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Zeke and Famara were up and ready at first light. Annette met them in the dining hall just as eager. Helmut strolled in from the kitchen with plates of breakfast.
"It's a long journey. You must eat first."
After a delicious meal they set out. They rode the winding trails for half the day before stopping near a dense growth of trees surrounding an inlet from the river.
"The old master used to keep a boat here for a hasty retreat," Helmut said. He led them into the thicket until they came to a wall of rock. Helmut pushed vines and shrubs aside to reveal the tunnel entrance.
"I've never been inside, but I heard it leads to the castle courtyard.”
"Thank you Helmut," Famara said. They shook hands.
"I hope I will see you again," he said.
"I hope so, too," Zeke answered.
Annette took her rifle from her horse. Zeke and Famara loaded their packs on their backs. Zeke checked his shotgun and Famara looked at his compass. Together they entered the darkness of the tunnel.
Daylight soon failed them, the way ahead not completely dark but difficult to see as they went deeper into the tunnel
“Wait,” Famara said.
He took off his pack then sat it on the damp stone. He rustled about inside then extracted a foot long brass tube and at small crank. He attached the crank to the end of the tube then turned it rapidly. As he turned light appeared at the other end of the tube. After a few more minutes the light was intense enough to illuminate the tunnel.
"I’ll be damned...I mean Lord have mercy," Zeke said.
Annette touched the tube, her face curious.
"Fascinating," she said.
"The turning of the crank generates electricity which activates the light," Famara explained. "Come, we must hurry."
Famara and Annette proceeded down the tunnel. Zeke took off his pack, holstered his shotgun then leaned against the wall. He took his cross out of his shirt and rubbed it with his hand. The other two were barely visible when they realized Zeke wasn't following. When they returned Famara was not happy.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm thinking," Zeke replied.
"This is not the best time for you to become contemplative."
"I've been chasing your book halfway across the world," Zeke said. "First for Pierre, now for you."
"You're being paid well," Famara snapped.
Annette stepped between them. ”Gentlemen, once again you choose an inopportune time for discussion. I suggest..."
Zeke's cold glare cut Annette off. Her hands tightened about her rifle.
"Excuse me ma'am, but my friend and I are talking," Zeke said. "I have a question, and the answer to that question will determine whether I take another step down this tunnel or turn around and catch the next airship home."
"What is it, Zeke?" Famara asked impatiently.
"I got a feeling that once we get inside that castle a whole lot folks are going to end up dead. Maybe even us. So before I go blasting more folks to Glory, I need to know what I'm doing it for. I need to know what's in that book of yours that makes it so important."
The look on Annette's face reflected his decision. Famara sighed, took off his pack then sat.
"There is a city in my homeland that is ancient, older than anything, even the Great Pyramids. It's been known by many names over the centuries; Dierra, Agada, Gana and Silla. It rose to great heights and fell just as deep again and again. But with every resurrection it looms greater than its previous incarnation. That city is Wagadu. The Elders are the stewards of Wagadu, and I am but one of its guardians."
Zeke pushed back his hat. "That's all well and good, but what does that have do to with the book?
"Be quiet and listen," Annette scolded. "You have no sense of history."
She nodded to Famara. "Please continue mon frère."
"Wagadu contain the secrets of time, wonders we have yet to rediscover. When it was known as Gana its greatest king decreed that the secrets be recorded in books to preserve the knowledge of the ancestors. The jeles, oral history keepers, protested but the king would not be denied. When Gana fell to the Almoravids, the books were entrusted to the kingdom of Mali. From Mali they were passed to Songhai where they finally found a sacred home in Timbuktu. It was there where our scholars discovered the secret of the books."
Famara fell silent.
"Well?" Zeke urged.
"The scholars discovered that while some of the books contained script, others were filled with patterns and shapes that made no sense. One of the elders who studied under George Washington Carver saw something familiar in the patterns. He took the wires of a telegraph then attached them to the patterns with the telegraph on the opposite end. The electricity flowed through the patterns to the telegraph faster than any wire could conduct it."
"So what are you telling us?" Zeke asked.
"If the pages were duplicated then miniaturized, the patterns could disperse energy at an amazing speed, making electric powered machines much more efficient. But there is one problem. We cannot identify the material from which the patterns were drawn."
"So what does this have to do with the Prussians?" Annette asked.
Famara's face became hard.
"It seems that money can loosen the most dedicated tongues. Not long after our discovery Timbuktu was raided by Tuaregs. They obtained the books then fled into the desert. I was sent after them. It took me two years as a Tuareg slave to discover where they were hidden. The Tuaregs shared what they knew about the books freely with anyone interested in buying them. The Prussians were the only people to respond. Them and an American antique collector."
Zeke nodded. "'So that's how Pierre got the book."
"Not exactly. The man who sold the book to Pierre stole it from the antique dealer. I was able to thwart the Prussians in Mali. Once I returned the other books I was sent for this one."
Zeke still wasn't satisfied. "So what do the Prussians want with the books?"
"They'll use the pages to operate their weapons," Annette answered.
"Exactly," Famara said. "The knowledge of the books was meant for much more."
Famara stood. "That is all I'll reveal to you. Either come with us or leave."
Zeke tucked his cross back into his shirt then took out his shotgun.
"Lead the way."
They followed the tunnel until it narrowed to an opening the size of a normal door. The hinges were on their side but there was no handle. The sound of machinery buzzed on the opposite side. Zeke stepped forward, extracting his knife. He prodded about until he found a soft spot. He pushed the knife in.
"Here we go," he whispered.
Famara shut off the light as Zeke eased open the portal, revealing a dimly lit room filled with a cluster of machines. There seemed to be no one about despite the activity.
"We need to get a closer look," Famara said. "Annette, stay here and cover us."
Famara reached into his bag and extracted a pair or green tinted goggles.
"Put these on."
Annette donned the glasses.
"Amazing! I can see like it's daylight!"
"So why didn't we use those in the tunnel?" Zeke asked.
"It's my only pair," Famara answered. "I didn't plan on companions."
Famara turned to Annette. "Zeke and I will take a look to see what this has been built to do. I suspect Dolph is overseeing the manufacture of weapons that will utilize the pages of the book. If he is, we'll get the book then blow this place up."
Zeke looked confused. "Blow it up with what?"
Famara went into his pack again. He took out a uniquely curved knife with a long handle. He unscrewed the handle, stuck two fingers inside and extracted a stick of dynamite.
"I have more than enough," Famara said with a smile.
"Lord have mercy," Zeke said. “Ain’t you full of surprises.”
"Are you with me?" Famara asked.
Zeke cocked his shotgun.
"Let's do this," he said.
Zeke and Famara stayed low as they crept down the incline to the factory floor. Assembly stations lined the stone walkway, each station cluttered with a collection of brass arms, legs and torsos.
"Looks like this is where they built that armored man we ran into in London," Zeke whispered.
Famara approached one of the stations. "No, these are smaller. This looks like personal armor."
Zeke pushed back his hat. "I don't know of any armor these days that will stop a bullet."
"It's possible with the right assistance, the kind of assistance the book can provide if used properly," Famara replied.
"Something tells me you're not telling me everything about that book."
Famara smiled at Zeke.
"You know what you need to know for now."
"Remind me never to play poker with you," Zeke commented.
Famara picked up a large square panel from the cluttered work bench, turning it about in his hand.
"The Prussians have figured out how the pages work," he said. "But they still don't know everything."
He turned to Zeke. "The book is here, probably close by. They'll use the pages to activate these suits."
"Activate?" Zeke took his hat off then scratch his head. "What exactly are you talking about?"
"He's talking about the power of electricity."
Bright light filled the factory room. Zeke and Famara crouched lower as ten armored men strolled out onto a raised platform. The last man to enter was Dolph. He wore the armor as well but he carried the helmet under his arm. A smug smile graced his handsome Nordic face.
"Do you like my castle, Famara Keita?" asked. "Yes, I know your name and I know who you work for. The Tuaregs are a bit unruly but they are very good at gathering information at the right price."
Famara didn't respond. Instead he reached into his jacket and took out a throwing knife.
"I haven't discovered who your Freedonian friend is, but it doesn't matter," Dolph continued. "Neither of you will leave this room, at least not alive."
The fact that he said 'neither' meant he wasn't aware of Annette.
"Why are you doing this?" Famara asked. "What purpose does it serve?"
"The purpose of power," Dolph replied. "But I don't expect you Africans to understand that. You waste your time fighting each other for your paltry spoils instead of realizing there is a world ripe for plunder. Your elders sit on the power of the ages and do nothing with it. Even my superiors fail to realize the potential of the pages of your so-called book."
"That man seems full of himself," Zeke whispered.
"Let him talk," Famara answered. "It gives me more time."
"Time for what?"
Famara smiled.
"The Age of Steam is over," Dolph said. "The future belongs to electricity and your book will unleash its power!"
Zeke was tired of Dolph's bravado and apparently he was not alone. A shot rang out, the bullet striking the armored man closest to Dolph.
"That's my girl!" Zeke said.
Dolph ducked for cover as the soldiers turned in Annette's direction. Before they could fire Zeke sprang up, his shotgun raised. He unloaded his gun at the soldiers, the lead buckshot peppering the metal. Famara grabbed two throwing knives then smacked the ends against the floor. There was a pop then the handle ignited. The horro stood then threw the knives at the platform.
"Down!' he yelled.
The knives exploded as soon as they struck the platform, filling the factory with sound and smoke.
"Let's go!" Zeke shouted.
"No, we have to destroy all of this!" Zeke retorted.
"With what?"
Famara took out more knives. "These."
Zeke grinned. "I'll cover you."
They sprinted through the factory, throwing knives and blowing up everything in sight. A few armor soldiers went up as well, struck by Famara's knives. Zeke took down more, the armor unable to stop a point blank shotgun blast. Annette continued to fire from her hiding place, adding to the confusion.
Once Famara was satisfied they worked their way back to Annette.
"Nice shooting, ma'am," Zeke said.
"Merci.'
"Can we go now?" Zeke said to Famara.
"No. We came for the book."
"I believe your book is somewhere down here burning."
"Dolph is many things but he's not a fool," Famara said. "The book is upstairs in the castle. We're going to get it."
Zeke looked at Annette and she nodded. He shrugged then loaded more shells in his shotgun.
"Lead the way," he said.
The horro stood, and then the chatter of an automatic gun filled their ears. Zeke jerked Famara back down. He was too late.
Famara fell onto him. He bled from several places. The horro looked at his wounds in bewilderment.
"By the ancestors," he whispered.
"Jesus Christ!" Zeke exclaimed. He and Annette tore pieces from Famara's shirt to stop the bleeding.
"Don't worry about me," Famara said. "You have to stop Dolph."
"I'm not worried about that German right now, I'm worried about...”
Famara grabbed Zeke's collar then yanked him so close their noses almost touched.
"You have to stop him!" Zeke shouted. "What he possesses is too valuable to lose."
"Is it worth your life?" Zeke asked.
"Yes," Famara answered without hesitation.
The two men stared at each other for a long moment before Zeke spoke.
"Give me your revolver and your rifle."
Famara handed over the weapons.
"And your trick knives."
Famara took the knives from his jacket and handed them to Zeke.
“Dolph is most likely heading for the roof,” Famara said. He winced before continuing. “My guess is there’s an airship waiting.”
Zeke secured the weapons then began unloading his shotgun. He replaced the original shells with another set in brass casings.
"What are those?" Annette asked.
Zeke smiled. "I call 'em Mule Kickers. I didn't want to use them at first. Wasn't sure this government gun could handle 'em. I guess I'm about to find out."
Annette grabbed his arm. "Wait Zeke. You can’t do this alone. There will be another chance to get the book."
"Pardon my language ma'am, but I'm damn sick and tired of that book. God didn't bless me with many talents, but the one He did give me will get me to the top of that roof. What happens then I don't know."
"I'll pray for you," she said.
"Pray for the Prussians," Zeke answered.
He hit the hilt of a throwing knife on the floor, sparking the fuse. Zeke threw the knife in the direction of the rapid fire gun and waited. No sooner did the knife explode did he jump from cover then sprint into the smoke. He emerged before two armored men. The third lay on his back struggling to rise. Zeke fired, the shotgun barking almost as loud as the knife bomb. The two standing armored men flew off their feet in opposite directions with gaping holes in their torsos; the third man bounced off the ground then lay still.
Zeke jammed the shotgun back into his leg holster then took out his revolvers. He wanted to save his shells just in case he ran into more armored men. What he did run into was a group of Prussian soldiers at the base of a spiral staircase. They turned simultaneously.
"Stop him!" one of them cried.
Zeke emptied the revolvers before the Prussians could lift a rifle. He jumped over the bodies then bolted up the stairs. As he neared the roof he heard the familiar sound of airship propellers. He hesitated before opening the roof door, and then kicked it open. Cold wind struck his face and he blinked; when he opened his eyes he saw Dolph running for the waiting airship, a satchel gripped in his right hand. Zeke raised his revolvers then pulled the triggers just as he remembered he'd emptied them. He dropped the guns, snatched out the shotgun and fired. The slug from the Mule Kicker shell smacked Dolph square in the back, lifted him off his feet then carried him and the satchel holding the book into the air, over the edge of the roof then into the dense woods below.
Zeke ran to the edge of the roof with his shotgun at the ready, expecting fire from the airship. Instead the craft rose slowly then drifted away. Zeke thought about taking a parting shot, but holstered the gun. There had been enough killing this day.
He strolled to the roof edge. Below him was a tangle of dense woods. Neither Dolph nor the satchel was anywhere to be seen.
"Now this just ain't right," Zeke said. "Ain't right at all."
He turned and sauntered back to the staircase.