Dawn of Steam: Gods of the Sun (36 page)

“
But I am not content, I am afraid, to merely find Dr. Bowe's camp. I believe with such people and skill as are in this room, we can see the peak, or at the very least, above these damned clouds. I should very much like to see the sun after all of this past year in darkness. I will not demand anyone come with me, but I believe we already have a couple of volunteers. Gregory, I would ask that you come, at least to Bowe's camp, so we can establish proof of our journey. I will take any other help I can get. Should we fail, then we do not risk anything that each of us have not already risked a dozen times or more on this journey. But should we succeed, then perhaps we will earn the name given us by the Maori, in jest. Make no mistake: you are already heroes to me and to many. If we can achieve what Bowe did not, climb above the clouds, conquer this mountain as surely as we have conquered war – and seemingly the world against us at times – we shall no longer be just men. Lord forgive me my blasphemy, but any other words do not do it justice. We shall be gods of the sun. Do I have enough faith here still that anyone will join me?”

After that, I'm not certain anyone could refuse the man, or the honor. And this is how we now find ourselves in the position of preparing for the sanity-defying feat of conquering what Dr. Bowe claims to be the highest mountain he has seen in any of his journeys.

From the journals of Gregory Conan Watts,

March 2nd, 1817

33º58' S 150º18' E

We have been at the practice of scaling the mountains near New South Wales since only a few days past Sir James's recruitment speech. Miss Coltrane and Miss Wright will not be traveling most of the way up the mountain with us, but instead are helping by creating a device to help keep the camera heated so it will still function at a high altitude. They are also working to make our necessary gear as lightweight as possible and devising new gear which may help us on our way. We will be following Dr. Bowe's route as nearly as we can, having his specific listing of the obstacles he faced at several points along the mountain in his three documented attempts to scale it.

Miss Bowe has scaled numerous mountains before, by her accounting. In both the American west, and now Australia, we have seen some evidence of this, so her advice, as well as Dr. Bowe's, has been our guide in preparation. The training aboard airships and Oxford's studies relating to the craft have also given us some information. Sir James's books are quite helpful about the effects of flight at differing heights, the maximum height which an airship can be flown safely at, and the best means to deal with these effects.

Between these sources, the Captain's training at altitude and his advice, and the best technology we can obtain for the purpose, Sir James, Eddy, Mr. Heller, Miss Bowe, and myself will be attempting the full climb. For the sake of propriety and experience, Miss Penn will be accompanying us as high as she feels comfortable with, but does not believe she is in any condition to make the full climb. Provided we can get some aid from the Shar Khombo, the dirigible will then be taking us as high as the Captain feels he can safely climb, and dropping us off partially up the mountain. There was some discussion on this matter, with some feeling that may have taken some of the challenge from the feat, but it would also take significant time. Besides, the early climbing poses little risk compared to the higher elevations, if the accounts from Bowe's journals are correct.

Miss Penn's status among us was ultimately decided by the Captain. He elected to forgive her for what happened to his wife, with thanks for her help in saving his ward. It was a difficult scene for anyone to watch, but if Captain Fisher can hold a grudge over it only for Franzini and Larkin, the rest of us were not going to second-guess him. That she also risked her life to help with the Maori Wars went a long way in speaking on her behalf. After going through that with the rest of us, even as afraid as she still was of Franzini, there could be little doubt where her loyalties lay.

We also must face the Moroccan again, and no one doubts that she will have a great part to play in that confrontation. She continues to believe that he is the reason that York has so accurately predicted our actions. Of course, there is nothing to this, but he gives her as much credit for magical craft as she gives him, so each side at least has its own share of tricks. I almost wish for some superstition now, for I would very much like to believe that the enemies who have so vexed us are under some manner of curse. They've certainly earned it.

The training is most definitely difficult. We are all aware of past problems with my shoulder, the uncertainty of its reaction to the intense cold, and that while I am a healthy young man, I am not the champion athlete that Eddy, Miss Bowe, and Sir James are. I am training at the full intensity of the others now in hopes it will help me make the trip, but they will be taking as much of the load and difficulty off of me for the trip that they can. Even as much as Dr. Mitchell has been able to lighten the camera from the device I carried in the war years, it is still one of the heaviest and most cumbersome pieces of equipment we are taking with us, so they will be trading it among themselves whenever it is not in use, and I will be responsible for a minimum of gear. I would remain on the ship, so as not to slow them or cause other difficulties, but Sir James asked otherwise. He considers documentation of the feat ahead of us almost as important, for our purposes, as performing it.

There is also some help in that we have given ourselves a partial goal. Provided we reach, confirm, and document Dr. Bowe's camps, we have succeeded at our primary goal. After that, we will determine if we wish to continue, and any time thereafter, may cease the attempt without considering it anything but a success.

Certainly everyone wishes to succeed in reaching the peak, but if we succeed in even part of our goal, others will follow in time, and we must make allowances for the dangers present in the attempt. There are, in the larger scheme, more important tasks we must achieve for more than personal glory, but first, we shall at least make the effort. In the meanwhile, I continue to press myself as much as I can, that I do not slow down our final efforts any more than is absolutely necessary.

Much of the advice we have been given so far seems contradictory to the goal, but I will not question the work of Oxford and of more experienced climbers. This is especially so when the science matches with the tried and true so perfectly. Even though there is no need to use the methods for the highest altitudes among these dividing mountains of Australia, we are practicing all of them nonetheless. If we had more time than we do, we would probably test ourselves on higher climbs, though less intimidating climbs than Chomolungma, for nothing would do us so much good as experience. But time is limited, and Miss Bowe is certain that considering her father's studies and the time he made the attempts at the mountain, we must begin our journey soon in order to give ourselves the best hopes for success.

In the meanwhile, some of our recent days have certainly seemed intimidating and dangerous enough for my tastes. Were I less aware of the challenge we have given ourselves, I would consider some of our current climbs significant triumphs in their own right. It makes the task lying ahead all the more daunting that for a few of these, the dirigible might be able to drop us off near the peak, whereas in scaling Chomolungma, we will be barely beginning.

March 14th, 1817

33º51' S 151º12' E

My
Dearest Cordelia,

With all of us fully recovered from our various ordeals and injuries, Sir James has decided that we are next to attempt one of our original objectives, given a low priority in our newer instructions. Its completion should prove beyond all doubt that Dr. Bowe was the explorer he claimed to be. In the nation of Nepal, there is a great peak called Chomolungma. Dr. Bowe believed it to be the highest mountain he ever attempted, though he never reached the peak. He did have significant success with the other mountains he documented, so there may even be something to his claims of its scale.

We will be leaving soon for Nepal, and a meeting with the people there. Though she recalls that they were called Shar Khombo, Miss Bowe has only the smallest recollection of their language, so we are giving ourselves some time for learning how to communicate. We will need them as guides, as Miss Bowe herself never made an attempt at this particular mountain with her father, having been too young during his one attempt after her birth.

We have been practicing for the climb for some time, but I still fear it may not be nearly enough. I have been doing my best to learn from the experienced climber among us, and we will hopefully be able to gain the aid of the locals. Despite all of this in our favor, I still struggle with a great deal of nervousness over the feat we are about to attempt.

We have little information to go on beyond Dr. Bowe's works on the matter, for the few scientific surveyors who were sent out before the war never reached Nepal. Still, the information in the journals has proven to be accurate so far.

Aside from the nervousness over the attempt to come, there is a great deal of excitement over leaving Australia and getting back to our adventures. We have two new members of our crew, recruited while we were in Australia. While Mr. Carver has made only one brief journey aboard a dirigible previously, and Mr. Heller has no experience in the air, both of them have sailing experience. They have shown themselves to be quite comfortable with helping to man the dirigible. Both of them were also instrumental in helping with some difficulties we experienced in Australia, for which they have the gratitude of all of the crew. They have been taken into our confidence on most of the secrets of our crew, after we had some time to get to know something of their character.

The primary reason I felt the need to write you is a drastic improvement in Sir James's and Eddy's friendship. The two have begun playing at cards again and speaking to one another as old companions once more, after all of the months of difficulties. I am certain that the return to our adventuring lifestyle has a great deal to do with this. Less certain is precisely what might have finally convinced Eddy, an infamously stubborn man, that Sir James was sincere in his apologies to so change the drastic and prolonged cooling of their friendship. That Sir James elected to risk informing Mr. Carver and Mr. Heller may have helped as well. Eddy has become fast friends with the both of them, being men of similar character.

Miss Coltrane and Miss Wright will not be making the climb with us, but have gone about their part of our efforts with great enthusiasm. There is no doubt that Miss Coltrane has an adventurous spirit, and while not well suited to this climb, the idea that she may have some part in this venture seems to have inspired her. She has done a great deal of work lately in trying to design more efficient rope and pulley systems that might aid us with the climb. She has also has put a great deal of work into devising a reasonably lightweight means of ensuring my camera system will function at the heights and temperatures we will be experiencing.

Beyond this one item, we have spent a good deal of time planning the climb, trying to absolutely determine the minimum of equipment we might need to lighten the load. The added equipment we will have with us for the earlier and documented portions of the climb will be left behind so we do not need to struggle with the added weight in descent or at the highest elevations. There is also some worry, of course, that Dr. Bowe's camp will be long-since buried or damaged, but it should not be disturbed. There is some hope, after some of the reactions in the past, that some of the Shar Khombo should recognize the doctor's name.

Should we reach the peak, those of us making the climb have also all permitted ourselves some small piece of evidence we made the trip. Unless some of the Shar Khombo have done so, it is almost certain no one else has made the climb previously. In my case, should I succeed at reaching that great height, I will be leaving a small plate engraved with your name at one of the highest points in the world. I could think of nothing more meaningful to me.

My love, always,

Gregory Conan Watts

From the journals of Jillian Coltrane (translated from the original ancient Greek)

March 15th, 1817

I write again as we are about to leave Australia, looking back at our stay. Truly, I have grown to think it far more hospitable than I ever would have imagined, during our first weeks here.

The town full of convicts may be worth it for the countryside beyond. The land is beautiful, in a rough-hewn way
. Basic, and uncultivated, is nothing like the little wildernesses currently in favor on English country estates, and yet, this is what they should truly aspire to be.

Australia has many benefits over the motherland's gardens, formal or faux-wild. The only scheming is what we brought with us. The angst of our party is t
he result of our own party. And I am so thankful the men managed to talk around the edges of their pride. It was intolerable for a bit, with you and Eddy. As for the Italian, the less said, the better.

As for the locals, all here are
making their own way, and there is enough hardship without making any for one's neighbors. No one so much as looked at me sideways for talking science with Mitchell. In England, it would have made the gossip pages. Granted, they have no gossip pages here. The pub, I guess, serves that purpose.