Command Post, Fort David
Her Majesty’s Smallest Outpost on Venus
“Don’t even mention it, I beg you.” Captain Perkins blushed, his ruddy face turning even redder. “It’s the least I can do for such distinguished guests. Do take another cake, Miss Annabelle. Mister Forbes-Hamilton, would you like another cup of tea, or perhaps something stronger? After all, such a thrilling display of navigation should be rewarded, what?”
Nathanial sniffed. Thrilling display indeed! The damaged Aeronaut had drifted like a deflated balloon, constantly sinking, to land about a mile from Fort David. It was the merest luck, he was sure, though he was still determined to find out more about Forbes-Hamilton’s innovative steering mechanism.
Stone, Annabelle, Forbes-Hamilton and Jericho sat on a wide veranda with Captain Josiah Perkins, commander at Fort David. On the broad steps, Thymon squatted, popping bits of fried letoh worms into his mouth with as much enjoyment as though they were chocolate biscuits.
The encampment, while far smaller than Fort Collingwood, the major outpost, was still big enough to boast a small airship hanger, a fairly large settlement, and telegraph links to the other forts. The location of the camp, so close to the edge of the escarpment, gave it a slightly different climate than that of the forts further towards the centre of the plateau. There was, in fact, at this very moment a breeze blowing. While not cool at all, the movement of the air at least gave the hint, the merest feel, of a lower temperature.
Even though they had barely arrived, Nathanial could tell Annabelle was getting the itch to do something. He dreaded what she would come up with. Of course, Jericho and the others had told Perkins of their adventures, and he was also now enslaved to Annabelle.
“Mister Stone, would you like a brandy and soda? Just to calm your nerves.”
“I would,” Nathaniel said gratefully.
“As would I.” Annabelle smiled prettily.
While the captain looked a bit shocked, he mixed drinks for all, though Nathanial could see he added far more soda than brandy to the glass he gave Annabelle.
“Well, what next?” asked the lean captain as he settled back into his chair. “I mean to say, what are your plans now?”
Nathanial opened his mouth to insist on an immediate return to Fort Collingwood as soon as the airship had been repaired, but before he could even begin on his clearly reasoned argument, Annabelle said, “Why, I would truly love to see more, and do please forgive me, Mister Forbes-Hamilton, but a bit more of Venus from ground level.”
“Absolutely not!” Nathanial said, jumping to his feet and nearly spilling his drink. “I think you have seen quite enough, and Doctor Grant would never forgive me if I allowed anything to happen to you.”
Annabelle regarded him calmly, and this irritated Stone even more than usual. He continued, “I do not know what he is going to say to me already, bringing you all this way into such danger.”
“Really, Mister Stone,” said Captain Perkins, “I believe you’re being a bit too hard on this lovely lady. After all, we are on the Victoria plateau, though our little camp is quite near the edge of the escarpment, it’s true. I think we can find a few things to show Miss Annabelle. One should not come to Venus without having a bit of a look-about, some small bit of an adventure.”
“Adventure?” Nathanial snorted. “Please, Captain Perkins, do not encourage the girl. We have faced a charging dinosaur and been forced out of the air by razor-tipped butterflies. I think those are enough adventures for any young lady, do you not agree?”
“Oh, Nathanial, don’t be so stuffy.” Annabelle sipped her drink. “I’ve already discussed it. Dear Mister Forbes-Hamilton will be some time repairing his lovely airship, as he had to have some supplies brought in from Fort Collingwood. We can’t simply sit around and drink the captain’s brandy while we wait, can we?”
She smiled at Perkins and he blushed again, muttering “No, no, er, yes indeed,” into his walrus moustache.
“A short safari into the bush, Nathanial old chap,” chimed in Jericho. “Just the thing to see a bit more of Venus on the ground, so to speak. I mean to say, floating in the clouds is delightful and all that, but there’s nothing like getting one’s hands dirty, splashing some mud on one’s boots, is there?”
“I feel you are all in league against me,” Nathanial sighed. Then he forced himself to relax. “But perhaps you are right. A short—short, mind you, Annabelle—trip into the jungle while we wait for parts would not be such a bad thing, I suppose.”
“There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it, Nathanial my dear?” Annabelle looked smug, as only Annabelle could. “After all, you know I can take care of myself. Do recall, I have my bow, and the darling captain has promised me a new quiver full of arrows.” She gave Perkins a brilliant smile, and he turned the reddest yet. “Just a day or two. I’m sure we can find a suitable guide, and you know how safe the plateau is. After all, it’s nearly England, isn’t it?”
“Now, Miss Annabelle!” Perkins sat up straight; even his moustache looked concerned. “Do remember, we are on a savage planet, full to bursting with creatures who would like nothing better than to have you for lunch.”
The crunching of letoh worms punctuated his warning.
Annabelle laughed. “Dear Captain! After what Nathanial and I went through on Luna, Venus seems like nothing more than a walk in the park.”
Nathanial drained his brandy-and-soda. What, he wondered, would Annabelle get him into next? His mind boggled at the thought.