Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess

Back on the bridge, Payne was arguing with his wife, though to a casual observer it would look as if he were merely explaining himself to an interested third party. No one was fooled, and they all tried to look very interested indeed.

“Ordinarily, stealing one of the Baron’s airships would not be my first choice. But I want us as far away as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Ardsley Wooster entered the bridge in time to hear the tail end of this. He shook his head. “It won’t do any good. They’ll hunt us down...” He paused and looked uncertain. “In fact... they should already be in pursuit.” He looked back at the circus master with suspicion in his eye. “What did you do?”

With a theatrical sweep of his hand, Payne spun the ship’s wheel, swinging the airship about in a tight turn. Below them the landscape tilted and with a rush, the city of Balan’s Gap swung into view. Everyone gasped.

Pillars of smoke were rising from dozens of spots. The encircling Wulfenbach airships were obviously engaged in a battle with ground forces that had effective anti-aircraft capabilities. Several of the dirigibles were burning, and the observers clustered at the great tempered glass windows watched in horror as a dreadnaught slowly dropped to earth trailing a ball of blue flame.

Even from here, lines of troops could be seen engaging swarms of townspeople. Even more alarming, however, were the creatures that were bursting out of various wells and buildings.

Zeetha, Krosp, and the Jagers saw that these were reminiscent of the monstrosities they had fled from in the sewers. They seemed indifferent to the struggles of the people around them, and gleefully scooped up troopers and townspeople alike.

“We did nothing,” Payne said. He kept the wheel tightly pulled and the beleaguered city slid away out of sight. When they were once again facing away, Payne relaxed his grip on the wheel. “But what with the fighting, and the appearance of those monsters from the drains, the Baron’s forces have a serious battle on their hands. For the moment, no one will pay any attention to us.” He looked at Agatha with an unreadable expression on his face. “No matter who we’re carrying.”

Agatha looked at him. “I didn’t do that!” She paused, and continued uncertainly. “Did I?”

The side of Payne’s mouth quirked upwards in a brief smile. “I should think not. Not unless you can command monsters to fight for you,” he raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

Agatha blew a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Of course n—”

“Hey Dimo!” Maxim cried as he strode onto the bridge, “Hyu made it op dot ladder pretty fast wit only vun hand.”

“Ha!” Dimo shrugged, “Dot becawze Hy used my brains.”

The other two looked at him in amazement. “Eww,” they said. “Messy.”

Agatha threw up her hands. “What am I saying? Of course I can!” Realizations began to dawn. “The Other. She uses voice harmonics—and the Geisterdamen Vrin said I sounded like her!”

Zeetha looked apprehensive. She leaned into Taki. “I think we’re gonna need more pie.” The cook displayed empty hands.

Agatha grabbed hold of Krosp’s coat. “I can talk to monsters!”

The cat squirmed in her grip. “Well, sure. But will they talk back?”

“The Slaver Wasps back on Castle Wulfenbach moved when I ordered them to. If those were her creatures, I’ll bet these are too!” She turned to Master Payne. “Get me back there! I can stop them!” Payne and the others looked at her blankly. A Heterodyne was amazing enough. Now said Heterodyne was talking about confronting the monsters of The Other?

Dimo stepped forward, an apprehensive look on his face. “Dot iz not soch a goot idea, Lady. Hyu dun know dese monsters. Dey could be anybody’s. Ve saw dem in der sewers.

“Eefen if hyu could use hyu voice to get dem all riled op, Hy dun tink hyu could get dem to calm beck down. Monsters like dot, ven dey gets goink, dey ain’t nottink bot killink machines.”

Ognian spoke up. “Jah, und not effen goot lookink vuns like uz.”

Dimo stared at him levelly for a second and then just continued. “Hyu’z better let de Baron deal mit dis. Iz vot he dozz.”

Agatha looked at him in frustration. “But I squished him with a chicken house!” All of the circus members gasped at this revelation. Agatha looked guilty. “Didn’t I mention that?”

Dimo waved his hand reassuringly. “A leedle ting like dot? Oh shoo—” he conceded, “He’z a bit messed op, but he gun be fine! Hy giffs him de first aid!”

Everyone took a second to contemplate what a Jagermonster would consider to be first aid.

Agatha cracked first. “Turn this thing around!” She screamed. Everyone flinched. Agatha’s voice was giving off harmonics that normally sent people racing for the hills. Combined with her increasingly frantic movements and overall air of barely contained fury, several of the more experienced performers seriously considered leaping from the airship.

Only Krosp stood his place. “Ain’t gonna happen,” he said firmly.

“It wasn’t a request!” Agatha roared. She grabbed her head and stared at the cat with a look of dawning awareness coupled with a mounting rage. “Everywhere I go lately, there’s chaos! I’ve got—I’ve got to try to fix something!”

She snapped upright and screamed in defiance. “I’m going to go down there and personally punch every monster in the snoot!” She focused back in on a suspiciously calm Krosp. “And don’t try to stop me!”

Krosp casually put his paws behind his back and cocked a fuzzy eyeridge. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

This was such an unexpected response that several circus members later swore that they could hear circuits snapping within Agatha’s skull. Emotions flickered across her face almost too fast to discern. She settled for an icy rage. “Why not?”

Krosp took a deep breath through his nose. “By the smell of it, all of those chemicals they stuffed into you are burning off. It’s also obvious that you haven’t properly slept in days.” He took another sniff and stepped back. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Agatha’s face went purple with rage. “I’LL—”

She froze, a peculiar look came over her face and she began to swoon.

“Hy gots hyu!” Dimo cried, and no doubt he would have, if he hadn’t tried to catch her with his left hand. As it was, Agatha did a magnificent face-plant upon the deck.

Maxim nudged her with his booted foot and grinned at a chagrinned Dimo. “Should haff used hyu brains dot time, too.”

Dimo glowered as he attempted to scoop Agatha up with one arm. “Shot op!” He shrugged his left shoulder in annoyance. “Hy gets a new vun soon.”

Maxim nodded. “A new brain? Iz about time.”

Agatha slowly awoke. The first thing she noticed was that the sky outside the porthole was dark. Obviously hours had passed. She realized that she was stretched out on a snug airshipman’s bunk. The cabin was small and compact. The only sign of the regular occupant were a few framed tintypes of various women who apparently had trouble properly dressing themselves and a lovingly polished French horn hanging from a silk strap.

Agatha blearily raised her head and observed that she was clad in just a large, unfamiliar shirt. It said a lot for the state of her head that this observation, and the ramifications thereof was processed without undo embarrassment. She considered this, and realized that she was more concerned about the indescribably odd taste in her mouth.

She was surprised that she didn’t have a headache. Whenever heroines in the Heterodyne Boys novels awakened in similar circumstances, they invariably reported having them. Agatha however, was beginning to wonder if she’d ever have a headache again.

What she did have, was a terrible thirst. She spotted a large canteen hanging from a bedside hook. With a bit of effort, she pulled herself up to a sitting position and finding it full of water, took a deep drink.

She could hear the thrumming of engines. The ship was moving quickly, if she was any judge. She also heard voices. Many voices. As the murmur rose and fell, she realized from faint snippets, that the discussion was about her.

She closed her eyes. It was going to be awkward, there was no denying that. They knew she was a