Capes & Clockwork: Superheroes in the Age of Steam Read online

  “It helps them,” I said and saw her squint an eye at me. “The slugs seem to function better in the cold. That’s why they built the smoke factories, I think. They mean to blot out the sun and bring an everlasting winter to our world. No sun. No warmth.”

  I didn’t want to induce the same fear within her that had already paralyzed much of the government. Without the sun, plant life would die off and in doing so, humanity’s food sources would wither away. We were on course to lose the war, not because of their advanced weapons, but from starvation and exposure.

  She nodded and scurried off. I prayed that she and the doctor would return before the daily attack began. The droning of more propellers made me look up. A solitary airship passed overhead, following the fleet we’d watched earlier. I silently thanked God that we controlled the sky.

  After the Otherworlders began their advance across Europe, it seemed that the British would fall as easily as every other nation. But by God’s grace, our nation exploited the one weakness they hadn’t expected, weight.

  When the first reports came back from the fronts, observers saw what could only have been aircraft. The slugs appeared to know the secrets of flight but the gravity of our world was far greater than theirs. Their aircraft couldn’t fly but their miscalculation in weight gave us other advantages.

  Although huge and bulky, their strength was diminished. On their homeworld, I could only imagine that they wielded physical strengths that would match the tales of the gods of Olympus. Their land rovers, giant armored vessels sitting atop eight wheels and bristling with cannons, criss-crossed the lands. Just one such vehicle could, given time, lay waste to an entire city. But their size and weight made it all but impossible to transport over water. It was another favor that God had blessed the British Isles with, a suitable stretch of water to protect and isolate us.

  *****

  I returned to her side but nothing had changed. She laid there, a goddess swaddled in cotton linens. I lifted her hand and felt worried immediately at the lack of warmth. She still drew breath, but that was all. I snatched a chair away from its home next to the writing desk and I sat beside her.

  Time seemed to slip away from me as my fingers toyed with her hair. A blast shook the building. A glance to the window confirmed my suspicions as smoke, marbled with vivid oranges and reds bloomed upwards over the nearby buildings. The shelling, a daily fixture in the lives of Londoners, had renewed as it did at 3pm each afternoon. I leaned over her, protecting her face from the light sprinkling of plaster dust that each blast seemed to jar loose from the ceiling and walls.

  The exploding metal rained down upon the city for half an hour then ceased. Stepping to the window, I surveyed the damage to my abandoned metropolis. When the Otherworlders began the shelling, the government called for a partial evacuation. Each day the shells fell on London and drove more and more people away to the safety of the countryside. Their shells were small and did little damage. A single one couldn’t destroy a building but it could ignite a fire that would consume not just it but an entire city block.

  I stayed with her, brushing her hair with my fingers and wondering who this goddess was and where she’d come from. As my fingers pushed the blond locks back, something unusual caught my eye. Her ears weren’t rounded on top but instead came to a point. My first thought was of the stories of old, myths and legends of pointy-eared elves.

  As I rolled her head slightly to get a better look, a short moan escaped her lips. I froze momentarily but saw that she remained unconscious. My heart beat again and a sudden feeling of loneliness fell upon me. This beauty remained lost to me, and my need for her company tugged at something deep inside.

  Laying her hand down, I stood, stretched, and moved across the bedroom to the windows. The darkness in the room was deeper than outside, so I pulled open the thick drapes on both windows to even it out.

  Smoke rose from a few points in the city where fires raged from the shelling. The black clouds shifted somewhat, allowing thin slivers of sunlight to breakthrough and fall like rain upon my city. The rays moved with the clouds, illuminating an area for a moment before moving on to another. Some rays lasted minutes while others died almost as quickly as they appeared. It was a sad sight and at the same time, a normal one. Since the smoke appeared, the sun had not bathed London in her warm light for more than a few minutes and never in its entirety.

  A ray fell upon my window and the warmth was refreshing on my skin. I moved to the side and allowed it fill the room. Her face seemed to glow as the yellowish light washed over her. I lost myself in the serenity of the scene until she inhaled sharply and sat straight up. Her look of fear and confusion had to match my startled expression.

  She pushed herself back against the headboard and looked around the room. Her eyes darted around taking in the details and finally settling on me. Those beautiful green eyes narrowed and she began talking, loud at first but softening up as she went.

  The language she spoke was lost on me. I knew French, some German and Russian but this sounded like none of them. I’d grown up here and spent my childhood running about in the streets of London. I was used to hearing strange dialects from visitors from every corner of the globe. A word here and there from all these languages had imbedded itself in my brain, and yet, her words were alien to me. They were alien.

  I started to put my hand up to stop her, but hesitated. Her voice was beautiful, feminine and her dialect had a lyrical quality like the French language, only sweeter, if that were possible. She seemed to sing the words instead of speaking them.

  When I didn’t respond, she stopped and stared. Deciding this was my opportunity; I raised my hands and stepped forward.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said and watched her face scrunch up in confusion. Another route was needed. I placed my right hand on my chest and said, “Thomas Laybourne.” The name was repeated several times before she nodded.

  She pointed a finger at me and tried a few times until she pronounced my name correctly. “Thomas Laybourne.” When I nodded, she warmed the room with her smile. Then she placed a hand on her chest, barely covered by the blue sheets and gave me her name. “Keely.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Keely,” I replied and looked around the room trying to determine what the hell I was going to do now.

  *****

  “And you say that she just dropped onto the cobblestones?” Percy Hunter asked as we leaned against the wall in the dining room. Keely sat at the table, swaddled in a bedsheet and furiously ate the eggs and bacon Mattie had prepared.

  “Fell is putting it mildly,” I said and explained the destruction to the street her fall had produced. Glancing at her plate, I added, “She has quite the appetite. Mattie, can you fix another plate for Keely? And while you’re at it, fix enough for all of us.”

  Dr. Hunter stepped to the table and sat across from the young woman. She looked up at him and stopped eating. When I sat beside him and gave her a reassuring smile, she returned to the meal. Our gazes remained fixated on her as she ate and muttered something in her language.

  “Tom, I don’t recognize it at all,” Hunter said and pulled out a note pad to jot some thoughts down. “And the ears, pointed you say?” I nodded and he continued. “And you say she was nude at the time of impact?”

  Mattie appeared from the kitchen with another plate. “Girl didn’t have a stitch on and if yous ask me, something oughta be done about that first thing.” She replaced Keely’s plate with a full one and looked at us. “Not very proper having a naked young thing like her romping around your house with menfolk ogling her.”

  I shifted uncomfortably, “Yes, well … I don’t keep a supply of women’s garments lying about. Perhaps you can provide something for our guest.” I watched the woman’s eyebrows rise in mock defiance. “And since you’ve expressed your concerns so succinctly, I’d like for you to remain here with us, for the time being… to hel
p out with the cooking and care for…” I waved a hand at Keely. “And of course, I’ll ensure you’re well paid for your efforts and you’d have full reign of the pantry.”

  “Well, since you put it so nice like…” Mattie scoffed and left only to return in short order with a plate for each of us. She took at seat next to Keely and began eatting.

  “How old do you think she is?” I asked and watched him look her up and down.

  “Twenty, give or take a couple of years. Of course, I’m talking human years. No telling in a case like this.” Hunter replied.

  I nodded in agreement. “I just don’t know about her. She’s like an angel fallen from on high.”

  “Aside from the ears,” Hunter said as he inspected his eggs with his fork. “Did you see any other physiological differences with her body?” He glanced over at me and saw my discomfort. “After all, she was nude; surely you looked her over for damage from the fall.”

  “I did not. In all other aspects, she appears as normal as you and I.”

  “Very well then, I’ll give the girl a proper inspection after we eat,” Hunter said in a nonchalant manner.

  Seeing Mattie’s demeanor change as if she were coiling up like a snake and preparing to strike, I added, “And to assure peace of mind to the ladies, I’d suggest that Mattie assist.”

  Hunter looked about both women and cleared his throat, “Right. Of course.”

  *****

  “I’ll be back to look in on her in the morning,” Dr. Hunter said as he stepped out the front door. He turned back to me with an expression of confusion, mirroring my own. “She appears perfectly human, except for the ears. And her skin…” He paused and we both remembered the myriad of times and ways he’d attempted to extract blood only to have each needle snap rather than puncture it. “My boy, there must be an explanation for her and her abrupt appearance.” He turned and began walking but twirled around and joking added, “Of course, if young beauties such as her are going to start randomly dropping from the sky, perhaps that’ll encourage me to spend less time in the lab and more time walking about.”

  Mattie stepped into the door behind me and pushed by. “Begging your pardon, but I’m going to skip my way home. I’ll be back in the morning with my things since I’ll be staying with you and the young woman.”

  “Of course, Mattie,” I said and stepped back into the flat.

  “I expect you to behave yourself around her this evening.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, “Of course. She’ll be perfectly safe. By the way, how far is your home?”

  “I live down the road over me shoppe,” she responded. “Warner’s Dressmakers.”

  “You’re a seamstress? Perhaps you have…”

  She scoffed, “Yes, yes. I’ll bring the girl some proper clothes instead of your dingy old shirts to wear about.”

  Keely stepped up behind me and peered out at Mattie. She said something and laid a hand on my shoulder. Her touch was electric. We stood and watched the old woman walk out of sight and then I glanced back at Keely. Her gaze moved to and fro, studying the cityscape. Like a fool, it only then donned on me that she’d never seen London.

  “If you like this, you’ll love the roof,” I said, took her hand, and led her to my bedroom.

  The window was thrown open and I carefully crawled out onto the clay rooftop. I reached in and took her hand to steady her as she climbed through to join me. We slowly moved to the ridge and I sat, patting the clay tiles next to me. She sat and nuzzled herself against me to keep warm. Again, like a fool, I’d forgotten how bitterly cold the city was, especially at night and she wore only a thin shirt that Mattie had found for her. I put an arm around her and pulled her close.

  “There. You can see Big Ben,” I said and pointed to the distant tower. “Over there is the Thames but you can barely see it because of all the buildings in the way.”

  She leaned against my arm and followed the direction of my finger, gazing out at the city. One by one, I pointed out all the landmarks visible and some that weren’t. Her arms wrapped around me and squeezed affectionately. The closer she pushed into me, the stronger her scent became. I tilted my head and gave her a quick peck on the top of her head. The kiss was brief, but the feel of her hair against my cheek and the smell of her stirred me. I couldn’t identify the smell, but it was sweet and intoxicating. I knew that if we remained this close, I’d not be able to pull away.

  “Are you cold?” I asked.

  Noting her trembling lips, I took that as confirmation that she was. We returned to my bedroom and from there, I led her to the guest room where she’d awakened earlier. I patted the bed and like a little girl, she jumped on to it.

  When she pulled off the shirt and exposed herself to me, I quickly pulled the sheets up over her. I tried to look in any direction other than hers, but failed miserably as she pulled the sheets down and sat cross-legged in front of me. She was simply beautiful, in every detail. But exercising some measure of self-restraint, I pulled the sheets over her lap.

  She looked at me with eyes wide open and an expression that you’d see on a young girl, looking up and wondering if she’d done something wrong.

  “I don’t know how to explain this to you,” I started. “Around here, on this world, we wear clothing. It keeps us warm and protects us from…”

  I shook my head and realized that none of it was getting through. The pillows were snatched up, fluffed and put back into place. It took a little time, but I got Keely to lie down. In short order, the young woman was asleep.

  *****

  As the sun rose, I awoke to the sounds of my staff entering the workshop. Glancing over, I saw that the alarm had not sounded on my clock and I’d overslept by an hour. The normal ruckus was a little rowdier than usual this morning, which immediately aroused suspicion. Voices called out and wolf whistles echoed from the rear of my flat.

  I was on my feet instantly, recklessly charged down the stairs and out the back door. Behind my flat and adjoining workshop was an open expanse. The property had originally held three buildings, but when they fell into disrepair, I purchased them and had them removed. Now, the walled-off land was used as a safe place to test some of the equipment I designed.

  As stepped out of my flat, I saw the source of my men’s unsavory attention. Keely ran from one side of the field to the next, naked and laughing. The rays of the sun shone down, illuminating patches of soil as they moved across from wall to wall. It was a game to her, chasing the sunlight and bathing herself in it.

  “Back to work!” I said and when the six men didn’t move fast enough for me, I repeated it in a stronger manner. “And keep your eyes on your work, not on her.”

  They slowly disappeared back into the workshop as I ran to her. Keely laughed and grabbed my hand, dragging me for a moment. When I planted my feet and tried to stop, she pulled me over. I fell to the ground in a thud and was dragged for a moment before she let go.

  “Oooof!” she exclaimed and pulled me up and hugged my tight.

  Surprised, I hugged her back and then realized that something felt wrong. Looking down, I saw that my feet were several inches above the ground, as were hers.

  “Whaa…what’s happening,” I said and then felt the ground as my bare toes touched the cold, damp earth. I pushed back and looked at her smiling, happy face. “Were we just floating?” Her eyes widened as did her smile. I cursed myself for not remembering that she couldn’t understand a word I said. And then my gaze moved down and I remembered why I’d charged out here. “Good Lord, let’s get you inside.”

  *****

  Mattie arrived at the front door a short time later and grilled me about the events of the morning until I gave in and explained about Keely’s early morning romp around the back yard. It was a bit of a struggle, but we managed to finally get a dress on Keely. She didn’t fight getting dressed. It was that she simply had no id
ea of how to put something on, especially when it came to pulling her arms through the sleeves. By this time, Dr. Hunter had arrived and joined us at the table for breakfast.

  “Gonna try and put a corset on her next?” I asked playfully only to get a groan from Mattie.

  “I don’t see how that is funny at all,” she replied as she placed our plates around the table.

  “Mattie, I have to get back to work today. My project requires my attention. Can you keep an eye on Keely?” I asked.

  Before she could answer, Dr. Hunter chimed in and said, “My boy, I’ll stay here with her. I’m most curious to decipher this language of hers. Besides, with the city mostly empty, I have no patients. They cart all the wounded from the shelling to the local hospitals and well, since my specialty is not surgery, they have little use for me there.”

  “Seein’ as how I’m your unofficial cook and caretaker, I’ll oversee the young woman’s care. Not like anyone is coming into buy dresses these days.” Mattie said and scoffed at the Dr. Hunter. “I don’t see why you don’t just teach her how to talk proper English.”

  The doctor and I stopped eating and looked at her.

  She continued. “Bloody heck, there’s a bloomin’ schoolhouse a block away from here. I’ll walk up there and grab a couple of readers. If you’re as smart as you think you are, I’m sure teachin’ the girl some basic language skills shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Hunter and I looked at one another, not wanting to admit that we’d not thought of the idea. We nodded and continued eating.

  “Are you still working on the same project?” Hunter asked.

  “Yes, I should have the detonator ready by next week and the crew should have another month of refining the ores into the exact consistencies we need,” I replied.

  “Like any of us know what you’re talking about,” Mattie mumbled.