Coggler's Brood (Work in Progress)

Chapter 6

Jack and Magnus stare at me as if I have gone mad.

I still cannot believe my own stupidity. It's not sufficient for me to just ruin Jack's career, now I have to get him killed too.

I take deep slow breaths and calm my beating heart. "We are betrayed." Right now I need focus: a clear head, otherwise we are done for. "Jack, the big operation that Scud mentioned-"

"Yes, yes, the Constables cooperating internationally to destroy the pirate Anabella Steenkamph. But I fail to see-"

"-Back on New Frisco, when we were winched on board the mail packet; I didn't realize it at the time, but I overheard people (probably Constables) discussing the same operation, and they named Anabella Steenkamph's airship—the Sequestria."

The blood drains from Jack's face.

"But that's the name of our airship." Magnus is yet to catch up.

Remarkably, even in my current panicked state of mind, I notice how Magnus has staked a claim to the airship in which he is now the sailing master.

A wild thought occurs to me and I choose my words carefully. "Magnus, remember how Stan Wallingham said he needed a pilot to smuggle goods for him, because he already had a diversion in place?"

Magnus nods, warily.

"Well he lied. We are the decoy; we are the diversion. Stan Wallingham set things up so the Constables think I am Anabella Steenkamph."

"But you don't look nothing like her. She's dark and-"

"It doesn't matter, Magnus. They aren't going to get close enough to see me, they're just going to sit off in their gunships and pound us to smithereens—you, me, the crew, our cargo, and this airship."

I wave Stan Wallingham's letter in his face. "And this is the time and place it's going to happen. Your boss has betrayed you, Magnus, and sent you on a one-way mission."

Magnus stares back with wide eyes and shakes his head. "No. No. Mr Wallingham wouldn't do that to me. I've known him since he was a nipper. I've always done whatever he asks. No. Mr Wallingham wouldn't do that to me."

"You mean," Jack asks quietly, "that he's never bumped off another employee?"

"Of course he has, he's a gangster, but it's never personal, just business. Maybe if someone knows too much or ..." Magnus sinks slowly into a chair at the table.

"Maybe, you know him too well, Magnus; maybe you know just too much," I suggest, callously ramming home my advantage. "I'm sure it's nothing personal; just business."

Magnus leaps to his feet and smashes his fist on the table. "Well it's personal to me, Captain, and I ain't going to let Stan Wallingham get away with it."

Bingo. "Quite right, Mr... er, Sailing Master, quite right."

"Tristan," Magnus says, as if dredging something up from the depths of his mind. "It's Mr Tristan. Magnus Tristan."

It never even occurred to me that Magnus might have a family name. I bet Stan Wallingham never knew it. If I'm going to save any of us, I need willing help from Magnus. I also need Jack doing what he is told; whatever I have done to him I cannot afford to be soft on Jack. Now is the time for action.