He circled several times, adjusting his eyes to scour the skies, but the Solar dipped toward the horizon and the clouds thickened toward opacity. He could barely see the Thunderclap, even with his best vision, and no sign of the Skaladin at all. He hated returning with nothing to show for his efforts, but there was nothing more to be learned out here, and this wreck must be reported.

With a twitch of his tail feathers he turned and made the long slow glide to the Thunderclap. This mission must go on, which meant they must find Dok and the key, but plucking them out of the deep sky would take a miracle, and Bitterlich knew better than to wish for divine aid.

By the time he returned, the Thunderclap had transferred a prize crew to the Skaladin brig and gotten it turned upright. The ship would be turned over to the prize board, who would assay its worth.

Bitterlich swooped in, pulling on his erstepelz and landing lightly on the Thunderclap’s deck amidst the startled crew. Two of his marines stood guard by the capitaine’s cabin. They saluted at his approach.

“Major,” said Louis, his face drawn. “Capitaine Vrain requires you to report as soon as you return.”

Bitterlich’s heart fell out of his ribs and didn’t hit bottom. “What happened to Capitaine Isabelle?” Had there been some sort of coup? Vrain was the stick to which others were compared for stiffness, but he was no mutineer.

“She … had a fit, sir,” Louis said. “She’s been relieved.”

Dismay sucked all the heat from Bitterlich’s body. Isabelle’s head troubles must have gotten out of their cage, as she had feared all along. He yearned to go to her, right now, even if there was nothing he could do for her.

But protocol must be followed. He had a duty to report to his commanding officer. Also, Vrain would know exactly what form Isabelle’s removal had taken.

He stepped into the capitaine’s cabin to find Vrain dispatching orders to the other officers. “… and make sure Joubert’s Folly knows to expect us.”

“Aye, Capitaine,” said a lieutenant.

Vrain took note of Bitterlich, who saluted.

“Major Bitterlich,” Vrain said. “Report.”

Bitterlich said, “I found the wreck of la reine’s crib on the barrier reef of a skyland north of here. There had clearly been some sort of struggle. I found Long Thom and Plonta’s corpses, but everyone else was gone when I got there. The passengers had been picked up by another launch and carried away. I did not see any other ships, nor did I find Hailer Dok. I did, however, smell another Seelenjäger.”

Vrain nodded. “Very well. Dismissed.”