Фил Фоглио - Agatha H. and the Siege of Mechanicsburg

Moloch took a deep breath. “Then I’m out of here. Just wanted to let you know.”

Agatha considered this and turned to Van. Moloch braced himself. “Herr von Mekkhan, please see to it that Herr von Zinzer has new clothes, a good horse, and the equivalent of a year’s salary as befitting my chief minion.”

Moloch gawped. “You’re . . . you’re not going to force me to stay?”

Agatha smiled. “That is not how one treats one’s friends.” She extended a hand, and the two of them shook. “Despite everything, you’ve proved yourself a very good friend indeed. If you ever return, please come see me at once.” Agatha moved on. Moloch watched her go, and found mixed feelings roiling about inside him.

“You’re leaving.” He turned and found Violetta staring at him, a curiously blank look on her face.

“Yeah. I always said I was going to. This place is crazy.”

“Yes.” Violetta nodded. “You did. It is.”

“You’re staying?”

“Yes.” Violetta’s eyes grew luminous and to Moloch’s horror, started leaking tears. “I have to.”

Moloch felt something was terribly wrong, and then realized that Violetta being unhappy really bothered him.

He found himself gripping Violetta’s arms, which at least had the effect of stopping her tears. “You don’t have to stay here,” he said earnestly. “You’re like, the one person I’ve seen here who seems sane. You should . . . you could . . . come with me.” He saw Violetta’s face and knew he’d crossed a line of some sort.

“I mean, just until you find someplace better.” He looked at her helplessly. “I know I got no right, but . . . but I’m really worried about you, and if you stay here . . . ” He pause and then slumped a bit. “You know? I think you’d do just fine. But I’d still be worried about you.”

This scene had a growing circle of discrete observers, all of whom were starting to panic at the idea of the Lady Heterodyne’s chief minion actually leaving.

It was Ognian who snagged a nearby bottle, shouted, “Lonk live der Heterodyne!” and lurched into Violetta in such a way that Moloch protectively enfolding her into his arms was completely natural.

During this timeless moment of revelation Vanamonde took his cue and stepped up. “Forgive me, Herr von Zinzer. But could you stand to stay here in town at least until tomorrow?” He gestured about. “It will take us until then to get you everything the Lady Heterodyne stipulated. We’ll put you up, of course, in one of the finest remaining hotels.”

Moloch frowned and glanced down to see Violetta looking up at him—hope shining from her eyes. “You could . . . you could dance with me at the party,” she whispered.

Moloch smiled back. “That would be nice.”

A drain gurgled next to Vanamonde. “Find the second-best dressmaker in town,” the Castle rumbled. “The Lady Violetta’s faзade will be clad in a very pretty dress before the first lanterns are lit in the banquet halls tonight. Do I make myself clear, young von Mekkhan?”

Van nodded in agreement as he moved on. “Clear as crystal, my dear Castle.”

When Franz had removed Gilgamesh from Mechanicsburg at Agatha’s behest, he had paused on one of the detritus-filled fields surrounding the town, and secured what appeared to be at least a hundred meters of heavy-gauge airship mooring cable, with which he had thoroughly cocooned the furious young man. He had then deposited him on the crest of a hill outside the entrance to the Valley of the Heterodynes, within full view of the Wulfenbach forces that had paused to sort themselves out after their retreat, and then given him a firm shove.

So thorough a job had Franz done, it had not been until they had hauled Gil aboard Castle Wulfenbach that sufficiently strong cable cutters could be located so that the heir to the empire could be freed safely.

To the surprise of the technicians, the Baron himself stepped in and ordered everyone else out while he began the process of snipping cables. Once he gotten into the rhythm of the thing, Klaus spoke. “What happened?”

Gil watched his father’s hands as they effortlessly cut the metal strands and listened to himself answer: “She knew there was something wrong with me.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

Gil made an effort. It was easier to assert control over his own vocal cords now. “I know.”

Klaus momentarily paused and then continued. “Is that so?”

The thing that shared his mind began to recede and Gil nodded. “While I was in Castle Heterodyne, I underwent a modified si vales valeo procedure that included both Agatha and Prince Sturmvarous as well as myself.”

Klaus looked shocked and opened his mouth—

“It was foolish, but I thought it necessary. I can provide you with a full report, as well as blueprints, wiring diagrams, and a few improvements I’ve come up with since. I think that, with modifications, and under proper supervision, it might be of use in rehabilitating some of the comatose patients in the psychiatric ward. Now, do you want to yell at me, or do you want to hear the important part?”

To Gil’s astonishment, a faint smile flickered across his father’s face and he said nothing. Gil continued. “The reports of shared immune systems and the synchronization of biometric systems are quite accurate. However the degree to which those involved share mental awareness and an understanding of personalities of the other people involved has been, in my opinion, seriously underreported. I suspect those who were involved in previous experiments were either afraid to chronicle effects they could not substantiate, or else they discovered things about themselves or the people that they were connected to that they thought better left unsaid.”

Klaus considered this for a moment and then conceded the point. Gil continued. “The upshot of this is that Agatha knows me. Knows what I’m like and was able to tell that the person whom she encountered in Mechanicsburg was not the same person. It’s as simple as that.”

Klaus sighed. “Yes, the simple things tend to prove the most inconvenient when one is making Grand Plans.”

“Father, this connection went both ways. I can assure you that Agatha is a genuinely good person. Oh, Lucrezia is there, in her head. I felt her, faintly, like a maniac screaming impotently in a locked cell, but Agatha—”

“Irrelevant.” Klaus spoke with a cold indifference. “The fact is that Lucrezia is in her head and can assume control any time she weakens.”

“Granted,” Gil said, “much like how the copy of you that has been placed in my head can usurp my body whenever it so desires.”

“NO!” There was anguish and fury on Klaus’ face now. The cable cutter handle bent within his fist. “The overlay persona will only activate in the presence of the Heterodyne girl, or if it senses you going against the well-being of the empire.”

Gil’s face softened. “Forgive me, father. I know this wasn’t really your idea.” Klaus said nothing. Gil continued, “We will overcome this, sir. Together, we will.”

Klaus sighed as the final cable parted. “I have to tell her you said that.”

Gil patted him on the shoulder. “I didn’t say it was going to be easy.”

The great square that surrounded the Red Cathedral was packed with townspeople, along with the few remaining tourists who were determined to stick it out. Astonishingly, people had managed to excavate enough musical inst

ruments that a respectable band was blaring away, and the Official Song of Mechanicsburg filled the air. Agatha listened and realized with a start that the words she was hearing were not the ones she had heard when she had first entered the town. Van noticed her reaction and shrugged apologetically. “Those are the old words, my Lady. My grandfather had it rewritten so that it wouldn’t scare the tourists away.” As the crowd began to sing along, Agatha could see how that might have been a problem.