The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles

by Marty Chan

  “Of course, I can. I’m Prince of the Air.”

  “Better than any circus performer,” Dash added.

  Ehrich let go of the tree and took his first step on the cable, which vibrated from his shaking legs. He tried to calm himself, focussing on the tree on the other side, which seemed so far away. He lifted his back foot and adjusted his body in the air, using his arms as counterbalance. He nearly toppled over to the ground, but was able to hold himself in the air.

  Dash’s applause filled Ehrich’s ears, and he took another step forward. Then another. This went on until he was halfway between the trees. The line now sagged from his weight, until it was nearly touching the ground. With the act no longer dramatic, he stepped off. The cable sprang up.

  Dash rushed over and clapped his brother on the back. “Amazing.”

  “I only got halfway. We have to tighten the rope.”

  “Or make it higher,” Dash suggested. “Or maybe you need to lose some weight.”

  “Shut up,” Ehrich said, punching his brother in the arm.

  “Can I try?”

  The older Weisz raised an eyebrow. “You want to walk the tightrope? I’m not sure what Father would say about this.”

  “Just a few steps. I promise I won’t tell.”

  Ehrich eyed the rope and then his brother. He sighed and waved.

  “Yay!” Dash ran to the nearest tree and pulled himself up on the trunk. He stepped on the rope. He had no fear. He possessed the courage that sprang from innocence and ignorance.

  The rope vibrated with the boy’s first step, and he pulled his foot back. He tried with the other foot. The line stilled after a few breaths. Then Dash inched out. He wavered, but used his arms as he had seen his brother do. He was now on the line without the aid of anything other than his own sense of bravado.

  “Ehrich! I’m doing it!”

  “Keep going, Dash.”

  The little Weisz continued. When he reached the halfway point, Dash’s overconfidence spun him off the rope. He flailed to regain his balance, but his wild swinging only made the cable bounce, and he tumbled from the line. Ehrich zipped to Dash’s rescue, using his own body as a cushion. They both fell, and Ehrich smacked the back of his head on the ground. He’d nurse a goose egg for days.

  “Are you all right, Dash?”

  “I want to do it again!” Dash exclaimed.

  Ehrich shook his head as he watched his brother rush to the tree. Dash would most likely fall again, but Ehrich couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s fearlessness. He brushed himself off and applauded the new Prince of the Air.

  In the chamber, Ehrich stared at his brother’s still form. He wasn’t going to be climbing trees anytime soon. Kifo had much to answer for. He spent one final moment with his brother then walked out.

  Tesla was engrossed in the diodes and gears on the table. He acted like a kid in a toy shop. His eyes were wide with glee and delight as he marvelled over every little nut and bolt on the table. He glanced up. “Ehrich, come, come. You have to see this.”

  “What is it, Mr. Tesla?”

  “What amazing inventions I could create if I had access to a fraction of what is here. A transformer to power New York for a year, and the device would be no larger than this room. Can you imagine?”

  Ehrich nodded.

  “They are advanced beyond anything I have ever seen. They already have a mechanical oscillator like the one I tried to develop.”

  Tesla held up a small tower that appeared to have an electromagnet that powered a piston.

  “That’s nice.”

  “What is troubling you, my friend?”

  “Mr. Tesla, do you believe in predestination?”

  “The idea that some greater power has already laid out our lives for us? Why would you wonder that?” Tesla asked.

  “Of all the people Kifo could possess, he chose my brother. Why would he need him?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps the boy suited his purposes. Few people question a child’s actions.”

  “Yes, but why my brother and why did he take him….” He stopped himself, realizing his mentor had no idea that he had come to New York from a different dimension. He weighed the consequences of telling the truth.

  “Why did he take him where, Ehrich?”

  The teen launched into the truth: “Sir, there is something I need to tell you. I don’t quite know how to say it, but I’m not who you think I am.”

  Tesla lowered his tools. “And who are you really, Ehrich?”

  “I’m not from this place.”

  “None of us are.”

  “I mean I came from another dimension, sir. Like Amina and the others. I’m a traveller.”

  Tesla said nothing.

  “In my world, we knew nothing of portals to other dimensions. One day, my brother and I, we stirred up some trouble. I tried to break into an apartment. The owner chased us, and we were separated. Somehow, Kifo crossed paths with Dash and took over his body. I didn’t know what had happened, but I saw my brother opening a portal into another world. I tried to stop him, but we both fell through. I’m a traveller.”

  Tesla said nothing.

  “Sir?”

  “You disappoint me, Ehrich. Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “This was the first chance I had to tell you.”

  He shook his head. “All the times we worked together in my laboratory, those were opportunities to tell me the truth.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d accept me.”

  “I don’t care where you are from. I don’t know why the others in New York feel the need to judge others based on their origins, but I am an outsider like you. I may not have come from another world, but I came from another country, and I saw firsthand how unkind people can be. How can you possibly think that I would not sympathize?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I guess I was scared.”

  “The only thing you need to fear is losing yourself, Ehrich. And the path to that is in hiding yourself from the ones who are your friends.”

  “I understand, sir. No more secrets.”

  “Good. Now let us focus our attention to what matters, and ascertain how to make this codex project larger images.”

  Ehrich assisted Tesla as the scientist tinkered with the carousel’s inner gears and lenses. The oscillator throbbed in the corner of the room.

  “Do you need this oscillator?” Ehrich asked. “I thought you said this thing could cause an earthquake.”

  “But it can also generate the power we need to charge the codex. Ah, I see now. I think all we need to do is change the distance between the light and the lenses so that the picture can expand.”

  Tesla pulled one of the glass circles along the length of the carousel, and the images in the air grew larger. He cracked a grin. “As Archimedes would say, ‘Eureka!’”

  The two men built a mount to hold the lens further away from the light. They spent a good portion of the day working on it. By the time they finished, Amina had returned with supplies.

  Over a platter of exotic fruits and vegetables Amina rounded up on her shopping spree, the trio discussed how they could develop a demonstration to entice Edison to come out.

  “What do you remember of him, Mr. Tesla?” Amina asked.

  “He is a prankster. Always quick to joke. I think he picked that up from his days as a telegraph operator. Those gentlemen can be rather rough around the edges.”

  “Anything we can use?” Ehrich asked.

  He stroked his chin, thinking, then: “Ah, he is a fan of the Victor Hugo novels. Les Miserables. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. And the Last Days of the Condemned Man.”

  Ehrich beamed. “We can use that.”

  “How?” Amina asked.

  “The title suggests it is about someone going to his execution, yes?”

  “I believe it is the guillotine,” Tesla said.

  “What if we project a man about to go to the guillotine? Call the act the Last Day of the Condemned Man. Make it obvious to
Edison that this is a recreation of a Victor Hugo novel.”

  Tesla folded his arms over his chest. “We play the projection and Edison will be interested.”

  Ehrich finished the last of the fruit. “Yes, but we need a venue to use the projector, and I suspect we won’t be able to convince any of the colleges to allow a demonstration without some kind of credentials.”

  “Then where are we going to present the demonstration?” Amina asked.

  “I was thinking we might try the theatre.”

  Tesla stroked his moustache. “Curious ploy. Edison is interested in the entertainment industry. This might pique his interest. It could work.”

  “Except we don’t have access to a theatre either,” Amina pointed out.

  “Time to sell ourselves,” Ehrich said. “A new brand of entertainment for the masses. Moving pictures.”

  SCRATCH MY BACK

  Mr. Serenity’s sketch of the airship had blossomed over the days. Unable to leave General Ling Po’s quarters, he had to piece together the painting with some art direction from his host.

  “Does this seem right?” Mr. Serenity asked.

  “Very close.”

  “What about the shape of the balloon?”

  “Almost. The suspension cables should be spaced farther apart.”

  Mr. Serenity continued to sketch, but he kept one eye on the general’s closed bedroom door. On the other side, Ning Shu was preparing for her private meeting with Gu Shan. He wanted to accompany her, but that would be impossible. Instead, he busied himself with the painting of the airship, picking Ling Po’s brain for the details.

  Finally, the door opened. Ning Shu stepped out wearing an oversized black silk jacket with knot buttons. Her trousers had been cuffed a few times to hide the extra fabric. At first glance, she might pass for one of the soldiers posted outside the quarters.

  “Perfect,” Ling Po said. “Now, repeat the directions.”

  “Out the door and to the left. Up the stairs and run straight toward the bow of the airship. Count seven doors, then turn right and find the stairs. Go down two flights, and double back on the last flight so that I’m running toward the bow again. Find the eighth door on the left. Gu Shan will be waiting.”

  “Good,” Ling Po said. “Mr. Serenity, are you ready?”

  The big man set his brush on the desk and squeezed out of his chair. “Yes, General.”

  Ling Po opened the door to the corridor. Two of Xian’s soldiers stood impassively across the hallway.

  “Sir, how can we help you?” the tall one with a crescent-shaped scar under his eye asked.

  “My guests need to stretch their legs. They are verging on cabin fever.”

  “General Xian’s orders are clear. Everyone stays inside.”

  “I’m countermanding her orders,” Ling Po said.

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “No more!” Mr. Serenity shouted. “I need to get out!”

  He shoved Ling Po into the two soldiers. The general flailed his arms, the golden sleeves of his robe billowing and obscuring the men’s vision. The three became tangled as Mr. Serenity bolted into the hallway and veered left. He ran up the nearby stairs.

  Ling Po shouted, “Stop him!”

  The soldiers sprinted after him. Ling Po followed, but lagged behind. When the two men vaulted the steps, Ling Po stopped and whistled, then he ran after them. Ning Shu stepped out of the quarters and scurried down the hall.

  She slipped up the stairs, reaching the next level just as Ling Po reached the top of the third level. He waved down—signalling the coast was clear—and stepped through a doorway. She followed his directions, hoping not to run into any soldiers along the way. She slowed when she reached Gu Shan’s room. She checked the hall, then knocked on the door.

  Gu Shan answered, and his jaw dropped. “Ning Shu?”

  “Good to see you, General Gu Shan.”

  In a royal blue robe with an embroidered eagle on the chest, he stood half a head shorter than Ning Shu but more than made up for his lack of height with his stocky girth. He had more lines across his face than dried dirt. His black braided hair had long ago become grey.

  “What are you doing here?” he cried. “Ning Shu! I can’t believe you’re back.”

  “Gu Shan, didn’t anyone inform you?”

  “Not a word. Xian keeps everything to herself these days.”

  “No matter. Urgent matters require your attention.”

  “Enter,” he said, ushering her inside.

  Outside the porthole, the cloud blocked the view below. Ning Shu wondered if they were over Manhattan, and her thoughts drifted to Ehrich and Amina. Were they safe?

  “Why the cloak of secrecy, my friend?” Gu Shan had clearly been about to sit down to a meal. The general scooped a ration of steamed carrots and rice on to a plate for Ning Shu.

  She recounted her experiences with Xian and lied about her mission to root out the traitor within Ba Tian’s army. Gu Shan chewed on a drumstick, rapt with attention. He clucked and shook his head every time she mentioned how Xian had been behaving.

  He pulled up the sleeves of his blue silk robe, revealing scars up and down his arms from countless battles. He grinned. Three of his teeth had fallen out, but he enjoyed sipping the nectar from the crystal glass goblet. He wiped his lips on the edge of his sleeve and set the goblet back on the table.

  “Ning Shu, you used to tell such wild stories. I remember you once tried to convince me there were two moons—one in the sky and a spare one in Lake Xanath. A great imagination.”

  “Sir, don’t you believe me?”

  “And the trouble you caused! Your mother appointed me as your official minder. I’ll wager you had no idea that I had been your minder all those years ago.”

  “I appreciate what you’ve done for me, sir, and I ask for one more thing.”

  “Broke my heart when your mother died. Dear, sweet woman. Brought out the best in all of us, especially you.”

  “Yes, sir. She was the mirror of the House of Qi. Always reflecting the truth. The beauty and the flaws.”

  “And you are the prism, Ning Shu. You bend the truth.”

  “Sir, you need to put more weight on these allegations.”

  Gu Shan sipped from his crystal goblet. “Ling Po has nested in your ear, hasn’t he?”

  “What does that matter?”

  “My dear friend is not himself. I suspect the bitterness of losing his stewardship weighs heavily on his mind. I also believe he questions Xian’s decision to gather all the generals in this sector. Not the best tactical manoeuvre.”

  “Why would she do this?”

  “She claims this sector is the end game. We win here, we control the portal to all other sectors.”

  “And her real reason?”

  “Rumours,” Gu Shan said, waving his hand dismissively. “Whispers that Xian fears treason within the ranks of the generals. She wants them close by in case she needs to lop off a head or two to set an example for the rest of us.”

  “She’s tasted power and she doesn’t want to give it up,” Ning Shu offered.

  “Your words. Not mine. I like my head where it is.”

  “Gu Shan, I want an audience with the Council of Arch Generals to plead my case. Have things changed so much that the House of Qi must beg?”

  “In my waning years, my vision has sharpened. Odd how things change. My body aches and my joints seize up when I walk up a flight of stairs, but my vision is sharp. All the years I served the House of Qi, and all I have to show for my efforts is a broken body and clear sight. I lay claim to nothing, Ning Shu. No legacy. No wife. No children. I’m a lonely man with a few memories and fewer friends.”

  His grizzled hands caressed the crystal goblet. In the arch general’s cabin, Ning Shu strained to listen for the engine. Were they so far away or had the airship stopped? She couldn’t tell.

  “The past few weeks on this airship opened my eyes. Oh yes, as an arch general, I enjoy the spoils of victory, but not
hing quite like this. I would prefer to spend my final years with some measure of comfort. Perhaps as a reward for my continued loyalty.”

  Ning Shu narrowed her gaze. Soldiers rose through the ranks because of their prowess on the battlefield. Generals rose to power because their ability off the field, and Gu Shan was demonstrating that skill now.

  “I’ve always been fond of Chung Lantau Island. The waters are restorative,” Gu Shan said.

  “They are. You are welcome to the island.”

  “Of course, I might need some help moving around in my advancing years.”

  “The House of Qi can offer a full complement of staff.”

  “And concubines?”

  She cringed inwardly but feigned a smile. “As soon as we gather the Council of Arch Generals.”

  “You can plead any case you wish, Ning Shu. You could even try to convince the generals this sector has two moons. I don’t care. I’m already soaking in the waters on Chung Lantau.”

  “You have been ever so helpful,” she replied icily.

  “It will take some time to call the meeting. We must collect the other generals.”

  “I’m sure the waters on Chung Lantau can wait.”

  “I’ll see what I can to expedite the meeting,” Gu Shan said.

  “Thank you. I will have your vote at the council, I trust.”

  “Of course.”

  “One last favour, if you don’t mind. I need to return to my quarters.”

  v

  Mr. Serenity had eluded the soldiers at first by ducking behind the massive cylindrical hydrogen tanks that pumped gas into the ballonets above the engine room. As the big man slipped between the giant steam engines that powered the propulsors, his eyes drank in every detail. He noted the line of hulking steam engines. These copper machines with segmented smoke stacks powered the propulsors outside the gondola through a maze of pipes that snaked overhead.

  Above, huge ballonets contained the hydrogen gas that enabled the airship to fly. They hovered within the massive balloon envelope that formed the overall structure of the rigid airship.

  He slipped from between the tanks and stumbled across a bamboo ladder mounted into the floor and rising up to a platform high above the tanks and over the copper pipes. He began to climb, eluding the reach of the crimson men. As he neared the top of the platform, he noticed a cable stretching from a large spool to a seam in the balloon toward the bow.