“An automaton would be much better than a peacock,” James added.
“True.” Steven mulled the idea over for a moment. An automaton. She had nothing even close to that, other than LuLu and a tiny mechanical dancer.
The girl in the blue dress brought their food. Mathias nodded, the cat now asleep on his lap. Polishing off his drink, he handed his cup to the girl for a refill. “Eat, then we’ll discuss maps, provisions, and transportation.”
“That’s quite generous of you.” Steven took a bite of meat, trying to understand this enigma of a man. “Quinn helped me considerably over the years and you two mean quite a lot to him,” Matthias replied. “Truly, it’s my pleasure.”
Steven prayed to the Bright Lady that this wasn’t too good to be true. An automaton. Yes, that could be exactly what they needed—and much better than a mechanical peacock.
Eleven
Surprises
Why, oh why, wouldn’t the engine tell her its secrets? Noli sighed as she repaired one of the fans in the engine’s cooling system.
The door opened and Thad entered, an impish look etched on his weathered face. Right now they were the only ones onboard. Thad literally drew the short straw and had to stay onboard with her.
“Your socks are in the out box.” She tightened a screw, securing the replacement blade.
“Thanks.” He strode over to the far wall and tacked something to it. “Don’t mind me.”
Not even looking up, she tightened another screw. The cooling system was what prevented the engine from overheating. Should she replace all the fans while she had the chance? It would be a good preventative measure. But she still hadn’t figured out the underlying problem with the engine. If she had time she’d replace them. Yes, that’s what she’d do.
What we should do is cover it with flowers, then it will be prettier, the sprite perked.
We will do no such thing, Noli sighed.
The sound of something going thunk drew her from her ruminations. Looking up, she saw a knife sail through the air and land in the center of the paper target.
Noli sat back on her heels. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, nothing.” Thad’s one eye gleamed as threw two more, each smooth and perfect. He walked over to the target and plucked them from the wall.
“I thought knives spin when you throw them. I saw them once when my father took us to the circus.”
“Do I look like circus folk?” He threw them again.
She fingered the little knife in her boot. “Do you think you could teach me? It could be useful.” Even if she still didn’t know what it had to do with air terminal bars.
“Your brother said no.” Nonplussed, he removed the knives again.
Noli snorted. “Since when did you do anything that wasn’t an order?”
“True.” Shrugging, he eyed her. “Since you can’t even clean your teeth with that bitty girly knife I might as well teach you to throw it, then you can at least gamble with it.”
Pulling it out of her boot, she examined the double edged blade in the dim light of the engine room. “It has a sharp blade. I am I girl. I can use a sword a little. Is using a knife the same?”
Thad shrugged. “That’s an Asa question. But I suppose I could teach you how to do a little bit.” He grinned. “Just in case you get in a fight at a tea party.”
“Well, society events can be violent affairs.” Well, only in the sense that she often wanted to throttle Missy Sassafras. “I won’t tell Jeff, promise.” Since she was on a ship with air pirates she might as well learn a few things about fighting. Perhaps Jeff would teach her to shoot. No, he didn’t even want her to use a knife. She should ask Vix.
Thad nodded. “All right, little sister, we’ll do some throwing then I’ll teach you a few moves. First off, before you throw a knife you’ve got to learn the different kinds of grips and figure out what kind you like best … ”
Bitter cold whipped around Steven and James, tugging at their clothes and hair and impeding their progress as they slogged down the empty, muddy road.
Not a person, auto, or hoverboard was in sight. He didn’t even see any airships flying high in the clouds. Given how the cold chilled to the bone, without the wind, and the road filled with muddy snow, Steven didn’t blame them. Too bad they couldn’t be in front of a fire, with a nice cup of tea. He’d give nearly anything for a hot cup of good tea right now—or a hoverboard.
“Are we there yet?” James whined.
“Hopefully, we’ll arrive soon.” Steven glanced up at the darkening sky which threatened to add fresh powder to the soggy mess surrounding them.
“Let me see.” James tugged on the map in his hand. Steven handed it to him. “Here. It’s exactly the same as it was five minutes ago.”
Mathias had given them a map, clothes, and provisions. Steven still wondered why he’d been so nice, trying to see the trap even if James insisted repeatedly that there was none.
Frowning, James squinted at the map then looked up. “It should be over that ridge.”
That’s what they’d thought the past several times. With a shiver, Steven pulled his coat closer, his trouser legs heavy with mud and snow. No conveyance had been available at the tiny train station they’d gotten off at someplace in upstate New York, walking their only option.
Tiny snowflakes fell from the sky, their dance making him miss the wood faeries at his family’s home in the Otherworld. Noli loved those silly little things. They loved her, too.
“Flying figs,” James muttered, pulling his jacket closer against the flurry.
It was too cold to scold James for his language. Something loomed in the distance as they walked up the ridge. Please, please, please let it be the house they sought. Steven’s legs and hands felt like blocks of ice. Snowflakes fell larger and faster by the moment.
James grinned so wide it nearly slid off his face. He broke into a schoolyard lope. “It’s a house, it’s a house.”
Steven quickened his step, difficult in this slush, rucksack bumping across his back. “Hopefully it’s the house we want,” he muttered to the snow, since James dashed out of earshot.
Surely, no one would turn them away in this weather, miles from civilization. Then again, he never thought anyone would leave him naked atop a building in New York City.
“Hurry up, V,” James yelled as he neared the steps of a house.
Steven shivered as he drudged up the wooden steps, stamping the snow off his boots in the process. The threestory house seemed in good repair with big windows and spindly turrets. A swing hung from the snow-covered tree in the front yard. The window boxes probably held flowers in summertime. Not what he expected from a mad scientist.
James thumped on the door with the huge brass knocker. Steven joined him as the door opened. A uniformed maid, probably not much older than Noli, peered out with big blue eyes from the half-open door, blonde curls poking out of her neat white cap.
“May I help you?” she asked, accent heavy. German perhaps?
Steven took off his hat and bowed. “Good afternoon, we’re here to see Dr. Heinz.”
A frown creased her winsome face. “Is the doctor expecting you?”
“No, he’s not, but it’s a very important matter. I’m Steven Darrow and this is my brother James.” He had to see him, he just had to. Behind them the snow fell in white sheets as the wind howled in a way that sent shivers up his spine.