The Steel Comet descended smoothly to the upper deck of the Carlyle Aerodrome, its dangling ropes catching on the platform’s winches.

Its forward momentum halted just as the thrumming of the propellers stopped.

Powell glanced over at his fuel gauge and frowned at the needle, now pointing well below a big red “E.”

“Going to be a right tear-jerker restarting those engines,” he murmured to himself.

The twins, nor anyone else in the O’Reilly family, heard him. Abigail and Allison were too busy jumping up and down, their shoulder-length hair flying in all directions.

This upset their nurses, who had each spent considerable time grooming the girls, but no one paid the older women much attention.

Powell stood up as the airship smoothly slid toward its hanger from the outer edge of the aerodrome to the inner.

He walked up the short steps to the passenger area, where the O’Reilly’s stepped back and let him pass.

“I’ll find some men and have them take your luggage down to the street, sir. I’m afraid I have to report to the Air Warden immediately, in light of our encounter up there.”

“Indeed, quite understandable. Don’t worry about finding someone, I’m sure we can round up a strong back somewhere on our own. You go and make that report, there’s a good chap.”

Lady Olivia said, “Oh! Isn’t that the Air Warden’s ship over yonder? Look, it’s all lit up. Do you suppose they’re going out after those ruffians you marked?”

Powell turned and looked out the passenger windows. Another airship slid out in the opposite direction, from the hangar area in the center toward the edge. This one had a golden crown painted in the middle of its rigid gasbag.

“Aye. I suppose I should head that way to make my report.”

“Perhaps I should go with you, Mr. Powell. I am an MP, after all.”

“As you wish, sir.”

Lights brightened the outside of the Steel Comet as they slid into the hangar area and smoothly came to a stop. Without another word, Powell opened the door and stepped out, heading straight for the Air Warden’s ship nearby.

O’Reilly followed him out.

Over his shoulder he said, “Stay here, Olivia. I’ll return forthwith.”

Before Olivia could respond, Abigail said, “I’m going with them!”

Allison said, “Me, too!” and the girls slipped out the door before any of the women onboard could stop them.

Olivia glanced at the two nurses, who looked back at her with shocked expressions on their faces.

“Well, it looks like we’re all going to visit the Air Warden’s ship now, doesn’t it?”

She led the way out the door, with the nurses behind her.

The women followed the men. Spotlights from the center of the giant tower shone on the royal airship, illuminating the platform. Men in uniform scrambled aboard carrying guns, ammunition and explosives.

A uniformed officer evidently in charge turned around and watched the procession heading his way. He recognized the pilot as the man approached.

“Are you the one who marked those fiends, Mr. Powell?”

“Indeed, I am, sir.”

The man shook Powell’s hand warmly.

“Fine job. I expected no less, a man of your reputation. When I heard they had been marked, my money was on you at the start.”

O’Reilly walked up at that point, and Powell turned to introduce him.

“This is MP O’Reilly, fresh from Dublin. His family helped considerably in our little encounter.”

“How are you, sir? Jefferies Logan, His Majesty’s Air Warden.”

The two men shook hands.

“I wanted to lend my support to what Mr. Powell has to say, and offer any assistance in the writing of reports or whatever else is needed in this endeavor.”

“Thank you so much, sir. Much appreciated. However, right now I mainly want to get in the air. There are two black airships stranded out there, is that not so Mr. Powell?”

“Aye, we sheared off the propellers on the two smaller ones. The larger one is still out and about. The otherworlder was trying to take the big one on, but he jumped after the robots that hopped out near St. Paul’s.”

The Air Warden’s face dropped.

“Robots? That’s right rotten of them.”

At that moment the O’Reilly twins ran up, slightly out of breath. With wondrous eyes they drank in the royal airship before them, and all the military men loading it with supplies.

Their nurses and Olivia approached next. The women, too, looked slightly awed at all the military preparations.

Logan turned his attention back to Powell and O’Reilly.

“Jumped, you say? Did I hear you right, Mr. Powell? The man jumped from a height?”

“Aye. But I know the man. I doubt he’s done for, just because he dropped from an airship flying above the city. Resilient, that one. He is enhanced, after all.”

“Ah, right you are. Remarkable what the Venture Society people can do. Speaking of enhanced personnel, we are waiting on an RVS team to join us in this apprehension effort. In fact, I expect them to show up at any moment. I do hope we shan’t tarry long waiting for them. I put in a call moments ago, and they assured me a team was housed nearby. In fact, they were said to be the closest team nearest the aerodrome, although I have no idea who they intend on sending me.”

At that moment some sort of commotion occurred in the hangar area. Everyone turned at the hubbub and watched a rather tall and skinny woman march out onto the tarmac, followed by five slender young girls.

“I say. This is no place for women!”

The Air Warden suddenly seem to recall that Olivia, her daughters and their nursemaids all stood on the platform with him.

“Begging your pardon, milady. Present company excluded, of course. I realize you are all Mr. Powell’s passengers.”

“No offence was taken, Warden. But it seems these women certainly believe that they do, in fact, belong here.”

Everyone turned back to the group heading their way. The woman in the lead looked to be in her mid-30s, with a khaki safari hat and matching blouse. She wore a riding skirt and knee-high black leather boots. On one shoulder she carried a brown rucksack, stuffed full of supplies. On the other, a Tommy gun rode securely strapped to her back.

The five girls following her were all dressed identically, and they likewise carried similar weapons. They marched in tight precision behind their leader, with expressionless faces.

The woman stopped in front of the men and said, “Lady Fisher’s Preparatory Venture Academy for Girls is here to assist in the successful capture of black airships.”