Unobtainium 1: Kate on a Hot Tin Roof (21 page)

The sun was well down when she saw it, a dark shape barely visible as a greater blackness in the night, but it was rising perhaps a mile to the east and a little south. As she watched, it started in her direction and she covered most of herself with her blanket and kept a track on it as best she could until it had gone over. They were continuing to look for her around the East End. She wondered how long they would continue to search if they failed to find her.

The warehouse they had selected seemed perfect for the job. There were large doors leading onto what had to be a marshalling yard of some sort with a high wall around it. They would be able to pull the airship out and then take it up with minimal chance that it would be seen on the ground. Still, if they kept doing this they would eventually be seen. Of course, that assumed that anyone in the area would bother reporting a balloon being deployed in the dead of night.

She climbed the wall of the building slowly, carefully, and quietly. The woman Dittmar had warned her of would likely be aboard the airship, but there would certainly be others inside. She found no doorway on the roof, but there was a vent which she prised the cover from and slipped inside. Someone had installed a chimney-like system for conducting air into the building. It was not an easy task to struggle through to a point where she could look down on the interior, but she managed it.

There was a large, open space, presumably for the blimp, and a couple of vehicles. There was the suggestion, from their placement, of more, but those had presumably transported the search teams out into the city. A few guards sat around the room looking bored, but none looked up at the vent. Guns rested on tables around the room, large quantities of guns, some of which Kate had never seen the like of before. These were rifle-like weapons, but with quite wide barrels and unusual tubes and pipes set along them. A thicker pipe ran from the upper part of the stock to a backpack.

Shuffling back from the vent, Kate lay down and closed her eyes. She would wait here until dawn and the return of the airship. She wanted to see the thing in daylight, and perhaps see the Nightingale in person.

21
^st
August.

The sound of voices from below woke Kate and she shuffled forward to look down again. The huge doors at the front of the room were being opened. It was still dark outside, but the light from within was quite sufficient to reveal to her cat-like eyes the shadowy shape of the blimp, as men, or rather necromenschen, began dragging it inside. Clearly the dead men were stronger than normal, a point to make note of.

The blimp itself was black and made of some form of canvas, but of a very tight weave. To Kate it looked as though the material had some odd optical property; the light seemed to fall into it, absorbed by it and vanished into nothing. She spotted a gondola beneath it with three guns mounted at the front but could make out little detail aside from that. She was beginning to consider the entire exercise a waste of time and discomfort when she saw the woman.

This had to be Nachtigall; she was the only woman there and she was quite the beauty in a severe way. Not especially tall, she was above average for a female, and dressed in the same sort of uniform as the rest of the airship crew. Her walk, her hips, and the fairly expansive cleavage she displayed through her half-unbuttoned blouse gave away her femininity, but little else did. Her hips swung as she walked, but it was more of a swagger, and there was a cigarette between her lips which she took frequent drags on. Her hair was a short, blonde crop mostly hidden by the peaked cap she was wearing. Across her back was a rifle fitted with a large, telescopic sight and a heavy silencer. She looked annoyed and her shouted orders spoke of weariness and irritation even if Kate could not understand the words.

Von Auttenberg’s people were starting to realise that they had missed their chance. They had certainly seen no sign of her in two nights and one of their own had gone missing, two if they had never found the body of the Leutnant’s companion. Their Colonel would be displeased. More men would be joining the ranks of the necromenschen, though Kate doubted Nachtigall would be among them.

Kate pushed back from her vantage point and lay down. The search teams had been out all night and would need rest. They would likely retire soon and she would make her escape then. The urge to attack was strong, but it would be futile and she would be handing herself over to the people hunting her. So this was not the time to assault them; this was the time for stealth, and then the sharing of information. As soon as she could, she would go to see Charles.

Richmond.

‘I confess that I am concerned,’ Charles said as he paced before Antonia’s drawing room fireplace. ‘We have had no word from her. Your young friend has tried to make contact for the last two nights and I am loath to endanger her further in that neighbourhood.’

‘Charles, Chastity is not an incapable woman and she is most determined to assist us in any way she can. I am also concerned, but we can continue to try. Would that we had anything of import to pass on when contact is made. Please sit down, you are making me dizzy.’

Sweeping into a seat, but sitting on the very edge as though he might leap up again at any instant, Charles said, ‘My apologies, but my nerves are on edge. Longford persists in his accusations, and my work suffers. I was close to perfecting a new pharmaceutical based upon Kate’s blood, but my concentration is sorely disturbed.’

‘Another wondrous healing elixir, Charles?’

‘I believe I have isolated some of the chemicals released as her body heals itself. This process is far more complex than the chemistry of the purification process, but I have some indication that I can trigger accelerated healing in another using complex molecules which are natural to the body, but do not normally appear in such large amounts.’

‘That is most excellent news, Charles.’

‘Indeed, but I am interrupted every day by the Chief Inspector and his questions, often ones he has asked the day before. I believe his intent is to catch me in a lie, but since he never asks anything I must obfuscate the answer to, he has failed entirely in his plan. I admit that his confidence in Kate’s guilt appears a little shaken these past two days, and also that I came here in the hope that he will not attempt to confront us both at the same time.’

‘I believe that he will not. The last time we spoke I put doubt in his mind regarding the deaths of two of his officers. A man of such conviction as Chief Inspector Longford cannot afford doubts. Now, drink your tea and attempt to relax, if but for a moment. There is little in this world which cannot be countered by a firm resolve, a quick wit, and a good cup of tea.’

Knightsbridge.

Charles glanced at the tall, thin man standing across the street as he waited for Harroway to open the door. Forgetting his keys on the way out had just put a cap on his annoyance at the entire situation. The policeman did not even
try
to appear unobtrusive, which was a further annoyance.

‘I neglected to pocket my key before leaving,’ Charles grumbled as the door opened.

Harroway, as usual, acted as this were nothing of note. ‘Your mind is on more pressing matters, sir.’ He waited until Charles was inside and the door closed before adding. ‘You have a visitor, sir. I took the liberty of placing her in the laboratory once she was made presentable. Her attire is somewhat unconventional, but I believe her appearance will be most agreeable.’

Charles frowned at the manservant as he handed over his coat, and then what he was not saying hit him. Not quite running, Charles bolted for the door to the laboratory.

Kate was sitting on a stool, hands resting in her lap and knees together, as though she were at a dinner party in a fine gown. Charles’s eyes bulged a little at the display of skin he was faced with, but he got little chance to summon his wits as she threw herself across the room at him. ‘Sharles!’ Thankfully, as he somewhat delicately returned her hug, his hands found suede rather than flesh. He was having quite enough trouble with the fact that her barely restrained chest was pressing against his waistcoat.

She seemed to recognise that she was embarrassing him a little, broke the hug, and stepped away, smiling. ‘You’ve not seen me in this before, have you?’

‘I have not. It is… most becoming if a little…’

‘Abbreviated? Tight?’

‘I believe both adjectives fit well, as do the clothes. My dear Kate, it fills my heart with joy to know that you are still well and free, but I suspect you have a motive other than reassurance for breaking your self-imposed exile.’

‘I have uncovered the man behind our recent misfortunes, Sharles. It is Count von Auttenberg. I am told he requires me for experiments of some sort. Sharles, they have an airship which has been made to vanish into the night sky. I am firmly of the belief that they took my father from Pentonville.’

‘Von Auttenberg? You are quite sure? Accusing such a man of such treachery will not be a simple matter.’

‘I have not seen him with them–’

‘He left for Africa not long after we saw him at the club.’

‘I believe my informant was being truthful, and the men pursuing me are most certainly German. One is watching this house.’

Charles frowned. ‘I was aware of the policeman.’

‘There are two from the Yard. One watches the rear gate. They are growing weary of the vigil, however, and their attention wavers. I was able to slip in through the disused coal chute into your cellar. I dare say that that was why Harroway was so firm in suggesting I take a bath, but I admit that I have grown used to such luxuries and being clean has never felt quite so good.’

‘You have had a harrowing few days, Kate. Now, I think, it is time for you to rest and leave the immediate future to myself and Mrs Wooster. I shall send word to her to visit in the morning, for I have just attended her residence and coming here so soon after would arouse suspicion. We shall hear the entirety to your tale and commit ourselves to the task of clearing your name. Mine also, given that I am suspected of aiding you in the kidnap of Cooper.’

Kate’s face dipped away. ‘I have brought great misfortune to your door, Sharles. I cannot apologise enough–’

‘Nonsense! If there is anyone to blame in this it is the Count, and we shall see to it that he is made to pay in full for all his misdeeds.’

22
^nd
August.

‘I have heard much that is fantastic in my life,’ Antonia said, ‘but the reanimation of dead men? Chastity brought rumours of walking corpses back with her two nights ago, but we all agreed this was likely a fabrication of the gin much abused in the area. You say you saw them yourself, Kate?’

‘More than once. One of them was the man who pretended to be Inspector Morris. I do not believe he could have survived my escape from them. His throat was laid open and I could still see evidence of the wound on him as he looked my way on the railway tracks. The ones in the warehouse were in clearer light and I could see sallow complexions and eyes which appeared clouded.’

‘It is not entirely impossible,’ Charles said, his tone musing. ‘I should consider it blasphemous to attempt, and you know that I am far from being a religious man. Some acts of science should
not
be considered, let alone pursued. The basics of life, the processes by which an organism maintains itself and powers its muscles, these are but chemistry. Complex chemistry which we are barely scratching the surface of, but physical processes nonetheless. I have no doubt that the correct chemicals, applied in the correct manner, could arrest decay and return some semblance of life to a dead being. Whether such a… creature would possess a mind or soul is a matter for philosophers and theologians, but it would likely have some rudimentary intelligence and sufficient motor function to act as a slave.’

‘Such abomination cannot be left to stand,’ Antonia stated. ‘And I do not use that word lightly. Alfred Cooper’s works deserve far greater punishment than he received, but they have resulted in a young woman who is intelligent, civilised, independent, beautiful, and good. These “necromenschen” must be destroyed for their own sake if nothing else.’

‘Indeed, but I am, perhaps, more concerned with this weapon your Leutnant Dittmar mentioned, Kate.’

‘He said little of it,’ Kate replied. ‘I do not believe he knew much, aside from the plan to build it. He said that nations would fear it.’

‘Some form of enhanced Vulcanite, Charles?’ Antonia suggested.

‘Perhaps. They have perfected Vulcanium. They may have found some way to make Vulcanite more potent, though I cannot think how. I have considered several options myself, but none have proven of use. I believe we must obtain the information directly. We must confront the Count.’

‘But he’s not even in the country?’ Kate protested.

‘Quite. He has returned to Africa.’

‘I believe you will be needing
my
expertise,’ Antonia stated. ‘You will provide the transport?’

‘I will. Please provide to me a list of anything we may require which you cannot immediately lay your hands upon. I shall attempt to procure them without undue notice.’

‘I believe we will be sufficiently provisioned until we can reach Nairobi. We will pause there and take stock. It appears, Kate, that you will be visiting the Dark Continent rather sooner than you might have expected.’

The Dark, Dark Continent

Kenya, 27
^th
August 1920.

‘Somehow I expected more… well, more,’ Kate said.

They were standing on the observation deck of their dirigible, which was mounted above the envelope to give as good a view as possible of the country below. Their transport was a Montford-Henry Oculus-class airship designed for scientific survey; Charles had used the design before and was well able to handle its operation. There were many high-powered scientific instruments down in the gondola, along with a small, but comprehensive, laboratory, three cabins, a general office, and some nine days’ supply of fuel for the generator, but the observation deck afforded a most spectacular view.