Sunlight streamed through the open window with a fresh breeze that smelled faintly of roses and sea salt. It was a bright, airy room with tiled walls painted yellow and orange. The bed was soft and the pillow softer. Lorenzo explored the bandages on his head and then around his hip. As far as he could tell he still had all of his fingers and toes, and that was a good start.
Down past his feet he saw a woman sleeping in an old leather chair. He smiled. “Hello, captain.”
Taziri woke slowly, blinking and yawning. She smiled back. “Hello yourself.”
“How long have I been here?”
“A day or so.”
He grimaced. Qhora. “What happened?”
“There was a lighthouse nearby. The keeper saw the whole thing and telegraphed the authorities in Tingis.”
“Telegraph.” Lorenzo shook his head. “I’m starting to think we could really use one of those in Espana.”
“You’ll want at least two, I think. Anyway, there was a whole armada of cruisers and rescue ships out there in less than an hour.” Taziri stood and stretched in front of the window. “One of the coast guard boats picked us up and brought you back here to the hospital. You’re fine, by the way.”
“Good to know,” he said. “And the warship?”
“It took most of the day and night, but it sank right where we hit it. Deep water, apparently. The stone burned right through every deck and destroyed the engines and left a string of breaches straight through the whole ship. They couldn’t seal off the leaks, so they abandoned ship. Some made it back to Espana on their own. The others were picked up and they’re being questioned down in the harbor.” She dragged her chair over to his bed and sat beside him. “How do you feel?”
“Alive.” Lorenzo exhaled and felt the slight ache in his side under the bandages. He glanced over at her, wondering what was different about her. “You showered, didn’t you?”
She smiled and nodded. “Second thing I did after I got home.”
“And the first?”
“My husband.”
He laughed. “Well, you look beautiful.”
She blushed.
“Well, you do. I feel safe saying so since my wife is in another country and probably can’t hear me.” He sat up a little higher. “I suppose the skyfire stone is gone forever now.”
“It may be at the bottom of the Strait, but it’s not gone. There’s a strange warm current running through those waters now. And there’s a rumor that fully cooked fish are washing up on shore. It’s attracted quite a few picnickers and should be a very profitable new tourist destination by the time spring comes around.” Taziri grinned.
“Well, it’s nice to know something good came of it all,” he said dryly. “After all that running and fighting and worrying and dying over that stupid rock, all that trouble, and now it’s just gone. Just like that.”
“It did stop a war, you know. That’s something. It probably saved my family and everyone else in Tingis at the very least.”
He nodded. He tried to feel good about that.
Thousands of lives saved. That’s a good thing. But still, that stone might have made a difference in Espana for generations. It could have been placed in the canals under some poor city and brought heat and life to an entire province. It could have become a limitless font of wisdom if I could have learned to speak to the souls resting inside it.
Who knows what good might have come from it? And what did I do? I threw it into the ocean.
Lorenzo reached up to wrap his fingers around the triquetra medallion on his chest. “Sorry, sister. I…I’m sorry.”
The image of the dead nun appeared by the foot of the bed. It was not the swirling, vaporous shape of a ghost, no dim shade outlined in silvery aether. Ariel looked quite sharp and distinct in her ancient robe and hood, but discolored and transparent like a reflection in a dark window. She nodded and smiled. “I’m sorry, too. But you’re still alive, Lorenzo, and I think the world needs you more than that rock right now. It’ll be all right. You just need to have a little faith.” She bowed her head and faded away.
Lorenzo glanced at Taziri. “You didn’t see or hear any of that, did you?”
She frowned. “Any of what?”
“Nothing, never mind. Oh! Have you heard from your friends yet? The other officers who went south from Madrid, did they ever make it out of the country or do we need to round up a search party for them?”
Taziri’s face darkened. “They did show up last night. They hired a fisherman to sail them across the Strait from Malaga.”
He smiled. “Well, there’s some good news. They’re all fine?”
“The Italian woman, Nicola, is fine and my lieutenant, Kenan, is fine. But Major Zidane didn’t make it.”
Lorenzo bowed his head and made the sign of the triquetra. “I’m so sorry. What happened to him?”
“I don’t know. They’re debriefing Kenan and there’ll be an investigation.” She waved toward the window. “There’ll be a mountain of paperwork and headaches to deal with. Isoke almost cried when we dragged the Halcyon up onto the airfield.”
“I take it this Isoke built the Halcyon?” He nodded. “Please offer her my sincerest condolences. It was a magnificent machine. It saved us all.”
“I guess so.” She leaned her cheek on her hand. “You’ll probably be out of here in a few days. Will you still go to see Prince Valero?”
“Absolutely. Someone has to speak for all the people who nearly died here, and it needs to be one of us, not one of you. If men like Magellan continue to control our country, then it won’t be long before this all happens again.” Lorenzo squeezed his medallion and felt the unnatural warmth of the metal against his skin. “The wars in the New World almost destroyed Espana. We lost so much. Men, ships, wealth. God only knows how Magellan found the money to build that monstrosity of his.”
“Just be grateful he didn’t think to armor it against super-heated meteorites.” Taziri smiled. “You know, we’ll need to come up with a name for this new metal of yours. Perhaps espanium? Or maybe lorenzium?”
He laughed. “Dear God, I hope not. I’m sure the scientists will come up with something a little less ghastly.”
“What about aetherium?”
Lorenzo nodded. “Why not? That sounds genuine enough, and it won’t bring any of your tourists to my house for autographs.” He turned his medallion over to look at the discolored patch along the bottom edge. “There’s a legend about something like this. In ancient times there was a magical metal called orichalcum, a reddish gold more precious than any gem. I wonder if this is what they were talking about?”
“Could be.”
“You know, the city of Tartessos is built on the ruins of another, older city. The old city of Atlantia was destroyed so long ago that no one remembers why. There are a dozen different stories about earthquakes and tidal waves and fires.” He held up the medallion to the light. “You don’t suppose the entire city was destroyed by a lump of aetherium, do you?”
“Entirely possible. A magic metal that falls from the sky? I’ll bet every place in the world has a myth or legend about this stuff.”
“You’re probably right.” Lorenzo’s smile faded into a frown. “You’re right. If this aetherium has been falling from the sky all over the world as far as the Incan Empire, then there should be stories about it. It should be known. It should even be common. But it isn’t. It’s a myth, barely even a memory. Why is that? Does it all end up lost or destroyed like the skyfire stone? I mean, where has all the aetherium gone?”
Taziri raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s a question for another day. Get some rest. I’ll be back in a little while and we’ll write a little note to your wife. A friend of mine volunteered to fly up to Madrid to deliver your mail for you.”
“You have another plane?”
“No, just a good old-fashioned airship.” Taziri smiled.
“That sounds lovely. Thank you. And can you do me a favor?”
“Name it.”
“Go give that daughter of yours a hug from me. And tell her I’m sorry I kept her mother away for so long.”