Page 20 of Ship of Smoke and Steel

Pieces fall into place, the cruel laughter of the Butcher’s crew, her nasty smile. She’s assigned me to a bunch of screwups, at the lowest rung of the social hierarchy, the equivalent of a trash-picker gang in Kahnzoka. A clever solution to the problem of what to do with me, once I’d challenged her authority.

I want to ask what he means by “went out” and what it is the packs actually do to find food, but Meroe shifts and groans. The movement startles Berun, who pulls back into a crouch, staring at her.

“I … I’ll…” He swallows, looking between us, then gets to his feet. “I’ll find some more water. For her. I’ll be back.”

Given the speed with which he darts off, I find that unlikely. I wonder what it is about Meroe that frightens him. She blinks muzzily, touching the bandage on her cheek, and tries to sit up. I put a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place for the moment.

“Easy. Give it a minute.” I watch her eyes for a moment—they’re red-brown, the color of freshly fired clay—and make sure they focus properly. “Do you want some water?”

Meroe nods fractionally, and I bring up the canteen. She gulps, swallows, and lets out a long breath.

“I guess I’m not dead,” she says.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I was trampled by a … a…” She waves her hands vaguely. “A zousan. A big gray animal. There’s no word for it in Imperial.” She chuckles weakly, then winces, putting a hand to her stomach. “Okay. No laughing for the immediate future.”

“I think you’re going to be all right,” I tell her. “No broken bones that I could find.”

“That’s a lot better than I expected,” she says. “What happened?”

“You talked back to someone you shouldn’t have.”

“I remember that.” Meroe pulls herself up slightly. “I mean what happened afterward?”

“I convinced the Butcher she was better off not killing you.”

“You did?” Meroe raises one eyebrow, looking at the bandage on my cheek. “I’m sorry I missed that.”

“It wasn’t that impressive.”

“Then you saved my life.” A smile stretches her lips, thin and insubstantial. “Not that I’m not grateful and everything. But why?”

I feel myself flush a little. The truth is, I still don’t know why I helped her. It’s possible she could be an ally and having her in my debt might be useful, but that wasn’t worth making the Butcher angry with me. Stepping in had been the wrong decision, unquestionably, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d do it again.

It was something about the way she’d talked to the Butcher. She’d been completely in the older woman’s power, helpless, but there was no fear in Meroe’s eyes. Just …

“Do I need a reason?” I say, irritably.

“I mean, people usually have reasons for doing things,” Meroe says. “If you don’t want to tell me, I suppose I can’t complain. I just thought it might help me thank you properly.”

“Don’t worry about thanking me.” I hand her the canteen again, and she takes another drink. “Is it true what you said? About being a princess?”

She nods. “First Princess of Nimar. But I’m not sure my father will really reward you if you bring me back. In all honesty I think the Butcher was right about him sending me here.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Oh, I’ve lost track of the ways in which I’ve disappointed him. I suppose he finally got fed up with me.”

“You seem … calm about it.”

“I’ve been kidnapped before,” she says brightly. “Twice by one of my uncles, and once by bandits. It’s a hazard of my profession. This time they were nice enough to use some kind of drug, because the last thing I remember is strangers in masks getting aboard the royal coach. We’re a long way from Nimar, aren’t we?”

“I think so,” I say, “but I have to admit that I don’t exactly know where Nimar is.”

She waves a hand, as if it’s of small importance. “Is this really a ship?” She raps the floor with her knuckles. “I’ve never been on a proper ship before. Are they usually made of metal?”

“No.” I’m having a little difficulty keeping up. Meroe seems to be speaking faster as her head clears, and the way she jumps from topic to topic is disconcerting. “This is Soliton. It’s … unique. Have you heard the stories?”