Fianna Kelly Versus the Jeebees: A Collection of Steampunk Stories by Harry Dodgson Page B
Authors: Harry Dodgson
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upper deck; just a short walk from your suite to its.
The aft section contains our fuel, water, and hydrogen tanks. They are placed
far from the occupied sections in case something should go amiss."
I
asked, "Shall we go aboard, gentlemen? I am anxious to see inside my
airship."
Ethan
went first and pushed the door inwards to allow me to enter before him. The
sitting room was nothing to talk about. Just two square tables with open frame
chairs around them; all secured to the floor. There were benches secured near
the walls so one could sit and see out the windows. To the front of the airship
were two nicer looking chairs in front of consoles for the pilots. Another man,
who they introduced as Asher, sat in one. It was interesting that the pilots
had windows down near their feet so they could see what was beneath the ship.
At
the other end was a metal spiral staircase leading to the upper deck. I ran up
them. I was stunned when I reached the top of the steps. There was no ceiling
above the hallway and I could see all the way to the top of the balloon. The
lights were dim here and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. Above me were
dozens of huge bags held in netting to the frame of the balloon. To my left,
the hallway went toward the rear of the ship. I went to my right.
Unlike
below, where the furnishings were merely functional, everything up here was
much nicer. I opened the doors to the cabins as I went forward to see how they
looked inside. They all had a writing desk fitted to one wall, a bed fitted to
the other, and a chair. Each room had a small window too. The galley was the
size of two rooms and everything was in cupboards with toggles to hold them
shut. Next to the galley was a single comfort room with a sink, commode, and
small tub. It even had a sign on it that could be changed to show it was in
use.
At
the end of the hall was my stateroom. The door was locked, but the key was
hanging on a lanyard next to it. I unlocked the door and put the key around my
neck like a necklace. As I expected I had my own comfort room plus a small
sitting area. Everything in here was wonderful. The lamps were in shiny brass
fixtures and it even had paintings on the walls. The chairs were wide and had
soft cushions on the bottoms and backs. In the centre was a round table about
four feet around made of dark woods and polished so it shined.
Double
doors opened into my sleeping area. The doors slid to each side so I could
enjoy the full room. The last person here had left the curtains open and the
view was breath-taking. The sleeping area was as big as the other half of my
suite. It had a large bed with soft pillows and nice sheets. I just didn't care
about that now. All I wanted to do was stay here and look out my windows...
No-one was here to say I couldn't. It was so very wonderful!
I
heard the engines start and saw the ground crew cast off the mooring lines. I
watched in fascination as we slowly rose straight up into the sky; quite unlike
how we climbed above the clouds this morning. It was as if the city was all
mine, and the higher we rose, the more of it was mine. We made a slow turn,
leaving the sunset behind us and headed Northeast. No more having to go along dirty
roads that went in the general direction that I wanted to go. From now on, I
would go in the direction that I wanted.
I
watched out my window as we passed over the city. The sun went below the
horizon somewhere behind us so I could only tell the buildings by their
outlines and lights. It was like watching stars which had fallen to the ground,
only they were yellow and came in different sizes and shapes. We left England
behind and the only lights I could see were the stars and planets ahead of us.
When
I paid attention, I could hear the engine speed up and slow down. I asked
Gerald and he said it was new and the pilots did that to condition it properly,
whatever that means. He said when I was ready for bed, they would run the
engine and the fans at their
The aft section contains our fuel, water, and hydrogen tanks. They are placed
far from the occupied sections in case something should go amiss."
I
asked, "Shall we go aboard, gentlemen? I am anxious to see inside my
airship."
Ethan
went first and pushed the door inwards to allow me to enter before him. The
sitting room was nothing to talk about. Just two square tables with open frame
chairs around them; all secured to the floor. There were benches secured near
the walls so one could sit and see out the windows. To the front of the airship
were two nicer looking chairs in front of consoles for the pilots. Another man,
who they introduced as Asher, sat in one. It was interesting that the pilots
had windows down near their feet so they could see what was beneath the ship.
At
the other end was a metal spiral staircase leading to the upper deck. I ran up
them. I was stunned when I reached the top of the steps. There was no ceiling
above the hallway and I could see all the way to the top of the balloon. The
lights were dim here and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. Above me were
dozens of huge bags held in netting to the frame of the balloon. To my left,
the hallway went toward the rear of the ship. I went to my right.
Unlike
below, where the furnishings were merely functional, everything up here was
much nicer. I opened the doors to the cabins as I went forward to see how they
looked inside. They all had a writing desk fitted to one wall, a bed fitted to
the other, and a chair. Each room had a small window too. The galley was the
size of two rooms and everything was in cupboards with toggles to hold them
shut. Next to the galley was a single comfort room with a sink, commode, and
small tub. It even had a sign on it that could be changed to show it was in
use.
At
the end of the hall was my stateroom. The door was locked, but the key was
hanging on a lanyard next to it. I unlocked the door and put the key around my
neck like a necklace. As I expected I had my own comfort room plus a small
sitting area. Everything in here was wonderful. The lamps were in shiny brass
fixtures and it even had paintings on the walls. The chairs were wide and had
soft cushions on the bottoms and backs. In the centre was a round table about
four feet around made of dark woods and polished so it shined.
Double
doors opened into my sleeping area. The doors slid to each side so I could
enjoy the full room. The last person here had left the curtains open and the
view was breath-taking. The sleeping area was as big as the other half of my
suite. It had a large bed with soft pillows and nice sheets. I just didn't care
about that now. All I wanted to do was stay here and look out my windows...
No-one was here to say I couldn't. It was so very wonderful!
I
heard the engines start and saw the ground crew cast off the mooring lines. I
watched in fascination as we slowly rose straight up into the sky; quite unlike
how we climbed above the clouds this morning. It was as if the city was all
mine, and the higher we rose, the more of it was mine. We made a slow turn,
leaving the sunset behind us and headed Northeast. No more having to go along dirty
roads that went in the general direction that I wanted to go. From now on, I
would go in the direction that I wanted.
I
watched out my window as we passed over the city. The sun went below the
horizon somewhere behind us so I could only tell the buildings by their
outlines and lights. It was like watching stars which had fallen to the ground,
only they were yellow and came in different sizes and shapes. We left England
behind and the only lights I could see were the stars and planets ahead of us.
When
I paid attention, I could hear the engine speed up and slow down. I asked
Gerald and he said it was new and the pilots did that to condition it properly,
whatever that means. He said when I was ready for bed, they would run the
engine and the fans at their
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