Cogs in Time 2 (The Steamworks Series) Page 3

  That was as long as it took for the genie to strike.

  The sandstorm caught the Fleahopper and upended it, tipping me down into the centre of the cycle of wind. I was caught up in the genie’s shadow-body as I watched the craft shatter into pieces above my head, Maybelline still screeching somewhere nearby. Then, with an almighty thump, I was thrown out of the storm. I landed head-first in a pile of musty books, and I knew from that moment that my goose was cooked at last. When I turned to try and flee the little tent, there was no exit by which to escape. The walls were solid as a pyramid’s tomb-stones from my side of the canvas.

  The genie was gone. I was sure of it by the lack of whistling wind. The only sound outside the tent was that of Maybelline and Henry fruitlessly arguing over their hapless fate.

  “How could you have been so foolish?” The old man chided his wife. “We can’t escape now, without the Fleahopper, we’ll die walking the desert!”

  “No, no,” Maybelline assured him. “It’s all right, my love. I’ve seen it all. We make it back safely, I promise.”

  I heard her footsteps thumping away in the sand, and a moment later she was back and panting. The familiar slide and click caught my ear as I sat and listened to the Foresight being extended. A thoughtful pause followed.

  “No,” Maybelline stammered, “it’s not possible. I saw us, Henry, back at home in Kensington. But now I can’t find the vision. It’s gone.”

  “Weren’t you listening to the genie, my dearest?” Henry asked her.

  “What do you mean?” she replied, “Henry, why is the vision gone?”

  “It appears that the future has changed,” he concluded.

  They had two options. The first was to die, wandering to seek freedom in the desert. The second was to enter the tent. Henry had been there before, and he already knew there was no way out unless someone else opened the thing and pulled you from it. I didn’t bother trying to convince him to pull me free when he brought Maybelline inside. I had very little chance of surviving any longer in the desert than the old pair. I had never tried to escape from Kader’s little city for the same reason.

  What we really need, I thought with an empty chuckle, is a curious thief like me who might fancy raiding the place. One who would have brought transport and supplies for his mischief-making.

  I resigned myself to the thought that it wasn’t to be. Not many people out there were as greedy and curious as Maybelline and I. Henry settled, almost comfortably, back into his pile of books, lifting a few volumes and passing them into my hands. His crying wife sat between us, her face pressed against her palms.

  “Come now, darling,” Henry said. “At least we’re together now.”

  It sounded a tad empty, but Maybelline nodded at the notion.

  I turned over the books in my hands. “What are these for?” I asked Henry, “What are we supposed to do for this genie creature?”

  “I’m afraid he’s rather a vain old thing,” the withered man answered. “It’s up to us to transcribe his many stories of conquest over mortals. You’ll find the stories in the books and they need to be translated with the dictionaries in that corner. Paper and quills just ahead of you there.”

  I retrieved the necessary tools from the places he had pointed out. At least I could console myself that it wasn’t back-breaking labour. I was free from the desert’s burning sun, and I even had people to talk to. If I was always destined to be a slave, then this was probably the best thing I could have hoped for. I began to look up a few words for the title of the first story, lifting a feathered quill and hovering it over the page.

  “Wait,” I said with a pause, “where’s the ink?”

  Henry passed a quill to Maybelline, exchanging a grave look with her. “It’s already loaded,” he replied weakly.

  I didn’t see how it could be, but I put it to the page all the same. Red ink spurted at the nib from an unseen well, trickling and blotting the page before I could really get control of it to commence writing. It was dark, thick stuff, not at all like the inks that I had seen before.

  “Where’s this stuff coming from?” I asked Henry.

  Maybelline had a hand over her mouth as she watched me work.

  “Just keep going,” the old man replied.

  I completed the title, the first translation of the many I would do for the rest of my days.

  The Bleeding of the Thief

  I looked at the crimson trickle of liquid as it dried pale brown on the page. A tingle coursed through the veins in my arm, prickling with the beginnings of needle-sharp pain. Henry suddenly gave a wince as he too put pen to paper, and Maybelline held onto him, as though his very life was seeping out through the nib of the quill.

  One Last Dance

  Nicole L Daffurn

  *This story is written in UK English*

  May 20th 3568

  A fine layer of dust had settled over the vintage furniture within the apartment. Wall hangings were askew, the paper hanging in strips as if it just couldn’t bear to see the forgotten room any longer. The mirror, its reflective surface grimy and thick with dust, didn’t quite reflect the woman’s face anymore.

  Looking around her, Catarina felt sorrow and despair in the pit of stomach. There was something peaceful here, yet burdened by the neglect that exactly seventy years had shown the beautiful apartment. She thought back to that moment in time, to the event that started the downfall of her world, as she looked at her broken reflection.

  ***

  May 20th 3498

  Catarina was among the elite, the most well-known dancer that had ever walked the Earth. Her days consisted of ball gowns, and Champaign flutes, music and dancing, and best of all, people. The day’s ball was a special one in her honour, and it was to be held at Trinium, the most prestigious ballroom in the city.

  She looked around in wonder at the sights that surrounded her. The crystal chandeliers suspended by brass chain from the roof, and held together with cogs of every colour imaginable. The domed glass roof was by far the most spectacular sight she had ever seen. Through it, she could see the zeppelins that dominated the skies. How she wished she could be up there at this moment, seeing the world from above.

  An odd looking man strolled up to her, his hat askew, the goggles adorning it even more so. “Catarina, my dear. It’s always a pleasure to see you here.” His low drawling voice sent a shiver through Catarina’s body that was not to be mistaken for a chill.

  “Lucas. How nice of you to join us,” she said, her voice flat and emotionless.

  Lucas was not a man that she had taken kindly to. His curled moustache added to his nasty demeanour, but it was his eyes that terrified her. Small, black beady things they were. She swore, sometimes she could see his evil plans ticking over in them.

  “Of course, dear. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It shall be a night to remember.” And with that he left.

  Catarina’s skin crawled as she made her way up the grand staircase to stand upon the balcony that would overlook the dance floor.

  “I need to get out of here,” Catarina said, her voice full of defeat. a presence behind her, and knowing immediately who it was. “I feel like I’m suffocating Hendrick. Drowning in people, dresses, and Champaign.”

  “Breathe, Cat. Just breathe.” Hendrick says as he placed his large, warm hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him, a small smile on his face. Inhaling deeply, Catarina let her breath out in a rush of air. “Lucas found me earlier. I think he’s planning something.” Hendrick’s brow furrows at her words, his top hat threatening to slip down his forehead. “Why do you say that?” he asked, curiosity and worry mingling together with his words.

  “I don’t know, just a feeling. I don’t like him Hendrick.”

  “I know dear, but we can’t all be likable. Now, what do you say to a dance?” He didn’t really give her a choice. Holding out his hand expectantly, he waited for Catarina to take hold and follow him to the dance floor below.

  ***

>   “Ladies and gentleman, can I have your attention please?” Lucas stood at the top of the stairs, addressing the people that still danced as if he owned them. He patiently waited for the chattering to stop before continuing, “Tonight, as you all know, is an exceptionally special ball in honour of our most prestigious entertainer. Miss Catarina Bamforth!” he exclaimed, extending his arms out in Catarina’s direction. “Please join me, Catarina.”

  Plastering a fake, yet radiant smile on her face, she walked forward, her stomach protesting with nerves with each step closer she came to Lucas.

  “Catarina, here, has been working hard these past few weeks on some secret projects. Projects we can now reveal.” Lucas looked behind him to the big white screen that had been placed upon the balcony. Everyone in the ballroom could see it from its place atop the stairs. “Catarina, why don’t you do the honours.”

  Moving forward, Catarina’s hands shook as she wound up the metal contraption that would project photo’s onto the over-sized screen. The device hissed and whirred as it warmed up, and slowly but surely, images started to flicker to life in front of it. Images of Catarina’s inventions.

  “It seems that our dear dancer has been hiding more than one secret from us for all these years. Not only is she the most beautiful and talented entertainer our world has ever seen, she is also an inventor. Quite a brilliant one in fact,” he flicked an unbelievable glance her way, “so without further ado, I give you the Sky Rail”

  The claps and cheers from the crowd were deafening as they looked over images of brown and gold tracks, an overhead cart for the rich to travel upon in class, and a lower track adorned a large steam train for the lower class citizens. A marvellous beauty of her own design.

  “Thank you, Lucas, but there is something you missed. Something that I can reveal tonight that I have kept a secret, even from you.” Catarina waited for the image of the sky rail to change among flustered curious whispers. From her vantage point at the top of the stairs, she picked out Hendrick’s face with ease, a beaming smile crossing his face.

  A chorus of oohs and aahs reached her ears at that point, and she knew that the image had finally become clear. She looked towards it herself, a smile creeping upon her face. There, before her, was a vision of splendour. The largest and most luxurious Zeppelin the world had ever seen. Its gold shell boasted class, its interior magnificent—even to her eyes.

  “The Catarina One, has been built exclusively for the travel of our city’s finest and most elite citizens,” she started, the crowd still muttering among themselves. “This Zeppelin will not be outdone. It is the finest in its class, and engineered for speed and luxury. You will find no better anywhere in the world. And I want you all to be the first to revel in its grandness.” She finished with her arms outstretched toward the glass dome above her. That’s when the crowd really got going. Their excitement finally broke through with shouts and squeals of glee. Not one person could take their eyes off the monstrous airship that adorned the skies above them.

  “If you’ll all follow me to the landing deck, we will begin boarding in ten minutes.” Before the crowd could rush upon her, Catarina swiftly moved to the left to await Hendrick’s arrival at the top of the stairs. Lucas still stood at her side, his mouth open wide, and his beady black eyes looking worried.

  “Well done, love. You sure surprised everyone.”

  “Well, that was the intention. At any rate, they are excited, if not impressed, by the new developments,” she said, a tone of exhilaration ringing through her own voice.

  “You certainly impressed me, kitty cat,” Lucas’s voice positively dripped with sarcasm. Everyone knew that he didn’t like surprises, especially from women.

  “I am not a kitty cat, Lucas. And you had better refrain from referring to me as a pet again.” The threat was evident in her tone. She knew a lot of people in the city, and he knew that she could have him cast aside from his seat on the council with a bat of her eyelashes.

  He pursed his lips then, narrowing his eyes at the brilliant woman. “Shall we go love? The people are waiting for you.”

  Catarina looked at the monstrous clock that sat high up on the wall at the far end of Trinium. Its face made of glass, she could see every minuscule movement of cogs on the inside. It really was fascinating to her. She loved to pull things apart, to see how they worked, and eventually put them back together. She had spent a lot of time on clocks, before moving onto bigger projects such as the sky rail, and zeppelins. Her top floor apartment was absolutely covered in them.

  They walked side by side, up through the glass rooftop to stand on the platform to the left. Catarina One floated gracefully above them, a small ladder leading to a hatch on its side to allow people entrance. The most amazing thing about the zeppelin, wasn’t its grandeur and size, but the fact that in place of a carrier under the large air craft, there was a ship attached, complete with sails.

  Catarina and Hendrick boarded the air ship first, waving to spectators on the ground as they looked on in awe. The other passengers started to board, and as they did, Catarina moved to the bow of the boat and leaned over the edge to take a look at the town below her. It was a steaming mass of cars and trains. People littered the walkways, going about their daily business. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked to the North, where she knew work had already begun on her sky rail. From there, the workers looked like ants, the goggles they wore upon their heads glinting in the sunlight. Nothing could have surmounted the sense of pride that filled her at the sight. This had been her life’s work; everything she had ever dreamed of had come to life.

  It wasn’t long before they started to move, the air ship dragging along the weight of the ship and its occupants as if they were as light as a feather. Catarina, hand in hand with Hendrick, moved around the ship, nodding at some people and shaking other’s hands. They all wanted to congratulate her, and by time she had done a full lap of the luxurious wooden boat, she was exhausted.

  “Are you okay, Cat?” Hendrick’s voice had a way of calming her like no other voice in the world could, and the tension immediately left her body.

  “Yes, just tired. It’s been a big day after all.”

  “Yes, of course. Why don’t I get you something to drink, and you can put your feet up for a while.”

  She smiled at him as he walked away, and wondered how she had gotten lucky enough to find a man like Hendrick. As their first meeting at the Trinium crossed her mind, she slipped her feet out of her shoes, and placed them upon the plush, red velvet seat she rested on.

  ***

  Catarina woke with a start just as the sun was beginning to set and immediately began the frantic search for the source of the commotion. She was surrounded by people, their bodies pressing in around her, giving her the feeling of suffocation. She leaped up from her spot on the velvet seat, and turned to find what they were anxiously looking out over.

  They had reached the sky rail operations. Directly below her, she could see the labourers up close, but all work had stopped. She wasn’t paying them to sit around. She was paying them to work. And yet there they were, the men clad in brown and gold toned overalls, standing around not working. At that point, Catarina saw the reason. Lucas.

  Lucas hadn’t boarded the air ship—that much was apparent. For there he stood on a finished section rail, and in his hand…explosives.

  “Lucas! What on Earth do you think you are doing? You will blow us all up!” Catarina screamed from the edge of the zeppelin, but her shouts fell on deaf ears.

  “Yes!” he shouted back, “I will!” He said nothing else. There was no explanation, just those three simple words.

  Catarina felt a tear fall from her eye and roll over her cheek to fall to her turquoise, Victorian ball gown, leaving a stain on the satin. She watched as Lucas pushed the leaver that would ignite the explosives, and closed her eyes as she fell. Her world fell apart in those moments; she would never be the same again. Her dreams were shattered, her life forfeit—or so she
thought.

  ***

  May 20th 3568

  Catarina had looked back upon that day many times over the years, always wondering whether she could have done anything different, if she could have saved all those people. The blast from the explosion had wiped out a quarter of the city. It had been her fault. She had known that since that dreadful day. She had been the one with hopes and dreams too big for a world of cogs and steam. She had been the one that couldn’t just get along with Lucas. It had been her sky rail, her zeppelin…her fault.

  Still sitting in front of the mirror, she felt the solitary tear form in the corner of her eye. She let it roll down her cheek, and fall to make a splash on the dresser coated in dust—one last tear for her people.

  She looked back to the face staring back at her in shock. Gone was the beautiful twenty-four year old dancer. The person gazing back at her now was unrecognisable. Lined and aged, each imperfection telling a story from her long life. Her face was scarred and burned beyond recognition from the flames that had erupted within the zeppelin. Her world shattered beyond repair.

  She slowly took in the room lined in clocks and pieces of clocks to take one last look at her former life before saying goodbye. Large, warm hands were placed upon her shoulders then, and before she turned, she knew who it was. His presence, as ever, being felt before he spoke.

  “Hendrick.”

  “It’s me, love. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” she whispered as Hendrick took her hand to spin her around the room for one last dance. As she closed her eyes, the vision of sky rails and zeppelins closed in on her, taking her away into the darkness.

  A Tale