The Draco Society Trilogy

Chapter 7:

Chapter 7:

Anticlimactic was the only word Helena found to describe their arrival into Ensenada. For some childish reason, she assumed the Russians would be lying in wait for them, ready to pounce, the confrontation ending with a great air battle and her rushing in to save Gertrude. Not that she wanted to see anyone hurt, but she really wanted to give that Russian Count a thrashing for kidnapping her friend.

“Where are the Russians?” she blurted out to Captain Cox.

“Many miles away, I hope. We are not armed for combat, Mistress. I believe they are. The Pacific Ocean is a huge area. They might be hours or even days away searching for us elsewhere.”

That didn’t work at all for Helena. They needed the Russians to show themselves so they could get Gertrude back. Mister Wizard was so certain they wanted the plans for the airship. What else could they be after to keep chasing them?

The airship glided into Mexico, north of the city, and wove its way through the valleys until the captain found a suitable place to land. They were surrounded by farmland. Helena needed a city. She needed to send word home she was all right. She needed to learn... about everyone else. She had to lump everyone together, or she might start crying again.

“This is Mexico?” she asked the captain as they traveled over the farmland.

“Yes, beautiful country, isn’t it?”

“It looks just like the valleys south of San Francisco.”

“I know. Lovely, isn’t it? To go so far away from home and be reminded of it still.”

“I guess so. I just expected something... more for my first trip out of the country.”

“You are young. I am sure you will find much more to be excited about.”

“You must be right... Tell me, where’s the city? Why didn’t we land closer?”

“Not everywhere has an empty racetrack to be used as a landing field. We needed somewhere flat. Not likely to find those in the city. However, I think you would call Ensenada more of a town. The place is nothing like San Francisco.”

“That’s good. The city was wearing on me, but I do need to run into the city. I need to send word home that we made it out safely.”

“If I give you a list of things, can you pick them up?”

“Aye, Aye, Captain!” She smiled at her reply. “I’ll take Mister Wizard with me. He and I need to talk. He can keep me out of trouble.”

Helena watched wide-eyed as her ship—she had to keep reminding herself this was her ship—came into land. She expected the natives to run, but they were all very handy helping the sailors moor the airship to the nearby oak trees.

Once ensured that the ship was secure, the loading door was opened, and Helena and Mister Wizard headed out toward the small town of Ensenada. Helena sat behind the wheel of Bessie for the first time, Mister Wizard holding on tight as she practiced driving.

Marshal Dearborn cried after them, “Wait! I want...” His words trailed off as the dust cloud dissipated around him.

“I think the Marshal wanted us to stop.”

“Stuff him and his stiff shirt. I don’t want anyone getting in the way on this trip. It is just you and me.”

“You and I,” The wizard corrected her.

Helena sped up taking a corner on the dirt trail much too fast for safety.

“Tell me, Webster, why do you keep thinking the Russians are after your inventions?”

Mister Wizard held on for dear life as another corner rushed toward them.

“Please, dear, you know I don’t like that name, and slow down?” His voice raised in fear as his knuckles lost all blood with his grip.

“If you promise to give me straight answers, I will slow down... Webster.” She swiveled around the next corner, the back tires kicking up gravel as she took the turn.

Mister Wizard screamed. “All right, I promise!”

“And no BS half answers this time, or I will see what Bessie can do.” She slowed back down to a reasonable speed, slightly amazed her training in the land of immortals had sharpened her reflexes so much, even while driving a horseless carriage.

“Please, just go slow. I gave the hero-cycle for Doyle to test because I don’t care for the speed.”

“Stop stalling, professor.”

“Very well.” He took a deep breath and began. “When I was an instructor at the San Francisco Academy of Sciences, I had two research assistants. One was your father, and one was a promising young student named Vladimir Basov. When he returned to Russia, I think he took my research and tried to push it farther.” Mister Wizard squinted at Helena as if he were finished.

She down-shifted and floored the accelerator.

“All right, you are correct. There is more. Just slow down!” he screamed.

She took her foot off the gas pedal and asked, “What were you studying?”

“You learned of the classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Going as far back as Aristotle, people believed in a fifth element. The matter is not mentioned as often, as it is hard to describe, and we can’t measure it. They called the substance Aether. I thought if I found a way to contain and control the material, it would be possible to find unlimited energy.”

“Why worry about something new? We get everything we need from steam.”

“Steam requires fuel. We are doing great harm to our forests in our need for steam. Coal can’t keep up with our hunger. Remember also, there was a time before steam. Eventually, something will come along and replace steam. By my calculations, Aether will give us huge amounts of energy so our creations can become even larger.”

“There has to be more. I am guessing your experiments did not pan out. Why would we need so much more energy.”

“Oh, the experiments went well enough, but the academy thought I was playing more with magic than science, and they shut down my study.”

“Why did you need such power?”

He sighed before answering. “You mustn’t follow in their footsteps. I will not help you.”

“Who’s footsteps?”

“Your parents’ and Basov’s footsteps!”

“Tell me what you are talking about?”

“I started getting whiffs of concern when I received letters from friends on the continent that some of my research might have started up in Siberia. Then your father came to see me asking if he thought my contraption would truly work if he had the correct components and enough Aether. I told him if my calculations were correct, they would, yes.”

“Mister Wizard, what contraption are you talking about—the airship?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake no! A time machine!”

“You’re joking!” She nearly ran off the road in shock.

“Your parents were convinced they could go back in history and ‘fix’ mistakes. Make the world a better place. I explained to them the dangers if they did. After many arguments, they conceded the risks outweighed the rewards and promised not to pursue the matter further. After your father vanished, I am not so sure he told me the truth.”

“You think they built a time machine?”

“I don’t know! That is the problem. After that discussion, they stopped telling me about their plans. I think I lost their trust. Listen, if they somehow built a time machine, they’d have no way to power it. We never discovered a way to collect enough Aether to power a light bulb let alone something as powerful to crack through the time barrier. Many people believe time travel impossible. The machine would be huge, requiring a massive building to contain the device.”

Helena wasn’t sure what to think. The story seemed so fantastic. She needed to focus on the problems one step at a time. Namely getting Gertrude back and being able to read her parents’ secret journals. Her trip to Florida should help, but what would she tell Mister Nobody? She gave her word to gain access to her father’s journal, and he did help her. Was this the information he sought? Honestly, she didn’t obtain any real information. All she got was a personal history lesson. “You didn’t tell me why the Russians are still after you.”

“I don’t know. If they are trying to recreate my experiments, maybe they seek information on them. Perhaps they just want me? I can’t read minds, after all. I am a scientist, not a witch. When I saw their airship, I knew someone had lifted my plans. Possibly, they want the designs for Bessie or the gas operated pistols. I do think of many more ideas for items than you know. I don’t give you everything.” Mister Wizard crossed his arms and sat in the corner of his seat like a hurt child.

Helena guessed he was correct. The reason the Russians were after them was not nearly as important as the fact that they were. It seemed information made its way out of her house into other hands whether to Beast or the Russians—the ‘who’ really didn’t matter.

She needed to contact her home via telegraph. She had considered some sort of code to slip a message in and out, but maybe that was not the answer. If she plainly set out the course they planned, if the information was leaking out of her home, she would learn it, and the Russians might show up offering a trade for Gertrude. She might kill two birds with one stone. If Beast or the Russians never showed, then that worry could be put to bed.

Now she was ready to move on. She gave Bessie more fuel, and the carriage lurched forward, accompanied by Mister Wizard’s screams of terror.

The telegram she sent home was simple enough, her hope to reach the right eyes.

Currently, in Mexico, we made it out safely.

Next stop Houston in three days.

Helena

That should get some attention—hopefully, the right kind.

The telegram sent, her and Mister Wizard found the charts they needed quickly enough. Then they rode back to the valley containing the Legend right where they left it.

While driving, Helena considered the new information. Might her father have somehow used ancient knowledge to lock his journal? She was sure her mother’s notes were secured with magic. It would make as much sense that her father would use some archaic method to encrypt his notes.

She had the trip to Houston to research the problem. On the return to the ship, she was kind enough to tell Captain Cox of her telegram and her concerns. She could tell he was not overly pleased with her actions, but he kept his words to himself. Just as well. Once the message was sent, the information was out for the world to see.

The ship loaded, they cast off for Texas.