Emissary Metal OMNIBUS 1-3 by Paton Chris

Author:Paton, Chris [Paton, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Steampunk
Published: 2016-02-29T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Lying in the course grass, my clothes heavy with rain, I shivered. The stone sky darkened and the mountain peaks were obliterated from view. The midgies, however, were undeterred. They didn't so much crawl as tickle their way across my skin, chafing at my eyes and lips. I would likely not have noticed one or two of the small beasts, but my skin was black with a blight of the tiny furies. Up there, at the tip of the spur on the slopes of Suilven, there was little to rejoice and plenty to remorse.

“Eat something,” Seffi opened her knapsack and handed me a sandwich, the smoked venison as thick as the crusts. “It'll take your mind off the midgies.”

“I don't believe anything could distract me from these monsters,” I brushed a layer of insects from my hand and took the sandwich. “How do you cope? They don't seem to bother you.”

“Try not to think about them, Karl. Eat your sandwich. Beatrice has spoiled us.”

She was right. That first bite of soft white bread and dark meat lightened, for a moment at least, one of the bleakest experiences of my life. I chewed as Seffi pulled a telescope out of the knapsack, slipped it out of its leather case and extended it.

“What's that there?” I pointed at the spindle screwed into the thicker end of the telescope.

Seffi placed the telescope on the ground before her and tapped the case into the palm of her hand. A length of cord slipped out of the case.

“I have heard about these,” Seffi wound the cord around the spindle. Gripping the telescope in her left hand she pulled the cord with her right. The telescope hummed in her grip. Seffi pocketed the cord and held the telescope to her eye. “Oh, yes.”

“Oh, what?” I took another bite of my sandwich as Seffi shuffled into a new position. Leaning her back against her knapsack, she rested the end of the telescope on one raised knee, steadying it with her left hand as she locked the elbow of her right into her chest and focused the eyepiece with delicate twists of her muddy fingers.

“This is a Severinson telescope. Often copied but never perfected. Whistlefish has been most generous. I can count the raindrops on the emissary’s head.” Seffi panned the telescope to the right, towards the bothy. “And the hairs of the dogs.”

“Dogs? Already?”

“Yes, I can see two at the bothy.”

“Only two?”

“Maybe they decided against bringing the whole pack? Too much hassle, perhaps?” Seffi twisted the dial of the telescope. “No sign of Macfarlane yet, but the men are pointing and shouting at the mattresses.” She laughed. Seffi twisted her body to the right. “Ah, there he is, Karl. Macfarlane and his dog.”

“How many men?”

“Still only four. Two at the bothy. The last man is coming up slowly behind Macfarlane.” Seffi stiffened. Handing me the telescope she took my half-eaten sandwich and pointed in the direction I should look. “Obviously I didn't hide the foot as well as I thought.

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