~
Isobel followed Eadric through the railcars and she smiled as they passed by the Copper Lounge, anticipating a hot bath later that night after everyone had retired. The next car held the engine room, a dizzy confluence of copper pipes and valves and brass knobs leading to an enormous radiating red pink crystal, churning internally like a ball of lava. The crystal occupied the center width of the car, securely nestled in a protective metallic bowl, and it hummed steadily at a low, hypnotic frequency.
"This runs the Magpie. It is an Altruan Byxbite crystal from the center of the Pythean. It's harnessing the power of the planet's core, connecting the energies."
"So this crystal is communicating with the planet's core energy?" Isobel asked, walking around the massive pulsating stone. The red light saturated her as she allowed herself a moment to stare into the glowing mass, the hypnotic humming drawing her deep into the stone.
"Yes. These stones are very rare and powerful," he said and waited for her to follow him into the next car.
Isobel stared into the stone and a jumbled mess of odd images flashed at her unsolicited, causing her to sway with the intensity, as the dagger at her thigh warmed uncomfortably. Eadric caught her as she fell into him, her breath stilled by the power surging through her.
"Are you ok?" Eadric asked, and held her steady, concern evident in his voice as she struggled to breathe.
"Yes - thank - you," she finally replied with effort, drawing in haggard breaths of air.
"What happened?"
"I - don't - know. These images - came to me. I couldn't even tell you of - what," she said and adjusted the warm dagger at her thigh. With a final glance at the crystal she followed Eadric into the next car which housed the conductors living quarters, and this led straight to the main control room, where two men sat at a console so large it took up the entire width of the coach.
The elder of the two turned when they entered the room.
"Eadric, there you are, lad, was wondering when you'd be bringing the young lady round to meet us handsome blokes," he said, teeth showing in a wide grin. The old man chewed on his fat cigar, the ruby ember tip weaving thin streams of smoke into the air.
"As chance would have it, Charley, old man, that is exactly what I have come to do. Sergeant Charley Rupert Hubbs, Lieutenant Brakeman Bertrand Hollows, allow me to introduce you to our very special guest, Miss Isobel Phaelan."
"Nice to meet you," Isobel said.
Charley and Bertrand looked at each other.
"That's a familiar name, Phaelan is. Now, where have I heard it before? Bertrand, you ever heard that name?" Charley asked.
The gangly young man adjusted his dirty engineers hat, toyed with the rim, and said, "Everyone's heard of that name. Nice at meet you, Miss." He turned back to the console and pretended to be busy with a knob.
"Special name, that of Phaelan, eh Bertrand, lad? That we met Miss Isobel here, that must be our secret," Charley said gently, though firmly.
Bertrand nodded once that he understood and continued to fidget with the knob. This wasn't the first time strange things had happened on the Magpie. He'd learned how to keep secrets.
"What's our estimated time of arrival, Charley?" Eadric asked.
Charley pulled out his stopwatch by its long chain and flicked it open. "Two days, twelve hours, zero minutes, and thirty seconds," he replied, replacing the watch into his vest pocket.
"In two and a half days then," Eadric said, to clarify.
"That's what I said, lad. That's what I said," Charley crowed, chewing thoughtfully on his cigar, lost in a whirl of smoke. "You ever seen a console like this, Miss Isobel?" Charley asked with pride as the wildly flickering lights played across his smiling, jovial face.
"No. No, I can't say I have," she replied honestly, duly impressed by the gauges and dials and brightly lit knobs crowding the console.
Charley laughed a deep belly laugh and gazed affectionately at Isobel before turning back to his work.
"We'll leave you to it then, Gentlemen. Isobel, I think this concludes our tour. I will walk you back to Captain Audreyn's study.