Alli shook her head. “You’re riding a locomotive downhill with the throttle full-out and trying to slow it down with just the brakes. But if anybody can do it, it’s you.” She pointed to the two bound Mechanics. “We’ve got all of their weapons and they’re tied up. Doesn’t your pistol use this same ammunition?”
“Yes!” Mari stuffed bullets into the pocket of her jacket. “I resupplied myself on the Queen, but I was afraid I’d never get another chance at more ammo, and I burned through a lot tonight.” Then she knelt before the two Mechanics. “If you cause harm to any common in this city, I’ll be back for you. The assassins of the Guild couldn’t kill me, so if you harm anyone, no one will stop me from making sure you personally pay the price.” She glanced at Alli, Dav and Bev, indicating the Mechanic with the Senior Mechanic. “What about this guy?”
Bev shook her head. “Total careerist and backstabber. On his way to Senior Mechanic status himself.” Dav and Alli nodded in agreement.
Mari focused on the Senior Mechanic and the Mechanic again. “Remember what I told you,” she said in as menacing a tone as she could manage, then stood up to gaze down the street. “It’s all downhill to the landing, right? Let’s see what kind of pace we can maintain.” She began walking quickly down the hill, a feeling of urgency growing within her.
The road down to the low port was as unused at this hour as Mechanic Dav had predicted. Mari felt her hopes rising, but unexpectedly another barricade loomed out of the dark just short of the port. Mari slowed her walk, grateful for the chance to rest a little and knowing her companions also needed the break. “Bev, Dav, Alli, what is this? Any idea?”
“No.” Bev came up beside Mari, her breathing coming fast. “I’ll find out.”
“Wait! You could get killed!”
Bev smiled humorlessly at Mari. “There are worse things than death.” Bev spun and started jogging ahead, running right up to the barricade. As she reached it, a bright light flared. A portable electric light, spotlighting Bev. She held up both hands. “I’m from the city! The Guild sent me down with a message!”
Three figures appeared, all holding Mechanic weapons. One aimed at Bev, while the others pointed toward Mari and the rest of her followers. “Anyone coming down this road is to be disarmed and held for inspection,” someone at the barricade called out.
“Asha, Mage Dav,” Mari said in a low voice. “Can you destroy that light somehow?”
Mari had expected a Mage spell, but to her shock a long Mage knife was thrown from behind her, spinning end over end overhead. The knife slammed into the light, which went out with a loud popping sound.
“That worked,” she heard Alli say as they all broke into a run.
One of the Mechanics at the second barricade fired at Mari, his shot whipping past her. Bev had grabbed the weapon of the man facing her, and as they struggled Mari and her friends arrived. Mari kept running. She ducked as her closest opponent awkwardly swung her rifle like a club, then came in under the swing and rammed her elbow into the other’s stomach. Her foe doubled over and fell back, dropping her rifle, as Mari staggered to one side. A moment later Mechanic Dav had that Mechanic’s arms pinned behind her.
Mari looked around. Between her Mechanics and her Mages, all of the Mechanics at the barricade had been disarmed and restrained. “Is anybody hurt?”
“Do you mean us or them?” Bev asked, her voice gleeful.
“Us. Is anyone hurt?” No one answered, and Mari counted six others standing beside herself. “These certainly aren’t the trained killers we fought up in the city. Where did these guys come from?”
“They’re not anyone I’ve seen around the Guild Hall. Who are you guys?” Mechanic Dav asked.
The three captured Mechanics stared back at him with mingled hostility and confusion. “We’re—” one began.
“Don’t say anything!” another interrupted.
“They must be from the ship in the harbor,” Alli guessed. “Just the three of them. I guess they were supposed to be a last-ditch defense against Mari getting away.”
“No,” Alain corrected. “Their ship will fill that role.”
“Oh, right.”
Mari looked at the three Mechanics, brushing back her hair in worry. “I don’t like fighting other Mechanics.”
Alli nodded. “I know, Mari. But in some ways we’ve been fighting other Mechanics all of our lives.”
“I guess.” She addressed the three Mechanics. “We don’t know you so we don’t know if we can trust you, but we won’t hurt you. You’ll be tied up, but you won’t be harmed.”
Mage Asha had pried her knife free of the broken light as if the task were an everyday occurrence.She and Mage Dav began walking down to the landing. Mari stayed at the barricade for a moment, watching as the three Mechanic crew members were tied up as quickly and efficiently as possible. She finally went down to the landing proper, where the lapping of the small swells in the harbor sounded peaceful and relaxing after all the chaos she had endured so far this night. This far from the city, the destruction still being wreaked in the warehouse area sounded as muffled rumbles and echoes. The Mages were waiting at the landing alongside a skiff that looked like it just might carry everyone. Two commons wearing the clothing of sailors stood to one side, watching everything with wide eyes.
“These shadows brought us here and will return us to my ship,” Mage Dav said.
“Hi,” Mari said, knowing that Mage Dav and Asha would not offer any other introduction or acknowledgement of the two sailors. “We’re in a big hurry.”
The other Mechanics joined her and Mari gestured for everyone to board, though Alain insisted on waiting beside her. Finally she got in, too, worried as she saw how heavily laden the boat appeared. Alain followed, the boat wallowing in the water as the sailors cast off with worried looks and cautiously began rowing out into the harbor. Even though an occasional boom still echoed from the city, the port remained dark except for a scattering of lights in what Mari assumed was the entertainment district for sailors. “Where’s the Mechanic ship?” she asked the sailors. “Steam and sails, deck gun, arrived within the last few days.”
One of the sailors nodded. “Aye, Lady Mechanic. That ship lies off to starboard there. Is that where you wish to be taken instead of to the Gray Lady?”
“No. Thank you,” Mari answered in a dry voice. Mage Dav, though the owner of the ship, didn’t seem interested in telling anyone what to do. “We need the Gray Lady. Then we need to get out of this port as fast and quietly as possible.”
The sailors grinned knowingly. “Trouble with the authorities?”
“Right,” Mari assured them. She pointed back to where the sounds of destruction still rumbled. “That’s going on because they’re after us.”
The sailors exchanged looks and then bent to their oars, driving the boat ahead at a faster rate.
Despite Mari’s fears and an occasional larger swell that slopped a small amount of water over the side of the skiff, they made the Gray Lady without sinking. Mari climbed aboard the small clipper-rigged ship, delighting in the trim shape it showed in the starlight. Some machines were clunky and some were sleek. This particular sailing machine was a thing of beauty.
A man with a nicely trimmed beard approached Mari and Mage Dav, his manner deferential but not servile. “Sir Mage, we’ve been watching and hearing the events up in the city. Where and when do we sail?”
Mage Dav simply indicated Mari.
“I guess I’m still in charge,” she said. “You’re the captain? We need to leave port now without anyone noticing.”
“We can do that. The harbor guard won’t know we’re gone.”