“Yes, ma’am,” he answered with a smile. “Just came on duty. Have a pleasant day.”
She followed the tile hallways, past pictures of the famous Golden Spike ceremony from centuries ago and other historic reminders of the locale’s significance. The railroad was substantial, but the real reason Bear River Junction replaced demolished Salt Lake City as the capital was because of the rich, arable soil, the fresh water supply, and the hydroelectric plant built nearby on the river—the first in Utah since the Great Blackout. It was also near the north end of the Great Salt Lake.
Stepping into the Chairman’s outer office, Noah Redfern’s secretary greeted her. “Good morning,” said the middle-aged woman with powder-white skin. “The Chairman is expecting you. Oh, is that Sam?” Her face lit. “Do you need someone to keep him while you’re away? Oh, please let me.”
Tamsin recalled the old saying:When God closes a door, He opens a window. Giving the secretary a relieved smile, she set the carrier beside her desk.
“Thank you, Sarah. Dad thinks I’ll be gone about a week, but it’s hard to predict in these situations.”
“My Precious will be so happy to have company,” Sarah replied. “Don’t worry. She’s been fixed.”
“Thanks,” Tamsin repeated and headed back to her dad’s office.
“Here you are!” He rose from his desk to greet her with a hug. Noah Redfern was a fit man for sixty-two, with only a sprinkling of gray in his fuzzy hair. “What took you so long? I’ve got your travel booked, and you’ll have to hurry to make the first train heading east.”
“Took long?” She gave him an incredulous look. “The messenger only arrived a half hour ago, and I was still in bed. Now, I hope you have more information for me than the official contract document.”
“Yes, yes.” He turned to his desk, shuffled some papers around, and handed her a folder. “I’ve been working on this most of the night, as the pigeon arrived late yesterday. This is the background we have on the national leaders attending the meeting. Blood has already been spilled. President Luther Irons is anxious that talks get underway immediately because the Red River Republic has been invaded by the Anáhuac Federation.”
“The Anáhuac Federation?” Tamsin opened the folder and glanced through the pages.
“He presumes,” her dad said. “And Queen Frost declared she wouldn’t meet with him unless a neutral arbitrator was present. Thank you for accepting this assignment. I don’t have to tell you that having peaceful neighbors is vital to Pacifica’s security and stability. I’m sending a small security detail with you, just in case. Can’t have anything happen to my best girl.”
Tamsin met his gaze with a smirk. “I’m youronlydaughter. Do you boss Andrew and Kenji around as often as you do me?”
“They don’t work for the government, so no. Be careful, Cherry Blossom.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Hey, give my love to Mom since I don’t have time to stop by the house to say goodbye. Sarah is looking after Sam.”
His cheery expression drooped, his brows knitting together. “What about Saylor?”
Tamsin just shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. Train to catch.” She kissed his cheek and hurried out, ready to study the contents of the assignment folder on the train ride. Her relationship problems didn’t matter. Establishing peace between and with the other Ashland nations was paramount.
Chapter forty-five
Convergence
In the air over Verdancia, the next day
Azaleen wore her warmest winter coat, a tam pulled low over her braided hair, and gloves on her hands. Everyone dressed for the cold, despite leaving Nelanta in the heat. The balloon operator had explained that to reach their destination quickly, they would have to ride high-altitude currents.
Letters had gone back and forth for two days, finalizing the arrangements. An arbiter was coming from Pacifica, and Prime Minister LeCun agreed to be there to apologize for the “unfortunate incident.” The only leader Azaleen hadn’t heard from was Juliette Batise. Fleetmaster Dawnriver volunteered to ride along and represent AlgonCree in case the high chief couldn’t make it. Azaleen would love to see the wise old woman again, but half hoped she’d remain in Aurora. Traveling such a distance so quickly might prove difficult for the elder.
Despite promises and assurances, Azaleen didn’t trust Irons. Though they’d never met, she knew him through his actions. She didn’t trust LeCun because she didn’t know him. He and his isolationist country remained shrouded in myth and mystery.A robot army.Just thinking about it made her jaw tick.
Mayor Micah Dorr of Olive Branch had proven accommodating. Because Verdancia traded with him via riverboat—cotton, textiles, and citrus for theirhoney, wheat, hard cheese, and wool—and he had no horse in the race, Azaleen trusted him more. This Redfern person from Pacifica was the real wildcard.
“I didn’t know it could be this cold,” Lark said, teeth chattering as she snuggled nearer on the bench. A blanket stretched across their laps, Camille tucked in on Azaleen’s other side. The large basket carried twelve travelers: the operator, the queen, Ambassador Navarro, the six members of VERT, Fleetmaster Dawnriver, General Stark, and her son, Eldrin. Caelen wasn’t happy, but Lark promised to take him on an overnight hunting trip with a camp-out in the woods after they returned. With Eldrin’s seventeenth birthday just weeks away, it was time. The only way to prepare him for future leadership was to include him in situations like this—even if it was dangerous.
Sabine had put up a heated argument as to why she should be at Azaleen’s side, but the queen stood firm. “Someone must run the government while I’m gone, and I trust nobody more than you to do so correctly.”
With tearful resignation, Sabine ordered Azaleen to come home safely. She then charged Lark with seeing it done.
The wind whistled in Azaleen’s ears. She tugged her cap tighter. Wes stood by the pilot, discussing the mechanics of balloon operation, while Captain Moreau and the general peered through clouds with binoculars as if they might actually glimpse the ground. They had all been encouraged to spread out along the basket for balance and to walk around only if necessary. Azaleen agreed with Lark. It was entirely too cold.
“How long did he say it would take to get there?” Camille asked as she pressed closer, hugging herself.
“He said, if he can keep finding high altitude currents moving north and west, we could make it by tonight,” Azaleen said. “If we hit some lulls, or he has trouble finding the streams, tomorrow morning.”