The Airship Race (Clockwork Calico Book 3) Read online

  “We’ll have a smooth flight tomorrow, Cali,” he promised as he ran his fingers through her fur.

  Cali purred softly and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of blue skies and gentle breezes.

  By nightfall the two had woken and were ready for a snack. Cali was given a sizable portion of cheese, half of which she tucked away to share with Emmit. She waited patiently while Lionel finished munching on a large hunk of bread coated in butter and honey.

  “I’d better check on the engine,” he said, shuffling toward the workshop in his slippers. He gave the area a once-over before returning to lift Cali in his arms. “Everything seems in order,” he said.

  Cali wondered why he had bothered. Of course everything was as he’d left it. But she began to sense worry in him. When he was unsettled, she was uneasy as well. She snuggled up to him, pressing her warmth against his chest in an effort to reassure him. Feeling his muscles relax, she assumed it had done the trick.

  Curling up on the foot of the bed, she settled in for a restful night. Lionel climbed under the covers and immediately began to snore. Pleased that he was getting some much-needed sleep, she closed her eyes and attempted to rest as well.

  For some reason, Cali found it impossible to get comfortable. She tossed and turned, circling the bed and trying different locations on the mattress. Climbing onto Lionel, she tried to get comfortable on his chest, but that also failed.

  Sighing, she resorted to squeezing her eyes shut and counting slowly. Somewhere around six hundred she finally drifted off to sleep. The moon was high, its beams shining across the bed when she awoke to the tickling of the hair in her ears. She’d heard something in her sleep. Keeping perfectly still, she listened intently to her surroundings.

  Lionel still snored, a gentle, steady rumbling. The clock in the workshop ticked softly, muffled by the wall between them. She waited. Nothing. Wondering if she had reacted to a dream, she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander.

  Before she could fall asleep, she heard something else. This time she sprang to her feet but remained on the bed. Swiveling her ears in each direction, she was determined to figure out what she’d heard.

  Heavy metallic footsteps pounded against the sidewalk outside. And there was something else. Hissing. No, not hissing. A puff of steam every few steps. Her eyes grew wide in the darkness. The sound was drawing nearer.

  The feline crouched low, a growl gathering in her throat. Creeping across Lionel’s legs, she felt him stir beneath her weight. The footsteps grew louder, closer. A faint scent of burnt oil found its way to her nostrils.

  “Mmmrrrooowww!” she vocalized, followed by a hiss.

  Lionel sat up on the bed and fumbled around on the nightstand for his glasses. “What’s going on?” he asked, groggy.

  Cali bared her fangs and leapt from the bed. Lionel stumbled after her. Three loud bangs echoed through the apartment. Something was at the door, but the sound was too low for a knock. It had to be a kick.

  Cali crept toward the door, her fur standing on end.

  “Be careful,” Lionel warned, trying to drag her backward.

  She hissed, hoping to force him away. He needed her protection.

  The tinker drew his hand away, his eyes fixed on the door. “The security system will send whoever that is packing,” he said, his voice quavering slightly. Any human would be deterred by the jolt of electricity his invention would deliver an intruder.

  A loud puff of steam sounded near the door, followed by another bang. The door gave only an inch, but it was enough. Blue lines glowed to life, crackling hot against the metal door. A loud zap meant the electricity had found its target. The stench of burnt oil became more intense.

  Silence. Lionel gathered Cali in his arms and pressed her to him. She could feel his heart racing in his chest. “It’s gone,” he said.

  But Cali knew better. Wriggling free of his grasp, she crept toward the door. The sound of steam puffing through a pipe stopped her in her tracks. Her ears swiveled toward the noise.

  “Cali!” Lionel shouted, lunging for her.

  With a deafening blast, a metal object slammed into the door, freeing it from its hinges. Unsteady, the tinker fell backward but managed to scramble out of the way, clutching the calico tightly.

  This time Cali didn’t fight for her freedom. She remained frozen, her eyes fixed on the sight of the creature before her. Taller than any man, and far broader, a massive robot stood in the doorway. Gears of brass and bronze glittered beneath the moonlight, a curious device on its back puffing mist into the night. One arm bore a spiked metal ball which served as a deadly weapon. The other arm had a series of joints, ending in a mitten-style hand.

  It was nothing Cali had ever seen before. Most robotic sentries were small. This allowed them to move about quickly and efficiently. This monstrosity was heavy and clumsy. Its only possible purpose would be to destroy.

  Cali gasped knowing full well why it had come. It was here to murder Lionel! Flattening her ears, she hissed and swatted at the mechanical beast. A formidable foe, it had not been disabled by Lionel’s security system. The electrical charge it delivered had been strong enough for a human but not for a machine of this size. Unfazed, it stepped inside the apartment, a single red light mounted on top of its head scanning for its victim.

  Still holding on to the calico, Lionel ducked inside his workshop. He had no true weapons, but he might have something that could disable it. Failing that, he might find a tool heavy enough to throw at the brute. Keeping Cali under one arm, he searched the workshop for anything that might help.

  Squirming and kicking, Cali insisted he put her down. Instead he clutched her tighter.

  “It’ll be all right,” he said.

  But Cali wasn’t frightened. She was angry and ready to pounce. However, she didn’t want to hurt Lionel in the process. Refusing to bite or scratch him, she continued to twist and turn until she finally wriggled free.

  “Cali!” Lionel shouted.

  She wouldn’t listen. Running headlong at the robot, she sent all her energy to her haunches and leapt for it. Landing on its face she hissed and swatted, unsheathing her metal claws. She raked at the automaton’s face but left little more than scratches. Undeterred, it shook its head violently to fling her off. When that didn’t work, it lifted its mitten hand to swat her away.

  Cali hopped down, avoiding the hand. The robot slapped itself, knocking its red laser eye askew. Still attempting to find its target, it took another step and scanned again. To Cali’s horror, the robot found what it was after. The target was not Lionel but his engine!

  Anger lurched through the feline’s body, a pure hatred for Morcroft exploding through her body. He must have sent this monstrosity. He planned to take Lionel out of the race before it ever began.

  Lionel also realized what it was after. “Oh no you don’t!” he shouted, throwing a hammer toward the robot. It glanced off without damaging the polished metal. The creature continued forward, entering the workshop where its prey awaited.

  Hurling every heavy object he could get his hands on, the tinker pelted the automaton with pipes and tools of every shape and size. Nothing would stop it. It marched along on stamping feet, its spiked-ball arm raised high. One blow from the vile weapon would shatter all of Lionel’s dreams.

  Not if Cali could help it. With a powerful leap, she landed on the robot’s back, slashing and pulling at every panel. Seeing that the one behind its neck was weakened, she focused her attention there. Using the power of her haunches for leverage, she pried the panel away, exposing a series of colored wires. One of them had to connect to its power source.

  Her throat went dry as she scanned the wires, wondering which one to sever. When the behemoth stopped in front of the engine, there was no more time to decide. She sank her teeth into the wires, fitting all six into her mouth. Tugging them away, she managed a bit of space, enough to fit her claws. In a single slash, she sheared them in half, sending sparks, and the calico, flying.
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  The automaton doubled over, its power source disabled. Its arm swung low, narrowly missing the engine as Lionel shoved the robot away. It fell to the floor with a mighty clang.

  “Cali!” Lionel shouted as he laid eyes on the feline. Lying on her side, the calico was motionless. “Oh, Cali,” he said, tears forming in his eyes. Pressing an ear to her chest, he listened for a heartbeat. It was strong and steady. “Thank the stars,” Lionel said, gathering her in his arms. The jolt of electricity sent out by the automaton’s wires had knocked Cali unconscious.

  Carrying her to the kitchen, he retrieved a can of tuna from the cabinet and opened it. Taking a seat, he placed the feline on his lap and waved the can under her nose. Her eyes shot open, gleaming with green and purple.

  Temporarily forgetting the danger, Cali helped herself to a few bites of tuna. As she finished her meal, she remembered what had happened. Had she really taken down that beast of a machine? When she caught sight of its defunct carcass on the workshop floor, she knew that she had. Lionel and his engine were both safe.

  “You’re a crazy cat,” Lionel said, stroking her fur. “And a brave cat, and the best cat a man ever had.” He kissed the top of her head and scratched under her chin.

  Purring, she slowly blinked at her dearest friend. Did he know she would walk through fire for him? There was no way she could tell him. At least not with words. But she suspected she had nothing to prove.

  “I love you, Cali,” he said, hugging her close. After a while, he padded back toward his workshop. Prodding the automaton with his foot, he made sure it wasn’t about to power on. Kneeling next to it, he disconnected the main steam line just to be safe. One look at the gears revealed its maker. “Morcroft,” he said, disgusted.

  Cali strode toward the open door and sat on her haunches. “Meow,” she said.

  Lionel looked down at her, the breeze from outside ruffling her fur. He examined the door and said, “Looks like the door survived, except for the latch.” He pushed it closed and sighed. Moving the heavy automaton took a great deal of effort, and he grunted under the strain. Cali attempted to assist, using the power in her haunches to lend her strength to his. Together they secured the door with the weight of the mechanical beast.

  “I’ll have to get started on that latch right away,” he said. His eyes wandered down to the automaton. “I’d rather take that thing apart though.”

  Neither of them felt like returning to bed, so they headed into the workshop instead. Cali tucked her paws under her but kept her ears alert. It was unlikely Morcroft would try anything else, but she remained vigilant just in case. She tried to imagine the look on Morcroft’s face when he learned his robot had failed to destroy Lionel’s engine. A smug grin spread over her face.

  Then the smile was gone. Morcroft would be angry when he learned his robot had failed, but would he be angry enough to harm Lionel? He could blast the tinker’s airship out of the sky, sending Lionel to his doom. Cali shuddered at the thought. She could not rest knowing Lionel was still in danger. Morcroft would never give up unless forced. His next move could come at any time, and she had to be ready.

  Despite her best efforts to remain awake, the feline dozed off repeatedly. Each time Lionel rose from his seat, she opened her eyes to watch him. Twice he visited the door, and she heard the sound of his power tools placing new rivets in the door. When she padded into the sitting room after him, she could hardly believe his progress. In only an hour he’d managed to reinforce the door. Along the wall ran a long strip of steel that was at least an inch thick. She doubted any mechanical creature could knock it down now. Purring with approval, she sat at his heels.

  “That should do it, Cali,” he said, running a hand over her fur. “Now let’s have a look at this thing.”

  He dug into the steam robot’s torso, removing gear mechanisms and components. By the time he had finished, the sitting room was a mess. Components were strewn all over the room with corresponding pieces organized in neat piles. The rest was in disarray. An arm lay here, a leg there, and the head of the monster was propped up as a doorstop. Its eyeless face still seemed to look at her, sending a shiver down Cali’s spine.

  “I don’t believe it,” Lionel announced, lifting a strip of light-colored metal. “What a find!” He sprang to his feet and dashed into his workshop.

  Cali followed after him, eager to see what had excited him so. To her surprise, he’d returned to his engine and yanked open a panel on its side. Her mouth hung open for a moment as she watched him remove a section of its inner workings. What was he up to? Had he not finished his design? Moving closer to her friend, she placed a paw on his wrist.

  “Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’m not taking it apart.”

  She tilted her head questioningly. From what she could see, he most certainly was dismantling the engine.

  “I know it looks like I am,” he said, chuckling. “But I’m only replacing a few pieces. You see, Morcroft has provided me with exactly what I need to beat him.” He smiled and patted the top of her head. “No doubt about it, Cali. I’m going to win that race.”

  He spoke no more, instead focusing entirely on replacing a number of small parts inside the engine. With no schematics to look over, Cali couldn’t guess what he was doing. She’d have to wait for a more thorough explanation, if one ever came. Anxiety built inside her. Maybe Lionel would be able to outrun anything Morcroft threw at him. She could only hope.

  Once again she settled in, keeping vigil over her friend until dawn.

  The knocking at the rear door was barely audible over the tinker’s electric saw, but Cali still made it out above all the noise. She patted his leg with her paw, and he paused his work to see what she needed.

  “Everything all right, Cali?” he asked. Then he heard the knocking for himself. Setting his tools aside, he hurried through the apartment to the rear door. “Coming, Flo!” he called.

  When he opened the door, his sister jumped back, startled. Gadget barked and stood his ground. Laughing, Lionel removed the large metal hood covering his face.

  “I suppose it does make me look like an undersea explorer,” he said.

  Florence giggled nervously. “Yes, it does.” She held out a paper bag filled with pastries. “I brought some breakfast.”

  She took one step inside and gasped. “What on earth happened in here?” The sitting room was a mess. Metal gears and workings cluttered nearly every inch, only a few small sections of the floor remaining visible.

  “Morcroft,” Lionel answered.

  “He was here?” she asked.

  He shook his head and shoved a pastry into his mouth. “Mmm,” he said.

  Florence placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.

  “No, he didn’t come here himself,” he explained. “He sent his robotic goon to rough up my engine.”

  She covered her mouth with her hands.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, taking another bite. “Cali disabled it for me.”

  Beaming with pride, Cali stood next to Lionel.

  “Come and have a look,” Lionel said, motioning for his sister to follow. He led her to his workshop, where the rest of the automaton’s parts were strewn about.

  “My goodness!” she said upon seeing the spiked ball. Summoning her courage, she placed her fingers on the weapon. For a moment she was speechless, the words sticking in her throat. Finally, the anger she was feeling boiled over. “He tried to kill you!”

  Lionel waved his hands. “No, just the engine.”

  “Lionel,” she said, “this metal beast could have crushed you like a grape. You have to go to the police!”

  “Calm down,” he said.

  She wasn’t having it. “No, Lionel, this has to stop. He’s going to kill you! This is way beyond an engine or a silly race.”

  “Silly?” the tinker replied. “Hold on a minute…”

  “I won’t,” she said, crossing her arms. “You mustn’t enter that race. It’s too dangerous.”

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nbsp; “Sit down,” he said, motioning to the chair next to his workbench. He sat down next to her and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be just fine, Flo.”

  She took a deep breath and looked away.

  “Morcroft is trying to destroy my engine because he knows he can’t beat me in the race,” the tinker went on. “That sentry he sent over here was clumsy and stupid. It was programmed to find the engine and smash it, nothing more.”

  “Yes, but you could have been in the way,” she pointed out. “Or Cali.”

  Lionel looked down at his feet. “That’s true,” he admitted, “but we weren’t. Cali was on alert, and the security system slowed it down.”

  Florence’s demeanor softened. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to win that race,” he said, grinning. “And it’s all thanks to Morcroft.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

  “Morcroft gifted me the best components I could have asked for,” he replied. “That robot was built with tons of parts, and some of them are made of titanium.”

  She stared at him blankly.

  “I could never have afforded to use something so fine,” he went on. “But Morcroft has far more money than brains. He didn’t need to use titanium for that old tin can, but he did it anyway, and the joke’s on him.”

  “So you’re going to use his overpriced components on your engine,” she said.

  The tinker nodded.

  “I thought your engine was completed.”

  “It was,” he replied. “And it was plenty fast and sturdy as it was. But now I have titanium to replace some of the moving parts. They’ll never break, and they’re light as a feather.” He chuckled. “I even have a surplus. I’ll have it turned into an alloy for my next project.”

  “I’m still not sure about this,” Florence said. “He’s a dangerous man.”