bunches in my throat.
Urlick will be sorry to learn that C.L. lost his life trying to save his, and even sorrier to find out I left C.L. behind. I don’t know what to do. Something soft tears in my heart. We can’t sit here any longer or I jeopardize the lives of all the rest. I reach up, steering a tear from my eye. “You’re right,” I say weakly, picking up the reins. “C.L. would have wanted us to save Urlick.”
Martin nods his head. He hesitates as if saying a quick, silent prayer, then looks to me. “I’d better take my place behind the bars, now, miss. We can’t be sailing through the checkpoint with me up here. You be all right up here alone?”
“I’ll have to be, won’t I?” I swallow hard.
Martin stands and hikes himself up onto the roof of the train car. “Remember, whistle twice if they ask if they can search. That’ll give us time to fake the chains. And keep your hat down low over your eyes, and your hair under it. That way, they’ve less chance of figuring out you’re female.”
He jogs his way to the next car along the centre path on the roof, opens the trapdoor, and drops down into his cage below with a thud. There’s a release of the bars, a creak of the hinge, then a whistle, signalling for me to go ahead. He’s ready. Am I ready? No.
I take one last look into the forest through soggy eyes, dreading the thought of C.L. at the hands of the criminals. I never should have agreed to leave him there. I never should have gone ahead without him. I can only hope they kill him first and don’t eat him alive.
I close my eyes and slap the reins down over the horses’ backs. Two black Persian mares surge forward, hooves slopping
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