The Emperor of Mars by Patrick Samphire

Author:Patrick Samphire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Beneath the floor, a great whoomf sounded, followed by the clatter of metal. The floor shuddered, and I staggered to one side.

“What…?” Mina said.

“They’re into the storeroom,” I said. Apprentice was through the steel door.

“I’ve got a boat,” Rackham said. “I can get you out of the city.”

“We can’t,” I said. “Not yet. We have to get Mama. She’s still at home. She hasn’t got a clue what’s going on.”

“All my things are there, too!” Putty said. “Dr. Blood can’t have my things. I’ve spent ages on some of them.”

Rackham cast one last look around the corner. “Then we move. Now. Keep up and do what I tell you, and we might get out of this.”

“Fine,” I said.

For now.

* * *

There were signs of Dr. Blood’s men everywhere. As we hurried through the museum, I saw smashed display cases and glass that had been crunched under the heavy feet of the clockwork armor. Statues and delicate artifacts had been toppled and knocked to the ground. But nothing seemed to have been taken. They really were only after the sarcophagus. Why? It was worthless. Unless there was something hidden in it that we’d missed.

Our pace was painfully slow. At every corner, Rackham paused, listening, before looking around then signaling us forward. Each time he did it, I got more and more jumpy. Any second now, I expected Apprentice or one of his machines to appear behind us, and we’d be caught.

Rackham stopped at another corner and I resisted the urge to scream. Rackham knew what he was doing. It was what Freddie would have done. But if we kept on like this, I would be chewing off my fingers.

Ahead, I knew, the corridor doglegged back, then a door on the right led out to the museum’s own wharf and the river. From there, we could cut north toward our house, or south to the main commercial wharfs, where Captain Kol’s ship was tied up.

Rackham held up a hand. He glanced back and mouthed, Someone there.

I swore under my breath. Of course the exits were guarded. I should have realized.

Rackham raised his rifle. “Stay.”

There had to be another way out, one that Apprentice didn’t know about. Where? I racked my brain, trying to think. A side door. A ground-floor window that could be jacked open.

Rackham took a quick step, swinging his rifle out, aiming down the corridor.

Something flew through the air and caught him on the shoulder. He spun around, dropping to his knee and bringing the rifle back up again.

“Stop!” I shouted, leaping forward.

Rackham was already straightening, pulling his rifle back up. I stumbled out just as a length of wood whistled by, almost taking the top off my head.

“Stop!”

“Edward?”

Olivia stood a yard away, the length of wood raised ready to swing again. It looked like the leg of a display table, and if that caught me across the ear, I’d know it.

“He’s a friend,” I said. “Probably.”

Rackham rolled his shoulder. “You’re fast.”

Olivia gave him a suspicious look but lowered the wood.

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