Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 114: The Tower of Terror

Chapter 114: The Tower of Terror

Peter offered his arms to Wendy. "Need a lift?"

Wendy wove her hands around his neck. "Please. It's a long way down."

Newton raised an eyebrow, then laughed as Peter picked Wendy up.

 "Ohh!" he said. "Right, right, right, right, right! I forgot, when you were here the entrance was a sheer drop. Here...you don't have to fly down...look at this..."

Newton detached a glass jar from his utility belt. The jar was filled with pixie dust, and as Newton swirled it, the golden light illuminated an old fashion elevator gate.

Wendy lowered from Peter's arms. Newton watched eagerly as she traced the iron gate.

"Is this an elevator?"

"Yes! I designed it." Newton toyed with a wrench behind his back. "It runs on pixie dust. I call it the Tower of Terror."

Peter frowned. "The what?"

"My goodness..." Wendy murmured, too distracted to catch Newton's remark. "An actual elevator. I know we spoke about improving transportation, but I didn't think it could be done mechanically. The Underworld caverns are so deep - "

She looked at Newton. "I thought we'd be using the White Rabbit's hole forever."

Newton grinned, his over-bite very pronounced. "Oh we still use it! Just jump down and wear a paracheut! Or paraskirt. Haha! But this elevator is a prototype. We're still working out a few kinks but I think we could install half a dozen by Christmas."

"Remarkable..." Wendy noted the elevator dial - an arrow with only two levels – UP and DOWN .

"So this works? " she verified. "We can actually ride in it?"

 "Yeppers!" Newton collapsed the gate. "All aboard!" he sang, ushering Wendy, Peter, and Shadow into the elevator car. "Hats and goggles on please! We're headed for the land down under!"

"Peter doesn't have goggles," Wendy said, entering the car and donning her bowler. "Or a hat. Do you have extras down below?"

"Yeppers." Newton closed the gate. "Every elevator shaft opens to a parlor where tourists can rent goggles and hats. From there, they usually take the Dragon Train, while employees take the Rabbit Tunnels."

 Wendy's eyes widened with excitement. "Dragon Train?"

 "Yeppers! Get this – "

Newton held up his hands, preparing Wendy for the punch line. "It's a train powered by dragons! Viking fireworm dragons to be specific. And I'm telling you they're so cute! They're about the weight and length of a stick of butter, but boy can they pack a punch! We worked off your original idea to power locomotives with dragon fire."

 "I remember that!" Wendy beamed, recalling her disastrous attempts to domesticate Underworld dragons. "Doc and I knew the concept would work, we just couldn't get close enough to a dragon to cultivate it's fire!"

Wendy's voice sped up with her enthusiasm, "So the dragons blow fire into the fuel box to power the steam engine - yes?"

Newton waggled his hand.

"Kinda. They more live inside the fuel."

"No!"

"Indeedy!  Ya' see – the fuel is located in the firebox, mostly coal and wood. The fireworms live inside the firebox and their heat ignites the fuel. This creates hot gases, which heats the boiler, which creates steam, which powers the train – "