s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

looked like gentlemen, complete with tail coats, top hats,
and knee boots, buckles and buttons shiny, hair slicked
down. Jack had his goggles and Gerard his cane.
"Come," Jack said. "We're going to have an
adventure, right here in your home."
"Who would have thought it?" Gerard asked, though
he wasn't at all pleased with this sort of adventure.
His father's presentation was at noon, in a large
auditorium in the main building of the expo. When they
Shifting Steam - 168
arrived people were already gathering. The room had a
high ceiling, and they'd put up stadium seats,
surrounding a platform in the middle of the room. There
was also a viewing gallery.
"The gallery won't be open for the presentation," an
usher told them. "Due to safety precautions concerning
Doctor Black's machine."
"It's quite all right," Gerard said. "I'd like to be near
the platform anyway."
They took seats on the bottom row, closest to the
platform which was currently empty and lit by a
skylight.
Gerard tried to keep an eye out for anything
suspicious, but the room soon filled to capacity and the
task became difficult.
Then, just before the presentation was due to start,
Gerard saw Monahan, standing on the other side of the
platform across from them. He appeared as if from a
puff of magic smoke.
"He's here!" Gerard nudged Jack in the ribs.
"No doubt pretending he's just come to see the
show." Jack paused. "Where's his daughter?"
"I don't know."
"I think we should try to find her."
Gerard looked around but kept one eye on Monahan.
An announcer came out shortly and spoke through a
bullhorn. Several people followed him, pushing a
wheeled cart, the large object on it covered with a white
tarp. The crowd grew excited and restless.
The announcer extolled Gerard's father's virtues. The
man spoke of his father's education, his awards, his
many inventions. Gerard was barely listening, still
watching Monahan, who looked a bit disgusted at the
spiel.
Shifting Steam - 169
"He's up to something," Gerard said. "He didn't come
for the show."
"No doubt."
Finally, the announcer called Gerard's father to the
platform and he arrived, smiling and sheepish, to
thunderous applause. Gerard clapped distractedly,
narrowing his eyes at Monahan, who wasn't clapping.
His father got right to business. He pulled the tarp
from his machine and the gasps of surprise and delight
were numerous and collectively quite loud.
The machine looked glorious -- highly polished for
the presentation, glowing goldenly in the light from
above. The propellers loomed over it, ominous and
terrific.
Jack nudged Gerard in the ribs, looking upward. "I
thought no one was to be in the gallery?"
Gerard looked up. The gallery was empty; however,
he saw a solitary shadow, too far back to make out, but
definitely a person.
"I don't like this," Gerard said.
"Maybe it's a police officer, keeping watch."
"They said no one was allowed up there for safety
reasons."
Gerard switched his focus to Monahan. The man kept
his spot, looking on with disdainful interest. Gerard's
father was pointing out the various mechanical features
of his invention. He kept forgetting to speak into the
bullhorn and the announcer had to keep reminding him,
making the audience chuckle.
Then his father began preparing the machine for
demonstration, and Monahan promptly turned and
slipped off into the crowd.
Gerard came off his seat. "Jack!"
Shifting Steam - 170
Jack gripped his arm and pulled him back down. "I'll
go after him. I can track him by scent. Go up into the
gallery, and find out who's up there."
Jack slid off the seat and left. Gerard looked up at his
father and found his father gazing at him, smiling
proudly.
Gerard tried to smile as well. An assistant brought his
father a helmet, goggles, and gloves.
Gerard slid off the seat as soon as his father was
distracted. He pushed his way through the people, not
seeing Jack anywhere. When he reached the back of the
crowd he looked around, trying to find the door to the
gallery.
He saw a young usher standing against the wall.
"Can you tell me how to get to the gallery?" Gerard
asked him.
"No one is allowed in the gallery, sir," he said.
"I know, but I'm Gerard Black, the doctor's son. I
have to do something for him up there. It's vital to the
presentation. His machine can't work unless I do it."
Luckily the usher was the right amount of naïve.
"That way, sir." He pointed to a doorway. "Best hurry,
looks like he's about to start it up."
"Thank you." He gripped the young man's arm. "Do
me a favor, would you?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Alert the police I've gone up there and send them
after me."
He frowned. "What?"
"Please. It's of vital importance." He released the
young man and hurried off, hoping he would obey.
Gerard went through the door. As he climbed the
stairs to the gallery he heard a rumbling sound, the
sound of an engine, followed by a whirring noise and
excited shouts. His father had started the machine.
Shifting Steam - 171
The gallery was dark and Gerard circled it swiftly
and stealthily. He caught glimpses of the crowd over the
railing, now on their feet. He saw the top of the machine
and the propellers spinning so they were a blur, blowing
wind up into the gallery, which ruffled the curtains and
tugged at his clothes.
These distractions were an advantage. When he came
upon the figure, lurking in the shadows, it was focused
on the scene below and didn't notice him approaching
from behind.
"You!" Gerard said, speaking to be heard over the
noise of the machine.
The figure spun on him. Sure enough, he recognized
the swirl of skirts, the flash of dark eyes. Her expression
of surprise twisted into one of anger when she saw him.
"Ella," Gerard said. "What are you doing up here?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]