For Steam and Country: Book One of the Adventures of Baron Von Monocle

by Jon Del Arroz

  I tried to speak, but she had instilled enough fear into me that I couldn’t do much but chatter my teeth. I nodded hastily.

  “Good. Best of luck to you both. See you on the other side,” Captain von Cravat said. She ran for a group of trees to our left and faded into the forest.

  “She sure makes decisions quickly and is good at hiding,” I said, trying to ascertain where she went.

  “Talyen is one of the finest officers Rislandia’s ever had,” Mr. du Gearsmith agreed. “Now no more mention of her. I’m going to restart the horseless carriage.”

  Mr. du Gearsmith stood and stepped over the center console to the driver’s side one leg at a time. He settled himself into his seat, bracing his descent with an arm on the steering wheel. With the turn of a key, the horseless carriage engine whirred back on, steam puffing upward into the night air.

  The carriage nudged forward, bouncing on the rock-filled road through the forest. Within moments, the Wyranth soldiers appeared ahead, just as Captain von Cravat had warned.

  The soldiers’ uniforms were far more ornate than their Rislandian counterparts. The base garments were a drab gray, but with a golden belt that wrapped around, forming two snake heads that bit each other at the clasp. Around their necks, metal guards clasped and covered the top buttons of their coats. Their heads stayed protected by hard shells, again with a metal line clasped by snakes, adorned by a golden point.

  Their uniforms alone inspired awe, but the fact that they stared, shouted, and drew their guns washed away any interest I held in their attire. My heart thundered. No one had ever drawn a gun on me before. I didn’t know how to react and forgot to breathe for several moments.

  “Don’t worry, Miss von Monocle. Follow my lead and let me do the talking,” Mr. du Gearsmith said, remaining focused straight ahead of him.

  The carriage slowed and we approached the soldiers. One of them stepped to the side and leaned onto the driver’s door. A scraggly beard protruded from his chin. It may have been a trick of the light, but his eyes seemed unnaturally dark, pupils fuller than normal. “What do we have here? This is quite the expensive vehicle. We may have to commandeer it for the service of the Iron Emperor,” the bearded soldier said.

  One of the other soldiers patted his pistol in his palm as if to lend his companion credence. They wanted to steal the carriage? These soldiers were no better than ruffians! I clenched my fists but remembered what Captain von Cravat said and bit my tongue.

  Mr. du Gearsmith remained calm and held his hands above his head to show he was no threat. “Gentlemen, I would certainly wish to assist with your demands, but please, would you hear me out before taking such an action?”

  The bearded soldier narrowed his eyes. “Continue.”

  The third soldier fumbled with a vial, which contained a blue, glowing liquid. He popped the stopper, which fell onto the road in front of us. “Oh no,” the soldier said, bending and running his hand across the ground in front of him to try to find it.

  Mr. du Gearsmith stayed silent while the other soldiers turned to see what was happening with their companion.

  “What did you do, Corporal?” the bearded soldier asked, sounding irritated.

  “I lost my ether stopper. It’s too dark. I can’t see!” He sounded alarmed.

  The soldier holding the gun pulled his own vial from a pocket. “Here, you can pour your unused ether into mine.”

  The corporal searched the ground awhile longer, and then returned to his feet. “Doesn’t seem like there’s much of a choice.” He tilted his head back and dropped a small amount of the liquid from the vial onto his tongue, then handed the vial to his colleague.

  The corporal shook. He grinned in as eerie a manner as I’ve ever seen. His eyes had an almost glowing quality to them. “Better,” he said.

  The other soldier carefully poured the remaining ether into his own vial and sealed it with his stopper. He held up the vial to show the corporal, then tucked it into his pocket.

  Mr. du Gearsmith gulped. “Is something the matter, sirs?”

  The bearded soldier’s eyes widened and embarrassment crossed his face. “No, nothing to concern yourself with, Rislandian.” Mechanically, he drew his gun and leveled it at Mr. du Gearsmith’s head.

  Mr. du Gearsmith didn’t flinch, didn’t breathe, but kept his eyes trained ahead, hands on the steering wheel.

  The bearded soldier paused in a strange manner, as if his entire body shut down and then righted itself. He glanced down the road. “I’ve decided to be lenient with you, considering you have a girl child. You may continue with your vehicle. Remember the Iron Emperor’s mercy.”

  Mr. du Gearsmith bowed his head and tipped his hat toward the bearded soldier. “I will, thank you very much. My…daughter and I appreciate it. Have a good night, gentlemen.”

  We continued down the road at a slow pace, to be sure not to alarm the soldiers as to anything out of the ordinary. Once we were certain we were no longer within their field of vision, Mr. du Gearsmith shifted a lever to increase the carriage’s speed.

  “A gun. That soldier pointed a gun at us!” I said, hand clutching my chest. The small comfort of reacting to the situation provided me with immense relief.

  “Your first time then?” Mr. du Gearsmith asked. He didn’t appear in the least bit flustered.

  “James has accidentally turned his hunting rifle in my direction several times, but that’s not the same by any means. I can’t say I’d want to have that experience again anytime soon.”

  “I hope you won’t have to.”“What was that blue, glowing liquid?” I asked, turning my head to see behind us. By now, darkness had overtaken the road and forest, but I still feared one of those soldiers jumping from behind us and grabbing me.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The person I’d ask about such things in ordinary circumstances would be your father. He’s seen many wonders, far and wide,” Mr. du Gearsmith said. “We’ll have to report this to King Malaky. It could be crucial intelligence.”

  “But how are we going to get all the way to the capital? Especially with those soldiers guarding the road back?”

  “Wait and see, Miss von Monocle. Wait and see.”

  Night blanketed Loveridge in deep darkness by the time we arrived. I sat on the edge of my seat, trying to get a good view of the city. Aside from a couple of lamps, I could only see silhouettes of buildings and a few late night stragglers walking through the street. Hardly the bustling city I had envisioned on the drive.

  Mr. du Gearsmith continued driving through the town and back into the forest that surrounded it.

  “Aren’t we supposed to stop in Loveridge?” I asked, pointing my thumb back the direction we came.

  “Our destination lies soon ahead,” Mr. du Gearsmith said ominously.

  True enough to his word, we parked against a high wall outside the city. The wall stood much too tall for me to see beyond in the dark, though it arced outward over my head. Long boards lined it in horizontal stripes, an odd construction. I did notice long, brass piping protruding from the side of the boards about two stories above me. The piping looked oddly familiar to me.

  Several carriage lengths away from us, a ramp descended from the wall. The ramp wasn’t quite large enough for our horseless carriage to drive through, but three people could walk on it and be comfortable. Mr. du Gearsmith opened his door and stood, straightening his coat. “We’re here,” he said and gazed toward the wall as if it were an incredible work of art.

  I twisted the handle to my own door, which popped open after a jiggle. I braced myself on the frame of the carriage, unable to keep my balance after the long and bumpy ride. After I regained my bearings, I followed Mr. du Gearsmith toward the ramp. A lone figure stood at the top, a dark silhouette surrounded by the light from the other side.

  Mr. du Gearsmith waved at the figure. “Marina! I’ve brought Zaira von Monocle,” he said, trudging forward.

  I kept pace with him. Marina de
scended the ramp.

  Marina wore the same black uniform with purple stripes as Captain von Cravat. A small pin of red and gold rested below her angelic wings and Crown of Malaky pendant. She had beautiful, flowing red hair and the lightest of freckles below her hazel eyes. I almost missed the hand she extended before me. “How do you do? Lieutenant Commander Marina Willett, at your service.”

  I took her hand a little more strongly than she expected. People who didn’t know farm girls firsthand tended to underestimate my strength. I couldn’t help but smirk when she recoiled. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Zaira.”

  Mr. du Gearsmith tapped his foot on the bottom of the ramp. “Is Harkerpal here as well?” he asked Marina.

  She shook her head. “He’s gone to get parts for his repairs. I think he mentioned something called a Giffard capacitor. You know Harkerpal.” Marina shrugged.

  That evoked a laugh from Mr. du Gearsmith. “Indeed I do.”

  “What is this place? Is this what you were going to show me? My father had some big log fort outside Loveridge?” I shook my head with confusion.

  Mr. du Gearsmith wrapped one arm around my shoulder, motioning to the entirety of the large wall before me with his other hand. “No, my dear, this isn’t a fort at all. This is the Liliana. She is your father’s claim to fame.”

  My eyes widened. I recalled where I’d seen that brass piping before — up in the sky. “This is an airship!” I said.

  “The Rislandia Kingdom’s most infamous airship at that,” Mr. du Gearsmith said. “But how do you know what one looks like? Did your father fly her home?”

  I couldn’t believe this airship belonged to my father. The curvature of the hull took on a new beauty for me, enough that I was unable to focus on Mr. du Gearsmith’s words. I reached out and touched it, the old wood rough against my fingertips. The grain prickled my fingers as I ran my hand across it. This was how my father used to travel around the world. This was the reason he’d left my mother and me alone for so long. “Yes, he said it was the Grand Rislandian Army’s ship. I thought they were just dropping him off. And I saw one overhead, just today. This…this was his?”

  My father hadn’t told me much about his career over the years. His dresser drawer contained several medals, which I found when I snooped in his room, having lost hope in the idea that he would return home. All of these supposed adventures only served to make me seem uneducated. I didn’t know the first thing about my own family. I suppose he wanted to insulate me, allow me to live a normal life. I’d never had the opportunity to ask. If that had been his plan, it’d been a bad one. With no parents to guide me, little I did in my life could be considered normal.

  “Pardon,” Marina asked. Her eyes lit up with concern. “You said you saw an airship overhead, today?”

  Her words brought me back to ground. I shrugged at her. “That’s right. It appeared after the earthquake in my village. Do you think it could have caused such a thing?”

  Mr. du Gearsmith grimaced. “Are you certain, Miss von Monocle? What you claim to have seen is an impossibility.”

  “I know what I saw.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I’d had enough of his routine of doubting my word.

  Marina scanned us, her face paling as the friction between Mr. du Gearsmith and I escalated. “We can talk about that later. Would you like to know anything about the Liliana?”

  I stared at Mr. du Gearsmith, not ready to back down. Doubt my word, would he? The urgency in Marina’s eyes calmed me, however. She had the right of matters. I glanced back upward and tried to calm myself. “How does this fly? It looks heavy.”

  Marina pointed above the top of the wooden siding. It took some focus to see it in the night sky, but two towers protruded upward, each with long flaps that curved to the side. “You see those large poles?”

  “I thought they were towers.”

  “Those are turbines. The engine room has giant gears that make them turn. Our engineer, Harkerpal, can tell you more. I’m a cannoneer and commando, so I’m not as familiar with the workings of machines and contraptions.”

  Mr. du Gearsmith padded up the ramp, followed by Marina. I satisfied myself with the view, and then jogged to catch up with them.

  “It’s one of only five airships of this caliber ever built, which is why I told you the sight of another is an impossibility,” Mr. du Gearsmith said as we walked through the threshold into a vast cargo hold. Brass lamps adorned the walls, providing ample light. The hold was empty save for several metallic barrels. Our voices echoed.

  “Where are the other four then?” I asked. Marina and Mr. du Gearsmith slowed their pace to allow me to lead and explore. I opened the door from the cargo hold to a hallway of a row of crew cabins and a stairwell. I chose the stairwell, hoping to find my way up to the deck.

  “Three of them were destroyed in skirmishes with the Iron Emperor’s forces several years ago on the border with the Wyranth Empire. The final airship…” Mr. du Gearsmith paused thoughtfully, “disappeared six years ago. It’s presumed to be destroyed as well. If what you say is true, this could mean more trouble with the Wyranth than we could imagine.” He turned to Marina. “Speaking of the Wyranth. I must speak with you later. Captain von Cravat and I came across Wyranth soldiers on the road here.”

  Marina jolted to a stop, bracing herself on one of the stairwell’s handrails. “This far south?”

  “Indeed. It’s disconcerting. We need to have the Liliana operational as quickly as possible. King Malaky needs to be informed.”

  “How frightening,” Marina said. She tensed visibly.

  I stopped on the stairs ahead of them. “Let’s not forget the glowing blue ether those soldiers had,” I said, trying to further assist the conversation.

  “Blue ether?” Marina asked. “I’ve never heard of the like. You’ve had quite the day indeed.”

  “So many oddities with the Wyranth lately.” Mr. du Gearsmith furrowed his brow. “I’m afraid these are matters far beyond a poor old attorney like me.”

  I snorted. “I doubt you’re poor or anything’s much beyond you.”

  “Yet you do agree I’m old.”

  “Farm girls don’t lie,” I said.

  Mr. du Gearsmith flashed the smallest of smiles. “I appreciate your faith in me, Miss von Monocle.”

  “Zaira,” I corrected. I’d let him go on calling me Miss Von Monocle for too long. The title didn’t feel right, like it was something that belonged to my parents and not me. Similar to everything else that had occurred this day. My head whirled with thoughts of the Wyranth, my father, and how all of this connected. “You told me earlier that my father’s mission was classified, but you seem to know about it. If I’m to have this airship and meet the King himself, I need to know as much information as I can.”

  Marina arched one of her crimson brows.

  Mr. du Gearsmith sighed and continued up the stairwell. “I suppose you’re right, Zaira. It’s my understanding that the ship was boarded in the midst of one of the worst battles the Knights of the Crystal Spire and the Grand Rislandian Army had ever seen.

  “Two years ago, thousands of Wyranth soldiers descended upon the Border River. Your father led a valiant surge, along with several of his crew, keeping the ship airborne until they could reach the water. That is where the Liliana went down. Such bloodshed occurred that it’s been said the river ran red for three full days, heavy casualties on both sides. Nearly half of the Liliana’s crew of fifty perished that day. Your father was last seen swinging off the bow from a rope, charging onto the enemy shore. He’d planned to provide a distraction while Chief Engineer Harkerpal worked on getting the ship airborne again. Harkerpal succeeded, but no one can give an account of what happened to your father. The King and I held out hope he was taken prisoner, until recently. As I told you before, enough time has passed where he has been declared legally dead.”

  I cast my eyes low as I walked the narrow airship corridors, able to visualize those ugly Wyranth soldiers decapitating my
father. The image stuck in my head, too powerful to shake away. “So, he could be a prisoner somewhere?”

  “We’d never heard any evidence that the Iron Emperor had your father. With a hostage as famous as Theodore, we surely would have been offered a large ransom for his return, or he would have been publicly displayed somehow. It would have been the largest moral victory Wyranth had seen in a generation.”

  We reached the top of the stairwell. Marina twisted the crank to spin the gears and open the hatch to the deck.

  They allowed me to take the final steps first. My cheeks flushed when struck by the cool night air. I couldn’t help but shiver and wrapped my arms around myself.

  The deck spanned a distance similar to my corn field. The turbines loomed, massive above me. It would take four of me, with arms extended and fingertips outstretched, to wrap around their bases. At the front of the ship rested three large cannons. The rear had a small structure, which appeared to be where the command staff worked. Where my father had worked.

  I spent a long time spinning around, gawking at the enormity of the airship. Despite the beautiful views, I couldn’t help but think on Mr. du Gearsmiths’ story. “My father meant that much to the war effort?”

  “The name Baron von Monocle strikes fear into the hearts of many. Even more still owe their lives to him,” Marina said. She paced to the ship’s rail, staring at the forest and Loveridge below. “You should see this view.”

  I took my place beside her. Mr. du Gearsmith stood behind us.

  Loveridge appeared so serene. Granted, we had arrived very late at night. The only lights shining were street lamps down on the main street. Rows of houses tucked between thin lines of roads, which disappeared into the heavy forest. I could almost make out the shine of the Border River in the far distance, seeing a faint reflection from the moon. “This is incredible.”

  “It never ceases to amaze me either,” Marina said. She closed her eyes and took in the night air.