“Not happy to see me then?” Theo asked, sitting down comfortably in one of the chairs.
Sophia flushed. “I asked what you were doing here. And how did you get in?”
“They don’t guard the whole length of the wall—mainly just around the gates.”
Part of her wanted to step forward and touch him—to know that he was really back; part of her felt the surging sense of injury and uncertainty that seemed to well up whenever Theo was around. “I just don’t understand,” she finally said.
“I couldn’t very well abandon you to those pirates, could I?” he replied with a grin.
“I wish you were one-tenth as reliable as those pirates.” Her voice was dangerously unsteady.
“I’m reliable,” he protested. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“But you left. Why didn’t you just come in with us at the gate? Why did you have to sneak in? You could get in trouble. The people here—other than Veressa and Martin—are not friendly.”
Now it was Theo’s turn to stare. “You found Veressa?”
“Yes. This is her library,” Sophia said, dropping her voice to a whisper once more as Theo looked around. “She’s the royal librarian and court cartologer. Her father is the royal botanist. He’s known Burr and Calixta for years.”
Theo gave a low whistle. “Does she know where your uncle is?”
Sophia shook her head, unable to meet his eyes.
“Well, it’s a good thing you found her anyhow,” he said, his voice acquiring a new tone. “Are Calixta and Burr still here?”
“Didn’t you see them?”
“No. I just got over the palace walls last night. I came through this thing like a greenhouse over to the side. I saw you walking along the corridor, so I followed you.”
“Last night?”
Theo turned to the windows. “Look. It’s nearly dawn.”
Sophia scrambled for her watch. He was right; it was almost six-hour. The sense of confusion and uncertainty at seeing Theo still coursed through her, making their conversation seem odd and staged. The words she wanted to say and the questions she wanted to ask flitted, trapped and unspoken, through her mind. What scared you off? Was it me? Something else? Were you always planning to come back? Are you going to leave again?
“Where are you and the pirates staying?”
“Right by the greenhouse, with Veressa and her father—Martin.”
“Well, you have to talk to them.” His voice was unusually grave.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“That thing moving north that everyone’s talking about—it’s not a weirwind.”
“What is it?” Sophia asked, her anxiety building.
“The raiders I met up with on the road saw thousands of birds flying north, full pace. I didn’t believe them at first, but then I saw them, too. Birds don’t do that with weirwinds.”
“But then, what is it? What’s happening?”
As Theo was about to answer, they heard the heavy tread of the palace guards patrolling the halls. He swiftly rose from his chair, keeping his eye on the door. “Tell Burr and Calixta about the birds,” he whispered. “I don’t have time to explain the rest, and I can’t stay here. If you meet me outside the city gates in an hour, I’ll tell you all everything. Bring your stuff with you so we can leave.”
“Leave?” Sophia sprang to her feet and gathered up the four maps—forgetting that three of them were not hers to take—and shoved them hastily into her pack. “Why don’t you just tell me now?”
“I’ll meet you outside the gates,” Theo said, eyes still on the door. The sound of footsteps was fading.
“Tell me now. Just in case.”
Theo slowly turned and met her eyes. He wore a curious expression, one Sophia had never seen on his face before. She realized with astonishment that she had hurt his feelings. “You really don’t trust me.”
Sophia didn’t know what to say, because he was right. She wanted to believe him; she partly believed him—but how could she? Everything about him was uncertain and unpredictable. It was just as likely that he would vanish again, as he had at the gates of Nochtland. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I never know what you’re going to do.”
He stared at her for several seconds and then gave a quick sigh. “Is there somewhere I can hide while you all get ready to leave?”
Sophia was caught off guard by his change of mind. “Yes,” she said after a moment. “We’ll be safe with Veressa and Martin.”
“All right,” he said, tipping his head toward the door. “Let’s go, then.”
They moved quickly and quietly over the fern carpet, and, after checking the corridor, into the hallway. She made sure to shut the door behind her. As they hurried back to the botanist’s residence, she kept watch ahead, and he behind. Fortunately, they met no one.
As they tiptoed along the open corridor of Martin and Veressa’s home, Sophia noticed that the lights were on in the kitchen. “Someone’s already up,” she whispered.
They found Martin preparing an elaborate breakfast at the tiled fireplace that served as both stove and oven. He looked up as Theo and Sophia walked in. “Hello! What’s this?”
“Martin, this is Theo,” Sophia said hurriedly. “He traveled to Nochtland with me from New Occident. And he has something urgent to tell us all about the weirwind moving north.”
Theo nodded. “It’s not a weirwind.”
Martin took in their words. “Best wake the others, then,” he said matter-of-factly, wiping his hands on his apron.
—1891, June 29: 6-Hour 33—
“THEO!” CALIXTA EXCLAIMED as she walked into the kitchen. “Where did you spring from?” Sophia, while quickly changing out of her robe, had encountered some difficulty in persuading Calixta to leave the bedroom without her usual lengthy toilette, but the pirate captain had risen to the occasion.
“I’ve been here all along,” Theo said, raising his eyebrows and dodging the question. “Not my fault if you didn’t notice.”
Calixta laughingly threw her arm around him and kissed his cheek. “We’re glad to have you back, even if you are such a scoundrel. You ran off without explanation and left us quite heartbroken,” she scolded, glancing at Sophia.
Sophia flushed. “Where’s Burr?”
Martin was putting the finishing touches on their breakfast when a sleepy-looking Burr walked in. “Ah, Molasses, I missed you. Where have you been, you imp? Why did you leave us?” He enfolded Theo in a hug.
“Pay wasn’t good enough,” Theo replied, hugging him back.
“I forbid you to leave us stranded again, Molly. Look at us. We’ve had to rely on our wits and see where it’s landed us—some impoverished hole in the wall where they don’t even feed us properly.” He reached for one of the round, yellow cakes that Martin was pulling from the oven.
“Well, I’ve come to save you,” Theo said, straight-faced.
“Veressa, this is Theo,” Sophia said to Veressa, as she joined them.
Theo gave a slight bow. “Theodore Constantine Thackary.”
Veressa extended her hand. “Do I understand correctly that you entered the palace in secret? Unimpeded?”
“Right over the wall.”
“I cannot believe the guards did not see you,” she said, with some alarm. “I mean, I hope they didn’t. Did they?”
“I don’t think so. But even if they’d seen me, I had to come. I’m here to tell you that you have to get out of the city.” He had remained standing as the kitchen filled with people, and now his impatience made itself even more apparent. “As soon as you can.”