The Alchemists: A Paranormal Steampunk Thriller (The Guild Chronicles Book 1)

by J M Bannon

  As the group crossed the tarmac to the ship, it seemed to grow in size. The sun was rising to where Rose needed her sun spectacles as she climbed the stairwell the gondola. The light’s glare intensified as it glinted off the ship’s brass surfaces.

  “We have a crew of four: myself, the engineer and his assistant in the boiler column and my first mate here, Lucas Maes.”

  “Welcome aboard the Peregrine. Let me show you to your cabins," greeted Lucas warmly.

  Lucas, you help the porters get the luggage loaded, the lady here does not travel light,” redirected Reidun, “I will show them to their quarters.”

  “Please ensure they handle my trunk with care, there is sensitive equipment in it." Rose appealed.

  “Yes, Mademoiselle,” replied the first mate who made his way over to a set of bay doors on the floor. He swung into place a basket and winch system to bring up freight, in this case, the baggage.

  “You are on the lowest of three decks. Nothing here, as this is the cargo hold. Follow me.” The group proceeded behind the sky captain up a steep metal stairwell that delivered them to the next deck. “This is the main deck and you are aft of the gondola. Those stairs lead to the engine deck above and from there you can access the smoke column and top observatory. For safety, there is no need to be above this deck.”

  The captain opened a bulkhead door into a hallway, “to the left is the galley, to the right will be your quarters, Mr. Gilchrist.” Preston opened the door for a quick look it was a small stateroom like you would find on a sailing ship with one small portal allowing light into the room. As they walked, Rose could hear the engine on the freight winch engage through the floor.

  The captain stopped and turned to face them directing their attention to two narrow halls intersecting. “To the left are the crew quarters and a door to the outside gangway. To the right, across from my stateroom will be your quarters, Ms. Caldwell. The door on the end of that hall leads to the starboard gangway. Behind me are the wheelhouse and navigation room.

  You're not aboard a luxury yacht, our accommodations are lean but we will get you where you want to go quickly and safely. As I said earlier this deck and the lower deck, feel free to browse, that includes the bridge, but if you would like to see the engineering deck, the envelope or the observation deck, then you will need to be escorted.”

  “Reidun, let’s go over the flight plan while the crew gets the baggage loaded.” suggested Preston.

  The Captain took the lead and went through the bulkhead to the bridge. It was bright, almost too bright. The panoramic view of the bridge afforded no protection from the rising sun and the exposure had already made the wheelhouse warmer than the hall.

  The captain approached the chart table located forward of the wheel and unlike a ship, a leather chair fixed to the floor with the steering wheel in front of it. “You see, we will travel along the English coast then run along the northern coast of the Netherlands, cross the Danish Kingdom and into Prussia,” Reidun’s finger traced the map.”

  “I have a detour in mind that needs to be kept out of the flight plan,” instructed Preston.

  “I was directed to spare no expense to get you to where you need to go," offered Falk.

  “It’s not Königsberg I intend to go to.” Preston looked for his location on the chart and pointed “to be specific, this is the location I have something I need to check on.”

  13

  THURSDAY THE 8TH OF JUNE 1860

  12:48 P.M., KÖEPERNICK CASTLE

  The Peregrine was closing in on the Berlin skyline when Preston stepped onto the Bridge. Captain Falk was perched in the pilot’s chair steering the airship with the wheel and foot pedals.

  “Are you bringing the book with you?" inquired Rose.

  “I have to,” answered Preston, it was second nature for him to have it on his body or nearby.

  “I don’t think it goes well with your choice of outfit, it doesn’t have a woodland hunting feel to it.” Preston was decked out in his tweeds with a touch of Alpine detailing.

  “Rose, I would not be looking to you for fashion advice,” retorted Preston. Rose was in black baggy slacks tucked into her winged cavalier boots, she wore a bodice with her equipment attached over a black shirt and gloves but no jacket. She paced off the bridge and returned with a leather satchel. “Put the book in there and sling it over your shoulder you will need both hands.” Rose was right, this mad idea of his would require him to be active and agile.

  Lucas appeared on deck accompanied by a young lad in duck cloth overalls. “This is Tommy, the engineer’s apprentice, he will help me with the landing and recovery logistics. You understand how dangerous this is to alight by the basket from an unmoored airship?” He asked Preston, then before Preston could answer he quizzed the captain. “What’s the wind feel like captain?”

  “From the west, ten knots at least" answered the Captain.

  “With all of the trees on the property there is only one spot to drop you. Then there is the fact that the captain will be blind to where the basket is. I will be out on the gangway outside of the bridge guiding her once in place. Then you have the ten knot wind the captain will be fighting and you will be freely swinging in, unwise and sloppy I say,” finished Lucas.

  ROSE GAVE Preston a look while she double checked her gear. “This was your idea, we can still land at the aerodrome and drive over.”

  “You better get below deck and in that basket, we’re moving fast although it may not appear so on board," instructed Falk.

  Preston, Tommy and Rose proceeded down the stairs to the cargo deck. Tommy unlatched the door on the metal basket so the two could get into position. Rose and Preston stepped into the basket and when Preston heard the clank of the basket door shutting his stomach filled with butterflies. Tommy put on a pair of wind goggles then threw a lever and the bay doors opened, the wind was terrific. Rose took out her goggles and put them on, Preston was squinting with eyes watering as the wind back blasted up the cargo bay doors.

  Tommy came over to the basket, took off his goggles and gave them to Preston. “You’ll need these, it will be like when you walk the gangways the winds are so strong you can’t see.”

  “You American?” Preston adjusted the strap and placed the goggles on giving the world a green tint.

  “Yes, I came over with the Captain after she worked for the Commodore."

  Tommy went to his station and threw a lever. It unlocked the basket causing a slight drop. Preston’s hands shot to the railing to get his balance. The basket now bounced and swayed.

  "I’ll lower you down about ten feet, then once we are in position the Captain will signal me to drop you with that light up there. Understand it will be hard for me to judge the distance and when the basket hits the ground you get out quickly, because it can move and travel fast without being moored.”

  “Got it,” said Rose. She was taking slow deliberate breaths. It was calming to just look at her so that is what Preston did rather than look out as the basket descended.

  Once out he realized how fast the ship was moving, and that all he could hear was the flushing of the wind over him and its pressure on his face. He and Rose held the support bars to steady themselves in the basket.

  They came in from the north along the river and over the northwest corner of the palace. They were so low and fast he thought for sure they would hit the roof but they were clear of it by several feet then his stomach churned and went up to his chest. The basket was dropping fast.

  “Brace yourself!” yelled Rose.

  While the ship appeared to be stopping the cable whipped forward with momentum and he felt as if in a free fall. The cable went taught as they swung, the basket hit the ground in its backswing causing the cable to slack and the basket to fall back throwing the both of them to the ground against the turf. The hard rail of the basket caught Preston on his hip sending a shooting pain down his leg.

  “Get out. Roll out now,” yelled Rose she was already out of the bask
et laying on the ground. Preston crawled out of the side just as the cable went taught again flipping the basket up and lifting it off the ground a few feet. “All right Gilchrist, were here," Preston said to himself.

  He dusted himself off and lumbered across the lawn towards the garden, walking off the pain in his hip. Rose followed.

  A gardener called out in German. “Are you two all right, do you need help?"

  “Quite alright, just need to check on something,” Preston replied.

  He went to the closest door and found it locked. He tried another, that door was open.

  “The Palace is not open to the public," yelled the gardener.

  Preston picked up his pace now that the shock of the landing had passed and he had his bearings. He went into the library and up to the Rotegens desk and was startled when the clock at its top struck the hour of one. He pulled out the key from his pocket and recollected the sequences for the complex order needed to free the strong box in the desk. “First, we unlock the side latch then. Ah, I open the drawer, next I slide the fascia to reveal the second key hole then I... “

  < Open the top then move the inlayed panel of the farmer to reveal the other keyhole>

  “That’s it,” he followed Azul’s direction. Next step, use the bow of the key in the slot as a lever and slowly ratchet up the writing surface, it rose to reveal the strong box. Taking the key, he opened the box, and he looked inside. There was a deck of playing cards, they were held together in a bundle with a woman’s hair ribbon. He looked for any note or clue. Nothing.

  “You two, what are you up to?" a man’s voice called out.

  “Preston it’s the police," said Rose.

  “Follow me.” He pulled out the key and ran, stuffing the key and the card deck in his satchel. He cut out through the servants’ door, though a hall then towards the parlor. Running through the room he could see past the white sheers and out the large windows to the street where a fire brigade carriage had steamed up along with several police carriages. The Police were making their way into the front door.

  “Rose, up the stairs,” he didn’t know the house well but figured there were servants stairs somewhere. Up they went to the second floor then down the hall he whipped open every door looking for a stairwell when he found it the door opened to a local police officer leisurely making his way up the stairs. Once he saw Preston and Rose he yelled for them to stop.

  Across the way Rose had already opened the other door to find a narrow stairwell that went up. He followed her as she sprinted up the stairs. Rose stopped on the stairs and pushed Preston ahead. She pulled two vials from her belt and poured them out on the stair, as they mixed, a foul grey smoke formed then she ran after Preston.

  “What spell was that?” Preston asked.

  “It wasn’t a spell. it’s just some chemical I carry that if properly mixed creates smoke, I hope to slow him down. Now on the third floor they were trapped police had already made it up the main stairwell and were coming down the hall at them. They had only one door left, it opened onto another stairway up an even narrower stair, steeper than the last. Rose bolted up “why are we running?" she asked as she huffed up the stairs.

  “Seemed like the thing to do after we broke into one of King Willhelm’s homes.”

  “Fair enough, oh shit” said Rose. Preston realized her dissatisfaction, they were in the attic with no exit except a ladder.

  Rose looked at Preston, “I guess our only option is up.”

  1:08 P.M. roof top of Köepernick Castle

  Rose scrambled onto the roof. Under different circumstances the rooftop would be delightful with a panoramic view of the Spee river and Berlin. Preston came up and then closed the hatchway. He stood atop it hoping his weight would hinder the police opening the hatch.

  Rose peered over the edge, the Fire Brigade and onlookers were pointing up at her. She was waving her arms wildly to get the attention of the Peregrine. It was looping back over the river on a return path, the drone of the engines drowned out most other sounds.

  Enroute to the palace, the Peregrine’s basket swung wildly as it whipped on the tether. It was absurd to think the two of them could just jump into it. She settled her mind and chanted an Enochian blessing, calling for the strength and support of a guardian angel.

  As her lips repeated the blessing, a strange steadfast feeling overpowered her limbs. She glanced down to her feet to determine what caused the peculiar sensation, she noticed the bracelet Pāora had given her glowed a faint blue hue. She closed her eyes and continued her chant in angel speak, but what she heard was a score of Maori chanting. She went with it giving her heart to the bliss.

  When she opened her eyes, the air blast of the airship rotors was so close that her eyes watered, through the haze she could see the basket swinging towards her. It was moving so fast and was coming at her. Rose stepped aside but as the basket arced by her, she grabbed the rail with both hands, her body lunged forward with the momentum of the basket but she stayed fixed. Her feet planted on the roof as if they were welded to it, her grip like a vise all her muscles strained. “Preston, gets in,” she shouted. He was staring at her mouth agape. “Now!” while it was not hurting her, she did not know how long this would remain in effect.

  Preston scrambled to the basket and over the side. The attic hatch banged open with a policeman pointing a pistol at the two. He bellowed something in German but Rose didn’t comprehend it. She threw her legs over the edge of the basket. Once her feet left the ground, the basket began to move. Rose flopped to the bottom of the basket in a heap while the airship moved south, away from Köpenick Palace.

  7:30 P.M. Königsberg Prussia, First Corps Gymnasium

  Caspar wore only goggles when fencing and had no mensur scars. While aristocrats and military officers wore a scar from fencing as a badge of courage Caspar’s smooth face was his. His opponent lunged left and made a quick slicing movement towards Caspar’s neck and head thinking he would be the one good enough to mark Caspar Reinhold's face.

  Caspar weaved his upper body out of the way and struck his opponent's ear. “Berühren,” yelped Duke Gorber from the doorway, the vanquished and vanquisher snapped to attention.

  “Relax Gentleman, well played, Major Reinhold,” guided the Duke.

  “Thank you, your Grace,” answered the Major as he removed his gloves.

  "Walk with me, Major," requested Duke Gorber as he took Caspar’s saber from him and looked at it as he walked towards the window of the gymnasium.

  “I have a project for you. Two weeks ago, a Dr. Lorelei Traube disappeared from an alchemist research laboratory here in Königsberg. Someone damaged precious lab equipment and in the process killed a man. We have no definitive proof but it may be Dr. Traube who sabotaged her own equipment and ran off. If this is the case, it is in our national interest that the technology does not show up somewhere else. On the other hand, her father, Baron von Traube, an Elector of the Guild is adamant that foreign agents abducted his daughter as she is the genius behind this alchemical process that is so dear to the guild.

  Your squad has been given the task to find the woman and bring her back. If the case is that some foreign agents are behind this act you are to deal with them in a manner resulting that they never again contemplate acts against Prussia. If the case is our Lady Traube is the rat in the kitchen then,” the Duke paused and looked at Caspar. “What do you do when you find a rat in the kitchen, Major?”

  “I find the nest and get rid of all the rats.”

  “Here are copies of telegraphs we are monitoring. Baron Traube has chartered a Swiss-flagged airship flown by a merchant pilot named Falk to transport a Preston Gilchrist to Königsberg. The ship has not yet arrived, however this afternoon an airship flew over Berlin and Köpenick Palace and a man and woman broke into the Villa stealing some objects.”

  “Was the woman identified as Traube?” queried Caspar.

  "No, but the description of the airship fits the one Traube hired. Circumstances lea
d me to the same conclusion that Traube was the culprit. Ready your team, I have arranged for an airship to take you to Berlin to handle the matter as you see fit.”

  “What about the airship that raided the Palace?" Caspar pressed, in an effort to gain a full understanding of the situation.

  "My agents say it flew into Bohemia," replied Gorber.

  "Then I will leave now in pursuit of this ship. Have inspectors comb the palace and advise me on anything that matters. The rats have left that kitchen and if they are going to their nest, I need to be close enough to observe what wall they crawl into."

  14

  THURSDAY THE 8TH OF JUNE 1860

  8:30 P.M. SKIES OF AUSTRIA, THE PEREGRINE GALLEY

  Reidun, Tommy, Rose and Preston sat in the Galley. The group was trying to help Preston work through the clues Lorelei had left in the strongbox of the Rotegens’ desk. Preston had laid the deck of cards out on the table with the pictures facing up. “This is a puzzle to be solved with the knowledge we have in front of us. That was one of Lorelei’s tenets of a code system,” stated Preston.

  “Each card has two sets of holes punched in them,” Rose announced picking up the queen of hearts and looking through the holes as she held it to the light.

  “This isn’t a modern deck of cards, it is a Paris deck and has only thirty-two cards rather than fifty-two,” said Preston.

 

  “Not French, it has twenty-four. There are a few languages with thirty-two letters: Polish, Icelandic, ah and English used to have thirty-two in the middle ages.” Preston added.