Free The Spy on the Tennessee Walker by Linda Lee Peterson Page B

Professor Thaddeus Lowe is a genius, I believe. His great care in designing balloons that would stand up to the rigors of military use was notable. The finest, sturdiest silk and cotton were used, and then swabbed all over with some magic elixir of varnish that Professor Lowe had invented. No problem was insoluble to Professor Lowe, appointed our Chief Aeronaut by the President of these United States, Abraham Lincoln. Last year, I first was recruited to visit the sky aboard the Intrepid . I do not have the skills of the brave aeronauts, but I have a skill nearly as crucial: I am a telegrapher, a man of speed with the key, a man who is ready to watch, record, and send information about the number, condition, and movement of Confederate troops.
    On my first adventure, as I clambered into the small, swaying basket, I had two conflicting thoughts. First, that if I should survive, I would have a fine tale to tell Victoria. And the second was that I would be so paralyzed by fear that I would be unable to perform my duties as key operator.
    Now that I have undertaken five journeys, the fear has abated, and it was the truth I spoke to Mr. Pinkerton. It is thrilling to be one thousand feet in the air. We are safe from the enemy if they spot us, because no shot can reach that high. And unlike some balloon craft, we are tethered, which gives at least the illusion of control. And although I have been sympathetic to Mr. Douglass’s calls to serve inthe Union army, I prefer the odds of survival serving in my current post. In fact, I am becoming a balloon enthusiast.
    The Confederates were using balloon craft for surveillance as well, but they did not have Professor Lowe leading the way, and the Rebs had fewer craft and fewer successful reconnaissance adventures. The ingenious Lowe had even devised a way to inflate the balloons in the field. Working from his design and instructions, the Navy Yard built movable hydrogen-gas-generation wagons. And though Professor Lowe has a rival in the construction and use of his reconnaissance balloons in the very excitable Mr. John LaMountain, when I am putting my life in someone’s hands, I prefer the more scientifically inclined professor.
    However, I do question his judgment in incorporating a very large likeness of General McClellan’s face on the Intrepid . If I was a Confederate soldier and saw that visage, floating God-like over the earth, I would be insulted and angry, and would think that my resolve to fight and my hatred of the Union troops would be increased many times over. I once hazarded that thought to Professor Lowe, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “You can say anything you like to me, Gabriel, but you must take care how you speak to others. No one likes being questioned in war. It is life or death, and we must choose boldly and decisively what we will do. The Intrepid is my finest gift to the Union, and I believe General McClellan is proud to know his likeness soars high above.”
    I wiped my face clean of expression and nodded in apparentagreement. “It is a marvel you have created, Professor. And I am deeply honored to be part of your team.”
    Once I would have attempted to further engage Professor Lowe in this conversation, debating back and forth on what risks are worth taking. But I have learned that even the friendliest of my battlefield comrades does not feel first loyalty to me, no matter what services I provide. I am a fine telegrapher, swift with the key and accurate in the transmission, and really, that is all there is to know. At moments like that, I miss Victoria more than ever. She loves a good argument and fiercely stands her ground, and expects me to stand my own as we do friendly battle. In my loneliest hours, when not even my horn provides consolation, I think of Victoria as my tether; not holding me fast to the ground, not trapped, but held with the silken threads of love. She would scoff at that image, but I do not care. I breathe deeply and