“That’s better.”
She had been visiting Professor Calliere’s workshop several times each week for almost a month now. She had managed to test out a number of mathematical equations from Derren’s Advanced Calculus. She’d also arranged a lorry full of coal to be deposited in the hopper that filled the bin. Dovie Likliter had come with her the first few times, but then had lost interest.
As it always did, the machine rumbled into operation. Gears turned. Springs were pulled tight by weights suspended from chains. Then suddenly the front of the machine seemed to split apart. Iolana jumped back as a large metal protrusion rolled out toward her. Like the rest of the device, it was made of a steel frame filled with gears and steam pipes. Then two green lights blazed to life. The girl inched back the way she had come, shuffling her feet sideways. The large protrusion leaned left and the two green lights followed her.
“Eyes,” she said to herself, stopping in her tracks. That made the new appendage a head. The machine had grown a head. How was that possible?
Then she heard the clacking of typing from the side of the machine. With one more look toward the green eyes, she stepped around to the spot just left of the firebox where the Result Mechanism’s printer was located. A single sheet hung from the slot. Though now loath to touch it, she reached out and pulled the paper free, reading the single line printed on it.
I require metal.
“Metal?” she said. “What would you need metal for, and how would I get it anyway?”
The printer began clacking again. It continued even after a sheet of paper, filled with printed words, dropped from the slot to the floor. A second sheet was halfway printed before Iolana reached down and picked up the first. A single word was printed over and over on the paper.
Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal.
The second sheet dropped and then a third began to poke out of the slot. The printing continued. Iolana dashed around the machine to the door through which she had entered. She heard the creaking grown of bending metal and looked back to see the entire front of the Result Mechanism turn until the two green lights were pointed in her direction. With a shudder, she slipped outside and shut the door behind her. She was in such a hurry to get back to the car that she almost forgot to padlock the door, but she managed with trembling fingers to get the shackle threaded through the hasp.
Iolana didn’t get in and drive away immediately. She waited until her hands stopped shaking, constantly looking toward the building in front of her. Realizing that she had the two sheets of paper still in her hands, she hurried around to the back of the carriage. She tossed both papers into the firebox, and then reset the relief cock. Plenty of steam still filled the pipes, so she climbed back in the car where Esther still waited and started back toward home, consciously taking Bainbridge Clark Street past the docks to leave as much space as possible between her and the Result Mechanism.
Back at the estate, Iolana went immediately to her room, letting the lizzies take care of the cabriolet. Esther followed her and took a position on the rug in front of the fireplace. The eleven-year-old girl spent several hours doing nothing but thinking. She couldn’t write and she certainly didn’t feel like reading. Uninterested in food, she let both lunch and tea pass her by.
“Iolana?”
“Yes… what?” She looked up, having not even noticed that her mother had entered her room.
“It’s time for dinner.”
“Oh.”
“You will be coming down?” It was really more of an order than a question.
“Yes, Mother,” said Iolana, forgetting to be disagreeable.
Esther got up from the floor long enough to help her into a red and white evening dress. She was the last to arrive in the dining room and found with the exception of her own chair, a full table. Iolana’s mother had moved to the head of the table, her father’s usual spot. He had moved to the seat at Iolana’s left. Likewise, Terra had moved from her usual spot to sit between her mother and Mr. Staff. This left the whole other side of the table available for their guests.
Iolana was surprised but not unhappy to see the Markham clan arrayed across from her. Benny Markham was a totally unremarkable young man, with brown hair and a slightly round face, who had nevertheless managed to land one of the most sought after young women— the former Hero Hertling. With large brown eyes, thick lips, and rich cascades of black hair, Hero was definitely most men’s ideal of beauty, though she had gained about twenty pounds with each of her three children. Between the two of them were three-year-old Senta and her two-year-old brother Benny Jr. In a portable crib at her mother’s side, the youngest Markham child, Hannabeth, slept quietly.
“Hello Iolana,” said Hero. “I was just telling your mother that your Accord Day party was one of my favorite memories. I really wish you had kept up the tradition.”
“What’s the matter, Benny?” asked Mr. Staff.
“I was just remembering that Hero took up with Marzell Lance that day, and I got stuck with Dutty Speel.”
“Marzell is a nice boy, but too young for me,” said Hero. “Besides, Dutty is one of my best friends and is a perfectly lovely girl.”
“She’s no Hero though, is she?” said Staff, winking at Hero’s husband.
The lizzies brought out a salad of nettles and pears. It was not one of Iolana’s favorites, but she was much hungrier than she realized. She tucked in, taking a large slice of pumpernickel when it was offered. She wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation until her mother asked Hero a question.
“Have you heard from the Drache Girl?”
“Yes. I just got a letter, as a matter of fact. It was mostly personal, but she did say she would be home soon. I can’t wait.”
“And how about you, Mr. Markham,” said Iolanthe. “How will you feel about your wife consorting with a sorceress?”
“I have no problem with it,” he said. “Senta’s a good friend. Besides, if Hero has to get out of the house every once in a while, maybe I’ll be able to convince her we need a lizzie.”
“How can you take care of all those kids without a lizzie?” asked Augie. “We’ve got about a hundred of them and the only baby we’ve got is Terra.”
“I’m not a baby anymore,” said his sister. “I’m seven and a half and I’m getting a machine gun and a puppy.”
“I’m three,” said Senta Markham from across the table, holding up three fingers. She was a tiny and slender combination of her parents—her mother’s big eyes and black hair and her fathers round face and ears that stuck out a bit.
“The Colbshallow’s daughter is three,” said Iolanthe. “Iolana is going to start tutoring her next week. Perhaps your daughter could join them.”
Iolana looked up, but didn’t say anything.
“No, no,” said Mr. Markham. “Senta’s too young for school. She needs to stay at home for a couple more years.”
Mr. Staff put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
“You haven’t forgotten about tomorrow, have you? I’m going to need your support.”
“No, Father. Um, in fact, I’m looking forward to it now. It will be good to get out of town for a while.”
“That’s the spirit,” he said. “Everyone loves a little adventure.”
Iolana winced at the word, but nobody seemed to notice.
“Will you be taking Esther?”
“I don’t think so. She could use a day resting, I think.”
“Very well. Tell Teska if you think of anything you need.”
The lizzies took away the salad plates and brought out the Beef Dechantagne. Previously known by the Mirsannan title of “filet de boeuf en croute,” the dish of filet of beef, truffles, mushrooms, fortified red wine, and pâté cooked in pastry had been renamed in honor of the Dechantagnes by restaurateur Aalwijn Finkler after a competing establishment had added a similar but inferior dish to its menu. Kayden, who was not normally part of the dinner service, sliced t
he beef and the other lizzies served the diners.
Iolana retired early, before the guests had left. After changing into her nightgown, she looked out of her front window toward the peninsula. She didn’t know what she was looking for—something ominous perhaps, but she couldn’t see anything but the many tall pine trees.
The next morning, Iolana was up and dressed in her khaki blouse and dress and her heavy boots well before 7:00. She carefully placed her pith helmet over her golden hair before hurrying downstairs to join the others. Terra had a tiny version of Iolana’s outfit, while Augie was dressed in a khaki shirt and dungarees.
The group piled into two of the family’s steam carriages. Mr. Staff drove the red Grayson model B, with Iolana sitting beside him. Augie and Terra shared the back seat with Teska, who had a great deal of difficulty even sitting with his tail in the way. Walworth Partridge drove the task lorry, which carried six lizzies on the two bench seats that faced one another behind the engine. Leaving the Dechantagne-Staff estate, they passed through Town Square and drove down Terrence Dechantagne Boulevard. But it was only when they passed the train station that Iolana realized that this would be a different hunting trip than the last one.
“We’re not taking the train,” her father replied to her query. “I have a different form of transportation planned.”
They continued driving long after the brick street had become a dirt road through the forest. At last, about ten miles past the last other human habitation, they came to a comfortable colonial style house tucked between the large trees. The two steam vehicles came to a stop. As the passengers piled out, the front door of the house opened and out stepped two young men, as alike as two humans could possibly be.
Iolana had known the Charmley twins as long as she could remember. Warden and Walter were nineteen years old and very handsome, with dark hair and steely grey eyes. Just after the war, the twins had literally stumbled onto a fortune when they had discovered a trove of rubies, which they parleyed into cash, first by selling the gems themselves and then finally by selling the secret of the location to a mining company. They had used their newfound wealth to build their dream—a dinosaur ranch. Behind their house was a large fence, which enclosed nearly two square miles of mostly open grassland, dotted here and there with small groups of large trees. Within this fence were iguanodons, polacanthus, ankylosaurs, triceratops, and even a saltasaurus, all in various stages of domestication.
“Well hello everybody,” said one of the twins.
Mr. Staff stepped forward and shook his hand.
“I hope everything is ready, Warden.”
“I’m not Warden, I’m Walter.”
“No, you’re not,” said Iolana, peering around her father. “You’re Warden.”
“Can’t pull one over on you, can we kid?” said the real Walter. “The mounts are ready out back.”
The young men led the group around the right side to the house to the back, where two almost mature iguanodons were waiting. Nearly three tons each and almost thirty feet long, both had large contraptions attached to their backs, each with three seats and a cargo area. The creatures looked up, unconcerned with either the houdas on their backs or newly arrived humans and lizzies, as they munched brush with their beak-like mouths.
“This is Sunny,” said Walter, stepping up to the closest dinosaur and rubbing its chin, “and that’s Kiwi.”
“You’re sure they’re up to the job?” asked Staff.
“Absolutely. These are the only two though. We’ve been working with them for years now.”
“And they’re not skittish around gunfire?”
“They’re calm enough, but don’t go testing them by firing from their backs.”
“All right, fair enough. I’ll ride with Augie, and Terra can ride with Iolana.”
“Then Iolana and Terra can take Kiwi with me,” said Warden. “I take it that Wally is staying with the cars?”
“I wouldn’t get on one of those things if you paid me,” said Walworth.
A voice command from their masters, as well as a tap of a riding crop across the front quarters, encouraged the iguanodons to lower themselves to their bellies. The saddles were still a long way from the ground and all three of the children needed help getting up into them. Mr. Staff managed to mount the beast as though he had been doing it all of his life. The Charmleys loaded the party’s gear and then climbed into the front of their respective dinosaurs. Then they started off, Walter, Mr. Staff, and Augie taking the lead, with Warden, Iolana, and Terra behind. The seven lizzies followed them on foot.
“This is so exciting,” said Iolana. “I’ve never been on a dinosaur before.”
“It’s pretty ace,” said Warden. “Our business is just getting off the ground, but we’ve already booked a dozen hunting trips.”
“I’m afraid,” said Terra. “I don’t want to get squished if he falls on me, like that boy.”
“Graham Dokkins,” said Iolana.
“Don’t worry,” the young man told them. “Walter and I designed these houdas so that it’s very difficult if not impossible for the iguanodon to roll over onto his back. That and we’ve spent a great deal of time working with them.”
They rode on in silence for several minutes. Then Warden turned half around to look at Iolana.
“How are the boys treating you?”
“I’m eleven. They don’t even notice me.”
“They will eventually. You’re too pretty to ignore.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Sure. Heck, I may just wait for you myself. You’ll be quite the beauty in three or four years. Plus it wouldn’t hurt to marry into such an important family.”
“So you just want me for my family connections, do you?” asked Iolana, smiling.
“I also promised myself that I would marry a noted author, so it’s either you or Mr. Wissinger.”
They both laughed.
“Do we have anything to eat?” asked Terra.
Warden pulled a small paper sack from his shirt pocket and passed it to her. She opened it and found it half full of Teddy Sweet Men.
“This should tide you over until we stop,” he said.
“Thanks,” said Terra. “How come you don’t have a girlfriend already. Mama says there’s something wrong with a young man who doesn’t have a girl in Birmisia.”
“Terra!” growled Iolana, but Warden just laughed.
“Maybe I’m just saving myself,” he said.
They traveled about fifteen miles, which by dinosaur took them scarcely more than an hour. At the edge of a great plain they stopped, and when the two iguanodons knelt down, they dismounted. Iolana knew roughly where they were. This plain was part of a stretch of open grassy meadows that broke up the forest from the south of Port Dechantagne and stretched to the northwest where they connected with Iguanodon Heath. Here as with all such open grassy savannahs in Birmisia, scores of huge beasts wandered.
“What are we hunting today, Uncle?” asked Augie.
“I have it on good authority that there are several therizinosaurs in the area. I would really like to have one of their heads mounted for the den.”
“I’ll be happy just to see one,” said Augie. “Ascan Tice says they’re the craziest creatures in Birmisia.”
“It sounds like you gentlemen have a plan,” said Warden. “May I suggest you have a quick breakfast before going off on foot? You have young ladies with you that aren’t used to privation.”
“I’m not so used to it anymore either,” said Mr. Staff. “What do we have to eat?”
The Charmley’s had packed a quite a breakfast, which they set up on a folding table, twenty feet away from where their mounts were munching brush. There was an assortment of cheese and fruit, some soft biscuits filled with grains and nuts, and scones with black currant jam. Nobody seemed to mind that there was only water to drink.
When breakfast was done, the four members of the Staff Dechantagnes started off, accompanied by their seven lizzie
s, leaving the two young men with the iguanodons. They didn’t go directly across the grasslands, but skirted to the east along the edge of the forest. Utahraptors and other predatory birds wandered in the forest. One had to be watchful since they could dash out and attack quickly, despite their tendency to steer away from lizardmen. On the other hand, tyrannosaurs stalked the grassland and while slower, were unlikely to be deterred by fewer than a hundred lizzies.
“Chessy, keep your eyes on the little ones,” said Mr. Staff, pointing at Augie and Terra.
“Yess,” replied the lizzie, and then muttered under his breath in his native tongue. “I would sooner lose my tail.”
Iolana shot him a sharp look and he hunkered down, chastened at having been overheard. With so few of the human adults understanding them, it was easy to forget that many of the young ones could. Though they didn’t understand it at first, the lizzies had soon learned humans placed a huge importance on their offspring. Even humans who paid little attention to their children would often kill or even die for them. And the yellow king, as they referred to Mr. Staff among themselves, had not only laid waste to entire lizzie villages, he was more affectionate toward the three children of his very large hut than any other human the lizzies had seen. There was no telling what he would do if one of them were eaten.
“You say you know where they are, Teska?” asked Mr. Staff.
“Not for sure,” Teska replied with a shrug. “Khikheto ssoto.”
“He knows where they might be, Father,” said Iolana. “There’s no way he could know whether they’re there now, is there?”
“Quite right.”
They walked for about a half hour before Teska called a halt.
“Wait,” he said, and then took off into the trees.
“I’m tired of walking,” said Terra. “Can’t we ride the dinosaurs some more?”
“We will, dear,” said Mr. Staff, not looking at her but scanning constantly around. “Don’t you want to shoot first?”
The Sorceress and her Lovers Page 15