Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

They’re chasing a myth in the name of science.

Calliope works for her explorer father as an artist, recording what he brings back from his journeys in her sketchbooks. When she’s given a chance to go along on a trip to capture a sea serpent she doesn’t hesitate.

Life at sea isn't what she expected, and she ends up fascinated by the engine room of the steamship HMRV Peregrine. A tragedy makes her assistant engineer, but Pentam, her father’s protégé, is even more determined than her father to make Cal a fine lady. That means protecting her from danger, even if it drives her crazy.
When science and legend collide, Cal is the one who must take up the challenge of survival, even if it means risking her new-found feelings for Pentam.

Calliope

 "Good news and bad news." Cal tried to keep her voice as matter of fact as Henrichs. "The pressure relief valve took a hit and we've lost most of our pressure. We won't be able to replace it until the boiler's cool. I've shut down the fire. We should be able to work on it by tomorrow. Good news is we have plenty of parts, and so far there is no other damage we've detected. We won't know about the engine until we fire it up."


"You've ordered a shut down, and set repair in motion?" Captain Cully's voice sounded strange. 


"Should I have checked with you first?" Cal's stomach twisted.


"No, you're the ranking engineer. Do what you need. I don't want to slow you down with asking permission for everything. Get it underway."


"We have no steerage." The Captain looked at Henrichs. "If we drift toward the weeds, I'll need volunteers to row to at least hold us steady."


"So all we need is a way to fix the rudder."


Chapter 39: The Maw of the Serpent Part 4