Chapter 35

Veritas Liberabit Vos

"There is a power in her," Max said. "You know. You saw her after our fight with Ginger."

Wiremu nodded. Max was busy telling him about his encounter with Lady Rowan, and avoiding any mention of Harriet. Comparatively the talk about Rowan seemed academic, safe. And although it had taken a while for the heat of his righteous anger to dull, he was well through the re-telling now.

"I understand a lot of it," said Wiremu. "The architectural principles are very similar in my own culture. Although the materials and out-workings are very different. As we shall see even more vividly tomorrow."

With a hiss of steam the first of the evenings two 'ball specials' drew out of Swamp Road Station. The students who had alighted stood on the platform waving Farwell to their friends who remained on board, until the train drew away and left them standing in the moth orbited pool of stationary light. All those on the train had their masks off now, although the carriages gas lamps cast a such a pitiful glow as to almost be as effective as any mask.

"I can't say I really have my head around all her talk about dark forces and a coming war," remarked Max. The thing sounded silly now he said it out loud.

"Again," reflected Wiremu. "This kind of thing is more... I'm more comfortable with such talk. It's also part of my cultural background. Attacks, invasions, wars."

Max tried to recapture the feelings he had when Rowan shared it with him. Then it had been very real and urgent, now it was fading by the moment.

I guess the dance with Harriet burnt it all away.

"Either way she didn't seem to stress that there was any urgency, and that maybe nothing would happen at all. Whatever The Five are up to seems of more concern."

"Agreed. Especially as we are entering their territory tomorrow. We'll be on our own once we are over there."

"Do you think we are in any real danger?" asked Max, considering it for the first time.

Wiremu pondered the question for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Both the University and the Wanganui Elders will want the thing to go off without a hitch. But... but we really don't know how dangerous The Five can be, so far it's all been words..."

"Someone shot at us from the deck of the Elizabeth."

"...that is true. But we don't know if it was one of them or a crew member. Could have been your friend Gilbert."

"Most likely. But go on."

"We don't know how dangerous The Five can be, and over there we will be on their soil, and there will be more than five!"

"All very comforting. Again, it's a shame we can't bring Wang along."

Wiremu nodded in agreement.

"I think he's got his own battles. Listen, back to the Goth thing. Dickie seemed fairly keen, last night, for you to talk to him about this sort of thing. Will you do that?"

"I think I owe him," responded Max, feeling a little ashamed had how he had been treating Dickie. "I'd value his insights. And I want to put the screws on him about Alice!"

"Who?"

"Oh, a nice girl he needs to stop ignoring, or at least start noticing! Either way it'll have to wait until we get back from Wanganui. Are you looking forward to it?"

"Going to the Northern Isle? Yes I am, all said and done. I've never been overseas!"

Max gave a chuckle at that.

"It's going to be great," said Max finding his own enthusiasm. "It's time us first years were part of an actual first!"

"True. Although it is a rather more complex journey for me?"

"With all the tribal stuff?" asked Max, wincing at his own glibness.

"Pretty much. But there is another thing. My Grandfather once gave me a written message to hand to a man called Ikariki Maunga, if ever I should meet him. I have been informed that this Maunga lives in Wanganui. I will take the message and seek him out."

"That's interesting. Do you know who he is and what the message says?"

"Not at all, on either count. The envelope is sealed, and the name means nothing to me. Although my Grandfather, before he died, stressed that it was important."

"Guess you will find out," said Max thoughtfully, as he suddenly became aware of how naturally Wiremu always referred to the old Aorere chief Tamati Pirimona Marino, as Grandfather. When by birth, at least, he was not. He tried to recall what his own Father had explained to him about Wiremu's linage.

If he had it right the story went that before the English settled in Murderer's Bay; Marino and his comrades from the Northern Isle raided and settled the northern coasts of the South Island. After the fighting was done, Marino was granted lands at Collingwood and he decided to settle there and take a bride from among the conquered people. But an envious contemporary, in a fit of cynical jealousy raped Marino's new bride. The next day that man, having cast his insult, returned to the north with the bulk of the raiding party.

Wiremu's Father was the offspring of that crime. He had been raised like a son by Marino, but disappeared years later when his own wife died in childbirth. But the babe had survived, and he too had been raised by Marino and his second wife Riria, who called him Wiremu.

"Suppose so," said Wiremu, interrupting Max's thoughts. "Well, I'll see you in the morning. Have a good sleep."

With that the train slid into Aorere Pā Station and Wiremu sprung down to the platform.

"Hope you remembered to get the milkings off!" Max called.

"Yeap," replied Wiremu, before disappearing in steam and darkness.

Max settled into his seat for the final stretch home. He hoped his Mother hadn't waited up wanting a full report of his night out.

What can I say? I've offended two young ladies, both who had it coming to them, and made half-understood promises to another known as the Queen of Goths! She'll wish she never taught me to dance!

"Can I speak with you?" said a shadow that had come up from the dark of the next carriage. Max jumped and peered up at the bowler hatted asker.

"Tick?"

"Indeed. May I?

"If you must." Max felt immediately resistant to the newcomer. Tick took the seat opposite him.

"There is no must. Maybe I want to. I'm not sure why. I hardly see the point. In fact, I would rather be done with the talking and just kick the shit out of you!"

"I beg your pardon!?"

"You heard Skilton. You are a sack of shit! I just watched you leave the Bal Masquerade and I can't stand it any longer!"

Max's mouth hung open for a moment in disbelief.

"You don't come on here and speak to me in that manner!" He responded balling his fist.

"Save your strength! I'm certainly not going to risk engaging you in a fight. It's just a daydream I have. One I find myself indulging in more and more of late."

"What is this about!?"

"It's about a piece of shit, and a rose. In other words, it's about you, and Miss Harriet Leith!"

Max snorted. He had been here before with Tick.

"What do I have to do with you and Miss Leith?"

"With me? Blessed little. With Miss Leith everything."

"What planet do you live on Tick!?" Max was almost shouting in exasperation. "I mean nothing to Harriet Leith. Haven't you seen that!? Are you as blind as you are stupid!?"

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Tick raised himself up at that.

"It is not I who am blind and stupid Mr Skilton," he said waggling his finger in Max's face. "You sit there and hear some home truths, you faithless bastard!"

"Oh, this will be good! Share with me your warped imaginings. But remember, last time we spoke, when I came to Steamers that time, you gave me that contrary nonsense about how I should love Harriet, despite the disregard she has held me in and despite the fact that she loves Gilbert! If I hear it again I will throw you off this train and hope you hit a telegraph pole on the way down!"

Ticks eyes were wide and his face was growing red.

"I don't know why I waste my time! But you brace yourself then, for I shall not hold back!" he spat.

"Oh, do your worst and do get on with it. I'm minutes from my station and bed."

"Alright! But first let me say that Harriet is the best thing that has happened to any of us, to you, to me, the other engineers..." Max snorted at that. "...she is sweet and kind, a darling with the brains of a professor and the heart of an angel. You knew this from the start, or at least you had a hint. I remember when you stumbled up into The Box, our workshop, with some thin story about looking for a brass coin, you remember. Well after that she couldn't shut up about you, Max this, Max that, any of us would have given our front teeth to be Max Skilton that day! Oh we hoped you would be worthy of our Harriet. She said you had stood up to Gilbert Lavisham! And as much as any of us want to be with Harriet, we love her and want her most of all… to be free of that Lavisham. But I can tell you that it wasn't that she believed she could use you against him, she never would anyway, no, she actually had a thing for you. We had never seen that before! Boy! We all had a thing for you!" Then he added quietly. "You seemed alright Max."

For a sack of shit?

Tick continued. "Then you two went on your little train ride into the night. Silly girl, but she couldn't help herself, she needed hope. And the next day Gilbert caught her. A few days later you came to Steamers, remember how Morris was glad to see you? We thought you were going to make your move, we had been praying for it. I told you that she could not see you?"

Max nodded. His memory was clear.

"She could not see you Max because Gilbert had beaten her so hard that her eyes had swollen up. She could literally not see anyone!" Max's stomach gave a lurch. "It took days for the swelling to go down."

"That's not true?" said Max in disbelief. Tick shook his head.

"It is true! Gilbert Lavisham is a monster!"

"I'll kill him!" spat Max. "How dare he!"

"Not tonight you won't!"

Max couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.

Lavisham took his fists to her beautiful face because of what we did that night!?He doesn't deserve anyone, let alone someone like Harriet!

"Why...."

"Why does she stay with him? We'll get to that! Oh, it gets worse. When she recovered she pleaded with you to fight for her during some ill-conceived fencing class..." Max swallowed. He knew what was coming. "...it was the only way she could communicate with you, by code. I don't think she meant you to actually fight, she would not ask you to endanger yourself. More to believe in her, to fight against the stories your hurt was telling you about her. But you were too busy licking your wounds and instead you humiliated her! She locked herself in her room and wept for hours after that!"

"You were outside her bed room!?" demanded Max, trying to find some fault in Tick.

Again he shook his head.

"Again you misunderstand. Lord Coval and Mrs Leith are estranged. Harriet and her Father both have rooms at the Engine Works, and not at the family home in Ferntown."

"Why did she not write me? I could have..."

"I believe both she and I have told you that she could not. Not would not, could not! Why? Because old Coval and young Gilbert had someone reading all letters in and out of The Box, maybe Uncle Hector, I don't know. Maybe there was another way, but the risk was too great."

"The risk of another beating?"

"No," Tick hung his head now. Then looking up he fixed Max with his eyes. "The risk to you. The risk that Gilbert would kill you! She has been protecting you from him Max."

Max's stomach dropped away.

It couldn't be true!

"Why?"

"Why doesn't she leave him? Why doesn't she run away?"

"Exactly!"

"This isn't a fairy tale Max. Old Coval wants to weld Leith Engineering to Lavisham's Coast and Main Railway. But Harriet is Leith Engineering. The old man has lost his touch, as well as his mind. But Harriet is a builder of locomotives and robots par-excellence. The only value in Leith Engineering is Harriet Leith herself. If Coval can't give Harriet with the company, he won't be able to sell it for two bob!"

"But she's his daughter! I mean this isn't the middle ages!"

"I know, believe me Max I know. And I have looked for a way out. But there is no reasoning. Coval Leith is a mad man, who would marry off his daughter to a beast in order to increase the fame of his namesake company, and its value on the auction block. Leith and Lavisham are going for a Dominion wide railway monopoly, Harriet is just one of the chattels. They want to swallow up their local competition, Price's and Rotherman and Scott, but that's not where it ends. Oh, no! After that they will head off shore and take on the big names... I don't know, Baldwin, Lima, Rogers, who knows what Lord Leith imagines he is capable of. They'll never beat them in output, innovation is the goal. And Harriet has unwittingly given them the key with her work on the Leith Flyer!"

Again Max couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tick's words were raining down on him like hammer blows. Only his outrage at the injustice done Harriet eclipsed his own shame.

"She could walk away!"

"She has considered it. But she could never return and it would leave her Mother and younger sister destitute. She is prepared to marry Gilbert Lavisham to save them!"

Max shook his head in disbelief.

"Then Gilbert Lavisham must go! This can't be allowed to happen!"

Tick smiled thinly.

"And that is why she won't easily forgive me for telling you all this. She is looking after her family and protecting you."

"That I don't understand!"

"No obviously. You have heard what Lavisham did to that Villalón boy?" asked Tick.

"The boy in the duel?"

"Ha!" laughed Tick bitterly. "The boy he murdered in that set up fresco! Don't be in doubt about what he is capable of. Harriet isn't. She isn't prepared to risk your life!"

"But I..."

"Max!" cried Tick in exasperation. "You don't understand! He is ruthless! You'd come at him with a sword, he'd meet you with a dreadnought. Harriet would rather see you from afar, married to someone else, living a full life, having children, all without her, than have you dead!"

"This is crazy!" Max felt sick.

"You think it's hurting you? Well believe me it's hurting her a whole lot more. This is her life. She loves you Max, but she is stuck with Gilbert Lavisham, and you are punishing her at every turn!"

"What can I do?" asked Max in desperation.

"Now?" Tick shook his head and looked out the window for a moment. They were just pulling into Rockville Central Station. "Disappear Max. Stop being around, stop mocking Harriet with what she can never have."