The Zeppelin Jihad Read Online Free

rollercoaster tracks. Silhouetted black against the orange light, it might have been an amusement park designed in hell.
    My eyes couldn ’ t follow the layout, but Khaliq ’ s scream drew my gaze back to him. I noticed now that there were wheels on his chair ’ s legs, threaded into tracks beneath him. Carnival music — popping and skipping as if played on a phonogram — blared on, and the chair shot away from us down the length of the room.
    It was going almost too fast to follow as the chair took Khaliq up and up, never slowing before sweeping down even faster through the tracks ’ absurdist architecture.
    With the chair ’ s every turn, I could feel the rush of wind in my hair. It had to be going fifty or sixty miles per hour.
    “ You may want to get an umbrella, ” Harker yelled over the music and clatter. “ I ’ d think his stomach would be empty by now, but one never knows! ”
    I leaned into Speer so he could hear me. “ You torture people with rollercoaster rides? ”
    “ Just watch , ” he said.
    Harker began throwing levers like a mad scientist. As he did, not only would Khaliq ’ s chair react, so would the room itself. The chair stopped suddenly, and jerked onto another track close to the wall where an iron panel retracted. Out slid a small pool, and the chair swung him upside down, dragging his head through the water.
    Another lever, and the chair stopped and rotated like a spit as a different wall panel opened. This time, he found himself turning inches above hot coals like a cannibal ’ s appetizer.
    Another lever , and a giant bell descended over the stopped chair , then clanged deafeningly .
    On and on it went, one absurd, Wile E. Coyote contraption after another appearing from behind the walls or out of the floor or ceiling. Periodically, some vomit would rain down as Speer and I took shelter beneath our umbrellas. It felt like it went on for hours. It was closer to 15 minutes.
    Finally, Harker returned the levers to their starting position, and Khaliq ’ s chair slid to a halt in front of us. The music died, the gaslights dimmed, and the rumbling machines quieted. Once again, a single finger of bright light spotlighted the prisoner.
    “ Shall we go again? ” Harker asked . “ No need to worry about keeping me up all night. I can have coffee brought down. ”
    Blood was coming down Khaliq ’ s nose. His voice sounded barely human. “ No — I ’ ll tell you, ” he gasped.

 

    2
    Blue Cliffs
     
    Fifteen minutes later , Speer was assembling his team in the courtyard. Twenty-five men in thundercloud blue uniforms milled around us, some checking their rifles, others simply smoking pipes or cigars. They looked like Civil War re-enactors to me, except I ’ m reasonably sure neither side in that war used cartridges as big as the ones in these men ’ s belts.
    On the periphery were what had to be pilots. The goggles, leather jackets, and general swagger were a dead giveaway. I could see the noses of smaller zeppelins peeking over the building ’ s roof.
    “ Right, ” Speer shouted, calling the group to attention. “ The interrogation section has determined that the terrorist wanted by the Americans is hiding in the Blue Cliffs Industrial Airship Parks. While he is only one man, he has proven himself quite adept at explosives, so we will move on him in force. A Triclops will be taking up the rear, with two infantry squad carriages leading.
    “ Infantry shall dismount a mile from Blue Cliffs and advance on foot through the nearby woods. Darkness will cover our approach. We would prefer to take him alive, and since smashing down trees, fences, and buildings tends to draw no small amount of attention, the Triclops will remain behind with the carriages until needed.
    “ Additionally, ” Speer continued, “ we will have three pocket-zeps to keep an eye on things from above, and to fire upon anyone who tries to slip our cordon. Any questions? ”
    Someone called from the back, “ Is