The Voyage Home
Edwin bowed, and taking note of a lack of available chairs, opted to sit atop a chest.
"You have my thanks, Captain Miller." Edwin said, breathing slowly.
"Think nothing of it, Sir Waters." Miller answered. "We've been paid quite generously for this."
"Amy what did you promise them?" Edwin asked, to which Amy shook her head.
"It wasn't me. Sirene Ignitis caught wind of my charade and chartered the ship for a decade. I'm actually glad she did, as I didn't want to go to the Navy."
"Charade?" Robson asked. "Seemed pretty sincere to me."
"Make no mistake Robson, I love Edwin. The charade part was not simply reporting the loss of the Poison Dawn to the Imperial Navy. I could have had the entire home fleet searching the Morinder."
"So why didn't you?" Miller asked.
"We had to keep this low key. I put on a wig to disappear, Edwin just has to take off his uniform. We're unassuming people who don't keep a public profile, so the less that knew about the disappearance the better."
"I need to report in as soon as possible, though. Do you have scrying orbs aboard?" Edwin asked.
"Of course, there's one in the Quartermaster's Cabin." Miller answered.
"I have a question for you two." Robson said, after seeing a break in conversation. "Do your children know who their mother is? Do they know she's behind some of the most horrific weapons ever devised by mortal hands?"
"What you're saying is do they know their mother is the infamous Mad Scientist, Chemical Amy?" Edwin asked, standing up. "What you're really saying here is 'Do they know their parents are mass murderers', isn't it?"
"Edwin, sit down." Amy said, her voice calm and cold. "I don't think Mr. Robson meant any offence. You're asking if I hide who I am from my children? To answer that, my children know to not hug me before I take off my lab coat. Look, if I don't tell them, they'll find out the bad version, instead of what I've been trying to do for so many years."
"Been trying to do?" Miller asked.
"Like I said earlier, I hate war. I hate weapons. I try so hard to create things of peace, but the Gods have cursed me with a knack for gruesome weapons of war. Do you think I want to be known as Chemical Amy? I've been indirectly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands and I'm only 30. My latest lab accident was horrific, you know. I'll spare you the details, but these aren't my eyes."
"Amy..." Edwin began, but was interrupted.
"Shut up Edwin!" Amy said quite sternly. "The white streak in my hair? I nearly died from what caused that, I was found convulsing on my lab floor by Princess Verka. I was told by the guards she picked me up and ran with my convulsing body straight to the Ashen Empress herself. My hands have been regenerated by creation mages more times than I can count, not to mention all the burns on my arms. If I can create one thing, just one thing, that truly benefits the entire world, I will die a happy woman. I'm tired of creating weapons, Edwin!"
"Sir Edwin, your wife is not all that she seems." Captain Miller advised.
"I met Eigengrau once." Amy said, starting to calm down a bit. "She called me her merchant of death. But I'll take on the Gods themselves before I let them dictate my fate."