Tordral.
“Why does a barge not stop when the rowers finish their stroke and draw the oars forward for the next?”
“Because it has impetus.”
“Then why should La Hachette stop while the weighted trip levers are swinging?”
“Why because...”
Tordral's voice trailed away. Guy scratched his head again, aware that everyone might have missed a very important point.
“Am I right to suggest that we could have had La Hachette's heart beating six weeks ago?” asked Tordral. “Suddenly it's as obvious as, as...”
“Garlic on Renard's breath?” suggested Ward.
“You English, you eat candle fat then insult the finest cooks in the world, who are we French.”
“Enough!” shouted Tordral. “Guy, bring a lamp. See how I tie a lead weight to the top of dexter's tag lever. Kindly do the same for sinister.”
“Should we also tie lead weights to the impeller pipe water gates?'“
“They are much bigger. I did not bring enough lead.”
“Will two bags of iron scrappery do?”
“They will have to.”
Once the four weights were attached, Tordral hesitated, more to put off almost inevitable disappointment than for any other reason. The steam guards hissed steadily.
“Master, you have steam,” prompted Guy.
“Then let us again attempt the impossible. Gatemen, to your stations, Steam Warden Grace, are you ready?”
“Aye Master.”
“Dexter gateman, close watergate.”
“Dexter declares watergate closed.”
“Sinister gateman, open watergate, confirm steamgate closed.”
“Sinister declares watergate open, steamgate closed.”
“Sinister gateman, stand clear. Dexter gateman, open steamgate.”
“Dexter declares steamgate open.”
“Dexter gateman, stand clear.”
They chant another spell of iron magic, taught by trial and learned by error, thought Ward. Steam hissed into the dexter impeller pipe, forcing the water within it down and back.
“The lady is moving,” reported Renard.
“Ladyship, ladyship, come to life,” pleaded Tordral softly, kneeling on the deck, hands clasped, and not caring what anyone thought.
“Flower of the Company of the Spiral Briar, bloom for me,” said Renard, as gently as if coaxing a lover to remove her robes.
With the last of the water gone, the steam chuffed out of the dexter impeller pipe. The pressure within fell, so the steam gate dropped and closed, pushing the trip lever into motion. It swung slowly, so slowly that La Hachette began to lose speed, but when it hit the other steamgate, it triggered a release of steam while tripping sinister's watergate locked. Water now gushed out of the tail of the sinister impeller pipe, while water flowed into the bow end of dexter. There was a chuff of steam from sinister, then the trip levers swung back ponderously, and water began to gush out of the dexter impeller pipe again.
“Did anyone touch anything?” asked Tordral breathlessly.
“Hav'nae touched dexter,” said a gateman.
“Got me hands clasped,” said his companion.
“It works,” breathed Tordral. “God in heaven with all his saints and angels, it works! Heart of iron, blood of water, breath of steam, soul of fire, my lady has life without living, her her heart beats.”
“She has not perfection, La Hachette loses a little speed with every beat,” began Guy.
“Guy, we have not perfection!” said Tordral, standing up. “You are missing a full quota of teeth, Ward curses at his piles every time he visits the privy, I have crippled eyes, and the briar rose we sail under looks a victim of the Inquisition's torturers, yet all of us have life. Gatemen, present yourselves to the yeoman of archers and gonnes. When there is light to steer by, we steer for Faerie.”
The Yeoman
First light was glowing in the east as La Hachette glided north across Derwent Water's dark and placid surface, casting smooth bow waves and trailing smoke and sparks.
“Quarter mile to Derwentwater outflow,” called Renard.
“The portal is close,” said
“Why does a barge not stop when the rowers finish their stroke and draw the oars forward for the next?”
“Because it has impetus.”
“Then why should La Hachette stop while the weighted trip levers are swinging?”
“Why because...”
Tordral's voice trailed away. Guy scratched his head again, aware that everyone might have missed a very important point.
“Am I right to suggest that we could have had La Hachette's heart beating six weeks ago?” asked Tordral. “Suddenly it's as obvious as, as...”
“Garlic on Renard's breath?” suggested Ward.
“You English, you eat candle fat then insult the finest cooks in the world, who are we French.”
“Enough!” shouted Tordral. “Guy, bring a lamp. See how I tie a lead weight to the top of dexter's tag lever. Kindly do the same for sinister.”
“Should we also tie lead weights to the impeller pipe water gates?'“
“They are much bigger. I did not bring enough lead.”
“Will two bags of iron scrappery do?”
“They will have to.”
Once the four weights were attached, Tordral hesitated, more to put off almost inevitable disappointment than for any other reason. The steam guards hissed steadily.
“Master, you have steam,” prompted Guy.
“Then let us again attempt the impossible. Gatemen, to your stations, Steam Warden Grace, are you ready?”
“Aye Master.”
“Dexter gateman, close watergate.”
“Dexter declares watergate closed.”
“Sinister gateman, open watergate, confirm steamgate closed.”
“Sinister declares watergate open, steamgate closed.”
“Sinister gateman, stand clear. Dexter gateman, open steamgate.”
“Dexter declares steamgate open.”
“Dexter gateman, stand clear.”
They chant another spell of iron magic, taught by trial and learned by error, thought Ward. Steam hissed into the dexter impeller pipe, forcing the water within it down and back.
“The lady is moving,” reported Renard.
“Ladyship, ladyship, come to life,” pleaded Tordral softly, kneeling on the deck, hands clasped, and not caring what anyone thought.
“Flower of the Company of the Spiral Briar, bloom for me,” said Renard, as gently as if coaxing a lover to remove her robes.
With the last of the water gone, the steam chuffed out of the dexter impeller pipe. The pressure within fell, so the steam gate dropped and closed, pushing the trip lever into motion. It swung slowly, so slowly that La Hachette began to lose speed, but when it hit the other steamgate, it triggered a release of steam while tripping sinister's watergate locked. Water now gushed out of the tail of the sinister impeller pipe, while water flowed into the bow end of dexter. There was a chuff of steam from sinister, then the trip levers swung back ponderously, and water began to gush out of the dexter impeller pipe again.
“Did anyone touch anything?” asked Tordral breathlessly.
“Hav'nae touched dexter,” said a gateman.
“Got me hands clasped,” said his companion.
“It works,” breathed Tordral. “God in heaven with all his saints and angels, it works! Heart of iron, blood of water, breath of steam, soul of fire, my lady has life without living, her her heart beats.”
“She has not perfection, La Hachette loses a little speed with every beat,” began Guy.
“Guy, we have not perfection!” said Tordral, standing up. “You are missing a full quota of teeth, Ward curses at his piles every time he visits the privy, I have crippled eyes, and the briar rose we sail under looks a victim of the Inquisition's torturers, yet all of us have life. Gatemen, present yourselves to the yeoman of archers and gonnes. When there is light to steer by, we steer for Faerie.”
The Yeoman
First light was glowing in the east as La Hachette glided north across Derwent Water's dark and placid surface, casting smooth bow waves and trailing smoke and sparks.
“Quarter mile to Derwentwater outflow,” called Renard.
“The portal is close,” said
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