SEV awoke to the sensation of dropping from the sky. He opened his eyes to Silas in his Kettlebent goggles shutting off the burner, allowing the vessel to begin its descent. “Are we there?” Sev asked with a voice fuzzy from sleep.
“Very nearly,” Silas answered. “Munsen’s laboratory is near Hofstatt and surrounded by a forest. I think I’ve spotted a clearing where we can land without being too obvious.”
Sev crawled to the ocular port and looked out. He saw the tiny chateau in the center of the forest, and just to the east, he saw the clearing Silas mentioned. “What’s the plan, then? Once we’re on the ground. Fold up the ship?”
“I don’t think we should completely collapse the ship,” Silas stated. “We might have to leave in a hurry, and we won’t want to spend too much time reassembling it.”
“Good point. So we collapse it just enough t’keep it hidden, and then what? Wait ’til nightfall?”
“I think that’s our best bet.”
“We might want t’watch them fer a bit. See if they have a routine,” Sev suggested.
“It’s a fair idea, but I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury of that kind of time.” Silas pulled on a length of cord that controlled a valve, releasing more air from their balloon. “I’d love to plan this better, but we just can’t.”
“So we just dash in, guns blazin’?”
“Not exactly,” Silas said, reaching for his own pack. He pulled out something that looked like a small metal apple.
“What’s that, then?”
“Heph calls them poison apples,” Silas said, and when Sev frowned fiercely, he hastily added, “But don’t worry. They aren’t really poisonous. They just sort of pop and release a gas that puts people to sleep. He named them after the apple in Snow White. He thought it was clever.”
Sev shrugged. “I s’pose. So what? We just toss a couple o’those into the house, then walk in and grab Tesla?”
“That’s the idea.”
“Sounds simple enough,” Sev answered, impressed as the airship dropped into the clearing.
AS SOON as the cabin touched down, Silas sent Sev out to make sure they hadn’t been seen. Sev ran the perimeter of the clearing, searching the woods before he pulled out his magnifying goggles and watched the chateau for a few moments.
When he returned to give Silas the all clear, the young man had already collapsed the cabin and was folding up the navigational flaps. “What’s the word?” he asked from the spot where he knelt folding the silk skin of the cabin. Though he wasn’t wearing the beard, the hat, or the outer-skeleton, Silas’s tone was that of Kettlebent, all business.
“No movement in the woods, and the house is quiet as well. What can I do?” Sev asked. Kettlebent pointed to the engines and propellers. Sev nodded and removed the blades of the propellers, stashing everything in the underbrush at the edge of the clearing. Kettlebent did the same with their supplies and the cabin before turning his attention to the balloon.
“Should we fold this up?” Sev asked, thinking of Kettlebent’s mention of a quick getaway.
“Oh.” Kettlebent paused. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“How long will the poison apples put them out?”
“Hm. Depends on the size of the person, actually. A child and Munsen? Munsen is an older man. I’ve seen pictures of him. He isn’t a large fellow.” Kettlebent wrinkled his forehead in silent calculation. “I’d say once they’re out, we’ll have an hour and a half, maybe two hours.”
“That’s plenty of time.” Sev nodded. “Let’s fold it up. We’ve got plenty o’time ’til sundown.” Both men focused their attention on folding up the balloon.
“Oh, I’d say you’ve just run out of time, gentlemen.” A strangely accented voice spoke from behind them. “Do keep your hands where I can see them.”
Sev traded glances with Silas, cursing himself for not paying more attention. Kettlebent winked, and Sev nodded. A bolt of lightning arced between them and scorched a tree on the other side of the clearing. The scent of the blast was sharp in Sev’s nostrils. “Easy. We’re not here t’hurt anyone,” Sev responded, in as calm a tone as he could manage.
“Good. Although I can’t promise I’m not here to hurt anyone. Why don’t you turn around and tell me what you’re doing here?”
When Sev and Silas turned, their jaws dropped. Standing before them was a young boy with pale skin and raven-dark hair swept back from his temples. He wore a coat two sizes too big, a strange pack on his back, and a pair of ridiculously large goggles. Sev couldn’t help but do a double take. In his hand, the young man held a larger version of the lightning gun that Monty had acquired. “Mr. Tesla,” Sev stated, fixing the young man with a serious stare.
“Mr. Tesla is my father. Why are you here?”
Sev opened his mouth to answer, but Kettlebent cut in. “We are on a scientific expedition. Studying weather patterns,” he lied. Sev and Tesla both rolled their eyes at his pathetic attempt at deception.
“Good-bye, gentlemen.” Tesla flicked a switch on his gun, and it hummed with energy. They could see energy being fed into it from the pack.
“Wait!” Sev shouted. “There’s no need fer that. We’re not bad guys.”
“Prove it,” Tesla snapped. “I know he’s lying.”
“Ye want the truth?” Sev asked.
“I deal in truths.”
“It’s going t’sound insane,” Sev explained.
“I’m listening.”
Sev looked over at Kettlebent, whose eyes were wide. Sev could almost feel him pleading mentally for Sev to be quiet. Sev gave his friend a shrug and a smirk before he answered Tesla. “We’re English. We have proof that our queen is bein’ controlled somehow by an evil wizard. The children o’Blackside have united t’liberate our people and our queen. A plan is in place, and our success hinges on yer assistance.” Sev paused so Tesla could ask questions. The boy remained silent. “Our original plan was t’kidnap ye and explain this once we had ye.”
“And that?” Tesla used his lightning gun to point at the collapsed airship.
“That’s how we got here.”
“What’s your name?”
“My name is Seven. This is Kettlebent,” Sev answered. To Sev’s relief, Tesla lowered the lightning rifle.
“Nikola,” Tesla stated, offering his hand. Sev grasped it, shaking it firmly. “That’s a collapsible airship?” He nodded toward their invention.
“It is,” Sev confirmed.
“Fantastic,” Tesla exclaimed. “You can’t kidnap me.”
“Obviously,” Kettlebent grumbled, disgusted with their failure.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t help you if I can,” Tesla answered. “We have to convince Professor Munsen to allow me to leave with you.”
“How will we do that?” Sev asked.
“Munsen won’t argue if I take a short holiday with my cousins,” Tesla explained with a devious smirk. “You’re Sergei.” Tesla pointed at Sev. “And you’re Misha,” Tesla told Kettlebent. “Let me do the talking.” Without another word Tesla stalked off through the forest to the chateau. With an amused chuckle, Sev followed. Kettlebent scowled for a moment before chasing after his companion and his would-be prisoner.
TESLA threw open the heavy wooden door of the chateau and entered the foyer, shrugging out of his weapon pack and overcoat. He placed his goggles on a hook and stamped the snow from his feet. Sev and Kettlebent followed, closing the door behind. “Come on. No talking,” Tesla instructed as he weaved his way through the halls of the chateau. Sev studied the threadbare wallpaper and cluttered rooms as they moved deeper into the scientist’s abode.
“This place is a mess,” Kettlebent observed with a grumble.
“Old Munsey had a manservant when he took me on, but he couldn’t keep up with our creativity,” Tesla explained as he opened a large iron door, revealing steps into the basement. They descended into a typical dirt-floored space with shelves and jars of preserves. At the back of the room was anot
her thick metal door with a wheel, like the door to a bank safe. “This is where we test the dangerous items. We can seal it off if it gets terribly out of hand,” Tesla told them. He turned the wheel, put his finger to his lips, and opened the door.
The room was larger than it looked, packed with inventions in various states of completion. Sev had never seen anything like it. His eyes felt like they were on overload as he looked at cables, pipes, and gears on the walls. He realized his mouth was gaping as he studied what may have been a clockwork squid dangling from the ceiling. Scattered throughout the tangled chaos above, strange glass bulbs crackled with energy, casting an uneven blue light on the creation theater. They were similar to what Monty had described to him but much, much larger. Sev opened his mouth to ask Tesla about them when a deep, metallic rumbling sounded in the room.
Sev turned to see an enormous brass ball roll into the space, bumping tables and piles of discarded scrap. Mounted on the sides were two enormous gun barrels, and they were trained on the trio of young men at the center of the room. Sev reached for his gun, noticing Kettlebent had done the same. Tesla, standing between the two, reached to either side and stopped their hands. The ball rolled almost to their toes and stopped.
They heard the grinding of a wheel turning and a hatch on top of the ball opened. Out of it emerged a spindly, older man with a cotton-white mustache and matching eyebrows that poked up above a pair of driving goggles. After lifting his goggles and resting his elbows on the hull of the sphere, the man blinked rapidly, leaning forward to study his pupil and the new arrivals. He pulled out a pair of inch-thick spectacles and slipped them on. They magnified his ice-green eyes. “Wer sind diese Leute, Nikola?”
“Dies sind meine Cousins, Sergei und Misha, Professor Munsen,” Tesla answered.
Munsen’s face split into a large grin as he hoisted himself out of the hatch and scrambled down the side more nimbly than Sev would have guessed him capable. “Ach, wunderbar, wunderbar. Willkommen, Jungs. Was bringt euch zu unserem bescheidenen Labor?” he said, shaking their hands. Sev knew they were speaking German but could only pick out a few words. His solution was to smile and nod. Kettlebent followed his lead, mimicking Sev’s response.
“Sie sind gekommen, um mich abzuholen. Eine unserer Großmütter feiert ihren neunzigsten Geburtstag. Es wird das erste Mal seit langer Zeit sein, dass meine ganze Familie wieder vereint ist.” Tesla gesticulated wildly while he spoke.
“Neunzig Jahre! Das ist wirklich erstaunlich.” Munsen clapped his hands once.
“What are they saying?” Kettlebent whispered.
“I’m only gettin’ a word here and there,” Sev responded just as quietly.
“Erstaunlich, ja. Aber es beunruhigt mich, dass wir unsere Arbeit für so lange vernachlässigen müssten. Ich glaube nicht, dass wir uns die Verzögerung leisten können.” Tesla bowed his head and rubbed his neck in frustration.
“Uh-oh. What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Kettlebent barely spoke. Sev shrugged, watching the exchange with growing concern.
“Sh. He’s about to send me on my way,” Tesla informed them from the corner of his mouth.
“Nein. Sie müssen gehen. Sie müssen! Unsere Arbeit hier kann warten. Gehen sie und feiern mit ihrer Familie. Das ist am Wichtigsten.” Munsen put his arm around Tesla’s shoulders and led him toward the door.
“Sind sie absolut sicher, Professor?” Tesla’s tone was falsely conciliatory.
“Ja. Ja. Absolut. Gehen sie, haben sie ein bisschen Spaß. Einfach nochmal Kind sein.” Munsen patted Tesla kindly on the shoulder.
“Vielen Dank, Professor. Das bedeutet sehr viel für mich.” Tesla shook the old man’s hand. “Come on, cousins,” he whispered, smirking.
“It vas good to meet you, boys. Have a gut time, ja?” Munsen waved them off. They waved back, unsure what they’d just witnessed.
THEY ascended the stairs in relative silence until they reached the main house and Tesla burst into hysterical peals of laughter. “Oh my God! That was absurd,” Tesla gasped. “I can’t believe he fell for that. He’s a nice old fellow and brilliant, but what a dullard.”
“What did he fall for? Where are we going?” Sev asked, frustrated.
“We’re going to my room so I can pack.”
“And are you going to fill us in on what occurred in there?” Kettlebent reminded Tesla.
“Basically I told him you were my cousins, and that you’d come to take me to our grandmother’s ninetieth birthday party and family reunion. I pretended I didn’t want to go, and he insisted. It was perfect!” Tesla giggled proudly as he flopped open a carpetbag on his bed, throwing in random articles of clothing. Sev looked to Kettlebent, who blew out his cheeks and dragged a hand through his hair.
“Tesla,” Sev addressed the boy. “We need t’be on our way.”
“Yes. Yes,” Tesla said dismissively as he added a few indiscernible gadgets to his bag. “Wait a moment. How will we be on our way? In that flying machine I saw?” He turned and looked at his “cousins.”
“It’s a hot air balloon,” Kettlebent answered.
“Hot air?” Tesla laughed. “Truly? You might be in more trouble than you think.”
“What’s that mean?” Sev asked. Instead of answering, Tesla ran out of the room. “What’s the deal with this kid?”
“I’m wondering if we’re wasting our time.” Kettlebent folded his arms. Sev couldn’t argue. It seemed to him like the young prodigy was a bit off. Then Tesla returned with a tank, similar to that of the concentrated lamp oil. “What’s that, then?” Kettlebent asked.
“This is wonderful. Professor Munsen got this from Lestrasse. He invented this gas based on hydrogen but not nearly as combustible. It’s lighter than hot air. If we use this, it will lift your balloon much quicker,” Tesla explained.
Sev nodded. “That’s actually quite helpful.”
“If you let me have a look at your propulsion and navigation system, I might be able to improve it as well.”
“That would be wonderful,” Kettlebent agreed. “I may have been a bit hasty,” he told Sev.
“I’m packed. Shall we go?” Tesla asked in his odd accent.
“By all means,” Sev offered, extending his hand for Tesla to lead the way. The young men exited the chateau and headed for the clearing.
TESLA had retrieved his goggles, coat, and weapon before they’d left the chateau, and now he was hunched over the propellers and the housings while Kettlebent reassembled the cabin and Sev altered the balloon to accommodate the tank of Lestrasse’s gas. “Will there be enough gas in this tank t’fill the bladder?” Sev asked. “It’s awfully small.”
“Not to worry, Mr. Seven,” Tesla answered without looking up from his tinkering. “The gas expands when it comes in contact with oxygen.”
With the cabin up and the navigational flaps attached, Tesla helped Kettlebent install the propellers. The young inventor used his knowledge of electrical currents to boost the output of the engines, powering them with the energy pack from his weapon. “The more powerful propulsion should slice our journey by at least a day and a half,” Sev observed as he and Kettlebent attached the tank and balloon to the roof of the cabin. Tesla turned his attention to the compass and directional control system.
Sev opened the valve on the tank and ran outside with Kettlebent and Tesla to watch the balloon inflate. It had taken almost an hour on the rooftop for the hot air to fill the silk bladder. When Sev joined them, Tesla was explaining how he’d modified the compass so they could set a direction, and if the vessel veered too far off course, a small device would move the flaps to correct it.
“That’s bloody amazin’,” Sev announced. “How the hell d’ye know so much? Ye’re just a wee one.”
“I’m almost ten years old,” Tesla informed them indignantly. “Old Munsey handpicked me. He said I have ‘an instinctual understanding of all things mechanical and electrical’. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I do pick things up rather quickly.” He glanced toward
the airship. “We might want to think about getting ourselves on that machine before it’s out of reach.”
Sev and Kettlebent both looked to where Tesla pointed. The balloon was nearly inflated and the cabin was already lifting off the ground. All three young men dashed for the aft hatch and squeezed through. Their added weight bought them a few minutes for Tesla to install the newly constructed, automated course-corrector before Sev felt the familiar sensation of the ship leaving solid ground.
Kettlebent divided his attention between the ocular port and the steering system while Sev conversed with Tesla. The boy was amazingly intelligent. “He doesn’t have to do that,” Tesla said, looking at Kettlebent’s frantic fiddling.
Sev shrugged. “He’s keen on stayin’ in control. I think ye frustrate him a bit as well.”
“Me?” Tesla asked. “How so?”
“Well, ye’re unique, aren’t ye? Ye’re intelligent and capable but unpredictable. I mean, why’ve ye decided t’help us?”
“It will be a laugh, won’t it? What boy wouldn’t want to jump on a flying machine, go to another country, and fight a wizard? This will be an adventure worthy of Jules Verne,” Tesla answered with the broad, slightly manic smile of youth.
Sev shook his head with a smirk. “Well, when ye put it like that—”
“It cheapens the reason we fight. To free our children. To free our people. To free our queen and our empire,” Kettlebent interrupted.
“Well of course that’s good too,” Tesla stated dismissively.
“Good lord!” Kettlebent threw up his hands.
“Settle down, Kettlebent,” Sev snickered. “How’s that new contraption working?” he asked to change the subject.
“It’s brilliant,” Kettlebent mumbled, reluctantly. “We won’t have to sleep in shifts on the way back.”
“Well done, Tesla.” Sev patted the young man’s shoulder.
“Please, Sev, call me Nikky.”
“All right, then, Nikky it is.” Sev smiled.
“We should discuss what you’re in for once we return to London, Nikky,” Kettlebent suggested.
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