Vampirates 5: Empire of Night by Justin Somper Page A
Authors: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Pirates, Seafaring life
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cabin. She had the sense of being caught amid omnivorous, circling currents, preparing to tear her apart.
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12 DIVIDED LOYALTIES
"You're lucky to catch me," said Cheng Li as Connor stepped into the captain's cabin. "I'm about to jump on a taxi boat." She glanced at the clock above her desk. "Which is already three minutes late! This isn't the first time this has happened. One more strike and I'm changing ferry companies."
Connor was disappointed. He had been psyching himself up for this meeting for the past twenty-four hours and had hoped that by rising so early, when the ship was mostly silent, he'd have managed to secure some private time with Cheng Li.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Cheng Li smiled. "I have a meeting with our old friend, Commodore Black. After our successful execution of
121
Operation Black Heart, it's time to plan our next move against the Vampirates."
Connor's heart lurched to his stomach like an out-of-control elevator.
"You know," Cheng Li said, "you look a little under the weather. I hope you haven't caught that nasty Crustacean Flu that is doing the rounds. Perhaps you had better sit down." She pointed to the chair on the other side of her desk.
Connor hesitated, leaning against the chair. "We really need to talk," he said.
Cheng Li smiled. "You know I always enjoy our chats," she said. "But I'm afraid this is just really bad timing. We can schedule a meeting this evening if you like, when I get back from the academy."
Connor shook his head. "Actually, we need to talk before you meet with the Federation."
Cheng Li arched an eyebrow inquiringly. They had worked alongside each other long enough to read each other's body language. He knew that he now had her full attention. But he was going to have to talk fast.
"Lola Lockwood isn't dead."
Cheng Li's face froze.
There was a knock at the door, then it pushed open and Bo Yin poked her smiling head around. "Captain, just to let you know that your taxi has arrived."
"Thank you, Bo Yin," Cheng Li said, her voice surprisingly
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calm and normal. "Will you tell him that he's already five minutes late and he needs to give me five minutes more, which I have no intention of paying for?"
"Yes, Captain! No problem!" Bo Yin gave a salute, then grinned at Connor and hurried off cheerfully to execute Cheng Li's command. There was no doubting how much Bo Yin was enjoying every aspect of belonging to the crew.
Cheng Li sat down behind her desk. "Okay," she said to Connor. "We have five precious minutes. Clearly, you have important information for me. Spill."
"Lola Lockwood wasn't destroyed the night of the wedding," Connor said, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him. "Operation Black Heart failed. Sidorio reunited Lola's head with her body and revived her. She's alive and well and, evidently, just back from a most enjoyable honeymoon."
Cheng Li frowned. "And you know this how?"
There was no time to waste. Connor reached out his hand and dropped the envelope on Cheng Li's desk. "Stukeley came to see me," he said. "He brought me this invitation."
Cheng Li unfolded the letter and slipped on her reading glasses. Her brow furrowed as she read Sidorio's words. Then she set the letter down, locked her hands together, and rested her chin on them. "It appears we have a situation," she said.
Connor nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."
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"When did Stukeley deliver this?"
"The night before last. At Bart and Cate's send-off at the Full Moon Saloon. I went out the back to get some air, and he was waiting for me there on that scuzzy beach."
Cheng Li frowned.
"I know I should have told you right away," Connor said. "I'm really sorry."
Cheng Li gazed at him. "You're right, Connor. You should have. But doubtless you had good reason not to. I'm just grateful that I found out before my next encounter with that stuffed shirt, Ahab Black."
Connor was amazed how well she was taking the news. Their mission, which had been so
120
12 DIVIDED LOYALTIES
"You're lucky to catch me," said Cheng Li as Connor stepped into the captain's cabin. "I'm about to jump on a taxi boat." She glanced at the clock above her desk. "Which is already three minutes late! This isn't the first time this has happened. One more strike and I'm changing ferry companies."
Connor was disappointed. He had been psyching himself up for this meeting for the past twenty-four hours and had hoped that by rising so early, when the ship was mostly silent, he'd have managed to secure some private time with Cheng Li.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Cheng Li smiled. "I have a meeting with our old friend, Commodore Black. After our successful execution of
121
Operation Black Heart, it's time to plan our next move against the Vampirates."
Connor's heart lurched to his stomach like an out-of-control elevator.
"You know," Cheng Li said, "you look a little under the weather. I hope you haven't caught that nasty Crustacean Flu that is doing the rounds. Perhaps you had better sit down." She pointed to the chair on the other side of her desk.
Connor hesitated, leaning against the chair. "We really need to talk," he said.
Cheng Li smiled. "You know I always enjoy our chats," she said. "But I'm afraid this is just really bad timing. We can schedule a meeting this evening if you like, when I get back from the academy."
Connor shook his head. "Actually, we need to talk before you meet with the Federation."
Cheng Li arched an eyebrow inquiringly. They had worked alongside each other long enough to read each other's body language. He knew that he now had her full attention. But he was going to have to talk fast.
"Lola Lockwood isn't dead."
Cheng Li's face froze.
There was a knock at the door, then it pushed open and Bo Yin poked her smiling head around. "Captain, just to let you know that your taxi has arrived."
"Thank you, Bo Yin," Cheng Li said, her voice surprisingly
122
calm and normal. "Will you tell him that he's already five minutes late and he needs to give me five minutes more, which I have no intention of paying for?"
"Yes, Captain! No problem!" Bo Yin gave a salute, then grinned at Connor and hurried off cheerfully to execute Cheng Li's command. There was no doubting how much Bo Yin was enjoying every aspect of belonging to the crew.
Cheng Li sat down behind her desk. "Okay," she said to Connor. "We have five precious minutes. Clearly, you have important information for me. Spill."
"Lola Lockwood wasn't destroyed the night of the wedding," Connor said, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him. "Operation Black Heart failed. Sidorio reunited Lola's head with her body and revived her. She's alive and well and, evidently, just back from a most enjoyable honeymoon."
Cheng Li frowned. "And you know this how?"
There was no time to waste. Connor reached out his hand and dropped the envelope on Cheng Li's desk. "Stukeley came to see me," he said. "He brought me this invitation."
Cheng Li unfolded the letter and slipped on her reading glasses. Her brow furrowed as she read Sidorio's words. Then she set the letter down, locked her hands together, and rested her chin on them. "It appears we have a situation," she said.
Connor nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."
123
"When did Stukeley deliver this?"
"The night before last. At Bart and Cate's send-off at the Full Moon Saloon. I went out the back to get some air, and he was waiting for me there on that scuzzy beach."
Cheng Li frowned.
"I know I should have told you right away," Connor said. "I'm really sorry."
Cheng Li gazed at him. "You're right, Connor. You should have. But doubtless you had good reason not to. I'm just grateful that I found out before my next encounter with that stuffed shirt, Ahab Black."
Connor was amazed how well she was taking the news. Their mission, which had been so
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