The Steampunk Detective (17 page)

One of the other French airships came in to land some distance away from its wrecked comrade. A Swiss vessel came in behind it.

Within the sound of all the people in the snow and the still burning wreckage of the Voltaire, Jack suddenly noticed another sound reverberating around the valley. He stopped.

“Look!” he cried.

A wide horizontal slot had opened high up in one of the nearby hills as two enormous doors slid sideways. A roaring sound emanated from the interior. They stared upwards breathlessly as the sound grew louder.

An object flew out from the gap like a rocket.

“It’s a mechanised glider,” Mr Doyle said.

“We call it an aeroplane,” Jon Harker replied.

Jack steeled himself for another attack, but the mechanized device flew straight over the valley and out of sight.

“A fixed wing vessel,” Mr Doyle mused. “With an engine. Remarkable.”

“Just one of the many miracles developed by Phoenix,” Mr Bell commented. “Or one of the many atrocities, depending on how one looks at it.”

“Knowledge is a wonderful thing,” Mr Doyle replied. “As long as it is shared and respected. Secrets have too often brought down people, governments and nations.”

“I see that now,” Joseph Bell said.

Jack looked at the man. He looked unwell, as if now he now realised the terrible chain of events the society had brought about.

He regrets what he has done, Jack thought. I pray the Nazis can still be stopped.

“We must return to the bunker,” Mr Harker said. “I hope the aeroplane is the only piece of technology taken by the Nazis.”

Mr Doyle nodded at the remains of the metal giant. “Surely there is nothing more powerful than your metal monster.”

Dismay crept onto Jon Harker’s face. “Gentlemen, this base contains a weapon so powerful, it could spell the end of mankind. I pray it is still here – otherwise it has fallen into the hands of the Nazis.”

Chapter Twenty

Jack, Scarlet and Lucy were assigned medical duties while the men searched the base. Airmen injured by the attack of the metal man were either immediately airlifted to nearby Swiss hospitals or taken to the Phoenix compound to be treated. The girls were used as nurses by a small team of doctors from the airships while Jack was used as a general assistant. He didn’t mind. He found the work interesting and was glad to be of assistance to the injured men.

He had just finished getting a glass of water for one of the men when Mr Doyle appeared at his side.

“Jack,” he said. “We’re just having a meeting in the boardroom. Would you like to join us? There are some things you should hear.”

Mr Doyle looked worried. Jack nodded and followed him into the complex. The underground structure was massive. Jack wanted to ask Mr Doyle questions about it, but the older man looked too lost in thought to talk as they passed through a series of chambers deeper into the mountain. They finally arrived at a circular room with a round table in the centre. A number of people already sat around it. Jack recognised most of them – Scarlet and Lucy and their fathers.

A number of military men were seated in the room. In addition, there was also a thickset man with a serious expression on his face. Jack did not recognise him.

Finally Mr Bell stood and began by introducing Jack, Mr Doyle and the girls to the other men. Then he introduced the newcomers.

“This is Major Gerald Evans from the Navy and General Winston Churchill from the Army. I will begin by telling you all that we face an immense risk, greater even than that of the Great War.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Major Evans remarked.

“Believe it,” Jon Harker said. “The Phoenix society is literally centuries ahead of anything currently being used in the field.”

“What is the nature of this risk?” General Churchill asked.

“Experiments were made a number of years ago to investigate the power of the atom,” Mr Harker began.

“The power of Adam?” Major Evans frowned.

“The atom,” Mr Harker said, rather more firmly. “The basic building block of everything in existence. We have called it an atomic bomb. A mass of fissile material, in this case, uranium, is assembled into a supercritical mass which results in a nuclear chain reaction –.”

“Pardon me,” Major Evans interrupted. “Can I have it in English?”

“In English?” Mr Harker looked slightly annoyed. “Absolutely. A chain reaction is created that causes a massive explosion.”

“How big an explosion?” Winston Churchill asked.

“Two atomic bombs were built by the Phoenix society,” he replied. “Each explosion is the equivalent of approximately 18 kilotons of TNT.”

That’s a lot, Jack thought. A ton is a lot, so eighteen of them is more and a kiloton was a thousand of them so -.

It was massive. Absolutely massive.

Both military men stared at him in disbelief.

“You must be joking,” the General said.

“I wish I were,” Mr Harker said. “We are talking about a blast radius of some two miles. Anything within that zone will be annihilated. People outside that area staring at the explosion will be instantly blinded. After the detonation of the bomb, there is radiation fallout which will kill people within days, weeks or months of the initial explosion.”

“How many people are we talking about?” Mr Doyle asked quietly.

“If exploded over the centre of London, it would kill some one hundred thousand people in the short term and probably the same number again through radiation over the next five years.”

Absolute dead silence filled the room.

“I think it preposterous –.” Major Evans began.

Winston Churchill interrupted. “And you’re saying the Nazis now have control of this weapon?”

“Two of them,” Mr Harker confirmed sadly. “They can be detonated in a number of ways. A timed explosion. Or they can be released from a great height over an area.”

“Winston,” Major Evans turned to the General. “Surely you can’t believe in all this claptrap about a super weapon.”

“We can’t afford not to,” Winston Churchill said. “And after seeing the weaponry assembled within this compound and the metal giant lying on the ice outside, I think we need to prepare for the worst.”

“But we don’t know where these bombs are located,” the Major pointed out.

“As a matter of fact,” Joseph Bell said. “We do.”

Everyone looked at him.

“A tracking device is attached to the weapons,” he said. “We have been able to verify their location.”

“Then where are they, man?” General Churchill demanded gruffly.

“The German metrotower,” Mr Harker said.

Mr Bell started. “But surely the German government –.”

“Much has changed in the last twenty–four hours,” General Churchill interrupted. “A coup was staged in the German parliament, resulting in the deaths of the chancellor and most of the party leaders. The Nazis are now in command.”

“And their leader is this man, Drexler?” Mr Doyle asked.

“Indeed,” the General confirmed. He lit a cigar and started puffing on it furiously. He strode over to the map of Europe and examined it. Finally he turned to the others in the room.

“We stand on the verge of disaster,” he said. “To halt this terrible calamity we must take up arms against the Nazis before they can use these terrible weapons, these atomic bombs.” He turned to Joseph Bell. “Can you disarm the devices?”

“Both myself and Mr Harker can disarm them,” Mr Bell confirmed.

“Then we’ll need both of you,” Churchill said.

“And us,” Scarlet interrupted.

“Yes,” Jack said. “Count me in.”

“And myself,” Mr Doyle said.

Lucy looked around the room. “Anywhere my father goes, I go.”

“My friends,” Winston Churchill said gently. “This is not the place for young ladies or boys or,” he looked to Mr Doyle, “even famous detectives.”

Scarlet stood up and placed her hands on the table. “If it weren’t for Lucy and myself and Jack and Mr Doyle, none of us would be here. And no–one would be any the wiser as to the terrible crisis we are now facing. We are a team and we will remain a team.

“England is in danger and it is the responsibility of every man, woman and child to defend our country with every fibre of our beings.”

Jack thought she probably looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her before.

“I cannot argue with your patriotism.” General Churchill slowly nodded. “Our next stop will be the French metrotower. The French have given us permission to use their facilities during this crisis. You may travel with us that far, but I cannot allow you to go any further. That would be endangering your lives for nought.”

“Alright,” Scarlet nodded. “The French metrotower it is.”

Chapter Twenty-One

The airship rolled slightly as it came into dock at the metrotower. Jack could see little difference between this structure and its London counterpart. The windows looked slightly smaller and some bronze gargoyles decorated some of the cross beams, but apart from these small differences, the buildings were almost identical.

This time they were coming in to land at a point much higher up the tower. Standing next to Scarlet on the observation deck, Jack felt both trepidation and a sense of disappointment. It seemed their adventure was coming to an end. Soon Mr Bell and Mr Harker would depart for the metrotower, leaving the rest of them behind.

The airship jarred slightly as it connected to the tower.

“Looks like we’re here,” Scarlet said.

“Looks like it,” Jack replied.

Scarlet turned to him. “Jack, there’s something I’d like to tell you.”

“What’s that, Scarlet?” Jack asked.

“I think you’re one of the bravest young men I’ve ever known,” she said. “I saw the way you saved Mr Doyle. He would have died out there on the snow without you. He is a great detective, but he’s not invincible. He still needs someone to look after him.”

“You make me sound like a nurse,” Jack said, smiling.

“Well, if you are, you’re the best around,” Scarlet said. “I don’t think he has any family, does he?”

“His son was killed in the war.”

“I suppose you’re like a son to him now.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I would,” Scarlet said.

A bell sounded. “Looks like we’re disembarking,” Scarlet said. “From here there’s only one direction.”

He looked at her quizzically.

“Up,” she explained.

They joined Mr Doyle, and the others in the disembarking lounge. With General Churchill in the lead, they wound their way through the structure to the elevators. Jack looked around in wonder. Everywhere he peered, he saw French words. Within every corridor he heard people speaking the French tongue. He had travelled to France with the circus when he was very young, but remembered little of the country or its people.

French troops were assembled in close knit groups throughout the halls. Many of the men were smoking. Occasionally Jack heard them break into nervous laughter. They all looked kitted out with guns, bayonets and hand grenades.

“They look like they’re ready for a full scale invasion,” Jack said.

“They are,” Mr Doyle said. “French and British troops are gathering at the border. Mr Bell and Mr Harker will be boarding the French ship, the Joan of Arc, with a huge complement of military men and making their way to the German metrotower.”

“Are they just going to attack the tower?”

“They are giving the Nazis an ultimatum. Either they hand over the atomics weapons or it’s war.”

“I hope they give them up.”

“So do I,” Mr Doyle said. “So do I.”

They wound their way around elevator shafts until they arrived at a large shaft close to the centre. Sets of boots lay on racks to one side. Major Evans picked up a pair.

“Everyone has to boot up,” he explained. “These boots are magnetic, thus enabling you to walk about safely at the top of the tower.”

Jack checked through the boots until he found a pair that looked like they would fit. He lifted them. They were heavier than a conventional pair. He imagined the extra weight lay in the magnets set into the soles. Putting them on, he took a few experimental steps. They were difficult to wander about in.

“You’ll get used to them once we’re upstairs,” Major Evans said. “After a few hours you won’t notice the difference.”

General Churchill led them into the elevator. They plodded after him across the floor, making a racket as they went. Stumbling inside, Jack noticed the French elevator had four rows of railings set across the middle. The General took a position next to Jack.

“We must all hang onto the railings during the ascent,” General Churchill informed them. “It can be a bumpy ride.”

Everyone climbed in. Jack heard a distant clanking sound and the lift shuddered. It started to ascend.

“We now climb several miles,” General Churchill said to Jack. “It’s quite a distance.”

“It sounds like it, sir,” he said politely. “Have you been up this tower before?”

“A few times,” the General replied. “I was invited here when the tower was first built after the war.” He leaned closer to Jack. “I understand you’ve had quite a few adventures with Mr Doyle.”

“A few,” he admitted.

“We can use men like you in the army,” the General said. “Young, strong, fit chaps with brave hearts.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Jack said diplomatically.

The lift continued to ascend. The journey seemed to take forever. After a while Jack closed his eyes and focused on the continual clanking as it lifted higher and higher.

He wondered how far up they were now. Many miles, he imagined. Ascending to great altitudes had never frightened him; he had lived at great heights for years with his parents. He had lost his fear of heights as a young child. Only after losing that fear was it possible to focus on jumping and flying without a fear of falling.

He hoped he would not fall from here. It was a long way to fall.

The lift jarred. He snapped open his eyes. The General looked up at an indicator above the door.

“We’re almost there,” he announced. “Just another minute or two.”

Jack stifled a yawn. He wondered if he had been asleep for the last few minutes. He felt like it. He looked over to Mr Doyle. The great detective looked tired as well. The last few days had been exhausting – for anyone. Let alone an older man like Mr Doyle. He really did very well for his age.