Soap was concentrating on manning the sail, as if he actually knew what he was about.
“Do you know what you are doing, Soap?” Sophronia asked.
“Not really, miss, but someone’s got to.”
“So, which way is north?” asked Sidheag.
Sophronia leaned over the side of the basket, squinting into the night, looking for the lights of Wootton Bassett. The basket tilted and Dimity hurried to counterbalance.
Sophronia pointed. “That way, more east than north for now. Everyone look out for a big clock face. That’ll be the nearest railway station.”
With no propeller, they had to drift up and down, searching for a breeze headed in the correct direction. Finally, they hooked into one that carried them along at a sedate pace. This was not exactly a high-speed, high-risk endeavor. Fortunately for them, Pillover seemed to have adequately distracted Petunia, and the mechanical malfunction seemed to have adequately distracted everyone else. Sophronia kept looking back, but no carriage or horseman came galloping after them.
Dimity gave a little cry. “There it is!”
Indeed, there it was—a small clock tower, peeking up above the other buildings of the town. Soap grabbed at the tiller and the airdinghy obligingly slid to one side. Thus they approached the station silently, a small bobbing craft within the damp night.
While Soap and Felix bickered mildly over how best to steer, Sidheag turned to Sophronia. “We can catch a train north there?”
Sophronia hated to disappoint. “Wootton Bassett’s not very big and, as a general rule, people are going through it to somewhere else. Not many trains stop, and when they do it’s either east to London or Oxford, or west to Bristol.”
“Well, I certainly don’t want to go back to London.”
“Nor do you want to go to Bristol. Who would?” said Dimity, a decidedly snobbish tone to her voice.
“We need one heading to Oxford?” suggested Sidheag.
Sophronia nodded. “From there we can switch to a northbound line. I’m worried there won’t be one until morning, but it’s worth a try. Wootton rarely gets nighttime passenger trains.”
The other two knew what that meant. If a passenger could get somewhere quickly, and with all the modern conveniences of first class, there was no need for overnight service. Vampires couldn’t leave their territory, and werewolves could move faster on four paws than a train on rails.
Nevertheless, Sophronia had hopes. “There are sometimes freight trains puffing through at night—out of the ports. We might be able to jump one of those, although freight will be going to London. We’d have to scramble to hop a passenger halfway to get to Oxford.”
Sidheag looked doubtful. A freight train wouldn’t stop at Wootton Bassett unless they flagged it down. “Do you have a plan?”
“Of course,” said Sophronia, but then added in confusion, “Except it doesn’t look like I need it. See there?”
They were coming in over the station, and lo and behold, there was a train, sitting patiently, as if waiting for them.
“My, that one is a peculiar-looking beast,” Sophronia said, tilting her head in confusion.
“Looks pretty enough to me,” responded Sidheag, who clearly had great, if blind, affection for the railway.
Sophronia summoned Felix. “Lord Mersey, stop bothering Soap and come look at this.”
“I’m not bothering anyone!” Felix left off trying to fly the airship and came to stand next to Sophronia at the side of the basket. Dimity and Sidheag stayed to the opposite side. It was a dance they’d been conducting since they floated off, in order to properly weight the four balloons.
“Have you ever seen a train like that before?” Sophronia assumed that Felix was well traveled.
The young lord shook his head, equally mystified. “Goodness, no. It looks as if someone crammed a first-class passenger train and a freight train together. Most abnormal.”
Sophronia tilted her head. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
“What’s going on?” demanded Dimity.
“It looks like someone took four carriages from a passenger train and then added two from a freight in between them.”
“Could it be a circus or some other kind of acting troupe?” suggested Dimity.
Felix said, “I think it’s more likely a special delivery—military, perhaps. With the freight carriages in the middle like that? It’s as if the passengers are needed to protect them.” He craned his head over the edge and to one side, as if trying to see the side of the train.
“Careful,” said Sophronia.
“Aww, Ria, you care.”
“Don’t be silly. I prefer not to clean up the mess if you fall out.”
“I’d miss you, too, my lovely.”
“Would you stop leaning!” Sophronia actually was worried. Felix wasn’t trained to fall overboard the way she was.
“Looks like there is writing on the side of one of the freight cars. Can’t read it, though. Might be a hint.” He finally pulled himself to safety.
“Well,” said Sophronia philosophically, “since it looks to be headed in the correct direction, shall we try for it?”
“Why not?” said Sidheag.
They floated on with greater purpose, if no greater speed.
Unfortunately, the little breeze they were riding wasn’t fast enough. The engine of the train puffed to life, without the customary toot of warning. This peculiar beastie was apparently interested in being stealthy. Or as stealthy as possible, for a train.
“We aren’t going to make it in time.” Sidheag looked resigned, but no closer to tears than normal. That was a relief. She seemed to be getting her gumption back.
Felix rounded on Soap. “Can’t you make her go faster?”
Soap did not dignify this with a reply. Airdinghies were designed for secrecy, not speed.
Sophronia took out her hurlie and lashed one of the airdinghy mooring ropes behind the grapple.
Dimity followed this action with wide, troubled eyes. “I do not think what you are about to do is a very good idea.”
Sophronia looked at Felix and Sidheag. “Can you rig something up with one of the other mooring ropes?”
Felix looked doubtful but went poking about the gondola for something sharp and curved.
Dimity produced an umbrella, but it was not strong enough.
“What we need is an anchor,” said Sophronia.
They closed in on the train; it was now spitting distance away.