Journey to the Heart of Luna - Andy Frankham-Allen [5]
Once the platform had cleared of all but two deckhands who stood by to untether the ship, Nathanial stepped forward. The wood beneath his feet creaked and he froze. He looked sideways and saw nothing but the Dover Strait, miles and miles of water. He closed his eyes and swallowed. He was a scientist, not an adventurer, a man who used his mind, happiest when entrenched in books and theories. Even when he had ventured to Arizona to assist Grant, Nathanial made a point of securing himself in his cabin and never venturing onto the deck for the entire voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Steeling himself, he opened his eyes once more and his face immediately turned to a ruddy complexion.
A man stood at the entrance of the Zeus’ gondola. No, not just any man, but a captain in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. It would have been a remarkable coincidence if it proved to be any captain other than Jacob Folkard, the contact with whom Nathanial was scheduled to meet.
He was looking at Nathanial with utter disdain.
“If you would care to expedite your embarkation, Professor Stone, I am certain we would all be most grateful.”
Nathanial opened his mouth to reply, but found no words forming, so he closed his mouth again. He was honoured that Captain Folkard recognised him, although they had never previously met, but he also found it rather humiliating that the good captain’s first experience of him should be like this.
Bracing himself, Nathanial gripped the handles of his cases firmly and forced himself forward, holding his head up high in defiance of the disparagement on Captain Folkard’s face. The captain watched him closely, his expression never changing. Nathanial stopped by the entrance, and peered easily over Folkard’s head into the interior of the gondola. He looked back down at the captain, who was a good foot shorter than he, and cleared his throat.
“Permission to board, Captain Folkard?”
Folkard raised a dark eyebrow, and stepped aside. “Professor Stone, this is a commercial ship, not among Her Majesty’s Armada; I have no authority here. Or perhaps you thought this was the HMAS Sovereign?”
“Well, of course not,” Nathanial replied quickly. “A dirigible based flyer could never hope to attain orbit, let alone enter the aether. Captain Folkard, sir, I may well be a little…erm, deterred by the thought of falling into the English Channel, but I am no dullard. Please do not insult me…” He suddenly stopped, instantly regretting the words that had poured out of his mouth.
Folkard’s eyebrow, which had remained raised throughout Nathanial’s little diatribe, lowered slowly, and his lip edged up into a slight smile. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor Stone,” he said, and offered his hand.
Not sure how to reply, but knowing he been on the receiving end of some amusement, Nathanial placed one case beside him and took the captain’s hand in his, and for his troubles he received one of the firmest handshakes he had ever experienced. Even William did not clasp so hard.
“Shall we enter, Professor? Our mission is rather pressing.”
“Yes, of course, sir, if you would care to lead the way?”
Captain Folkard nodded and did so. Nathanial, glancing once more at the English Channel beneath his feet, stepped gingerly across the massive two inch gap between the platform and the flyer, and just hoped nothing would go wrong as the Zeus flew over the North Sea.
4.
CAPTAIN FOLKARD indicated that Nathanial take a seat by one of the portholes, and with a tip of his top hat, Nathanial did as suggested. The seating was plush, not unlike the rest of the interior of the gondola, and Nathanial made himself comfortable. The captain sat next to him, removing his own cap. Never having been inside the gondola of a dirigible, and certainly not one made