lost three ships in this war, and watched countless others go down. I don’t intend to lose this one. But I’m in command here. If you don’t like it, my lord, you’re welcome to get off at the next port.”
Nobles in Ile-Rien, including the Queen, could be familiarly addressed as “my lord” whatever their title, but Marais made the honorific sound like a threat. The problem is, Delphane has a valid point . But Tremaine looked at Ilias standing next to her, his face tight with anxiety, and knew it couldn’t matter. Cineth was helpless against an attack like this. Delphane regarded the captain with narrowed eyes, saying, “At this time the Gardier do not even know of this ship’s existence—”
Niles cleared his throat. “But they do. Colonel Averi?”
Averi stepped forward, facing the count. “Unfortunately Gardier-controlled spies were present in the Viller Institute’s organization. We took some of them, but we couldn’t possibly have found them all.” He glanced sharply at Marais. If he’s smart, Tremaine thought, clinically interested, Averi won’t di rectly challenge Marais . Pitting the crew, under Marais’s command, and the remnants of the army detachment under Averi, against each other, with Niles and Gerard and the other Institute members as wild cards was the worst mistake they could all make. But Averi only said thoughtfully, “And I can’t believe the Ravenna wasn’t spotted at Chaire.”
Delphane looked at him, his lips pressed together. “I was aware of that. But we’re in an entirely different world. Are the Gardier communications between wherever we are and Ile-Rien likely to be that swift?”
“As swift as our passage here,” Gerard put in.
“We aren’t facing a fleet, just a single gunship,” Marais said deliberately. “And we have every chance of taking that gunship by surprise.”
Delphane watched him. “As long as they can destroy our engines, Captain, size doesn’t matter.”
Captain Marais consulted Niles and Gerard with a look. “Well?” he demanded. “Is that true? Or can your new ward protect us from their offensive spell?”
Niles glanced at Gerard, lifting a brow. Gerard took a deep breath, and said, “We can’t know for certain until we test the ward. But I think it will work. I’ve seen the Damal sphere,” he stumbled a little over the name, perhaps recalling that the sphere wasn’t just named for its creator anymore, “the sphere’s effect on Gardier airships firsthand. It stripped heretofore impenetrable wards away effortlessly.”
Delphane turned to Colonel Averi, saying quietly, “So you are going to allow this?”
Ander arrived in the doorway, breathing hard, halting when he saw the grim tableau as the ship’s captain, the military commander, and the highest-ranking civilians confronted each other.
Averi let out a slow breath and met Delphane’s eyes. “Count Delphane, as the Solicitor General pointed out, we know the Gardier consider civilian transports, hospital ships and anything else that moves as a military target. This is a warship, whether we like it or not.” His gaze went to Captain Marais. “You’ve already changed course for the native port?”
“Yes. At full speed.” Marais’s words were clipped. His eyes fixed suddenly on Tremaine. “Ask him to describe the harbor.”
Startled, Tremaine managed to realize he meant Ilias and turned to him, repeating the question in Syrnaic. Throwing a narrow look at Marais, Ilias asked, “They’re going to help?”
Tremaine felt all eyes on her, but she wasn’t going to push him. “They’re still arguing about it, but we’ve changed course for Cineth.”
Ilias regarded Marais for a long moment. Tremaine saw a great deal of suspicion in that look, as well as pent-up fear and guilt. If he and Giliead hadn’t brought us to Andrien, this might not be happening , she thought, sick with nerves. Her part in bringing them to this point wasn’t exactly small either. Then Ilias
Nobles in Ile-Rien, including the Queen, could be familiarly addressed as “my lord” whatever their title, but Marais made the honorific sound like a threat. The problem is, Delphane has a valid point . But Tremaine looked at Ilias standing next to her, his face tight with anxiety, and knew it couldn’t matter. Cineth was helpless against an attack like this. Delphane regarded the captain with narrowed eyes, saying, “At this time the Gardier do not even know of this ship’s existence—”
Niles cleared his throat. “But they do. Colonel Averi?”
Averi stepped forward, facing the count. “Unfortunately Gardier-controlled spies were present in the Viller Institute’s organization. We took some of them, but we couldn’t possibly have found them all.” He glanced sharply at Marais. If he’s smart, Tremaine thought, clinically interested, Averi won’t di rectly challenge Marais . Pitting the crew, under Marais’s command, and the remnants of the army detachment under Averi, against each other, with Niles and Gerard and the other Institute members as wild cards was the worst mistake they could all make. But Averi only said thoughtfully, “And I can’t believe the Ravenna wasn’t spotted at Chaire.”
Delphane looked at him, his lips pressed together. “I was aware of that. But we’re in an entirely different world. Are the Gardier communications between wherever we are and Ile-Rien likely to be that swift?”
“As swift as our passage here,” Gerard put in.
“We aren’t facing a fleet, just a single gunship,” Marais said deliberately. “And we have every chance of taking that gunship by surprise.”
Delphane watched him. “As long as they can destroy our engines, Captain, size doesn’t matter.”
Captain Marais consulted Niles and Gerard with a look. “Well?” he demanded. “Is that true? Or can your new ward protect us from their offensive spell?”
Niles glanced at Gerard, lifting a brow. Gerard took a deep breath, and said, “We can’t know for certain until we test the ward. But I think it will work. I’ve seen the Damal sphere,” he stumbled a little over the name, perhaps recalling that the sphere wasn’t just named for its creator anymore, “the sphere’s effect on Gardier airships firsthand. It stripped heretofore impenetrable wards away effortlessly.”
Delphane turned to Colonel Averi, saying quietly, “So you are going to allow this?”
Ander arrived in the doorway, breathing hard, halting when he saw the grim tableau as the ship’s captain, the military commander, and the highest-ranking civilians confronted each other.
Averi let out a slow breath and met Delphane’s eyes. “Count Delphane, as the Solicitor General pointed out, we know the Gardier consider civilian transports, hospital ships and anything else that moves as a military target. This is a warship, whether we like it or not.” His gaze went to Captain Marais. “You’ve already changed course for the native port?”
“Yes. At full speed.” Marais’s words were clipped. His eyes fixed suddenly on Tremaine. “Ask him to describe the harbor.”
Startled, Tremaine managed to realize he meant Ilias and turned to him, repeating the question in Syrnaic. Throwing a narrow look at Marais, Ilias asked, “They’re going to help?”
Tremaine felt all eyes on her, but she wasn’t going to push him. “They’re still arguing about it, but we’ve changed course for Cineth.”
Ilias regarded Marais for a long moment. Tremaine saw a great deal of suspicion in that look, as well as pent-up fear and guilt. If he and Giliead hadn’t brought us to Andrien, this might not be happening , she thought, sick with nerves. Her part in bringing them to this point wasn’t exactly small either. Then Ilias
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