Quicksilver Soul

by Christine d'Abo

  “I’m no son to that man. Take the bloody goggles.”

  Her chest seemed to constrict on her, making it difficult to breathe. Is that why he’d left and joined the Archives? She couldn’t imagine the pain of being pushed away by one’s family. Rather than add to his burden, Nicola cleared her throat and offered him an awkward smile. “Thank you. They will be most helpful.”

  Emmet finally looked away, turning his gaze in the direction of the Tower. “The iron walks are this way. We can get onto an interchange up ahead.”

  Nicola watched for a moment as he walked away from her. She didn’t understand this man or his actions. One moment he seemed to be undressing her with his eyes, and in the next moment he threw up an emotional barrier so obvious even she had no difficulty seeing it. Oh well, she had a month in which to figure him out. It would prove to be an interesting experiment if nothing else.

  The gates to the iron walk interchange were imposing, if slightly run-down. The Company’s logo of two stags crowned the entrance, a stark reminder of the entity to which the city owed this modern convenience. Typical and certainly the sort of thing she’d expect from her employers. The sight of a beat-up copper box caught her attention upon their approach. “There is a fee? A reasonable one I hope.”

  “For most people the irons are a necessary evil. The jobs pay little and housing is expensive. The distances between the two are occasionally great to accommodate the discrepancy.” Emmet didn’t hesitate as he pulled two coppers and slipped them into the collector. With a soft groan of metal on metal, the gates slid open, allowing them access. “Yes, there’s a fee, but it does allow residents to find better employment with some measure of convenience.”

  “Marvelous.” She stepped onto the moving metal grate, stumbling only slightly as she regained her balance. “I would love to see several of these in the larger Canadian cities. I fear it will take a great many years to get there due to the harsh conditions and the pace at which the blasted government works. There’s something to be said for having monarchy breathing down one’s elected officials’ necks.”

  “If anyone could make it happen, I’m sure it would be you.”

  The compliment had her spinning around to face him. Not that he wore any indication that he’d uttered the words. “Me?”

  “The Company.”

  Infuriating man.

  “Do I annoy you, Emmet?” She made sure to stress his name, knowing how best to needle him. “I must admit while I do normally elicit frustration from the men in my company, you’re the first who confuses me.”

  One moment he was standing quietly at her side staring forward, and the next Nicola found herself pressed back against the handrail and a very annoyed-looking archivist glaring down at her face. His nostrils flared as he breathed in, his gaze narrowed on her. It was more than simply having attracted the attention of a handsome man, and blast it to hell he was stunning, it was the first time she’d been in close proximity to such a powerful man. More than physical domination, Emmet had a power to his spirit, his personality, that called to her in a way no other had.

  Emmet had an edge to him, a darkness that he tried to hide from the rest of the world. She wasn’t certain how she knew that, but it was there, peeking out occasionally from beneath his façade of bored society man who was playing at being an archivist. Perhaps she saw it because she had a similar darkness herself.

  “Miss Tesla, I feel it’s important for me to clarify my position.” The muscles in his jaw jumped as his gaze roamed across her face. “I am here to ensure your safety while you visit New London and fix our central machine. Once that is done, I will escort you to the first airship heading to Canada so I can get on with my life. While I enjoy our banter, I would prefer to keep our relationship… professional.”

  She had no doubt that many others would have been put off by Emmet’s curt speech and demeanor. Nicola might have been if she didn’t have to work side by side with some of the most socially inept men and women on the planet. But she’d seen this type of reaction before. The attack that was meant to stem any potential fronts before they could be brought against the individual in question. Emmet was building a wall, though for the life of her, Nicola didn’t know why.

  What she wasn’t prepared for, and in the end what nearly did her in, was how their bodies seemed to slide perfectly together, like gear teeth that only had one possible partner to make the works move smoothly. Being only an inch or two shorter than him, Nicola knew it would be easy enough to press her face into the crook of his neck, resting her cheek on his shoulder so she could wrap her arms around him. This was more than the brief connection they’d shared in the conduit tunnel the previous day. There’d been an immediate threat of injury, forcing her reaction and dulling any sexual awareness she might have had.

  No, this was something else. Heavens, what’s the matter with me?

  “I…” Clearing her throat seemed to break the spell that had descended upon them. He pulled back, giving her room to once again stand tall. “I am always professional. I have every intention of ensuring the central machine is back to fully functioning capacity as quickly as possible. While this visit has proven amusing, I do have duties waiting for my return.”

  He stared into her eyes for several heartbeats longer before he finally stepped away. “Of course. Then it’s settled.”

  They spoke very little after that. Memories of Emmet’s teasing nature and soft smiles from the evening before were now gone. She was sorry to see that fade away. It had been a wonderful change from the clinical manner with which most of her male colleagues normally treated her. In the workshops Nicola wasn’t a woman, but simply another brilliant mind that the Company had pulled together to work on their inventions. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized that there was a small part of her that had wished someone would see her for all aspects of her being—woman and engineer.

  Yes, it had been nice to be seen as something more than a brain that had the ability to solve the most complex of issues, even if it had been fleeting.

  Oh well. Nothing could have come of the light flirtation at any rate. She had no time for a man, and she doubted he’d be willing to step away from his life as an archivist to move to the chilly banks of Hudson Bay. Pushing those thoughts away, she focused on the real problem at hand—Thomas Edison.

  Somehow, she’d need to find a way to slip Emmet’s watchful eye so she’d be able to discover exactly what Thomas was doing in New London. Whatever it was, she knew it would be no good, and it would be best for everyone if she learned the details and reported them back to Simon. He’d be furious that she’d ignored his warning to stay as far from Edison as she could, but he’d understand in the end.

  Yes, she’d fix what needed to be fixed and then she’d do a little covert sightseeing.

  Their return to the Archives was met with far less chaos than it had been when she’d arrived the previous morning. Nicola couldn’t help but be fascinated by all the bits of arcane technology that comprised the place. Gear works powered by steam, boilers that were fed coal, pipes that would eventually break through the force of the superheated water.

  A place such as the Archives would be the perfect place to test out her theories of sustainable electric current. Not that Simon would give her permission to do such a thing, not before the Company had an opportunity to determine if there were other uses… commercial applications that they could capitalize on. Well, that and the safety testing they insisted upon. But the temptation to slip in a few circuit boards and test her ideas on a limited scale was strong. It would be a wonderful way to get a leg up on the others, once again looking brilliant when she got back to the Company laboratories.

  As she walked into the vault and her gaze was drawn to the rows upon rows of memory vials, Nicola knew there was too much at stake here, too much knowledge to simply risk damaging what the Archives had collected over the years. They could stand to have something a bit more secure, something with a backup or a fail-safe redundanc
y. It should be easy enough for her to implement, and she could sneak in a few of her theories about the current…

  “Are you going to gawk all day? If so, I’d be more than happy to fetch a book from my quarters.”

  Nicola spun around to face Emmet. Unlike the sharpness of his words, there was a soft smirk on his face, one that reached his eyes.

  Damnable confusing man.

  “I was simply coming up with my strategy for the day.” Removing her leather overcoat, her hat, and his radiation goggles, Nicola marched over to him and pressed the bunch into his arms. “I shall start with the fans.”

  Emmet looked up. “And how do you propose to do that?”

  She’d brought her kit bag when she’d arrived yesterday. Ignoring the way Emmet’s gaze followed her she made her way over to the large metal box and withdrew one of her favorite toys.

  “Dear God, what’s that?”

  “I thought the archivists were all atheists.”

  “Miss Tesla…”

  “It’s a grappling device. I’ve only had one other occasion on which to use it.”

  The harness had been an addition after her misadventure with the scaffolding in Paris—a mistake she’d not make a second time. Setting the harpoon-type gun on the floor, she stretched the harness on the floor, stepped into it and pulled it up. The metal hooks slid into the loops on the top of her corset, giving her an added measure of protection. Nicola then picked up the gun, aimed at the side of the fan unit in the ceiling, and fired.

  The echo of the hook piercing the metal reverberated through the entire vault. Master Tolan briefly emerged from the small antechamber room, looked up, shook his head, and left once more, his mutters unintelligible given the ambient noise.

  She patted down her utility belt, ensuring she’d have everything she needed for the time being. Looking over at Emmet, who still held her clothing, she smiled. “You might want to fetch that book now.”

  With a wink, she hit the retract button and let the grapple do its job, pulling her weight up. In the few moments it took to winch her way up, Nicola felt all her troubles fall away. She was free, flying where no one would catch her. There was no infuriating Thomas Edison, confusing Emmet Dennison, frustrating Master Tolan, or protective Simon. It was only her and her inventions.

  It was the best feeling in the world.

  * * *

  Keegan sat on a mat on the floor, his back against the wall as he worked. The copper casing was warm in his hands from his near continuous touch. He’d been trying to find the best approach, where to make the seams, the holes, how best to work the necessary cogs together. It had been harder to focus this morning. His mind flicked from one thought to another and his hands shook so much he’d dropped the casing once. Mr. Edison had told him he wouldn’t receive another bag of sweets until he finished the job he’d been given.

  “I don’t pay before the work is completed. What would be the incentive for you to do your best then? Now do what you’ve been told.”

  “Yes, Mr. Edison.” So Keegan found a spot close to his boss and set right to work. This way he’d know exactly how hard Keegan worked, the effort he’d put in. And if Keegan was very good, Mr. Edison might give him his treats early.

  It was strange how quickly he’d grown accustomed to the taste, how he practically craved it after such a short time. Thankfully, the supply appeared to be unlimited as long as Keegan did what he was asked.

  Mr. Edison had been sitting at a desk that the men had managed to find somewhere in the building, reading some sort of documents. He wished he could read so he could find out what was making his boss chuckle and frown. Maybe if things went well and he did everything Mr. Edison wanted, he’d be able to convince him to teach him a few words.

  That would be amazing.

  The echo of feet clopping in the hallway had Keegan looking up. The men had been in and out all morning, muttering the occasional few words into their boss’s ear. But Keegan could tell that something else had happened, something important to cause them to run that way. He might not be able to read printed words, but Keegan was fluent in the language of the body.

  “Boss.” The big one came into the room first. He wore a dusty old bowler and a worn leather jacket. He looked no different than them men who ran the press gangs, pulling Underlings off the street and shoving them onto airships headed for Lord knew where. “We found her.”

  Mr. Edison got to his feet, his papers abandoned in a pile on the filthy desk. “Where?”

  “The George Inn. She came out this morning with some bloke. A lover?”

  “Tesla is a cold fish. She wouldn’t know what to do with a man if he forced himself upon her.” Mr. Edison tapped his finger to his lips. “No, it’s probably one of the archivists. That bitch has been holed up in that building of theirs.”

  The smaller man stepped into the room. Keegan was drawn to the large ring that spread his earlobe wide, like a grommet for a sail. “That might make things easier.”

  “Two birds, one stone.” The larger man grinned. “Do ya want us to grab them?”

  “Enough.” Mr. Edison turned to Keegan. “Keegan, I need to discuss a business matter with my associates. Take your things and continue your work in your room.”

  Disappointment swelled through him. This had been the first time in days that Keegan had felt like a part of the group. There was something huge going on, and he knew if Mr. Edison gave him a chance, Keegan would be able to prove he was more than a tinkerer. Still, if he wanted to keep his boss happy, then he needed to do as he was told. Getting to his feet, he slipped the casing into his pocket. “But, Mr. Edison—”

  “Now!”

  Keegan’s heart pounded and his hands shook, but he nodded and started to shuffle toward the hallway. “Yes, sir.”

  “Boy.” Keegan turned and, to his surprise, Mr. Edison pulled out another bag of sweets. “Not all of my employees are as wise as you are. You know where your loyalties lie, don’t you.”

  “Yes, Mr. Edison sir.” His mouth began to water at the sight of the rumpled paper.

  “Things are about to change. I need to make sure my best employees are ready.”

  Keegan nodded, ignoring the way his head spun. “I’m ready. I’ll do whatever you need me to, sir.”

  Mr. Edison smirked. “Of course you are.” He tossed Keegan the bag. “Now go.”

  “Thank you, sir!”

  Keegan’s head spun as he staggered past the men. His feet didn’t want to cooperate with him. Maybe he’d been sitting too long. Using his hand as a brace against the wall, he made his way back toward his room.

  “Won’t those things kill him?” The voice of the smaller man drifted from behind him.

  “Hard to say.” Mr. Edison’s voice didn’t sound right. Maybe Keegan should rest before he worked again. He had been pushing himself harder than he normally did, even when Glyn was after him. “Now, tell me about Tesla.”

  Yes, a rest would be good. He’d close his eyes for a bit and dream about the cogs. He’d be able to see them dance in his dreams, and then he’d make them real.

  Chapter Five

  If Emmet thought his first meeting with Nicola had been challenging, he couldn’t have anticipated what was to follow over the next week. They’d fallen into an odd sort of schedule over the preceding days. He’d meet her at the inn, more often than not needing to go up to her rooms to fetch her and finding her tinkering with some gadget or other. They’d pass a brief, if not pleasant, conversation that was not in any way tinted with any sort of underlying sexual undertones whatsoever, until they reached the Archives.

  Then he’d be forced to watch her work.

  It was bordering on torture to have nothing to do but stare at her lithe body as she climbed up walls, through walls, around steam pipes, grease and dirt clinging to the exposed parts of her skin. His gaze would drift to the swell of her ass as she’d bend over. If he’d had something to do, it would have been easier to distract himself, but he had to sit here, wit
hout purpose while others worked.

  Emmet had thought he’d always had a purpose at the Archives. He was the one who could get things done. But the more he watched Nicola work, the way she’d be able to solve a complex problem that had confounded the archivists who’d been responsible for managing the workings of the building, seemingly out of thin air, amazing him.

  It was a talent she shared with his friend Samuel. The sergeant had always had an odd affinity with machines. Emmet had watched him tame one of the mechanical horses, putting it to sleep, if such a thing was possible. And Piper had one of the most amazing minds and capacity to care that he’d ever seen. His father would have a heart attack if he’d known Emmet had wished to have been romantically involved with a Welsh orphan. No, it was for the best that his friends had reconnected and that their lives were back on the course to happiness.

  While he was forced to nanny an insane woman.

  With nothing but time and inactivity consuming his days, he’d taken to pondering his current situation. Emmet needed a role, a place to fit, something that was his. Something with meaning. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a bloody clue what that thing might be.

  “So this is where they’ve hidden you?”

  Emmet looked over his shoulder to see his friend Alastair Jones standing there. He couldn’t help but look immediately into Jones’ eyes, to the now visible white ring circling his pupil. It had changed his friend’s appearance in a way that Emmet wouldn’t have thought possible. Drawn and pale, Jones looked as though he were close to death, not a young man of one and twenty. A zombie indeed.

  “I’ve been banished to purgatory.” Emmet turned around and lifted his book once more, knowing Jones wouldn’t appreciate his scrutiny. “Forced to sit and stare at the walls. I’m surprised to see you wandering down here. To be honest, I’m surprised to see you looking as good as you are, given how short a time ago your extraction was.”