Sophronia sputtered. “Why, that turnip! Who does he think he is? Vieve, are you well?”
Vieve dimpled at her. “Don’t concern yourself, miss. I’m not easily damaged.”
Soap said to Sophronia, “Now, miss, don’t go causing a ruckus in my domain, please.”
Sophronia stopped vibrating. “Oh, dear. I am sorry. This thing with everyone angry at me has rather put my nerves on end.” Sophronia hoped Soap couldn’t see how hurt she was by the ostracism. Soap’s eyes were so direct, she rather thought he might see into her heart better than anyone.
Soap shook his head at her sympathetically. “Still, miss.”
Sophronia agreed with the reprimand. She should have minded her manners, even with a sootie. Especially with a sootie. “Who was that unpleasant creature?” She thought she knew most of the boiler room staff by sight, if not by name.
“Don’t know,” admitted Soap, embarrassed.
“Don’t know? But you know all the sooties!” Soap was like the unofficial mayor of boilers.
“That’s just it. We’ve taken on double numbers this week. Double! Some pretty dubious types, too. Second Assistant Fireman should have checked their characters better, if you ask me. Us old guard been trying to get most of them assigned to forward engine and propeller, but they don’t need that many when we’re drifting. So we’ve got ’em all mucking about here.”
Sophronia looked around. “Have you taken on extra coal, too?”
Soap nodded.
“I didn’t feel us go low to meet the supply train.”
“Early yesterday morning, miss.”
Vieve added, “They brought it in from Bristol special.”
Sophronia said, “I take it you’re thinking what I’m thinking.”
“Someone plans to take this ship on a very long trip.” Soap pulled out a wooden pipe, lit it up with a wick from a nearby boiler, and puffed.
Sophronia wrinkled her nose. Revolting habit. She schooled her expression when he looked at her, but he must have caught her distaste.
He took the pipe out of his mouth, looked at it as though it had done something offensive, and then tapped it out into a coal heap and tucked it away.
And he thinks he’s not a gentleman! Sophronia smiled—a wide grin with no artifice to it.
Soap looked a little overwhelmed by the power of her approval. Sophronia was, as yet, unaware of the effect of her smile on boys.
Vieve watched this back-and-forth with interested green eyes.
Sophronia continued their conversation. “Leaving the moor, do you think?
Soap nodded. “A certain.”
“What else do you know?” Sophronia asked.
Soap shook his head. “Simply that, miss. I have tried, but them powers upstairs are keeping this one close.”
They both looked to the ten-year-old girl dressed as a boy. Vieve had crouched down to play with Bumbersnoot. She shrugged. “You got more than me. No one’s talked in my hearing.”
“Lady Linette! She didn’t give us our assessments. Perhaps she was called away to deal with this?” Sophronia mused.
“Which direction are we headed now, Soap?” Vieve asked.
Soap wandered over to a hatch in the floor of one corner of the massive room and stuck his head out of it. A few minutes later he returned. Soap always looked as though he didn’t quite have control of his limbs, like a goat. But like a goat, he was sure-footed and powerful, despite appearances.
“Toward Swiffle-on-Exe, I’m thinking.”
Sophronia was impressed. This was a skill she hadn’t known Soap possessed. One stretch of heath looked much the same as another to her.
“Boilers will be needing water?” suggested Vieve. “For the journey?” Swiffle-on-Exe was a riverside town.
“I wonder if Bunson’s has a mission for us?” offered Sophronia. Bunson and Lacroix’s Boys’ Polytechnique was near Swiffle-on-Exe and the primary reason people visited the town.