Free Turnkey (The Gaslight Volumes of Will Pocket Book 1) by Lori Williams, Christopher Dunkle

was half-sunk into the black. “In case the
rain stops before I come back up, it was good to meet you, Pocket.”
    “You too,” I said,
unsure if I was being honest.
    Kitt grinned and
disappeared. The sound of footsteps faded into silence.
    And that should
have been the end of it all. But once again...
    A metallic clang
came crashing from the hole, the noise echoing up into the front room.
    “Hey fox!” I
shouted. “You all right down there?”
    Silence.
    “Kitt?” I called
out.
    Silence.
    “If you can hear
me, make some noise.”
    Nothing. Curious.
    “I'm sure he's
fine,” I said aloud, giving Kitt the opportunity to correct me if that wasn't
the case. He didn't correct me. I waited. And waited. In silence. And was satisfied.
    Then I climbed
down the hole in the floor.
    It was dark.
    I moved slower
with each step, finding my footing on a stair before moving to the next. By the
time I inched to the bottom of the staircase, I couldn't see a thing except the
fading pool of natural light from the room above. I pressed my hands against a
nearby wall and began feeling my way deeper into the basement.
    “Kitt,” I called
once more, this time whispering. I'm not sure why I was whispering, but it felt
appropriate.
    I continued
moving, running my fingers against the wall until I hit a corner. Turning at
the corner, I followed another wall and traced it until I came to an attached
shelf.
    On the shelf was
something that felt like a lantern. I felt around for matches but found none.
Frustrated, I dropped the object in my hand back onto the shelf. Something
clicked, and a bright, blue-white flame ignited from the device, casting a
small circle of light. Most unusual. The object, a craftwork of polished metal,
did indeed resemble a common lantern with its cover removed. The bottom of the
device was dipped in formed rubber and two small coils ran from the base up and
inside to the source of the flame. Retaking the device and holding it close to
my person, I could distinctly smell the burn of gas.
    Gaslight? Without
striking a match?
    Inspecting the
device, I found a large button on the back of it. I pressed it, the light went
out. I pressed it again, the light returned. Fantastic!
    “Kitt! Kitt, you
have to see this!”
    I held up the
gaslight lantern and marveled at it. It cast a glow onto the shelf and, looking
up, I could see that it was filled with dozens of equally-incredible devices,
all clad in the most beautifully-shining metals I have ever seen.
    There was also a
framed photograph.
    “What?” said Kitt,
standing directly behind me.
    I dropped the
lantern with a yelp and a clatter. The room once more returned to darkness.
    “Why'd you do
that?” Kitt asked.
    “Why did you sneak
up on me?!?” I shouted back.
    “You told me I had
to see something!”
    “Well, you could've
given me...sigh. I dropped a lantern. Help me find it.”
    “Oh. Sure. I think
it’s right here.”
    The blue-white
light sparked on. Kitt stood before me with the device.
    “Wow,” he said.
“How's it doing that?”
    “Don't know.”
    “Pretty strange.”
    “Quick work, by
the way,” I commented.
    “I have good eyes
in the dark. Comes in handy.” He handed me the lantern. “Just watch.”
    “No. Kitt!”
    And once again he
was gone. I didn't follow. Instead I put my gaze back to the shelf and
instantly locked eyes with a monochromatic pair staring back from the
photograph.
    They were a
woman's eyes.
    The woman was
young and beautiful, which is reason enough for me to frame her picture, but
she was also clearly in love. A man stood next to her, a good ten to fifteen
years her senior. He held her tiny hands in his and both shared a smile I would
pay any sum to own and wear. He was a good-sized man, large-framed, small eyes,
but such a sharp fire in them. The lovers were standing on a pier before a
docked ship, and a delicate watch chain hung out of both of their coats'
pockets.
    Watch. There was
one on the shelf. It sat quietly as it