Alec looked down at me with a grin. “So it appears I’m still infallible. They’re more interested in showing their might throughout the city than in confronting us.” When I didn’t respond, he hugged me tighter. “Let’s go look at those airship models. I want to see how the electric battery is working.”

I let him lead me over to where a group of boys watched the miniature airships race, but my mind wasn’t easy. I’d heard the way the general and the governor had talked, and I was fairly certain we hadn’t yet seen the full show of force.

The boys watching the airship races suddenly began shouting and waving, and I saw a cluster of oblong shapes heading through the air toward us from the fort on Governor’s Island, across the harbor. “Airships!” the boys cried out, and they stood gaping as the shapes grew larger. It wasn’t long before the first ship had tethered at the West Battery fort near us. The boys cheered and ran to get a closer view, apparently thinking this was just another mechanical demonstration.

Soon, all the children had noticed the airships and were running to see them. I couldn’t blame them for running. The ships were magnificent. It was incredible to imagine that something so large could fly.

The gangplank on the lead ship lowered, and red-coated soldiers marched down it in tight formation. In an odd burst of premonition, I knew what would happen next, but I didn’t have the chance to cry out a warning.

In Which Things Do Not Go According to Plan

IN WHICH THINGS DO NOT GO ACCORDING TO PLAN

The soldiers saw a ragged, unruly horde rushing at them and reacted instinctively, before they could tell that it was only a mass of children wanting to see the amazing magical airships. Two soldiers in the front rank fired into the crowd, and soon the cries of joy turned into screams of terror. The children turned and ran away, only to collide with those coming from behind who didn’t yet know what had happened. In all the confusion, the soldiers still didn’t realize these were merely children rather than a mob of assailants, and they continued firing.

I sagged against Alec in horror, whispering, “No!”

He pushed me upright, grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eye, and said, “Verity! Get the children on the bus, now!”

I pulled myself together and hurried to collect the children who hadn’t rushed toward the airships. Alec ran to Bessie while Lizzie and the other girls confronted the soldiers.

“Hold your fire!” I heard an officer shouting above the tumult.

“These are children! How dare you fire on children! They just wanted to see the airships!” Lizzie screeched at the top of her lungs.