When she opened her eyes, Taziri saw her grandfather leaning over her, except his face was all wrong. It was too old and too serious, and too blotchy. After a few seconds of looking and blinking she recognized the doctor, Evander.
Her head was throbbing and her mouth had gone dry. “I crashed the ship. I’m sorry.” Her memory of the crash was a blur of images and fear, but the idea was clear enough. She felt her hand trembling on the sheets. “I couldn’t think of anything else.”
He nodded. “It’s all right. Everything is all right. How do you feel?”
She wanted to throw up, sleep for a week, and then die. “Fine. I’m fine.”
“You’ve been asleep for most of the day, but you’re going to be just fine. That gash in your side was ugly, but you only lost a kidney, which you shouldn’t miss too much.” He sniffed. “I like that brace on your left arm. Very nice piece of work. Too bad you didn’t show me that burn when it happened or I might have been able to save you the trouble.”
Her hand glided down under the sheets to the bandages wrapped around her belly, and then she glanced around the room as she sat up in the huge bed. The room was like nothing she had ever seen before. Paintings of strange lands on the walls, statues of strange people in the corners, and thick carpets on the floor. Through the open window she saw stars and felt a cool breeze blowing. I’m in the palace. “Ghanima?”
Evander shook his head. “I’m sorry. She died in the crash.”
Taziri stared at him, her jaw trembling. It’s my fault. I should have been in that chair.
“But the major is still in one piece,” the doctor said. “They found him in the street somewhere with just a few hundred bruises and some mild acid burns. Nothing he won’t shrug off in a few days.”
Taziri swallowed a renewed desire to vomit. She nodded and blinked hard.
“It’s been quite a day,” Evander continued. “They’ve kept me busy enough. Lots of folks were hurt up there in your little stunt. Luckily, most of them turned out to be minor injuries and the guards are saying that if you hadn’t knocked that balloon into the sky, a lot of people would have died. I assume you did all that on purpose.”
Taziri nodded. Thank God for that.
“Back in Arafez you mentioned a detective who helped you. An older woman? Yes? Well, I’m sorry to tell you that she’s dead as well. Lady Sade shot her. Then the guards shot the lady.” Evander sighed. “Damned madhouse of a country you have here. I remember when guns were so slow and heavy and sloppy that only a fool would carry one. I suppose those were the good old days.”
The detective? Taziri frowned. How is that possible? How did she get here? And…she’s dead too? “Anyone else?”
“Yes.” Evander squinted at her. “The queen is dead. But her children and sister escaped. Speaking of which, the princess wanted to talk to you. Are you feeling up to it?”
She nodded and he started to stand up, but she said, “Wait. Doctor?”
“Hm?”
“Why did the queen ask you to come here? Did she know that this would happen? Did you come to take care of the royal family in case there was an attack?”
“No,” he said softly. “I was summoned to attend the queen personally. Pregnancies can be complicated for women of a certain age.”
Taziri nodded dumbly and waited as the doctor padded out the door. She had time to wiggle her numb fingers and prod her tender ribs. A minute later, a young woman entered the room. She was tall and plain-faced, her eyes red, and her lips thin. She came over to the bed and sat in the doctor’s chair. “Lieutenant Ohana? I am Lady Tzeddig.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” Taziri tried to look calm and professional in her sick bed, but a sudden fit of coughing had her doubled over and clutching her injured side. When the coughs stopped, she felt more exhausted than ever. “Excuse me.”
“It’s all right. It’s been a long day for everyone.” Lady Tzeddig swallowed and exhaled slowly. Then she met the pilot’s eyes and said, “First, let me thank you for risking your life to save my family. Your friend, the pilot who died?”
“Ghanima.”
“She’ll be receiving a medal of honor and her family will be taken care of, of course.” Tzeddig’s hands trembled in her lap. “I understand you were helping the marshals investigating Ambassador Chaou and Lady Sade. The guards have taken over that investigation. They will probably want to talk to you.” Her voice shook and she covered her eyes.
Taziri reached over and took the princess’s hand and they both sat and stared down at their laps for a moment.
Lady Tzeddig looked up and spoke in a soft but steady voice. “The preliminary report says that your airship was electric. All electric. If it had been steam-powered, the boiler would have exploded on impact. Was that your idea?”
“I designed the batteries. It was my captain’s idea to put them in an airship.”
“Captain Isoke Geroubi?”
Taziri looked up sharply. “Yes?”
“I saw her name in the papers last night, I think. One of the survivors from the fire in Tingis. I’m sorry you had to be involved in that.”
Survivor? Taziri felt a terrible weight lift off her chest. Isoke’s alive!
“Well,” the princess said, “when there is time, later, we’ll talk more about your batteries and electric airships. I’m afraid I have a great many things to do right now.”
“My lady, I’m so sorry for your loss. Your sister was a-” Taziri broke off, suddenly realizing for the first time that she had never formed an opinion about the queen at all. “-was a wonderful woman.”
Lady Tzeddig nodded and stood up. “It’s a pity that she had to die like this. But at least the rest of us were spared. That Incan woman protected us. Such a strange day. But I wanted to make sure that you were all right, lieutenant. I’ll come and see you again, later, when there’s time. And I’ll have my people contact your family.”
“Thank you, my lady. I mean, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, lieutenant.” Lady Tzeddig nodded again and left.
Taziri lay back into the pillows and closed her eyes.
It’s over.
She wanted to smile. She wanted to cry. But she fell asleep before she could do either.