Read Online Steemjammer: Through the Verltgaat by John Eubank - Free Book Online Page A

soon catching up.
    The stairs had taken them down over two stories in depth, where an open doorway led to a dark, cavernous room that seemed to drink up their weak lantern light.
    “There’s a basement under the basement!” Angelica said.
    The Steemjammer kids stared in awe. In the dim light they could make out a high ceiling, strong brick columns and heavy wood beams. Large machines filled the room.
    Angelica nodded at the closest one. “What’s that?”
    A series of stacked wooden cases took up a great deal of space. They were packed with rods, gears and rocker bars. A network of steam pipes snaked throughout it, and a bronze flywheel stood at either end.
    “I know,” Will said, eyes twinkling. “That’s a Variable Engine!”
    Giselle blinked. “A what?”
    “A Variable Engine. It’s like that thing your friend has – what was it called?”
    “You mean,” Angelica said uncertainly, “that’s a steam-powered computer ?”
    “Like we’d have an electric one? I once heard Dad talking about it with Uncle Deet, and now I know what they meant. That,” he nodded at a series of large wheels and gears against the opposite wall, “I have no clue.”
    Eyes opening wide, Angelica gasped. “Are those real?”
    In the poor lantern light a workbench seemed to come alive with dazzling sparkles. She ran over and found it strewn with a pile of diamonds. Even uncut, they shimmered brilliantly. One was bigger than a quail egg, but it wasn’t the gems that had captured her attention.
    Next to them sat three small black rocks. Angelica examined them briefly before putting them back.
    “Yep,” she said. “More meteorites. I guess Dad never got around to putting them in a display case.”
    Across the room, Giselle stared with curiosity. “What’s that?”
    They went over to a large wooden table that held a three dimensional map. It had mountain ranges, some with high, sharp peaks painted white to signify snow. Blue lines indicating rivers ran here and there, flowing down into large lakes or an ocean to the west. Green blotches – forests - dotted the landscape.
    Several miniature walled towns piqued their interest. The largest were labeled: “New Amsterdam,” “New London,” “Little Dusseldorf,” “l’Espoir,” and “Wee Edinburgh.” Roads and railroads connected them. They saw tunnels, canals, large bridges and strange things they couldn’t completely figure out, like “De Achteroot Maalstrom,” The Backwards Vortex , and shaded places marked with skulls. A large, jumbled zone with jagged peaks and gaping chasms was called “De Tandweel Slagvelt,” The Cogwheel Battleground .
    Finding themselves drawn to the map table, they imagined what various features looked like. They could almost see a steam-powered train chugging across a bay on a long stone causeway - almost smell the hay in green fields and hear the wind howling in the mountains. Will and Giselle had a strong sensation of déjà vu.
    “No way!” she said as she guessed what this meant.
    Will grinned. “Yes!”
    “Is this …” Angelica started, too overwhelmed to finish her sentence immediately. “Is this our home ?”
    “‘Beverkenverlt,’” Will said, reading a silver-inlaid legend. “It’s a map of Beverkenverlt.”
    “‘World of Works,’” Giselle translated, the word confirmed by a foggy, dreamlike memory. “Of course.”
    “Or Tinker World!” Angelica said brightly, her eyes opened wide with wonder. “Look, Will! Snowy mountains, like you were saying! This is all so wankenzink!” This time she meant crazy in a good way.
    A sudden hiss of steam nearby made her shriek with fright! They laughed as they realized it was only a relief valve, like the ones upstairs.
    Spotting something, Will moved on. “Over here.”
    In the back corner sat a big machine that resembled a pipe organ crossed with a slowly spinning merry-go-round, except there were no painted horses. Three steam pipes came down from the boiler, which was above