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Liberty eyed the ever approaching mountain’s snowy ridges with a clenched jaw and sweaty palms, fully aware that her father’s keen eyes were at that very moment observing her every movement. This was the first time he had ever trusted her to be in charge of Airus during such a dangerous part of their journey. She intended to make him proud, if it was the last thing she did. Of course, if she got any of this part wrong, it would be the last thing either one of them would ever do.
Shaking off that horrid thought, Liberty checked the steam pressure gauge again. Satisfied it was where it needed to be, she increased the rotation of the friction engine and released a plume of steam into the balloon.
Aapeli’s voice was filled with pride. “Looks good. I taught you well.”
Liberty’s smile slipped when she glanced at him and saw he had shifted over to one side and was on the verge of tumbling out of the captain’s chair. She wanted to run over and help him sit straighter, but refrained from doing so since he had nearly bitten off her head earlier for covering him again after his quilt had slipped off.
She focused on the mountain’s peak and whispered, “Damn it.” What was the worst thing he could do if she helped him?
Liberty headed over and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You don’t look comfortable. Let me help you up.” Instead of resisting as she feared he would, he held onto her shoulders as she shifted his weight until he was upright again.
“Better?”
He nodded, but what little color he’d had in his face earlier that morning was no longer there.
Liberty cupped his cheek. “Are you cold? I can grab more bedcovers if you are.”
“We’ll worry about it later. I’ll still be here.” His voice was gruff but he spoilt the effect by smiling.
“Yes, Sir.” She ran portside to get a better view and was pleased to see they were going to make it over with room to spare.
She grinned and shouted to be heard over the howling wind. “Everything looks good so far.”
He nodded, as if he had never doubted it for a moment, but then closed his eyes, as if suddenly too exhausted to hold them open any longer.
Liberty ran over and tucked a corner of the quilt under Aapeli’s chin.
Without opening his eyes, he asked, “Have we landed yet?”
“No, Sir.” She took a step back.
“Then land the airship and worry about the damn quilt later.”
Nothing could have made Liberty feel better than those words. If he could still curse then everything was going to be alright.
“Yes, Sir.” She ran back over and checked to make certain they had cleared the range top. Seeing they had, she returned to the helm and released a plum of steam into the air. Airus began its steady descent.
Once safely next to the lake, Liberty turned her attention to her father again. His eyes were still closed and he looked pale. She placed her hand on top of his. “I’m going to take your pistol with me.” Liberty expected him to argue, but he indicated his approval with a slight nod. If there was any doubt in her mind that he wasn’t doing well, it was wiped clear by that nod. Knowing this wasn’t the time to let her worries for him slow her down, she again checked the quilt was secure before heading to the cabin to find the pistol.
With it secure in her jacket pocket, Liberty ran from bow to stern, making preparations for pumping water into the tanks. She tried to visualize the steps her father always took. They often stopped at different water sources during their flights, but Aapeli always did the chores while letting her swim and have some fun scouting the areas he considered safe enough. Now it was her turn to take care of him. That thought filled her with pride but also scared her. Their lives now depended on her not making any mistakes. She lowered the ladder and then stepped over the railing and down, fully aware that with each step she was heading into adulthood.
Liberty made several trips on and off Airus, to the lake and back. As many times as she had whined and complained about being left to her own devices in the hull of the airship during their other stops at Big Lake, it was hard to admit how unnerved this area made her. She was hot and sweaty, and as appealing as the water looked, something stopped her from jumping in and taking the bath she had so longed for. It was impossible to shake off the feeling that she was being watched, but even though she had stopped several times to scan the tree line and up at the caves, she’d seen nothing unusual. But those feelings of unease stopped her from enjoying the water as she had planned to do for days now.
After carrying the hoses and most of the freshly washed clothes up to the airship, Liberty stopped and stared at the lake with the last load of clean washing in her arms. For some reason it all felt different today. Something in the air weighed heavy on her heart. She couldn’t help but feel that everything was changing, and as hard as she had struggled to reach this point, she wasn’t ready.
Knowing it was too dangerous to tarry, Liberty climbed aboard and headed over to her father. “Where should I set sail to now? Are we stopping at Shatters?”
Aapeli reached out and took her hand. “I want to see my old friend, Tinker. There’s something I need to talk to him about.”