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    Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story
    Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story
    Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story
    Ebook67 pages58 minutes

    Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story

    By Rob Shelsky

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    About this ebook

    In a growing panic, Ambrose ran pell-mell down the length of the observation deck. He practically dove down the steep stairs at the end. Pausing at the bottom only long enough to take one, much-needed breath, he then dashed down the hallway to his stateroom. Fumbling with the key in his haste, he finally managed to unlock and fling wide the door.

    The satchel lay open on the floor and there were his documents strewn about the stateroom. Someone, and Ambrose strongly suspected the midshipman, had rifled through the papers, perhaps taking pictures with one of those new-fangled, tiny cameras. They were another piece of otherworld knowledge.
    As he stared at the mess in dismay, Ambrose heard the distant cry of someone above, shouting, “Man overboard!”

    Crossing to the port window, he was just in time to see what looked like a large, billowing, white sheet descend out of sight, disappearing below his field of view. Ambrose had no illusions about what this meant. The culprit was absconding with photos of Her Majesty’s top-secret documents.

    And so starts Ambrose's adventure into the parallel universe of Victoriana, ally to his own world against the Great German Empire and "the Hun" who seek world dominance. But events don't seem to get better for Ambrose.

    After his documents are stolen while aboard the airship, he then meets the beautiful Lady Permellia, a government diplomat. As if a woman in government isn't strange enough for him, there follows a succession of stranger events. Their train to London is sabotaged. They are taken captive by a motor pirate. And through it all, Ambrose is at a loss as to what is really going on. But when he learns there are various factions, that the war his government is fighting is spreading up and down the world lines, Ambrose must make a series of difficult choices.

    And through it all, there is the enigmatic Lady Permellia and her strange sidekick, Bertie, a hulk of a man. Just who are they? What is their involvement in all this? And just which side are they really on?

    Ambrose must find answers to all these questions, for the sake of his own future, that of his world, and countless others. And then there is the slight problem of his falling in love with the Lady Permellia...

    Engine Of The Gods is a complete story, one set in the Crown And Empire Worlds War series. A fast-paced, adventure-filled tale, it is done in the true style of steampunk, with great care taken to make the background settings historically correct and lavish in detail. Even references to motor pirates have a basis in fact. Carefully woven, this tale is an exciting and fun story.

    Engine Of The Gods, A steampunk novella.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRob Shelsky
    Release dateMar 11, 2011
    ISBN9781458020772
    Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story
    Author

    Rob Shelsky

    Rob Shelsky is an avid and eclectic writer, and averages about 4,000 words a day. He has several novels to his credit and two anthologies, with two romances out now, a Regency romance, Verity, along with the sequel, Faith, and soon to come, a time-travel romance.Rob has written science fiction articles for such magazines as The Internet Review of Science Fiction, numerous articles for AlienSkin Magazine, Neometropolis, Midnight Street (UK), Doorways, and other publications. Rob has had short stories published with Jim Baen’s Universe, Aberrant Dreams, AlienSkin, Gateway SF, Fifth Dimension, Continuum SF, Sonar4, Uncial Press, Planetary Stories, Pulp Spirit Magazine, Sex & Murder, and many more. He has a novella coming out in early 2010 with Aberrant Dreams Magazine’s first hardcover edition anthology, The Awakening. Rob’s novella, Avenger Of The People, will appear there alongside the works of such sci-fi greats as Alastair Reynolds, Ian Watson, Jana Oliver, Robert Madle, and just so many others. There is even an introduction by Jack McDevitt.Rob has a short story, Green Waters, now out with Sonar4’s Phase Shift anthology, and a paranormal story, Light On The Moor, coming out with Smashwords and Amazon.com.Now, Rob Shelsky is not only a writer, but a contributing editor for Currate.com travel articles, as well as being a reviewer for Novelspot. He is also a resident science fiction columnist for AlienSkin Magazine.Although widely traveled and continuing to travel, Rob now lives in North Carolina. He enjoys contemplating ideas for new stories while watching the sunsets over the mountains and sipping a glass of red wine, preferably a decent Merlot.Oh and check out this site for my Smashword books:Ebookswelove.com

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      Book preview

      Engine Of The Gods, A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story - Rob Shelsky

      * * * *

      ENGINE OF THE GODS

      A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story

      By

      R.R. Shelsky

      SMASHWORDS EDITION

      * * * * *

      PUBLISHED BY:

      Rob Shelsky on Smashwords

      ENGINE OF THE GODS

      A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story

      Copyright © 2011 by Rob Shelsky

      Cover Illustration, Portions Attributed To:

      Steampunk, Tyrus Flynn, & Gears, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

      All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      * * * *

      DEDICATION

      There is one person I’d especially like to thank. I owe him so much. George Kempland, I wish to acknowledge you for your loyalty, dedication, mountains of help, and always just being there for me. Again, thank you, so very much.

      * * * *

      ENGINE OF THE GODS

      A Crown And Empire Worlds War Story

      By Rob Shelsky

      Part One—A Mission Goes Dreadfully Awry

      We are approaching the Portal, Sir Ambrose. The captain wishes to know if you’d accept his invitation to join him on the bridge for the transition.

      Sir Ambrose Allen Southgate looked up from the report he’d been attempting to read for the third time. He knew his inability to focus was due to anxiety about this being his first mission to another world line, but couldn’t help it. He just hadn’t been able to concentrate.

      Ambrose carefully removed his pince-nez reading spectacles and pocketed them in his plaid waistcoat. Now he could better see the young midshipman standing before him. Slim, wearing a crease-perfect, white uniform, the youth would make a great image for recruitment placards of Her Majesty’s Unified Flying Fleet.

      Almost too perfect, he thought. Although yet barely capable, it looked as if the boy was actively trying for a pair of muttonchops. Ah, youth, they’re always striving to be fashionable. Ambrose’s generation had insisted upon a small scar from a sword on a clean-shaven cheek. This had been a mark of manliness, theoretically added to their cachet of attractiveness to the opposite sex.

      Nowadays, the style was to cover one’s entire face in as much hair as possible. If any youths still sported such swordfight scars, today’s belles jeunes femmes would never see them under such a hirsute overlay.

      Sir? The midshipman regarded him with eyes narrowed in impatience, "The captain?"

      Ambrose sighed and then said, Ah, yes, the captain. Very well, I’ll be there in just a few minutes. I have to go to my cabin first and lock these away. With his right index finger, he tapped the papers lying in his lap.

      The crewman gave the documents a speculative glance, before saying, Very good, but do hurry, sir. We make transition in— he glanced at the clock on the far wall, a large, round timepiece, all gleaming oak and polished brass trim with a sparkling crystal front to it, —in just over ten minutes.

      I’ll be there, Ambrose promised him, even as he pushed the papers to one side and stood. He tugged on the bottom of his waistcoat to straighten it, as he added, I wouldn’t want to miss my first time.

      The midshipman nodded, turned on his heels, and departed the salon. This left Ambrose alone there. Relatively few passengers were on board the huge airship. These were restricted to diplomats of the Crown, or those worthies’ minions, none of whom seemed too inclined to use the salon. For this reason, Ambrose found the room to be a place of relative solitude. However, he still always had the steady thrum of the ship’s engines for

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