Free The Hidden Man: A Phineas Starblower Adventure (Phineas Starblower Adventures) by Giles, Lori Othen

ability t' turn in tha air Sir.” Wallace’s eyes met the new captain’s levelly, and Phillips smiled.
    “Indeed, Mr. Wallace indeed they would, very well done Sir. My apologies for the abruptness, it is gratifying to see that I have a helmsman that knows his craft and can deliver answers when put under pressure. I think we shall get along very well Sir. Carry on, Mr. Wallace.”
    Phillips now turned to what was the most fascinating feature of the bridge. The entire curved front of the gondola consisted of metal struts with large panes of glass set into them. It looked like some sort of squared off glass bubble as the ceiling and floor of the structure were all glass. Two steps lead down into the bubble and at this point Jerard was reassured to see that the floor was not completely glass but enough so that the ground would be clearly visible when in flight. A beautifully curved brass handrail wove its way around the front, ostensibly to keep people from stepping on the glass, he assumed. Jerard moved to the railing and even with the ship on the ground he had the sensation of flying. “Genius,” he muttered.
    “Indeed Sir.” Replied Mr. Pruette, his features as bland as ever. Phillips whirled around to see the man seated at a most unusual table. He had been so enchanted with the glass work that he had not noticed Pruette and the work station.
    “As you can see Sir the main chart locker is here by my feet but the ready charts for the planned trip are kept here under this glass work surface. The top of the desk hinges so I can slide the current chart under and have no danger of it getting damaged or knocked about in inclement weather. I can mark our proposed course on it with this china marking pencil.”
    “Isn’t a glass lid like that rather heavy and dangerous Sir?” Jerard objected mildly. The navigator didn’t seem a particularly burly chap after all. Not to mention, if that lid were to fall it would produce dire consequences for the glass flooring.
    “Indeed it is Sir, but fortunately I don’t have to lift it. Observe.” The man cleared the assorted pens and rulers from the surface and flipped a small brass lever to the left hand side of his desk. A hiss and puff of compressed steam sighed in the air and the lid of the desk hinged up on a pair of pneumatic jacks. With a practiced flourish Mr. Pruette withdrew the map of Great Britain and then replaced it swiftly. He pulled the lever again, the slight hiss and puff of steam was repeated before the heavy glass work-top descended to flatten the map roll once more under its protective embrace.
    “Other than the maps Sir, my only fixed instruments are the altimeter, barometer and these time pieces. As you can see one is always set to Greenwich mean time the other two can be set to any local area time we need to monitor.”
    “Seems all very efficient Mr. Pruette, lots more room than my old flight sergeant had. Poor Fred, he’d have given his right arm for a desk like that and the amazing view. Thank you Sir, carry on.”
    Phillips turned to the last of the crew members in his circuit around the bridge. “Mr. Jones,” he acknowledged.
    The compact Welshman was also seated at his workstation which consisted of a small desk with a curious assortment of electrical equipment to one side. Like the helmsman his area was also placed on the upper edge of the step-down into the front bubble. Phillips reluctantly left what he knew would be his favorite place in the ship and stepped up to have a proper conversation with Mr. Jones.
    “Yes, well, Sir, my duties are to act as second for Mr. Pruette see, and to handle communications. I am fluent in five foreign languages as well as the new Morse Code and light-semaphore communications.” Jones said.
    “Five languages!” Phillips exclaimed, “Bravo Sir! What do you speak, may I ask?”
    “Well Sir my foreign tongues are French, German, Arabic, Spanish and English. Cymru being my first tongue you see.” He paused to