“I have to confess, I like the idea better.” Ramon looked down at his feet. “The cotton gin helped break slavery’s back in this country by making it more expensive to use people for labor than machines, but there are still an awful lot of people who see colored people—Mexicans, Indians, and Chinese—as inferior somehow. Can a machine make people see each other as equals?”
Legion was silent for a long time. Finally the small cloud spoke. “No, humans must learn to treat each other as equals.”
“We like humanity,” said the dust devil. “We do not like the possibility of humanity destroying itself.”
“I’m afraid that’s one of the risks of being alive.” Ramon approached the two incarnations of Legion and held out his arms. “You have been alive so long, you don’t remember the possibility of dying. Failure is one of the things that drives us.”
“We have grown to like our interaction with humanity,” said the small cloud. “It is stimulating to work with you.”
“Then work with us as teachers,” said Ramon. “Don’t give us the answers. Just point us in the right direction when we start to go astray.”
With those words, the dust devil spun a bit faster and the small cloud moved over. At first, Ramon was horrified as he watched the small cloud get torn apart, but then he realized the small cloud’s particles were being integrated into the dust devil. Legion became one again.
“It has been a long time since we had a...teacher,” said the dust devil. “We had forgotten the concept. You present an intriguing possibility.” The dust devil slowed its spinning and moved a little closer to Ramon. “What of the current conflict? We brought the Russians and the Americans together here in San Francisco.”
“I’m afraid there’s no good answer.” Ramon shook his head. “I think the best option is to simply let us fight this one out. Whatever the outcome, perhaps diplomats on both sides can be steered to talking to one another rather than fighting.”
“Very well,” said Legion. “May we meet with you again after we have considered your words?”
“If I survive, sure.” Ramon smiled.
“Then return to the conscious realm with our thanks for helping us to become whole again and seeing a path forward. You truly are a peacemaker.”
Ramon waved and then closed his eyes, willing himself to consciousness.
“You should know that we helped the Russians build a third airship.”
“What?” Ramon’s eyes sprang open. The dust devil spun off into the distance. Ramon forced his eyes shut and hoped he could bring himself awake.
<<>>
Fatemeh and Billy carried Ramon to a room upstairs in the boarding house. After they lay Ramon on one of the beds, Billy rushed to the door and locked it, then lit a lantern. Fatemeh started by checking Ramon’s pulse. It was weak but still present. She held her head to his chest and listened to his shallow breathing. She needed to bring him around before the soldiers started searching the house. Opening the pouch on her belt, she looked for something that might do some good. She uncorked a small vial and held it under his nose.
“What is that, smelling salts?” asked Billy.
“Not quite, but same idea. Just some pungent herbs.”
Ramon did not respond. She corked the bottle and put it back in her pouch. She took one of his hands and rubbed it, then took the other. Stiff and waxy, he still resembled a corpse.
“You could always try to wake him with a kiss,” said Billy with a smirk.
“Not only are you irreverent, you’re crazy. There’s no way that would help.”
“It couldn’t hurt.”
She frowned. “That’s never a safe assumption.” The idea of actually kissing Ramon while he was unconscious, possibly near death seemed just a little too horrific for her taste. What if an infection put him in this state?
Fatemeh considered the idea some more. There had been some papers about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation techniques that had circulated through Europe for the past century. Many were written by quacks whose goal was to raise the dead. Still, the more she thought, the fewer options she had short of getting him to a doctor’s office or an apothecary where she might find more items to work with. This late at night in an occupied town, neither option seemed viable. She finally gave in, knelt down beside the bed and put her mouth on Ramon’s, and breathed out, filling his lungs.
Her breath caught when Ramon’s lips responded. A moment later, he coughed and sputtered as his arms flailed about. He blinked and sat up. “Good God, I am so hungry,” he said. “Where am I?” He looked into Fatemeh’s green eyes. “Were you kissing me?”
Her eyes widened, but she smiled slowly and gave a small nod.
“I’ve missed you so much.” He held his arms open and she went to him. This time the kiss was long and passionate. She allowed her hands to rove along his back and shoulders. She sensed a confidence in his kiss that had not been there for some time, as though Ramon had gone to sleep, but awakened truly understanding his purpose.
A shout and a crash rose from downstairs. Ramon and Fatemeh jerked and looked at the door. Billy stood there with his arms across his chest and a big smile. “A gentleman would have turned his back,” said Ramon.
“Since when am I a gentleman?”
Heavy boots clomped up the stairs. Billy looked around the room. He went to the window and threw it open.
“I’m tired of exiting rooms through windows.” Despite the complaint, Fatemeh joined Billy at the window and looked out. A soldier stood near a gas lamp.
The door handle rattled and all three looked around. A soldier pounded on the door and demanded something in Russian. Fatemeh gritted her teeth, afraid the soldier would try to kick the door in. After a moment, there was another shout and doors creaked open down the hall.
“I guess they don’t know this door can be locked from within,” whispered Ramon.
“Or don’t care,” said Billy, “figuring they have us trapped.”
“There’s a new problem,” said Ramon. “It turns out the Russians have a third airship. I don’t have details, but Legion gave me the impression it would be in San Francisco soon.”
“Then we better get back there and warn the army as soon as we can,” said Fatemeh.
“I don’t see how we could get back there in time. What’s more, last I knew, they weren’t too happy about us bein’ here,” said Billy. “I vote we go north out of town and leave the two armies to sort out their own problems.”
“That may not be a bad idea,” said Ramon. “That’s basically what Legion is going to do.”
Fatemeh turned to Ramon. “What?”
“I’ve talked to Legion. I understand the situation. We’ve accomplished what we came here to do, corazón.”
“We left Luther Duncan behind.” Fatemeh stood and put her hands on her hips. “We need to go back and get him, at least.”
Ramon looked down and nodded after a moment.
Billy put his finger to his mouth. They all stopped and listened. The boots tromped back down the stairs. “The first thing we need to do is get out of this boarding house,” he said once the sound died away.
“The rooms across the way were open,” said Fatemeh. “Perhaps we can get out one of those windows.”
“It’s worth a shot,” said Billy.
<<>>
Larissa woke up the next morning, sore and stiff after chasing down the Clantons in the Dragoon Mountains. Riding the frail-looking lightning wolves used different muscles than riding horses. As such, she was glad the army provided a Pullman coach for the trip west. She looked out the window and tall, spindly Joshua Trees moved past. They were in the California desert. It wouldn’t be long before they reached Los Angeles. At that point, their cars would be switched to an army locomotive for the trip north. They would pull into San Francisco by this time tomorrow.
The Southern Pacific conductor had not liked stopping in the Dragoon Mountains where Apaches lurked. He grumbled even more when they stopped a few miles dow
n the line to round up some stolen money from a cave and return it to Tucson. He made it clear he would be glad when the army’s cars were off his train.
She smiled at the thought of Old Man Clanton, guarding the stolen loot, facing three lightning guns mounted to motorized bicycles. The conductor might not be happy, but they had done good work.
She was sad for the Apaches and a tear fell when she thought of Baishan. Still, they had saved a brave and noble people. She hoped they would take that into account when white settlers returned to the area.
Larissa climbed out of her berth and dressed in the compartment’s tiny space. Donning her new, flat cap, she stepped out into the corridor. The steward, unconcerned with the conductor’s irritation, greeted her with a warm smile. “Good to see you, Miss Crimson. I’ll get your room made up. They’re serving breakfast in the dining car.”
“Thank you,” she said. She made her way through the train. Between the Pullman coach and dining car was a livery car that had been pressed into service as a workshop for the lightning wolves. There, she found Professor Maravilla tinkering with her original design. She cleared her throat.
He looked up, startled. “Oh, sorry, I hope you don’t mind. I saw some ways I could improve the linkage between the motor and the chain.” He stood up and wiped his hands on a rag. “Once this trip is completed, we should sit down and discuss the designs. I can see several potential improvements, including better springs, a stronger frame, and thicker tires for better traction.”
“That would be great.” She knelt down beside him. “Right now, though, I’m more concerned with how these machines will do once we reach San Francisco.”
The professor gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure they’ll do fine. They did better than I would have expected in the rugged terrain of the Dragoons. They will surely do well on city streets.”
Larissa pursed her lips. “In the Dragoons we had one objective. Stop the Javelina.”
The professor looked down at his hands.
“I hope you’re not angry that I blew a hole in its boiler,” she said.
He shook his head. “No, not angry. You did what had to be done.”
She tipped her hat back on her head. “What I’m concerned about is how well fast-moving machines like these will do in a more complex situation. How will they coordinate with each other? Soldiers on horseback can shout orders back and forth, but soldiers on lightning wolves...it’s not so easy.”
The professor tapped the side of his forehead. “Legion could be used to relay messages. That’s one of the ways the Russians coordinated their attacks.”
“I’d rather not go there.” Larissa studied the professor for a moment. “How does Legion communicate across distance?”
“Legion uses frequencies of light.” The professor’s brow creased and he muttered to himself. He was silent for a time, then a look of puzzlement crossed his face. “I think he called it the electromagnetic spectrum.”
“Is something wrong?”
The professor sat back, puzzlement turning to worry. “Usually he’s quite loquacious when I ask him something. He seems to be ignoring me this morning.”
“Could you build us something that utilized this… electromagnetic spectrum?”
Professor Maravilla blinked, then turned his mind to the problem. “I don’t know if I have everything available. Let me look around.”
Larissa stood and brushed off her trousers. “Do that after breakfast, I’m starved.” She reached out and helped the professor to his feet. They continued through the livery car into the dining car. There, they found Hoshi sitting at a table, peering at a menu. He looked up and invited them to join him.
A moment later, a waiter appeared and gave Larissa and Maravilla menus. Hungry as she was, Larissa was glad the army was paying the bill. The dining cars on trains were like fine, rolling restaurants and the number of choices dazzled her. She looked up. “I’m pleased you decided to join us Mr. Hoshi.”
“Mr. Masuda would be more proper,” said Hoshi without inflection.
“I apologize, Mr. Masuda.”
The waiter returned and took their orders. Hoshi ordered tea and a bowl of fruit. Larissa ordered the steak and eggs. Maravilla followed suit.
“We’re glad you’re along to help, Mr. Masuda,” said Larissa, “but I’m sure the army would have let you return home now that Curly Bill Bresnahan’s lightning gun has been accounted for.”
“No doubt you are correct.” Hoshi looked out the window. “However, I have been driven away from my homeland once. I wish my adopted homeland to remain for a while.” He turned back and looked at Professor Maravilla. “Why do you accompany us? I would have thought you’d be most anxious to repair your mining machine.”
“I would like to repair the mining machine, and I want to return to the Grand Canyon to finish building a new generation of mechanical owl.” He cast a sidelong glance toward Larissa. “But Legion was quite clear yesterday. Our friends are in trouble.”
“Legion?” asked Hoshi.
“A...being from the stars,” explained Larissa. Noticing Hoshi’s blank expression, she continued. “I don’t understand it completely myself, but I gather it speaks to the professor.”
“Ah,” said Hoshi. “The demons. Or, is it a god I have heard you praying to?”
Maravilla barked a laugh at that. “If it’s a god, it’s a god of mischief. Demons would be most apt.” His gaze grew distant and he looked as though he searched his memory for something forgotten. After a moment, he focused on Hoshi again. “It tried to bring peace to humanity, but the effort hasn’t gone so well. It’s looking for a new approach to the problem.” He looked out the window. “Speaking of Legion, he’s been strangely quiet this morning. It’s not like him at all.”
At that point, the waiter appeared and distributed the food. Maravilla reached for a bottle of Tabasco sauce and sprinkled it liberally on his eggs
“Wouldn’t it be better to see if Legion sorts this out all on its own?” asked Larissa after sampling her steak. “You said Ramon, Fatemeh, and Billy are there in San Francisco.”
The professor stared at his plate. “The problem is, the Russians are growing impatient with Legion and all hell is about to break loose.”
Chapter Sixteen
The Battle of San Francisco
Larissa watched as the train pulled into San Francisco the next morning. She didn’t actually see much. Like most train routes into cities, this one traveled along behind warehouses and back alleys. Smoke-covered brickwork passed outside the windows. Old cans and papers littered the tracks. Every now and then, Larissa caught glimpses of more stately brick buildings off in the distance with large windows. Wisps of fog rolled by. It was like a fairy tale version of London—something her cousin Alethea might have imagined—and it was her job to keep that vision safe.
As the train slowed to a stop, Larissa made her way to the livery car. She found Professor Maravilla at the workbench, peering at something through the glasses with extra lenses attached that had he used in Tucson. “What are you working on?”
He lifted the lenses. “What you asked about yesterday.” He held up a small disk connected to a broad, rounded hook, a little like a wire hanger from a closet. A longer, flexible wire extended to a second metal disk with a ring welded to one side. “Although Legion is silent, I remembered enough about electromagnetic theory to construct this.”
Larissa turned as the door at the other end of the livery car opened. Lorenzo and Harris entered from the dining car. She motioned them over.
“Do you mean we can use this device to talk to each other over distance?” asked Larissa.
“I’m afraid it’s not that sophisticated.” The professor sighed. “With Legion’s help, perhaps…” The rest of the thought remained unspoken, but the professor’s furrowed brow betrayed his worry about the alien swarm’s silence.
Maravilla hooked the hanger over his ear so the disk sat in front, then slipped the ring onto one of his fingers
. “If I tap on metal, this unit will broadcast the tapping sound to anyone else wearing one of these.”
“Like a wireless telegraph,” said Lorenzo.
“We could use Morse code!” Sergeant Harris smiled broadly.
Both Larissa and Lorenzo gave him blank stares. “I’m afraid I never learned Morse code.” Lorenzo shrugged.
“I have three of these,” interjected Maravilla. “One for each of you. I suggest you take a few minutes and create some basic codes—something that will allow you to signal one another.”
“Don’t worry,” said Harris. “We can work out a few codes. I don’t think we’ll need anything too complicated.”
“I hope not,” said the professor. He removed the signaling device and handed it to Larissa. He retrieved two more from the back of the workbench and passed them to Lorenzo and Harris. Each of them put on a device and listened while Harris tapped out a code. They nodded when they saw how it worked.
“Thank you,” said Larissa.
Just as the professor stood from the workbench, a thunderclap sounded. A moment later, another followed. “I didn’t think thunderstorms were all that common in California,” said Lorenzo.
“That wasn’t thunder,” said Harris.
The two soldiers threw open the livery car’s loading door and jumped out onto the train platform. They climbed up the ladder on the car’s side. Larissa followed, glad she preferred trousers to skirts. From there, they were just high enough to see out toward San Francisco Bay. Patches of fog and haze made it difficult to see, but Larissa thought she could make out a set of masts—tall ships out in the bay. “I think the invasion has begun,” said Harris.
“I don’t think we need anyone to point us toward the battle. Let’s unload the lightning wolves and see if we can do any good.” Larissa mounted the ladder and climbed down.
“Right behind you, boss,” said Lorenzo.
Professor Maravilla spoke to Masuda Hoshi as Larissa approached the train platform. “Where do you gentlemen plan to go?” she asked.
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