“I am indeed, sir.” Jane pulled from his grip and turned away briskly out of insult. “Who are you to come here and speak to me so? You know nothing of Gaios and his dreams. He has done miracles.” She spun back, full of fire. “Miracles with the land. Miracles with my father. Miracles with me. And he will bring those miracles to everyone soon.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Malcolm knew Jane didn’t truly grasp what Gaios represented. He couldn’t conceive that the timid and righteous women he had met last year while she served meals to the London poor could have been twisted into a conscious tool by Gaios. Clearly she was deluded. “What miracles has he wrought?”
“If you must know, Mr. MacFarlane, we’re doing God’s work here. He has encouraged me to use my …” Again she glanced at the altar and continued quietly, “… my abilities. He believes I have the power to enrich the land, to make it more fertile. You perhaps saw the cropland outside? That is the results of our work. At his direction, I seed the land with my … abilities. And the bountiful results are self-evident. God’s hand is in this. We will feed the hungry, here in Britain and beyond. God will see that no one need go hungry. And I am blessed that Gaios found me and has allowed me to play a small part in that great event.” Her gaze cast out toward the fields as if she could see them through the stone walls of the chapel.
“I’ll admit, those crops are impressive, but this island is volcanic. The earth is very rich. And I suspect Gaios can enhance the fertility of the soil with his own abilities.”
Jane straightened in surprise. “Gaios has no abilities, if I take your meaning, aside from being a man of great vision and godliness.”
Malcolm laughed, as did Penny from behind the altar. The Scotsman exhaled. “Jane, you’ve been hoodwinked. Gaios is a fiend of the highest order.”
“How dare you, sir. You don’t know—”
“I know, Jane! Trust me, I know. Gaios is an elemental, such as you are, but he is of the earth. He is likely the least godly man you could meet on this planet. He intends to use his magic to destroy Britain and kill everyone who lives here. Do you understand me? He will kill everyone. And he will use you to do it.”
Jane stared silently at him as if he had just tried to convince her they were on the Moon.
Penny rose into view with a spanner in her hand. “Oh, just grab her and let’s go.”
Malcolm held up a cautionary hand. “No. I don’t intend to just grab her. I’ve seen what she can do.”
“Well”—Penny tapped the altar with her tool—“maybe if Miss Somerset saw this, she might wonder about her benefactor.”
Malcolm moved past Jane around the altar to Penny’s side. “What is it?”
“This altar is a machine. The Baroness’s work.”
“What does it do?”
“Not exactly sure. Look here.” Penny gestured to where she had removed a panel. Inside was a complex array of pipes, valves, gears, and a glowing crystal the size of a cat’s head.
“What happens here, Jane?” Malcolm asked.
Jane peered almost unwillingly into the open panel. She seemed confused by the internal workings of the altar. “What do you mean? I come here to pray. This is the first place of worship that has made me feel like I’m worthy of my gift. I feel better when I’m here. What is all that?” She pointed at the machinery.
Penny shook her head as she crawled over the altar, tapping and peering closely at every facet. She eyed Jane. “All you do here is pray?”
“Yes, Miss Carter.” Jane tilted her head in confusion at the engineer.
“Spectacular,” the engineer murmured, dropping back behind the altar again. “Everything that multiple-armed freak does is spectacular. It would take a year to understand and replicate this.” Penny growled with effort for a moment. Her arms were buried deep inside the altar. She clanged tools and swore. With a great tug, she pulled a piece of metal and the crystal from the guts of the holy machine. She held it up like a treasure hunter, eyes wide in disbelief. “I think this is an aether siphon of some sort.”
“Aether?” Jane scoffed. “What foolishness are you talking?”
Malcolm leaned on the altar and said to Penny with alarm, “Gaios is siphoning aether from her?”
“Other way around, I think.” Penny sat back and rubbed her chin with the spanner. “I’d bet he’s drawing aether. And putting it in her.”
Malcolm and Penny slowly turned to look at Jane. She stared back defiantly though it was clear she had no clue what they were talking about.
Malcolm towered over her, seeking to overawe her with his size and presence. “Jane, you must come with us now.” He took hold of her arm. They were wasting valuable time. Someone was bound to discover them. Every passing moment he left Charlotte and Imogen alone made his gut twist more.
Jane pulled away. “My father is here.”
“Yes, I know. We’ll get him.”
“Gaios is helping him.”
“No, he is not.”
“This is a spa. Gaios has a treatment that will improve my father’s condition.”