Chapter 2

You all get a relatively decent sleep and the sun in well over the horizon when you wake up. The air is filled with the sounds of people talking and day to day village life. The scent of fresh cooked bread of some kind is in the air, Hector is asleep next to the door and the native woman is hard at work in the kitchen area preparing something to eat in a large decorated earthen ware pot. The interior walls are whitewashed adobe mud with a geometric ocher pattern painted at on the lower half of the walls.

It's warm in the room but not uncomfortably so and though you slept on the floor most of you feel fairly well rested.

Helen is looking out the window chatting with the native woman and Ruby is very carefully stitching back up Mariette's corset. Buford is sitting outside the door on a rock looking over the village and Donovan is sitting next to him. The professors bag is sitting just inside the door.

No one has seen Mariette today and "Mother" is no where to be seen. Hector hasn't heard anything bad so he says not to be overly concerned, Mother is a good healer.

The first thing that comes out of the bag is a carefully organized stack of newspaper clippings, they're from all over the world and some of them are in languages you do not understand.

The first 1/4 appear to be crossword puzzles, some are partially solved, many are blank waiting to be solved. The next 1/4 seem to be about this German expedition to Venus that was exploring some ruins in the Ishtar highlands a half dozen years ago. A number of these are in languages you can't read but many of the pictures are the same so you can guess the subject. There's a series of follow up articles chronicling the fates of these explorers which has led to the commonly held belief that either the expedition or something they found in the temple was cursed as well over half of the men and woman who went to Venus with the expedition are already dead. There's also a surprising number of articles about a European Anarchist named Rasmussen.

There's a knife and a short barrel pocket revolver (loaded) in a pair of custom made attachments inside the valise. As well as a box containing 23 spare rounds of ammunition. (It's small compared to a Colt Navy, but it's not a Derringer)

The next thing to come out of the Valise is a small (palm sized) box filled with some kind of white powder and a number of capsules, it is most definitely NOT snuff.

There's a pamphlet about an exposition in San Francisco dealing with the wonders of the solar system and featuring a variety of artifacts brought back from Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

After that you find a carefully tied stack of letters, wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string. Much of it appears to be correspondence with a number of academics from around the world, the bulk of what you can make out from a quick skim seems to be focused on the German expedition to Venus. What happened, what they found, who was in the expedition and answers about the fates. About 1/3 of these letters are more personal, letters from his parents, aunts and uncles, and there's even a couple pretty racy ones from a woman named Eleanor.

Below that you find another carefully wrapped rectangular bundle about the size of the palm of your hand that when you open it is filled with French Postcards... Some pretty racy one too.

There's a small toiletry bag, nothing fancy, toothbrush, comb, toothpaste, and a small metal container of cologne.

Last there's the irregularly shaped object wrapped in cloth and tied up carefully. This proves to be something neither of you have ever seen. It's a 1/4 of a circle (pizza wedge) with flat diamond shaped tab at the pointy end the sides are irregular but very carefully shaped so it's not broken. The object appears to be made of gold but it weighs practically nothing and there's not a scratch on it. There's writing around the outer edge the likes of which you've never seen and there's a series of incomplete geometric designs that appear to run off the sides.

Though Nathaniel has never seen the professor he notices when looking at the list of names one of the survivors is a man with a decidedly un-German name, Professor William Preston.

The script is unlike anything you've ever seen, it's very strange, almost alien.

Nathaniel notices that the metal is untarnished and undamaged, normally you'd expect to see a nick or a dent in something this size where someone at one time or another during it's life had dropped the thing by accident but there's isn't even a makers tool mark on it.

The exhibition is still to come, it starts in a week.

The expedition members died in a variety of ways, although there does seem to be an inordinate number of "unknown" cause deaths where seemingly healthy people simply passed away in the middle of the night.

Buford and Donovan look up at Napoleon as he approaches, it's chilly outside and Napoleon can see his breath in the air.

"Mornin'," Buford says in his low drawl, "gonna be a nice one from the look of it."

Donovan nods, "I hope you had a good sleep my friend. I spoke with Hector before he fell asleep, the village scouts say there's no sign of the air ship or the men in uniform."

Helen comes out with three bowls of what looks like porridge, "Here you go boys, eat up."

"Thank you ma'am," Buford says politely.

"Thank you ever so much," Donovan says with a smile accepting the bowl.

She hands the third bowl to Napoleon, "Mister Napoleon, you need to eat up as well."

There's a bit of a commotion the far side of the village as two older native men come in through the hidden canyon with a man in a tattered dark suit holding a medium side black Doctors bag.

Dr. Thaddeus looks about at the village and the natives nervously, he's read enough Penny Dreadful's in London to know what's likely to happen to him in this native village and it won't be pleasant. Then he notices a hulking white man in a battered bowler, next to a rugged looking chap in a dark suit and a swarthy young lad in dusty clothes. They're all armed so this village can't be one of the one's he's read about. All the same he looks about making sure there's not an over-sized stew pot anywhere close.

"We found him sneaking around the Western edge of the wreck," The older native man says.

"He was alone but he could be one of them," The younger man adds, we thought we should bring him here.

The older man nods, "There's smoke to the West, I think there's another train making its way this way from Boulder City."

"No doubt the army will be here soon as well," Hector says stepping out of the house you all spent the night in, "they will not find us here if we are careful. You may remain for the time being or we can help you get back to the wreck and await rescue if you wish."

A young attractive blonde woman in a dirty yellow dress steps out from behind the mountain of a man and looks at Dr. Thaddeus, she raises an eyebrow. "He's not one of them," she says quietly, "he was in the back right corner of the second passenger car across from that awful Irish woman and her brood."

The giant of a man with the salt an pepper beard sticks a massive hand out towards Dr. Long, "Buford Callahan, the little lady in the yellow is Miss Helen Kovalsic." He looks at her and she smiles.

"Excellent pronunciation Buford," she also puts her hand out towards Dr. Long. "Charmed."

"The other lady," Buford continues nodding towards a young woman in a black maids uniform, her white apron is stained with dried blood, "is Miss Ruby."

The man in the crumpled bowler stands up, "Donovan Pearson." His accent is British, somewhere up towards York you'd guess.

Hector raises an eyebrow at the talk of savages, though he's not near Dr. Long his hearing is apparently quiet good.

Nathaniel notices a figure moving slowly down the path towards the hut supported by another young native woman, it's clearly Mariette.

Buford looks at Dr. Long, "We were just tryin' to figure that out ourselves when you showed up."

"They're not Teutons," Helen says bitterly, Dr. Long notices a hint of an accent in her voice possibly Hungarian, "Mr. Napoleon figures they're from the South, the Alps somewhere perhaps Bavarian's, the Teutonic knights typically held territories along the Baltic coast."

Ruby, the maid, steps forward an expertly mended and ridiculously expensive silk corset in her hands, "Sirs, if I may."

Helen nods.

"My mistress, Lady Fortingall was aboard the train. We think, well we think sir that they may have taken her."

A battered red haired woman in a decorated deer skin tunic and expensive skirt comes down a broad path supported by a native girl.

"Ma'am," Ruby says with a curtsey, "I cleaned and fixed your corset ma'am it gave me something to do, I hope you don't mind."

The redhead smiles and straightens up with a wince, "Ruby, chérie, tu es une oeuvre d'art.""Thank you mum," Ruby replies with a blush.

"How are you feelin' this morning little missie?" Buford asks searching through his vest and pulling out a battered half smoked cigar.

"I 'ave felt better Monsieur Buford," she smiles, "but to be 'onest I 'ave felt worse."

"Are you going to be able to wear that?" Helen asks indicating the corset. Dr. Long knows that the corset alone is probably worth more than a years salary to many of the people in the group he's talking to.

"My current ensemble, she is a little what is word? schitzophrenic?" She smiles a little, "Perhaps you and Ruby can try to get me back into it."

"We have a few we might be able to spare, where were you thinking of heading?" Hector replies, "We can figure out how much food you might be needing. Kingman is the next major stop on the rail way, it's about 2 days West of here, after that there's a couple minor water stops before you get to Needles, that's about 4 sometimes 5 days from here."

"They take my sister too," Mariette says bitterly.

"Their flying machine went West," Hector replies, "with a couple men we could help you to Kingman and then return with the horses, it's only a two day ride, unless a storm blows up."

"I wonder if any of our luggage survived," Helen adds, "I wouldn't argue with a change of clothes."

"If the were searching the wreckage they might have people involved in the savage," Donovan says.

Hector nods, "Louis says there's a dozen or more men going through the wreck now and working on the rails, Billie's been watching a cloud of dust coming up from the fort so the army is on it's way too."

Hector nods, "I can have some men prepare the horses and gather some supplies, we can get you to Kingman. He looks at the ladies, it will not be a comfortable experience, but we will do our best to make it bearable."

He pulls a pocket watch out of his vest, "Give us two hours to get everything together."

"Do you think they take my sister with them too?" Mariette asks holding her side.

"I have an undershirt you can wear miss," Ruby offers, "it maybe more comfortable than your corset."

Donovan looks at Mariette, "You think you're going to be all right to travel ma'am?"

Mariette nods, "Oui. I be alright, we find your professor too Monsieur."

---

The two hours passes quickly, Ruby, Mariette and Helen head back into the house, pretty soon they re-emerge with Mariette in a clean undershirt and Helen's yellow jacket. Ruby is clearly not wearing her undershirt anymore and it looks as if the ladies have shed a number of the petticoats under their skirts.

Hector walks over to the group, "Horse are ready, we have supplies in the packs, It will be cold at night so we brought extra blankets. Is there anything you want to know about before we leave?"

Hector holds his hand up, "No need to thank us Mr. Cranstone, we were just doing what needed to be done. You were in trouble, and we could help."

The trip to Kingman takes slightly longer than three days, you probably could have done it it slightly better than two but travelling with the injured Mariette adds time to the journey as does Hector's desire to remain undetected by locals or the military. The group moves through out the day, the weather is unseasonably warm the first two days and the evenings are bitterly cold. The trail is rough and dusty winding its way through a series of narrow washes and bone dry gullies. The second night you camp next to natural spring where fresh water bubbles out of a crack in the rocks creating a deep pool under a large overhang. The water, while not hot is warmer than you expected and remarkably refreshing.

Late in the afternoon on the third day Hector calls a halt on a low ridge overlooking the town of Kingman, for most of you the town doesn't look like much. A single street of wood and brick structures parallel to the rail line, there's a large building next to the station that looks like it might be a saloon, or maybe a hotel. Nathaniel can clearly make out a bathhouse and a small corner store near the hotel. Napoleon notices that there's a large Livery Stable near the Western end of town and Dr. Long sees what appears to be a compounding dispensary / barber / dentists office near the other end of the street.

"There's a hotel across from the station," Buford remarks, "can probably get lodgings there for a night or two. There's also a boarding house down the end of the street near the stockyards, ought to be empty this time of year."

"You are certain of this Monsieur Buford?" Mariette asks as Hector and Ruby helps her off the horse.

Buford nods, "Yes'm, place only fills up when the ranchers are movin' livestock through town."

"Is it an appropriate place for ladies?" Ruby inquires.

"I reckon it'll be better than the saloon," Buford says nodding towards the hotel / saloon in the middle of town.

"Most importantly," Helen inquires, "do they have baths?"

Buford scoffs, "Yes ma'am, cost you a nickle though."

Hector shakes all your hands, before taking the horses back and getting ready to depart.

"Merci," Mariette says with a bow.

"Thank you," Ruby says with a smile and a slight curtsy.

Helen smiles and shakes his hand vigorously, "You're a gentleman Hector, I will never forget your kindness."

Harris tips his hat and thanks Hector as well.

Buford grins, "You're a stand up kinda feller Hector, many thanks."

The march into town isn't long and as you have practically no possession it's an easy trek, Hector and his tribe have set you up with blankets and bags with some food and water as well as a handful of spare pistol and rifle cartridges. The main street is lit with oil lamps and the sound of piano music comes down the street from the saloon / hotel.

You march up to the front door of the boarding house, a couple locals give you side long glances as you head up the stairs. One even tips his hat at the ladies as he rides past on his horse. A quick tap on the door and a woman in a blue gingham dress cracks open the door and peers out.

"May I help ... " she stops in her tracks and her face lights up as she looks towards the back of the group. "Buford Callahan you great bear of a man, what are you doing back in Kingman at this time of year?"

"Miss Bessie," Buford says with a tip of his hat, "these folk are my friends and we're in need of a roof over our head for a night or two if you can spare the room."

"Why of course, come on in, come on in," Bessie looks the group over, "well, aren't you lot a fright. Ya'll look like you're five days into what should have been a two day ride."

---

Napoleon wanders through the middle of town, such as it is, a handful of wooden buildings, a construction store, a tailor, a livery, a large general store, a brick and mortar sheriff's office and a train station. There's a handful of houses backing onto the main road and he can see chicken coops and small gardens between the houses and the stores. It's chilly out, being late in the year and smoke issues forth from practically every chimney. Napoleon thinks the most likely place to find a revolutionary contact is going to be either in the telegraph office of the train station or perhaps the livery stable and attached stockyards. Typically there would be an exchange of coded phrases, to ensure you're talking to who you think you're talking to and if they fail the challenge you simply move on having said nothing conspicuous.

The livery stable appears to be locked up, but it is down the far end of the street so you can't be certain. The telegraph office in the railway station is occupied by a young woman with long red braids and a freckled face in a Telegraph Clerk uniform, pillbox hat and buttoned up blue jacket. She looks bored and is currently occupying her time in the empty station reading through a news paper. Other than her the station is empty, wooden benches with brass legs, large oil lamps hang from the rafters illuminating the interior of the building.

The dentist is just cleaning up his shop when Thaddeus walks in. He's an older man, balding with grey temples and a large nose. He's wearing a white shirt, rolled up sleeves and is pushing a broom across the wooden floor of his office towards the door. There's a big dentist chair in the middle of the room with a number of foot power operated tools hanging from a long brass arm attached to the chair. Near the front door off to the side is a desk and a pair of large metal filing cabinets. The rear wall of the store has several racks of glass jars containing a variety of powders of various colors, there's also a large locked cabinet in the back. He seems relatively well stocked in the basics, a similar shop in London would have nearly twice as many jars but there's also an awful lot more people in London and it doesn't rain soot and ash here like it does there.

The older man looks up from his broom and leans on it slightly, "Evening, just about to close up for the night stranger, what can I do for you?"

The clerk looks at at Napoleon giving him a very clear once over. He gets the feeling she's giving him a thorough evaluation.

"I have a letter from a Mister Bakunin for a Mister Thoreau, been sitting here a while." She reaches into a rack of papers, "Partial postage still due though, gonna cost you a penny."

Napoleon knows this is the second half of the code and he's supposed to produce a penny from the French Commune, fortunately the bandit's never made it to him and he still has all has money.

The woman behind the counter looks at the coin, then pushes her braids back behind her shoulders, "How may I be of assistance you brother?" She asks handing the coin back to him.

She pulls out a small yellow note pad with a Western Union logo printed at the top, pulls the tops sheet off the pad so as not to leave an impression in the pages beneath and takes a pencil from the drawer.

The girl behind the counter nods writing down what Napoleon says, "Leave it with me, I'll put out some telegrams tonight, see what I get back in the morning. By warship do you mean a Zeppelin or an Aerial Gunboat? Liftwood is pretty hard to get a hold of, especially here. Knowing what we're looking for could help narrow things down."

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."

"If it's in the exhibition brochure," Helen asks sipping her tea, "why is it in the professors pack? I'd think if it's in the brochure it's in the exhibition."

"You think one of them is a forgery mum?" Ruby asks.

"There 'ave been a lot of cursed expeditions to Venus," Mariette says taking another spoonful of soup. "Do you know which one it was in particular?""Just cuz folks keep dying don't mean it's a curse," Buford mutters, "bunch a fellers I used to run with got their hands on some CSA gold. Gold weren't cursed, boys just kept killin' one another till there was only a couple of them left and no one remembered where they'd hid the gold."

"Where would you like to go that's more private?" Buford asks, "I think there's a sitting room across the hall or we could use one of the bedrooms upstairs."

"Give us a moment then to check Mariette's dressings I'm certain her room is plenty large enough to accommodate everyone." Helen says.

"Top of the stairs, end of the hall," Ruby says clearing everyone's plates and taking them back towards the kitchen.

Helen helps Mariette to her feet and they head towards the stairs.

"What you reckon?" Buford asks looking at Napoleon and Nathaniel, "Think those fellers from the airship got someone in town?"

Heading upstairs they find Helen about to come downstairs, "We're done," Helen says quietly, "she looks worse than she is I'm certain. No signs of infections, what ever was in that old woman's poultice seems to have done the trick."

She leads the men back to the door at the end of the hall, inside there's a large room with two beds, a small one and a larger bed intended for a couple. Marianne is propped up against a number of large pillows on the bigger bed and Ruby is finishing disposing of a number of bandages soaked in dried blood.

Marianne smiles just a little, "Welcome to my parlor, entrer, entrer." She gestures towards a couple of high backed chairs near the window and the smaller bed. "I don't 'ave much to offer but make yourselves comfortable."

Helen closes the door behind them checking the hall twice before latching it.

"Well, what do we know," Buford says in his baritone rumble.

"They are German and they 'ave a Zeppelin with some kind of exotic weapon," Mariette begins.

"They took, Lady Fortingall and Professor Higgins," Ruby adds.

"And her sister," Buford says.

"Oui," Mariette says.

Looking at the pamphlet, Nathaniel makes a curious observation, the one in the pamphlet does not appear to be the same object, it is similar but it's shape is different. While the one you possess is a quarter of a circle with a large diamond on the end, the one in the pamphlet does not have a diamond on the end, it has instead an indent where the diamond shape would go.

"The wreck was so terrible," Ruby says standing next to Mariette's bed, "how could they assume any of us would survive?"

"The people they took were all in the last car," Helen says, "I think they may have presumed that the damage they inflicted would be considerably less than what occurred."

Buford nods, "They did hit the engine as soon as it came out of the tunnel, they probably figured everything inside the tunnel would be fine. Boy howdy were they wrong, reduced everything in front of our car to ash."

"This professor," Mariette asks, "what was 'e a professor of?"

"I think he was an Egyptologist," Ruby says, "I saw him looking at a small parchment full of hieroglyphs, he kept it in his jacket pocket."

"What did Lady Fortingall do?" Helen asks, "She was a lady so I assume tea parties and fancy lunches."

"Oh no," Ruby says, "my lady was an inventor, much to her fathers disapproval. He did not think a proper lady should have axle grease on her hands and carbon soot on her nose."

"What about yer sister?" Buford asks, "What did she do?"

Mariette smiles, "My sisters was a great many things, a good girl was not one of them. She was however, not especially bright."

"How about you?" Helen asks looking at Mariette.

"I am a designer, an architect of sorts," Mariette smiles, "I do not invent things, I refine them, make them better. That is where my talents lie."

Buford spends a while looking at the people who vanished and their occupations and ponders out loud at one point, "If they intended to take those particular folk I wonder if they got the wrong twin." Mariette simply nods, "The though 'ad occurred to me."

"We could send them a telegram in the morning, tell them to say that part of the display was misplaced while it was in transit from Atlanta." Helen says, "That way they could secure the fragment."

"There is no way were are catching up to a Zeppelin," Mariette remarks. "They do no 'ave to follow any roads, we do."

"Do you suppose they'll send men back to the wreck with clean up teams to try and find the valise?" Ruby asks.

Buford nods, "Seems reasonable, if they're really after this thing, they ain't gonna give up easy."

Chapter 3 started.