from the
driver box. “William, see if Mrs. Browning has arrived.” To Lily, who was
making her own way from the carriage, she added, “I’m sure you’ll adore Mrs.
Browning once you get to know her. We invested in our Pedallosopede together
and thank goodness, for I daren’t keep it at home. Besides, Mr. Browning is
excellent with anything mechanical and he’s taught William to help maintain the
gears and chains.”
Lily, who had no idea what a Pedallosopede was, cast her eye across
the field. There didn’t seem to be any actual sport in progress. The tents, on
the other hand, with banners advertising trades of everything from lemon ices
to parasols to spare parts, were hives of activity. The large marquee decorated
with towering cakes looked particularly promising. It was also in the opposite
direction to which Evelyn tugged her.
“Come on,” Evelyn was saying, “I’ll show you around while we wait for
William.”
They approached a nearby cluster of men and the tight circle spread
open to include them. In the centre, a peculiar sort of cycling machine was
mounted on a wooden block. The front and back spindled wheels were of equal
size and much smaller than the velocipedes that had become so popular around
town in the last year.
A man sat across the main bar on a spoon shaped seat, pedalling slowly
and going nowhere. The wheels were attached to the block in such a way that
they could spin without touching the ground. Extending from each pedal was a
long, flat oar attached to both the wheels and pedals on a hinge system that
allowed the oar to flap rather than spin as you pedalled. Steel pipes rose from
the core of each wheel to form a triangle over the man’s head and what looked
like a deflated windbag hung from the point.
“There’s the steam machine.” Evelyn pointed to a steel box wedged into
the frame structure between the man’s legs. “Pedalling turns the gears and the
generated steam pushes through the pipes to inflate the balloon.”
“Remarkable for such a small machine.” As Lily watched, the windbag
filled with hot air, expanding into a miniature dirigible dome above the man’s
head.
“The challenge is keeping the entire contraption as light as possible.
The more weight reserved for the water canister, the longer we can paddle.”
“How fast does it go?” Lily asked nervously.
“Not very fast at all,” sighed Evelyn. “But there are new improvements
almost every time we meet.”
“Evelyn, there you are.” A slight woman around their age and dressed
in varying shades of grey worked her way into a space beside Evelyn. “Our
parcels have finally arrived. I’ve arranged a private tent for us to change in
and—” she stopped short when her gaze met Lily’s.
Evelyn stepped back, drawing them away from the men as she made the
introductions. “Mrs. Browning. My dear friend, Lady Lily d'Bulier.”
“I do hope you’ll be paddling with us,” Mrs. Browning said with a wide
smile. “It’s simply wonderful to have another female joining our ranks.”
“Thank you, but no,” Lily hedged. “I’m merely here…” Movement over
Mrs. Browning’s shoulder caught her eye. The Pelladop — Peddapol— the air paddler was moving and it wasn’t going forward. It was rising. In
the air! “Um…to watch.”
“Well, that’s simply wonderful too.”
Up it floated, higher and higher.
The man’s foot slipped from the pedal and things got a little wobbly
at the sudden jerk.
There were cries from below.
“Engage the tilt flaps.”
“Steady on. Steady on.”
“Lean to the left.”
Lily’s stomach turned over.
“Mrs. Browning and I met at the Surrey assemblies earlier this year,”
Evelyn said. “She was down there visiting her great uncle, Baron Lambrose. He
farms over a hundred hectares and the manor house is quite charming. He’s well
respected in the area.”
The air paddler seemed to have found his balance again, but Lily was
far from reassured.
If Evelyn had
driver box. “William, see if Mrs. Browning has arrived.” To Lily, who was
making her own way from the carriage, she added, “I’m sure you’ll adore Mrs.
Browning once you get to know her. We invested in our Pedallosopede together
and thank goodness, for I daren’t keep it at home. Besides, Mr. Browning is
excellent with anything mechanical and he’s taught William to help maintain the
gears and chains.”
Lily, who had no idea what a Pedallosopede was, cast her eye across
the field. There didn’t seem to be any actual sport in progress. The tents, on
the other hand, with banners advertising trades of everything from lemon ices
to parasols to spare parts, were hives of activity. The large marquee decorated
with towering cakes looked particularly promising. It was also in the opposite
direction to which Evelyn tugged her.
“Come on,” Evelyn was saying, “I’ll show you around while we wait for
William.”
They approached a nearby cluster of men and the tight circle spread
open to include them. In the centre, a peculiar sort of cycling machine was
mounted on a wooden block. The front and back spindled wheels were of equal
size and much smaller than the velocipedes that had become so popular around
town in the last year.
A man sat across the main bar on a spoon shaped seat, pedalling slowly
and going nowhere. The wheels were attached to the block in such a way that
they could spin without touching the ground. Extending from each pedal was a
long, flat oar attached to both the wheels and pedals on a hinge system that
allowed the oar to flap rather than spin as you pedalled. Steel pipes rose from
the core of each wheel to form a triangle over the man’s head and what looked
like a deflated windbag hung from the point.
“There’s the steam machine.” Evelyn pointed to a steel box wedged into
the frame structure between the man’s legs. “Pedalling turns the gears and the
generated steam pushes through the pipes to inflate the balloon.”
“Remarkable for such a small machine.” As Lily watched, the windbag
filled with hot air, expanding into a miniature dirigible dome above the man’s
head.
“The challenge is keeping the entire contraption as light as possible.
The more weight reserved for the water canister, the longer we can paddle.”
“How fast does it go?” Lily asked nervously.
“Not very fast at all,” sighed Evelyn. “But there are new improvements
almost every time we meet.”
“Evelyn, there you are.” A slight woman around their age and dressed
in varying shades of grey worked her way into a space beside Evelyn. “Our
parcels have finally arrived. I’ve arranged a private tent for us to change in
and—” she stopped short when her gaze met Lily’s.
Evelyn stepped back, drawing them away from the men as she made the
introductions. “Mrs. Browning. My dear friend, Lady Lily d'Bulier.”
“I do hope you’ll be paddling with us,” Mrs. Browning said with a wide
smile. “It’s simply wonderful to have another female joining our ranks.”
“Thank you, but no,” Lily hedged. “I’m merely here…” Movement over
Mrs. Browning’s shoulder caught her eye. The Pelladop — Peddapol— the air paddler was moving and it wasn’t going forward. It was rising. In
the air! “Um…to watch.”
“Well, that’s simply wonderful too.”
Up it floated, higher and higher.
The man’s foot slipped from the pedal and things got a little wobbly
at the sudden jerk.
There were cries from below.
“Engage the tilt flaps.”
“Steady on. Steady on.”
“Lean to the left.”
Lily’s stomach turned over.
“Mrs. Browning and I met at the Surrey assemblies earlier this year,”
Evelyn said. “She was down there visiting her great uncle, Baron Lambrose. He
farms over a hundred hectares and the manor house is quite charming. He’s well
respected in the area.”
The air paddler seemed to have found his balance again, but Lily was
far from reassured.
If Evelyn had
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