The Dark Design

Ettore Arduino was last seen standing on the gangway to the starboard engine gondola. As reported by a crew mem­ber, Dr. Francis Behounek of the Wireless Institute of Prague, Czechoslovakia, Arduino's face was a mask of utter disbelief. The Italia floated away, and nothing of it or the men still aboard was ever seen again. On Earth, that is.

Arduino relates that he perished of the cold after the Italia fell for the second and last time on the ice. His complete account of this horrendous experience will be printed in next Thursday's issue. After this blood-chilling event, no rea­sonable person could expect Ettore to volunteer again for airship travel. But he is undaunted by this and expresses eagerness for another polar expedition. We don't care what people say about Italians, and we have nothing but contempt for the attitude prevalent in Tombstone, where it was stated as a fact that all wops were yellow. We personally know that they have more guts than brains, and we are sure that Ettore will be a shining adornment to the crew.

... last seen paddling desperately toward the middle of The River while Mr. Arduino fired shots at him with the new Mark IV pistol. Either this weapon is not what it's cracked up to be, or Mr. Arduino's marksmanship was below normal that day.

... your new editor accepts the suggestion of President Fircbrass that this journal temper the privilege of free speech with discretion.

... Mr. Arduino was released after promising that he would no longer settle grievances, justified or unjustified, by violent means. The newly created Board of Civil Disputes will handle such matters from now on with President Firebrass as the court of last appeal. Though we will miss S.C. Bagg, we must confess that...

... Metzing had been chief of the Naval Airship Division of Imperial Germany in 1913. He was Korvettenkapitan of the Zeppelin L-l when it went down on September 9, 1913, during maneuvers. This was the first naval Zeppelin to be lost. The crash was not due to any deficiency on the part of crew or vessel but to the ignorance at that time of meteorological conditions in the upper air. In other words, weather forecasting was then a primitive science. A violent line squall lifted the L-1 up past her pressure height and then dashed her down. With propellers still spi

... Flash! Just arrived! Another airship veteran, A

37

It was fu

She had been worried that a man with more airtime than herself would show up. One had, but he had not been aggressive. His only ambition was to be on the ship, and he did not seem to care what rank he got.

Somehow, she had never thought of being displaced by a woman. There were so few female airship officers in her time. And so few people who had lived past 1983 had come by-only one, in fact- that she had not worried about dirigibilists of that era. From what Firebrass said, post-1983 had been the great age of the large rigid airships. But the odds against aeronauts of that era showing were high.

Chance had thrown its dice, andsohere was Obrenova, a woman who had 860 hours flight time as captain of a giant Soviet airship.

So far, the officers' positions had not been a

On the other hand, there were only two months left before the Parseval took off for the polar voyage. The Russian might need more retraining than that. After thirty-four years of ground life, she would be rusty. She would have a month reacquainting herself with gasbags in the Minerva. Then she would have a month of training in the big ship with everybody else.

Could she do it? Of course, she could. Jill would have been able to do it in that time.

She had been in the conference, room with the officer candidates when A

A

Disgustingly delicate and feminine. Unfairly so. Just the type that men simultaneously wanted to protect and to bed.

Firebrass was on his feet, advancing toward her, his face aglow, his eyes seeming to drip male hormones.

But it was Thorn's reaction that surprised Jill. On seeing Obreno va enter, he had jumped to his feet and opened his mouth, closed it, opened it, then closed it again. His ruddy skin was pale.

"Do you know her?" Jill said softly.

He sat down and covered his face with his hands for a moment.

When he took them away, he said, "No! For a second I thought I did! she looks so much like my first wife! I still can't believe it."

Thorn remained shaking in his chair while others crowded around Obrenova. Not until the others had been introduced did he get up and shake her hand. He told her then how remarkably she resembled his wife. She smiled-"dazzlingly" was a cliche, but it was the only adverb appropriate-and she said, in heavily accented En­glish, "Did you love your wife?"

That was a strange thing to say. Thorn stepped back a pace and said, "Yes, very much. But she left me."

" I am sorry,'' Obrenova said, and they did not exchange another word while in the room.

Firebrass sat her down and offered her food, cigarettes, and liquor. She accepted the former but declined the rest.

"Does that mean you have no vices?" Firebrass said. "I was hoping you'd have at least one."

Obrenova ignored this. Firebrass shrugged and began question­ing her. Jill got depressed while listening to the account of her experience. She had been born in Smolensk in 1970, had been educated as an aeronautical engineer, and in 1984 had become an airship trainee. In 2001 she had been made captain of the passenger freighter Lermontov.

Finally, Firebrass said that she must be tired. She should go with Agatha, who'd find quarters for her.

"Preferably in this building," he said.

Agatha replied that no rooms were available. She would have to be satisfied with a hut near those of Ms. Gulbirra and Mr. Thorn.

Firebrass, looking disappointed, said, "Well, maybe we can find a place here for her later. Meantime, I'll go with you, A

Jill felt even lower. How could she expect objectivity from him, when he was so obviously smitten by the Russian?

For a while, she indulged in some fantasies. How about abduct­ing the little Russian and tying her up in a hidden place just before the Parseval was to take off? Firebrass would not hold up the flight until she was found. Jill Gulbirra would then become first mate.