Secret of Greek Fire — Part Nine
In the clutches of the Egyptian Prince
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While trying to secure the secret of the Greek Fire, Jacqueline was captured by the Egyptian Prince, Abbas. Discovering the mayhem, Herbert and Howard plot a rescue mission.
“It doesn’t work. Why are you insisting we take it?” Herbert asked, when Howard requested assistance loading the steam powered gun aboard the airship.
“Abbas has riflemen aboard his ship. We must have something to counter their fire or we won’t survive to get close enough to rescue Jackie,” Howard answered.
“But, it’s too heavy, the balloons will never lift it.”
“We won’t have Jackie aboard this trip. The balloons should be able to lift the gun.”
“But, after we rescue Jackie, then she will also be aboard.”
“Once we rescue her, we won’t need the gun. We can toss it overboard.” Howard sighed. “This thing can rain down lead pellets from above. If they strike someone, it will hurt like the dickens, and it will make a tremendous racket. Perhaps they won’t notice that it’s not lethal fire until we are close enough to board.”
Uncle George used the coal furnace to fill the balloons with hot air while Howard and Herbert mounted the gun in the airship. They cut a hole through the wicker in the bow for the barrel, and connected the steam tubes to the boiler.
When they launched the Lady Cumberland, they steered southeast with the maximum steam power to the fan blades. Uncle George was at the helm.
“When we cross the Thames, turn west,” Howard said, assuming command of the mission. “With the setting sun behind us, we will be very difficult to see.”
Herbert added, “Abbas’ ship is quite distinctive with its over-sized aft deck. We’ll easily spot it.”
Uncle George asked, “Are you certain we shouldn’t go by the wharf first, and make certain that his ship has indeed departed?”
Howard shook his head. “We’ve too little fuel. With this tail wind from the northeast, we’ve enough to reach the river, but not enough to make a side trip.” He gazed over the basket’s bow. “We’ve only one chance to save her.”
They were several hundred feet in the air as they passed over Woolwich. Here the river made a dogleg shift to the north, but Howard commanded that they continue straight along a shorter path. “We’ll keep an eye to the north. If he’s in that stretch of the river, we’ll spot him.”
They rejoined the river at Erith. Here the river had a short stretch due west.
Herbert scanned the river with the spyglass, and shouted, “There he is. That’s the Egyptian ship! Hold due west and drop down to fifty feet above the water.”
Uncle George spun the ship’s wheel. Howard twisted the knobs to feed steam to the gun.
“Watch our shadow on the water,” Howard instructed Uncle George. “If our shadow is close to the ship, then we will be in the sun and their riflemen won’t be able to target us. When we are a hundred yards away, I’ll begin firing. When I start shooting, slow the airship down to match their speed. As we pass overhead, Herbert and I will rappel down.”
Uncle George nodded, acknowledging the instructions, but he asked, “Are you sure the two of you will be able to over throw the ship’s crew?”
Howard paused for a moment to stare at him, but he could find no words with which to assure either himself or Uncle George.
Herbert held the extra magazines of lead pellets. “You know, Howard, a hundred yards is too far for the gun to shoot.”
“We’ll be shooting downward, that should help increase the gun’s range.”
However, no one aboard the Egyptian ship noticed the airship approaching; their lookouts were using spyglasses to watch the water behind the ship, not up in the air. Thus, Howard did not initiate gunfire until they were much closer.
***
Aboard the ship, Abbas called for the cabin boy, and soon waiters were bringing wine and course after course of a fabulous meal. Jacqueline was impressed.
“I say, Abbas, is it possible to send word to Uncle George that I won’t be home for dinner. We left in a bit of a rush, and I didn’t think to tell anyone how long we would be gone.”
“Of course, I shall see to it.” He stepped out for a moment, and then returned. He was smiling.
“Tell me, Abbas, exactly what is it that Herbert wanted from those scrolls?”
“Ah, you know about those. Well, it is quite simple. The ancients knew thousands of years ago how to make the mysterious liquid fuel. They called the process alchemy, but today we know there is nothing magical about it. It is simple chemistry.” A sly smirk crossed his face.
“But what? Is there something more?”
“I have been, uh, somewhat mischievous.”
“What do you mean?”
“The scroll I gave Herbert described one of the earliest attempts. These researchers used iron for the catalyst which allowed the chemical reaction to take place. However, with this material, the reaction rate was very slow. It will take Herbert an eon to generate sufficient liquid for his machinery.”
“Oh, that was naughty.” Jacqueline’s interest was piqued. “Why did you do that?”
“I think the secret for the liquid, the Greek Fire as it is sometimes called, is much too important to give to the English. They will surely use it to dominate the world. I cannot allow that.”
“Why then, did you not simply say this to Herbert? Why did you make him think you would give it to him?”
“For you, of course. I needed the bargaining position to win your hand.”
With this statement, Abbas had tipped his hand too far. She knew he was plotting a nefarious scheme.
A new idea crossed Jacqueline’s mind. If there was anything she had learned from reading Shakespeare, it was that no man is strong enough to control themselves when a woman presents a tempting offer. Following a sexual suggestion, she can ask something from a man, and he will find it almost impossible to refuse. Every man has a weak spot, and Shakespeare had taught her how to exploit it. Jacqueline brought to mind how Lady Macbeth used her female strategies to convince Macbeth to murder the king. Now, Jacqueline knew how to get Abbas to give her what she wanted.
She stood, walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Will we be using the formula to make the liquid ourselves in Egypt? It could be very important.”
“Perhaps. I have a reaction chamber which can make the liquid. I already made ten gallons, which I gave to Herbert.”
“Hmm…” Jacqueline placed her chin on his shoulder; their cheeks touched. She continued whispering, “So, how does your reaction chamber work? What is different from the design you gave Herbert?”
“Very little. Instead of iron, mine uses rare metal called ruthenium. That is all. Everything else is the same.”
Jacqueline stood. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned forward, pressing her breasts along the back of his head. “You aren’t afraid he will discover this on his own?”
Abbas chuckled. “Not likely. Eventually, they will realize there is something wrong with the catalyst, but they will hardly every think to try ruthenium. You see, it is quite rare.”
Jacqueline was surprised at how easily she and been able to use her seductive charm to extract the information from Abbas. However, she was curious as to how he expected to convince her to withhold the secret of the catalyst from Herbert when she returned home. She was trying to formulate words in her mind for a question concerning this issue, when an eruption of noise came from the deck above.
It sounded like the men on the aft deck were dropping cannon balls. Suddenly, one of the rear windows broke. The curtain constrained the shattered glass, keeping if from spraying across the room.
“Praise Allah, what is that noise?” Abbas exclaimed, and then raced from the cabin.
At first, Jacqueline thought she should take shelter under the table, but curiosity got the better of her. She pulled back the curtain to see what had broken the window.
“By all that’s holy!” she swore.
All she could see out the window was water. The wharf and buildings of London were gone. Looking farther aft, she could see the banks of the river and the English countryside as it swept by.
That snake-in-the-grass! She realized the answer to her unspoken question. She could not reveal the secret of the catalyst if he never took her back home. While they had been dinning, the ship had slipped her mooring lines and was now racing seaward. Abbas had kidnapped her just as Caliban had captured Miranda in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
The clatter on the roof continued unabated.
She pushed open the window and looked down at the water. It was not too far jump, but she was a poor swimmer and would drown if she attempted to swim to the shore. And then, a shadow passed over her. Looking up, she saw the airship Lady Cumberland as it passed between her and the sun.
“Can you see me!” she shouted, and waved to Howard and Herbert, but there was no indication they heard her.
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stay afloat long enough for the airship to descend to the water, but she couldn’t risk Abbas’ return. She would die before marrying him. Considering that she would not be able to swim at all with her dress on, she slipped out of her frock. She tossed it out the window, praying its yellow color would attract Herbert’s attention. She ripped off her corset and kicked off her shoes. Wearing nothing more than her chemise, underskirt, and stockings, she crawled out the window. With a sudden rush, she recalled Lady Macbeth’s ultimate end following her wicked seduction of her husband.
Will this be the end of me?
Squeezing her eyes closed and pinching her nose, Jacqueline jumped into the River Thames.
THE END of Part Nine
Part Ten, The Airships Powered By Greek Fire
Copyright ©2023 by S. M. Revolinski All Rights Reserved
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