Clockwork Memories by Sarina Dorie

Author:Sarina Dorie [Dorie, Sarina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781535427500
Published: 2017-01-19T22:00:00+00:00

I crawled through the robotic maid shaft, a piece of jagged metal tucked into my belt to defend myself. Eli had been kind enough to give me that since I no longer had my knife and Jacques had taken Meriwether’s laser pistol.

I liked Eli and hoped Jacques wouldn’t find out about him helping me. There was something unusual about Eli, and it wasn’t just the foreignness of his accent and his dark skin. He was the kasha kamuy of the ship, a benevolent protector who rode in the belly of the tatsu like in the stories I have been told as a child.

I paused at the next fork to adjust the knife in my belt before continuing on to the left and then down a sloping passage. I had memorized the twists and turns Eli had drawn for me. It was hard to believe he’d been so willing to aid me in my mission after all we had been through already. But then, Eli wasn’t a pirate. He was onboard as much against his will as I was.

“If ever there was a bloke out there who understands what it’s like to fight oppression, it would bloody well be me,” he’d said.

I liked it when he said blimey and barmy and other silly words I’d never heard before. I tested them out in my mouth as I crawled down the tunnels for lack of anything better to do. When at last I neared the brig, I slowed. I’d passed voices here or there, but these I recognized.

A nasally man’s voice said in the stuffiest of all the British accents I’d had the displeasure of hearing, “Master Meriwether, why not tell him what he wants to know? Your identity has been compromised. You can thank him for not telling the captain, so far, eh? Commander Bleu won’t turn you over to the French.” It was Charbonneau who spoke, Meriwether’s supposedly trusty servant. So well-trusted no one had suspected he would bring disease to my world under the orders of Lord Klark. Death by plague was one way to erase the evidence of Lord Klark’s wrongdoings. Fortunately, Meriwether had put a stop to that—he wasn’t all bad.

I listened with rapt attention.

“They will kill innocent people. I can’t be the cause. I will not stand for it.” Meriwether’s voice sounded tired, like each word was a labor to draw out. No doubt it would be if they had tortured him.

Charbonneau tsked. “There’s a time and a place to play the part of the hero. Now is neither. Wouldn’t it be best to cut your losses before the captain loses patience?”

I felt along the metal for a loose spot in the paneling until I felt a place give. Slowly I opened it just enough I could peek out. I only saw feet. Two men stood nearby. They faced the other direction, at least. Farther past them was the enclosed cage in the brig. A man was tied to a chair within those confines. I could only see him up to his waist.

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