Hannah pressed her forepaws against the flight- deck window and peered out. The gold airship was still following: gaining on them. The purr of its propellers and the swoosh of its knife- sharp hull cutting through his clockwork innards.

Hannah let out a bark of signal as the stench of burning gas filled the air. The gold airship began to pull them in. John locked Dragonflies wheel and engaged her autopilot before throwing open the door of the escape pod. ‘Go Hannah!’ he shouted. John placed a pouch around the neck of his friend saying ‘ Head of Brackenbridge to give  Fillip tell him I love him.’

The Fox tore her eyes away and stared at her master. John’s ship,  Dragonfly, was fast but she had nothing in the way of firepower. The gold airship , by contrast, bristled with spiky weapons. A harpoon slashed across the sky and thudded into Dragonflies hull. Bang! Another harpoon pierced the stem.