Thejackals! The heinous black-hearted devils! Not only was Her Majestyin dire peril but also Sir Percival’s aetheric knowledge! CossackHorserider Weekly be damned! If we survived this I’d find adifferent publication for him that contained no mention (or images)of Russian maleness. It was just as well that I’d also come alongand disrupted their plans!
But thenwhat about the red lady? They’d also known about me?
Mythoughts were interrupted by vibrations and sounds of boots uponthe metal ladders – below us the hatch I’d tied closed was nowopen.
Behindme Sir Percival peered into the white box where the pistons enteredit. I knew what he was thinking – aetheric knowledge was our breadand butter, if in front of us was a new method to draw aether intothis world then we simply had to know about it. But there wasn’ttime. Was there a way to both protect Her Majesty and learn theaetheric secret?
Around us the sunlight dramatically dimmed, leaving the onlylight that from the steam engine’s firebox and the softnutmeg-smelling glow from the white box. A thought struck me - itdidn’t seem to be threatening rain earlier. I looked up through theskylights and saw thick dark clouds boiling up as if from nowhere.That was most certainly not normal British weather, unfortunatelymy umbrella was no more.
Ihurried back to the hatch we’d entered and closed it turning thecentral wheel as much as possible. It wouldn’t hold for long butwould give us more breathing space. Then I spied the bags of cokeat the end of the room. It would mean trapping us inside, but whatchoice did I have? Shouted orders came from outside and I rushed tothe sacks of coke and dragged a heavy bag to lay upon the hatch. Itwouldn’t prevent shots being fired into the engine room, but maybethey’d think twice because of the aetheric device?
Afterpiling three large heavy bags on top of the hatch I looked over atSir Percival. As usual, when examining something, he was mutteringunder his breath. The room was so dark now I lit one of thelanterns and went to join him.
The weather was most peculiar. Glancing up I almost droppedthe lantern in surprise. Standing on top of the skylight andlooking down at us, were the officer and the red lady. In her handwas the Caspian Star, within which blue lights swirled. Above herwindblown dark hair the pitch black clouds were mirroring themovement in the massive sapphire. She was using the stone tocontrol the weather?
“Have you discovered anything, Sir Percival?” I asked quickly,still looking upwards.
“Not yet.”
“We have little time.”
“I realise that, Miss Lovelady.”
“Even less than you may have thought.”
Heglanced queryingly over at me and then up in the direction I waslooking. “Bu–!” he said, staggering back slightly.
“Yes.”
Only oneoption came to mind – destroy the aether machine. It would probablymean our deaths as well but we had to do something or all waslost!
Above usthe stern-faced officer knelt down upon the glass and began topunch it. Cracks appeared and then small splinters of glass beganto fall down.
Eventhough my eyesight was enhanced by a strange aetheric side-effect Istill lifted the lantern up to combat the inky blackness. I hurriedto the workshop area and spied a peg board with tools secured uponit attached to the wall above a workbench. A hammer, or somethinglarger, to smash the aether-containing glassware would be mostprudent at this juncture.
Seeing a claw hammer I grabbed it and hastened to theglassware. Because of the darkness caused by the black cloudsabove, the aether’s purple glow was now clearly visible. I broughtthe hammer down upon the glassware but it didn’t break. For thepurpose of containing aether it must have been specially toughened.From above more splinters of glass fell upon me – they were nearlythrough!
Aimingat a thin-looking junction I brought the hammer down with my fullstrength. A small fracture appeared. Heartened I raised the hammeragain but felt it plucked from my hand. Spinning round I faced thered lady. She smiled at me showing her elongated incisor teeth andheld both the Caspian Star and my hammer in her hands. Cold airswirled through the hole created in the glass ceiling.
‘GET AWAY!’ the purple blaze in my mind screamed.
Onceagain I felt her unworldly influence. She was so beautiful, wecould have a lovely life together, why would I want to do anythingto stop her? The purple blaze seemed to beat itself against theinside of my skull. I cried out at the warring feelings crashingthrough my mind. I closed my eyes and fell to my knees at theonslaught.
My heartbeat jumped into racing speed as if I were in theOxford Vs Cambridge boat race. Blood rushed around the veins andarteries in my body. No doubt the vampire above me felt it as well.But what could I do? She was a vampire – an abnormally strongcreature of the night!
But thensomething unusual occurred – just as I felt my heart would poundits way out through my chest, a strange calmness settled over me,like some anti-adrenaline was now flowing through my veins. Adiamond-hard resolve grew inside me like a tree, slowly at firstand then increasing in pace. I would NOT die at herhands!
Openingmy eyes I clearly saw the world in bright shades of purple. Thiswasn’t how my enhanced sight was before – this was something new. Ilooked up at the red lady and her fanged smile faltered as shecaught sight of my eyes through the goggles. She probably had noidea what was going on either.
“What are you?” she whispered in confusion, again seeminglydirectly into my mind.
The resolve sped up through my body and I quickly stood upand swept the Caspian Star from her hand. It fell to the ground inthe darkness behind her.
Shefiercely swung the hammer at me. I blocked the blow with my lefthand and with my right grasped her neck, feeling its coldness. Hereyes widened, shocked at what I was doing.
Through gritted teeth I snarled, “Alive!”
Grabbing her right wrist to prevent her using the hammer onme I bent it back forcing her to drop it, then swung her aroundusing her momentum to smash her head against the glowing purpleglassware I’d failed
