Chasing the Green Fairy: The Airship Racing Chronicles

by Melanie Karsak

  In my heart, I knew Byron wanted me to be cared for. But I also knew that providing for his children was the right thing to do. They were, after all, his children. “This is how I want it,” I said.

  “As you wish, Madame,” he replied, taking a few additional notes. He then drank his ale as he watched the revelry in the tavern. He smiled at me. “I think every tinker from Hungerford Market is here.”

  “You know them?” I asked, surprised.

  He nodded. “I also know of your new husband, Mrs. Colonna. Quite a talented man,” he said. On his notepad, he wrote the initials R.M. and encapsulated them in a circle. He set it on the table. “Do you remember?” he asked.

  I nodded. They were the initials carved above the door in the secret chamber in the bank.

  “Someday soon, we’ll talk it over,” he said then put his hat back on. He picked up his notepad and stuffed it into his pocket. “For now, I must go. I will make the necessary changes to the account. Is there anything else I can do for you, Mrs. Colonna?”

  I shook my head. “Thank you for coming so soon.”

  “Madame, whenever you need us, we will be at your aid,” he said then kissed my hand. “You make a lovely bride,” he added. “Almost an entirely different person from the woman I met some days back.”

  I rose and followed Mr. Spencer outside. A driver sat waiting for him on the back of two man velocipede. I eyed the machine. It had been tinkered to work powered dually by a small cylinder compartment and the leg power of the driver. Mr. Spencer slid into a passenger seat. I waved farewell and watched as Mr. Spencer wheeled out of sight.

  I stood outside a few moments longer. The sweet sounds of the glass instrument drifted out of the tavern. I looked up at the airship towers, catching a glimpse of the Stargazer overhead. The sky beyond had grown cloudy. It looked like it might rain.

  I heard the door to the tavern open and shut behind me. Moments later, I felt Sal’s arms wrap around my waist.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked carefully.

  I nodded.

  Overhead, the clouds cleared for just a moment to reveal a single shining star on an otherwise black canvas.

  “Venus,” Sal whispered.

  “Venus . . . I always wondered, what did the Aphrodite say to you in Knidos?”

  Sal was quiet for a time. He pulled me close. “She said, ‘Let go.’ At first I did not understand the message. Then, when we met Byron, I believed I was supposed to let you go. I was wrong. I needed to let go of myself to become the man I am now. You, my love, I will never let go again.”

  I turned to Sal, kissed him, then pressed my cheek against his chest.

  “My wife,” he whispered.

  Overhead, the clouds let loose the lightest of rains. I pulled back. Laughing, I lifted my hands to feel the rain. “Of course,” I said.

  “It’s good luck, my Lily! They say rain makes a bride fertile,” he said with a laugh. Scooping me up, he carried me back inside where we were met with cheers from all who loved us.

  “STARGAZER. MODIFICATIONS APPROVED. PLEASE take your places,” the league chairman said as he passed our team. We were waiting on the platform outside the Stargazer. Twelve ships were anchored in the western-facing ports of Edinburgh Towers. Four ships, which had been eliminated for running illegal parts, had already been moved.

  Down the line, I spotted the Falstaff. Bigsby had also modified his ship with the help of the market tinkers. I hoped he would place well. I waved to him. He saluted me with a laugh then settled in at the wheelstand.

  “Comus. Modifications approved. Please take your places,” the league chairman told Grant’s team who was anchored in port next to the Stargazer.

  “Great,” Jessup grumbled as we hopped aboard. “I wonder what he’s running.”

  “Don’t worry about him. We’re going to be fine,” I reassured him even though I was curious too. Just because Grant wasn’t clearly connected to the sabotage of the Stargazer, it didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat. My instincts told me he knew something about what happened to my ship, despite what Phin didn’t find. Also, if he was running with modifications, that meant he was flying faster. Half of winning any race involved knowing the weaknesses of your opponents’ ships. I glanced up at the Comus’ balloon. The image of a gargoyle breathing fire was painted thereon. I’d have to fly like Grant didn’t exist. I would just ride the wind.

  “Wait, I almost forgot!” I said, digging into my bag. “A gift from Phin,” I added, taking out a small jar.

  “What is it?” Jessup asked.

  I grinned. “Woad.”

  Angus laughed madly. “Oh aye, now here is something! Let’s have it.”

  I unscrewed the lid and dipped my finger into the blue ointment. I smeared a line across Angus’ forehead then down his cheek. Turning to Jessup, I drew three lines down the left side of his face.

  “Aye, aye, there we go,” Angus said as he did a little jig. “Into the battle and on with the woad!” Angus laughed wildly. He took the jar from my hand. I felt him draw the triskelion on my forehead. “Like a fucking tribe! On Beltane, no less. Tonight we’ll rut in the fields and howl at the moon. A pack of fucking woadies!” Angus said then howled at the crew of the Comus.

  Confused, Grant looked up. When he spotted us, he shook his head.

  Jessup and I laughed, but then Angus pulled us all together. We huddled with our heads close to one another. “This one, we race for Byron,” he said seriously.

  “For Byron,” Jessup agreed.

  “For Byron,” I whispered with a nod.

  Jessup climbed into the basket. Angus dropped into the galley and started working the gears. I went to the wheelstand. The league had announced the race map at the meeting that morning. They would have us all over the realm. Setting sail from Edinburgh, we had to pass within a fifty foot distance of the towers on the Isle of Man, fly under a race marker in Cardiff, then make port in London. I set my coordinates for the Isle of Man. I knew the path. We didn’t fly there often, but it wasn’t a hard flight. I’d have to depend on the Stargazer’s speed, our own ingenuity, and some luck finding winds. Given the weather conditions, we had a plan. I hoped it would be enough.

  The officials had finished checking the ships and getting the teams ready. They extended a walkway from the very center of the tower for the league chairman. He stood at its end holding a megaphone and a small sidearm.

  I pulled on my hat then checked the instruments again. The Stargazer was ready to fly. I signaled to Jessup.

  “Ready,” Jessup called down.

  “Angus. Chairman on the walkway,” I yelled down to the open galley.

  “Whoohoo!” Angus screamed. “Like the wind! Like the fucking wind! Ride it, Stargazer!”

  In the streets of Edinburgh below, cheers and the sound of bagpipes rose up. Their excitement matched my own. My body started shaking, my hands tingling. My heart was beating fast.

  “Racers, racers, racers,” the Chairman called. “On the count of five.”

  Below deck Angus yelled excitedly and started knocking his fist on the side of the ship. I started stomping tandem. My heart was racing. Overhead, Jessup got ready. We would need burn and fast. We needed it hot. He watched carefully. It was all on him. The west to east shear would slow us down too much. We needed to get above the clouds.

  “5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1,” the Chairman shot off a firework. For a moment, the air shimmered green.

  For Byron.

  Around us, the ships leapt out of port pushing speed and heading west. Alone, the Stargazer leapt out of her dock—upward. The burner roared as the balloon flooded with heat. Like a shot, we gained altitude fast. Grant cast a glance back at us. Shocked, his mouth hung slack. With a laugh, I waved to him.

  Below, the crowd screamed, and I heard the cheer for the Stargazer carry on the wind. Within moments, Edinburgh towers disappeared. We were above the clouds and the shear.

  “Now!” I yelled then rang the galley.

>   The burner turned low. The propeller kicked hard and within a few turns, we began our move west toward the Isle of Man. On the one hand, we were running blind. There was no other ship flying above the clouds. We had no idea where our competitors were. Below us, they would already be ahead a pace, but that would change quickly. I felt the wind. It was blowing east-west. I watched the swirl of clouds below me. I found a low, flat spot above the clouds. I guided the ship into a channel. When we dropped in, I felt a push from behind. Below, I heard Angus work the levers to get better rotation on the propeller. Sal had reworked the galley to be controlled by levers connected to two sets of gears. The difference in torque per propeller rotation rather than just speed had us really moving. The propeller pushed hard, and soon the Stargazer was booking across the sky.

  “Yes!” Jessup yelled.

  We were running horizontally and running fast. Below deck, Angus was laughing. We were making good time. I checked the instruments and kept an eye out for surprises. This leg would be quick and easy. The sky was a brilliant baby blue. The wind was sweet and crisp. It was not long before we started to near our first marker. As we passed east of Withorn, the clouds cleared. We were about to make our above-water descent toward the towers on the Isle of Man.

  “Jessup, what do you see?” I called.

  Jessup and I began panning the horizon with our spyglasses.

  “Astern! Astern!” Jessup called as he looked behind us.

  I looked back. The Comus was about two miles behind us. I also spotted Lord D’s blue balloon on the Rose and Thistle. Was that the Falstaff behind them? I couldn’t quite see.

  Jessup and I both screamed. “Angus, we got it!” I yelled. “Get ready for the tower drop,” I called to Jessup.

  “On it,” Jessup called back.

  Angus worked the galley; the propeller eased. I pushed the ship in over the Isle of Man and piloted toward the towers. As we neared the marker, I signaled to Jessup.

  “Now,” I called.

  The balloon deflated quickly as we neared the marker. We dropped fast. When we got close, Jessup increased the burn before we lost too much altitude. We were within distance of the Isle of Man marker. Gathered on the end of the tower, race officials watched us come in. A number of spectators had gathered on the towers. They were cheering wildly.

  I guided the ship toward the towers. We had to come in within distance or we’d have to go around and try again. A marshall was holding up a red flag. As I got closer, he lifted up the yellow. Just for fun, I edged the ship very close to the tower. The marshall lifted the green. We’d met our mark. So close, we could see the crowd—and more importantly, they could see us. I waved as we passed by. It never hurt to keep our supporters happy. A marshall shot off a firework to let the other ships know the first racer had passed the marker. Now we just had to fly into Wales without losing our position.

  I reset the instruments to hone in on Cardiff. On the straight path to Cardiff were the mountains of Snowdonia. It was just like the league to sneak in such a tricky little problem. We could edge west around the mountains and travel over water or we could edge east, travel over land, then have to fly back west toward Cardiff. Given we had taken the Alps, and given we were just that kind of team, we would fly over the mountains and risk the turbulent conditions.

  We sailed from the Isle of Man to the shoreline of Wales. We easily kept our lead. I held the wheel steady and stayed on course as we flew into the Snowdonia region. Despite the turbulent winds, it was a beautiful flight. I kept my hands on the wheel, adjusting the ship as needed, while I took in the view. The rolling mountains were lush with green ground cover. Pristine lakes that reflected the blue sky lay between the mountains. A breeze blew off Llyn Cowlyd, carrying with it the scent of the earth and fresh spring water. All at once, I was overcome with the memory of Robin; the thought of him made me smile.

  As the mountain range grew steeper, I signaled for Jessup to get us above the peaks. We were getting bounced around between the mountains.

  Grant had veered west away from Snowdonia. As we flew out of the region toward Cardiff, we didn’t see anyone. We hoped it was a good sign. Soon, the Welsh city of Cardiff came into view. The race marker in Cardiff was a tricky one. There, the marker required us to fly under a walkway stationed between two towers. As we neared the city, I pulled on my goggles and slid down the magnification lenses to get a better look. I turned the wheel of the Stargazer and began to get into position.

  “There’s Grant, and Bigsby is hot on him! They are coming in just west,” Jessup called from above.

  “Any sign of Lord D?”

  “Nowhere,” Jessup called.

  “How far out?”

  “About three miles.”

  I guided the Stargazer toward the marker on the southern end of the city. The space between the two towers was narrow. On the walkway overhead, I spotted the Marshalls and a number of others. I pulled off my gloves to get a better feel on the wheel.

  “Lower, lower, another fifteen percent,” I called to Jessup as I tried to align the Stargazer. I rang the galley. We needed to reduce speed. The space was too narrow. We needed to go in easy.

  “Christ, that’s tight,” Jessup called.

  With room enough for only one ship to pass, anyone racing neck to neck would have to give way for one ship to through. Thankfully, that was not our problem, but I hoped the Falstaff would edge the Comus out. Jessup kept his eyes on the tower, both of us feeling the Stargazer’s speed as we neared the marker. From the feel of the vibration in her timbers, I knew we would slow in time. Just in time.

  We were low enough and slow enough as we neared the towers to make the pass. Low and steady, we passed under the walkway between the towers. My fingers were tingling. One mistake and the towers could tumble down. I gazed over the side of the ship. The view gave me vertigo. I tried to shake off the dizziness and concentrate. I’d been getting so dizzy lately, no doubt a side effect of coming off laudanum. I focused, carefully steering the ship through. On the walkway overhead, the crowd cheered. Someone dumped a hamper of lilies onto the deck of the Stargazer. The gondola was covered with pink and white flowers. I laughed, smiling from ear to ear, and waved to the crowd. From overhead and below, I heard chanting for the Stargazer. A marshall shot off a single firework. We were still in the lead.

  Sighing with relief, I set course for London. Now I just needed to fly home. Easy enough. Jessup pulled the ship back into cruising altitude. Feeling the balloon lift, Angus punched the speed. Once again, the Stargazer was blasting across the sky.

  We flew out of Cardiff, quickly passing over the Bristol Channel, making land once again. We were flying over the countryside south of Bristol when I locked the wheel and went to the prow. I stood watching the trees and grass. Nothing. The west-east current was blowing but not very hard. We were already riding what wind there was. I gazed up at the clouds. They were very, very high and were moving very slowly. Nothing. No wind shears. Just nothing.

  “Anything?” Jessup called.

  I shook my head. “Not yet.”

  “What the hell is that?” I heard Jessup say as he looked through his spyglass astern.

  I headed to the back of the ship and dropped a magnifying lens. Behind me, I thought I saw the Comus, but something was odd. “Are those . . . sails?”

  I pulled off my goggles and picked up my spyglass. Behind me, and moving in quickly, was Grant’s ship. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The Comus was using sails on both the port and starboard sides of the gondola. As awkward as it looked, the ship was moving fast. The sails were catching the west-east wind curr-

  ent, leveraging it for all it was worth, pushing the ship forward.

  “Bloody hell!” I stammered and ran to the galley. I opened the hatch. “Angus, Grant is using some kind of sail! He’s gaining on us!”

  “Better find a wind! She’s doing all she can down here,” Angus told me, a worried expression on his face.

  I went back to the prow
. There was nothing. The wind was in a steady west-east flow. “Nothing! Maybe aloft? Between us and the cloudbank?” I called to Jessup.

  “Clouds between are thin and dispersing. Nothing up there,” Jessup called back, confirming what I already knew.

  “Dammit!” I went back to the wheel and steadied the ship. I scanned the horizon as Grant’s ship moved closer to the Stargazer. Within minutes, the Comus was flying adjacent.

  Grant waved as he piloted his ship past. He took a position about half a mile ahead of us and held it.

  “I don’t believe it! Angus, Grant has us!” Jessup yelled down to the galley.

  I went to the prow. I heard the levers in the galley work, and the Stargazer picked up her last bit of speed. She narrowed the gap a bit, but I would need some luck to close the gap. I felt like I was watching the Prix slip away from us. I stood and looked at the horizon, trying to think of any geographical features we could ride. There was nothing close by and not much ahead. Maybe we could get a gust off the Thames as we came into London, but that was a big maybe and surely Grant knew that trick as well as I did.

  “You’d better think of something fast,” Jessup called down.

  I glanced over the starboard side of the ship. In the far distance, I saw Stanton Drew, a massive circle of nearly thirty standing stones with two other rings of stones nearby. As I gazed at the stones, I saw something glimmering in the sky. The small thing struggled to catch pace with the Stargazer, but moments later, the clockwork fairy was fluttering in front of me. She motioned again and again to the stones. I scanned for Robin. There was no one, just the stones and the fairy. The clockwork fairy fluttered away, flying back toward the ring. After considering for a moment, I closed my eyes and tried to feel the energy around me. I looked back at the stones and squinted my eyes; when I did so, I could have sworn I saw shimmering light emanating from the ring.

  “I know what to do,” I whispered. “I know what to do!” I shouted. I ran to my bag, quickly rooting through my belongings.