Untitled (6 page)

usanna led their strange visitor through to the rear of the ship and paused. She was used to the layout of the
Pride
of
Plymouth
and was confused by the design of the old galleon. More worryingly, the tilt of the vessel was rather more obvious inside than on the deck.

   "Let's try this one," said Susanna, opening a door at random. Inside was a bare room—dark, wet and dingy. They moved on, trying more doors, until they reached the back of the ship and found a much larger, brighter cabin with several windows at the back.

   "Ah, this must be it," said Susanna. Inside the cabin was a screen, some cupboards and drawers and a huge chest. She approached the chest, swung back the heavy lid and gasped at the huge range of old dresses and shoes shoved into the wooden box. "This is definitely it," she said as she pulled out a dark blue velvet dress and held it in front of her. "What do you think?" she asked Mechatronic.

   "I think it is an item of clothing," replied the silver woman.

   Susanna looked carefully at her companion and saw no sarcasm was intended—Mechatronic was clearly bemused by the question.

   "I mean, do you think it will suit me?"

   "I do not know. I have little experience of clothes."

   "Yes, well," coughed Susanna, going red in the face, "that much is clear from your, ahem, natural state."

   "I wear clothes," clarified Mechatronic, "but for functional purposes only. What do you look for when dressing?"

   "Something pretty, something stylish," said Susanna eagerly, who was something of a fashion slave despite her independent spirit. "Something to emphasize my eyes and figure."

   "In that case, the blue dress is too heavy and severe," said Mechatronic. "It will hang off your frame and disguise your figure."

   "What of this one?" asked Susanna, as happy and as unselfconscious as a child as she rummaged through the chest and pulled out another dress.

   "Better. Perhaps you should try it on."

   "I shall." Susanna blushed again as she realized that Mechatronic was waiting for her to begin dressing. "I'll go behind the screen," she said shyly.

   Mechatronic again looked bemused as Susanna dashed behind the heavy wooden screen and began undressing. She turned to the chest and began pulling clothes out at random, uncertain regarding their form and function.

   "So," asked Susanna from the safety of the screen, "why do you wear only functional clothes?"

   "It is the way of things where I come from," said the silver woman, looking at a flouncy creation trimmed with much lace. She couldn't imagine how to begin getting into such a garment.

   "And where is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

   "A long way away."

   "China?"

   "I do not know
China.
I come from another world."

   "The world below?" asked Susanna slowly, pausing as she shrugged off her wet dress.

   "No, from above."

   "Above? I don't understand."

   "Neither does the crew out there."

   "Were they talking earlier? I'm sorry about that if they were, but I never heard them."

   "Why should you be sorry?"

   "Well, it's not very nice, is it, being spoken about?"

   "Isn't it? I would not know. But they did not talk about me earlier, apart from exclamations of surprise when they saw me. They are talking about me now."

   "How can you know that?" asked Susanna, resuming her dressing.

   "I can hear them."

   "You mean you can hear the crew from here?" gasped Susanna, striding out from behind the screen despite the dress falling around her body.

   "Of course," replied Mechatronic in surprise. "Can't you?"

   "No."

   "Have you a problem with your audio system? Perhaps you need to reinstall your source files?"

   "Source? Audio? I don't understand what you mean." Susanna looked in turmoil at the silver woman, who was looking equally confused at Susanna's ignorance.

   "You don't have cybernetic implants?"

   "I don't know what that means, either."

   "Of course, I should have realized from the lack of technological advancement evident on this vessel," said Mechatronic, to Susanna's further bafflement. "I have landed on a grade two planet."

   "Grade two? Landed?" wailed Susanna, feeling completely lost.

   Mechatronic saw she was upsetting the young girl, the girl who had smiled openly and genuinely at her and she felt a strange stab of remorse. She crossed the cabin and took Susanna's face in her hands.

   "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you. I should not burden you with concepts you cannot comprehend." She gently wiped Susanna's face with her thumbs. "Your brother held me much like this just after rescuing me from the sea," she observed.

   "And did it make you feel safe and wanted?" asked Susanna, smiling at the strange woman in front of her.

   Mechatronic hesitated, chewing on her lip. "It made me feel… something," she said finally. "But what, I cannot say. I am uncertain. I… I…"

   "I think my brother felt the same way," blurted Susanna before going red once again. "No, I'm sorry. I should not have said that."

   "Why ever not?"

   "I should not presume to speak for his feelings or to make presumptions about yours."

   "Feelings are irrelevant," said Mechatronic, a look of bitterness on her face. "They cannot affect me now. Maybe at one time, but not after… No, never mind. Quickly, let us finish dressing. I believe the argument outside has abated and we are about to begin our journey once more."

"
rgument?" asked Susanna in surprise. "Yes, concerning me, the state of this vessel and our next destination. I believe it has been decided that we are to head for a small island where we may find a crew."

   "You heard all that while still being able to talk to me?"

   "Easily."

   "But, but… well, what's happening with James?" asked Susanna finally, resolving that as she had no idea what was going on, she may as well take advantage of the silver woman's extraordinary abilities and find out if her brother was safe.

   "I believe he is coming to find us. From what he has said to Mister Fitch, he is worried at our absence."

   "What? Quick! We have to finish dressing. Well, I need to finish dressing. You need to start. Could you do me up at the back?" Susanna

pirouetted gracefully around.

   Mechatronic laced up the back of the dress. "This is a very impractical garment."

   "That's fashion for you. Thanks. Now quickly, find a dress and put it on while I look for some shoes." The two women busied themselves, Susanna finding some dainty and well-fitting shoes while Mechatronic eventually settled on a purple dress of simple design.

   "It will allow free movement," she explained.

   "Aren't you going to put a corset on? Don't you have them where you come from?"

   "Not quite of this type, but we do have similar garments. Ah, your brother is here."

   Susanna bounded to the door of the cabin and opened it even as Hartwell raised his hand to knock.

   "I wasn't aware I made any sound," he said, smiling lightly at his sister.

   "Lady Mechatronic has very good hearing," said Susanna, trying to send her brother a covert message.

   "What Susanna is trying to tell you is that I can easily hear the crew talking from anywhere on the ship," smiled Mechatronic. "I fancy she is worried that I may use this against you in some manner." Mechatronic laughed as Susanna blushed and looked ashamed. She seemed to be as surprised at the sound as Susanna and Hartwell. It was as though she hadn't laughed in a long time, or even at all.

   "Do not worry," she said, laying a hand on Susanna's sleeve. "I will not eavesdrop if it distresses you."

   "Such ability could undoubtedly come in useful," observed Hartwell dryly, "but for the sake of propriety, I think it best if you do try and refrain from listening to private conversations."

   Mechatronic turned her head sharply and there was a strange clicking noise. "Done," she announced.

   "Thank you," replied Hartwell.

   Mechatronic looked at him closely and saw that he meant it.

   "You are aware of the conversation on deck?" he continued.

   Mechatronic nodded.

   "I'm not," interrupted Susanna, anxiously. "Has something happened?"

   "Just a rather vigorous debate on what our next move should be," said Hartwell. "Those left of Madrigal's crew wish to return to their homes. Madrigal himself is against this, as he fears that their betrayal of the pirate's hiding place will make them all marked men. My crew wishes to clear their names of Johnson's calumnious claims of treachery. They feel that the admiral has betrayed everything that is right and good about

our mission."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Susanna.

   "The only point we all agreed upon is that it is impossible to pilot this ship with so few crew members on board. Rather than head for the current pirate cove, Madrigal has suggested we make for the abandoned pirate town of Domlusa, where, apparently, many sailors are discarded if they are held to be of no further use to their crew because of old age or infirmity. There, we hope to find enough decent hands to enable us to fix this leaking, rotting vessel and plan our next move."

   "Won't it be rather dangerous to go to a known pirate town?"

   "No more than staying here with too few men on a dangerously unstable vessel. O'Rourke is already doing what he can to shore up the bulkhead, assisted by Fitch and some of Madrigal's crew, but we need more men and more resources. Indeed, we need a new ship."

   "This vessel is in danger of breaking down?" asked Mechatronic.

   "If by
breaking down
you mean breaking up, then, yes, it could happen," replied Hartwell, looking placidly at the silver woman, which took a great effort. He was determined not to show the strange feelings Mechatronic stirred deep inside him. "The chance of the hull giving way is quite high."