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The next day, Ian showed Beth how to handle the helm, keeping the Myst on course with the massive wheel, steam throttle and gyrocompass.
"This is wonderful!" She exclaimed as she took the wheel.
Daniel laughed and Ian shook his head, then went below.
"Isn't this amazing?" Beth beamed at Daniel, who nodded.
"Yes, it is. It's almost exactly like I assumed a sailing ship on the high seas would be. Except there's no sea."
Beth laughed. "Did you ever sail? In Otherworld, I mean."
"No," Daniel shook his head. "Well, small boats, sure. On lakes and ponds. In the bay back home I'd take a kayak out now and then. But I loved standing on the shore whenever a tall ship came to town. Amazing things."
"I almost wish there was sea spray or something." Beth ran her hands over the large wheel, without turning it off course. "In the village, they use little airships like taxi cabs, but nothing this size. And the Myst isn't even as large as they come, is she?"
Daniel shrugged. "Well, that ship docked at the forest was a lot bigger. So was the one--" he swallowed.
"The one that went down in the fog," Beth finished with a sad shake of her head. "All those people. And you said you've seen the swamp?"
Daniel took a deep breath and nodded. "It's a blur, now. Well, it was then, too, from all the running and blind panic that was going on. I’m pretty sure I didn't scream like a girl, but I can't be positive."
Beth laughed and cocked her head. "Oh, I can't imagine you did.
He was definitely flirting, actually putting a small bit of effort into it, but did that mean he'd made a decision about his future? Did he even have to make a decision, if travel between both worlds was as simple as walking through a door?
"What was it like, growing up in the castle? Daughter of a king and queen must have had its perks."
Beth lifted one shoulder. "I suppose, though it certainly didn't prepare me for ten years in Otherworld all alone. Tell you the truth, I was a bit of a brat before Stefan took over. And he would have been king anyway, if he'd just waited his turn. He's older than me by nine years."
Daniel suddenly remembered something Bert and Martha had mentioned. "We heard, Ian and I, that there were rumors Stefan was in possession of things from Otherworld. Things he'd been stealing, or acquiring, that he couldn't possibly have obtained here."
"Really?"
"Gold, even. Someone thought he'd been filling the royal accounts with gold stolen from Otherworld. But you know how rumors can spread."
"I wouldn't put it passed him," Beth replied. "If he figured out how the key works, he could basically step right through a door into a bank vault, lift a few bars of gold, then . . . Well then I'm not sure what." She looked at Daniel. "I mean, I've never seen the inside of a bank vault, but I don't think they have doors you can slip a key into. How would he get out?"
"That's a good question." And one that, in an instant, deflated a notion Daniel had been toying with the night before. "So, if you step into a room, the door has to close behind you, then you need another door to get back to Ether through. Which means, if you went through to a strange place you'd never seen before, and had no way of knowing what you might find, there's a good chance you could find yourself with no door to use to get back with."
"Exactly," Beth nodded. "Unless he found a big locked crate, or a safety deposit box big enough to squeeze through. The key doesn't care what type of door it unlocks."
Daniel's thoughts had returned to the black fog, so he just nodded absently, barely aware he was replying to her. "But it still needs something with a key hole, that opens and closes."
"Right," Beth replied. "That doesn't mean Stefan wasn't stealing from someplace else, though. Some poor guy's locked cellar, or an armored car during transport. He could step right through the back door of a moving vehicle, and land in Ether rather than fall out on the pavement."
Daniel shook himself and looked at her again. "Right, sure. That's how I landed here. My first night, Ian said I stepped out of a cab into traffic."
"And he ran over you?"
"Into him," Ian corrected as he came back up from below, steaming cups of tea on a platter in his hands. "I ran into him, not over him. And it was barely a tap."
"Knocked me on my ass, though," Daniel added as he accepted one of the hot cups of tea. "Slight concussion, I'd say."
Ian huffed, then jerked his chin toward the hatch. "Boiler needs fillin'."
Daniel glanced at Beth, then Ian, then he shrugged. "Of course it does." He took his tea and went below, still contemplating the simple complexities of the key.
When he got down into the hold, he realized this was the first time he'd been to the boiler without Ian there.
"Okay, this can't be hard, you've seen him do it twice now."
Daniel found the green button on the face of the massive brass boiler and pressed it in. That caused the face plate to slide over, and the panel holding the crystals slid out toward him. The double rows were completely spent, showing clear now instead of red or blue, with the exception of the two currently in use still deep inside the machine.
He reached out and gingerly touched the first crystal in line, expecting it to be hot, but aside from some residual steam rising from the surface, the temperature was tolerable. He slipped the crystals out of both empty rows, then pulled the lids off the two barrels and loaded his arms with equal numbers of red and blue, careful not to let them touch, then replaced them in the holders and pushed the panel back.
As he watched the little door slide back over the open space, a shadow caught in the corner of his eye. When he turned to see what was there, he was greeted by nothing more than the hanging lights and cargo.
Curious, Daniel started looking around the hold. There were boxes of dry goods, several hundred yards of spare rigging for the balloon, a few replacement paddles, some tools, spare lights, extra blankets, and a mirror resting against an empty crate.
No stowaways, no mice, not even any sign of a winged lizard hitching a free ride across the farmlands.
With a shrug, Daniel went back up to take his turn at the helm before dinner.
Late that night, with Beth at the wheel, Daniel got comfortable on the decking planks behind her, where he could lie down and look up at the stars, unobscured by the massive balloon above.
"I'm stunned by how much beauty there is here, in my own home, that I'd never seen before," she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. "No one in the royal family ever ventures out of the village, and I don't understand why."
"I can take a wild guess or two," Daniel replied with a huff. "First there's the caves. Ian said they'd be the easiest part of the trek. Then there's that swamp, and let me tell you, any stories you heard as a kid, consider them true."
"Any of them?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Well, if they were about a white tree that hunts you down and eats you, then yes." Daniel couldn't help but shudder. "Not that I think you should all stay in the village, I don't. But maybe, after you become queen, you might want to consider finding safer ways to move around your country."
Beth opened her mouth to reply, then looked down at her feet. "Did you hear that?"
"What?"
She paused, then shrugged. "Nothing, never mind."
"So what are you going to change, when you take the throne?" Daniel asked.
"Well, follow the path my father set forth, for one thing," Beth replied. "After I get settled, I'd like to see more control and influence go to the royal court, in a more democratic government."
Daniel turned to look at her, but as he did, he heard something below decks. It sounded like a door, then something being knocked over. "What was that?"
"What?"
"I heard something down there. Did you hear it?"
Beth shook her head. "No, not this time. It's probably just Ian."
"He's sleeping." Daniel got to his feet, but leaned down, trying to hear through the decking.
"Are you sure?" Beth moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know one sure way to find out."
"Huh?" he turned to her just as she leaned in for a kiss.
"Find what out?"
"I knew it!" Beth turned to face Ian with a quick laugh, leaving Daniel to stumble slightly forward when his lips found open air. "I knew you'd appear just then. Sleeping my ass."
Daniel's face flushed, then he heard it again. He held up a hand. "Wait, hold on, there it was again."
"There what was?" Ian asked.
"I heard something, coming from the hold, I think." Daniel looked at Beth, then Ian. "And if you're up here, it's not you."
"Brilliant," Ian replied with a huff. He grabbed the pilot rope and quickly wrapped it around the wheel, securing the helm in a forward direction. "Stay together," he commanded.
The three of them started for the hatch, Daniel's hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his pistol while Ian drew his weapon and led the way.
"Maybe it's just one of the lizards, catching a ride," Beth offered as they started down the corridor.
"Lizards don't open doors," Daniel replied. He looked at Ian. "They don't, do they?"
Ian held up a hand and they all stopped moving. "It's in the hold."
Daniel drew his gun.
Ian started down the steps to the hold, Daniel beside him, while Beth stayed back several paces.
In the hold, Ian split left while Daniel moved to the right, motioning for Beth to remain on the stairs, ready to run back up if necessary. He started around the crates he'd explored earlier that day, now convinced the shadow in the corner of his eye had been real after all.
His search was rewarded with the same supplies and equipment he'd seen the first time.
When Ian came around to meet him at the bow section, he shook his head. "Nothing."
They looked up at Beth, who suddenly turned and looked back up the steps. "It's up here!"
Daniel reached the stairs first. He pushed passed Beth with a quick command to stay put, then carefully hurried up to the corridor. As he came up through the hatch, he saw a shadow move behind him.
He spun around in time to see a figure rush through a hatch, into one of the unused cabins behind the stairwell.
Gun drawn, he ran to the cabin hatch and pulled it open.
An empty room.
"What did you see?" Ian asked as he came through the hatch behind Daniel. "Where did it go?"
"Not it," Daniel replied with a shake of his head. "Who. I saw a man, just briefly, coming in here."
Beth was right behind them both now, pushing into the small, empty cabin. "Who? Who did you see?"
Daniel sighed and holstered his gun. "I don't know. He was tall, really skinny, wearing a white shirt with a red vest, black pants. And he had a nose that would have made a Roman proud."
Ian and Beth blinked.
"It was big," Daniel explained. "Really big. Like, nose job big. He opened this door and ran in here, I swear--"
All three looked at each other as the truth sank in.
"We have to go," Ian declared. He shoved his weapon into its holster and pushed by Daniel and Beth in his rush to get above deck. "Now!"
"He's using Stefan's key," Beth exclaimed, following Ian.
"Get the anchors down!" Ian ordered. He'd run to the helm and cut all power to the fans. "We'll leave the Myst here, she'll be fine."
Daniel ran aft, letting out the release line that would send the heavy anchors to the pasture below. "A spy, then?"
Ian nodded. "Theodore Wilcox. Skinny guy, white shirt, red vest, nose that should have seen a healer when he was a baby. Has to be Theodore Wilcox, Stefan's right-hand man and all around weasel."
"But how did he get here?" Beth asked. "The Myst, I mean. How did he know to come here?"
"I'm sure enough people know this is my ship by now, and the captain of that ship we spoke with back at the forest surely told someone during a nice evening chat."
"So he's been spying on us, and running to tell my brother I'm here?"
"Probably," Ian replied.
"So what's the plan now?" Daniel asked. "Murphy's?"
Ian nodded. He'd grabbed a few rifles and some more arrows in small leather pouches. He handed Daniel a rifle and two packs of ammo, then gave a smaller weapon to Beth. "We get to Murphy, bring him up to speed, and take some action of our own. It'll take Stefan some time to figure out what we're up to, and mobilize. He's already got most of his military heading toward the city, we just have to keep one step ahead."
Daniel fumbled in his pocket for the key, then glanced around. Ian nodded toward the hatch to the main galley and they all rushed to it.
"Okay, my place, then Murphy's, that's how it works, right?"
"Yes," Beth replied. "Just remember to picture your bathroom door this time, not the cellar, okay?"
"Got it." Daniel put the small key in the lock and pictured the washroom off the kitchen in his uncle's house. He turned the key, twisted the knob, pulled the key back out and opened the door.
They all rushed through the galley door, into Frank Harper's half bath.
Daniel found himself suddenly pressed up against a white tiled wall, with a pedestal sink pressing into his stomach.
Beth slammed into his back, then Ian let out a grunt of surprise when he was forced to slide to the left, into the toilet.
"Good idea," Beth said into the back of Daniel's neck. "Picturing the inside of the bathroom."
"Sorry, I just, um," Daniel had to turn around without moving his feet, twisting away from the pedestal sink and raising his arms to avoid any inappropriate contact in the small space. "If I could get to the door."
"I'm over as far as I can get," Ian said as he straddled the toilet.
"Just, let me slip under your arm." Beth ducked, arms around Daniel's waist, and sidled around behind him.
"Can we hurry this up before I get a leg cramp?" Ian asked.
"Okay, I've got it." Daniel was pressed up against the door now, his nose scraping the painted wood. He had to feel for the knob, then the key hole, and get the key inserted. "Okay, Murphy's office, right?" He closed his eyes.
"Ian, could you move that rifle just a tad?" Beth asked.
"Sorry."
"Murphy's office," Daniel repeated, trying to remember what that room had looked like. He saw the shelves of books, the leather couch, then felt a hand cup his ass. "Wait, who--"
"It's not mine," Ian replied with a huff. "Just open the door."
Beth laughed lightly.
Daniel opened the door and stumbled through, into Murphy's office, with Beth and Ian right behind him.
Murphy looked up from the paperwork on his desk, eyebrows furrowed. "What's this?" He blinked the three newcomers into focus, then pulled the glasses from his nose and stared at Beth.
"It's been so long," she said with a smile. "Murphy, how are you?"
Daniel watched the man rise to his feet in slow motion. "Marabeth?" He moved around the desk, keeping one hand on the wooden structure as if he was unsure his feet could hold him up. "Princess Marabeth, can that possibly be you?"
"In the flesh," she replied, holding out her hands. "How are you?"
Murphy took her hand in both of his and kissed it, then shook his head and looked to Ian and Daniel. "How did -- Where -- What are you doing back here?"
"Long story," Daniel replied with a shrug.
"Not really that long," Ian interjected. He looked at Murphy. "Stefan's sending his troops here to the city in a sweep. He's arresting anyone and everyone who's ever spoken out against him or even thought about doing so. I got Daniel back to Otherworld, but Beth found him there and they both came back for me. Now we're here, just ahead of the royal guard, to warn you they're coming and find a way to get Beth on the throne Stefan stole." He huffed. "Oh, and we found a spy on the Myst a few minutes ago, so we took the shortcut here."
"I guess it wasn't all that long after all," Daniel shrugged.
"Yeah, except for the part where we found out you're from Otherworld," Ian added, staring straight at Murphy. "It's your key Stefan has, isn't it?"
Murphy's eyebrows raised high as he nodded. He took a half step backwards and leaned against the front of his desk, Beth's hand still in his. "It's my key, yes," he replied with a sigh. "But that, my friend, truly is a long story."
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