Chase the Stars

Charlie sensed that Mila had ever so slightly been more relaxed around him, even though it was clear that she still didn’t trust him. He wasn’t sure why, since he hadn’t really done anything to her besides breathing the same air as her, but he could appreciate that at least he was making a little bit of progress. She seemed genuinely grateful for what he had done from her when the storm hit, and he was a quick learner when it came to the controls of the ship. The simple ones, at least. She still didn’t trust him with most of the other things.

The ship was set to a steady auto-cruise while the two of them went through the supplies to see what the storm had taken and what they had left. Thankfully most of the food was still okay, but the emergency supplies needed to be organized back into their proper places.

“So, I take it you get around a lot?” Charlie asked Mila.

“Excuse me?” she snapped, offended.

“That's not what I meant,” he said quickly. “I mean you have a ship and you seemed shocked that I don't leave Etherport, so I assume you travel a lot.”

“I don't like to stay in one place,” she said simply.

“How come?” he asked.

“I just don't,” she said, a harsher tone in her voice.

Charlie eyed her suspiciously, but he didn't ask any more questions. It was quite obvious she was hiding something, but Charlie preferred to keep his curiosity to himself over getting slapped across the face. They were quiet for a few moments before Mila spoke again.

“So, you work for Horace Crawforde?” she asked.

Charlie suddenly realized that they hadn't even talked much about the situation they were in. He smirked, shaking his head.

“Hardly knew the guy,” he said. “I don't work for any specific person. I'll accept jobs if they're convenient for me, and his offer of two million crescents in exchange for the eye sounded too good to pass up.”

“He offered me five million,” Mila told him.

He dropped what he was doing and glared at her, and she just laughed at his irritated expression. Five million, and she was paid part of it up front? It made Charlie feel like a little kid. He shook his head and pushed the thought from his mind, looking back down at what he was doing.

“Anyways, his associate called me in to see Crawforde about a week ago,” he continued.

“You saw Crawforde himself?” Mila frowned.

“He didn't speak to you personally?” Charlie asked, grinning.

“I didn't need to see him personally,” Mila said defensively. “What did he tell you, though?”

“He said he heard from me from a friend of his, who employed me a month ago for some business at the Museum of Ancient History,” he said. “He was very specific about when he wanted me to be in the Archives. I guess I should've seen the betrayal coming.”

Mila thought about it for a minute, then looked back at him, brow furrowed.

“Museum of Ancient History? A month ago?” she asked.

“Yup,” he nodded.

“You're not the guy that stole the triceratops, are you?”

Charlie grinned, and her eyes widened a little.

“You're lying,” she said. “You're making that up. There was no way that was you.”

“I'm the guy that stole the triceratops,” he confirmed. “The entire skeleton. Right under everyone’s noses.”

“You're a fucking liar.”

“I'm not,” he promised, chuckling. “Bruce Thompson wanted a triceratops in his collection of fine things, so I got him a triceratops. I had to take all the bones apart to get them out of the museum, and he paid me extra to put it back together in his basement. It took me two days, no sleep. Obviously there's no instruction manual for how to put a triceratops together, so I was looking up diagrams in history and science books.”

Mila cracked an amused smile.

“I remember seeing that in the paper,” she said. “I figured some brilliant magician had done it. Not an idiot like you.”

“Let’s see you try and steal a triceratops,” he said.

“I admit, I haven't stolen a triceratops,” she said. “I was the one who stole emptied Duchess Serena Potter’s diamond vault last year, while she was in the room right next door.”

“No way,” Charlie laughed. “That was you?”

“It was,” she nodded. “I sold most of it, but I kept myself a rather grand necklace and earring set I liked.”

“But she said ten men had invaded her home and held her at knifepoint to take the diamonds,” Charlie said.

“That's what she said,” Mila agreed. “A story like that would gather much more sympathy, after all. Rather than the story of her simply being too out of it to realize I was in her personal vault, helping myself, and she didn't even see. And she probably doesn't even realize she secured my alibi by sending the authorities looking for monstrous looking men.”

“Well I don't know if that's as good as a triceratops, but I'll give you credit for it,” Charlie said. “I can respect a diamond heist.”

For the first time, things felt lighter between them, almost like there was a chance they could be friends. Charlie frowned when he saw another figure in the distance getting nearer to them, realizing it was another, larger airship. He realized it was coming for them specifically, and noticed that it had black sails. Mila followed his gaze, scowling softly.

“Pirates,” she said. “Help me hide everything.”

Charlie did as she asked, hiding all the supplies below deck until it was just the two of them out in the open. There was no point in them hiding.

“Should we fight them?” Charlie asked.

“Let them board,” Mila said.

“Let them board?”

“Did I stutter?” she asked.

Charlie tried not to flinch with how easily the air pirates boarded the ship, led by a crooked looking captain who looked like he had fleas. He gave them a toothless grin, shuffling towards them with his equally unkempt looking crew behind him.

“Just the two of you, is it?” he asked them. “Honeymooners?”

“Something like that,” Mila told him.

“Are you two lost?” the captain asked. “These are treacherous waters, you know. Full of pirates. You could get hurt.”

Mila’s hand flinched towards her pistol, but a pirate near her noticed and drew his own gun on her. The captain chuckled, taking the weapon from Mila, then looking at Charlie.

“What about you?” he asked. “Got anything we should know about?”

“I don't even have clean clothes with me,” Charlie told him.

He laughed, eyeing Charlie up and down. “What are you, fifteen, sixteen years old?”

“I'm twenty-seven,” Charlie said defensively.

“You should grow a mustache.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Charlie mumbled, annoyed.

“We’re just going to check your ship, then,” he told them. “For pirates. Don't you move from your spot up here.”

They walked past Mila and Charlie, and he took the opportunity to casually move his hands behind his back and reach beneath his jacket, where he had his own pistol hidden. He had it from the start, but didn't like to use it or make it known. While the pirates were distracted, he subtly slipped his pistol to Mila.

“I don't know what your plan is,” he whispered, “But clearly, you have one.”

She stayed collected, though he could tell she was trying not to smile.

“Go on then, honeymoon wife. Wreak havoc.”