Mariah Mundi and the Ship of Fools (18 page)

There came a sound like the breaking of bones. The hull cracked open and the sea flooded in. The stern of the ship rose up, the paddles turning slowly. Mariah held his breath as he witnessed the fiery death of the
Carasbandra
, dragged down to the depths by the weight of the ingots in its hold. It was as if he watched a giant creature give up its life.

The water began to boil around the ship as the flames were slowly submerged. The night grew dark. The
Carasbandra
slipped silently beneath the waves about a mile from him.

‘Mariah!’ shouted a voice from the darkness. ‘How did you escape?’

Mariah turned. There was Biba. He said nothing as they stood in their two separate boats watching the ship sink into the sea as if they attended the funeral of an old friend.

‘You look wet,’ he said as the ship finally vanished.

‘How did you escape?’ she asked.

‘Cartaphilus,’ he replied. ‘He let me go. I thought he would kill me and then …’ Mariah saw again the look in the eyes of Cartaphilus. It was as if he had seen much in his life that no man had ever seen before. ‘I know I’ll see him again.’

‘The
Triton
is bound to have seen the explosions – they’ll come looking for us,’ Biba said as she pulled the two boats together.

‘Then we shall wait,’ he said. He sat at the tiller as Biba climbed on board slowly. ‘It will be dawn within the hour.’

They slept curled in Biba’s fur coat, their bodies bringing warmth to each other. Biba woke suddenly as in the half-light of dawn she heard a familiar sound.

‘Mariah,’ she said excitedly. ‘The
Bicameralist
– it’s here!’

Mariah opened his eyes. He had dreamed of England and the Prince Regent hotel. He had been warm and dry, eating fish tails and sliced potato. Now he opened his eyes on the cold grey Atlantic Ocean.

‘What?’ he asked as he rubbed his face with the collar of her coat.

The sound came from the east. It skirted the calm sea like a dragonfly. It moved back and forth, the blades of the gigantic propellers touching the water.

‘They can’t see us. I know they can’t see us,’ Biba said, her voice edged with panic.

‘We’re here!’ he shouted as he got to his feet waving his arms.

The
Bicameralist
turned and headed back towards the
Triton
as if its mission had failed.

‘They’ve gone – they can’t go!’ Biba screamed thinking her one chance had now departed.

Mariah rummaged in the sealed compartment by the hatch. He loaded the flare gun he found and fired it into the air. It cracked with a bright red light as the shell exploded. The
Bicameralist
appeared to hesitate and then turned again. Mariah fired another flare. The skyship beamed its searchlight across the sea, circling them in pure white light. It drew close and then hovered above them.

The dawn broke. From underneath the skyship a flight of steel stairs slid out. A man stood at the very tip, holding fast with one hand and waving with the other. The steps came closer and closer.

‘Casper Vikash!’ Biba screamed with joy to see him. ‘You found us!’

Vikash held out his hand and pulled Biba from the boat and then hooked her to the steps. He took hold of Mariah and lifted him from the lifeboat.

‘We have much to tell you Casper,’ Biba said as she held back her tears.

‘And I you,’ he replied as the skyship pulled them ever higher and away from the sea.

T
HE
Bicameralist
soared like a ghost across the sky. Inside the long gondola Mariah could hear only the faint sound of the wind. It was as if the skyship had no engines and was carried by the jet stream. He looked down upon the Atlantic. It was calm and still. Where the
Carasbandra
had sunk the water appeared to smoke and he could see the debris of the ship floating in the sea. Barrels of whale oil, a broken mast, lifeless swimmers bobbed back and forth. There was no sign of Cartaphilus. Even though he was gone, Mariah could not get the man from his mind. He could still see his piercing eyes and, what was more, could still see all that flickered within. It was as if he looked at a moving picture – the images flashed, bright and clear and very real. It was as if the thoughts of Cartaphilus had spilled out and now danced before him.

‘Chocolate?’ Vikash asked. He tapped Mariah on the shoulder and presented him with a cup of thick, steaming liquid. ‘Biba tells me she hasn’t eaten.’

Mariah looked back to the row of leather chairs that were next to the window behind him. Biba slept, sprawled across them, wrapped in her coat. The gondola looked as though it
had been hand-carved from a single piece of dark wood and then fitted with grey leather. The seats were softer than anything Mariah had known before. The walls had been covered in gold leaf. They shimmered with every change of light as the skyship moved on. The carpet was the same as that in DeFeaux’s stateroom. It was lush and bright.

He couldn’t see the pilot, nor knew how the Skyship was sailed through the clouds. Vikash had brought them both to the cabin and locked the door behind them. Mariah knew there were many more rooms to the gondola. The passageway stretched out the length of the ship from where they had entered, but he had seen no other crew than Vikash. It was as if the ship sailed itself silently through the sky.

‘They were going to hold her for ransom. I had to get her from the ship,’ Mariah said when he had taken in all the detail around him. ‘I didn’t want her to leave the
Triton
.’

‘That would have been impossible. I know Biba too well. When she sets her heart on something she has to do it. I am just thankful you went with her,’ Vikash said as he sat in the seat next to him.

‘Cartaphilus said that I had to beware a man called Markesan,’ Mariah said as he sipped the bitter chocolate. It brightened his mind and took away the tiredness.

‘Markesan is on the
Triton
– that we know,’ said Vikash.

‘There is a bomb on the
Triton
– they are going to explode it even though they took the gold,’ Mariah said.

‘We found it, there is no need to worry,’ replied Vikash.

‘And Captain Jack, is he –’

‘Fine, in good spirits,’ said Vikash. ‘And he is not too concerned about your adventure.’

Mariah sighed in relief. ‘That is what I feared the most.’

‘Then all is well,’ said Vikash.

But Mariah knew all was not well. There was a growing
dread in his heart as if his world was about to come to an end. As he drank the chocolate he looked out to the sea below like a gigantic sheet of black ice. The morning sun glistened on the water as a dark hand of cloud moved south towards them. He could see the
Triton
in the distance and further still, on the edge of the horizon, the
Ketos
. Both ships billowed steam as they sailed on, rolling out their wakes. It looked as if the
Triton
would never make up time and that the Great Race was already lost.

There was something about the way in which the
Triton
sat in the water that made him look more closely. It was something he hadn’t noticed when on the ship, but from the air it looked as if only one engine of the vast ship was working. To hold the vessel in a straight line the rudder had to be forced to one side. As they drew closer, Mariah could see this more clearly. He thought to say something to Vikash, but as Biba slept he stayed silent.

‘What are they doing?’ he asked as they got nearer to the ship. He could see a vast flapping silk rag hanging over the side of the
Triton
and an army of ant-like men struggling to hold open an envelope of silk.

‘The Marquis has decided that the passengers need to be entertained. Business as usual,’ Vikash said.

‘As usual?’ Mariah asked.

‘Charity and I found the bomb – it exploded over the side of the ship. There was some damage and the passengers think they are in danger. To keep them quiet the Marquis is going to launch the Montgolfier balloon. He will take the first ride to show them it is safe.’

‘From the ship? But how will they land?’ Mariah asked.

‘The Montgolfier is tethered to the ship and they will be winched back – as simple as that,’ he said.

As they got nearer Mariah could see the preparations taking
place on deck. All along the side of the ship stretched a line of eager passengers waiting for the balloon to be inflated with hot air. As the
Bicameralist
approached they stood back. Some began to applaud whilst others looked fearfully at the gigantic craft.

Biba woke from her sleep and, seeing the crowds, began to wave.

‘What is father doing?’ she asked Vikash as she noticed him on the upper deck by the large wicker basket of the Montgolfier.

‘He is riding on the balloon with your mother and Captain Tharakan – it is to show the passengers it is safe,’ said Vikash.

‘And is it?’ Biba asked.

Vikash laughed. ‘It is only a balloon trip on the end of a rope – what can go wrong?’

He smiled at Biba and flicked the end of her nose with his finger. It calmed her. She shrugged her shoulders and giggled as the
Bicameralist
began to lower the extending ladder towards the ship.

‘Look, it’s Lorenzo with his father and mother,’ she said excitedly, as if looking forward to greeting an old friend.

Standing near to the Marquis was the Zane family. They wore their best winter coats. Madame Zane pulled her hat close to her as the blast from the propellers of the skyship ruffled the feather collar of her coat. Sir Lorenzo Zane shrugged the chill from his shoulders and didn’t even look at the airship. He stared at the Marquis, holding tightly to his son as if to protect him from those around them.

‘I must tell you both that there is one problem that I cannot solve,’ Vikash said gravely. They both turned to him. ‘The mannequin – the puppet, Shanjing – he is not what he seems.’

‘I know, Vikash,’ Biba said. ‘He is a man, a very small man.’

‘How did you know?’ he asked.

‘I saw him when we travelled on the
Ketos
from New York
and once when he was on stage, a fly landed on his face. I’ve never seen a puppet wince the way he did,’ she replied.

‘You should have told me,’ replied Vikash.

‘Would you have believed me?’ she asked.

The
Bicameralist
sailed closer to the docking bay at the rear of the ship. It kept pace, yard by yard until it hooked itself to a steel pylon that had been hoisted towards it. The extending ladder was lowered slowly until it reached the deck.

The crowd applauded as if this itself was an entertainment. Casper Vikash led Biba and Mariah to the entrance of the skyship. Mariah looked down the steep flight of steps towards the ship. A thousand faces stared eagerly at him. They clapped and cheered as if they knew what he had done.

‘It was announced that we were to rescue you,’ Vikash said. ‘Word had spread that you had been kidnapped. When the ship exploded we knew where you were. It set fire to the sky. We thought you were lost. The Marquis insisted I search for you both. Lorenzo Zane said we could take the
Bicameralist
.’ He spoke as if they both needed to know before they left the airship. ‘You must be careful – both of you. We have two madmen on this ship and you will not be safe until they are found.’

‘Do you know what Markesan looks like?’ asked Mariah.

‘His name is not on the list of passengers on the ship. According to Charity, he has never been seen,’ Vikash answered as the engines of the airship dimmed their tone.

‘Is Captain Jack waiting for me?’ Mariah asked hopefully.

‘We will see him later. The bomb went off and there was an explosion. If it had not been thrown over the side many would have been killed,’ Vikash said uneasily without looking at Mariah. ‘He’s alive and well. He wants to see you. I have told him to rest, and he is well guarded.’

‘Guarded?’ asked Biba as if the world had changed since she had been away.

‘A precaution, that’s all,’ Vikash replied as he gestured for them to walk the long, silver stairway to the ship.

The crowds of passengers waved and cheered as Biba followed Mariah down the steps to the safety of the ship. Mariah hesitated as they thronged towards him, hoping to shake his hand.

‘Well done, Mariah Mundi,’ said Lorenzo Zane as he took him by the hand. ‘You haven’t met my son properly have you? He is now fit enough to be out and the wound is healing,’ he said as his son smiled at Mariah.

‘Lozzy!’ said Biba excitedly as she jumped the last steps from the skyship. ‘I could see you from right up there. You look so well.’

His mother scowled at Biba. ‘He’s called Lorenzo – just like his father. Lozzy is such a stupid name.’

‘Sorry, Madame Zane, I forgot,’ Biba replied as the crowd gathered and jostled around them and the steps of the skyship were retracted.

‘You are safe at last,’ said Sir Lorenzo. ‘Your mother will be pleased.’

Before she could reply, Vikash ushered them away through the crowd towards the bridge. Biba caught a brief glimpse of her father and mother as they stood with Captain Tharakan on a small dais next to where the wicker basket for the Montgolfier was precariously balanced. The
Bicameralist
turned. The propellers span faster and the skyship set off in pursuit of the
Ketos
.

‘Your father wants me to take you to Deck 13,’ Vikash said as the balloon filled with hot air and rose up like a red, silk cloud behind the ship. ‘The journey will not be long.’

Biba tried to see her father again. She was too small to see over the men and women who gathered on the deck, pressed tightly together in their winter coats. Vikash pushed Biba
through the crowd as Mariah followed. She turned again and again to try and see her father.

‘Can we wait here and watch?’ she asked as they got to the flight of steps that led to Deck 13.

‘Only for a moment,’ Vikash replied. ‘Your father doesn’t want you on the deck. It will be safer for you in your room.’

But Biba refused to be led inside and they stayed to watch the balloon inflate with hot air. It towered over the back of the ship, blotting out the horizon. The basket was made ready and an acrobat from the circus helped Tharakan and Biba’s parents to step inside.

Her father looked up. Biba waved. He smiled softly and silently said the words, ‘I love you.’

Her mother looked not to her but to Sir Lorenzo Zane. She bowed to him and giggled, then cast a glance with a raised eyebrow to Biba. With that she and the Marquis stepped into the basket as the ropes that held it to the balloon tightened.

From the deck below, a brass band struck up a German march. The music seemed brash and out of place. People began to clap in time and stamp their feet as the Marquis and his wife made ready for the balloon to set sail. Turned by three sailors in white jackets, a large winch handle cranked and clattered as the ratchet turned slowly. The Montgolfier staggered momentarily. The acrobat pulled a cord attached to a large brass handle and a gush of flames roared upwards, heating the air within the balloon. In the fresh morning light the Montgolfier was illuminated like a gigantic lamp holder.

The crowds gasped as, with every blast of heat, the balloon slowly lifted from the deck of the ship. Madame DeFeaux waved regally, her eyes fixed on Sir Lorenzo Zane. Biba could see her smiling. She waved to her father, but he didn’t see her. He talked to the acrobat and rubbed his hands and laughed as the balloon went slowly higher and higher.

The brass band played on as the queue to be next on the Montgolfier got longer. People bustled on the deck below, impatiently waiting their turn. The crewmen turned the handle of the ratchet-winch and let out the rope as thick as a man’s arm.

The balloon went up and up, dragged along by the
Triton
. It was a bright and still morning. A faint sun climbed higher above the horizon, reaching up into a cloudless sky.

The winch rolled out the line yard by yard. Every hundred feet the rope was painted with a red mark. Biba counted these as they went by.

‘Can you see the icebergs?’ a man shouted mockingly from the deck below as the balloon reached three hundred feet above them.

‘How high will the balloon go?’ Mariah asked Vikash.

‘Four hundred feet,’ he replied as the rope tightened and the crowds cheered. The last red marker appeared as the line pulled even tighter.

‘Is it safe?’ Biba asked as her heart beat faster.

‘They will pull them back now,’ Vikash said as he watched the crewmen stop the winch and reverse the winding.

There was something about a glance that one of the men gave to another that made Mariah feel all was not right. The winch crackled as it turned, as if the teeth were broken inside. The rope juddered. The balloon trembled on the end of the rope, four hundred feet away. Due to the drag of the ship, the Montgolfier was only about a hundred feet above the sea. The Marquis and his wife were still waving and taking in the view. The crewmen pulled at the handles and slipped the catch on the top of the winch back and forth as if it was stuck.

Mariah didn’t want to say anything in front of Biba. He looked at Vikash and then to the rope. Vikash had already seen it. He secretly put his finger to his lips, a clear warning for Mariah to say nothing.

‘Stay here, I just need to speak with Lorenzo Zane,’ he said as he went down the steps to the deck below.

‘Is everything all right?’ Biba asked. ‘Why aren’t they pulling them back?’

Mariah was about to reply when the crewman gave a shout of relief. The winch began to turn and the rope was wound tightly onto the capstan. Vikash turned and smiled as if to say all was well. The balloon drew nearer and then stopped. Mariah looked at the capstan – the winch was still turning and he could see the rope going into the winch but the balloon didn’t move.