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

them in the regular basement. The machine had a number of patches and looked like someone had taken great effort to repair or even rebuild it. Turning, occasionally hissing out vapor, this contraption had been left on.
    “I thought we were using more water than we should,” Will mused, intrigued. “He left it idling.”
    “I bet he was working on this when he vanished,” his sister added.
    An old control panel caught Will’s eye. Covered with dials and cryptic, faded, hand-painted letters, a rather large and obvious lever seemed to call out to him. He put his hand on it but hesitated.
    “Are you sure?” Giselle asked.
    “No,” he admitted.
    “It might blow up,” Angelica squeaked.
    “Then get back.”
    Giving them a chance to hide behind a heavy brick column, he braced himself and shoved the lever forward.
    CLICK! HISS! A surge of steam flowed into the machine, and the carousel spun faster and faster. The girls peered nervously from around the column.
    “What’s it doing?” Giselle had to shout to be heard over the noise.
    “Look!” he called.
    In the air a potato-sized lump of spinning gray metal appeared, hovering with no visible means of support. Unable to resist, Will reached towards it.
    “Don’t!” Angelica cried.
    His fingers went right through it.
    “It isn’t there,” he said, mystified.
    His sister backed away in fright. “That’s not possible.”
    “Will, what’s going on?” Giselle asked.
    “I don’t know,” he admitted, “but when I pushed the lever, for some reason – well, this isn’t going to make sense, but I thought of it.”
    “A floating chunk of metal that isn’t there? You thought of it ?”
    “I told you it wouldn’t make sense.”
    “Think of where our parents are, then.”
    “It’s not something I control. It just happened.”
    Angelica stifled a scream. “Look!”
    A large, shimmering white circle appeared in the air, about twelve feet in diameter and reaching from floor to ceiling. Suddenly scared, Will ran around behind the column with the girls.
    “We should have brought crossbows!” he said.
    Little Angelica pulled her sling from her pocket and loaded a rock. Will drew a dagger from his belt, and Giselle grabbed a broom that leaned against the wall. They stared, mesmerized, as the giant circle turned various colors, settling on a deep purple that seemed to have depth and go for on forever.
    Suddenly the circle went clear, and they found themselves staring into another place! Overcoming his fear, Will walked over and peered through.
    “I know what that is!” Giselle said, eyes wide open. “I remember the word from long ago. That’s a verltgaat !”
    “A what?” Angelica asked.
    “A world hole,” Will translated, peering through and realizing he was staring into the inside of an old, rusty boiler.
    Hands shaking, Giselle handed him the broom. He poked it through the hole and was just able to tap the boiler’s metal wall. They could barely hear it. Seen from the side, the broom handle seemed to disappear as it entered the shimmering hole in the air.
    “That’s how Dad vanished!” Angelica said, amazed.
    Pulling back the broom, Will found it was undamaged. Bravely he reached through with his left hand, starting with an outstretched pinky finger.
    “It tingles,” he said and reached in past his wrist. “Part of me’s in another world!”
    He pulled his hand back and flexed it. He was fine.
    “Here I go,” he said.
    “Wait!” Giselle urged. “We should think about this.”
    He stepped through. Briefly his image shimmered, and the girls could see him on the other side, looking around.
    “Are you okay?” Giselle shouted.
    “I’m fine,” he shouted back, and his voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a deep well.
    “Don’t leave us!” his sister yelled.
    “I’ll be right back.”
    He stepped away, and they could no longer see him.
    “Will!”
    Angelica teetered on the verge of a panic attack.
    “It’s okay, he’ll