As the people in the village said, the bird tree was impossible to miss. Hundreds of birds fluttered on leafless branches that looked more like claws than something from a tree. With the movement, Linsan half expected the tree to lurch out of the ground and sail into the sky.
She clutched her violin case and stared at the tree. She couldn't tell if it was dead or twisted because of some magic spell, but nothing about the tree made her comfortable.
Brook released the accelerator and the car grew quieter but no sounds of the birds rose up to fill the silence. Not even the whisper of feathers or the creak of wood. They rolled past with the crunch of dirt underneath the buggy's tires.
Linsan barely had enough time to clamp her hands over the drinks and brace herself. The pressure drove her back into the seat as the vehicle launched itself down the bumping road. As they did, she tried to prepare herself for a fight. It was hopeless to even imagine how it would go, they were going blindly into a battle with nothing more than untried skills and a few hours of practice.
She glanced at Brook. Seeing the dark-haired beauty's face twisted in a scowl, Linsan knew that she wouldn't be able to stop Brook either. They were committed to getting the murderers and recovering the violin.
Brook slammed on the accelerated and the engine's roar became a high-pitched scream. Needles on gauges rose rapidly, dipping into the bright yellow areas that warned of danger.
Linsan braced her foot on the dash of the buggy and popped open her case. She quickly tugged it out and stowed the case behind her. Just outside of her window, she could hear the wind howling as the vehicle ripped down the road, kicking up dust, dirt, and leaves.
She gasped as her heart pounded in her chest. The violin strings hummed underneath her fingers, the warmth of the Sterlig giving her strength and a sense of calm despite her anxiety. "Work on the beat, work on the beat," she whispered.
"I'm going to bring the Glasscoaster around to use it as a shield. Try to block off their escape. Use it as a shield until we can get our bearings. You go after the guitar, I'll cover."
Brook grinned, her eyes scanning back and forth on the road. Her dress ruffles fluttered with every bounce of the road but she kept it moving forward. "Third bar, start with the drinking song."
"Plan," Linsan said with a nod. She double-checked her bow. Taking a deep breath, she made sure she was braced and brought the violin up to her chin. It was going to be cramped playing in the Glasscoaster, but they had to come out swinging.
Linsan threw herself into the rapid bars of *My Lady of the Dark Unders*, a drinking song that ended with a powerful beat to simulate a fist fight for the woman in the song. Both of them thought it would be perfect with Brook's concussion blast. The rich sounds of her violin were off in the cramp quarters of the buggy.
Ahead of them, she caught sight of the man wearing a duster and the wide-brimmed hat. It was Tilbin, the leader of the killers and thieves. He had his guitar swung over his shoulder, the broad instrument smacking as he threw rapidly bags into the back of a vehicle of his own.
Compared to Brook's Glasscoaster, Dunkan's Black Thunder was a startling different vehicle. It road low to the ground with a buggy near the back third. Mechanical ports and gears shone along the entire length of the trunk. Nestled between fat tires, the chassis looked more like a cat stretching out with its rear rising up where Tilbin threw possessions into the open trunk.
Gabaw looked up from the beginning of the car. His eyes widened and then he yelled something that Linsan couldn't hear over the roar of the Glasscoaster.
The third of the men, Mayforn, raced out of one barn. He held up his pants with one hand and had a bag in the other. Whatever was in it snapped back and forth, outlining the shape of a violin that had been thrown inside it.
The three killers quickly threw everything into the car and tumbled inside. In a matter of seconds, Mayforn was in the driver seat and a cloud of white steam burst out of the back of the car.
"The Thunder has tanks to get it moving quickly. Otherwise, it's too heavy to move without a horse. Those are going to go off and the entire thing is going to lurch. I just... need to stop it!"
The difference between Brook's Glasscoaster and her father's massive vehicle looked like night and day. The Dukan's Black Thunder lived up to the name. It was a long car about twenty feet long with thick tires
