Annabelle came running up a moment later, and took a cup of tea gratefully from the girl. She was all out of breath, which, combined with her oil-smudged face and men’s coveralls, made her altogether far less ladylike than her prim sister. She didn’t much care though.
“They’re loading the last of it now,” she said. “That final passenger, a doctor or something, found a problem with the scales, and we should be light enough to get off the ground.” Or at least, the ship will, she thought. But someday, she’d be a pilot herself, and then she’d soar.
The Voyage 014: Annabelle
May 17, 2015
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The Voyage 013: Leo
May 16, 2015
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Leo studiously avoided the Signaler’s gaze. She was a proper young woman, unlike her sister, and the pair of goggles she wore magnified her sparkling eyes. They were a vivid shade of green that made his stomach do flips. But she’d never have naught to do with the likes of him, he reckoned. Instead he watched a slim young man, carry a pair of heavy cases off the back of a carriage, wave the porter away, and tromp up the gangway. The man waited impatiently as they weighed his bags, had a long conversation with the steward, then disappeared inside.
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The Voyage 011: Otis
May 14, 2015
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Otis let out the slack on his gauntlet and struggled towards the tea cart like a man walking against a hurricane. Finally, he reached it and exchanged pleasantries with the others while a shaking slip of a new girl handed him a teacup. Florence hadn’t broken this one yet.
“What’s the commotion over there?” Charley asked. He sighed.
“Her Ladyship’s luggage is nearly five stone over the allotment, AND she brought a bloody safe, if you can believe it. They’re trying to make the weight for it, but the Lord know how they’ll do it. Toffs.” The others grunted agreement.
The Voyage 010: Molly
May 13, 2015
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The men gathered around the steaming kettle while Molly prepared it under Miss Florence’s hawkish gaze. She knew she needed to concentrate. They needed the money this job would bring in. She didn’t want to be the burden her Aunt and Uncle always said she was. She knew feeding and clothing a girl of ten cost money. That was why they pulled her out of school. Her gaze wandered to the shed on the far side of the field, where a morning of scrubbing and scouring awaited her, then back to the massive shadow of the airship above. If only…
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The Voyage 009: Charley
May 12, 2015
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Charley stared out at the loaders moving the last of the cargo, watching them argue and gesticulate, although at this distance their words didn’t carry. He double-checked the gauges on the bulky contraption strapped to his wrist. Everything was green, but nobody ever bothered to explain what they meant. He’d sussed out a bit, though. The cables were fed through the gauntlets housing, and could be released manually, or automatically at a signal. It was a much safer and more reliable than old fashioned ropes, but he wondered why they needed him at all. At least there was tea.
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The Voyage 008: Florence
May 11, 2015
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The tea service glinted in the morning sunlight. Of course, it was only aluminum, not silver or anything fancy. But Florence thought it looked pretty enough as she struggled with the trolly. The ground was flat, but muddy, and the little round wheels had a strong urge to dig themselves into the muck and pitch the whole thing forward.
“Molly, the cart!” she shouted at the girl in front. The ragamuffin snapped out of her revelry just in time to catch it before the whole thing tipped over. She’d been staring up at the airship again. The girl was useless.
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The Voyage 007: Philip
May 10, 2015
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It took some time for the women to settle into their rooms. They had their own head, as Nathaniel called it, and two bedrooms and a little sitting room. It was palatial compared to the rest of the accommodations, but Lady Wilhelmina complained about everything. Nothing was right, from the size of the mattresses to the color of the draperies covering the porthole. Philip knocked on the open door and entered.
He could see the panic on his fellow steward’s face as the old woman tore about.
“The captain wishes to inform you that The Indomitable will be launching shortly. “
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The Voyage: 006: Rosemary
May 9, 2015
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It took two more sets of hands to manage the safe up the gangway and into the cabin. Rosemary followed behind, keeping a watchful eye, under the pretense of preparing the rooms for her mistresses. They were richly appointed, but small for staterooms, and Lady Wilhelmina would likely be cross the whole trip. The safe cluttered the space further, but there was no helping it. The Wendigo Diamond was to be a gift for the queen, and nothing could be allowed to happen to it during the journey. There had been so much tragedy surrounding the stone already, after all.
The Voyage 005: Nathaniel
May 8, 2015
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A better dressed man met the two ladies and their maid while the porter and Henry gathered the bags. Nathaniel bowed and introduced himself as their personal steward for the journey. Wilhelmina took an instant dislike to him. This whole contraption was seemed less appealing the more she looked at it. But still, her granddaughter must go to London, and she begged to travel by air. At least, she hoped it would be smoother than a sea voyage. Behind her, the steward yelped.
“Is that a SAFE?” The boy had no sense of decorum. It would be a long trip.
The Voyage: 004: Wilhelmina
May 7, 2015
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A disreputable-looking man in an ill-fitting coat opened the carriage door and Lady Wilhelmina exited the cab, resting heavily on her cane, which she didn’t really need, but the doctors were always fussing over her use. She scowled up at the massive white and gold (or was it blue and black?) craft, and the huge, sun-blocking gasbag that it hung from. Massive propellers turned lazily from the sides, flashing in the few scan rays of sunlight that reached them. “It doesn’t look like much, does it?” But behind her, Penelope gasped. She was entranced by the behemoth.
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Hugh J. O'Donnell 