Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess

stopped dead.

Agatha’s eyes calmly narrowed. “Uh oh.”

Taki rolled his one eye at her in alarm. “What?”

“Well, I was using the organ to control all the wagon clanks. Without the music to guide them, I don’t know what they’ll do. They might run amok. It could be bad.”

“Run amok—” Taki twitched. “More than they already are? It could get worse? ”

Agatha calmly sighed. “It can always get worse.” She shrugged. “On the other hand, they might just lock up.”

Taki looked at her. “And that would be good, would it?”

The ground shook as a tremendous crash came from the other side of the fragmented organ. The machine- cannon fire cut off. After a few seconds, the two gingerly poked their heads up over the top.

Before them lay the shattered hulk of the Baba Yaga, which had evidently frozen in midflight, and crashed to the ground. Poking out from underneath was the twisted barrel of a smoking machine-cannon.

Agatha looked at Taki. “It could be helpful, yes.”

Krosp popped his head up from behind a leaking barrel. “Oh No!” He leapt out and frantically tried to move the wagon, which didn’t budge.

The three Jagers ambled up. “Get this thing off of him!” Krosp bellowed. The Jagers looked at him and then as one, looked towards Agatha.

“If the Baron is dead, there will be chaos!” Krosp declared flatly. “But if the Baron is dead, and you killed him, the Empire will hold together just long enough to exterminate you before it begins to tear itself apart!”

Agatha nodded. “Get him out!”

Without a word, the three Jagermonsters plowed into the side of the wagon, and it began to tip over.

As it went, it revealed the battered body of the ruler of Europa. Agatha leapt into the small crater and examined him. The others clustered around anxiously.

She leaned back on her haunches and looked up. “He’s not dead, but I can’t explain why.” She looked down. “Or how much longer he’ll stay alive. He needs medical attention. More than I can give him.” She frowned and looked around. “Wulfenbach troops always travel with first-aid kits—where the heck are they anyway?”

“They retreated,” Zeetha said. “But I kind of thought they’d come back when the music stopped.”

“They’re waiting,” Krosp pointed skywards. Several airships that had been stationed over Sturmhalten were now noticeably closer. But much more alarming was a smaller ship that was now practically on top of them.

“The Baron’s ordered a bombing run. They won’t come back here until it’s done.” He looked grim. “But I imagine they’ll be watching to make sure we can’t get out.” He looked at the Baron speculatively. “But if we haul him along with us, they’ll have to let us through.”

“NO!” Agatha said sharply. “The last thing we want to do is move him!” She slumped. “Gil is going to be so mad—” She started. “Gil!”

Krosp flattened his ears. “What about him?”

“He’s here! One of the last things I remember from inside Castle Sturmhalten was that his airship had been sighted! His heavier than air flyer! I’m sure he’s here, but I haven’t seen him!” Her eyes widened. “I could’ve killed him myself—during this stupid fight!”

Ardsley Wooster, looking surprisingly unruffled, stepped out from behind a burning wagon and cleared his throat. “I can relieve your mind on that account, Miss, Master Gilgamesh is not, in fact, here.”

Inexplicably, Agatha felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach. “He’s not?”

Ardsley shrugged uncomfortably. “He suspected that you were here, but he said that he was quite busy...”

“Did he.” Agatha felt her face going red. “Well. I guess he’s found... something important.”

Wooster paused, and then, nodded. “Oh yes, ever since his father began negotiating his marriage...”

“Fine.” Agatha cut him off. “Let’s just figure out how to get out of here.”

Wooster nodded in silent satisfaction. If a wedge could be driven between the nascent Heterodyne and the House of Wulfenbach, it could only benefit England. He frowned to himself. So why did he feel like such a cad?

A rising sound interrupted his thoughts. At first he thought it a sustained artillery barrage, but then he realized it was people.

“It’s the troops.”

Krosp got a worried look on his face. “Does anyone else smell something... odd?”

Zeetha leapt to the top of an overturned wagon. “They’re advancing!” She paused. “But... their guns are down. They’re... they’re waving.”

Wooster glanced upwards at the approaching airships. “At least they’ll prevent the ships from bombing us.”

Dimo took a deep sniff and frowned.

Maxim listened intently. “Doze are cheers,” he said with a puzzled frown.

It was indeed cheering, which grew louder and more jubilant the closer it got. Words began to be discerned. Everyone seemed very excited that someone “had returned.”

Soldiers could now be seen swarming onto the former battlefield. Waving their arms and tossing their hats into the air. The crowd got closer and closer and then broke and from within its jubilant depths emerged—

The Heterodyne Boys.

Agatha gasped. It was the Heterodyne Boys. It was the Heterodyne Boys looking just like she’d always imagined them. There was Bill, tall and broad, with a cocksure swagger and a disarming grin. Beside him was Barry, strong and solid, festooned with tools and gadgets that you knew could solve anything. On their arms were Lucrezia Mongfish, looking slightly villainous, but determined to put that all behind her for the sake of love, and beside Barry, the mysteriously exotic High Priestess.

Behind them, striding tall and proud, were their loyal servants, Punch and Judy. When Agatha saw them, she bit back a small shriek of surprise.

It was Adam and Lilith. They were alive. No, they were more than just alive. Their faces shifted slightly. They were whole and undamaged. They weren’t her parents, the people she had lived with and loved, they were Punch and Judy, the Heterodyne’s faithful servants. But she knew they were her parents—Their faces drifted out of focus —her head—

Something was wrong.

“Itz dem!” Ognian breathed.

“It ken’t be!” Maxim said, “Bot Hy seez—”

“Ediots!” Dimo rasped. “Kloze hyu eyez and use hyu nozes!”

“No!” Agatha growled vehemently. “No! I don’t... I don’t believe this. It’s... it’s a trick!”

Krosp tugged her sleeve. “Don’t believe it!”

Taki leaned in, “But act like you do!”

The group swept up to Agatha. Bill and Lucrezia opened their arms and cried out, “Daughter!”

Lucrezia advanced and Agatha shied away from her, until Taki surreptitiously shoved her forward. Instantly Lucrezia tightly enveloped her in her arms.

“At long last we have found her!” Lucrezia cried.

“Yes!” cried Bill enthusiastically. “Behold, Barry! We have found her!”

“Excellent, brother Bill!” Barry declaimed. “And now, we can return to the great battle! With Agatha, the newest Heterodyne at our side, we are sure to triumph!” The crowd again erupted into cheering.

Agatha had been trying desperately to free herself, but Lucrezia was surprisingly strong. She grinned fondly at Agatha and hissed through her teeth. “Stop struggling, dammit.” The voice was unexpectedly familiar.

Agatha froze. “Pix?”

“And now—” Bill sang out as he gestured theatrically skywards, “Our transport is here!”

“Yes!” Barry added, “Thanks to our good friend, Klaus Wulfenbach!” Above them, the smaller airship that had been bearing down on them began to descend. Barry surveyed the crowd. “I must say, Klaus has done rather well