The Dark Design by Phillip Jose Farmer

54

After a long silence, Farrington said, “I dont see how we could say no, Sinjoro Podebrad. I think I speak for all of us.”

Frigate and Rider nodded.

“You really.got us by the short hairs. Not that I have anything against your coming along with us. In fact, I am delighted. Only … well, what if we can’t find any experienced blimp men? We’d be crazy to go up there if we don’t know how to handle the machine or what we might run into.”

“Of course. But it will take a very long time to build the airship. Unless we can find some engineers who know how to design such a ship, or at least can calculate the specifications, we will have to do it from scratch.

“Meanwhile, we can look for a pilot. Though they’re very rare, somewhere along The River, within two thousand kilometers either way, there must be the man we’re looking for.

“Or perhaps I might say, there could be one. Actually, the odds are high against finding one.”

“I was a balloonist, “Frigate said. “And I read a great deal about lighter-than-air craft. I was up in a blimp for two short flights. That doesn’t near make me an expert, of course.”

“Perhaps we’ll have to train ourselves, Sinjoro Frigate. In which case, any knowledge will be of help.”

“Of course, that was a long time ago. I’ve forgotten a lot.”

“You don’t exactly inspire confidence, Pete,” the Frisco Kid said fiercely.

“Confidence comes with experience,” Podebrad said. “Now, gentlemen, I will start at once. I’ll delay my announcement of my conversion until after the airship is ready to leave. No member of the Church, no one preaching total passive resistance, can be head of this state.”

Frigate wondered how deep the man’s conversion was. It seemed to him that anybody who really believed in the tenets of the Church would say so at once. No matter what the consequences would be.

“As soon as our conference is over, I’ll get the facilities for making hydrogen underway. I think the best method, considering the minerals available, will be by the reaction of dilute sulfuric acid and zinc. Our sulfuric acid industry has been operating for some time. We were fortunate in finding both platinum and vanadium, though not in large quantities.

“I do wish we could make aluminum, but. . .”

“The Schutte-Lanz airships were made of wood,” Frigate said. “A blimp wouldn’t need much wood, anyway.”

Farrington said, “Wood! You want me to go up in a wooden dirigible?”

”The only wood would be in the keel and the car,” Frigate said. “The envelope could be made from the intestinal lining of the dragonfish.”

“Which requires much fishing,” Podebrad said. He stood up.

“I have much work to get done today. But I’ll see you gentlemen tomorrow during lunch. We can discuss this in detail men. Mean­while, good day.”

Farrington, looking grave, spoke to Rider as they left the building.

“If you ask me, this is crazy!”

“It sounds great to me,” Tom said. “To tell the truth, I’m getting pretty tired of sailing.”

“Yeah, but we could get killed while we’re bumbling around trying to learn how to fly that damned thing!

“And what if we find it won’t work then? We’ll have tost a lot of time!”

Frigate said, “That doesn’t sound like the man who ferried people through the White Horse rapids in Alaska, time and again, just to pick up a few bucks. Or the man who pirated oysters…”

He turned pale. Rider and Farrington had stopped, and their faces were hard.

Farrington said slowly, “I’ve told a lot of stories about the Yukon, but I never said anything about the White Horse rapids. Not to you anyway. Have you been eavesdropping?”

Frigate drew a deep bream, and said, “Hell, I don’t have to eavesdrop! I recognized you two the first time I saw you!”

Suddenly, Rider was behind him and Farrington had put his hand on the hilt of his flint knife.

Rider spoke in a low monotone. “Okay, whoever you are, just march on ahead of me. Right into the ship. And don’t try anything funny.”

“I’m not going incognito!” Frigate said. “You are!”