fluffed her long skirt. “I’ll just have to go see for myself.”
One of her gambling companions pushed a lace fan across the table. “Be careful, Madame.”
Emma picked up the delicate object. “The snitch is in Gravestone. He’s the one needing to be careful.” She opened the fan and made her way out of the saloon.
The night sky and summer heat met her at the doorway. Emma heard the hiss of steam power from above as she lifted her skirt. Her military boots might be used to the mud, but there was no need to soil her outfit as well. She smiled in self-assurance as she crossed the one and only street in her flying town.
Sheriff Bea met her under the awning of the prison. “Madame. I swear to you, I wasn’t drinkin’. He fell right out of the clouds—”
Emma barely raised a hand to stop the flow of words. “I’ll interview the prisoner, Beatrice. Go on. I believe they’re waiting for you down in the theatre.”
The Gravestone prison had only one cell. And Emma got her first look at the snitch as soon as she walked through the swinging doors. He was propped up against the back wall with a cowboy hat down over his eyes. “Are we done with the elaborate prank now?” he growled from his corner.
Emma unlocked the cell and stepped into the retched smelling cubicle. “You better look at me when you talk to me … or I’ll leave you in here to rot.” She watched him flex his muscles and she couldn’t help but notice his very masculine build. This was not the king’s ordinary snitch.
“That’s just great.” The prisoner tore off his hat and tossed it across the small space. “I’ve had about enough of this. Am I a sideshow at the ball, or is this the professor’s idea of fun?”
She knelt beside him and tapped her fan against her cheek. “When you jumped out of the airship, did you hit your head?”
He pushed himself up off of the wooden flooring, and in one fluid motion, pinned her against the bars. “Listen, lady. I’m done. I came here to take pictures, not play around. You either let me out of here or I’m calling the police.”
Emma had to admit she enjoyed the confrontation. His strong arms on either side of her face, while his large toned body cornered her within her own jail. But, there was a time and a place to make love to the enemy. Now was not the time or the place. “So you admit to being a snitch for the king? The old bastard wants pictures of my town, does he?” She placed one hand on his chest and looked into his molten brown eyes. “There will be no police tonight, mister, only justice.” The other hand slid a tiny lever on her dainty fan. A small needle pricked into his side. “Pleasant dreams.”
She watched as he collapsed to the floor. “We’ll have to tie him to a tree tomorrow.” Emma shook her head and gave him another once over. Shame really. He looks like a feisty one .
Stepping over his body, she went back out onto the street. “ Someone must have seen something.” She reached down and detached a device from her garter belt. “Time to go find out.” The Madame of Gravestone punched in a few numbers and waited for a rope ladder to descend from one of the four zeppelins above.
The huge balloon-like airships lifted her town into the sky every night. It was for protection, strategy and to assist the suffering people of Westland. Each day they would set down in a new place and deal with the problems they found there. She knew of no other way.
Reaching the control room of the zeppelin fliers, Emma called for a private meeting with her main captain. The two women went into a room set up for battle planning. “Grace. I need to know, what has shown up on the radar tonight?”
The captain paled. “Nothing, Madame. It’s been clear and uneventful.”
“We have a guest in the town. A male snitch fell onto our platform and I need to know how.” Emma unbuttoned her outing jacket and dropped it into a nearby chair. The formfitting coat was a silly addition to
One of her gambling companions pushed a lace fan across the table. “Be careful, Madame.”
Emma picked up the delicate object. “The snitch is in Gravestone. He’s the one needing to be careful.” She opened the fan and made her way out of the saloon.
The night sky and summer heat met her at the doorway. Emma heard the hiss of steam power from above as she lifted her skirt. Her military boots might be used to the mud, but there was no need to soil her outfit as well. She smiled in self-assurance as she crossed the one and only street in her flying town.
Sheriff Bea met her under the awning of the prison. “Madame. I swear to you, I wasn’t drinkin’. He fell right out of the clouds—”
Emma barely raised a hand to stop the flow of words. “I’ll interview the prisoner, Beatrice. Go on. I believe they’re waiting for you down in the theatre.”
The Gravestone prison had only one cell. And Emma got her first look at the snitch as soon as she walked through the swinging doors. He was propped up against the back wall with a cowboy hat down over his eyes. “Are we done with the elaborate prank now?” he growled from his corner.
Emma unlocked the cell and stepped into the retched smelling cubicle. “You better look at me when you talk to me … or I’ll leave you in here to rot.” She watched him flex his muscles and she couldn’t help but notice his very masculine build. This was not the king’s ordinary snitch.
“That’s just great.” The prisoner tore off his hat and tossed it across the small space. “I’ve had about enough of this. Am I a sideshow at the ball, or is this the professor’s idea of fun?”
She knelt beside him and tapped her fan against her cheek. “When you jumped out of the airship, did you hit your head?”
He pushed himself up off of the wooden flooring, and in one fluid motion, pinned her against the bars. “Listen, lady. I’m done. I came here to take pictures, not play around. You either let me out of here or I’m calling the police.”
Emma had to admit she enjoyed the confrontation. His strong arms on either side of her face, while his large toned body cornered her within her own jail. But, there was a time and a place to make love to the enemy. Now was not the time or the place. “So you admit to being a snitch for the king? The old bastard wants pictures of my town, does he?” She placed one hand on his chest and looked into his molten brown eyes. “There will be no police tonight, mister, only justice.” The other hand slid a tiny lever on her dainty fan. A small needle pricked into his side. “Pleasant dreams.”
She watched as he collapsed to the floor. “We’ll have to tie him to a tree tomorrow.” Emma shook her head and gave him another once over. Shame really. He looks like a feisty one .
Stepping over his body, she went back out onto the street. “ Someone must have seen something.” She reached down and detached a device from her garter belt. “Time to go find out.” The Madame of Gravestone punched in a few numbers and waited for a rope ladder to descend from one of the four zeppelins above.
The huge balloon-like airships lifted her town into the sky every night. It was for protection, strategy and to assist the suffering people of Westland. Each day they would set down in a new place and deal with the problems they found there. She knew of no other way.
Reaching the control room of the zeppelin fliers, Emma called for a private meeting with her main captain. The two women went into a room set up for battle planning. “Grace. I need to know, what has shown up on the radar tonight?”
The captain paled. “Nothing, Madame. It’s been clear and uneventful.”
“We have a guest in the town. A male snitch fell onto our platform and I need to know how.” Emma unbuttoned her outing jacket and dropped it into a nearby chair. The formfitting coat was a silly addition to
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