under her jaw. “Where are they? Where are the stones?” he demanded through clenched teeth.
Chenda gasped.
“Tell me!” he said in a whisper. “Quietly.”
Chenda's mind raced as she tried to decide what to do. The stones were down the front of her shirt where she had carried them all day. If it weren't for the thick flight coat between them, Daniel would surely be able to feel the stones there. She decided to play dumb.
“What stones?” she croaked. Another blow slashed her cheek, this one grazing her eye.
“Don't be stupid,” Daniel growled. “Edison's stones. The ones that bastard husband of yours brought back from the war. I need them, and I am betting, since you've been hanging out with the geologist, that you know all about them and where they are. Now give them to me! Or I'll kill you, too.”
Understanding began to break through Chenda's terror. “You killed Edison? Over a few bits of rock?”
“No, I killed him because he ruined my life! Your husband made sure that my father was blamed for the loss of the Valiant Eagle. When Edison returned alive, he testified that during the attack, the Tugrulian incendiaries hit several of the power cells, crippling the Eagle . When the chemist remixed the matrix for the cells to re-power the ship, there was a big explosion. Edison Frost pointed the finger at the ship's chemist – my father - and he was posthumously court marshaled for negligence. My mother was left with nothing . No pension, no husband, NOTHING. The shame of his downfall killed her. Edison killed my mother by throwing my father to the wolves.”
Daniel's face ran with tears and sweat. The hand holding the knife to Chenda's throat shook with his fury. “I was 18 and the only one left to pick up the pieces of my family. I should have been on my way in the world, but I had to stop it all to bury my mother, and look after my three younger brothers. Edison stole my future.” His eyes rolled back into his head for a second, then refocused on Chenda's terrorized face.
“The stones,” he said in a strangled voice, the point of the knife now drawing blood from her chin.
Chenda whimpered, but thought up a quick lie. “There are in a hidden in an inside pocket of my carpet bag. Over by the balcony.”
Daniel swung his leg over the bed, standing in a single movement but never loosening his grip on Chenda. He pulled her by one arm, first to her feet, then along the length of the bed. When they reached the footboard, he roughly deposited her on the little bench there. He took a step back, the knife still trained on her.
“Once my brothers were grown,” he said, his voice softer, “I came to Coal City to find a way to make my revenge. I found out from one of your maids, a sweet, lonely girl who likes to visit some of the pubs in town, that Edison needed a new driver for his pretty wife. I sent him a letter, explaining who I am and that I was in need of good, honest work.” Daniel snarled, “The fool felt sorry for me! He gave me his pity!”
Daniel took a small step back toward the balcony door. “I knew it was just a matter of time until I could make my revenge.” Triumph brimmed in his eyes. Daniel shuddered, and then he focused on Chenda again. “As it turns out, I'm not the only person who wanted Edison dead. Since I was going to kill him anyway, it seemed so perfect that I was approached by someone in the city who wanted the same. Why not get paid for what I was going to do anyway?”Daniel frowned and shuddered again, as if his thoughts were wrestling within him and knocking him around from the inside. “Revenge and enough money to start a new life. It sounded like a great deal. Revenge for my father and mother, I have that now, but I only get paid if I can come up with the stones. I knew you would eventually lead me to them.”
Chenda sat on the bench in shocked silence. She watched, open mouthed, as he moved backwards another few steps. Never turning away from her, he grabbed the
Chenda gasped.
“Tell me!” he said in a whisper. “Quietly.”
Chenda's mind raced as she tried to decide what to do. The stones were down the front of her shirt where she had carried them all day. If it weren't for the thick flight coat between them, Daniel would surely be able to feel the stones there. She decided to play dumb.
“What stones?” she croaked. Another blow slashed her cheek, this one grazing her eye.
“Don't be stupid,” Daniel growled. “Edison's stones. The ones that bastard husband of yours brought back from the war. I need them, and I am betting, since you've been hanging out with the geologist, that you know all about them and where they are. Now give them to me! Or I'll kill you, too.”
Understanding began to break through Chenda's terror. “You killed Edison? Over a few bits of rock?”
“No, I killed him because he ruined my life! Your husband made sure that my father was blamed for the loss of the Valiant Eagle. When Edison returned alive, he testified that during the attack, the Tugrulian incendiaries hit several of the power cells, crippling the Eagle . When the chemist remixed the matrix for the cells to re-power the ship, there was a big explosion. Edison Frost pointed the finger at the ship's chemist – my father - and he was posthumously court marshaled for negligence. My mother was left with nothing . No pension, no husband, NOTHING. The shame of his downfall killed her. Edison killed my mother by throwing my father to the wolves.”
Daniel's face ran with tears and sweat. The hand holding the knife to Chenda's throat shook with his fury. “I was 18 and the only one left to pick up the pieces of my family. I should have been on my way in the world, but I had to stop it all to bury my mother, and look after my three younger brothers. Edison stole my future.” His eyes rolled back into his head for a second, then refocused on Chenda's terrorized face.
“The stones,” he said in a strangled voice, the point of the knife now drawing blood from her chin.
Chenda whimpered, but thought up a quick lie. “There are in a hidden in an inside pocket of my carpet bag. Over by the balcony.”
Daniel swung his leg over the bed, standing in a single movement but never loosening his grip on Chenda. He pulled her by one arm, first to her feet, then along the length of the bed. When they reached the footboard, he roughly deposited her on the little bench there. He took a step back, the knife still trained on her.
“Once my brothers were grown,” he said, his voice softer, “I came to Coal City to find a way to make my revenge. I found out from one of your maids, a sweet, lonely girl who likes to visit some of the pubs in town, that Edison needed a new driver for his pretty wife. I sent him a letter, explaining who I am and that I was in need of good, honest work.” Daniel snarled, “The fool felt sorry for me! He gave me his pity!”
Daniel took a small step back toward the balcony door. “I knew it was just a matter of time until I could make my revenge.” Triumph brimmed in his eyes. Daniel shuddered, and then he focused on Chenda again. “As it turns out, I'm not the only person who wanted Edison dead. Since I was going to kill him anyway, it seemed so perfect that I was approached by someone in the city who wanted the same. Why not get paid for what I was going to do anyway?”Daniel frowned and shuddered again, as if his thoughts were wrestling within him and knocking him around from the inside. “Revenge and enough money to start a new life. It sounded like a great deal. Revenge for my father and mother, I have that now, but I only get paid if I can come up with the stones. I knew you would eventually lead me to them.”
Chenda sat on the bench in shocked silence. She watched, open mouthed, as he moved backwards another few steps. Never turning away from her, he grabbed the
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