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am now. What do you want to know?”
    â€œHow and where Ashton died,” Randall said before the silence could get too awkward. “We’re hoping that if we can determine the site of the explosion, we might find his body to take him home for burial.”
    Mactavish’s expression softened. “That’s what friends do, though the sea might not cooperate. He was a good man, Ashton. Ye would hardly know he was a duke.”
    â€œHe will be missed,” Masterson said quietly. “Do you know what caused the explosion? Steam engines are tricky brutes, but in his letters, Ashton indicated that the project was going well.”
    â€œAye, it was.” Mactavish made a fist of his left hand and struck the bed angrily. “We had a good long run all the way down into the Firth of Clyde. The engine was singing like a nightingale.”
    â€œThat’s quite a distance,” Kirkland said, startled.
    â€œIt was indeed. With enough fuel, we could have sailed her all the way to Liverpool. We had just turned back when the boiler exploded. It was like being struck by lightning.”
    â€œCould that have happened?” Masterson asked. “If there was a storm…”
    The engineer shook his head. “It was a bit misty, but there were no storms.”
    â€œWhere was Ashton when the boiler went up?” This time Kirkland asked the question. “Were you with him?”
    â€œI was up on the deck trying to reckon how far we’d come. I had just decided we were near Arran Island when the boiler blew. I was thrown into the water.” Mactavish looked at the ugly stump. “I don’t even remember how my hand was crushed. Lucky for me, Davy, the pilot, is an ace swimmer. He caught hold and got me to shore on Arran, which wasn’t far.”
    â€œDid you see Ashton in the water?” Kirkland again.
    â€œSaw not hide nor hair of him,” the engineer replied. “Likely he was below decks in the engine room. He spent a good bit of his time there.” He touched his bandaged head. “My wits were scrambled and I don’t recall seeing anyone but Davy. I was surprised later to learn that two of the others also made it to shore.”
    Randall geared himself up to ask the hardest question. “Have you heard of any bodies washing ashore in that area?”
    â€œThere are so many islands that a body could end up in a thousand places and never be found,” Mactavish said. “But my best guess is that Ashton’s body was trapped in the wreckage of the ship.”
    It sounded likely. Randall asked, “How many casualties were there altogether?”
    â€œFour, including Ashton. One body washed ashore near Troon, the mainland opposite Arran.” Mactavish sighed heavily. “So far as I know, the others are still lost.”
    And might never be found. Randall went back to what the engineer said earlier. “Since the Enterprise was close to shore, is there any chance of salvaging the wreckage?”
    Mactavish looked thoughtful. “’Tis possible. I’d be right interested to find out why the engine exploded.”
    â€œWe’d need a salvage ship with a good strong crane and an experienced crew,” Masterson said. “Do you know who might be capable of a job like this?”
    â€œJamie Bogle in Greenock is the man to see. He’s got the best salvage equipment in Scotland.” A spark came into Mactavish’s eyes. “I should like to see the salvage.”
    â€œThat could be arranged.” Kirkland regarded Mactavish narrowly. “If you’ll be looking for a new job, my Uncle Dunlop has a shipyard and is looking for engineers with steamship experience.”
    â€œYou’re nephew to George Dunlop?” Mactavish looked startled, and his wife, sitting quietly to one side, sucked in her breath. They must be worrying about money now that Mactavish’s job had blown up, leaving him crippled. The