Metal and Magic_The Steampunk Adventures of Hanover and Singh by Chris Paton
Author:Chris Paton [Paton, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Steampunk Action and Adventure
Publisher: Aarluuk Press
Published: 2018-02-03T22:00:00+00:00
Ò
The wind whipped at Hariâs robes as he plunged toward the roiling surface of the North Sea. Hands outstretched, the airship escaped him, growing smaller every second as he pitched downward. Hari stared, at the tiny people crowding the windows, peeping above the sill, staring, pointing at something to their right. Hari squinted in the wind as his view of the airship was obscured by a small gasbag deflating with a burst of gas bubbling from the valve in the bottom of the bag.
The oily black balloon filled Hariâs vision, shadowing his face from the onslaught of rain, and slamming into his body. Winded, Hari stuttered as he grasped at the ropes criss-crossing the balloon, scrabbling for purchase.
âTake this, Hari,â Luise yelled into the wind. Suspended in the leather bucket-harness, she tugged a hemp halter over Hariâs head as he slid down the face of the balloon. âGet your arms through it. Quickly.â
Hari gripped the leather guys fastened to the balloon cradle. Luiseâs legs slipped sideways as Hariâs weight dipped the balloon. Slipping his arm through the halter, he cast a glance at the sea below, the roar of the waves competing with that of the wind.
âNever mind the sea, Hari,â Luise pulled the halter tight as Hari fought his other arm through the opening. Securing Hari to the chest strap of the bucket-harness, Luise leaned back to stare up toward the airship.
âThank you,â Hari dangled beneath Luiseâs head, his body twisting in the wind.
âWeâre not there yet, Hari,â Luise leaned father back. âWhere is he?â
âWho?â
âJacques. He is supposed to...â The balloon jerked upward, its descent slowed with an abrupt stop. âThere,â Luise gripped the leather steering guys.
âYou have a rope attached to the balloon?â Leaning his head back as far as the halter allowed Hari twisted to the left.
âYou wonât see it,â Luise wiped the rain from her face. âItâs tied to the top of the cradle.â
âIngenious,â Hari let his body hang in the halter. He gripped Luise around her waist. âThis is one of the lifeboats?â
âYes. Jacques and I...â
âWhat?â Hari waited.
Luise took a deep breath. âI am sorry, Hari. I didnât mean to doubt you, but we just couldnât see how you were going to rescue that young girl.â
âSo you came up with another plan?â
âYes,â Luise paused. âI didnât want to lose you, Hari.â
âAnd I did not want to be lost.â Hari reached up with his right hand, smoothing the rain away from Luiseâs face. He looked up. âAre we attached to the Scotsman? That must be a very long rope.â
âNot the Scotsman, no,â Luise leaned back, her brow wrinkling beneath the wet strands of her strawberry blonde fringe. âSomething a little more fragile, I am afraid.â A smile tickled the corners of her mouth. âThere they are. Look up, Hari.â
Slicing through the swathes of rain gusting in the grip of the wind, four lengths of thick rope caught Hariâs eye as they stretched from one lifeboat balloon to the next, all the way back to The Flying Scotsman labouring through the storm above them.
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