The Engineer

Chapter V: The Queen Commands and We Obey

"Oh my, don't you know smoking is bad for you?" Only to almost drop said pipe into the sea at the sound of a familiar voice. He sighs in relief before sending a glare at the Lady, who was still looking as elegant as ever.

"No need to look so baneful, Mr. Lockheart." The Lady says with a teasing smile.

Douglas shakes his head and returns his gaze to the moonlit waters of the harbor, with the Lady once again joining him by his side. The pair remain silent for a time, neither wishing to say anything. Douglas smoking his pipe, lost in his own thoughts. The Lady not wishing to disturb him as he does so.

It is Douglas who breaks the comfortable silence between the two. "Your name.... its Amagi, isn't it?"

"Yes," Amagi replies, feeling no need to lie to the man who saved her from death.

Douglas scratches his head with a sigh, "bloody hell, what have I gotten myself into?"

"That depends." Says Amagi. "How do you feel now knowing the truth of who we are? Of what we are?"

"To be completely honest with you, ma'am, I have no bloody idea." Admits Douglas. "I have spent most of my life working on warships. Checking. Repairing, Maintaining. I even helped make a few. But now the very ships I served on, that were my home away from home, are now walking about willy nilly."

"And... does that bother you?" Amagi asks him tentatively.

"You lot walking about? In a way, yes." He looks to see a fallen expression on Amagi's face. "Now, don't go giving that look. It doesn't suit a beautiful woman like yourself."

He looks back towards the sea, not seeing the light blush dotting Amagi's cheeks at his words. "It's just... as an engineer, I must always be aware of where the ships are, which dock they are residing in, and when they are shipping out to sea. I wouldn't be able to do my job well otherwise. So, knowing that the 'souls' of the ships I was once trusted with not being where they're supposed to be is unnerving to me."

"Perhaps it is because you feel responsible for their care while on base." Says Amagi. "Therefore, you grow anxious knowing they aren't always where you want them to be."

"Maybe." Douglas shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe."

"Ah, there you are Douglas." The two turn around to see Collin walking towards them. "My Apologies, Ma'am. But I would like to speak to Douglas privately if that is possible."

"But of course." Amagi places on hand on Douglas's shoulders. She smiles. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Properly this time."

Douglas nods, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Aye. That it was."

Amagi bows to Collins before moving a fair distance of the two gentlemen.

"It's good to see you making acquaintances," Collins says to his friend. "What were you two talking about?"

"She wished to thank me for saving her life," Douglas replies.

Collins' eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, then that means she is..."

"The soul of the Amagi made manifest? Yes, she is." Douglas finishes for him.

Collins stares after Amagi. "My god."

Douglas inhales another puff of smoke, then exhales. "Can I ask you something, Edward?"

"Of course, ask away." Says Collins.

"When you asked me here to fix the Amagi, was that a genuine request or just an excuse for you to come here and play spy?"

"What kind of man do you take me for, Douglas?!" Exclaims Collins, affronted by the very accusation. "I am not some two-bit politician who has an agenda behind every word he says! And if I had needed to make up an excuse to 'play spy' as you called it, I certainly wouldn't have wasted my time going all the way to Glasgow to find one!"