“Alright, dear Adrian," She didn’t have the strength to fight. “I’ll rest. I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier.”
Adrian bent down to kiss her forehead, “Think nothing of it, dearest,” he said gently before leaving her alone to sleep.
Adrian couldn’t bring himself to tell Wylie that the glorious flush of her face and the shine in her eyes that revealed her love of adventure was simply no longer there. Is she sick? Is something horribly wrong with her? Does it have to do with the missing Dracosinum? There were no answers to be found, and Adrian worried profusely that it had everything to do with the disappearance of the pocket-watch style device. “Lord Adrian! There you are, you’re back from the port already? That is quite marvelous. I mean, it's just astounding. Congratulations.” Professor Cornelius’s jolly face greeted Lord Adrian as he descended the steps.
Adrian could only smile, “Thank you, sir.”
“I do realize you’ve had quite the journey and night is coming on, but I was wondering if you’d be so kind as to take me to this elaborate invention you’ve created? I realize I saw it with my own eyes at The Great Exhibition in London, but I’m yearning to see it again.”
“Ah, yes, of course Professor. It would be my delight.”
“Very good! I saw Cyrus and Jacob leave moments ago, so I thought right now would be a good time to talk specifics. Shall we?”
The professor headed out the front door where he and Adrian took the small road that led behind the inn. The road was softly lit by lamps on both sides, and the cool evening was quite pleasant. They reached the large barn-style shed that was being used to house the inventions for all the people involved in the Symposium.
It was to be the biggest event of the century which coincidentally paralleled the time that the first ever New York Times Newspaper would be going into circulation.
Reporters at the Times had already contacted Lord Adrian as his name was on the register for featured inventors. Would he be willing to have his transportation device featured? Would he be willing to answer a few questions for the feature article? The publication would go on sale September 18, 1851 at two cents a copy. It was an exciting moment, and Lord Adrian was only too happy to oblige.
As they approached the building, Jacob and Cyrus seemed to be waiting for them outside the door. The professor was positively giddy with excitement to see Lord Adrian’s invention again, but the look on Cyrus and Jacob’s face immediately told Adrian something was not right.
“What’s the matter, gentleman? What can that look on your faces mean?”
“Lord McCollum! Professor!” Jacob said excitedly, “When we arrived here, we found the doors partially open. Someone busted the lock off! We waited to go inside until you got here... just in case there’s something afoot.” Jacob didn’t need to say more. Lord Adrian immediately went into panic mode. The sinking sensation in his gut told him something terrible had happened, and as he swung the doors open wide, he could see clearly that his beautiful steam powered carriage now sat in total ruins.
Adrian became frozen to the spot. He didn’t want to believe what had happened.
“Lord Adrian, help me look for evidence of who could have done this,” the Professor ordered.
Lord Adrian nodded to him, but only managed to search the scene with a half-hearted focus. There were no clues to be found, only total devastation. The wheels, boiler, and firebox had all been smashed to bits. The only thing retaining its once proud shape was the carriage body itself, but even the newly padded velvet seats had been slashed to ribbons. Adrian knew it would take days, possibly weeks, to repair all the damage that had been done.
“Lord Adrian! Who… who could have done such a thing?” Jacob managed to stutter out. Seeing the pale look of fear on the young man’s face, Adrian searched his mind for a tangible answer. There were none to be found, none that made any sense. However, the amount of damage told him that no normal human had done this. This was the work of a beast.
A dragon, perhaps?
“I don’t understand how this could have happened in the short time that you’ve been back? I have servants here at all times. I have guards. No one should have been able to get in unnoticed, let alone cause this much mayhem,” Professor Cornelius stammered.
Lord Adrian could only stare at the heap in desperation. His beautiful invention destroyed, and with it his hopes for a proud future, all in a matter of moments. It must have been Lord Ukridge. Surely Wylie would know if the Siapheg had done such a thing. “Excuse me, gentleman. I must talk to Lady Wiley and alert her to what has happened. Jacob and Cyrus, please stay together, and Professor, I'll return as soon as I possibly can.” Adrian headed back up to the room to inform Wiley of the disaster. He gently turned the knob and opened the door a crack.
“Wylie, are you awake?” There was no answer. She must have fallen asleep already. Nudging the door open with his foot, he peeked in. Her petite form rested quietly on the bed, the rising and falling of her chest visible from where he stood. Though he had wanted her to rest, he couldn’t stop the feeling of rising alarm that had gathered in the center of his chest. He stepped closer and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Adrian, have you found my Dracosinum?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“No, my love, I'm sorry, I'm afraid not. But now we have another problem.” Adrian felt as if it was his turn to cry. The Petford Pusher had taken him the better part of two years to perfect, and to see it torn to rubble caused such despair in him he had never experienced before. “Wiley, something terrible has happened.”
That got Wiley's attention, and she shook herself awake and stared at him, her eyes wide with fear.
“What? What has happened Adrian? Are you okay? Are Jacob and Cyrus okay?”
“Yes, of course we’re all fine, at least, I think I am. In the short time since we’ve returned from the ship, someone has completely destroyed the Petford Pusher. It's going to take a long time to repair it and get it back in working order. I don't know what to do. Can you help me, Wiley?”
“Of course, I can help you, Adrian, but I need my Dracosinum first. I'm powerless without it. Without it, I'm just a human. I'm just a poor stable hand, a nobody, and I can't help you.” She began to sob, burying her face in her hands.
“Wylie, you’ve never been just a stable hand or a nobody to me, and you never will be. We’ll find your Dracosinum.”
“What if we don’t?” Wylie asked, eyes wide.
“Then, we’ll figure out another way. You rest, I’ll be back when I —”
Adrian never had time to finish what he was saying before Wylie’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell backward onto the bed.
“Quincy! Where the dang blammit are you? Wylie needs you!” he yelled out, pulling Wylie’s limp body to his chest and holding her close.
“Help! I need a doctor!” Adrian called out.
Chapter Seven
Lord Ukridge sat in a high-backed chair in his parlor, staring out the window at the lush gardens. Suddenly his new apprentice burst through the door, highly excited.
“I did it! I did as you requested with Lord McCollum’s steam-powered carriage. I highly doubt he will be able to fix it any time soon, perhaps not even in this decade.” Still young and eager to please, the boy was willing to cater to Jameston’s every whim, something he intended to take advantage of at every opportunity.
“Oh, Lord McCollum has the money. I’m sure that he’ll be able to fix it soon, but it certainly does buy us some time.” Jameston laughed, a stark evil laughter which seemed out of place in the elegant room in which he sat.
“So what’s next, Milord?”
“Well, how about you shine my shoes while you tell me how you have hidden the Dracosinum, Jacob?”
“Yes, Milord.” Jacob rushed to get the shoe polish and a rag, and knelt on the floor in front of Lord Ukridge. “You could say that a friend of mine has it and has promised to keep it safe.” Jacob’s young face lo
oked down while he spoke. A fact which both delighted and pleased Lord Ukridge.
“A friend of yours, eh?”
“Well, friend, accomplice. However you choose to look at it. He’s nothing more than a common thief, but he knows things. He’s on his way to Ireland as we speak.”
Lord Ukridge was somewhat taken aback by Jacob’s admission the matter was taken care of by a friend of his, but only slightly. So far, the lad had served him well. With Wylie’s Dracosinum on its way to Ireland, there was no way she was going to recover. There was no question she would die without it. He turned his mind back to the conversation at hand.
“Do they suspect you yet?” Lord Ukridge asked.
“No, Milord.”
Lord Ukridge laughed again.
“You know, it’s almost too easy. Wylie may be stronger than me in her Teselym form, but as a human she is just weak. When I heard of the Worldwide Inventors Symposium, I really didn’t think Lord McCollum would attend. Not with The Great Exhibition taking place in the Crystal Palace in London. It just seems, unwise, on his part.”
“Yes, Milord, it does. However, it is my understanding that Professor Cornelius has taken a great interest in Lord McCollum’s steam-powered carriage. He has promised him a great deal of money, a stake in his transportation business, and more. From what I overheard, The Professor found Lord McCollum at The Great Exhibition.”
“The Professor offered to pay for Lord and Lady McCollum to travel here, and although the prestige of The Great Exhibition is greater, the lasting effects from a business partnership with Professor Cornelius will have a longer payoff in the end,” Jacob finished.
Lord Ukridge looked slightly perturbed.
“Yes, we’ve already discussed some of this. Even so, that was a bit of an educated answer, if you ask me. How did you learn so much in such a short time?” His eyebrows raised.
“I’m sorry, Milord, if I have spoken out of turn. For some inexplicable reason, Lord McCollum trusts me.”
“Yes, inexplicable,” he muttered suspiciously. “Like I said before, it’s been too easy.” Lord Ukridge shifted his legs, crossing one over the other, suddenly feeling very put off by the ease with which this young man had been able to pull information from Lord McCollum. Like magic. He wasn’t sure what to make of his new apprentice.
Jacob made no attempt to avoid the ill-intentioned look Lord Ukridge cast in his direction. Either Jacob was too naive to know any better, or he simply wasn’t afraid of Lord Ukridge the way he should be. If that was the case there must be a reason. But Jameston wasn’t sure he wanted to find out the reason.
“You’re sure the Dracosinum is out of Wylie’s reach then, Jacob?”
“She could never get to it in a million years.” Jacob replied haughtily.
“You seem pretty sure of yourself.”
“Well, Milord, I may be young, but I’m not stupid. I realize that your plans hinge on whether or not Wylie can become a Teselym or not.”
“Indeed they do, Jacob. Indeed they do. Very well, since your work is done, I suppose it would be best for you to return to Lord McCollum. You’ve done a splendid job keeping him in the dark so far, no sense making him suspicious now.” Lord Ukridge took a sip of his drink from a heavy crystal glass.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Jacob didn’t look back as he hurried out the front door and then simply vanished into thin air. Had Jameston seen that happen, he would have realized he had much more to worry about than the boy’s intelligence.
###
Miles away, Quincy struggled to get free from the Dracosinum, fearful for the first time in his life that things may not turn out for the best. There was only so much he could do as a conscience to the Dragaleths, but now he couldn’t even do that. Whatever Lord Ukridge had planned, Quincy knew it wasn’t him who had put a spell on the Dracosinum, trapping him inside.
Only a few beings in the whole of the universe had the power to spell a Dracosinum. Quincy wondered who could have been strong enough to spell the one he was in. It would take a pretty dark magic indeed to keep Quincy imprisoned.
Quincy called out to the gods and received only silence. Perhaps something had happened to them? He didn’t want to know the answer to that question. He only hoped that in some way Wylie had been stronger than all the Teselym from the past and would be able to stop Lord Ukridge. Even if she had to do it in human form.
###
Lord McCollum paced the floor of his office, his meeting with Professor Cornelius and the investors still weighing heavily on his mind. They had spent a great deal to make accommodations for him and his Petford Pusher aboard the SS Baltic. They were patient and understanding, but they could not wait forever for Lord McCollum to make repairs. With The Great Exhibition taking place in London, and the Worldwide Inventors Symposium coinciding, the time for inventors had never been better. Adrian replayed the conversations over in his mind.
“Let me explain it to you like this son. The SS Baltic was the fastest steamship to sail the seas, and when it was acquired by Israel Collins, I was none too happy about it. You see, I, along with Professor Langdon would like to have the best transportation system in New York. I had hoped to start with the Baltic.” The professor tsked tsked under his breath, obviously clearly disturbed by the whole matter. “But you see, I had to settle. Now, don’t misread what I’m saying. The airship I acquired from Captain Silas Sparks is one of the fastest and most elaborate inventions I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.”
“As a matter of fact, your good wife couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of it.” He laughed heartily. “It took us some time, though, and Professor Langdon wasn’t too keen on it at first, as it was our first major investment. From that single airship he and I have built up a strong fleet of airship transportation along with some of the finest dirigibles anyone could hope to captain.”
The Professor took a breath, and continued, “Professor Langdon and I sincerely hope that your Pusher will be just as successful for all of us.”
“I wasn’t aware that Langdon had such a huge investment in all of this.” Adrian’s face had given away his obvious surprise.
“Oh, but of course, Adrian. Do you think that man wants his name on just the buildings, libraries, and streets? He wants the in on the transportation business as well. Not just that, but he wants to expand it across the United States and eventually worldwide.”
“Isn’t he one of the associates who had a hand in the opening of The Great Exhibition in London?”
“Indeed, the very same Professor Langdon. Son, if things go according to plan, you would have free rein to design and invent new means of automotive innovation to your heart’s content. We will back you all the way and provide unlimited financial support. Together, we’re going to change the future of the travel industry.”
Adrian replayed those words in his head. It was like a dream. He could barely find words at that moment, but then he said, “It’s an incredible honor, sir, but also a great responsibility you place upon me.” Adrian could not hide his discouragement.
“Why, whatever is the matter?”
“With my Pusher destroyed, I’m afraid I’m going to be a terrible letdown for you both.”
“Nonsense, my boy. Just another hurdle we need to overcome together.”
Now, as Adrian paced the floor of his office space, so graciously provided by the Professor, he came to a realization. This was the first time he wished he had never invented the stupid thing. He had spent so much time and money getting it up and running, he hadn’t given any thought to proactive measures to keep it safe from vandals. Now he had nothing to show for his hard work. What’s worse, the one person who might help him figure it out, or at least figure out who could have sabotaged it so effectively, was incapacitated.
He couldn’t very well ask Wylie to find an answer in her current state. Besides, he should be the one trying to find an answer for her. Just then Adrian heard a soft tapping at his door.
“Come in.”
The raven-haired stable boy stepped into the room.
“Ah, Jacob. Where have you been this day? I’ve much to discuss with you.”
“Milord, I spent the morning hours asking around to see if anyone had seen any suspicious activity around the invention barn last night. Seems odd that your invention was the only one targeted in the attack.”
“Yes, the Professor and I were discussing that earlier. He has a lot riding on me, and this little setback is not only going to cost me time and money, but it’s going to cost him as well. If someone has a bone to pick with me, I would much rather they come out and say it. I don’t know how I’m going to get the machine fixed in time for the Symposium.” The stress of the situation was beginning to cause Adrian’s head to pound.
“Milord, you know I’m at your service and will do all I can to help you get it back in working order.”
“Thank you, Jacob. That means more than you could know at this moment. I suppose between you, I, and Cyrus, we could have it up and running before too long. I just don’t know if I can get all the supplies I need. It took me months to acquire some of those parts, Jacob, months.”
“Worry not, Milord. We’re in the state of New York now. I’m sure most of the things you need are available here. Anything that’s lacking I’m sure the professor will have brought over from the Old Country. People here never seem to sleep. Another thing, Lord McCollum, I’ve not seen Cyrus all day. The day we found your steam-powered carriage in disarray, he wasn’t around then either. Not until moments before you showed up at the invention barn. He asked me not to tell you that he had been missing. But the truth is…” Jacob hesitated for a moment. “He arrived just before you did.”
Adrian took in this new information with quiet dismay. Cyrus had been in his family’s employ since he became old enough to work. Cyrus’s father had been with them nearly his entire life. What reason could Cyrus have to want to sabotage me? Surely he couldn’t have anything to do with that?
The Phoenix Lord (The Dracosinum Tales) Page 5