Part 19 Balloon (NaNoWriMo work in progress)

Chapter 19

 

Moto carefully guided the balloon and sedan directly over the house. All of them were relieved to see several large open areas on the roof where they could easily set the sedan down. There was also a large glass roof in the middle of the house, forming what they supposed to be an atrium.

“We’ll land on the right side of that glass roof, in the open space… there, by the little door.”

“The top floor will be the servant’s rooms” Liza said. “But if we pick near the center we should find a staircase quickly.”

“Will the balloon be alright if we leave it?” Mary asked in a whisper, despite the fact they were still several hundred yards from the house.

“I suppose” Liza said. “I doubt anyone will think to look up on the roof, even if they do hear us. It will be alright. Plus the General and the Colonel will look after it.”

“Ok ladies, we are going to go down now.” Moto said. “I will try to land in the space next to the roof door in the middle. I want a way to get up to the roof and into the basket as fast as possible once we’re done. Help me make sure the basket does not hit anything on the roof.”

Liza, Mary, the General and the Colonel leaned over opposite ends of the basket and watch as Moto slowly descended the balloon onto the roof. The area he had picked was fairly large and he easily set it down without hitting anything. The basket creaked slightly but otherwise made no noise as it settled on the roof.

“Get out and tie us off if you please.” Moto said to Liza and Mary as he adjusted the flame. “Colonel, come here, let me show you what you need to do, it is very simple. If the balloon begins to lift, turn the flame down like this, if the balloon begins to fall, turn it up like this. What?”

“I was wondering where my corkscrew was man. It is damn chilly out here and I could use some port.”

Moto sighed. “Just watch the balloon Colonel. General sir, keep an eye on this man!” The general nodded.

“Do be careful Moto. If anything should happen…”

“Oh Grandfather,” Liza said as she tied off a line. “Seriously, we will not take any chances, right Moto, right Mary?” They both nodded even though both felt that was close to telling a lie. The General looked doubtful as well, fixing Liza with a stern eye.

“Liza, I never known you not to take chances. Just keep in mind that whoever is holding Mr. Cogsworth kidnapped him by force. These are not nice people we are dealing with.”

“I understand Grandfather. I do promise we’ll be careful.” She leaned over the basket and gave her Grandfather a light kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be careful too Uncle” Mary said.

“Oh yes, I suppose so!” The Colonel said as he tried to work the cork out of a bottle of port. Mary rolled her eyes.

“Remember” Moto said “Be ready to cast off as fast as possible, keep the gas going!” He, Liza and Mary crept over to the door on the roof. Gently Moto tried the door and to his relief it swung open. It made a tiny squeak as it did, causing everyone on the roof to freeze. After a moment Moto motioned the girls in and all three of them squeezed in through the open door, not daring to open it any further.

Inside, on the small landing, all three lit their lamps.

“We’ll start on the third floor, no sense looking in the servant’s quarters as that would be too alarming to the servants, then we will work our way down to the second. He won’t be on the first and if he is in the basement, well then, God help us. Help me find the stairway down once we get to the fourth floor. We’ll talk no more unless we have too, understood?”

Both Liza and Mary nodded. The three made their way down the narrow stairway until they got to the bottom. Several times the wooden steps groaned slightly, causing them to stop. But each time, after a minute, they heard no other noise and so went on. Luckily the door at the bottom swung out silently and they emerged in a long narrow hallway lined with doors. It was the servant’s dormitory.

It took only a moment to reach the end of the hallway and find a narrow stairway leading down. The house was very quiet, clearly no one was up. They made their way down to the third floor.

The third floor was more open, with a large grand staircase in the middle. In front of it and going both up and down was a large open area, underneath the glass roof they had seen. It formed a sort of courtyard, under glass, around which the rooms were aligned in a square ring.

The three turned right and Moto tried the first door. It swung open easily.

“Right.” He said in a low voice. “If no one is here but servants than all of these rooms should be unoccupied. We just have to find the one that is locked. To save time we’ll go down the hallway methodically ok? We each try a room, so three at a time, and then move down, like a machine.”

Mary and Liza nodded and they all set off. Liza tired the first door, then Mary and then Moot, this way they could move through the twenty rooms on this floor very quickly. Within a couple of minutes they came full circle back to the grand stairway. Moto pointed down and they carefully crept down the stairway to the second floor.

As Mary, who was last, left the stairway and stepped into the hall, the atrium was suddenly flooded with light. Moto motioned them to flatten themselves against the hallway wall opposite the atrium. The light danced and bounced off the walls. After a few seconds it disappeared. Liza started to say something but Moto shook his head. Whoever had shone the light had not seen anything and had walked away.

After another minute of silence Moto motioned them to check the door as they had upstairs.

This time Mary found a locked door on her first try. Moto and Liza hurried over.

“Good work Mary.” Moto said. Mary fairly beamed. “You two keep an eye out for the night watchman.”

“Was that who that was?” Liza asked. Moto nodded as he took out a small leather kit from his pants pocket. He set to work trying to open the lock.

The Mary and Liza it sounded like he was banging on the door practically. They imagined the whole house waking up. But as the seconds went by and there was no alarm raised, they realized it was not as loud as they thought.

It took Moto a full minute, but he did eventually hear the satisfying click that mean he has defeated the lock. Liza and Mary abandoned their posts and hurried over as Moto opened the door slowly. It gave a loud squeak, but he did not stop this time. He knew that they had very little time as it was.

Inside the room was a bed and in the bed a sleeping figure. Liza held her hand up to stay Moto and Mary and crept over to the bed.

She leaned down to examine the sleeping figure for a moment and then popped back up. She smiled and gave Mary and Moto the thumbs up. She then gently shook the figure’s shoulder.

“Will? Will?” She whispered.