The viewing stand was quite far from the airstrip, on the other side of the field.  Erzabet stood in the crowd, watching the massive lighter than air craft ignite her propellers and lift off from a safe distance.  She gripped her belly nervously, and watched the great ship rise into the sky like some fantastic beast.  She wished that her beloved Isaac was the engineer on a train instead.  It wasn’t that she feared for his safety more, but that she could have held him longer, stayed closer, and heard his voice calling to her rather than the cheering crowd.