Steampunk Jack

Chapter Eighteen

Anne followed James to work. She would have preferred staying home and doing some more research in the book on how to orient the pendulum spell to a specific person, but that was impossible both because of the limited distance she could maintain from James, and due to her being unable to turn a page.

So instead, she listened, trying not to sigh, as he lectured his class on the history and potential uses of counterweights. She was sure it was fascinating, his students seemed to be enthralled, but she had no way to interact with counterweights let alone a reason to, even had she been alive and corporeal. Finally, she decided to curl up in a corner and take a nap. She was still a bit worn from creating the fire charm, and she knew James worried when she became too transparent.

She didn’t wake up until James pulled her through a wall, as he walked to his bike.

She stretched. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so long.” She said with a soft blush. He’d mentioned how she’d slept through the noise of a fight, so she assumed he’d tried calling out to her, and had decided forcing her to move was the easier course.

“It’s quite alright Anne, I’m just glad to see that you are fully rested.” James unchained his bike and bounced on the seat to wind its mainspring as Anne daintily floated to the back seat.

“Now you said that the compass is going to take a half month to fully ‘cleanse’ right?”

“Unfortunately, yes, with as delicate and specific as the charm we are making is, I do not want to risk any interference from residual energies in the brass.”

“Well, I had a thought concerning what we could do while we wait for it to be ready. There are hundreds of ghost stories and, no offence; many of them suggest ghosts have more ability to interact with the world than you have displayed. I was thinking we may want to experiment a bit with what you can, and cannot, do.”

“No offence taken; I am a bit new to all of this.” Anne conceded. “I can certainly see where knowing my capabilities would be useful, especially if it means being able to touch again.”

James nodded and turned his gaze upwards. “Indeed. Now as long as we can beat this rainstorm home I’ll be happy, it looks like it is going to be vicious.”

Anne looked up to find the sky a rolling mass of black clouds. “Indeed, it does.” She watched as a stout wind nearly knocked the hat off James’s head. To her there was no wind, her hair laid around her shoulders as if it was a calm summer day, and that saddened her.

They made it back to the cobbler’s shop just in time, James managing to dart inside just as the sky opened up. Anne looked up as she followed the scientist, thinking it was a strange sensation, standing in the rain and not getting wet nor feeling the drops as they fell into her eyes.

“Come on, Anne.” James called breaking her out of her reverie. She drifted into the house, just as a lightning bolt streaked across the sky. She cried out in surprise as it sent a shiver down her back.

“Are you alright?” James asked, looking concerned.

“Yes, the lightning just startled me, for a second I felt…tingly.” She followed the inventor into the workshop where Emily was eating a sandwich and reading one of James books, something concerning how birds flew.

“Welcome back Professor, glad to see you made it in before the blow.” She greeted, not bothering to look up from the book.

“Me too, that looks like it is going to be a devil of a storm.” James replied, taking a moment to glare at the girl. “How’s the sandwich?”

“The ham’s a bit dry.” The redhead replied, either ignoring or not noticing the man's arch tone. “I told you not to go to that butcher down the way again. He’s horrible.”

“I’m so very sorry.” He muttered.

“James is the compass secure?” Anne asked nervously, pulling his attention away from pilfered sandwiches.

“I clamped it in place but I can double check.” James jogged up the stairs and found it right where he had left it. “It’s wet, but still there.” he called out as he came back down.

“Wet is fine, I was just worried about it getting knocked into the streets.” Anne nodded, drifting towards a chair.”

“Emily I’m actually very happy you are here. Anne and I were going to run some experiments to see if there is truth to any of the Ghost myths.”

“Well, you picked one ‘ell good time to test them Professor, I can’t think of a better way to spend a dark and stormy night than playing with the dead.” Emily grinned. “No office Ms. Anne.”

“None taken. I can see the irony.” Anne replied, letting James relay the message.

“We already know she creates cold spots, which anyone can feel.” James observed.

“Yup.” Emily said, then backed up before securing her monocle into place. “That was not an invitation Miss Anne, so keep your icy mitts to yourself.”

Anne giggled, “So what do we try first ‘professor’?” she asked James with a wink, in a half teasing tone.

“Well, most poltergeists can actually interact with the environment to a limited extent. I thought we would start by trying to move things.” He rummaged though a cabinet and brought out several small items, a rubber ball, a tin flute, a wooden block, a rock and a lettuce leaf.

“Why the plant?” asked Emily.

“Well according to what Anne has told me, in Alchemy and Magic it is important to take into account the material that you are trying to effect, so we have multiple types of material to play with.”

“That makes sense to me.” Anne said as Emily nodded. The ghost moved up to the ball and concentrated on making her hand as real as possible, on feeling the ball. She pushed against it, grumbling as her hand passed through it.”

James smiled, encouragingly. “That’s alright Anne I wouldn’t think we’d get it on the first go.”

“I think it might have wobbled a bit,” Emily said in an encouraging tone.

“I think you are both overly optimistic.” Anne grumbled trying again, focusing her will on the ball, and her hand touching it. “Bugger.” She cursed as her hand went through again.

“Actually Anne, this time I think I saw it move, not much, but it moved.” James stated as Emily nodded. “And I note, in most of the stories all ghosts seem to do is push things over. It may be that contact can only be maintained for a moment.”

“Bother!” Anne growled smacking at the ball with her palm. A bolt of lightning struck and the room went black as the electric lights, powered by a small windmill on the shops roof James had explained to Anne the first time he’d turned them on, all went out and there was the sound of shattering glass.

“The lightning has thrown the power out.” James said with a sigh, “Assuming I didn’t just loose another windmill. I’ll go find some candles.”

“James! Look!” Emily said grabbing his sleeve before he could move away; he turned to see Anne, in almost living color, standing in front of the cobbler shop window, her body illuminated by the lightning streaking across the sky. A faint bluish aura around her was the only sign she gave of not being a normal human woman.

“What?” why are you both staring at me?” Anne said glancing around.

“Emily can you see her without-" James realized the girl had taken off the monocle, but was looking directly at Anne.

“Yes! Not as clearly though, she looks sorta like she did after we made that pendent for you. Best description I can think of is like a reflection in a window.” Emily replied, pulling a candle out of a cabinet and lighting it.

“Anne, to me you look like you must have when you were alive. Fully solid, fully in color…You are lovely.” He grinned. “Like a dream.”

Anne blushed, and James watched as the blue halo around her intensified for a moment. Then a look of panic crossed Anne’s face “No, Emily! Not that candle!” Anne said darting towards the girl. “James that’s the candle for your light charm!”

“Oh.” James walked over and snuffed the candle out. “Sorry Emily, that candle is not to be burned, Anne used it as a focus for a charm, if it get’s burned up the charm wont work anymore. I have a lantern in the cabinet.” He said tripping over the edge of a carpet before getting to the hutch. Glass crunched under his feet, He froze not wanting to fall on the shards, before he laughed at his foolishness. “Stumbling in the dark like a fool” he reached into his pocket and pulled out the little golden pendent, “Candle light!”

The pendent began glowing in his hand.

“Blimy. That’s a trick!” Emily said.

By the soft glowing light of the charm, they could see the shattered front of the glass case. Inside the case was the rubber ball.

“I did it?” Anne said, moving over to look at the ball not believing her eyes.

“You did it!” squealed Emily, clapping her hands in excitement.

“The question is can you do it again?” James carefully picked the ball out of the glass and they walked back to the table.

Over and over she tried to move the ball; and finally after several hours had mastered rolling the ball over the table “Moving even these small objects is terribly draining. It’s like trying to move boulders.” Anne sighed as she dropped into a chair. She felt like a rag that had been put through a ringer.”

“You are looking a bit more transparent than I like. We’ll stop now.”

“We did learn one thing.” Emily chirped “Lightning makes Ms. Anne much stronger. I could almost hear her when the lightning was flashing the most, and you could tell moving things was easier.”

“I would agree Emily, and if you look at ghost lore, how many of the bloody stories start with ‘It was a dark and stormy night.’” James began putting the items away as the light charm began to flicker. He checked his watch. “Four and a half hours Anne, you were right about the duration.”

“I should be headin' home, before me Da wonders if you’re taking advantage, and insists you make me an honest woman or some such.” Emily laughed. “This was a treat, and we should do it again.” She said before darting out the door and into the storm.

“You look exhausted Anne.”

“I am, but it was worth it.”

“Indeed.”

“Can we, possibly, go to my shop and apartment tomorrow?” the ghost woman asked. “We were going to wait a few days, but since we aren’t going to get much done in the next several days…”

“I only have morning classes, and no faculty meetings, so that should be easily done.” He assured her. Then James blushed, “I guess we should go to bed. It’s getting late.” He felt the air chill as Anne blushed.

“You are right.” The woman stood and began drifting up the stairs, before she looked back at him with her face red. “Are you not coming? It is your bed after all.”

James smiled at her, a light flush touching his cheeks as well. “After you, my Lady.” He replied, following her up the stairs.