The Jack of Souls (Multi-award winner!)

Chapter 4c - Gallows Ferry Gauntlet

Willard herded the ponies onto the open deck of the remaining ferry. The shouts and scurries of its deckhands choked off the moment they sighted Molly and knew it was their fate to carry her across the water. Several retreated to the dock, while others hid in nooks behind the engine rooms; the woodmen dumped a hurried load of firewood in the holds and departed as soon as Molly's hooves drummed past them to the foredeck, where Willard reined her in with his ponies and mysterious passenger. At Willard's signal, the pilot rang his bell, the toolers engaged the engines, and the ship set out at full steam in Kogan's wake.

A glance back at shore confirmed that Sir Green and his company were descending the valley for the dock.

Ahead of him, Kogan's ferry plowed along, heavy in the water with peasants and beasts. Their boarding had been rushed, or Willard would have given orders for them to follow him across. He hadn't expected Kogan to signal the departure.

Willard shouted to the pilot above the din of the wheels. "Pull ahead! I must land first."

The pilot's pale face appeared above the bridge rail, nodded once, and disappeared into his booth. A bell rang. More bells answered in the engine rooms, and the rhythm of the engine beams increased, churning the wheels even harder. The ferry drew up on the stern of Kogan's vessel, which labored low in the water, then veered to pass on the downstream side. As Willard's boat drew abreast, a spine-ripping shriek erupted from its starboard engine house. Brilliant steam burst up through its roof, splintering planking and blasting it into the air.

The starboard wheel halted. The ferry swerved downstream, staggering Molly and the ponies sideways. Thankfully the ponies were too weary to spook, but Molly whirled and snarled and pawed the planks.

Bells rang, men shouted, toolers ran from one engine house to the other as the ferry lost way and spun wildly down the current among the shoals.

The pilot managed to slow the port wheel and correct with the rudders enough to halt the spin and turn it upstream. By the time he had matched speed against the current, however, they held position many boat-lengths down the river, and Kogan's ferry was far ahead and nearly at the harbor landing.

Willard's pilot appeared before him on the deck, hat in hands. He bowed from a respectful distance. "Begging your pardon, Your Holiness," he said, voice trembling. "A hot-pipe blew. Lucky the whole kettle didn't go. That would've done for us all. We'll make it across, I reckon, but only just."

Willard nodded. The man bowed, backed, and scurried up the ladder to his bridge.

"Things go from bad to worse," said the ambassador. "Look. Your friend's ferry has landed, but Sir Green's master moves ahead of us."

The Sapphire's ship, which had been churning steadily up the opposite shore as Willard's limped along, now crossed their path to the landing, at a distance of two or three bowshots ahead.

"Black Moon take it," Willard muttered. "The cards are not falling in our favor."

Brolli turned his peep-hole toward Willard. "Do you think this Old One is on that ship?"

Willard frowned. "I don't know. If he is and he disembarks to meet us on the shore, however, there will be only one course of action left to us: we turn this limping ferry downstream and hope to lose them under cover of darkness. You'd be safe if we could make it all the way to the court."

Brolli shuddered. "No. I did not feel safe there. That is why I left. I wish to take my chances on this road."

Willard's brow lowered in concern. "Ambassador, you may not think much of our queen or her ways, but she has brought peace to our land, and abolished slavery and many other wretched things. You must see what we are now, in the light of what came before. Before Evandora, when the Old Ones ruled, there was no peace. War is their religion. And they do not hang their enemies, Brolli. They torture and dismember, using Phyros blood plasters to heal over the amputations so their victims survive to live long lives in West Isle trophy halls and entertainment at banquets." Brolli made a small sound of surprise. Willard nodded. "Indeed. There will be no quick death by arrow for me. If I'm taken, I'll spend my days at the foot of an Old One's throne, a limbless footrest."