age of pneumatics, when air-powered railway mania had swept the whole of the Eastern Hemisphere.
Supplies still arrived at the Castle daily, but now it was after midnight, and the freight room looked ghostly andabandoned in the light of a single kerosene lantern. Charlie stared at the tunnel’s mouth, a hole carved into sheer stone. It didn’t help to know the track was only a quarter of a mile long and ended in a modern, purpose-built building in the heart of the mercantile district. A quarter of a mile of dark tunnel was a very long way.
The hole was only two and a half feet tall and wide, and the carriage that travelled through it was built to carry freight, not humans. She would make the journey lying down inside that little wooden car. Mr Moleglass would operate the steam engine that stood to one side of the tunnel, its furnace glowing red as Tobias shovelled more coal into it.
The carriage fitted into the tunnel like a bullet in a gun barrel, and had a row of bristles either end to form an airtight seal. The engine pumped all the air out of the tunnel, which created a vacuum. And the carriage, with her inside, would be sucked along iron rails from one end of the tunnel to the other. In the dark. Charlie shuddered. What if it got stuck? It had been known to happen. It was only slight comfort that Tobias would be going with her.
‘That ought to do it, Mr M,’ Tobias said, throwing the shovel back onto the coal heap and shutting the furnace door. ‘You sure you know how to work this thing?’
‘I am not an imbecile, boy! The mechanism is perfectly simple. Now, make sure they send you both back safely.’
‘Nell’s promised,’ said Tobias. ‘She’s staying at myhouse tonight. Told O’Dair her mum was on her deathbed and got leave to sleep out. We’ll see Charlie back safe and sound, don’t worry.’
They turned and looked at her. ‘Have you got the letter?’ Mr Moleglass asked kindly. He knew she was terrified. She nodded.
‘All set then?’ Tobias jumped in the carriage and lay down.
Charlie took a deep breath and climbed in beside him.
‘Ow! Mind your elbow!’ he grunted. But he took hold of her freezing hand in his warm one and held it tight.
‘Ready, Charlie?’ Mr Moleglass stood at the controls, his hand on the lever.
‘Just do it!’ She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see the darkness swallow her. The engine chuffed louder. Then there was a moment of sheer panic, as the vacuum took hold, and the carriage was sucked into the tunnel. The air in the carriage shifted, pressed on her. There was only this air now – the air trapped in the carriage with her and Tobias. It was all they had to breathe until they reached the other end. Panic welled up, flooding every inch of her. The cart trundled along the tracks, faster and faster.
‘Hold on, Charlie!’ Tobias shouted over the whirr of the wheels. ‘Only five minutes. Remember, the dark can’t kill you!’
She wasn’t sure. Her heart was racing faster than the click of the wheels. She was trapped in a wormholebeneath tons of rock! Five minutes? It had been forever! She wanted to scream. She clutched his hand even harder. She would do this or die!
And then they were out with a whoosh! and a rush of cold air on her face. Charlie opened her eyes as they hit the bumpers and jarred to a standstill. Her head thudded against the end of the carriage.
‘Dang it!’ said Tobias. ‘Should have faced the other way.’ He sat up, rubbing his head. ‘You all right?’
She struggled upright, dazed. Gulped air. Gradually her heart slowed. She had done it!
‘Wasn’t so bad, was it?’
Charlie ignored the remark and clambered out of the carriage. The very thought of getting back in it for the return journey made her ill. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
They fumbled through the semi-darkness of the warehouse and found the door by touch. Tobias knelt, and Charlie heard the metallic clicking of the buttonhook. Then the door opened and
Supplies still arrived at the Castle daily, but now it was after midnight, and the freight room looked ghostly andabandoned in the light of a single kerosene lantern. Charlie stared at the tunnel’s mouth, a hole carved into sheer stone. It didn’t help to know the track was only a quarter of a mile long and ended in a modern, purpose-built building in the heart of the mercantile district. A quarter of a mile of dark tunnel was a very long way.
The hole was only two and a half feet tall and wide, and the carriage that travelled through it was built to carry freight, not humans. She would make the journey lying down inside that little wooden car. Mr Moleglass would operate the steam engine that stood to one side of the tunnel, its furnace glowing red as Tobias shovelled more coal into it.
The carriage fitted into the tunnel like a bullet in a gun barrel, and had a row of bristles either end to form an airtight seal. The engine pumped all the air out of the tunnel, which created a vacuum. And the carriage, with her inside, would be sucked along iron rails from one end of the tunnel to the other. In the dark. Charlie shuddered. What if it got stuck? It had been known to happen. It was only slight comfort that Tobias would be going with her.
‘That ought to do it, Mr M,’ Tobias said, throwing the shovel back onto the coal heap and shutting the furnace door. ‘You sure you know how to work this thing?’
‘I am not an imbecile, boy! The mechanism is perfectly simple. Now, make sure they send you both back safely.’
‘Nell’s promised,’ said Tobias. ‘She’s staying at myhouse tonight. Told O’Dair her mum was on her deathbed and got leave to sleep out. We’ll see Charlie back safe and sound, don’t worry.’
They turned and looked at her. ‘Have you got the letter?’ Mr Moleglass asked kindly. He knew she was terrified. She nodded.
‘All set then?’ Tobias jumped in the carriage and lay down.
Charlie took a deep breath and climbed in beside him.
‘Ow! Mind your elbow!’ he grunted. But he took hold of her freezing hand in his warm one and held it tight.
‘Ready, Charlie?’ Mr Moleglass stood at the controls, his hand on the lever.
‘Just do it!’ She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see the darkness swallow her. The engine chuffed louder. Then there was a moment of sheer panic, as the vacuum took hold, and the carriage was sucked into the tunnel. The air in the carriage shifted, pressed on her. There was only this air now – the air trapped in the carriage with her and Tobias. It was all they had to breathe until they reached the other end. Panic welled up, flooding every inch of her. The cart trundled along the tracks, faster and faster.
‘Hold on, Charlie!’ Tobias shouted over the whirr of the wheels. ‘Only five minutes. Remember, the dark can’t kill you!’
She wasn’t sure. Her heart was racing faster than the click of the wheels. She was trapped in a wormholebeneath tons of rock! Five minutes? It had been forever! She wanted to scream. She clutched his hand even harder. She would do this or die!
And then they were out with a whoosh! and a rush of cold air on her face. Charlie opened her eyes as they hit the bumpers and jarred to a standstill. Her head thudded against the end of the carriage.
‘Dang it!’ said Tobias. ‘Should have faced the other way.’ He sat up, rubbing his head. ‘You all right?’
She struggled upright, dazed. Gulped air. Gradually her heart slowed. She had done it!
‘Wasn’t so bad, was it?’
Charlie ignored the remark and clambered out of the carriage. The very thought of getting back in it for the return journey made her ill. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
They fumbled through the semi-darkness of the warehouse and found the door by touch. Tobias knelt, and Charlie heard the metallic clicking of the buttonhook. Then the door opened and
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