I woke up early for my first shift at the airship store, the doctor had not returned from wherever it was that he had wandered the night before. It was probably better that way, I hadn't told him about my employment and I could only imagine how he'd respond to seeing me in slacks. The task was a little daunting, especially since Lady Tris was so intimidating. 

"Ellowyn, you and I are working the floor today." Liz greeted me at the door, flipping the door sign to open.

Joining us on the sale floor was a well-groomed man with a full mustache, like an orange push broom on his face.

"Ah, our new arrival," He shook my hand vigorously, "Dorian O'Hara, carpenter extraordinaire."

"I'm Ellowyn, it's nice to meet you," by the time I answered he had bounced to one of the displays, winding the miniature airship in his palm.

"Dorian is a bit distractible," Liz whispered to me, "I'll hand the floor and you can get the cash register. We'll switch after lunch."

As customers came in as a lazy drizzle, Liz floated from model to model directing them to the airship that suited their needs. Being that charismatic was a dream I could only reach for.

The cash register was fairly easy. Each model came with a punch card that spit out a date and a price. The information was then written out in carbon copy slip. Forms in triplicate was how Lady Tris liked it.

Payment plans made things a bit more complicated but the majority of her clientele could afford their airships in cash.

Lunch arrived quickly and the four of us huddled in the airship in the workshop.

"Any weekend plans, Lady Tris?" Liz asked, dabbing her lip with her napkin.

"If all goes well, I should be spending time with an old friend," she glanced at me "I don't work weekends and neither does my staff."

That was a good policy, although the thought of being in the Von Heikenroter house alone for any amount of time was draining.

"I, however, will be here this weekend. It's not work, it's a passion." Dorian beamed, brushing sandwich crumbs from his mustache.

"It is your time." Lady Tris raised her eyebrows in disapproval.

As our conversation dulled we returned to our posts. Liz on the register and me on the floor.

Our first after lunch visitor was an older gentleman looking for something fast. I showed him the Land and Sea but he seemed uninterested.

"Isn't there something more you have? Maybe something in the back?"

"I'm sorry sir, I'm not sure what you're asking for, this is the only model we have matching your needs," I responded.

There was something about his shifting glances that put me on edge, I glanced back at Liz to find the register unmanned.

"Tell me miss, what do you know about the Kraken?"

I opened my mouth to retort when Lady Tris came storming out from the workshop.

"Get, the Hell, out of my shop" she hissed standing nose to nose with the man, who did not flinch under her red hot face and flaming anger.

When he didn't budge she grabbed him by the collar threw him into the street herself. She slammed changed the door sign to closed. Letting out a growl

"Is there nothing men respect more than violence?" Her voice full of bitter poison, "Liz we're closed for the day."

"Who was that man?" I asked Liz as quietly as I could. My heart beating its way from my chest into my neck.

"The man you replaced was a rat." The Lady lamented, her face still red hot with anger, "There is no Kraken, anyone who asks is so be removed from the shop."

She stumbled back into the workshop, shoulder drooping as if the weight of her own anger drained the life from her.

***

I dropped my bag at the front door, it only grew heavier as I made my way through the crowded sidewalks and back to the Von Heikenroter house. Walking made me miss my bike back home.

"Welcome home, Ellowyn." James Greeted me, hanging my bag by the door and doing away with my coat.

"Has the doctor been home yet?"

He shook his head, "He returned momentarily but had business to attend to elsewhere."

I was disappointed by his answer but thanked him anyway.

The bathroom in the Von Heikenroter house was large and luxurious. If any room in this house was evidence that the doctor's family had money it was this room. the clawfoot tub was large enough that even a man as tall as James could lie down in it. The floors and walls were covered in a layer of dark green glass tile, accented by gold fixtures.

It was nice but not home. I missed the way running the bathwater fogged up my entire bathroom, then opening the window to let in all the seaside air. I missed Capricorn balancing on the edge of the tub keeping me company during my after-work soak.

Something about that man unnerved me. He so boldly came in the store, insisting on purchasing something we did not make. Or maybe more disturbing was the rage he sent Lady Tris into. She didn't strike me as a hothead, in fact, she was quite the opposite. Whatever this Kraken was it had her more than a little upset.

"James would you be able to take me to the University. I want to check out the Library." I popped into the kitchen my hair still damp.

"Looking to make yourself into a scholar, Ellowyn?"

"Hardly. I'm snooping."

James raised an eyebrow but he was hardly surprised. He struck me as being trustworthy, after all, the doctor trusted him and the list if people in his confidence was ever dwindling.

***

The campus was veins of green through the concrete jungle that was New Ellington. The Library was its heart.

I wasn't expecting myself to slip in so seamlessly with the student population. They were colorful, ignoring the fashion advice of the rest of New Ellington. Many walked in pairs, books under arm and in hand.

The crowds were preoccupied I was unnoticed. The invisibility made me safe.

Being in such a new, open space made me nervous. I knew every nook and hiding place in Fairburg, there wasn't a corner I hadn't explored. Save for the tunnels under the sea and even that had been conquered.

Here I was so far from home.

I only wished Everett was here to see it with me.

The interior of the library was grand and gilded. The was not a surface without a gold-leafed accent. The wallpaper attempted to recreate the art of the ancients, the papyrus plant in recurring motif across the walls.

"Can I help you miss?" My attempts at going in undetected thwarted by a man that looked as though he'd turn to dust before ever dying a natural death.

"Ah, yes." I stopped in my tracks, I was hoping to browse through the shelves unnoticed although in truth I would have been horribly lost.

"Can I help you?" He repeated, slower this time.

"I'm writing a report on the master of all invention and the mysterious schematics that appeared in the library."

"Ah" his expression lightened, we keep them in the back." He motioned for me to follow. "It is a rather curious happening, that such a world charging invention would be scribbled in the back of textbooks. We theorize that the inventor was afraid to come forward in case it was found to violate the Icarus sun policy."

"Icarus sun policy?"

The old man was taken aback, "what year are you?"

"I'm a transfer, sir." I confided, fearing I'd blown my cover.

He scoffed. "This administration of driving this university to hell"He cleared his throat and regained his composure.

Above the display case suspended from the cathedral ceiling was a tapestry that caused my blood to run cold. The sun being reached for by vines that could not touch ita flaming surface. In the center, Icarus fell flaming to the earth.

"Knowledge is like the sun. We can only go so far before we are burned. Knowledge that causes harm is not knowledge worth having."

He brought my attention back to the display case where several textbooks were propped up. The grey faded texts were overwritten with ink diagrams of nerves and muscles, gears and weights. They were mostly accurate to the ones we built, although I could see that these would offer a limited range of motion. Compared to current models, that is."

Each page was signed S.E.B, each letter in separate handwriting.

"Did the university ever discover who S.E.B. was?"

"We had reason to believe it was one of the professors here. We never were able to find out who. It would be unprofessional of me to give you an opinion without true evidence."

"Why three handwritings?"

"We believe it was a ruse, something to throw us off the trail. Each letter is traced from a different manuscript."

"Do you know what manuscripts?"

"Heaven's child, it's been a very long time."

I glanced over the pages once more, each page had different handwriting in the notes even.

"Thank you." I think I have enough.

As the librarian left I one last look over the tapestry. Even with the addition of Icarus, there was something sinister about the vines reaching for the sun. It reminded me of the basement and the spiders and knowing about the lab full of injured children. And Everett being the only survivor.

My drive home with James was very quiet. He didn't ask me what I had seen or what I had learned. Maybe it was because I returned without the doctor. Or maybe my unease was leaking out through my facial expression.

I crept upstairs to write Everett his letter before the details of the afternoon left me.

Dear Everett,

I hope this letter finds you well. I must admit I have some fears that my letters with blow off the mail barge and into the bay before it reaches you.

My first day at work was eventful. I had a man come in insisting that we sold a model called the "Kraken." Whatever the Kraken is Lady Tris flew into a rage and

In more positive news, I made it to the campus library in search or S.E.B. his original notes are written in different handwritings. I think S.E.B might be multiple people operating under one name.

Even stranger there was a tapestry not dissimilar to the one in the house. The biggest difference was a man burning after getting too close to the sun. A symbol of the ends not justifying the means when it comes to knowledge.

Whoever built that lab must have been a graduate of the University at Ellington. And they believed that there was no cost too great in the search for knowledge.

I hope things are going well back in Fairburg. As much as New Ellington is growing on me I miss home terribly.

Yours,

Ellowyn

P.S. I'm hoping your correspondence hasn't blown into the sea. I should be receiving your first letter sometime tomorrow.

With the letter sealed in my hand, I paused in the stairs greeted to an unusual amount of chatter coming from the living room.

"Oh Edward, have you forgotten your laugh?" A woman's voice bubbled over in laughter. I peered around the corner to find Lady Tris lounging in the armchair across from the doctor. Her makeup was washed away, save for her classic red lips. Without it, she looked tired, worn-out even. She had replaced her usual corset a more modest dress, though the bodice was so tight that each breath brought with it the danger of it bursting.

"I'm afraid I may have left it back in Fairburg." He responded with a light laugh.

"Then I'll just have to have whip you up a new one. I am one hell of a mechanic." She batted her eyelashes and took another sip of her scotch.

James took long strides from the kitchen eyeing me suspiciously, his disapproval of my eavesdropping painted on his wrinkled face. Much to my relief, he cleared his throat and addressed my father, and my boss rather than rat me out.

"Is there anything else you require, Edward, Lady Tris?"

"Not at all, James, thank you."

James gazed up the stairs as if there was someone descending the stairs from behind me, "Ah, Ellowyn, your father has a guest, come say hello."

I would have to thank him for his discretion later.

Pausing for a moment to make it less obvious that I had been eavesdropping on the stairs. I stood awkwardly behind the couch hand clasped. Had she told the doctor about my employment?

"Say hello, Ellowyn, there's no need to feign shyness now," he beckoned me to join him on the couch, "Bea, this is my daughter Ellowyn."

"It's a pleasure Ellowyn." Her gloved hand slipped into mine for a surprisingly firm handshake, "though I must admit we're already acquainted." She flashed him a delicate smile, "Your girl wandered into my shop admiring the airships. I should've known she was yours."

"She has a good eye." He patted my back, "she too is one hell of a mechanic." He beamed.

Lady Tris swirled the ice in her now empty glass. Her expression dropping just for a moment before she stood wrapping herself in a shawl, "I suppose I should drive home before the scotch takes effect."

"I still can't believe you drive," He commented taking her arm.

"And I still can't believe you haven't learned that there's nothing a man can do that I can't do better."

I crept to the window to watch them go. The two seemed like such friends or maybe more, I would learn as she leaned in to give him a lasting kiss.

My face grew hot as I ran upstairs clutching the letter meant for Everett. It needed an addition, one that couldn't wait until tomorrow. I grabbed an additional page of stationary, heading it p.p.s.

Everett, as I go to post your letter I am brought into the living room to meet with my father's house guest. None other than my new employer, Lady Tris. The two seemed to be old friends. Boy, was I ever wrong. 

She kissed him, Everett. The Doctor has never shown any interest in women, or men if I'm being thorough. Work has always been his bride. Lady Tris has him positively enchanted.

I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Ever yours,

Ellowyn

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I want to give a huge shout out to all the commenters, new readers, and reviewers. Thank you so much for giving The Curious Adventure your time. It is much appreciated.