Free Fianna Kelly Versus the Jeebees: A Collection of Steampunk Stories by Harry Dodgson

knew, you'd tire out the horses getting
here."
    "I'm
getting a strange feeling."
    "That's
just stage fright. Knowing you, it will pass quickly. I'll let you and Bradan
get out by the entrance and I'll take the wagon to the stables. You will wait
for me, yes?"
    "We
will display ourselves outside until you return to show us off with a grand
entrance."
    "That's
good enough. Try to smile when people stare at you."
    I
gave him my best impression of a lioness baring her claws and teeth. He knew
what it meant as I had been doing it to him since we were children. He would
normally feign fear and cover his face with his arms, but he couldn't do that
and reign in the horses at the same time.
    I
was not impressed with the venue. It looked more like a circus than a
convention. Perhaps I was expecting too much; like the Royal Albert Hall. I had
seen that and it was magnificent. This was several giant tents connected
together by smaller tents. At least it would not be like a hothouse inside and
I could remove my bonnet.
    Getting
Bradan out of the wagon was always difficult. He couldn't see behind him and
there wasn't enough room for him to turn around. I had to tell him how to move
his legs as he slowly backed out. Once he got one leg on the ground, Felix
moved the horses forward a few steps so Bradan could bring his other two legs
down. We moved off the dirt path to wait so other wagons and carriages could
drive by and discharge their passengers.
    I
think Felix was hoping that we'd enter the convention all by ourselves and be
noticed by everyone. That didn't happen. We were in the middle of several
groups of people and Bradan had to be careful not to step on them. They had to
be careful not to push on him since he was hotter than usual due to being out
in the sun. Bradan and I found a spot out of the crowds while Felix did the
required paperwork.
    He
said, "According to this, we have a place in the Northwest tent. We don't
need to go directly there. Let's take the long route and see who else is
here."
    "We
need to stay close to Bradan and watch for people. I worry that he'll
accidentally fall on someone who didn't watch where they were going and crush
them."
    "That's
a good idea. I'll take his right side; you take his left."
    It
took us an hour to reach our assigned spot. Felix had to stop and inspect every
exhibit on the way. I feigned interest in a few, but I didn't understand most
of them. I wondered how many times it would take before I atoned for what I had
done to my father in Dublin. I silently prayed for forgiveness.
    We
approached an area roped off with his name on a paper hanging from them.
"I just need you and Bradan to stand here and look pretty while I talk to
people who walk by."
    "I
don't know if I can do that," I replied.
    "You
can't stand there or you can't look pretty?"
    "A
bit of both," I said with a big smile.
    He
laughed a bit and asked me, "Would you rather I stand there and you talk
to people?"
    "It
might be more interesting with you standing next to Bradan with you wearing
your Sunday best suit."
    "I'm
in a very good mood. Let's both talk to the people. Tell them how helpful
Bradan has been in your life."
    That
was how it went most of the day. I would tell people the very short version of
Bradan and I, omitting the jeebees and the fighting, while emphasising how he
carried heavy items and looked out for me. Felix would tell people how one day
every family will have a mechanical servant. Bradan just stood, looking
imposing, and not really making it easier for Felix. It seemed that people
wanted people-sized automatons and Bradan was not even close. He was more elephant-sized.
    When
we felt like it, one of us would go out and see what was happening in the rest
of our tent. Felix would come back and tell me about wonderful inventions and
how everything would be so much better in the future. I didn't see what he saw
when I went looking. I saw wooden boxes filled with brass pipes and gauges. I
saw glass spheres with