Journey to the Heart of Luna - Andy Frankham-Allen [14]
When Nathanial questioned why he was being told this, since he leaned towards Bedford’s own opinion on the sharing of this information, Folkard had told him; “Because, Professor, you are coming to Luna with me. You know both Miss Somerset and Doctor Grant, and I’m gambling that your connection to them might persuade them against any further involvement with the Russians.”
So ended the meal in the captain’s quarters. He piped a command to have someone sent to take Nathanial on a tour and had left the young scientist to his own devices. Feeling a little awkward remaining alone in Folkard’s cabin, Nathanial had waited out in the gangway, his eyes drawn to the view afforded him by the porthole directly outside the cabin.
As Folkard left him, Nathanial pondered what concerned him the most. It was not the performance of the battleship, or the danger that they would probably find on Luna. Grant was a cantankerous old fool and could look after himself, although if Folkard was to be believed, then the doctor had got himself into more trouble than he probably even knew. Grant did not concern Nathanial, his niece did.
He had heard very little of Annabelle in recent months, save the odd telegram to report on her growing boredom at Ottawa University. Still he remembered with some bitterness the day Grant had decided to send his niece away, “to better yourself, and keep you away from the English scientist. Do not think I failed to notice how he has caught your eye!” Nathanial appreciated Doctor Grant’s protective nature, after all she was an orphan and he had taken it upon himself to look after her following her return from harrowing circumstances of which Nathanial was still none the wiser. Every family had their secrets, Nathanial supposed, including the Grant/Somerset family it would seem. That they did concerned him not, for he had not gone to Arizona to “catch” Annabelle’s eye. Besides which, at that point Annabelle was only eighteen years of age, and to suggest he was interested in such a young woman was an affront. Certainly Nathanial was not so old himself, and there was only six years between them, but even still…
It was that exchange which sealed the date of Nathanial’s own departure. With the removal of Annabelle, Grant was no longer tempered by her gentle nature and became increasingly “cranky”, as the Americans would say. In truth Nathanial was not sorry to leave Arizona. Cyrus Grant had a brilliant mind, that was beyond dispute, but his manners were found wanting and Nathanial could not countenance another week of forgiving the old man his foibles. He had been glad to leave, although disappointed that he would not be there to see the successful application of his work.
“Professor Stone?”
“It is not…” Nathanial drew his eyes away from the tug-boat, and looked at the owner of the voice, cast down to find it was not Lieutenant Bedford whom Captain Folkard had sent. He looked the young seaman up and down; he was barely a man, probably a landman still, with less than two years service in the Navy. Nathanial shrugged his narrow shoulders. “It does not matter. I take it you are to show me the ship, Landman…?”
“Ordinary Seaman Stevenson, sir. Landman has not been used for some time.”
Nathanial nodded. Clearly he needed to brush up on his Navy jargon. “Thank you for the correction,” he said with a smile.
Stevenson smiled back; a smile that simply bounced from his blue eyes. “A pleasure, Professor. Where would you care to start the tour, sir?”
The answer to that was simple. “The engine room, naturally,” he said, and followed the seaman aft. He might not have been able to witness the design perfected by Grant, but he could certainly see his own, bettered, design in action.
4.
THE ENGINE room was located at the stern of the Sovereign, on a lower level all by itself. Nathanial remembered the mirror antenna he’d seen when the great battleship had approached the aerostatic flyer almost half a day ago, and worked out that the engine room must have been situated directly above that.
He stopped