Chapter 2

The older man nods, "Doctor Russell Peterson," he reaches out with bony claw like hands and takes Thaddeus's hand and shakes it firmly, the old fellow has quite a grip. "How can I help you Dr. Long?"

She listens to him carefully, writing down the things he describes, "Well Zeppelins are German and you say this crew was German or South German so I'll send a message over seas and see what we can find out. There are a couple other countries that make Zeppelin like ships but we'll start with Germany."

"It'll be morning at the absolute earliest I imagine," She looks at a clock on the wall, "It'll take an hour or so to get the message to German proper. Need to relay it through a couple stops first, it's barely 5am in Berlin, I know a guy there and a fellow in Vienna. See what they can tell us, might be able to get some information from Paris but it's even more middle of the night there."

She smiles and winks at Napoleon, "Be thankful it isn't Friday night, wouldn't get anything back for days."

Back at the boarding house Miss Bessie has show you to your rooms, Helen paid with a handful of cash from a carpet bag full of money as most of you seem to have lost near everything.

"I have some spare clothes, seems folks are forever forgetting something when they move on and I just ain't got the heart the throw it all out. If you want to wash up and I can have Millie and Katie draw up some baths, bath house is downstairs and just outside the back door, best grab a coat before stepping outside." Bessie says in the upstairs hall, she looks about at the lot of you. "Meanwhile Cho and I will fix up something for ya'll to eat."

"That's mighty kind of you Miss Bessie," Buford says.

"Aw heck Mr. Callahan, anytime." She smiles and winks at the larger man, Helen shoots him a look. "Orphan clothes are in the attic, there's a couple trunk full, ain't nothing fancy but help yourselves to whatever you'd like."

Mariette bows stiffly, she has an arm around Ruby's shoulder and the servant girl is clearly supporting her, "Merci."

"You're to kind mum," Ruby says.

Helen nods, "A bath sound wonderful about now. Ruby and I will see to Mariette first and then find some fresh clothes. Thank you for your kindness." Ruby and Helen help Mariette into her room and close the door behind them.

Miss Bessie looks at the rest of you, "Were you on that train from Ash Fork? The one that got blown up? The army fellow who had breakfast here said there weren't no survivors but ya'll look pretty banged up and I am an inquisitive woman."

The redhead at the train station waves at Napoleon, "Check in around noon brother, hopefully by then we'll have something for you."

---

Nathaniel looks through the cloths Miss Bessie has to offer, it's nothing spectacular, to be honest it's all pretty low rent. Ruby and Helen are here as well going through the couple steamer trunks worth of clothes. There are a lot of miss matched socks and undergarments, they all look to have been cleaned and folded prior to being put away. There's a handful of shirts, Nathaniel finds two that will fit him and another one that will definitely fit Buford, or a small grizzly bear. There's a few pair of pants, one of which will fit him and one that looks as if it will fit Napoleon. He also locates a number of jackets which the women hang on coat racks next to the steamer trunks.

Helen picks out several skirts and blouses of various sizes which Ruby looks over critically before Nathaniel heads back down from the attic, by the time he's done this the baths have been drawn and a pair of younger women are pouring large pitchers of hot water into a pair large wooden bathtubs. The bath is warm and luxurious despite having to share the space with Donovan, Nathaniel determines that there are a number of large bruises on his body he hasn't quite had time to realize were there. Donovan sits quietly in the tub smoking a fat Cuban cigar while shaving his face and tending to his moustache.

By the time he makes it to the dining area he finds a sumptuous meal ready including generous portions of a roast, mince pies, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables.

Buford wanders in, freshly cleaned and looking considerably more civilized that you'd have thought possible, he grabs a heaping plate of food and sits across from Nathaniel. "Mr. Cranstone," he says with a nod. Buford is wearing clean clothes that almost appear made for him and none of it appears to have come from the trunk of orphaned clothes in the attic.

Helen walks in with Ruby, Helen's wearing a miss matched blouse blue and black skirt and Ruby is wearing what appears to be the bottom half of a black riding habit coupled with a white blouse several sizes to large for her.

"Are these seats taken gentlemen?" Helen asks pointing at a pair of chairs next to Nathaniel and Buford. Ruby is across the room preparing a couple plates of food.

Buford nods, "Gonna have to visit the general store in the morning, resupply. There's a fair amount in town, Kingman's growing might be able to replace pretty much all we lost."

He stands and pulls the chair out for Helen then moves around and waits for Ruby near her chair.

Helen smiles and takes a seat, "Thank you kindly Mr. Callahan."

"Just Buford will do fine ma'am."

Helen grins wickedly, "Thank you kindly Just Buford."

Buford groans.

"Miss d'Nimes is resting," Helen says adjusting her position in the chair, "the journey took a lot out of her but fortunately she didn't pop any stitches and the old lady's dressings seem to be doing the job. No sign of infection but it is early."

The front door opens with a jingle and Napoleon walks back into the boarding house.

Ruby brings both plates of food over to the table and places one in front of Helen, she looks at Buford and the chair he has pulled out for her. "It, ah, I'm just the help Mr. Callahan. I'm not entirely sure that it would be proper for me to dine at the same table with you."

"If you insist sir," Ruby says sitting down at the table, "it isn't proper though."

"Ruby," Buford says with a grin, "ain't nothin' proper 'bout none of this."

Helen nods, her hair still appears damp, "Did you find anything out on your little sojourn Mr. Napoleon? I know a person or two who works at the broadsheets in New York, thought in the morning I might send them a telegram."

"I'm worried about m'lady," Ruby says quietly, "she's truly brilliant but terribly naïve about the ways of the world. Led a very sheltered life I'm afraid, I'm uncertain how she'll manage without me."

Helen nods running some bread through the gravy of her stew, "I hope you're right."

"Gonna talk to the marshal in the morning," Buford says, "might be able to fill us in on what's left of the wreck, Miss Bessie figures we're the only survivors. Fellers forward of us in the train sure as heck didn't make it."

Helen nods again, "That green lightening reduced them all to ash, even the wood in the rail car disintegrated, it was horrible."

"Was quick Helen," Buford replies, "they didn't suffer, didn't even have time to know they were dead."

"M'lady did a lot of work with electricity, she knocked me out one day and caused my hair stand on end another." Ruby says quietly, "I have never seen anything like that before."

"It was," a pale faced Mariette says moving slowly into the room holding her side, "I suspect, a Martian weapon, Mère de Dieu."

Ruby stands and quickly helps her to a comfortable chair in the corner, "Tu ne devrais pas être debout madame!" She says in an irritated tone.

"Je vais où je veux, quand je veux ma chérie." Mariette replies.

Mariette sits carefully in a padded chair and Ruby rushes off to get her some food.

"I am not 'ardly on my feet," Mariette says sucking air in through her teeth, "but I feel further from the jaws of death than I did the other day, Merci."

"Tu devrais être au lit, madame!" Ruby says in a scolding tone as she brings a bowl of soup to Mariette.

"Vous pouvez m'amener au lit plus tard ma chère." Mariette blinks, "What metal artifact? Which expedition to Venus?"

"The German's are particularly active on Venus," Helen says taking a sip of her tea, "the agents of the Kaiser are everywhere there I hear. Possibly here too."

Buford nods, "I hear liftwood don't work there, rots to nothing in no time flat. Brits a bit to figure that one out, lost a couple ships from what I hear."

Mariette nods, "It does not and that they did, France does not 'ave a colony on Venus but they undoubtedly 'ave agents there as well. I 'ave some friends in Paris and Rome I can ask, perhaps they can provide a little assistance in locating this brigand."