Steampunk Omnibus: A Galvanic Century Collection (26 page)

***

Aldora found herself carried to a small village of primitive palm-thatched huts.

"Le'!"
the native carrying her shouted.
"Inkaxan ixoq ka mina'an aanta!"

A number of figures appeared in the hut entrances, dressed in cotton tunics, men and women both with long hair. They stared through the darkness at Aldora, an old man bringing a lit torch closer as he peered at her face.

"Tu'ux kaxan?"
the elder native asked.

The other native put her down, helping her stand steady.
"Tumen ja'l. Leti' púuts'ul máak."

"Please," Aldora made the appeal to those around her, her eyes flashing from face to face. "Do any of you speak English?
Alguno de ustedes habla Español?
"

The natives returned blank stares, muttering to one another in hushed tones.

"Taas tzeb?"
the one who had brought her asked.

"Wáa,"
the elder replied. He turned towards Aldora, speaking in a slow sing-song and extending his hand.
"Bin tutséel... bin, bin."

Aldora let herself be lead by the old native towards a central hut lit by glowing embers. The elder ducked within, then gestured that she should follow.
"Bin, bin."

Inside waited a young girl, lighter of feature than the others, though her tunic was of the same simple cotton, and her matted hair was just as long. She stared at Aldora's dishevelled state, her muddy hair, her scratched skin, her torn nightgown.

"Hello?" Aldora said, feeling acutely self-conscious in a way that she hadn't with the other natives moments before.

"You -- you're English?" the girl stammered.

"Yes." Aldora said, a flood of relief washing through her. "Yes, I am."

"Are you here to rescue me?" the girls eyes cast across Aldora's ruined nightgown.

"I... my party had come to the jungle in search of a missing film crew."

"That's me!" The girl scrambled to her feet. "I mean, I was a part of that expedition, with my father."

"I'm afraid I'm not in much shape to rescue anyone at the moment," Aldora said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder to steady her. "Highwaymen ambushed our camp. I alone managed to escape."

The girl's face fell and she seemed almost to collapse in on herself. "Oh... that's what happened to me. They took everyone, but I escaped."

Aldora studied the disheartened girl silently for a long moment. It was obvious that she was trying her best not to cry. She half-raised a hand to comfort her, but let it fall to her side, not sure exactly what to say or do. Helplessness wasn't something she was well acquainted with.

"Some rescue we turned out to be. My name is Aldora."

"I'm Penny," the girl responded.

"How long have you been here, with these people?"

"The
Hach Winik
?" Penny asked. "I don't know. What month is this?"

Penny's story was brief. She'd emerged from some ruin exploration to find the film crew face to face with a force of bandits. Her appearance had galvanised the armed men into action, and much confusion had ensued as they were taken prisoner. She'd slipped away, escaping into the jungle, where she wandered for several days before the natives had found her and taken her in. They'd given her months of hospitality, during which she'd learnt their language and some of their ways.

"You managed to survive the jungle on your own for days?" Aldora asked. "That's... impressive."

"I've been travelling with my father since I was a little girl. I know all the tricks." Her smile faltered and then faded. "I do hope he's alright."

One of the Hach Winik women arrived with bowls of a thick broth. She smiled and handed one to each of the women, then backed out of the hut.

"Eat it, it's good," Penny said. "But very spicy."

"Oh, yes," Aldora held the bowl from her face. "I should say so."

Penny grinned, then made a show of taking a large gulp from the edge of the bowl.

"Your father -- was he one of the crew?" Aldora asked.

"Their guide. Henry Robinson."

"Henry?" Aldora's hand tightened around the rim of the bowl. "You're Henry's daughter, then."

Penny took a smaller sip. "Did you know my father?"

"Yes, a long time ago. He... ah." She took a small sip. "He had a letter set to be delivered to me if he didn't return to Mérida, giving me the details of the expedition. That's why I've come."

"Ohhh." Penny nodded. "As long as I can remember he'd been leaving letters behind whenever we went on expedition. I never knew who they were addressed to, only that they were someone he trusted."

"It's an old traveller's trick," Aldora said. "I've left one behind to be delivered to my fiancé."

"Aren't you a little old to be engaged?" Penny asked.

"How old do you think I am, young lady?"

"I dunno," Penny said. "Forty?"

"I am twenty-nine years of age, not that it's any of your business, and it has been a long engagement."

Penny sipped her broth. "No need to be cross with me, Miss. I'm never getting married."

"Never?" Aldora's frost melted a little as she reminded herself of what the girl had been through.

"Not ever. I'm just going to travel forever, like my father, and never settle down in any one place."

Aldora smiled wanly. "I'd wanted much the same when I was not much older than you. Unfortunately the realities of my own family prohibited it."

"I've never understood why adults don't simply do whatever it is that they want."

"You will when you're older."

"That's what father says... but he doesn't follow any rules but his own."

"Sometimes one's own laws can be harsher than any others. Particularly for a man like your father."

Penny didn't respond. The native woman returned, this time with a pile of quilted blankets that she deposited next to Aldora.

"How long do you think it'll take for your letter to get to your fiancé?"

"I gave myself weeks to find your party," Aldora said, spreading the thickest quilt along the hut's dirt floor. "It's a big jungle. Give it another week or so to reach Alton, give him a week to arrange a rescue..."

"That's not so long."

"Even so, I've no intention of waiting around for another rescue party." Aldora settled in to the nest of quilts she'd assembled, leaving her dressing-gown to dry above the embers. "Every day that passes makes finding your father and the crew less likely."

"What else can we do? Leave the jungle ourselves and get help?"

"We shall see, Penny." Aldora closed her eyes. "We'll see how things look by dawn's light."

***

The next morning brought a hearty and lightly spiced meal of cornmeal flatbread and beans, and the natives brought Aldora a simple white cotton tunic, identical to the ones they themselves wore. It was plain, unadorned and shaped only by the curves of her body, but fell to an acceptably modest length, almost to the ground. Her nightgown, torn to shreds, was given as a gift to the woman serving as their host. She seemed grateful for the silk.

The Hach Winik hunter who had brought her to the village returned as Aldora and Penny were finishing up their breakfast. By the light of day he was quite handsome in a healthy and exotic way, with bronze skin, strong facial features, and an athletic physique. His long hair hung freely, cascading around his broad shoulders.

"Amoxtli says that he went back to your campsite," Penny translated, "But all of your things were missing."

"Bloody highwaymen," Aldora said. "Forgive my language."

"I don't think that they were bandits, though. They had uniforms and acted like soldiers."

"Mexican army?"

"I don't think so. They seemed like mercenaries."

Aldora finished lacing up her boots. "Oh? And what does a young girl know of mercenaries?"

Penny frowned. "Father's business had us associating with all sorts of people."

"Terribly irresponsible of Henry. It's hardly proper for a young girl to know the company of such men."

The girl stuck out her tongue. "It's no less proper for a lady of your rarefied station."

Aldora's face coloured, a bitter retort on her lips until she remembered what the girl had been through. Her harsh look softened, and she shook her head. "Regardless of who they are they have taken your father and the others. What do you know of them?"

"The Hach Winik call them the Strangers," Penny said. "They've been gathering in the jungle for some time, but after they ran across us at the ruins of Zipactonal they moved their camp there. Amoxtli says that they spend all day going into and out of the temple."

"Do they hold captives?"

Penny nodded. "He's not sure how many though."

"Can... Amoxtli... get us to a place where we can observe the camp safely?"

"I'll ask," Penny said. "Why? Do you have a plan?"

"Waiting for another rescue attempt is not an option -- now the mercenaries will surely realise that more searchers will be coming, and move their camp, possibly deeper into the jungle. We must act ourselves. We have to rescue your father and the others before they... before they move on."

Penny nodded, biting her lip, then translated Aldora's question to the tribesman.

Aldora lowered her eyes, unable to face the girl directly. Things were more dire than she could let on. Mercenaries were not known for keeping superfluous prisoners. Carvel White, the actor, could be ransomed, and the director came from a family with money, but the others -- the crew, the military men from the club, and poor, poor sweet Henry... she couldn't fret. Not now, not in front of the girl. The highwaymen had taken everything she'd brought, and all that she and Penny had left was hope. She couldn't take that hope away.

"Amoxtli says he can take us," Penny said, excitement in his voice.

"Good man," Aldora flashed the man a brief smile. "Off with us, then."

***

"What do you see?" Penny asked.

"It's an encampment." Aldora, Penny, and Amoxtli lay on a ridge some distance away from the ruins, where dozens of tents had been set up in a semi-circle around the temple itself. She counted six sentries, placed at strategic points radiating out from the temple, but the camp provided for many more. Most alarming, perhaps, were the pair of artillery cannons flanking the ruins' entrance, pointed towards the trail heading back into the jungle. "They look dug-in and prepared. There are amenities for dozens of soldiers, but I don't see more than a handful."

"Amoxtli said that they spend most of their time inside the ruins."

"What's in there?"

"Just before... before the men arrived I was exploring the temple, and I found a secret passage. It was dark inside -- too dark for me to see, but it was massive space. "

"Fascinating," Aldora said. "Any indication of what was inside?"

Penny gave the matter some thought. "I think I felt what might have been some clockworks? I can't be sure. Oh, and I could hear running water."

"Clockworks and running water? Are you positive?"

"I told you it was dark. There was something in there, though."

"No matter. It was rather brave of you to go exploring in the dark on your own."

Penny grinned. "That's just the life father and I live, Miss Fiske. Exploring ancient ruins, running from bandits, crossing wild jungles..."

She trailed off, her smile being replaced by worry.

"Amoxtli..." Aldora said.

The native turned his head, giving Aldora a winning smile.

"Penny, would you ask Amoxtli if he knows of any caves or subterranean rivers in the area?"

"Subterranean rivers?"

"That water you heard had to come from somewhere. We might not be able to easily sneak through the camp to the ruins--"

"But if there's another way in, we can come up under them and rescue the captives!"

Aldora nodded, pleased with the girl's enthusiasm.

Penny translated Aldora's question to the native. He responded at length, pointing off into the distance several times.

"Amoxtli says that there is an old story of the ancestors. When the Strangers first came in the time of his grandfather's fathers, the people retreated to the temple for safety. The women and children escaped through tunnels into the jungle, where they hid. He says that one of these tunnels comes out in a nearby cave."

"He may be speaking of the conquistadors," Aldora said. "The Hack Wilek must be descendant from the ancient Mayan people. They escaped and hid in the jungles, where they've gone unnoticed living their old ways for centuries."

Aldora backed away from the edge, then rose to her feet. "It just may be what we need to save the captives."

"
Pa'tal, ko'olel
," Amoxtli said, voice low. "
Yan peets' hach k'as aktun! Yan ts'aakik yan e'hoch'e'en.
"