Clockwork Dream

ix The Trumpet Bug

A few minutes into his work the hairs on the back of Leo's neck bristled uncomfortably. There was only one person it could be, but he had more important things to do than make conversation with a lunatic.

"Do you know where there is a wire that is three eighths of an inch wide and at least four feet long laying about?" Leo asked.

"Third drawer of the left hand dresser nearest me."

Leo almost raised an eyebrow at that. He guessed it was the only straight answer he was ever going to get from the loon.. "Thank you."

A noncommittal grunt was the only reply so he shrugged and retrieved the wire. By the time he looked again Reiner was already back to sketching out calculations with such intensity that he could imagine smoke rising from the tip of his quill.

By the time Leo finished, the device before him seemed very simple, especially in comparison to the "piece of junk" that had been thrown at his head earlier that morning. The deadbolt itself was simple though. A loop of wire was threaded through a three part sheath that would straighten or bend it depending on the direction it was pushed or pulled. The more parts something has, the greater chance that something will go wrong.

He wasn't exactly satisfied but it would have to do. All that was left was to wait.

The floor shifted, tilting downward at such a steep angle that for a moment he hung almost weightless in the descent. No footsteps echoed down the steel plated hall but still he didn't make his move. They were still hundreds of feet up, and the less time he spent out in the open the better, but... his fingers twitched ceaselessly. Patience was not one of his virtues. It couldn't hurt just to undo the deadbolt could it? After all, what if it didn't work the way he intended it to?

The half rotted rubber seal at the door's base provided little resistance against a sharpened iron pick and the device just barely cleared the doorframe. Blindly he flailed the wire loop about, wishing that he'd been able to make a reflector of sorts. A gentle tug told him that he had snagged something. He moved slowly, projecting a mental image to orient himself.

A few moments later he was free, or at least one step closer. Unable to resist he cracked the door just a centimeter to glare down the looming hallway. It was a very, very small step closer.

***

Several hours passed and he'd re-latched the deadbolt before Matthew brought dinner, which was brief and uneventful. The ship was landed and moored, repairs underway. Another three hours and he was slipping a handful of items into his baggy shirt pockets. They were more useful than he'd anticipated..

How he was going to sneak out was still a mystery to him. Oh, he had come up with a few wild ideas, but he just didn't have the information to know if they would actually work. Despite his small size, or perhaps because of it, along with his ghostly pale skin and hair, he couldn't hope to blend in with the burly, wind beaten sailors. Most of them already knew what he looked like as well, and that he didn't intend to be there. The only chance he had was to not be seen at all.

The middle of the night seemed to be his best bet. Fewer crewmen would be moving around, though he had no illusions that they would all be gone. They were in a hurry, that much was clear, and they wouldn't waste a full night. The shadows would be his allies. Best of all, no one would come to check on him for the next few hours. For once he was glad that his roommate was so stubbornly silent. He doubted the man would even notice his absence.

Stepping out into the hall he couldn't tell the difference between night and day. The subtle fluorescent glow from the light strips above was a constant and the twisted corridors gave off the impression that he was deep underground. It was a strange feeling for a ship meant to soar through the clouds.