The Firebird Mystery (16 page)

‘Good morning, you pair,' Mr Griffin said. ‘I was just about to detail our line of attack.'

Jack sat opposite Scarlet. She flashed him a smile and he felt wobbly at the knees.

‘We have been in communication with the Swiss government,' Mr Griffin said. ‘They have agreed to give us full cooperation during this crisis.

‘We will make a targeted assault on the Phoenix compound. Our initial goal is to determine the status of the complex. If the Phoenix scientists are still in control of it, then we expect to negotiate a peaceful settlement. If the Nazis have taken over, we will still attempt a peaceful resolution, but we must be prepared to use force, if necessary.

‘Mr Harker and Mr Bell have agreed to show us to the entrance of the compound. MI5 and the military will take over from there.'

‘What is the role of the German government?' Mr Harker asked.

‘There is still friction between our two countries,' Mr Griffin said. ‘The German government has agreed to cooperate with us, but we must remember the Nazis have enormous power in Germany.'

‘How have they become so influential so quickly?' Scarlet asked.

Thomas Griffin gave her a smile. ‘It's wonderful to see a woman interested in politics.'

Scarlet tossed back her hair. ‘Really?'

‘We do have minds,' Lucy Harker said. ‘Some of us even know how to use them.'

‘Sorry, ladies.' Mr Griffin looked chastised. ‘I know you both have keen intellects.'

‘I accept your apology,' Scarlet said.

‘Thank you,' he said. ‘Many people in Germany believe they lost the war because of the ineptitude of their leaders. They think they would have won the war if their government had not surrendered.'

‘Germany has grown in power since the war,' Mr Doyle remarked.

‘Everyone has helped the country rebuild. A stable German government is to everyone's advantage.'

‘And if Germany should become…unstable?' Scarlet asked.

Thomas Griffin appeared grim. ‘The Nazis would seize the opportunity and Anton Drexler would be in charge of the whole country. He, or his second-in-command, a man by the name of Adolf Hitler.'

A number of pings rang out over the intercom.

‘That means we're starting to descend,' Mr Griffin explained. ‘Could you all please suit up as if you were leaving the ship?' He added, ‘Just in case.'

Everyone filed out to their cabins. Jack followed Mr Doyle.

‘What did Mr Griffin mean?' Jack asked. ‘When he said, “just in case”.'

‘We may be heading into a battle.' Mr Doyle grimaced. ‘Anything could happen. We might find ourselves lost in the snow if the airship is attacked. Best be rugged up.'

Jack wondered about a worse possibility than being lost in the snow. One spark, for instance, could cause the combustible hydrogen to explode and—
boom
.

He returned to his cabin and pulled a large white coat on over his normal clothing. The airship was diving quickly. His ears popped. He joined Mr Doyle on the observation deck. The sun had risen over the hills, but it had begun to lightly snow. The landscape below was a violent sea of valleys and mountains. The valleys were verdant, while the mountains thrust upwards in spectacular elevations of rock and ice.

‘Have you been to Switzerland before?' Jack asked.

‘I was here on a case,' Mr Doyle said. ‘I went to Reichenbach Falls, one of the most famous cataracts in all of Europe.' The detective seemed uncomfortable. ‘Almost fell from the top.'

‘Blimey.'

‘It was an interesting crime involving a spanner, a rubber plant and an exploding nun.'

He proceeded to tell Jack about the case as the airship aimed for a snow-capped mountain range. It descended to the centre of a wide valley and hovered about ten feet over the white surface.

Looking through the window, Jack saw anchors plunge into the ice and a chain ladder drop. Men climbed down and started securing the airship to rocky points on the ground.

Soldiers, followed by Mr Griffin, Mr Bell and Mr Harker, made their way onto the ice. They trooped off in the direction of a gorge on the eastern side, disappearing from sight through the crack in the rock face.

Scarlet and Lucy clattered down the iron walkway to the observation deck.

‘...and so if the nun had not exploded at that very instant,' Mr Doyle concluded, ‘the case would never have been solved.'

‘How long do you think they'll be?' Lucy asked.

To Jack's surprise, she appeared upset. She touched Mr Doyle's shoulder. Back at the London Metrotower, she had seemed so tough. The woman had transformed into a different person. Jack realised she must be terribly worried about her father.

‘There, there, my dear,' Mr Doyle said. ‘We'll know soon enough. And you've hurt yourself.'

Lucy gazed down distractedly. Her right leg was bruised. ‘Silly me. I slipped on the steps earlier. I'm not quite myself at the moment.'

‘They're coming back now,' Scarlet said.

They turned to the window. Some of the men were trooping towards them. After an eternity, Mr Griffin clambered up the chain ladder and joined them on the viewing platform.

‘Looks like nobody's home,' he said cheerfully. ‘Come and see some of the novelties we've discovered.'

Everyone had to wear two types of footwear to go outside. The first was a warm boot that slipped over their usual shoes. The second was a snowshoe that reminded Jack of a tennis racket. It had a hardwood frame with rawhide lacing. Jack tripped over his feet when he tried to stand.

‘Easy there,' Mr Doyle said. ‘They take some getting used to.'

Jack found he was able to clamber about in a rudimentary fashion after a few experimental steps. Everyone appeared identical in their special woolly overcoats. As they made their way to the exit and descended the ladder, Jack for the first time saw the other airships that had joined them. There were at least a dozen vessels, hanging above at various altitudes. A number were British, but he could also see a few French ships and a couple of others he did not recognise. He pointed them out to Mr Doyle.

‘Those are the Swiss airships,' the detective said. ‘They're smaller than ours, but quick and manoeuvrable.'

It was bitterly cold. A light breeze swept past as Mr Griffin led them across the valley. They walked on in silence, white flurries falling as they turned into the gorge. Off the track a crack opened up in the rock face. They entered, Mr Griffin leading. The crack widened into a tunnel. Their scuffling echoed across the smooth surface.

Hey
, Jack thought.
Our tennis shoes are making a racket.
But he did not share his joke with the others. There was a light at the end of the dark passage. Warm air now wafted against his face. They entered a large room, well lit, clean and bare. A number of snowshoes lay to one side. These belonged to the men from the
Britannia
.

Jack peered at the ceiling. ‘What are those lights? They're not gas.'

‘Indeed they are not,' Mr Doyle said. ‘I believe they are operated by an advanced form of galvanism—electrical power.'

Jack stared up at the lights in fascination. A series of balls about three inches wide were set into the ceiling at intervals of a foot. They cast an even light over the room, unlike gas lamps which flickered and jumped. And this light was far more pure—gas always projected a yellow tinge.

‘Quite amazing,' Scarlet said. ‘What happens if you touch them?'

‘I believe they are rather hot,' Mr Griffin said. ‘Anyway, we'd best keep moving. There is much more to see than this.'

‘Amazing,' Lucy commented. ‘No-one has ever been able to harness electrical power in such a way. The applications would be endless.'

Mr Griffin gave a short laugh. ‘This is nothing. Follow me.'

He opened the door and they found themselves on a platform overlooking a cavern almost half a mile across. Larger lights were set into the ceiling throughout the immense cave filled with strange contraptions.

‘Alice,' Mr Griffin said. ‘Welcome to Wonderland.'

Jack didn't know where to look. He saw a helicopter, similar to the one they had travelled in earlier, but larger. A submersible lay, like a discarded toy, against a wall. It was twice as big as anything he had seen in picture books. He recognised a small steamer designed for space flight. A row of cannons studded its side. In front of the steamer, three lines of insect-like machines stood like silent sentries.

‘Incredible,' Mr Doyle said. ‘Simply incredible.'

‘It really is,' Scarlet said, ‘like being in Aladdin's cave.'

‘And this is only the first chamber,' Mr Griffin said.

‘There are others?' Mr Doyle asked.

‘At least four,' Mr Griffin replied. ‘As well as a mass of laboratories and testing chambers. It might take months to explore this place.'

A bang emanated from the far end of the cavern.

‘That sounded like a shot,' Mr Doyle said.

‘Wait here,' Mr Griffin commanded.

He hurried down the stairs to the base of the observation platform. One of the soldiers weaved his way through the mass of strange devices towards him. More shots rang out. The men had an animated conversation before the soldier turned and raced back.

‘It seems we were wrong about the Nazis,' Mr Griffin told them upon his return. ‘They have been hiding in one of the far chambers and have sprung a surprise attack. We need to evacuate you immediately.'

They hurried outside. Jack felt his heart pounding as they tried to race across the sea of whiteness. The shoes really were a nuisance. Mr Griffin produced a signalling mirror and started sending a message to the
Britannia
as they ran. In response, the airship men hung a series of blue and red flags from the balloon.

‘They're warning the other ships,' Mr Griffin puffed.

They were almost back to the
Britannia
when the hillside moved. A tremor vibrated underfoot.

‘What was that?' Scarlet asked.

‘I have no idea,' Mr Doyle said. ‘But I don't think it's anything good.'

Soldiers poured from the
Britannia
. More airships were descending into the valley. Jack and the others waited until the soldiers had disembarked before they started up the ladder. The ground shuddered again as a low rumble emanated around them.

Is it an earthquake?
Jack wondered.
It feels like the whole planet is moving.

They scrambled up the ladder, dragged their heavy coats off and made their way to the bridge. Captain Bardle was busy giving directions for cast off.

‘What's happening, Captain?' Mr Griffin asked.

‘We're lifting off to make room for the other airships,' Bardle said. ‘We'll move to another location.'

The ship started to ascend as another low rumble echoed.

‘Look!' Scarlet cried.

She pointed to the snow-covered field below. The snow was shooting upwards as if something was breaking through. Here and there, geysers of snow spat into the air as if fired from a gun.

An enormous copper beam, bent in three places, cracked through the white. Four other girders appeared, attached to a square metal contraption. The beams waved about the air, clenching and unclenching.

I know what that looks like
, Jack thought.
But that's impossible.

‘It's a hand!' he said in amazement.

‘Surely not,' Mr Doyle gasped.

No-one could speak. As the airship ascended, another hand broke the surface. A head—a huge spherical box angled to a narrow chin—smashed through the snow. A single glowing eye, red and pulsating, filled the middle of the face. A ring of iron encompassed the cranium like a halo.

The giant climbed out of the landscape, shaking ice off as it clambered to its feet. It was like a skeleton, but with pulleys and levers to give it motion. Steam and smoke belched from a dozen squat chimneys scattered across the creature.

‘It's enormous,' Scarlet said, open-mouthed.

‘At least a hundred feet tall,' Mr Doyle said. ‘Possibly larger.'

The metal monster gazed at the array of descending airships. Its eye focused on the
Britannia
.

‘It's spotted us!' Lucy cried.

The
Britannia
was zooming up the valley. The metal giant was positioned to its right. It lurched towards the airship, snatching at the vessel. Its fingers fell short.

They felt the airship surge.

‘We've gone to full power!' Mr Doyle yelled. ‘But will that be enough…?'

The monster swatted at the airship again. A metal hand slammed against the gondola. Glass exploded in all directions. Everyone cried out as they were thrown to the deck. Cold air poured inside. The
Britannia
seesawed. Mr Doyle and Jack helped the girls to their feet.

Jack realised what was happening. ‘We're not going up,' he said. ‘We're going down.'

Mr Doyle joined him at the shattered window. ‘The creature must have burst the balloon.'

The gigantic hand swiped at them again. This time they felt it slam into the side of the balloon and they were again tossed to the deck. A klaxon alarm rang throughout the ship.

‘Prepare for emergency landing,' a voice announced, sounding far more calm than it had any right to. ‘Emergency landing. Emergency landing.'

Crewmen burst past them.

‘Oh no,' Scarlet said. The ground was rising to meet them.

‘Hold on to the railing!' Mr Doyle yelled.

They each grabbed a stabiliser railing running along the corridor. The sound of weaponry rang out as the other vessels opened fire on the metal creature.

‘We're coming in too fast!' Mr Doyle cried as the
Britannia
slammed into the ground.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Blackness. A piece of cloth moved over Jack's face. Blinding him. Smothering him. He pushed hard at it and the material cried out.