Return to Canifis

gently.

“He is confused, I am afraid,” Gideon whispered. “Perhaps he recalls your magic Castimir and attributes it to me?”

But the wizard said nothing, and no one spoke for some time after that. The swamp was a haunted place in the night, and Kara felt its animosity grow as they progressed, stroke by stroke, hour after hour.

The sooner we are out of here the better.

33

Pia returned to the groove atop the circle where she and Vanstrom had watched the dawn rise, yet it was too cold, even with her blanket, for her to find sleep. That, and she missed him too much.

I want to be the first thing he sees when he returns. I will look to the east, across the waters, and watch for him. And when he comes I will run to him and hold him and never let him go again.

Now, the east was pink again. The sun was rising. It was too young to warm her still-aching limbs, but she imagined Vanstrom was below her again, her head resting on his chest. Her hand brushed against the bottom of the groove, and came away with a fistful of earth.

She watched for an hour longer, glad of the sunlight on her face and arms. Below her, she could hear the people of Hope Rock busy at work. She knew they were preparing to leave.

Tomorrow morning at dawn. That is when we go, regardless of whether Vanstrom and Arisha have returned. But if they haven’t come back, then I will remain.

Master Peregrim was fussing as the gnome supervised the metal device he called the burner being put into place. Vanstrom had explained to her that he had retrieved it from his first balloon-the one that had carried him across the river-and how it would provide the heat needed to lift them into the sky.

It’s insane. Man was not meant to fly. If Zamorak had meant it to be so, he would have given us wings.

She became aware of several angry glares cast toward her. Everyone on the plateau was busy. Even the blind old creature they called the spirit woman was pulling on a rope, with Jack behind her, obeying the instructions of a young man, whilst the few children of the settlement ran about with handfuls of cordage.

Everyone was helping.

Everyone but me.

Embarrassed, she climbed down the scaffolding and stood by Jack, to help heave the heavy burner into place.

“You brother is gifted, Pia,” the old woman said once they had finished. “We are blessed that you came to us.” But before she could explain further, a cry went up from the lookout above the windlass on the northern side of the circle. It was the pregnant woman who cried out.

“I see a boat,” she called over. And then, a moment later she added, “It’s them! It’s them! And they have brought others!”

The work was forgotten as everyone crowded to the top of the circle to watch the boat draw near. When the rowers finally heaved into the small lagoon, Vanstrom waved and shouted.

Pia saw Kara-Meir, too, but it didn’t look as if she was pleased about their rescue. Her companions all wore the same expression.

Yet they are alive, she said, peering from one to the other. All of them, I think. It was only when they drew closer that she counted, and realised that one of their number was missing. It is the tall one-the frightening one.

Still, Pia couldn’t restrain her excitement at seeing Vanstrom again. As soon as the group was lifted to the plateau she ran to his arms, uncaring of what others might think.

“I knew you would come back…” she said breathlessly. “I knew it… I knew it.”

The bearded man embraced her for barely a second before pushing her gently aside. Yet she saw his smile and the shine in his dark eyes, and she was certain they were meant for her alone.

“How long until we can make our flight, Peregrim?” Karnac called from behind.

“We will be ready at dawn tomorrow,” the gnome answered, “but we have a great deal of work to do before then. The envelopes have yet to be filled and-”

“Then let’s be about it,” Karnac ordered briskly, cutting him off.

“But remember-no fires, no naked flames on the plateau,” the balloon master added. “The hydrogen is flammable. If it lights, the whole thing will burn.”

“With us tied in the nets, too,” Doric whispered. Pia saw Kara exchange a look with Theodore and Castimir. Their doubt was clearly evident.

“It’s the only way,” Harold said. “The swamp to the west is impossible to navigate. To the north lies Canifis, and in the south a great number of ravenous lie in wait.”

“How is it supposed to work,” Theodore mumbled. His lips barely moved. Pia thought his face looked frozen.

He’s not the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea.

“Simple really… It’s all very simple,” Albertus said tiredly from the litter. “The gnome’s burner heats the air inside the balloon. This causes it to rise. The hydrogen gas is lighter than air. The combination of both will give the balloon enough buoyancy to float away on the winds.”

“And just how do we land?” Gideon asked incredulously.

“I would imagine that once we are across the river, the gnome will release the warm air gradually, and the balloon will sink.” Albertus looked as if he was adding figures in his mind. “How far… how far is the river from here?”

“I don’t think it can be more than thirty miles,” Despaard said.

“Then as long as the winds favour us, we won’t have to be aloft for long… not at all. Only a few hours perhaps,” Albertus whispered hopefully. “Indeed, it could work.”

“It will work,” the spirit woman said. “Some of us will live to see Misthalin.”

“We will travel south first,” Master Peregrim informed them. “Then we should catch a westerly wind that will carry us across the river and away from this dreadful place. But you are right, my old friend-only a few hours at most.”

“And you’ve done this before?” Kara asked hesitatingly.

Master Peregrim bit his lip.

“Yes,” he said. “Once. And that was by accident.”

“By the gods,” Doric swore. “He’ll have us in Kandarin.”

“Well, at least that’s over the river,” Castimir murmured.

But Pia could tell their unease was shared by many.

Pia shared in many of the tasks throughout the remainder of the day and through the night itself. It seemed to her that Karnac was deliberately keeping everyone busy, as if keeping them occupied would somehow allay their fears of the suicidal flight to come.

At one point, she found her way into the honeycombed interior of Hope Rock, sent to gather two crude quivers filled with equally crude arrows. As she made her way back to the plateau, she heard voices coming from the darkness from a passageway on her left, hidden around a corner. The first speaker she recognised immediately, for it was Vanstrom.

“We have no other way,” he said. “You know that.”

“I would sooner go back and face Drakan and this prince than attempt this flight. It is madness made real Vanstrom. You know it is.”

Pia stopped. She didn’t recognise the other voice.

“Yet the gnome has done it before,” Vanstrom persisted. “He came from the west. He can carry us out. All of us.” She heard him spit in the darkness. “But if you want to take your chances with the undying one, then go and do so-and go now, before you dishearten the others.”