by Jeffrey Cook
In that part, the reports of his genius were all true. He determined where they would have the most effect on the war effort, planned their deployments and strikes, and coordinated it with the officers. He was gifted in military studies, particularly for a man his age, but also had a gift for speaking with officers and soldiers alike, enabling them to continue to conduct their military affairs as he saw best. Miss Coltrane even now suspects that without him, the suit's capabilities would have been squandered, or they would have ended up ordered to someplace with terrain unable to support its weight, or some other disaster. Despite all we have learned of her contribution now, she still credits her brother, in his own fashion, as equal to her in genius and contribution to the war effort, just not in the arena he gets the most credit for.
All this time, save for very rare occasions when the suit had to do little more than make an appearance, walk ahead, and perhaps fire a shell or two, it was never Sir James piloting, and never Sir James on the battlefield, but England was placing one of its finest young women in the line of fire. Sir James would then appear before the men when the suit was safely away, making the speeches and rallying the troops, and Miss Coltrane would return to keeping things in order aboard their traveling home. Harriet and the Fishers had to know their secret, but no one else was told until now.
This is why she is not worked into an even greater panic. She knows that the villains will not capture the secrets of the battle suit and thus have no more reason to keep Sir James alive: he doesn't know them. He will tell them war stories and memories and accounts he spent hundreds of hours memorizing in detail, but the technical aspects escape him entirely. She is very worried for her brother, of course, and also that this situation might eventually lead to their secret being discovered.
Miss Coltrane spoke now because we would have to know how the suit would be whole again, even improved, when we arrived, and why it was functioning as well as we had ever seen it. This, of course, also meant that the trackless engine was even more dangerous than it had appeared. The Coltrane battle suit had been at its full strength and capacity, piloted by its veteran, and still the engine won their first confrontation. It had simply not occurred to her that anything might uproot her in such a manner, and so she had stood her ground. No doubt this will not be the last confrontation.
We still have some time before we reach Peru, and she thought we might need some time to sort things out. She apologized most profusely for the deception until this point. She had been struggling mightily for days now with how to inform all of us, but given our associations and troubles, she was uncertain everyone could be trusted, and she and Sir James had long ago agreed to keep the secret between themselves save for the greatest of necessities, such as Miss Wright and the Fishers.
She offered to answer questions truthfully this time and begged all of us to keep her secrets. She was certain that if the powers that be in England had known she was the pilot, the suit would never have seen the field, regardless of its abilities. Likewise, she had never wished to steal her brother's glory and was happy to let him be the hero of England, so long as she had the adventure and challenge. She hoped to continue working with us to rescue her brother and complete the tasks ahead of us. She has proven herself as capable and necessary a combatant as any of us, and we need every advantage available to us. For perhaps the first time, Sam Bowe and Jillian Coltrane were immediately in accord, and with no real discussion, Eddy and Miss Penn assured that her secrets would be safe with them as well.
I think by far, Eddy is taking this deception the hardest of us all. He and Sir James have become close friends and, of course, shared the title of war hero. To know that all of Sir James's war stories were translated recitations of his sister's journal entries and not his own experience clearly stings terribly. Eddy left the room as soon as the secret was agreed upon and has spoken to no one since. Indeed, ever since, the ship has grown terribly quiet. Miss Penn and Miss Bowe seem the least affected. Miss Penn has gone to the ladies’ resting rooms with Miss Bowe again, avoiding Mr. Franzini. The pair talk, but quietly. It would not even be notable were everything else not so quiet all about.
Mr. Franzini seems to have found some great joy in learning this deep secret. We shall have to watch him most closely now, for while he promised, along with all the rest, to say nothing, he still can be trusted only so far. Perhaps he will prove better than his reputation once again and simply is enjoying being in on one of the greatest secrets of our time. It seems very like him to revel in such a thing.
With nothing else to be said, Miss Coltrane and Miss Wright have gone to the workshop, for there is apparently a great deal still to do, even after as long as we have already been traveling. Once more, dearest Cordelia, I must thank you for listening so well. You put my mind at ease as always. I am also all the more resolved that there shall be no secrets between us.
My love, always,
Gregory Conan Watts (5)
(5) There was considerable delay and care before Gregory, with permission, made me party to all of this. That the image of Jillian Coltrane, Socialite and Scientist, had a very deep effect on my psyche I feel should be known almost without explanation. -C B-W
From the journals of Gregory Conan Watts,
March 1st, 1816
11º50'S 79º04' W
We are nearing our goal now, and have been able to travel over much less occupied – and therefore far less dangerous – territory. We have decided we will need to land quite some distance from the most likely sites, then cover a good piece of the distance overland, scouting all the way for hidden ground troops with rockets. (6) When all is clear, we should be able to get the dirigible – and with it, Miss Coltrane and her machine – closer. It still stuns me when I think of it now, that she was the inventor of the wondrous device which had so large a part in saving England from great odds, and was the true war hero.
This does not make saving Sir James any less important, of course. He remains our leader, he knows the secret which could cause a scandal throughout all of England, and much of the empire, and we need his reputation and skills for our later travels. He is also, whatever else, my friend, and I would go to whatever lengths necessary to save him so long as I had evidence he was still alive. I think Eddy is resolved to do much the same, for they were even closer, sometimes almost like brothers, though I must wonder if our Scotsman wishes to save him for its own sake, or that he might kill Sir James himself?
I jest, certainly, but not by any great degree. He has remained in quite the mood through our trip, ever since Miss Coltrane's revelation. Certainly, he no longer looks at her nearly the same. The two of them had a terrible fight, though I could not understand most of what was said, for they both have the sense and grace, even when angered, to keep their voices low – or at least Miss Coltrane certainly does, and in speaking to a woman, Eddy does as well – but their intensity was unmistakable. Eddy, by his reputation when I met him, is not a forgiving man and never has been. I am sure this relationship will now see significant change, and that it shall be quite the scene once we rescue Sir James. I am not even certain of my feelings yet, and I am not nearly so intense a person as Eddy. I can simply hope for the best when the time comes and hope we can find means to continue our voyage in some kind of unity, or else we are doomed to fail. As it is, everyone aboard is well aware of the odds of success, and only Miss Bowe seems at all enthused about the challenge ahead. She expresses this in quiet conversation with Miss Penn, who, along with her cards, remains pessimistic.
With my time in leadership fortunately behind me, I more and more question my role here. While I am documenting all that we have done, our motivation has now changed. I remain determined to rescue Sir James and to see he is well. Likewise, I feel a great need to see judgment passed upon York. But after that? In other times and places, I should be honored to serve England however I might, but now that service has become more complex and dangerous. I am far less enthused to serve whatever organization or lords and o
fficers have chosen Mr. Toomes as their face.
All sense of adventure in this has been drained from the venture, between the loss of Sir James, the tragic news about Lord Donovan, and the end of the bet. It is perhaps also true that my enthusiasm has dimmed for loss of a vision of a hero. I know now that my imaginings of Sir James as some scholarly gnome, despite all rumors to the contrary, were an attempt to somehow diminish a great man in my mind, as so often happens. People who do not aspire to greatness, or reach for it to find it exceeding their grasp, often seem to try to shrink what greatness there is. And so it was with me, whatever my motives.
Once those initial thoughts were dispelled, he had become perfection in my mind, a master of all arts and a man beyond his time. Now that that imagining is brought back to Earth, that so many of the things I had imagined and made perfect are proven untrue, I am disappointed.
Likewise, I am disappointed in myself. Having become a hero in my own right, stepping out of anyone's shadows to hold a fort as a leader of men, I find that now all I can truly recall are the faces of the men who looked up to me – and did not survive the battle. Suddenly, what it is to be a hero is a blurred image in my mind. And all I can bring myself to hope for right now is that we might rescue the very human, if militarily brilliant and socially gifted, man who is my friend, then that in the doing, I might be enough of a man in my own mind and England's eyes to return home and be married to my Cordelia.
We shall know soon enough, for we will be setting down in only two days. Then we must determine the difficulties in clearing a safe path for our dirigible to approach our destination and in scouting out precisely where our enemies have gone. Then we will endeavor to make up for our mistakes in New Orleans, and with any good fortune, I shall have a very difficult decision to make thereafter as to my future with this crew.
(6) Remember, my dear readers, that 1816 rocketry, outside the realm of Oxford development, is more akin to what we would call ornamental fireworks. However, it would fly far and hot, and, in numbers, some would fly straight. While not sophisticated, it was a capable weapon against dirigibles, and took down more than a few in combat, when they flew into firing range. -C B-W
March 3rd, 1816
Peru
13º14'33” S 72º17'48 W
To the Esteemed Gentlemen of the Royal Explorers' Society
Dear Sirs,
We have had to proceed most carefully from the point where we landed this morning, under cover of darkness. Eddy's sharp vision was critical in successfully landing the ship without use of any lights, but we could not risk becoming a target. Even now, we have the engineers serving as additional guardsmen to watch over the covered site where we set down. When we are sure there is a clear path much closer to where we have determined our enemy has set camp, we will signal to them so that we might be able to use its resources.
Miss Bowe has proven most useful here; she has significant knowledge of the surroundings. There can be little doubt that she and her father did indeed visit this country at one point or another, for she is able to state the names and locations of the villages we have had to avoid, as well as their names for the landmarks. I am curious how they did this, given that this has been held by the Spanish for her entire life, and they have not been the best friends of the English or our colonists. It may have been early enough in her life that explorers might have been able to move through the area, and her memory is simply excellent for such details.
The people here are quite poor, and their buildings are rough. (7) Despite this, there is a great deal of land cleared for farming, and in a warmer time, it does seem as if it might be very well suited for it. Miss Bowe says that this valley is the best in this nation for growing maize, a sort of corn that supplies the locals with much of their diet and is occasionally exported from here. The valley stretches between two large villages of significance, Pisac and Ollantaytambo (Do not worry, sirs; I have no gift for managing their words either). With so much fertile land along a river sacred to the locals – and supposedly once held by the large primitive civilizations who preceded the coming of the Spanish – I can see why this area is so well defended already, at least by this poor nation's standards, and an ideal place for York to have gone to ground.
Our historian for occult matters and ancient civilizations, Miss Penn, has told us a great deal about the Incas who once held this land – and some small notes about the once-colorful civilizations of their neighbors as well. This seems to have only limited bearing upon our current mission for the most part. The significant portion where it does cross over: this valley is not only important to the current people, but its fertile land also was once so vital to these Incas that it is thought they may have built a great city near here somewhere. During the times the Spanish were first exploring this land, it was one of the sites where they thought they might find the mythical City of Gold, just as the Spanish sought many things which we now know to be mere myths. It was never found, but they did find fertile land here, along with natives who were more peaceable and easily subdued than some they had encountered.
We are unsure what kind of deal York may have made to have been able to settle in here, but we have found their dirigible near the top of the high ground where a city overlooking this fertile valley may be, though it is hard to be certain. There is, of course, also the constant explorer's lure, that maybe those who have gone through the ruins before may have missed some great treasure. So it is here, at least according to the rumors amongst the Spanish who come here most often, according to Miss Penn. Many believe that with enough exploration, some new riches and artifacts may be found in those ruins. Miss Larkin, too, has suggested that this site, of which we have only the vaguest of rumors, is a place which is still poorly explored by the Spanish.
There may be here such treasure as might purchase York the respectability he needs to bribe his way to a good name once again, elsewhere, if not in England. Dr. Bowe's stories of this region also speak of some treasures being kept within those ruins – though there were also many dangers and obstacles to deter the curious and foolish in his account – so in this, all sources seem agreed. Miss Bowe confirms that there is much of interest there, but strongly suggests leaving it alone. Even so, she is guiding us, as before, for she believes that this will further vindicate her father's accounts and tales as true, which remains a goal for her.
So far, we have found only a few sentries in British – or rather, colonial – dress. I would guess that either the locals do not much care for the intruders’ presence, and allow minimal interruption, or no deal was made, and the Spanish landholder simply cannot do anything about people with well-armed men with a dirigible and English resources.
Either way, while the landholders here could do little about it, it would limit the movement of York's men. We eliminated those we've run across today without making our presence obvious. We have so far eluded notice from the natives as well, though Miss Penn's presence on this expedition, a chaperone being a necessity on trips with our guide, has made it difficult at times. She also wishes very much to see this ancient city for herself after learning something of it in her apparent studies of such places about the world in myth and fact. Though she is fair at moving quietly, she is still not nearly so athletic or trained as Eddy, Miss Bowe, or even myself.
I must also report, for those who may come after us, should negotiations with the Spanish break down once more, that it is unseasonably cold here, just as I am sure Mr. Toomes and his men have reported in New Orleans. It is only March, so surely things will change, but so near to spring and so far south, I had expected something more than the merely temperate climes we have found ourselves in. (8)
I will hopefully have more information to report soon regarding York and our pending rescue attempts.
Sincerely,
Gregory Conan Watts
(7) Again, it bears repeating that as Dr. Bowe said, ‘There is No El Dorado.’ No expedition has ever found it. Some things are just myths dreamed up by g
reedy men. –C B-W
(8) For more information, see the report Tambora and Her Effects: Mother England and Daughter Colonies, Sea and Air Trade. HR Herbert and JW Fromer, compilers. HM Trade Office. Republished for Scholarly use, Oxford Press, 1824. Pamphlet Number 24-546 -C B-W
From the journals of Gregory Conan Watts,
March 4th, 1816
Peru
13º12'S 72º27' W
We have been terribly efficient, in the truest sense of the word. Eddy and Miss Bowe have scouted ahead in turns, and we have made good progress. We have found some few sentries, but none who had time to even scream a warning. Most of them did not even have time to realize they were dead or dying. I know these men were traitors to the Crown or mercenaries associated with terrible people, but I still have difficulty reconciling how easily my companions kill, then move onto the next man.
It seems New Orleans has changed me more than I had realized, for always before, I was able to see the enemy in the war as faceless hordes out to destroy our way of life. In America, I admired my companions’ grace and ease in removing those hunting us. Now, I cannot help but pause – and wonder what kind of men these might have been that they came to this path. Evil men, traitors, perhaps, but I cannot help but realize now they were men. It gives me a whole new admiration in some ways, of those we have called heroes for winning battles and defeating our enemies, but also a chill in thinking of the people who can reconcile that path in their own minds.