Fianna Kelly Versus the Jeebees: A Collection of Steampunk Stories (16 page)

Another
one walked over to where my airship had been moored. "If the airship was
struck amidships and it was hit on this side, then the shells had to have come
from the North. You said it fires a flat arc so we can eliminate any angles
with obstacles in the way."

Another
man said, "I saw that the airship came from the Southwest. They waited for
it to land before firing."

"Let's
concentrate on the Northeast then."

We
were walking that way when Gerald drove up in a long wagon pulled by four
horses. "I'd like to apologise and offer this to prove my sincerity."

We
took the wagon and left him behind. About ten minutes later, Bradan gave the
first warning.

INTRUDERS
2510 YARDS

I
asked, "What direction?"

STRAIGHT
AHEAD

The
Major urged the horses to go faster while his men readied their revolvers. I
crouched down in the back under Bradan. I remembered from my last battle that I
did not hit moving targets well and my ammunition was not endless. I figured
that I would get ready once we got closer.

I
heard the distinctive sound of the railway gun and saw a tree fall behind us.
The Major was now driving the wagon erratically to make it harder to hit. It
seemed funny to me that the jeebees had the most advanced weapon I knew of and
they were trying to hit us with sticks; albeit large sticks. It stopped being
funny when one tree came too close and panicked the horses. The wagon slid
sideways into the tree followed by Bradan and I sliding out of it. The Major
and his men were like cats; landing on their feet.

We
all scrambled behind the thickest part of the tree to hide. I felt that the
jeebee wouldn't fire the railway gun at a person, but I wasn't as confident as
I was earlier. I checked on Bradan who was okay, but covered in dirt.

I
asked him, "How far away is the jeebee with the railway gun?"

1125
YARDS

One
man said, "It's out of our range."

I
smiled and replied, "'Tis not too far away for me." Bradan tapped me
on the shoulder.

INTRUDERS
185 YARDS

"That
is not unexpected. How many jeebees are there?"

TOO
MANY TO TRACK

They
were all staring at me again. It was making me nervous. I took a deep breath.
"You guys shoot the ones that get close enough in the head. Once I have a
clear path, I'll try for the one with the railway gun. History has shown
killing the leader stops the rest."

I
risked a look over the tree trunk at the oncoming army. It was a new battle and
they had new tactics. They were in groups of three. The group would all move
left, stop and all fire at us, then move right and repeat it. Each time they
got a bit closer. The men were trying to make a clear path for me, but the
jeebees kept filling it in.

The
firing was almost continuous when I realised my mistake. The railway gun had a
near flat arc and would have to fire through their army to hit me. However, in
order for my bullets to reach that far, I'd be firing my rifle over their
heads. Once I got the commanding jeebee in my sights, it wouldn't matter what
moved in my way as long as it wasn't on top of me.

I
rested my rifle barrel on the tree trunk and took four shots before I hit the
jeebee commander. I only knew because all the jeebees hesitated for a second. I
kept firing until all the jeebees simply slumped to the ground. I took a deep
breath to relax before I could think about what I was doing. I ran behind a
tree to spare the men from seeing what I was about to do. It was like Captain
Benton said; I did not have the stomach for killing.

I
composed myself and advanced towards the railway gun. The men were following
behind me, ever cautious, while Bradan was burying the jeebees.

The Major said, "Put a shot in each of the ones that dropped.
If we can't tell if they are alive, we'll make sure they are dead."

I added, "You needn't shoot them when a sharp blade will work
as well."

I
stood upwind of the jeebee commander and pointed at the left control panel.
"Could one of you men please open that up for me? There is a long blue box
inside with cables at each end. Unplug the cables and bring me the box."

I
took the box and inspected it before handing it to the Major. "This gun
will not fire without this box. It's like a key and a lock."

He
asked, "What does it do?"

"They
tried to explain it to me. All I recall is that it has something to do with
turning magnets on and off."

One
soldier asked, "So we just leave the gun here?"

"Once
you five men can lift it up, I'll bring the wagon here. Meanwhile, I will enjoy
watching you try."

"How
about your automaton?"

"I
don't interfere with him while he buries them. We can return to the exhibition
and he will follow once he finishes but we need to find shelter soon."

One
man, who was keeping watch, called to me, "Is this box over here part of
it?"

I
looked where he was and said, "No, that is my cousin's anti-flood device.
You can bet he'll be buying the first round tonight when we return with
it."

I
was feeling better. We had found both the railway gun and my cousin's
anti-flood device. I had personally killed another jeebee commander and I had
helped reduce the jeebee population by several dozen. I could tour the area
looking for any remaining jeebees while waiting for my airship to be repaired
again.

Felix
was overjoyed to see his device in the wagon. He practically ignored us as he
checked out the controls. As usual, he either talked to himself or his
inventions as he worked. He said it helped him to focus on the task. I didn't
tell him what I thought.

He
said, "We have power. Wow! We really have power now. Let's get to work and
show those clouds who's in charge."

He
was working the controls like a portrait painter. He'd make a few tweaks then
step back to inspect his work. He had reduced his speech to assorted sounds of
wonder, like what people do at a firework's display. Then he got serious and
spun a few dials and flipped a switch with a flourish. The colanders spun
around the pole. They hadn't done that at his demonstration. He was working the
controls with both hands and the colanders spun much faster. They were spinning
so fast that the air going through the tiny holes made a shrieking sound like a
hundred children trying to play the same note on toy recorders. The men covered
their ears and ran inside, but I was too fascinated to move.

Felix
was encouraging it, as if telling it to go faster would work. He tapped a
button and the pitch changed. At the same time, lightning flashed between the
dark clouds above. A moment later, I felt the thunder followed by a few
sprinkles. I pulled my goggles down so I could look up without the drops
falling into my eyes. It was a wondrous sight. With each adjustment he made,
the clouds reacted with a bolt of lightning. The image of each bolt was
fleeting, but as soon as one had faded, He created another one. The pitch and
intensity of the whistling seemed to keep rising as he worked.

Felix
took a deep breath and I noticed the clouds were not as dark as they had been.
It was as if they had lost something. It was even more enjoyable to watch the
lightning with a lighter backdrop. My eyes did not have to adjust as much to
the changes in brightness. He was making continual changes now and the sky
responded in turn. This was so much better than a fireworks display. He stopped
for a few seconds to check his work. I looked at the sky around us and was
surprised to see so few clouds remaining.

I
yelled to him, "That was wonderful! Turn it off and we can get into some
dry clothes and celebrate!"

He
yelled back, "I have to slow it down before I can stop it."

I
woke up on my back. This time it was too dark as well as too quiet. I tried to
sit up and regretted it. I got very dizzy and fell back on the bed. I heard a
muffled voice say, "Don't try to move. I'll fetch the doctor." I
didn't remember doing anything that would require a doctor. In fact, the last I
remembered I felt more alive than I'd ever felt before. I went back to sleep.

The
next time I opened my eyes, it was not dark. It was also not quiet. "Could
you keep your voices down? It must have been a wonderful party considering how
I feel."

"Never
mind the party," someone said. "You are lucky to be alive."

I
said, "I feel that way often. What makes today any different?"

Mary
said, "The doctor said you might have some memory loss. What do you
remember?"

"I
remember Felix working his machine and the storm calming. I had never seen
anything as beautiful as those lights in the heavens before."

Mary
replied, "One would think that between the two of you, there would be one
smart enough to get out of the rain during a storm. The men tell me he was
blown back from his device and you went to help him. The two of you were either
hit by a lightning bolt, or caught up by the blast when his device exploded, or
both."

"I'm
sorry to be such a nuisance. How is he feeling?"

"Much
better than you. He has some sore ribs, but is back at the castle trying to
sell the plans to his device. I guess you got the worst of it as you were
standing between him and his device when it happened."

Someone
said, "There is talk at the exhibition as to giving him an award for best
presentation."

I
said, "I think that is a wonderful idea. He should also get something
appropriate for clearing up the storm and allowing the exhibition to
continue."

"It's
obvious that you can still hear. How is your vision?" asked a man.

I
said, "If this room is full of people, then I am not seeing things. If
everyone could stop swaying, I would appreciate it. You guys are making me
dizzy."

"You
heard the lady," he said, "She would like some quiet and probably
needs some fresh air. Let's keep it down to two visitors at a time. Her
cousin's wife and I count as two, so all of you guys wait outside until I am
done examining her."

The
examination was the same as always; a bunch of poking and prodding while asking
questions. That was followed by listening to whatever they listen to with a
stethoscope. I wondered if I hummed very softly while he did that if he would
think that I had a tiny woman inside of me singing. Doctors and I seldom got
along as they would tell me not to do something shortly after I had done it. I
expected to get another lecture about standing in the rain and was not
disappointed.

He
picked up my goggles from a table and dangled them in front of me. They looked
in bad condition. "If you hadn't been wearing your goggles, you would be
sightless now. You won't be wearing these again. But needing new goggles is
better than needing new eyes, yes? God smiled on both you and your
cousin."

I
asked Mary, "How do I look?"

She
said, "You look like you always do in the morning, but that is perfectly
okay given where you are and why."

Mary
and the doctor left to let other people come in, two at a time. I had no idea
that I had acquired so many friends in the last few days. Many people that I
didn't know came in to wish me a speedy recovery. Eric came in holding a large
vase with water in it. He opened my window and stood next to it while Bradan
reached in holding a red rose and dropped it in the vase. I was laughing and
crying as they filled the vase with a dozen roses. Eric placed the vase on the
sill and I beckoned him to come close so I could hug him.

I
whispered in his ear, "Do you know what red roses mean?"

He
said, "Yes." So I kissed him full on the lips and held him close
until I had to breathe. I was feeling dizzy again but it was my own fault.

Gerald
had brought only a small flower arrangement. I said, "Thank you for the
kind thoughts. I am sorry I got mad at you yesterday. It was yesterday wasn't
it?"

"Yes,
it was yesterday," he said. "I promise you that I will have a talk
with Mr. Balfour about keeping secrets. You deserve to know everything that
happens to the railway gun now that you have rescued it twice."

"Where
is it now?"

"I
assure you it is very safe. The Major won't even tell me where it is."

I
laughed at him. "Do you remember your lesson about trusting people? I don't
think he trusts you."

I
was having a great time; meeting new people and talking with those I knew. A
nurse interrupted my flow of visitors with my dinner. She asked them to return
in an hour when I had finished. The portions on the plate were so small, it
took me less than five minutes to eat. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to sit
by myself with nothing to do for an hour. I dropped a hint to one of the men
that had been in the fighting. Shortly thereafter, Bradan was given breads,
smoked meats, and cheeses to pass through my window. I was feeling much better
and when the doctor came back, he said I was fit enough to leave after a good
night's sleep.