When Pascale Auber is forced out of the airship of the evil Dr. Simpelstur, she finds herself rescued by a handsome Ruritanian diplomat, Theo von Hentzau. Pascale soon realizes that Theo is hiding something - something to do with the evil doctor, th...
The narrow, varnish-scented corridors of the airship were dark as Blaise followed clumsily behind Miss Silverstar. The ship lurched under his feet every few steps; most of these, Blaise decided, were due to his own weakened condition, but at least twice Miss Silverstar herself was thrown roughly against a bulkhead. They climbed a ladder and then a flight of stairs, all in near-darkness. Blaise found the whole experience almost dreamlike, resembling one of those nightmares where one climbs a staircase or wanders a maze for all eternity, with no end. Nevertheless, there was an end; Miss Silverstar opened a heavy, wooden door, and the red-gold light of the setting sun flooding the corridor.
For a moment, Blaise was blinded by the light, but as his eyes adjusted he found himself in a large, glass-walled room at the bow of the dirigible. Directly in front of him was a low counter bearing various navigational instruments – he recognized a compass – and a series of levers. There was also an instrument he had never seen before, something comprised of a knob with a telegraph key on one side and a coil of bare wire mounted on a wooden board on the other side. A thick tail of wire, this wrapped in a fabric cover, ran from the coil to disappear into the instrument panel. In front of the panel, its supports set into the floor of the room, was a large ships' wheel. The wheel and levers were lashed in place with a series of clumsily-tied ropes.
"Is nobody actually flying this ship?" He demanded, as Miss Silverstar began slipping the ropes off of the wheel.
She shook her head. "No. We're the only people aboard. " She hauled the wheel to the left two points, and the ship lurched. The setting sun, which had been slightly ahead and to the left, was now directly left. "My uncle is probably fuming outside the Aosta at this very moment, seeing as how I am sure the show he was planning to watch me in has been cancelled. I did tell them not to let him into the back, but I am unsure how long they will be able to keep him out."
Blaise sighed. "I guess neither of us is going back to work there, are we?"
She shook her head. "Even if they'd have us back, we're hardly safe until my uncle is dealt with." She laughed, a tinge of mania creeping into her voice. "He'll be very angry that I stole his ship."
"We're going north?" Blaise asked.
"For now. This ship is too easy to track. We'll leave it for my uncle to find."
"And then what?"
"You'll be fine, Dr. Auber," Miss Silverstar said reassuringly. "Loose those levers for me, would you?"
Blaise untied the levers one at a time.
"I'm going to get you home. Lever on your left, move it towards you just a tad – yes, there, thank you."
The ship rose slightly in the air.
"But what about you?"
"I have a plan," she said, grimly. It looked like she was about to go on, but then a clicking noise arose from the instrument panel.
Blaise looked over; the telegraph key was moving, clicking out a message he couldn't translate.
Miss Silverstar looked pale.
Blaise said, "I thought you said we were the only people aboard!"
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