The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh

by Pip Ballantine

  Miss Delancy brushed her skirts with one efficient movement, her shoulder brace and its semi-precious stones making the accoutrement look for a moment purely decorative; perhaps something a queen would have worn hundreds of years earlier. Certainly their headmistress possessed the bearing to carry it off.

  “Well now,” Miss Delancy said with a smile, “I am sorry for such an exerting arrival, but I hope you will not judge the Delancy Academy by it. Besides, many of the greatest minds of science have been known to indulge in a bit of exercise in order to keep the ideas coming.” With that she led the way up the entrance stairs.

  As they followed, Emma shot Verity a glance. Out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered to her a question which was already in her mind. “And this is only the first day?”

  As they entered the manor, three cats dashed out right under their feet, and Julia let out a squeak.

  “Cats can see into the aether realm,” she whispered to Verity. “At least according to Miss Delancy, in her book Through the Looking Glass and Beyond—think tha’ is why she loves them so much. Personally, I dunnae trust them.” She gave a little shrug. “But I’ll have ta manage I suppose.”

  Immediately on entering, it was obvious Julia was going to have a very hard time at the academy; a tabby on the stairs, a fluffy ginger licking herself in the hallways, and a Siamese peering at them from the landing.

  Over by the large hearth, which was the centre of the place, a few students sat reading schoolbooks. A few older children passed by, glancing at the new recruits with open curiosity. Verity could not be certain, but she believed one of the older students whispered to another, “Fresh meat.”

  “Dinner will be served later for you all,” Miss Delancy assured them. “But first, if you will follow me.”

  The headmistress led them deeper inside the grand old house. “The academy is housed in my family’s estate.” She gave a shrug. “My correct title is Viscountess Riddleton, but I much prefer Miss Delancy. Anyway, I decided to do something useful with the old place rather than just rattle about in it like my parents did.” She stroked a mahogany banister, her gaze drifting out the window to rest on the horizon. “I never even got to share it with them. They died while I was away on the Continent.”

  Verity felt a twinge of sympathy, but another part of her thrilled to the fact she had something in common with this beautiful, kind and composed woman. “I lost my parents too!” The words were out there before she knew it and there was no taking them back. Verity felt her face grow incredibly hot in just a moment.

  “It is a particular pain isn’t it?” The headmistress turned to her and placed one hand lightly on her shoulder. “One never really gets over it. Do they?”

  Was it a few seconds or a full minute? They shared a long, empathic stare, but it was Delancy who broke first and returned to the tour. The ground floor was dedicated to rooms for the teachers, kitchens, and the main dining room while above them were classrooms, a library, workshops, and a laboratory. Verity’s heart leapt on looking at the quality of equipment. Microscopes. Arc welders. Devices Verity recognised as the appliances representing the cutting edge of engineering and science. She could hear Henry and Emma gasp, and Julia even whispered, “Och, lookatha…” as they stood in the doorway.

  “Only the best for Delancy children,” their headmistress stated proudly. “Come along, there are even more wonders to see.”

  The floor above were the dormitories. The boys would be lodged in the east wing, while the girls occupied the west.

  “And I should warn you,” Delancy said, raising a gentle finger to emphasise the point, “there are mechanisms to make sure no one...wanders…accidentally between the two.”

  An uneasy chuckle ran through the little group of students and no one could meet anyone else’s eyes for quite some time as they continued their walk through the school. As they took in the long hall, Verity peered out the window and saw the staff, their polished white uniforms gleaming in the half-light, arriving with the last of their luggage.

  “Verity, is it?” the question came, causing her to jump.

  Miss Delancy smiled, her expression patient. “Your things will be here momentarily. Let’s not fall behind.”

  Her sweet voice continued on as they came to the centre of the connecting hallway for both east and west wing. “Upstairs you will find a modest attic, restricted to students; and the observatory and planetarium which are reserved for final years and aeronautically advanced students. As you are the last pupils to arrive I am afraid there is little choice in rooms.” She produced a handful of cards from her pocket, and handed them out to the pupils. “These are your assigned rooms in which you will find your school uniforms laid out on your beds. Miss Simmons here is the only one without a roommate, the rest of you will be sharing.”

  While Verity did not welcome unwarranted attention, she felt her heart lift in excitement she’d been so lucky, even with the muted protests of her fellow students. Emma’s expression said she probably wanted to share with the only other female Seven in the academy. Verity managed to communicate with one sharp look, we don’t know each other, remember?

  “Pardon me,” rose a solitary voice. Verity felt a muscle in her jaw twitch as Suzanne Celestene’s hand lowered, “but why does she not have a roommate? It is certainly not fair to the rest of us. Such preferential treatment will only engender animosity, so my father says.”

  Delancy’s smile was still the same as it had been when they first met, but Verity caught something in the woman’s dark gaze. Something cold. She was measuring Suzanne up. “This is not preferential treatment, Miss Celestene.”

  “Then what exactly is it?” she insisted.

  The headmistress stepped closer to her. Her smile only brightened, as she stared down at Suzanne. “Circumstances.”

  The girl went to retort, but thought better of it as she cast her defiant gaze to the floor.

  “Goodnight, everyone. Sleep well, for tomorrow the learning begins.”

  The new arrivals began to file off to their rooms; boys to the east wing, girls to the west. Verity took only take a few steps before Miss Delancy slipped her arm in hers.

  “Miss Simmons, I would rather have you hear this from me than idle gossip from the Second Years or older. You were supposed to have a roommate, a Miss Heather von St James. Very promising lass. Lovely girl. Shocking white-blue hair, reminiscent of electricity. Incredible potential in the growing field of bioengineering.”

  Bioengineering? You mean if Frankenstein were an actual science?

  “So, where is she?” Verity asked.

  “She arrived a few weeks ago, and became rather…unstable…when she received her Year Two schedule. Lashed out at some in her class. Then, a few days ago, she vanished.”

  Verity blinked. Did this happen often? “Vanished?”

  “Volume, please.” Miss Delancy looked over her shoulder and then turned back to Verity. “Miss St James simply cracked under the pressure. It is not uncommon for some of our children to run off to the moors. Very Bronte. Such melodramatics. Usually, they come back within a week or two. Hungry, cold, and humbled. Or, they trudge back to St Austell, send off an æthermail, and then Mummy and Daddy hurry them home.” The headmistress looked at Verity and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You strike me as entirely different, intellect forged within steel. Good night, Miss Simmons.”

  With the story of Heather von St James lingering in her head, Verity arrived to her lodging, Room 213. Perhaps it was unlucky for its last occupant to be assigned a thirteen. Maybe it was a bad omen for the mission ahead; on seeing the shiny black door, it was more like a godsend to Verity. Thinking of the tiny niche she had in the safe house prompted Verity’s gasp when she pushed the door open. It might be only a small room, just big enough to comfortably accommodate two beds and two sets of drawers against opposite walls—but it still felt luxurious.

  “A room of my very own,” she whispered to herself, scarce believing it.

 
She wandered to the window at the far end. Her view was apparently to be of the back garden rather than the front courtyard, and standing on tiptoe and twisting her head to the right, she could see a good portion of the slate roof and chimneys as well. Currently a large black cat was curled next to the chimney. It wouldn’t be long until he had company; Henry would find a way out there she was certain. He and his portable ornithopter were inseparable, and something about being able to make a quick getaway was always very important to him.

  Verity liked to have access to rooftops for an entirely different reason: superior vantage point. Brightening the light in her room—electric lights, of course—she examined the uniform neatly folded on one of the beds; a green tunic, tie and jacket, a white cotton shirt, and even matching socks. None were going to win any fashion awards, but they looked practical—which was what she cared about. Once she had a hot meal in her belly, she decided it would be her priority to do a bit of exploring before drawing in for the night.

  She’d just put away the few clothes of her own and tucked her instruments into the bottom most drawer when the shouting began. Verity was used to arguments, living in a house full of children, but that didn’t mean they no longer interested her.

  Stepping out into the hallway, she was not the only girl to do so. All heads were turned to the commotion, which was coming from a room three down. At first it was hard to tell who the whirling, screaming mass of girls was. A flash of blonde and red flew from the room, collided with the opposite side of the hallway, and fell onto the floor. The words were hard to distinguish, but one phrase rose out of the tumult.

  “You broke it!” and there was no mistaking the Scottish accent that threw it.

  Finally, a stout woman in grey, with an iron chatelaine swinging from her waist, appeared as if from nowhere and tugged the two girls apart like they were brawling cats.

  Verity was not surprised it was Suzanne. The privileged tart possessed the look of a brawler beneath the veneer of civility. The fact Julia McTighe was the other culprit also was not a surprise. Her curly red hair seemed to have exploded into a wild mane, and her Scottish blood was certainly up.

  “I asked you several times to remove that infernal combobulation from my desk, and you did not,” Suzanne shouted.

  “Bullocks!” Julia roared, causing some of the other girls to gasp in horror. “I set it aside for no more than a moment, tellin’ ya I would find a spot fer it and ya’ threw it aside like it was rubbish!”

  The woman, who must be the matron, gave them both a good shake. “We do not tolerate this sort of behaviour at Delancy Academy,” she said in a low, powerful voice before tugging them into their room. A wave of gossip among the girls started immediately, but was silenced with the matron warning, “Neither is behaviour consistent with a fishmonger’s wife!” She stepped out into the hallway and looking to either side of her. “Go on. About ya’ business.”

  Emma sidled up to Verity. “Not much different to Cheapside,” she said with a broad grin.

  “No, not different at all.” Verity replied even with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  After a few moments, the matron emerged with a very woebegone Julia in tow. The girl’s gaze was fixed on the floor, as she dragged two suitcases behind her.

  The crowd of girls parted to let them pass, and they were drawing closer to room 213. Verity swallowed hard and waited for them, but already knew what was coming.

  “Miss Simmons,” the matron began, fixing her with a stern look, “I am Mrs Pyke, Girls Matron, and it pains me to meet you under these circumstances.”

  Seems to be a theme at the academy, Verity thought. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “This, I am afraid, is your new roommate.” The woman nudged Julia forward. “Miss McTighe and Miss Celestene are apparently very incompatible. I think for the sake of peace we need to separate them.”

  Julia looked like a beaten dog, even if only a few moments ago she’d been battling like a wild cat. She shuffled towards Verity.

  Verity was not so insensitive as to let out her sigh, when thinking of the lost chance to have a room all to herself. With a final look over her shoulder at what would have been unbridled luxury, even for a moment, she tossed her head around and exclaimed, “Cracking! This is going to be splendid!” The echo down the hallway assured her Suzanne heard her. She picked up one of Julia’s valises and in the same volume, said, “Come on, let’s settle you in. I was beginning to worry I’d be unable to sleep in a room all by myself. You’ve saved me.”

  “Good lass,” Mrs Pyke said. “That’s the spirit.”

  Julia’s gaze remained fixed on the floor. “I won’t be a bother.”

  “Tosh,” Verity said, carrying the suitcase over to the remaining, vacant bed. “This will be delightful.”

  The door clicked shut and Julia’s eyebrows drew together in a frown that reminded the London girl her new roommate was descended from Highlanders and Vikings. She sat on the bed, clutching the velvet bag in her arms. “That bitch broke it.”

  Julia shook her head slowly before finally bursting into tears. Her entire body shook as she sobbed, her wails stopping short when she thought they could be heard outside.

  “Julia,” Verity said gently, taking a seat by her. The gifted girl was just barely above a stranger, but Verity slipped an arm around her and gently rocked her back and forth. “This is only the first day.”

  “I canna abide anyone damaging my wee darlings.” Julia sobbed, patting the cloth bag fondly as if caressing a cat even though it definitely contained some kind of gadget. “They have feelings you know, and they don’t like to be shouted at.”

  Verity’s ticking sense told her whatever the device was, it would need hours of attention. In true McTighe fashion, the contraption—whatever it was—was built to be durable. “Well I won’t do that, and besides we will fix it.”

  “It canna be fixed!” Julia snapped, her head whipping up so quickly locks of scarlet flew. “I saw bits n’ bobs flying off in tha’ room, I can feel it fighting to stay together. It will never—”

  “No, it will never be the same, Julia,” Verity said. “It will be better.”

  Julia sniffled, swallowing back what Verity could only assume was another sob. Then a smile tugged on at the corner of her mouth. “Bit of a stubborn one, I can see.”

  “A trait I would not be surprised, Miss McTighe, we share in common.” Verity leaned her head forward, arching an eyebrow as she replied, “But I warn you, if it does come down to a fight as to what goes where, I play dirty.”

  The two of them eyed each other a long moment, and Julia suddenly burst out laughing.

  Verity pulled her closer once more. “Now tell me how it felt to smack Suzanne Celestene in the head. Pretty good I would wager.”

  Julia let out another laugh which would have easily been overheard, even through their closed door. As Julia set about regaling her dormitory mate of her confrontation with Suzanne, Verity felt this situation might come out well after all.

  Chapter Seven

  A Class Above

  Verity stood outside the final class of the day, in a hallway that was far too crowded. Looking around she realised it was ten minutes until the instruction began but the area felt like Cheapside when a new shipment of rum came in.

  The last few classes ranged from incredibly interesting to completely dull, but her head was still spinning from it all. Years of learning the skills to keep her alive on the street hadn’t really prepared her for this sort of education.

  Therefore, Verity remained quiet in the classes, content to sit back and listen to others. It was immediately apparent the name of the school was apropos: her fellow students were very exceptional children. Every time she went to open her mouth she found herself closing it again. Now was not the time to attract any unwarranted attention to herself, but all she had to do was get through this class and then she could safely call the week a success.

  Henry, books slung casually under one arm, rucksac
k under the other, caught her gaze with his as they both made their way to the Main Laboratory. His expression was easy enough for her practiced eye to read. He also found the first week a struggle.

  If there was one thing he disliked with a passion, it was book learning, but even he would surely be able to see the side benefits of this little investigation. He was able to apply high concept to his device design. However, he did not grasp the technical mechanics of what he did. His approach was more of a “Let’s try this and see what happens.” Just five days at the Delancy Academy and he looked overwhelmed by practical applications, scientific deductions and theories.

  The buzz of the students waiting outside the lab grew until there wasn’t even room for one person to squeeze past in the hallway—though one of Miss Delancy’s cats did manage to wind its way through the heaving mass. Cats always had right of way.

  The lessons in French, Æthertheory, and Aeronautical Stitching were far less well attended, yet now as she looked around it felt like all of the pupils at the school—well, all the female ones—were straining at the bit to burst through the door.

  Verity checked her schedule against the glowing ætherscreen next to the door, just to be certain this was the right class:

  Practical Automaton Engineering

  Professor Matej Vidmar

  Verity thought the name exotic, but that couldn’t be the reason so many were outside. It had to be because this branch of the engineering field was both necessary and, quite frankly, the most fun. For her own interests, she was excited because it could prove to be an area where she could make the most of her new and strange abilities. When the clock above the door clicked to one o’clock and the door swung open, Verity pressed forward just as eagerly as everyone else.

  It was a wonder no one was trampled, as all of the students filed forward into the classroom like a stream of eager young fish, only girls filling the first two rows of seats. The laboratory, the biggest of the classrooms, looked very different than when she last took classes in there. Students of various interests and studies rotated around the space throughout the week, and it was her second time in there. Applied Physics had been her first visit, and that class was not even close to the size of this one. The curtains were pulled over the windows on the far side of the room, but it was lit by many gaslight sconces in the walls. Above the curtains was a narrow ledge on which sat small busts of famous scientists and engineers. Faraday. Pasteur. Tesla. Lovelace. Bessel. Verity’s heroes. The whole effect was intensely dramatic, and also her very idea of heaven.