Brightstorm

by Vashti Hardy

  Arthur read on. After the “A” family pages came the Bafflewiffles, the Bestwick-Fords, the Blarthingtons, Bottomroys. He flipped the page quickly to the Cs. There was no mention of the Brightstorms in this book – they were too new to the scene. The usual route to becoming an explorer meant being born into a wealthy explorer family in Lontown. But their father had broken the mould. Arthur remembered the piece of paper in his iron arm that had been torn from the book. At least their family had made it into one book, and it gave him comfort to know the image of the Brightstorm Moth was there, as though their father was somehow travelling with them.

  He glanced over the next page, which was the Catmole explorers, whose symbol was a cat with a tail curled into a question mark. He rushed through their family history, then flipped the page, knowing what was coming next.

  Culpepper.

  He traced his fingers over the two birds, facing each other, dipped in flight but with eyes meeting. They were so life-like and intricately drawn. He’d never wanted to stare too long at Harriet’s tattoo – it seemed impolite – but now he could study the details of the feathers and the aerodynamic shape of the wings – which now struck him as identical to the shape of the Aurora’s wings. He read the characteristics:

  Loyal and True

  Inventive

  Bold

  It was so simple, much more so than the others, yet it summed Harriet up perfectly. He read on:

  The swallow tattoo is a symbol for everlasting love and loyalty to the family. Swallow pairs, native to the northernmost lands of the First Continent, travel long distances, only to find their way back to each other at home.

  “That’s beautiful,” he whispered.

  “Hmm?” Maudie said, again in a tone which meant she still wasn’t listening.

  The Culpeppers were one of the first to venture the enormous distance across the sea to the Second Continent. Before their expeditions, the family name was Culpiper, but was adapted with the discovery and return of the rare peppers and spices from the Second Continent which are commonplace in Lontown Society today.

  No wonder the maps of the Second Continent he’d seen on the ship were so incredibly detailed.

  He carried on through the explorer names, and by the time the sun dipped on the horizon through the small portal window of the library, he had almost reached the end of the alphabet. Although he was squinting to read, he didn’t want to stop to light a lamp because the next name was Vane. He remembered seeing Madame Vane’s family symbol when she’d visited them in their attic room. Now he could see the details of this strange creature. A serpent with claws clutching a suspended ring. At the bottom of the ring was a rose and inside the ring, on top of the rose a great winged insect was poised. It was a strange mixture of something strong and beautiful. He read the characteristics:

  Kind

  Courageous

  Wise

  The adjustable vane-like tips give the serpent absolute precision in flight and the ability to out-fly smaller prey. One of the most longstanding explorer families in Lontown, their reputation was made with the discovery of the East Insulae, where the precious and valuable pink dye (in Lontown known as Rosea) originated from the huge, endangered beetles named the Rosa Scarabaeus, found living on one of the islands.

  He looked at the symbol again – there was something bothering him about the illustration, but he couldn’t work out what.

  Maudie tapped his shoulder and he jumped. “Come on, you can’t read in this light and Welby will be looking for us if we don’t do the evening checks soon.”

  He placed the green ribbon in the page and placed it back on the shelf.

  “What are you frowning about?” Maudie asked.

  “Something; I can’t put my finger on it.”

  At that moment, Welby whipped the door open and dangled his pocket watch before them.

  “We know,” said Maudie, pulling Arthur along the corridor. Then she whispered, “That man can sure say a lot with his eyebrows.”

  CHAPTER 14

  THE EXPLORER’S

  JOURNAL

  The following afternoon, Felicity taught Arthur to make egg-free marsh cakes. As soon as Felicity had found out about his allergy, she’d begun creating all manner of foods free from the ship’s store of egg powder. The marsh cakes were her latest experiment and were green as the North Swampland because of the pinch of bog herb, and a strange mix of sweet and savoury.

  Arthur munched as he looked through the large binoscope on the bow, scanning the horizon. He could see the Fontaine, but the other two ships were out of range.

  “Boo! Made you jump!”

  Without looking up, he passed Maudie a marsh cake. “No, you didn’t; I heard you coming a mile off.”

  “Ew, this looks weird.”

  “Trust me, you’ll want to try it.”

  She took a reluctant nibble and a huge smile broadened on her face. “Have you got any more?”

  He passed her another. “Why didn’t you come to the galley for elevenses?”

  “Harriet was showing me how to lock in the turbine for a water change.”

  “Riveting.” He yawned dramatically.

  “It was riveting, actually. At least fifteen rivets along the engine block seam.” She punched his iron arm so it rang.

  He shook his head and smiled, then focused on the distance again.

  “Can you see the others?

  “The Fontaine isn’t far ahead.”

  “What about the Bestwick-Ford ship?”

  “It’s actually called the Fire-Bird, after a mythical bird of the East. They claim to be the only humans to have encountered one. And no, I can’t see it.”

  “And the Victorious?”

  He shook his head. “Long gone.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” she said knowingly.

  He put the binoscope down and looked at her. “Why?”

  “Well, if you paid any attention to the things I try to teach you…”

  “Tell me and I’ll give you another marsh cake.”

  Maudie smiled. “It’s the type of engine power each ship has. The Fontaine is small and Harriet says it will never make the crossing to the Third Continent. She said the two smaller ships are naïve about the distance they need to cover. Also, the Bestwick-Ford’s Fire-Bird has triple engines and is what Forbes calls ‘a right pitch guzzler’. Eudora Vane’s ship is big and fast, and she also relies on heavy amounts of pitch to drive her pumps, but her stores are bigger. So far, the Victorious has been pushed hard, to get ahead of the competition. I’ve completed the calculations.” She pulled out a piece of paper with scribbles and symbols all over it.

  He shrugged. “It’s like a different language.”

  She tutted, tugged him towards the wheel, pulled a map from the stand and spread it on the deck. She pointed to Lontown. “Here the Victorious is fully loaded with fuel – she’s heavy and pushing her engines to full power, so she’s speeding off ahead, but still within our sight.”

  Arthur nodded.

  “When they reach the Culldam Sea they’ve burned half their fuel. They’re much lighter, but their engines are still running at maximum, so they are going even faster.” She whooshed her finger across the sea to the Second Continent. “Based on size, capacity, estimated weight, speed and so on, at the rate Eudora is pushing the Victorious, they’ll need to refuel in the Citadel of the Second Continent. The Fontaine and Fire-Bird will have to refuel before that and they’ll soon fall behind. From the Citadel, the Victorious will push on to the southernmost point of the Second Continent, the Last Post, and refuel again if they can, so they’ll be heading across the Silent Sea on a full tank. Are you following?”

  “Surely this is bad news for us? With a full tank, they’ll speed across the Third Continent.” He ran his finger across the great white expanse and stopped at the area marked Unknown where huge mountains were in a semi-circle around an enormous frozen lake.

  “Right – except you’re forgetting one crucial thing
.”

  Their eyes met. “What?”

  “They’ve got to make it back. There’s no pitch to buy in the Third Continent. They’ll have to cut their speed as they advance or they’ll burn their fuel store too quickly and be stranded.”

  “Ha, right! You’re a genius, Maud.”

  “Not really, Harriet helped me. I’ve calculated they’ll have to halve their speed, which means we’ll catch them up and take over right about…” Maudie ran her finger across the map and then tapped on the area on the Third Continent. “We maintain the steady pace, take over and reach the great frozen lake of the Third Continent first – that’s as far as anyone has gone before. Then we find a way to get past the shard mountains. Harriet has a secret idea, based on how the Vane expedition described the mountains in their report to the Geographical Society. She suspects they may be a certain type of ancient volcanic formation with tunnels that cross through, much like the ancient volcanic islands in the north, known as the Big Four, which she explored a few years ago. We travel through the mountains and get to South Polaris first!”

  “But doesn’t the water of the Aurora engine need changing – what if we can’t make it back and all the water is frozen over?”

  “So, you have been listening,” she said with a satisfied smirk. “We’re heading across a land of snow, but the frozen lake is full of cracks and shifts. We’ll send our pipes down into one of the gaps, so water won’t be a problem.”

  “Oh, of course,” he said.

  “Why are you two snickering so excitedly?” said Felicity. She tottered across the deck and set down a tea tray rattling with china cups and a teapot. “There you are, my poppets.” She took a handful of marsh cakes from her apron and put them on the tray. Maudie quickly grabbed two, then looked a bit sheepish and handed one to Arthur.

  Harriet left the wheel to another crew member and joined them, followed by Queenie, who curled up at Maudie’s feet and purred happily while Maudie stroked her chin. Parthena swooped from the sky and landed on Arthur’s extended iron arm.

  Queenie hissed at her, then went back to purring. Parthena gave an irritated screech.

  Harriet laughed. “Perhaps they’ll grow on each other!”

  “It’s funny, Arty, but Parthena always chooses to come to you, just like she did Dad.”

  Arthur smiled. It somehow made him feel closer to Dad.

  “So, forgive the pun, but have you brought your brother up to speed?” Harriet said.

  Maudie nodded.

  Taking a pencil from behind her ear, Harriet drew an X on the edge of the area marked Everlasting Forest. “This is about where we’ll set down when we reach the frozen lake. The last expedition reported a great semi-circle of mountains, impassable by sky-ship because of the close density, sheer faces and height – the balloon can’t take the expansion at that altitude.”

  “They make the northeast mountains of the First Continent look like babies,” Felicity added, taking off her great shoes and wiggling her toes in the sun.

  “So that’s where Dad’s ship might still be?”

  “We may certainly pass it, although who knows what the elements will have done to it.” Harriet put a hand on his shoulder.

  Felicity poured the tea. “Sweet and strong for what’s ahead, dearies.”

  “By Maudie’s calculations, if the wind is favourable, we should reach there a day and a half ahead of the Victorious.” Harriet smiled and walked her fingers across the frozen lake to the mountains, as though it would be the easiest thing.

  “Oh, I nearly forgot. I have something for you, Arthur.” Harriet took out a brown leather book. “I thought this could be your explorer’s journal. Every expedition must keep rigorous records, and it’s good training to get you into the habit.”

  The Culpepper swallow symbol was embossed in silver on the front. Arthur smiled and ran his fingers across it. “Thank you, Harriet.”

  “Our priority is to reach South Polaris, of course, but I want you to write everything about the journey so far, and continue to record thoughts and observations as we progress – as well as a record of our journey – it could prove useful in a trial back in Lontown, if your father’s case gets reopened. You never know what might prove to be important later.”

  Felicity clapped her hands together. “Well, this is exciting. I knew the moment I read the papers something didn’t fit – I felt it in my feet, you see.” She turned to Harriet as though it needed explanation. “It’s a tingling sensation I get across the sole when things aren’t right. Like if I bake a bad muffin.”

  Harriet laughed.

  “I don’t think you could ever bake a bad muffin!” Arthur said.

  Felicity’s cheeks flushed like the rising sun and she smiled widely. “Always room for improvement, I say.”

  “Not with your cooking, Miss Wiggety, it really is the best in Lontown,” said Harriet.

  Felicity wiggled her toes.

  Harriet passed Arthur her pencil. “Maudie, if you can check the water levels, and Arthur, write as much as you can before we reach the Citadel, which won’t be long – I see a line on the horizon.”

  They rushed to the side of the ship. Below, the sea twinkled with sunlight, and ahead a thin band of russet coast, the first thing they’d seen other than water and sky in two weeks – the Second Continent.

  CHAPTER 15

  DESERT SANDS

  They landed on the rusty red coastline of the Second Continent and replenished the water for the turbines. After so long in flight, it felt strange to be on solid ground once more – Arthur’s body still wanted to sway with the undulations of wind and air. He looked around in wonder at the strange, warm, rocky landscape surrounding them. He bent and picked a handful of the gritty reddish-brown sand and the thrill of being somewhere new rushed through him, taking him by surprise. He’d been so intent on thinking about what may have happened to Dad, that he hadn’t allowed himself to properly enjoy the idea that they were also on an expedition. Every day had brought new, amazing sights, and the more he saw the more he wanted. The Wide was so much bigger than he’d ever imagined.

  Not wanting to lose any time, the Aurora soon took flight again. As they flew inland, the rocky coast gave way to vast green plains. From time to time, they saw clusters of round white huts with roofs piping smoke through the tops. Groups of people rode together on horseback, herding cattle and sheep. There were patches of forest where Arthur caught sight of wild boar. Sometimes Harriet flew the Aurora low, and members of the crew would throw down sweets made by Felicity to the sun-blushed children who ran below them on the green open spaces, waving, smiling and calling up to them. Further south were rocky outcrops populated by herds of goats, great curled horns crowning their heads. Arthur saw some on the sheer rock faces, scurrying up as easily as if the steep walls were flat on the ground.

  Two days into the Second Continent, they passed the Fontaine heading back north. They sent over a carrier pigeon with a note: She had a damaged propeller and had sustained a leak in the fuel tank and needed to make repairs that would be too costly in time. They would just make it back to the coast then would need to sail their ship the old way, over the Culldam Sea.

  “One down, two to go,” Harriet said when they’d continued.

  Over the next week, Harriet flew them further south, veering a little to the west where she showed them stone dwellings in the hills. They stopped briefly at a place called Dueldor – a city over a thousand years old, entirely carved from soft stone. Everybody lived in caves with small windows in the hillside. Some of the people were wary, but Harriet could speak the language as though it was her own, and they were soon welcomed. They replenished their water from the great city wells before flying onwards.

  Over the coming days, the land became drier. They saw a creature that Gilly the botanist identified as a sand bear, a slow lolling beast meandering peacefully across the land. There were certainly fewer people in the Second Continent than the First, and many more animals roaming free than
on farms in the towns around Lontown. They saw fewer settlements over the desert plains, but Harriet explained that was because the conditions were tough mid-continent and most lived in the Citadel further south, where the plains ended. They were heading there to fully replenish supplies and stop for an evening meal. Arthur was pleased, as no dinner onboard meant he had some free time in the late afternoon – and the heat had become unbearable in the galley.

  Arthur lounged on the deck in the shade of the balloon, welcoming the slight drop in temperature and the breeze. He watched Harriet at the wheel as Welby scanned the horizon with the binoscope.

  “I can’t spend another moment near the engine. If Cranken or Forbes come looking for me, tell them I died of heatstroke,” Maudie said, collapsing beside Arthur.

  “It won’t last. Felicity says a storm’s coming. She felt it in her toes.”

  “Well, who could argue with that?” Maudie looked doubtfully at the cloudless sky.

  “I think Welby’s sun-baked into a statue. He hasn’t moved for the last five minutes,” Arthur said. But at that moment, Welby called to Harriet, who joined him. He gestured below and they swapped the binoscope between them a couple of times.

  “What do you think they’ve seen?”

  “Right now, I’m hoping it’s a block of ice the size of a city.” Maudie yawned.

  “I’m going to find out.” Arthur pushed himself up and sidled close enough to overhear what they were saying.

  “Drop altitude, we need to get lower to be sure,” Harriet said.

  “We shouldn’t stop until the Citadel, Harrie. If we get involved in business that’s no concern of ours, it could delay us – we have a tight schedule, and Cranken says the water in the engine is evaporating at an alarming rate in this heat.”

  “Hush, Welby, you know very well that if there’s someone in trouble down there we have no choice but to help, whatever that does to our expedition schedule.”