Read Online History Keepers 1: The Storm Begins by Damian Dibben - Free Book Online
Authors: Damian Dibben
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breached.’
She explained that the commanders of the History Keepers had not only chosen the safest geographical location for their headquarters; they also chose the safest historical location.
‘The 1820s is a time of peace,’ she told him. ‘The bloody turmoil of the last two hundred years has passed its worst. The English civil war, the war of the Austrian Succession and the unforgettable French Revolution have all been resolved. The legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, whether he wanted it or not, has brought a spell of harmony to this region of Europe.’
The decade was also free of the perils of the modern world, she went on: the coming Industrial Revolution would give birth to many necessary evils, and the development of the steam engine would lead eventually to the ‘diabolical atomic bomb’.
‘The modern times are merveilleux , full of magic, but they are also full of danger. The 1820s are safe from all that.’
Once Topaz had completed her whirlwind tour of history, she gave a quick smile. ‘So now you understand the location of Point Zero.’ And she popped the last piece of croissant into her mouth.
Jake didn’t fully grasp it. ‘So the headquarters remains in 1820 – permanently ?’
‘It stays for the decade – then, on New Year’s Eve 1829, everyone gets on a ship, takes a horizon point back to the first of January 1820, and returns to the island, and so on for another ten years. I know it all sounds mad, but somehow it works.’
Jake decided he would wait and see if everything became clearer in time.
The island had now come into focus. He craned his neck to examine its impressive array of towers and peaks; of flying buttresses, colonnades and giant arched windows. From everywhere came the squawking of seabirds as they flew in and out of the shadows of the citadel. Mr Drake didn’t care for them and kept a beady eye on them at all times.
On a promontory ahead of them stood a group of figures – a welcoming party. If the sailors of the East Indiaman had shown Jake that he was indeed in a different time, this collection of extraordinary-looking figures confirmed it. He had seen people dressed in old-fashioned clothes on television programmes or at fancy-dress parties, but somehow he had never felt convinced that they really belonged to a past era – they were always too neat and artificial. These were different; they looked right.
There were people dressed from every period in history, from the Victorian era back to the age of Elizabeth I and beyond. Amongst them was a middle-aged man in a flamboyant red velvet tailcoat with matching top hat. Clutching his arm was an elegant-looking lady, her skirts ballooning out with crinoline and ruffles. Another gentleman wore a black doublet, a white ruff framing his stern -looking face. However, for Jake the most eye-catching figure of all was a tall lady who stood at the front of the group.
She had large silver-blue eyes and long steely grey hair swept back from her proud face. Jake guessed that she must be at least fifty, but she still retained the fine features of her youth. A dark navy cloak hung from her proud shoulders. Standing perfectly still next to her was a greyhound with sleek grey fur and bright eyes.
A soft smile played across the lady’s thoughtful face as, one by one, she took in the occupants of the ship. When those eyes rested briefly on Jake, he felt an uncertain thrill.
‘That’s a very old friend of mine,’ said Rose, joining Jake and Topaz on deck. ‘Galliana Goethe. She’s in charge here, the commander of the History Keepers.’
The ship was moored at the pier, a gangplank was lowered and the passengers began to disembark.
‘Would you mind?’ asked Oceane, pushing through to the front. ‘I have a fitting in the costumiery. I need to get out of these dreadful modern clothes.’ She tossed her fox fur over her shoulder as she swept down the gangplank.
As Topaz followed her, the man in the red velvet coat boomed,
She explained that the commanders of the History Keepers had not only chosen the safest geographical location for their headquarters; they also chose the safest historical location.
‘The 1820s is a time of peace,’ she told him. ‘The bloody turmoil of the last two hundred years has passed its worst. The English civil war, the war of the Austrian Succession and the unforgettable French Revolution have all been resolved. The legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte, whether he wanted it or not, has brought a spell of harmony to this region of Europe.’
The decade was also free of the perils of the modern world, she went on: the coming Industrial Revolution would give birth to many necessary evils, and the development of the steam engine would lead eventually to the ‘diabolical atomic bomb’.
‘The modern times are merveilleux , full of magic, but they are also full of danger. The 1820s are safe from all that.’
Once Topaz had completed her whirlwind tour of history, she gave a quick smile. ‘So now you understand the location of Point Zero.’ And she popped the last piece of croissant into her mouth.
Jake didn’t fully grasp it. ‘So the headquarters remains in 1820 – permanently ?’
‘It stays for the decade – then, on New Year’s Eve 1829, everyone gets on a ship, takes a horizon point back to the first of January 1820, and returns to the island, and so on for another ten years. I know it all sounds mad, but somehow it works.’
Jake decided he would wait and see if everything became clearer in time.
The island had now come into focus. He craned his neck to examine its impressive array of towers and peaks; of flying buttresses, colonnades and giant arched windows. From everywhere came the squawking of seabirds as they flew in and out of the shadows of the citadel. Mr Drake didn’t care for them and kept a beady eye on them at all times.
On a promontory ahead of them stood a group of figures – a welcoming party. If the sailors of the East Indiaman had shown Jake that he was indeed in a different time, this collection of extraordinary-looking figures confirmed it. He had seen people dressed in old-fashioned clothes on television programmes or at fancy-dress parties, but somehow he had never felt convinced that they really belonged to a past era – they were always too neat and artificial. These were different; they looked right.
There were people dressed from every period in history, from the Victorian era back to the age of Elizabeth I and beyond. Amongst them was a middle-aged man in a flamboyant red velvet tailcoat with matching top hat. Clutching his arm was an elegant-looking lady, her skirts ballooning out with crinoline and ruffles. Another gentleman wore a black doublet, a white ruff framing his stern -looking face. However, for Jake the most eye-catching figure of all was a tall lady who stood at the front of the group.
She had large silver-blue eyes and long steely grey hair swept back from her proud face. Jake guessed that she must be at least fifty, but she still retained the fine features of her youth. A dark navy cloak hung from her proud shoulders. Standing perfectly still next to her was a greyhound with sleek grey fur and bright eyes.
A soft smile played across the lady’s thoughtful face as, one by one, she took in the occupants of the ship. When those eyes rested briefly on Jake, he felt an uncertain thrill.
‘That’s a very old friend of mine,’ said Rose, joining Jake and Topaz on deck. ‘Galliana Goethe. She’s in charge here, the commander of the History Keepers.’
The ship was moored at the pier, a gangplank was lowered and the passengers began to disembark.
‘Would you mind?’ asked Oceane, pushing through to the front. ‘I have a fitting in the costumiery. I need to get out of these dreadful modern clothes.’ She tossed her fox fur over her shoulder as she swept down the gangplank.
As Topaz followed her, the man in the red velvet coat boomed,
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