Read Online Steemjammer: The Deeper Truth by John Eubank - Free Book Online
Authors: John Eubank
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more evidence that Henry was gone.
But nothing of interest caught his eye. He only saw old tools, junk, and the boiler - no sign of verltgaat technology. Back upstairs, he saw a smashed table, claw marks in the wall, and other signs that a considerable melee had happened here recently. In the library, he gaped as he discovered the hole in the wall that Will had made.
“A secret room!” Marteenus said to himself. “This may be easier than I’d thought.”
With only the dim light of a brass lantern, he peered into the room on the other side of the hole and saw a pit. So, he thought, there were traps. Taking out a stick, he poked around in the darkness for tripwires.
“This is why a nighttime search was a bad idea,” he muttered nervously. “Can’t see their nasty tricks.”
After more cautious searching, certain details came together in his mind.
“Someone bashed out the wall,” he reasoned aloud. “Furniture destroyed. Slash marks. An obvious fight. The pit has already been triggered. I should be safe.”
Still, it took another minute to get the nerve to squeeze through the hole into the small room. As he studied the dusty pipes and table, he wondered what its purpose was. Because it had been shut, he didn’t notice the way to the sub-basement, but he could see the pit, which had had its trapdoor torn off. Then, as he neared the pit, a terrible sensation gnawed at him.
Fear, he realized. He hadn’t felt this kind of overwhelming dread in eleven years. Scurrying through the hole back into the library, he had to calm himself until the terror left his mind.
“Shadovecht?” he said, trembling. “How could this be?”
A sudden loud, sharp noise caused him to scream in an embarrassingly high pitch.
***
On Wednesday morning, the Steemjammer kids and Cobee headed off to the Steem Museum like earlier, save that Angelica, who’d remained moody since the night before, spoke very little. She hadn’t eaten much breakfast, even though Tante Klazee had made her favorite: pofferjees. Will couldn’t worry too much about her because he thought he saw someone spying on them at every turn.
“I have so much to tell you,” Will said quietly, “but I can’t with people following us.”
“I’ve seen them, too,” Cobee said. “I’m pretty sure they’re Donell’s people, protecting us.”
“We can’t take that chance,” Giselle said.
“Right,” Will said. “Also, it’s hard to talk on the cable car because people come up and sit near us.”
Cobee stopped, putting his hand in a pocket. The others paused and looked back at him.
“Well,” Cobee mused cryptically, “I have enough money.”
“For what?” Giselle asked.
“The Hemel Snoor.”
“The what?” Will said.
“The Heaven Cable?” Giselle attempted to translate.
“The Sky Line,” Cobee corrected.
Giselle made a face as she realized what he meant. “Wait, that crazy thing up in the air? You actually want us to ride that?”
“Why not? We’d be able to say anything we want. It’s perfectly safe.”
“Safe?” Angelica said worriedly. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on,” Cobee said, heading off in another direction. “It’ll be fun!”
***
Back on Old Earth, Will had seen pictures of chairlifts going up mountains at ski resorts, but he’d never imagined he’d ever ride one. They followed Cobee, who enthusiastically led them to a station house fashioned like a steep-roofed Swiss chalet. High above them, a network of metal towers held a pair of cables with dangling seats. They shot by in either direction at a high rate of speed, taking riders to various places in the city. Before the Steemjammer kids could complain, Cobee’d already handed over oddly shaped copper coins, buying them all tickets.
“It only looks scary from down here,” he said. “We’ll get to the Museum way faster. Come on.”
Getting in a short line, they soon found themselves ushered forward by a muscular man in
But nothing of interest caught his eye. He only saw old tools, junk, and the boiler - no sign of verltgaat technology. Back upstairs, he saw a smashed table, claw marks in the wall, and other signs that a considerable melee had happened here recently. In the library, he gaped as he discovered the hole in the wall that Will had made.
“A secret room!” Marteenus said to himself. “This may be easier than I’d thought.”
With only the dim light of a brass lantern, he peered into the room on the other side of the hole and saw a pit. So, he thought, there were traps. Taking out a stick, he poked around in the darkness for tripwires.
“This is why a nighttime search was a bad idea,” he muttered nervously. “Can’t see their nasty tricks.”
After more cautious searching, certain details came together in his mind.
“Someone bashed out the wall,” he reasoned aloud. “Furniture destroyed. Slash marks. An obvious fight. The pit has already been triggered. I should be safe.”
Still, it took another minute to get the nerve to squeeze through the hole into the small room. As he studied the dusty pipes and table, he wondered what its purpose was. Because it had been shut, he didn’t notice the way to the sub-basement, but he could see the pit, which had had its trapdoor torn off. Then, as he neared the pit, a terrible sensation gnawed at him.
Fear, he realized. He hadn’t felt this kind of overwhelming dread in eleven years. Scurrying through the hole back into the library, he had to calm himself until the terror left his mind.
“Shadovecht?” he said, trembling. “How could this be?”
A sudden loud, sharp noise caused him to scream in an embarrassingly high pitch.
***
On Wednesday morning, the Steemjammer kids and Cobee headed off to the Steem Museum like earlier, save that Angelica, who’d remained moody since the night before, spoke very little. She hadn’t eaten much breakfast, even though Tante Klazee had made her favorite: pofferjees. Will couldn’t worry too much about her because he thought he saw someone spying on them at every turn.
“I have so much to tell you,” Will said quietly, “but I can’t with people following us.”
“I’ve seen them, too,” Cobee said. “I’m pretty sure they’re Donell’s people, protecting us.”
“We can’t take that chance,” Giselle said.
“Right,” Will said. “Also, it’s hard to talk on the cable car because people come up and sit near us.”
Cobee stopped, putting his hand in a pocket. The others paused and looked back at him.
“Well,” Cobee mused cryptically, “I have enough money.”
“For what?” Giselle asked.
“The Hemel Snoor.”
“The what?” Will said.
“The Heaven Cable?” Giselle attempted to translate.
“The Sky Line,” Cobee corrected.
Giselle made a face as she realized what he meant. “Wait, that crazy thing up in the air? You actually want us to ride that?”
“Why not? We’d be able to say anything we want. It’s perfectly safe.”
“Safe?” Angelica said worriedly. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on,” Cobee said, heading off in another direction. “It’ll be fun!”
***
Back on Old Earth, Will had seen pictures of chairlifts going up mountains at ski resorts, but he’d never imagined he’d ever ride one. They followed Cobee, who enthusiastically led them to a station house fashioned like a steep-roofed Swiss chalet. High above them, a network of metal towers held a pair of cables with dangling seats. They shot by in either direction at a high rate of speed, taking riders to various places in the city. Before the Steemjammer kids could complain, Cobee’d already handed over oddly shaped copper coins, buying them all tickets.
“It only looks scary from down here,” he said. “We’ll get to the Museum way faster. Come on.”
Getting in a short line, they soon found themselves ushered forward by a muscular man in
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