If you don't find it in the index, look very carefully through the entire catalogue.
59
How many impossible things exist in the world? The airship
Liberty, it could be argued, was one. With a thin, ultra light outer shell made of reinforced mithrillium which provided enough lift for a small, comfortable compartment and several passengers, it really was something that seemed to defy reality.
And now, it was about to be stolen for the second time in its short existence.
Anton had taken Molly to the roof of a studio apartment not far from the centre of Port-au-Prince, where the
Liberty lay hidden to all those passing by on the streets far below. From up there Molly had been able to look across the cityscape, dominated as ever by the pulsating, grotesque Hall of Records. The sky almost seemed bluer than the bluest blue, which, Molly thought, was very blue indeed.
“Wow, it’s amazing,” said Molly. In truth it didn’t look like much from the outside, just a strange, dully metallic chrome-coloured balloon, but even so, she thought she should give the impression of being impressed. Not that it was unimpressive; indeed, far from it. It was a marvel of engineering, just not one that was all the interesting to look at. If pushed, Anton would admit that to be the case, but then it was better for him if it didn’t attract too much attention. It was stolen, after all.
“This is the only one in existence, well, the only fully functioning one anyway that’s outside of the Eryx Corporation. It was built by a mad genius, who I used to work for.” Anton paused. “Well, one of the mad geniuses I used to work for. There have been a few…”
Molly laughed. “Really?”
“Yes,” Anton replied bluntly.
Molly cleared her throat and blinked. “Good, great. So, erm…” Her eyes drifted and appeared to glaze over, as if distracted by something, or someone. There was a flash of movement in the background, near the airship, unnoticed by Anton. Then she suddenly snapped back to attention. “Sorry, went into a bit of a daydream there! I’m always doing that.”
Anton narrowed his eyes, and said in a quiet monotone, “Right, well, now that you’ve seen the
Liberty, I’m afraid I have no choice but to kill you.”
Molly’s eyes widened. “What?”
Anton burst out laughing. “I’m kidding! Geez, why can no one tell when I’m joking? Ah well, you probably should be getting back. I’m sure your bosses are eager to hear the good news.”
“My bosses? Oooh, right, the Jamaican Energy Company. Sure, but…I know I’m being really cheeky, but I don’t suppose it would be possible to go up in the
Liberty? Just for a few minutes?”
“Well…”
“Oh, please? It’s like my dream…well, a dream, but it would really make my day.”
Anton sighed, and rolled his eyes. “Okay then, go one then. Just a few minutes though. I have an important meeting with the Prime Minister later, which I can’t be late for.”
Molly jumped up and down in excitement. “Yay!”
***
Anney wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but it did, and that was the important thing. Since acquiring the HMS
Impossible, she found that, if she really concentrated, she was able to make herself invisible. Not really impossible, she guessed, but just unnoticed, in the same way as her ship. Probably some kind of psychic bond, or something. Whatever the case, it meant that she had been able to follow Molly and Anton a few paces behind, without fear of being spotted. Nonetheless she had kept her disguise in place, just in case, though it was debatable how effective it would be if Anton saw her.
She had followed them through the streets of the city, and then into an apartment building in a well to do part of town, up the stairs and onto the roof. While Anton and Molly had wittered on about some nonsense or other, she had been able to have a good examination of the airship. On the entrance to the cabin was a combination padlock, which had been surprisingly easy to guess. When it came to numbers, it seemed, Anton wasn’t particularly imaginative. Before she proceeded, she stopped for a moment, and sighed. She wasn’t too sure why she had agreed to get so involved with Molly’s schemes, but at least the sooner Molly was on Circe’s island, the sooner she could get on with her own task in hand.
So she snuck on board, sat herself down in the corner of the passengers’ cabin and waited, hidden and unnoticed.
***
The
Liberty rose, and from the cockpit Molly watched the city fall away and the glittering sea beyond it. She looked into the pure blue void, and she was filled with a strange sensation of butterflies.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” she said. “It must be amazing to own one of these, you can go anywhere you like in the whole world, on a whim.”
Anton nodded silently, and fiddled around with some of the controls. There was a slight bump. “Ah, there we go, cruise control. I’ve set it to just float and only move very slowly, so we don’t get too far away from the city.”
“Great! Um, I don’t suppose there’s a toilet on this thing? Sorry.”
“Yeah, at the back.”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.” Molly shuffled out of the cockpit, making sure to close the door behind her, and went into the main cabin, where she found Anney waiting for her.
“Right, so what do we do now?” Molly whispered. “I’m nervous.”
Anney patted her on the shoulder. “Yeah, me too, but listen, I gotta-“
She was interrupted by the cockpit door sliding open. Anney and Molly looked up into Anton’s face, which was wide eyed with a serene smile. In his hand was a gun. “Well now, Molly, you didn’t tell me you brought a friend along. That’s just rude!” His eyes met Anney’s. “Well, if it isn’t the pirate bitch who refuses to die. How dull, how predictable.”
Molly was dumbstruck, and tried to speak, but the butterflies chewing up her stomach meant that she was in a state of paralysis.
Anney slowly stood up, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Anton, and edged backwards. “Put the gun down, Anton. The last thing you want is a stray bullet bringing this thing down.”
Anton laughed, a cruel, mocking laugh. “Oh, please. Reinforced Mithrillium! A bullet wouldn’t even make a dent. Now, I know bullets are useless on you, pirate bitch, but…” His eyes drifted towards Molly, who attempted to shuffle behind Anney’s legs.
“If you do anything to Molly, I
will kill you,” Anney said, her voice oozing defiance. “You could fire a hail of bullets at me, but it wouldn’t stop me, it only delay me from grabbing your neck and wringing it until all the life was squeezed out of your body. Don’t think I wouldn’t kill you stone dead given half the chance.”
“Ooh, such a fearsome murderous pirate! I’m literally quaking in my boots!” He laughed derisively, and in the split second of distraction, Anney leapt forward, pouncing like a tiger, dead set on the gun in Anton’s hand.
There was a struggle. Arms flailing, legs kicking.
There was a gunshot. Eyes widened, in shock. Blood seeped through the clothes, and gasps of pain. Last moments in agony, moment of clarity, and gone. Glazed eyes, lifeless and empty. Over the hills and far away, never to return...
There was a thump, and then silence.