As the White flared its wings and landed on the prow of the ship the young woman put her hands to her mouth, and Sirus saw tears streaming from her eyes. As if greeting a lost love, he thought. The liner’s engine died and the paddles stopped turning, a deep hush settling over the entire harbour so that Sirus could hear the woman’s whispered greeting to the White.
“You called to me . . .” she said, rushing towards the beast with her arms outstretched, “. . . and I answered.”
And the White spread its wings wide, raising its head to roar out a welcome of fire.
APPENDIX I
Dramatis Personae
IPV Viable Opportunity
Wulfcot Trumane—Captain of the IPV Viable Opportunity.
Corrick Hilemore—First Officer and acting captain of the IPV Viable Opportunity.
Dravin Talmant—Junior Lieutenant IPV Viable Opportunity.
Naytanil Bozware—Chief Engineer IPV Viable Opportunity.
Steelfine—Barrier Isles native and First Officer of the IPV Viable Opportunity.
Claydon Torcreek—Unregistered Blood-blessed and member of the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Braddon Torcreek—Uncle of Claydon Torcreek. Captain and chief shareholder of the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Loriabeth Torcreek—Daughter to Fredabel and Braddon, apprentice gunhand to the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Cwentun Skaggerhill—Chief harvester to the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Preacher—De-anointed cleric to the Church of the Seer and marksman to the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Zenida Okanas—Blood-blessed and former captain of the pirate vessel Windqueen. Contracted Blood-blessed and navigator to the IPV Viable Opportunity.
Akina Okanas—Daughter to Zenida.
Feros
Lizanne Lethridge—Blood-blessed. Full shareholder and covert agent of the Exceptional Initiatives Division, Ironship Trading Syndicate.
Jermayah Tollermine—Technologist and employee of the Ironship Trading Syndicate.
Professor Graysen Lethridge—Estranged father of Lizanne Lethridge. Freelance technologist. Son of Darus Lethridge, inventor of the microscope and co-inventor of the thermoplasmic locomotive engine.
Pendilla Cableford—Aunt to Lizanne and housekeeper to Graysen.
Tekela Akiv Artonin—Orphaned Daughter to Corvantine noble Burgrave Artonin. Lizanne’s ward.
Arberus Lek Hakimas—Former Corvantine Cavalry Officer and Major of Imperial Dragoons. Covert member of the radical Co-respondent Brotherhood.
Fredabel Torcreek—Wife to Braddon and co-owner of the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company.
Cralmoor—Barrier Isles native, prize-fighter and former head of the Blinds underworld.
Gloryna Dolspeake—Chair of the Ironship Syndicate Board of Directors.
Taddeus Bloskin—Ironship Syndicate Board member and Director of Exceptional Initiatives.
Admiral Heapmire—Head of the Ironship Syndicate Sea Board, overall Commander of the Maritime Protectorate.
Electress Dorice Vol Arramyl—Former Corvantine captive and Blood-blessed. Later Imperial Ambassadress to the Ironship Syndicate.
Corvantine Empire
Emperor Caranis Vol Lek Akiv Arakelin—Divine Emperor of the Corvantine Empire, first of his name.
Viscount Caled Vol Kalasin—The Blood Imperial to the Emperor’s Court, Commander of the Blood Cadre.
Countess Sefka Vol Nazarias—Commandant of the Imperial Cadre, second cousin to the Emperor.
Chamberlain Avedis Vol Akiv Yervantis—Courtier at the Imperial Sanctum.
Korian—Leader of the Corvus cell of the Co-respondent Brotherhood.
Hyran—Blood-blessed and member of the Co-respondent Brotherhood.
Kraz—Blood-blessed and member of the Co-respondent Brotherhood.
Jelna—Blood-blessed and member of Republic First.
Benric Thriftmor—Ironship Syndicate Board member and Director of Extra-Corporate Affairs.
Zakaeus Griffan—Contracted Blood-blessed of the IPV Profitable Venture, husband to Sofiya.
Sofiya Griffan—Contracted Blood-blessed of the IPV Profitable Venture, wife to Zakaeus.
Scorazin
Electress Atalina—Leader of the Furies.
Makario Bovosan—Pianola player and member of the Furies.
Anatol—Member of the Furies, body-guard and chief enforcer to Electress Atalina.
Melina—Manager of the Miner’s Repose, lieutenant to Electress Atalina and inmate of Scorazin.
Devies Kevozan—Leader of the Scuttlers, known commonly as King Coal.
Julesin—Member of the Scuttlers, chief enforcer to King Coal.
Simizon Ven Estimont—Leader of the Verdigris, known commonly as Chuckling Sim.
Varkash—Former Varestian pirate and leader of the Wise Fools.
Tinkerer—An artificer of aggravating manners.
Darkanis—Imperial constable stationed at Scorazin.
Others
Sirus Akiv Kapazin—Former curator Morsvale Imperial Museum of Antiquities.
Katrya—Former maid to Sirus.
Myratis Lek Sigoral—Junior Lieutenant of the Imperial Marines, acting captain of the INS Superior.
Scrimshine—Convicted smuggler and inmate of Lossermark gaol, later helmsman to the IPV Superior.
Madame Hakugen—Comptroller of the Eastern Conglomerate Port of Lossermark.
Attcus Tidelow—Captain of the SSM Farlight.
APPENDIX II
The Rules of Pastazch
Pastazch is played with a deck of 60 cards and a six-sided die by up to five players. A standard Corvantine deck consists of four suits of 56 numerical cards and four “Imperial” cards. The numerical cards are divided into the following four suits of fourteen cards each—Roses, Swords, Stars and Crowns—each card in the suit possessing an incremental numerical value, for example the One of Roses is worth one point whilst the Fourteen of Crowns is worth fourteen points. If a player’s hand is made up entirely of cards in the same suit, the value of the hand is doubled. The four Imperial cards possess the following values: