Thursday, January 8, 2009

Classic Brundage Covers






Margaret Brundage did many wonderful covers for Weird Tales, here are a few of her pieces from the 1930's.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Old Firm: A Steampunk Tale XIV

Rebecca swore as she and everyone else were knocked from their feet tumbling about as the airship collided with the landing strip, the scream of metal and the explosion of gas bags joining the symphony noise as the airship raced across the granite landing strip, throwing up twin rows of sparks as it slid along its turrets continuing to belch fire as the Alba pods clanked forward their boilers throttled wide opened as their gears whirled and legs rose and fell as they tried to reorganize.

Stefania cried out as she slammed into John her head cracking against his chin. "OOOOF!" her breath shot from her lungs as a fire canister crashed onto her torn free from its restraints. Maureen reached down grabbing a torn strip of Rebecca's skirt as the corridor twisted the steel floor buckling and warping. 

Master M watched the fuzzy viewer the gray images distorted. "Prepare the troops," he said his voice sounding younger, firmer, no wavering in it. "Now General," he said smiling coldly, "Who was going to double cross who again?" he chuckled as the forward hanger doors opened the giant gears grinding and his troops raced forward firing glass bulbs of gas before them.

"Bloody hell!" Rebecca swore as she tore the strip Maureen had grabbed from her skirt revealing the lighter, thinner layer beneath. "I got this on the Royal Mile! Cost me a fortune!" her voice was sharp as she shifted about. 

Maureen lowered herself from the girder she had latched onto and looked around. " Looks lie someone doesn't want us ot leave," she joked looking around. The corridor had crumpled on either end of them leaving extremely narrow gaps, most to small even for a nimble child to crawl through.

"John?" Stefania asked softly as she sat up ignoring the vomit her skirts had picked up. She reached out and touched his scalp her delicate fingers coming away wet and red. She gasped and reached for her handkerchief. "John?" can you hear me?" she asked.

Rebecca and Maureen knelt at his side and looked at each other. "Bloody typical," growled Rebecca and Stefania jerked back shocked by her words.

"How dare you!' Stefania snapped only to have Maureen break out laughing. 

"You're new," Maureen grinned. "John here, has a bad habit of not paying attention and getting hurt. Watch and learn." She winked at Stefania as she reached into John's sporran. removing her hand she held it out to show Stefania small metal tubes with caps on the end before handing them over to Rebecca.

"What are you doing?" Stefania asked puzzled. 

"Getting us out of here," Rebecca grinned as she placed the tubes and removed the end caps take cover she said ducking behind a steel girder.

The explosion filled the corridor with with smoke and light followed by a woosh as the outside air rushed in. "Help me carry him," Rebecca ordered Stefania as fresh air filled the corridor.

To be continued........