Whether reading a worn map under moonlight or viewing an eclipse, my Lunar Lenses have helped me stay focussed on what matters, and quietly ignore what doesn’t.
Available in aviator, cat-eye, wire-rimmed, and thick-frame styles. Each pair comes in a soft leather case lined with sapphire blue silk.
Chapter34
The Eclipse
Zani awoke with a start, her eyes adjusting to the amber light filtering through the dirigible’s stained-glass windows. She’d nearly forgotten where she was. The curved wooden panels and brass fixtures of their cabin felt like a movie set—something from another world. And in a way, it was. But there was also something so familiar and cozy about it. The white sheets were crisp, and the fluffy down pillows soft. She could get used to living in a floating home like this.
“Will?” Zani’s voice echoed out in the main cabin.
A rustling came from the hallway. “I’m right here. I found some interesting tea. Well, I think it’s tea.”
Zani stood, stretched, and padded out to the main cabin. Will greeted her with a kiss. His red hair was wild from sleep.
“This is tea, isn’t it? It smells like cinnamon and... thyme? Does that seem right?”
“I think it’s something else. Coriander maybe?” Whatever the combination, it smelled delicious.
Will handed her the cup as they reached the main area. “Here, take it, this one’s for you. I’ve already had some rather awful coffee. Trust me, you’re better off with the tea.”
He inspected the well-organized, leather-bound volumes on the bookshelves as he sipped, pulling out some of the books and setting them aside for later reading. Outside the window, when she looked down, Zani saw a carpet of large, fluffy clouds.
“Anything I should read?” Zani asked.
“Actually, I should warn you, I’ve just had a thorough read-through of the so-called manual for this airship. I wish I could say that Burnside spared no detail, but it’s more like he shared no details. I guess we’ll have to wing it today.”
Will moved toward the control cabinet Zani had shown him the night before. He opened a hinged door and looked back over his shoulder “How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, but not nearly enough.” Zani set down her mug and joined him at the controls. “I keep thinking about Ondalune and Cosimo and the stone.” She frowned as she looked at the complex array of dials. “Whether we ultimately hand the stone to Cosimo, or Ondalune, we’re only going to get one shot at this, Will. And first we have to actually get there. What happens if we miss the mark, or if we’re too late?”
The weight of their responsibility settled over both of them. And she noticed something else. The bloodstone amulet, safely tucked in her satchel, seemed to beat with an astral rhythm. Zani could practically feel its thrumming call to the other eleven stones in the Weight of the World collection. She saw Will steal a glance at the bag as well.
“You sense it too, don’t you?” she asked.
“Yes.” Will nodded. “It wants to go home. Perhaps the stone will help us navigate.”
He poked at the controls and flipped a switch. The lights flickered and a scratchy sea shanty played on the Victrola in the corner.
“Well. Now we know what that one does!” Will bit his lip and considered the console again.
“We need to figure this out quickly,” Zani worried aloud. The stone was growing louder and more insistent with every passing second, a drumbeat that could not be ignored. “Burnside said it would take us wherever we needed to go, but I’ve never seen a dashboard with sundials and weathervanes for the controls.” She ran her hands over the captain’s wheel, its blue compass face marked with inscrutable alchemical symbols rather than cardinal directions. “I’d know my way around most sailboats and could probably drive a yacht, but I must confess, I’m not quite sure how to steer this thing. North isn’t north on this ship. It’s ‘past’ or ‘future’ or who knows what.”
Will noticed the small mirror mounted beside the wheel. “You said you saw Burnside hold his hand over this?”
“Yes, just before we ported to the train. His hand was, you know… doing the porter thing.” Zani wiggled her fingers at Will. “Maybe it reads intentions? Or amplifies them somehow?”
“It would have to, in order to transport the whole airship.” Will hesitated, then placed his palm over the mirror’s surface. Nothing happened.
Will closed his eyes. Then he spoke their destination out loud. “Catalina Island. Today. Just before the eclipse.” When nothing happened, he blew out a frustrated raspberry. “I know where I want to go, but it’s more difficult to feel the ley lines in the airship. And it’s a difficult nexus to get to, out in the open without any significant structures or a mirror to pass through. And that stone. Its incessant beating is throwing me off.”
“Can I try something?” Zani asked quietly. She retrieved her satchel and withdrew the amulet. Holding it in two hands, she asked the stone, “Can you take us where you need us to be?”
Will raised an eyebrow. “Do you think that will work?”
“Shhhh.” Zani hushed him. She could feel the stone growing warmer in her hands. Its insistent beat was changing. It was now emitting a gentler vibration, like the soft hum of a motor. “Can I try the mirror?”
Zani gently nudged Will aside and placed her cupped hands with the stone onto the mirror. She squeezed her eyes shut in concentration, but felt nothing special. “Ugh.” Zani grunted. “Nothing’s happening. I don’t have your touch.”
