Free Quillblade by Ben Chandler

explain his actions, but no such summons came. Missy’s assurances that everything was going to be all right did little to assuage his fears. A part of Lenis was convinced Gesshoku would be his last port of call with the Hiryû, but he was hopeful. Gesshoku was a small town bordering the Wastelands in Tsuki domain. The Yûgure clan ruled there, and they were enemies of Lord Shôgo. If Captain Shishi did sell the twins, whoever bought them would be unlikely to give them to the Warlord, and there was also a chance that there wouldn’t be anyone who could afford them, or anyone the captain could buy to replacethem. He did need them to run the airship, after all. Lenis tried to think only in terms of ‘us’ and ‘we’. He couldn’t face the thought of being separated from Missy. They had always been sold as a pair. Always.
    Lenis sighed and rubbed at red-rimmed eyes. It was bad enough having to worry about being sold all day; he was also functioning on almost no sleep. The dragon dream had haunted him all night, giving him no real rest.
    The docking procedure went smoothly and Lenis removed a grateful Aeris from the engine block. He turned some valves to release some of the pent-up air in the system and then took Aeris to her hutch. Without power, the metal of the engine block began to cool rapidly. Lenis left the machines to settle and went to the galley. Hiroshi was again behind his enormous pot.
    â€˜Morning, lad! Come for some grub for the little ones?’
    â€˜Yes, Master Hiroshi.’ Lenis was taken aback by the cook’s enthusiastic greeting but was pleased he had put out six dishes filled with thick stew. He could smell beef, but a closer inspection showed him there was only a little in each dish. ‘Thank you.’
    â€˜Rations are a bit short, I’m afraid. We can restock down in Gesshoku, and probably find a decent bath, too! And call me “Hiroshi”, boy. I’m no man’s master. I gave that up a long time ago, let me tell you.’
    â€˜Oh?’
    â€˜That’s a long story! But you go feed your pets and maybe we’ll have a chat once the others head down to the village.’
    Lenis half nodded, half bowed and made his way to the engine room with the dishes balanced in his arms. On his way past the crew quarters he peered into his sister’s cabin.
    Missy was busy brushing her new trousers, a gift from Andrea, the woman who kept yelling things down the speech tube. Last night after they had all eaten, the captain had ordered that the crew weren’t to wear their Shôgo uniforms any longer, and the lookout had offered Missy some of her old clothes when it was pointed out that the twins only had clothes in the Warlord’s black and red.
    â€˜Going ashore?’
    Missy smiled at him and bowed in the Ellian fashion. The trousers had been tailored to fit Andrea and hung at Missy’s hips. The cuffs had been turned up and the shirt that went with the outfit was loose. ‘The captain wants me to go in case Lord Knyght needs me to translate anything.’
    â€˜Captain Shishi isn’t going?’
    â€˜There’s no real reason for us to leave the airship except to stock up on our provisions, and Arthur knows more about that sort of thing than the captain. Between you and me, though, I think Arthur wants to take a look around the village. He wasn’t too happy about stealing the Hiryû until the captain said something about the Warlord being overthrown. I think Arthur wants to get an idea of how Shinzô works, or something. He’s been thinking of Kyst a lot, and he’s been making comparisons between the captain and some people he knew back home.’
    Lenis glanced down the hall and stepped into Missy’s cabin. ‘You’ve been reading his mind?’
    Missy smoothed her hair and tied it back. ‘I’ve only been taking peeks. I want to know why Arthur came along when the captain gave him