“Some sacks of sand and small rocks.”

“We trickle a little behind us as we head into the city. The noise should distract the soldiers. It might sound like someone running away in that direction.”

Alec glanced at Everett. “It’s your ship,” he said.

“We could stand to lose a little ballast,” Everett said with a shrug and a grin.

“Mick!” Alec ordered.

“Aye, aye, sir!” the boy responded.

I grabbed the binoculars from him as he ran to get a sack. Soldiers rushed out of the fort, but they were still milling about in front while the couriers, who must have come out of their trance, gesticulated wildly. The couriers didn’t seem to have seen which way the bandits went. Henry was almost to the boat, but if the soldiers moved even a little, they’d see him.

Everett steered us toward the city, and Mick dropped a small rock over the side of the basket, about fifty feet away from the gathered soldiers. They all reacted, glancing around in search of the source of the sound. Then Mick let a trickle of pebbles fall, dropping them in a rhythm like running footsteps and the soldiers ran in that direction. Our plan seemed to be working. No one had gone to the sea side of the fort, and now the boat was safely away.

Mick spilled a little more ballast, and I went to the other side of the airship to watch the boat. It rounded a bend, and then its lights came on, so it looked like just another magister’s yacht on a nighttime pleasure cruise around the island. I suspected that if anyone boarded that boat, they’d find a group of wealthy young men much the worse for drink, possibly with a card game in progress. “They’re away,” I announced, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“And we should be away, too,” Alec said, signaling for Mick to stop dropping ballast. “We don’t want to give them a reason to look up.” He peered down at the soldiers, who were fanning out to search the nearby streets. “I’m sure some of them are sleeping, but they seem to have almost everyone who isn’t resting out on the streets. This is a small contingent.” He lowered his binoculars and looked at me. “I don’t suppose the governor mentioned which troops would be arriving, or when?”

“You got my message?”

“We did, and many thanks for that.”

“He didn’t give specifics. I got the impression he’d only just then received the news.”

“Keep your ears open, and let us know right away if you hear anything.”

“That’s getting more difficult these days. Could you put a telegraph wire near my window and teach me to send messages? Then I could send you information without any of us having to move around the city.”