Incarceron Part 80

"What is that?"

"Weather."

It was black. Lightning flickered inside it. And as they sailed closer, thunder, a low rumble, an amused, dark chuckle.

"The Prison," he whispered. "It's found us."

"Get Gildas," Keiro muttered.

He found the Sapient below, poring over charts and maps under the creaking lamp.

"Look at these."

The old man glanced up, his lined face shadowed in the lamplight.

"How can it be this vast? How can we hope to follow Sapphique through all this?"

Appalled, Finn stared at the heap of charts slithering off the table, covering the floor. If these showed the extent of Incarceron, they could journey through it forever.

"We need you. There's a storm ahead."

Attia ran in. "Keiro says hurry."

As if in response the ship heeled over. Finn grabbed the table as the charts slid and rolled. Then he climbed back up on deck. Black clouds reared up over the masts, the silver pennants flapping and snapping. The ship was almost lying on her side; he had to hang on to the rail and scramble across to the wheel by grabbing anything within reach.

Keiro was sweating and swearing. "This is the Sapient's sorcery!" he yelled.

"I don't think so. It's Incarceron."

The thunder rumbled again. With a scream the gale hit them; they both held the wheel and hung on, crouching behind its meager shelter. Objects flapped against them, shards of metal, leaves, fragments of debris rebounding like hail. And then a snow of tiny white grit, ground gla.s.s, bolts, stones that tore through the sails.

Finn turned. He saw Gildas lying flat behind the main mast, clinging on, one arm around Attia.

"Stay there!" he yelled.

"The Key!"

Gildas's yell was s.n.a.t.c.hed away by the wind.

"Let me take it below. If you're lost..."

He knew. And yet he hated the thought of parting with it.

"Do it," Keiro growled without turning.

Finn let go of the wheel. Instantly he was flung back, buffeted, tumbling, over the deck. And the Prison swooped. He felt it zoom in on him, and rolling over, he screamed in terror.

From the heart of the storm, an eagle plummeted from the sky, black as thunder, its talons crackling with lightning. It stretched out for the Key, ready to s.n.a.t.c.h him and it.

Finn threw himself to one side. A tangle of ropes slammed into him; he grabbed the nearest and whipped it up, whirling it around, the heavy tarred end so close to the bird's breast that it swerved and swept past, flying high to turn and swoop again.

He dived past Gildas into the shelter of the deck.

"It's coming back!"

Attia screamed. "It wants the Key."

Gildas ducked. Rain lashed them; thunder rumbled again, and this time it was a great voice, a murmur of anger far away and high above. The eagle dived. Keiro, exposed by the wheel, curled up small. They saw how it circled and screeched angrily, its beak wide. Then, quite suddenly, it turned to the east and flew away.

Finn tugged out the Key. He touched it and instantly Claudia was there, wet-eyed, her hair rumpled, "Finn," she said, "Listen to me. Eve-"

"You listen,"

He grabbed tight as the ship rolled and swayed.

"We need help, Claudia. You have to speak to your father. You have to get him to stop the storm or we'll all die!"

"Storm?"

She shook her head.

"He's not ... He won't help. He wants you dead. He's found out everything, Finn. He knows!"