Sky Pirates

Chapter 5

After fifteen minutes to dust off and wash up, an underling ushered Parker Greene into Fletcher Flynn's cabin. The immense room held all manner of appointments, a bed, a map table, a desk, and so on; this room instead was a large sitting room, replete with over-stuffed, red velvet chairs and long sofas covered in smoky-gray tufted satin. In one corner, a grand piano forte, with its claw feet chained to the floor, was played by a dwarf, not Silas, but another undersized human with a shock of red hair. Greene wondered to himself how odd that a dwarf with stubby, fat fingers would be such a master of the instrument. Along the outer wall, under the windows, billiard balls rolled slightly on the black felt covering of their large table.

"Greene, you ol' sharp!" called Fletcher Flynn who practically leapt from his chair, tossing a book aside as he strode across the room with hand extended.

He grew enthusiastic, once again seeing Flynn, the boy he'd been in love with so long ago; catching himself, he shoved those emotions back deep inside and held his solid ground, not taking the proffered hand. "Sir, I am not now, nor have I ever been a swindler at cards or any other game."

Flynn, unperturbed by the rebuff, said, "Always the gentleman. I'm sorry if I've offended you. It's just so good to see you. It's been ages." Fletcher Flynn used his outstretched hand as a tool to show off the room. "What do you think? Rather unique for an airship?"

Greene remained silent.

"A drink? How about a little whiskey between mates?"

"I've never been your mate." Parker's mouth watered—was that at the thought of a belt of whiskey or the thought of finally becoming Flynn's mate?—he did his best to hide his desires. In that very moment, he gave up on thoughts of trying to escape that evening. There were too many guards. The ship was too big for him to have clear knowledge of its decks and passageways. Parker acquiesced: "Why not have a few drinks with an old school chum?"

"That's the spirit!" Fletcher snapped his fingers; another dwarf, dressed in the uniform of a page, appeared with drinks on a tray. Flynn took one for himself and then the wee creature moved closer to Greene who took the second crystal glass from the silver salver. "Come, sit!" Flynn took up a chair to the far left of the room and indicated the second to Greene.

Lord Greene crossed the room, silently counting. He'd been adding up footsteps in his head as a way to gauge the size of the halls, rooms, and main deck. He took a seat just as the piano player changed to a new tune, something heavy and romantic that Parker had never heard before.

"Such a prize. To have captured one of the greatest mechanical minds, one of the true intellectuals of Her Majesty. To Victoria!" Flynn raised his glass.

Greene followed suit. "Victoria!"

Both men downed the contents of their glasses. Before Fletcher had set his on the table between them, a dwarf arrived. He filled Fletcher's glass and placed the decanter between the men. The dwarf, never making eye contact, bowed slightly and backed away from the men. It was Flynn who refilled his guest's glass. Greene did not protest.

"So, Parker, why where you discovered on one of Her Majesty's mail schooners? Certainly, you aren't working for the Royal Mail as a guard or letter carrier? The last I heard of you, you'd been chasing plants, or some such, right?"

Greene had rehearsed his response hundreds of times during his service to Her Majesty. The words now came tripping easily, almost gaily from his tongue. "Just catching a ride. The schooners are the fastest airships around—"

"Tut, tut. The Balsa Robin is the fastest airship that exists."

"Well, then, next to the Balsa Robin, the mail schooners are the fastest. I'm heading, in a round-a-bout way, to my next location. I'm still a plant hunter for Her Majesty."