20 Million Leagues Over the Sea Read Free Page A

not have time
for re-dressing her great mound of hair just now.
    Gemma released a resigned sigh. She did not
mind the unfashionable plainness of the outfit, not really. She
didn't even mind the lack of a corset or a bustle. This outfit had
the stamp of the Rational Dress Society all over it. In fact, the
RDS had been attempting to change the prevailing wardrobe
recommended by the TIA's Ministry of Culture for years. Perhaps the
RDS had finally had their way somewhere in the universe. Still, she
would feel more comfortable once she was back in her own clothes.
Two years in this dress would be intolerable. She was adaptable,
but not that adaptable.
    She found Dr. Pugh and the captain waiting
for her outside of the changing rooms. This time they were debating
the relative merits and dangers of the rising Socialist movement.
She looked up at Pugh, who was of a size with the captain; they
both towered over her. They, too, had swapped the bulky jumpsuits
for similar double-breasted jackets with matching trousers. But
where Moreau was a bright blue jay, Dr. Pugh was a dull turkey. Dr.
Pugh's coat was the same boring brown as her own, but the captain's
uniform was a midnight blue with shining silver buttons and white
trim lining the high collar.
    "We meet again, Miss Llewellyn," the Captain
said. "I hope the clothing isn't too plain for your liking. I'm
afraid we're mostly business up here in the sky. May I present Dr.
Elias Pugh? Dr. Pugh, Miss Gemma Llewellyn, our new geologist."
    Dr. Pugh nodded and grunted at her by way of
greeting. His sparse gray hair was long enough to gather into a
ponytail; such tiny flashes of rebellion were a sort of style
amongst his deliberately unstylish brotherhood. His eyes were
bloodshot and weary. He turned his gaze to Moreau without a word to
her.
    "Why are we wasting time standing here?
Shouldn't we go ahead and board?"
    "I'm afraid that we must delay our
embarkation for a bit," the captain replied. "I've been informed
that they are conducting tests on the Oberths at the moment. It is
not safe to cross the gangway right now. We have a little time to
spare." He smiled at Gemma. "Would you like to see the ship from
the outside?"
    Watch him, Mrs. Brightman had ordered. Whatever else you do, watch him. Keep his attention.
    "Yes, I would," Gemma replied.
    "I've seen it before," muttered Dr. Pugh.
"But I would like to see our geologist's reaction to the view."
    Captain Moreau led them down a long hallway.
The walls, doors, and floors were blindingly bright. Gemma was
amazed at how very clean everything was. It was far removed from
the grime and mud of ancient London. The air was laden with the
smell of metal, India rubber, and another chemical odour that she
could not identify. The ambiance wasn't exactly fresh from the
country, but it had no soot to choke upon, either.
    She took time along the way to examine Dr.
Pugh in more detail. He was certainly much older than in the
photograph she had seen. While Moreau practically glided down the
hallway, Pugh loped like a limp giraffe, poking his head ahead of
him as the rest of him rushed to catch up. His hands were knobby
and covered with the scars one got from years of exploring the uses
of a scalpel. His lab shirt stank of formaldehyde. She was used to
scientific aromas, so she did not wrinkle her nose as much as
others might have. He glanced her way on occasion, but he said
nothing.
    Moreau was full of energy as he chatted about
the station. Pugh lowered his eyelids and silently mimicked the
younger man's speech when he wasn't looking. Moreau waved off the
older man's sullenness as if he were humouring his slightly senile
grandfather.
    They entered a room on the station's outer
rim. Light shone up from the baseboards along the walls. The dull
thuds of their footsteps echoed as they approached the far side of
the chamber. Gemma could barely see the others' faces in the
semi-darkness.
    "Miss Llewellyn," the captain said, "may I
present to you, the apex of