The Boy Who Went Magic Page 17

  Bert had no intention of sitting down and waiting. He wasn’t convinced that the lookouts would be able to spot the odd clouds from his description, and the hollow feeling was growing in his chest. He couldn’t miss his chance to save Norton. His gaze wandered to the rigging. The gasbag overhead seemed to reach almost to the top of the cloud. There was a long periscope on deck nearby. A plan began to form. He spotted Finch heading past the cannons.

  “Finch,” he said. “I need to get on top of that gasbag.”

  Finch looked surprised. “Are you sure?”

  Bert gave what he hoped was a confident nod. “We’re running out of time,” he said. “I’m the only one who knows what those clouds look like. I need to spot them myself.”

  Finch glanced around to see if anyone was watching. “Well, they can’t complain once we’re up there,” she said. She grabbed the periscope and a pair of ropes with hooks on the end and led Bert over to the rigging. The haze helped mask their movements.

  Cassius was walking close by. “What’s going on?” he said.

  Bert’s heart sank. He couldn’t let the quæstor stop him now.

  “Quickly,” said Finch. “You go up first.”

  Bert was already running. He gave one last look at the deck, then climbed the rigging as fast as he could. The slipstream hit him as soon as he left the cover of the deck, and the sound of the wind filled his ears. There was an overwhelming temptation to look down.

  “Here,” yelled Finch. She appeared beside him and wrapped a rope around his waist. She attached a hook at the end of the rope onto a line that hung down over their heads.

  “What do we do now?” said Bert. He couldn’t see a way to get from the rigging onto the underside of the balloon. There was only that stray line hanging in the haze.

  To his horror, Finch kicked off from the rigging and let herself hang in empty space. “It’s all right,” she shouted. “Trust the safety line. We’ll climb it together.”

  Bert felt a wave of dread sweep over him. But there was no time to hesitate. He let go of the rigging and kicked off. His stomach lurched as he dangled over the side of the balloon.

  “Climb,” said Finch. She pointed to a section of knotted rope that led up the line, all the way over the top of the balloon. He didn’t need much encouragement. With Finch beside him, he scrambled up as fast as he could, wincing as the sharp gusts battered him.

  When they reached the top of the balloon he was shaking heavily but still in one piece. He caught his breath for a moment. From his seat on top of the balloon he saw breaks in the cloud cover and caught flashes of brilliant sunlight. Finch passed him the long tube of the periscope. She helped to steady the device while Bert looked into it. He cast his gaze to the north.

  To begin with he couldn’t see anything remarkable about the skyline ahead of him. But as he focused, he became aware of an odd prickling sensation in his palm as he looked to the northeast. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting closer to Norton or because of the presence of some other inspiration, but it seemed that he had gained a little more of his power. He raised his right hand. A weak blast emanated from his scar. The energy traveled like a flare across the sky ahead until it passed a high swirl of mist. The clouds flickered as the light passed by and the mist grew more solid for a moment. Bert stared in wonder as the turret of a castle appeared. He almost dropped the periscope in surprise. “I can see it,” he gasped.

  “Where?” said Finch.

  Bert passed her the periscope and forced another flicker of light to emanate from his palm. It was much weaker this time but Finch still registered its effect.

  “That’s incredible,” she said, in obvious wonder. “There are towers, just floating there.”

  Bert took the periscope back from her and looked again. He could tell now that there were a whole host of misty columns floating over the bank of cloud cover. It seemed unbelievable, but if his instincts were right, each one of those columns was a part of the same floating structure.

  “It must be huge,” said Finch. She shook her head in disbelief. “I have to get down and tell my father to change course. I’ll help you down afterward.”

  “I’m fine,” said Bert. “I should stay and keep a lookout.”

  Finch looked uneasy. “Just don’t unclip your safety harness,” she said. She hurried over the surface of the gasbag and disappeared down the rigging.

  Bert couldn’t help feeling a pang of concern. The wind was biting, even through his thick clothes, and the gasbag seemed fragile as it rippled beneath him.

  But he felt stronger with each moment. He knew that meant they were getting closer to Norton. It was as if the energy he’d lost was returning to him. He was still gazing in wonder at the columns ahead when he heard a noise that made him flinch.

  A deep rumbling followed them through the cloud cover.

  “Airship behind!” yelled a lookout from below.

  A blast of smoke split the cloud behind them.

  The Lugalbanda lurched like a startled animal as the engine burst into life. The Vulture had clearly spotted them. It was gaining rapidly. Bert clung to the gasbag and checked that his hook was still attached to the safety line. The wind buffeted him.

  He knew that he was in a precarious position if the fighting started again, but the prospect of climbing back down the rigging without help made him hesitate.

  There was an explosion close by and a burst of smoke.

  The Vulture fired at them with its chase cannons. Another shot rang out and a burst blossomed out just over the gasbag. Bert winced as the ship shook.

  He tried to crawl over the rocking surface of the gasbag but a sudden pain forced him to stop. The ache around his heart had returned. The hollowness grew and a terrible coldness flowed over his chest. He saw a flash of blue light and dark shadows. “Norton,” he muttered. He could sense his friend was in serious trouble. Whatever Voss was doing was harming him. He remembered what Norton had said about being killed and made into energy.

  The Lugalbanda rocked on a swell of air and the cloud cover disappeared for a moment. Bert could see the column-like mist ahead. They had almost reached it.

  Another explosion nearly sent him tumbling.

  The rumble of the Vulture jarred through his mind. Explosions burst in regular patterns now, all around the sides of the ship. He heard the shrapnel whistling through the air. Another twinge of hollowness gripped him and he sank down, holding his chest.

  “Norton, hold on,” he muttered.

  He knew he needed to get down onto the deck. He tried to ignore the blasts of cannon fire and focus on his footing, but as he crawled toward the side of the balloon a new impulse took hold. They had almost reached the spot where he’d seen the first tower. He sensed that he didn’t have much time left if he was going to save Norton. If he could somehow get onto the structure, it might be his best chance of reaching the dark crystal and stopping Voss completing his plan.

  A powerful searchlight ignited at the front of the pursuing ship. It shone over the clouds. Under its beam, a whole curtain of mist seemed to vanish and revealed a network of towers and walkways. Even in his apprehension, Bert couldn’t help a feeling of wonder at the scene. They appeared to be almost at the heart of the gigantic floating castle. The Vulture had clearly activated the light to prevent a collision with the structure, but they had also shown the pirates the way.

  There was a sudden impact and the ship lurched drunkenly.

  Bert was thrown onto his hands and knees. He saw the gasbag of the Vulture suddenly sail by and bank away from them. Its searchlight disappeared. The floating structures that had been there a moment ago turned back into cloud. The Lugalbanda seemed to have frozen in midair.

  “We’ve struck something,” yelled a voice from below.

  The crewman’s words mirrored Bert’s own thoughts. The ship hung practically motionless, despite the roar of its engine. The nose of the gasbag was buried in the haze. Bert held out his hand and a weak light shone fro
m his palm. The mists parted as the magical light fell on them and revealed the face of a castle wall, just as he’d expected. There was a stone walkway right beside him. It was almost within his reach—the side of the gasbag scraped against it.

  A desperate thrill passed over him. They had reached the castle and that meant Norton was somewhere nearby. All he had to do was get inside.

  “Adjust course,” yelled the Professor’s voice below. “And will someone for goodness’ sake get Bert down from the balloon. He’s not some cursed ship’s mascot.”

  The ship lurched again. The balloon slipped back from the cloud.

  Bert felt a rush of panic. He couldn’t hesitate now, and there was no time to explain. He unclipped from the safety line and ran, making straight for the cloud ahead.

  “Bert!” yelled Cassius from close by. “Come down from there.”

  Bert couldn’t afford to look back. He jumped.

  For a sickening moment he saw clear sky, before he plunged into the thin vapors. Then he suddenly crunched against something brittle. He realized he wasn’t falling anymore.

  He gasped and looked around. He was on solid ground, sort of. His legs had sunk into the crumbly white structure that seemed to make up the walkway in the cloud. Thinner white vapors swirled around him. They seemed to rise from the stone’s surface like a cloak. The airship gasbag still hovered close by. He called out but his voice was lost to the rumbling engine.

  A shadow fell over him and he caught sight of the Vulture returning for another attack. “Bert,” called Cassius, from somewhere close by. “Where are you?”

  Bert wasn’t sure how to reply. “Over here,” he yelled.

  He could hear the Professor’s voice shouting orders, even over the rumbling engines. “Fire the crystal emitters! We need to find a way of maneuvering!”

  There was a sudden flash from the front of the Lugalbanda’s deck and a cascade of blinding lights shone overhead. Bert blinked at the sharpness of the glow. As his vision cleared, he clearly saw the layout of the castle. Ghostly white towers and turrets rose all around. Ahead, across a series of walkways, there was one tower that was bigger than the rest. He knew Voss would be there. Somehow he was certain that the weapon was there too.

  The rumbling grew louder and the Vulture came into view, skirting the edge of a nearby tower. Bert could see that the Lugalbanda was drifting too far away for anyone to reach him. He wouldn’t be able to count on the help of the crew. But the fear of what was happening to Norton, and the hollowness in his chest, drove him onward. “I’m all right,” he yelled, hoping that Cassius, or someone on the deck, might hear him. “I’m on the cloud.”

  The Lugalbanda climbed rapidly, and turned its side to the Vulture. There was a sudden flurry of explosions between the two ships and the air filled with gray smoke. Some of the shots hit the castle and stone tumbled through the mists. The walkway shook beneath Bert.

  He felt a pang of concern for his friends, but at the same moment he realized the precariousness of his position. The structure he was standing on kept shaking under the force of the explosions and a stray cannonball burst through the surface nearby. Fissures spread over the stone from the impact. It dawned on him, violently, that he was standing on something at least two hundred years old—a floating ruin in the clouds. For all he knew it might drop at any moment.

  A crack split the walkway beside him. He staggered to his feet and began to run. From the corner of his eye he saw the edge of the walkway falling away like a pile of sand.

  The airships fired again. It seemed like the whole place was disintegrating now. He made a desperate dash toward the center of the slope, but it was too late.

  The ground gave way beneath his feet. He fell through a layer of cloud, grasping at the brittle structure and bringing it crumbling down around him. Then everything went white.

  For a moment, Bert was disoriented. He’d landed at the bottom of a crumbling slope on another narrow walkway that hovered over what seemed to be empty space. The flares of the crystals still illuminated the outlines of the castle around him, but it was clear that they wouldn’t last much longer. They flickered in the haze and the stonework faded in and out of the mist.

  He flinched as a voice called out to him.

  “Bert,” said Cassius. “Are you down there?”

  “I’m here,” yelled Bert.

  Cassius appeared, running down the crumbling slope. He took hold of Bert’s hand. “Are you all right?” he said. “Are you injured?”

  Bert was struck by the concern in the man’s voice. He felt a flood of gratitude to the quæstor. In his heart, he didn’t believe he could face Voss alone, and he could sense now that the prince was nearby. Norton seemed to be calling out to him.

  “Let’s move,” said Cassius. “The flares are running out.”

  Bert remembered his powers. “I can see without them,” he said. He held up his hand. The light from his palm was weak, but it was enough to part the haze ahead of them and reveal the true path, even as the flares sank from view. “I think it’s this way,” he said, gesturing ahead.

  They made slow progress over the ghostly ruins. The mist faded ahead of them and closed behind, so that their patch of walkway was the only clear ground.

  He couldn’t even see the airships anymore. They passed a strange statue of a flying creature with frightening eyes. He could just make out a large archway ahead.

  “I don’t like this,” said Cassius. “Voss could be hiding anywhere.”

  “He’ll need a light too,” said Bert. “We’ll have some warning.”

  The clouds parted momentarily and he caught a glimpse of the airships. He was relieved to see that the Lugalbanda was still intact. There was another flurry of cannon fire and something crashed above them. A tower crumbled through the thick cloud.

  “Look out!” yelled Cassius. He grabbed Bert as the ground sank from beneath their feet. They fell for a moment and landed in a heap on a black stone floor.

  When they came to rest, Bert realized that the quæstor had been winded by the fall. “Are you all right?” Bert asked.

  Cassius nodded. “Just a knock,” he said.

  “Thank you,” said Bert. He felt a pang of guilt for not having trusted the quæstor before. “You risked a lot to come here. I don’t know what I’d have done alone.”

  Cassius smiled. “You’re doing fine,” he said. “What is this place?”

  Bert looked around. A weak reflected light illuminated a black stone corridor lined with mirrors. They stuck at jagged angles through the walls, like veins of crystal, with only the odd black pillar to break the glare.

  “At least we can see our way now,” said Bert.

  They edged along the corridor, with Cassius peering around cautiously. The effect of the mirrors was like a fun house. Bert found it hard to keep his bearings.

  Cassius shook his head. “I feel like I’m in an old fairy tale,” he said. “I always used to love stories about Ferenor when I was a child. Now look at me.”

  Bert saw a flicker of amusement in the man’s eyes. He remembered his own eagerness for adventure when he was small. He hadn’t imagined it would be like this.

  “What’s that?” said Cassius, back on alert.

  A greenish light spilled out from an archway ahead of them. Each time the light flickered, their surroundings showed clearly for a moment. Bert could see that the corridor opened out into a wider room ahead. There were more carvings of winged figures. Their faces had a hungry, wicked look about them. They reminded Bert unpleasantly of Prince Voss.

  As he stared at the green light he felt a dawning terror. “This is it,” he whispered to Cassius. “That light is coming from the dark crystal. This is where Norton is trapped.”

  Cassius nodded. “Stay behind me,” he said.

  As they drew closer, Bert saw that the room was split by more reflective surfaces. When the light flashed, he glimpsed a large domed ceiling, but it faded quickly into mist.

  “Stay low,�
�� said Cassius. He led them to the opening of the room, treading softly. By now Bert could almost hear Norton calling to him. The green light was dizzying.

  A flicker of movement caught his eye and a bright flare slid along the floor. It came to rest beside them. It took him a moment to realize the cause.

  “Look out,” cried Cassius.

  Bert felt the quæstor barrel into him and heard a gunshot. He landed against a pillar beside the entranceway. Cassius landed heavily beside him.

  The light went out almost as suddenly as it had appeared, and the mists closed in. Bert couldn’t focus to get the power from his hand. He fumbled blindly.

  “Cassius?” he said.

  There was no reply.

  “Cassius, are you there?”

  He heard a weak gasp from near his feet and held up his palm, focusing the power. A faint light emanated from his scar.

  The mist parted and he saw to his horror that Cassius was slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. He was clutching his chest. There was blood on his hands.

  “Voss,” said Cassius. He winced. “He’s in the mist ahead.”

  Bert placed his hand over Cassius’s and tried to put pressure on the wound. He realized that Cassius was staring at him. A look of peace passed over the man’s face. “You have your mother’s eyes,” he said through a wince. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

  It took a moment for Bert to register what Cassius was saying. He gripped the man’s hand tighter and shook away his surprise. “Hold on,” he said. “I’ll find some way to help you.”

  Cassius moved his head weakly. “It’s all right.”

  “You knew my mother?” asked Bert. The realization of who Cassius really was began to sink in. He knew that the quæstor had been hiding something, but hadn’t dreamt it was this.

  Cassius let out a long breath. His face darkened. “I was away when it happened,” he said. “I was always away back then. When I found out what had happened to her, I had to hide you. She had wiped your memory. It was a final attempt to keep you safe, I suppose. Even if it meant you forgetting us.” He winced and gripped Bert’s arm. “You can’t let him win,” he said.