Read Online Steam Dogs by Sharon Joss - Free Book Online

Brudenell and I are well-acquainted. Yes, quite. Brilliant
fellow; and thanks to him you lived to tell the tale, eh?”
    A headache pounded at the back of Roman’s skull as he bit back his
response. This thick-headed mainlander was dense as porridge. Gibbs had whined
at and pestered every member of the council about the air show preparations until
Superintendent Wickes had asked him to intervene and forestall further actions
by Gibbs and deflate the fellow with firm courtesy.
    “The Superintendent tells me you have a concern about the
arrangements?”
    “Ah. Yes, well, see here. The logistics for the British aerialists
is completely unacceptable. Bad enough that you’ve segregated us from the other
aerialists--backed us up against the docks until we’re all crowded together
like a carnival. And am I now to understand we will not even be allowed to
bring our aerocraft onto the field? Are the British aerialist to be banned from
our own air show?”
    The council had ruled that the only ships allowed in the festival
had to be controlled by mechanical means and carry a crew of at least six. In a
sense, Gibbs was right. This effectively kept the local balloonists off the
field. If England had any real airships,
of course they would have been given place of honor in the festival. And while
several balloon enthusiasts resided in Britain, none of them were particularly
skilled, and no one wanted to see a Brit make a fool of himself in such an
international setting.  
    “Mr. Gibbs, the decision to provide an area for to offer tethered
observation balloon flights was only recently made. In order to avoid conflicts
in air space, the balloonists must be confined to that cordoned-off space
beside the Millwall Dock.”
    “But you’re restricting us to tethered flights—as if we were
dogs! We’ve no room to maneuver in, and the security situation is absolutely
impossible!”
    “The unpredictable winds which blow across the island make balloon
flight difficult for even the best pilots to control. In the interest of
safety, all balloons have been ordered tethered. The district superintendent wanted
me to assure you that additional officers will be on patrol during the show. The
grandstands are being set up along East Ferry Road, with barricades to keep the
public away from the hangars and the airships. Most of the crowds will be
diverted before they ever get to you.”
    “My dear Inspector, no amount of rope will keep those street
urchins and mudlarks from snatching anything they can get their hands on. I
have valuable equipment that will no doubt be stolen as soon as my back is
turned.”
    “I’m afraid that is a problem everywhere you go these days. We do
the best we can to prevent that sort of crime. I have been assured that the
additional officers we have been allotted for patrol and crowd control are
among the most experienced in District K. Short of building a fence, I don’t
see what else I can do.”
    “Why can’t we be stationed behind the walls of the docks--?”
    Roman cut him off. “The docks are private property, sir. And the
owners have made it clear that they would not be opening their gates to the
public for any reason.”
    “But there is so much more space behind the walls. We balloonists
are so crowded together we will have to take turns going aloft.”
    Ah. That was it then. Gibbs and his fellow pilots must be worried
they would not be able to take up as many parties in the tethered flights as
they’d like. They wanted exclusivity; to keep the local riff-raff away from the
paying customers. The island’s residents didn’t have two pennies to rub
together, but they’d be every bit as excited by the fete and would no doubt add
to the crowds.
    But the Superintendent had been adamant. No more than the already
planned allotment of additional officers. The air show was to be an
international demonstration of manned air craft maneuvers; not a local carnival.
The island had little enough respect from