A Device Infernal II

 A Device Infernal

Chapter II: An Excess of Ogreberries

“Once that Grandee, Lord Alabastre was run off, and things settled down a bit, they tried to get the Faire going agin but it weren’t quite the same, what with all them dead dry foot sailors and their iron hat box still burning. But they cleaned up as best they could.  Brother Maksen and the other priests and the houngans treated all the dry foot civilians that was hurt on the steamboat that was berthed right next store.  Constable Renard also told them that like as not that iron ram blow up all by itself. Course, nobody paid much mind to a couple of dead serf-hunters and as for them pistoleers, well three less of them in the world was probably not a bad thing. Mind, they never did find them two time-jumping hounds that had been kilt, which some thought mighty peculiar.

 “Well then, after the supper and drinking and dancing, round about sunset, just like Old Renard suggested, the Com’dor gathered everyone up to sail on home to Salteon,  and let things lie low for bit. He had his fine cargo boat, the Amelie.  And he took Vangeline and Brother Maksen and, oh yes, Coralie. 

 “The Com’dor didn’t allow none of them suitors onboard; he weren’t about to add that kind of trouble when he was commencing a trip up the bayou at night.  So the suitors, and Skeeter, and that little dwarf fellah and that even littler fairy gal, they all piled onboard Sabeen’s boat, the Virago.  

“Old Leon weren’t too pleased and he grumbled and fussed and was like to toss one or more of them overboard, except Skeeter knew how to make the ole man laugh, and that he did and they all did and the voyage was the better for it.  And Leon kept a good head of steam going in the Virago.  And he didn’t need one of them fancy new engines.  He just filled up that big bronze boiler with river water and cast a heat spell on it so water kept on boiling.

"Now over on the Amelie, Vangeline couldn’t help but staring over at the Virago and those four suitors she was sweet on.  Coralie tried to help her sister figure out what she wanted and especially tried to steer her away from Fiddlesticks who could summon up demons and was buried the past three months, by Skeeter’s own admissions.  But Vangeline just scoffed, “O that Skeeter, he does like his tall tales. Like how he got his name, claiming he killed an actual skeeter.  Everyone knows they don’t exist, why a flying bug so big it blots out the sun! So why should I believe him about Fiddlesticks?”

“Meanwhile, the Com’dor took Brother Maksen to task for reading out the Emperor’s Proclamation, even though it did distract Alabastre’s attention from Vangeline. The Com’dor said he and some of the other cargosons knew about it already and were preparing for what the Grandees might do.  The rich serf-owners were gathering in Plibba City and were raising an army to rebel against the Emperor. What with all the soldiers out East fight the horse folks, the Emperor didn’t have but a few soldiers close by, other than his Guards and a few small garrisons like at Fort Flumens, which guarded the River Deep. So the Com’dor and his friends made a secret deal with ole General Melidoc up in Fort Flumens, to raise the Yando folk if the Grandees started trouble, particularly since it looked like Mivior was going to back the Grandees.  The Com’dor then showed Maksen the cargo hold of the Amelie, which was stuffed with black powder and muskets.  He said there were a dozen cargos like this all sailing up the bayous for the army of the Yando Rivermen.

Now both the Com’dor and Sabeen were good night pilots and, aside from a couple of dire gators and a swarm of them blood drinking bats, they had no trouble worth the mention.  By dawn they had reached the drawbridge at Villebo.  Leon made sure they paid the proper toll for passing under the bridge, saying “Old Rufus, the tollkeeper, is part troll so we going to pay the toll with no arguing and no trouble.”

Soon enough, they could see the smoke curling up from Salteon.  And round about noon they came round the bend and saw their home.

Now the Amelie docked at the Com’dor’s private jetty and there was Amelie wracked with indecision as to which of the suitors was to be the match to her soul.

And there were the suitors, all pining for Vangeline.  And old Leon, he said, “If I were that Vangeline, I’d form me one of them 'polyamorous collectives', that’d settle things, but what do I know, I’m just a poor old crevetierre!”

Now, Matre Filtote, Fiddlesticks’ mother was there waiting and she was angry with Skeeter for letting her son go down to the Cacaton Faire when she had told him to bring her boy directly home.  She would’ve turned him into some dreadful critter except Skeeter always seemed to enjoy that.  So she dragged Fiddlesticks off to her hut so they could talk some more.  Fiddlesticks told Skeeter to keep an eye on Vangeline so nothing would go astray.

Now seeing this, Coralie, who didn’t trust neither Fiddlesticks who had been dead for the past three months, nor his matre who was one of the most feared mambos in the Yando.  So she asked Dewy to spy on them and see what they had to say.  The little fairy flew off quick as a nannerfly.

Now the Com’dor and Vangeline had gone up to the house, hoping to have some luncheon.  Skeeter, obeying Fiddlesticks’ direction, followed them up.  The Com’dor’s right hand man, Sebastien Pitre, tried to stop him but there weren’t many who could say no to Skeeter so he let the wet stomper right in, muddy boots and all.

The Com’dor was also about to ask Skeeter what he was up to but thinking the effort not worth it, let Skeeter take a seat. Skeeter fell to eating a big bowl of the jambalaya.  

Soon Vangeline joined them and said hello to Skeeter and gave him another bowl.

In the meanwhile, Dewy flew into the thatching of Matre Filtote’s shack.  She heard the mambo ask Fiddlesticks what sort of deal he had made with some unnamed someone or something so he could return.  Matre said the unnamed one always demanded a hard bargain but Fiddlesticks might get out of it since the unnamed was a gambler and sometimes could be tricked if the stakes were high enough.

It was just then that Fiddlesticks noticed Dewy and reached up and plucked her out of the thatching.  Dewy noticed that Matre was old and shriveled like she had first seemed but beautiful and young-seeming.  The Matre warned Dewy not to spy any more and not to repeat anything she said or the fairy would lose her winds for starters and then a lot more besides.  Fiddlesticks reluctantly released the fairy who flew off desperately looking for Coralie.

In a while, Coralie, tired of waiting for Dewy to report, joined the luncheon.  She gave Skeeter another bowl.

The Com’dor and Vangeline fell to arguing again about the suitors.  The Com’dor saying she needed to make up her mind and chose one of them or send them all packing. As she stormed off, he said he was going to gather them all at the house this very evening and settle things once and for all.  He told Vangeline that it weren't fair to anyone for her to keep everyone so suspended.  Tonight, she would have to make her decision.

Dewy showed up and was all atwitter about an old witch turned young and the dead fiddler making a deal in the underworld and her wings were going to get plucked off and then maybe the gambler would let them go if they tricked it and then Dewy collapsed in exhaustion upon the settee.  Coralie tried to tell all this, or at least the best she could figure out of the fairy’s rantings, to Vangeline. But her sister wouldn’t listen so Coralie went off to her own room.

While Skeeter was having his fourth bowl of jumbalaya, there was a knock at the door.  Post Master Mercier had a package for Vangeline. It was a small plainly wrapped box with only Vangeline’s name and town on it, along with the shiny Imperial postage stamp. It rattled a bit when Skeeter shook it.

Skeeter knocked on Vangeline’s door.  The girl wasn’t inclined to answer until Skeeter made clear it was him and he had a package for her. Vangeline took it and sniffed at it, remarking how delicious it smelled.  Skeeter then headed off to tell the suitors that the Com’dor wanted to see them all at sunset.

A few hours later, they all gathered at the Com’dor’s house.  The whole of Salteon had heard about this and so had joined the gathering to see who Vangeline was going to choose.

The Com’dor started by offering any of the suitors that wanted a fortune in gold if they would give up on Vangeline.

Not one of the suitors said a word nor took a move to accept the offer.  The Com’dor sent Coralie to fetch her sister.

While everyone was waiting, Post Master Mercier went over to Servan, telling him there were wanted posters for him and his dwarf friend for being deserters from the Army.  

Even worse, a troop of soldiers, big Hobgoblins wearing the green coats of the Imperial gendarmes had been through here a few days ago, saying they intended to find them no matter what.  They said something about impaling the two once they were caught. 

When Coralie went to get Vangeline, there was no answer to her knock.  She finally opened the door and found her sister lying unconscious on the floor, an open box laying near her side, several tarts, one half eaten scattered on the floor.  No matter how hard she tried, Coralie could not rouse her sister.

Coralie ran for her father.  Soon the Com’dor, Brother Maksen, and even Matre Filtote came to see what was the matter. Matre said it was a spell, holding up the half eaten tart, showing its ogreberry filling.  “This is a powerful magic, more than any I have ever seen; I’ve heard of it only once.  It’s the Sleep Eternal, the subject of which shall remain asleep forever, beyond their normal lifespan, even if the body is destroyed it reforms and continues to sleep.  While all else may pass away, the victim remains, until this world itself is burned away. And for all that uncountable time, she will be aware of all that is occurring to her and to her loved ones and must suffer it alone.  Whoever cast this spell had a great hatred within them.”

They tried to make Vangeline comfortable.  Matre Filtote said she knew only one person who might help, a bokor, a necromancer, who lived up Bayou Crimson, who was older than her and said to have the ancient knowledge such as this.  His name was Lazar Mirande and he was said to have the mastery of the Crystal Lillies, said to be the curative to all such malignant magic.

The Com’dor gathered them all in his dining room.  “Since it was hate that wrought this, maybe it is that love can overcome it. I charge each of you suitors, whichever finds this cure, they shall have the hand of Vangeline.”

“I will go too,” said Brother Maksen, “for great Huisinga loves all his children.”

“A sister’s love counts just as much, I’m going too,” said Coralie.

Dewy grew uneasy, like all her people, she could sense when the dark iron was near.  She had this sense from the iron boat at Cacaton.  She had it now.  A faint thrumming sounded in her ears.

Suddenly, there was a scream from the edge of the village followed by shots.  They ran to the veranda, a body of masked men were setting fire to everything in sight, shooting at anything that moved.  They could all hear the rhythmic thrumming now, the sound of a great steam engine driving a heavy boat up the river.

As everyone rushed from the house, the Com’dor bearing Vangaline in his arms, Servan and several of the others fired their guns at the oncoming attackers.  Fiddlesticks pointed his fiddlebow at them as well.

One of the attackers was killed by the shots.  A small horned creature appeared near them but seemed to have no effect on the masked men. More shouts were heard from further in the village.

They could see the large ironclad coming up the river now, the fading light making it appear red as blood. Shots were now coming from the other side of the village.

The Com’dor gave Vangeline over to Matre Filtote and asked her to take his daughter to safety. He then ordered everyone to flee up the river.

Leon was onboard the Virago and soon a plume of steam appeared from its stack.  They all rushed to the boat.  Servan and Jbili brought up the rear.  The Dwarf stumbled on some undergrowth. Coralie ran back and helped him to reach safety.

Servan was last. He heard the growls as one of the chronohounds suddenly appeared right next to him. Another followed and after them were several armed and armored men along with one of Alabastre’s spellcasters. 

The large ironclad was close by now, firing its great cannons into dying Salteon.

Servan struck down the chronohound.  It vanished.

He ran for the Virago and leapt onboard just as it pulled away from the pier.

As it moved into the river, they saw that the Amelie was underway.  The Com’dor was on the quarter deck.

Seeing the Virago turning up river, the Com’dor called out, “Coralie, Coralie.  I was always proud of you!”  He turned away and opened the hatch to the cargo hold, a burning lantern in his hand.

The Amelie headed straight toward the iron clad.  Shots tore the water around it but the Com’dor steered the big boat masterfully, avoid the shots.  As the two boats neared, he flung the lantern into the hold.

 A enormous flash and roar split the darkness as both ships exploded

 To be continued…