Sky Pirates

Chapter 23

The floor continued to ascend in darkness. Parker Greene contemplated taking the older man's arm. Just as he thought that, he heard a snap and then a subtle pop. The two men were awash in brilliant, blinding sunlight. Peter Swoonry had prepared for the moment during the long ride up by placing a pair of goggles fitted with colored glass over his eyes. Parker shielded his face for a moment to allow his vision to adjust.

"Here we are," said Swoonry with a sweep of his arm.

"Where is here?" Parker lowered his hand to address the Magistrate, but then quickly raised it again to shield the sun, which beamed on him.

"Well, to you this will be the third island you've seen."

It dawned on Parker Greene in that very moment that he still didn't know where "here" was. "Where are we, sir? What is this place called?"

"I cannot offer that detail, Lord Greene. You understand, I'm certain, that revealing too much too quickly could be detrimental to our cause." The Magistrate looked away, then back at Parker with kindly eyes. "So, we're off."

With Mr. Swoonry leading by just a step, the two men traversed a wide avenue paved with flat, red bricks. A median with a canopy of trees blotted out the mid-day sun allowing the Magistrate to remove his goggles and Parker Greene to more easily see the vast setting. On each side of the street, stately homes were set on large grassy lots with well-established shade and ornamental trees.

Men and women, mostly of normal size, relaxed in the yards, parks, and porches of these homes. Even from his distance, Parker viewed many of them drinking from tall glasses that tinkled with ice and long, silver spoons. He licked his lips at the prospect of a cold drink.

"Where are my manners?" asked Swoonry who led Parker Greene off the street, up a long walk, to the porch of a great house. "Good afternoon, Lady Drake."

"Hello, Mr. Swoonry. May we offer you and your friend a cool drink?"

"If you'd be so kind." The Magistrate bowed to the lady dressed in a long, bright yellow dress. It wasn't frilly or full, but rather plain and simple. Nothing like the little women who had earlier accompanied him through the shop stalls.

The lady offered the two men drinks that tasted of lemons, limes, and rum. The clear glass was cold to the touch and inside, small, round pieces of ice bobbed. Parker Greene wanted to know how ice was available in this heat. He'd never had it before while visiting the places in the world that remained warm or hot all year round. Ice was something for the colder climates. Instead of asking questions, he enjoyed the cold, blended drink.

None of them spoke; they all sipped their drinks and looked off in different directions at the vast lawns with the bright flowers.

Swoonry placed his empty glass on the silver tray atop the little table. He watched Parker until Lord Greene placed his glass there, too. "Thank you, Madam," said the Magistrate.

"Yes, thank you," mimicked Parker Greene.

The two men stepped off the lady's porch, walked back down the path, and continued their stroll up the avenue.

"That was strange."

"How so, Lord Greene?"

He thought for a moment as their heels clicked on the paving stones. Parker stopped walking. He listened to the birds singing and the light breeze through the leaves of the lush trees. He breathed deep the smells of sea perfumed by exotic flowers. He realized it. For the first time since the ship had docked, there were no mechanical sounds. No equipment. No automatic horses or horseless carriages. There were no belts or gears or cogs turning anywhere here. Or, if there were, they were well hidden or buried. For the first time in a very long time, Parker Greene felt out of sorts in his location.

"Why have you brought me here, Mr. Swoonry?"

"This is the good life. This is what so many strive for. There is nothing to do or be done. Everything has been and will continue to be taken care of. There is nothing here but leisure time. Time to think. Time to read. Time to contemplate life from the comfort of a shady veranda with a pitcher of cold drinks. A place where silence really is golden. There are no young people, no children. There is nothing to attend to."

Lord Greene was confused. "And, you see this as perfection of some sort?"

"Well, yes." The Magistrate stopped. "Here, if you decide to join us, this will be your home."

Parker Greene turned toward where Swoonry had indicated. The house, while much smaller, was a lovely scaled reproduction of his home in England, Wickwillow Manor. The home was a replica not only in form, but in the patina of the bricks and the placement of the trees and shrubbery. Parker believed that if he were to walk behind this house, he would find a small walled garden, a workshop, and a barn. All that the place lacked were island versions of his young wards, Mildred and Cole. At the thought of them, tears formed in Lord Parker Greene's eyes.

Swoonry took on the air of confidence, like that of a horse auctioneer: "We shall offer you perfection. We shall provide you with time. You will have the workshop of your dreams. You will have access to one of the world's most complete libraries. You will have as many people as you require to build anything you can imagine. Basically, you can have just about anything you want."

"In exchange for what?" asked Lord Greene. He felt indignant, angry. He feared he'd pull out his small pistol at any moment and quickly and efficiently kill the Magistrate of this place.

"In exchange for helping us discern the mountains of technical plans we have come into possession of."

"The stolen entries. You want me to interpret and build the contraptions imagined by the peoples of Her Majesty's Empire."

The two men were silent for a long moment. The silence was greedily filled by two birds, calling and responding between two trees near the Wickwillow Manor replica.

* * *

Want to find out what happens next? Use this link to read Sky Pirates free on Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/2tncj1H