“Roughly? I guess one in three missions amounts to nothing. The rest are at least annoying. Maybe one in eight will give you nightmares. That’s not exact. It depends on your luck.”
“Define ‘annoying.’”
“Am I a dictionary? You know, you eventually have to run for it, but you know you’ll probably make it.”
“That’s just annoying?”
“Yeah, at least compared to the worst days.”
“What kind of stuff can happen?”
Jace ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve done this a lot, and you just have to be ready for anything. Once, a whole castle exploded, took out an entire skycraft. That was before my time. Nobody made it back. Some of the guys at Skyport saw it through their telescopes. The semblances might want to talk. Some are friendly or at least reasonable. Sometimes they’ll treat you like a guest. They might act nice, then try to backstab you. There can be monsters, traps, bees, poisonous gas, archers, fireballs—you name it. Anything.”
Cole didn’t feel very reassured to know there were millions of ways he might die. He hoped Jace didn’t notice how tightly he was squeezing the railing. Still gliding smoothly, the skycraft sped up enough that wind ruffled his hair.
“Do you know where we’re going?” Cole asked, looking out at the castles. The nearest one was horribly ruined. The next nearest was made mostly out of logs, giving it the appearance of an elaborate frontier fort.
“Not even the captain knows yet,” Jace said. “The spotters are checking our prospects. Badly ruined castles are almost always empty and have nothing worth taking. We wouldn’t go to one like that unless it was the only option. There have been too many bad experiences with castles that look really dark and scary, so we avoid those. Same with any metal ones. It isn’t an exact science. They’re looking for something promising—not too menacing, in decent shape, maybe with some hints of wealth.”
“What if one of the other salvagers wants the same castle?”
“You’ll plant a flag claiming it for the Sky Raiders first thing,” Jace said. “We’re all good about honoring claims. Saves a lot of violence.”
The skycraft went into a long bank, then straightened out. “Looks like we have a prospect,” Jace said, eyes forward. “See the one we’re heading for? They’ll take a closer look, then if they’re still feeling good about it, they’ll send out a lifeboat.”
On the way there, they passed a castle that looked to be made entirely from white styrofoam and duct tape. Another one that was not so near seemed like a natural formation of orange and yellow sandstone rather than something constructed. A few others in various states of disrepair looked more traditional. One floated along upside down.
Sooner than Cole liked, the skycraft turned in a wide circle around a solid gray castle, old but undamaged. The high wall had sturdy towers at intervals, and enclosed a big courtyard with a few smaller structures. The drawbridge was raised. The tallest towers belonged to the main building, which seemed to have been built more for intimidation than for beauty. In one corner of the courtyard, Cole observed a gallows and a guillotine. The sight made him shiver.
There was no sign of life on the walls or the towers, but down in the courtyard figures moved about. It was tough to see many details, but they walked purposefully, weaving among one another. Nobody sat or stood idle.
After the Domingo circled the castle twice, the captain, with two other men, approached Cole. “All we see are women on the move,” the captain said. “There’s an unnatural pattern to their activities. They could be drones, all but mindless. Or they could be dangerous. That’s for you to find out, Cole. The brothers, Jed and Eli, will pilot the lifeboat.”
The pair bore a strong resemblance to each other, though Eli was a little taller and broader through the shoulders. Eli had a longbow and Jed held a crossbow. They looked to be in their thirties.
“We’ll get you there and bring you back,” Eli said.
“Unless you don’t,” Jace added.
Jed smiled ruefully. “Unless we don’t. Come on.”
They led Cole to the rear of the skycraft, where they climbed into a lifeboat with the name Okie Dokie stenciled on the side. Jed squatted at the back, near the tiller and a pair of levers. Cole got situated beside Eli.
“Remember to shout if you use the sword,” Jace advised. “It might not respond if you say ‘away’ too softly. It’s a safety measure.”
“Got it,” Cole said, stomach fluttering, hands trembling.
“Die bravely,” Jace said.
“Die bravely,” the captain and several others echoed.
Cole glanced nervously at Eli.
“It’s unlucky to wish you good luck,” Eli explained. “We use ‘die bravely’ instead.”
“Thanks,” Cole said to the people on deck, with a little wave.
When the lifeboat lurched into the air, Cole caught hold of the side. It flew quite a bit faster than the Domingo and also rocked a lot more.
“The lifeboat is more of a ride,” Jed said with a laugh.
Cole watched as Jed worked the controls. The tiller swayed the boat from side to side. One lever tipped the nose up and down, the other adjusted their speed. Cole felt amusement-park tingles with every motion Jed made.
“We’ll drop you in the middle of the yard,” Eli said. “Just climb down the ladder. If you step on the ground and a monster bursts out of hiding, get right back on the ladder and we’ll soar away. Otherwise, we’ll hover above, helping to spot trouble, ready to swoop in if you need us. Understood?”
Cole watched the castle walls drawing near. His mouth was dry. “Yeah.”
“You never know,” Eli said. “There might be no trouble at all.”
“Castle is in good repair,” Jed said.
“Right,” said Eli.
“And it’s big. And we can see semblances.”
“We can always hope for the best.”
Jed shrugged.
As the lifeboat breezed over the outer wall, Eli leaned forward. “Busy, busy.”
Along the edges of the courtyard, doors opened and closed. Older women entered, exited, and crossed the yard, dressed in plain dresses and shawls.
The lifeboat slowed, hovering.
Dozens of women strode this way and that. None were young enough to be called middle-aged, but none were bent with extreme age, either. Some were empty-handed, some held buckets or brooms. None spoke or looked at one another, their expressions neutral.
“Define ‘annoying.’”
“Am I a dictionary? You know, you eventually have to run for it, but you know you’ll probably make it.”
“That’s just annoying?”
“Yeah, at least compared to the worst days.”
“What kind of stuff can happen?”
Jace ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve done this a lot, and you just have to be ready for anything. Once, a whole castle exploded, took out an entire skycraft. That was before my time. Nobody made it back. Some of the guys at Skyport saw it through their telescopes. The semblances might want to talk. Some are friendly or at least reasonable. Sometimes they’ll treat you like a guest. They might act nice, then try to backstab you. There can be monsters, traps, bees, poisonous gas, archers, fireballs—you name it. Anything.”
Cole didn’t feel very reassured to know there were millions of ways he might die. He hoped Jace didn’t notice how tightly he was squeezing the railing. Still gliding smoothly, the skycraft sped up enough that wind ruffled his hair.
“Do you know where we’re going?” Cole asked, looking out at the castles. The nearest one was horribly ruined. The next nearest was made mostly out of logs, giving it the appearance of an elaborate frontier fort.
“Not even the captain knows yet,” Jace said. “The spotters are checking our prospects. Badly ruined castles are almost always empty and have nothing worth taking. We wouldn’t go to one like that unless it was the only option. There have been too many bad experiences with castles that look really dark and scary, so we avoid those. Same with any metal ones. It isn’t an exact science. They’re looking for something promising—not too menacing, in decent shape, maybe with some hints of wealth.”
“What if one of the other salvagers wants the same castle?”
“You’ll plant a flag claiming it for the Sky Raiders first thing,” Jace said. “We’re all good about honoring claims. Saves a lot of violence.”
The skycraft went into a long bank, then straightened out. “Looks like we have a prospect,” Jace said, eyes forward. “See the one we’re heading for? They’ll take a closer look, then if they’re still feeling good about it, they’ll send out a lifeboat.”
On the way there, they passed a castle that looked to be made entirely from white styrofoam and duct tape. Another one that was not so near seemed like a natural formation of orange and yellow sandstone rather than something constructed. A few others in various states of disrepair looked more traditional. One floated along upside down.
Sooner than Cole liked, the skycraft turned in a wide circle around a solid gray castle, old but undamaged. The high wall had sturdy towers at intervals, and enclosed a big courtyard with a few smaller structures. The drawbridge was raised. The tallest towers belonged to the main building, which seemed to have been built more for intimidation than for beauty. In one corner of the courtyard, Cole observed a gallows and a guillotine. The sight made him shiver.
There was no sign of life on the walls or the towers, but down in the courtyard figures moved about. It was tough to see many details, but they walked purposefully, weaving among one another. Nobody sat or stood idle.
After the Domingo circled the castle twice, the captain, with two other men, approached Cole. “All we see are women on the move,” the captain said. “There’s an unnatural pattern to their activities. They could be drones, all but mindless. Or they could be dangerous. That’s for you to find out, Cole. The brothers, Jed and Eli, will pilot the lifeboat.”
The pair bore a strong resemblance to each other, though Eli was a little taller and broader through the shoulders. Eli had a longbow and Jed held a crossbow. They looked to be in their thirties.
“We’ll get you there and bring you back,” Eli said.
“Unless you don’t,” Jace added.
Jed smiled ruefully. “Unless we don’t. Come on.”
They led Cole to the rear of the skycraft, where they climbed into a lifeboat with the name Okie Dokie stenciled on the side. Jed squatted at the back, near the tiller and a pair of levers. Cole got situated beside Eli.
“Remember to shout if you use the sword,” Jace advised. “It might not respond if you say ‘away’ too softly. It’s a safety measure.”
“Got it,” Cole said, stomach fluttering, hands trembling.
“Die bravely,” Jace said.
“Die bravely,” the captain and several others echoed.
Cole glanced nervously at Eli.
“It’s unlucky to wish you good luck,” Eli explained. “We use ‘die bravely’ instead.”
“Thanks,” Cole said to the people on deck, with a little wave.
When the lifeboat lurched into the air, Cole caught hold of the side. It flew quite a bit faster than the Domingo and also rocked a lot more.
“The lifeboat is more of a ride,” Jed said with a laugh.
Cole watched as Jed worked the controls. The tiller swayed the boat from side to side. One lever tipped the nose up and down, the other adjusted their speed. Cole felt amusement-park tingles with every motion Jed made.
“We’ll drop you in the middle of the yard,” Eli said. “Just climb down the ladder. If you step on the ground and a monster bursts out of hiding, get right back on the ladder and we’ll soar away. Otherwise, we’ll hover above, helping to spot trouble, ready to swoop in if you need us. Understood?”
Cole watched the castle walls drawing near. His mouth was dry. “Yeah.”
“You never know,” Eli said. “There might be no trouble at all.”
“Castle is in good repair,” Jed said.
“Right,” said Eli.
“And it’s big. And we can see semblances.”
“We can always hope for the best.”
Jed shrugged.
As the lifeboat breezed over the outer wall, Eli leaned forward. “Busy, busy.”
Along the edges of the courtyard, doors opened and closed. Older women entered, exited, and crossed the yard, dressed in plain dresses and shawls.
The lifeboat slowed, hovering.
Dozens of women strode this way and that. None were young enough to be called middle-aged, but none were bent with extreme age, either. Some were empty-handed, some held buckets or brooms. None spoke or looked at one another, their expressions neutral.
