Rebel Magisters (Rebel Mechanics #2)(40)
Once we’d made it to the harbor district, there was more action. Soldiers were more evident, as were workers. The docks never shut down entirely. The first task would be to get past the initial perimeter, but it didn’t appear as though they were checking credentials. They were ready for a mob, not for individuals.
“I don’t see them,” I said as I scanned the docks anxiously for signs of the Mechanics.
“You can’t expect them to ride in on a steam engine, singing ‘Yankee Doodle’ at the top of their lungs.” He paused, quirked an eyebrow, and added, “Well, perhaps your friends in New York might, but I suspect this lot will be different for this operation. It’s the magisters who are more likely to make a spectacle of themselves.”
Ahead of us, I spotted what appeared to be a well-bred couple dressed for an evening at the opera. They were so out of place that they drew my eye, and then I recognized Mary as the woman. “Over there!” I whispered to Henry, and he followed my gaze.
“Well-spotted!” he said, and we picked up our pace to follow them to a warehouse on the docks. I quickly took the Mechanics insignia out of my pocket and pinned it on my lapel as we approached the warehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was my gear and ribbon or if I was recognized, but no one questioned our entry.
The Mechanics were already gathered, most of them dressed like ordinary workers rather than in typical Mechanics garb. Adonis and a few others had put on evening attire, like a magister might wear. Athena stood next to a small roadster that had a canvas-draped object sitting in the passenger seat.
“Should we warn them about the magisters?” I whispered to Henry.
Before he could answer, there was a sharp whistle from outside. “It’s time!” Adonis called out.
Athena got into the driver’s seat of the roadster. It moved forward silently with its magical engine. I hoped its owner wasn’t among the magisters heading toward the tea ship. With a glance at each other, Henry and I fell in with the crowd. He caught my hand and held it tightly, keeping us together in the mass of people. Most of the crowd hid in the shadows, only the roadster with its lady driver visible to anyone who wasn’t looking for us.
The crowd of Mechanics stopped and took cover behind crates and the various structures on the dock. I noticed a faint shimmer in the air, blocking the pier that led to a ship whose masts looked naked with their sails furled, like winter-bare trees. Guards stood behind that shimmer, looking alert.
A few of the Mechanics crept forward, lurking behind the roadster as Athena called out, “Excuse me! I seem to be quite lost.”
“You aren’t supposed to be here, miss,” the nearest guard told her.
“I’m not even sure where ‘here’ is,” she said with a girlish laugh. “I must have become very turned around.” She leaned over to the passenger seat. “I have a map around here somewhere.”
I knew she’d activated her device when I got that now-familiar feeling of being frozen and Henry’s hand tightened on mine. I forced myself to breathe normally so I could pay attention to what was happening.
The moment the shimmering barrier came down, the Mechanics rushed from behind the roadster and swarmed the guards, knocking them down and silencing them before they could sound an alarm. It took Henry and me a moment to recover from the jolt of the device and join the Mechanics.
Once we were all past the barrier, Athena turned a dial on her device, and I felt like I’d been freed from chains. Next to me, I heard Henry let out his breath in a long sigh. “That barrier should hold anyone from coming after us until we’re done!” Adonis called out. “Now, let’s have ourselves a tea party!”
“Not so fast!” another voice challenged, and all of us turned to see that Maude, Camilla, Theo, Brad, and about a dozen other magisters stood behind the reactivated barrier. Most of them were dressed like Mechanics, making the whole gathering seem like a world turned upside down. Camilla strode forward almost to the barrier, her eyes flashing. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“We’re stealing some tea,” Adonis said. Giving her a sweeping bow, he added a sardonic, “Milady.”
“You can’t steal it!” she protested.
“Why not? It still keeps the Empire from collecting taxes on it.”
“But you’re playing right into their hands. If you steal the tea, you’re just a bunch of thieves, and they can pretend it’s merely the action of common criminals. If we destroy the tea, it’s a statement about our refusal to pay unfair taxes.”
“Says the person who’s never had to worry about paying for anything,” Adonis shot back.
She shook her head and moved closer, keeping her eyes locked on his. “You don’t know anything about me. Why do you think I’m putting myself on the line for this cause? My family is so burdened with taxes that we’ve had to sell almost everything we own. We have a grand mansion that’s empty, and it will soon be sold, as well. I can’t remember the last time I had a cup of tea.”
The Mechanics laughed at her. “I’m so sad that you’re uncomfortable in your mansion,” Adonis said, his voice heavy with mock pity. “That must be terrible for you.”
Maude moved forward to join her, linking her arm with Camilla’s. She’d put a heavily embroidered opera cloak on over her flowing white gown, and she reminded me of a Greek goddess from a Renaissance painting. “We can help you,” she said, her voice soft and earnest, but still carrying. “Wouldn’t it be interesting if the governor learned that it was a crowd of magisters who protested his government’s policies by destroying the tea?”