The Adventures of Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer, volume 1

By Timm Gillick

A collection of Steampunk gentleman of adventure Felix Valentine stories, with his paramour Angeline Hunter, his friend and former Impossible Agent Rocky Bombera, and his brother Archer Valentine. Felix finds his way into and out of trouble using his wits, his fists, and his friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Timm Gillick
• Release date: Mar 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310273438

Timm Gillick

Writing since a young age, Timm has always been creative, whether writing and directing short films, to writing comics, short stories and novellas, or doing cosplay photography.

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The Adventures of Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer volume 1

By Timm Gillick

The Adventures of Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer volume 1

by Timm Gillick

Copyright 2015 Timm Gillick

Smashwords Edition

Other titles by Timm Gillick:

The Three Jack Voodoo: A Spider and Fortune Adventure

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer and the Evil Touch of Evil

Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer and the Daughter of the Horrible Octopus

Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer and The Curse of the Black Lion

Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer Meets the Impossible Agents

About Timm Gillick

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Felix Valentine, Gentleman Adventurer and The Evil Touch of Evil

Tell me once again why this woman wants to kill you, Felix, said Angeline Hunter, the voluptuous red-headed lady adventurer. It was one o’clock in the morning and she was on the train bound for Chicago with the love of her life, Felix Valentine. The Pullman car they rode in was a brand new 1932 model; the red upholstery not yet shiny from use. The scent of wood still hung in the air, but faintly and would fade all too soon for Felix’s taste. Angeline sat facing the engine as she hated riding backwards; Felix reclined in the seat across from her, his arms crossed and his gaze distant as he stared at the passing lights of small towns. The clickety-clack of the train wheels was almost mesmerizing in its rhythm and had been lulling Felix and Angeline into a near slumber. Angeline’s prompt was as much to keep her awake as to learn something of her lover’s past.

My brother Archer originally tried setting me up with this woman.

What was her name?

What? Felix had been about to start his story when Angeline took him in a different direction.

What was her name? I couldn't stand it if you keep calling her 'this woman.'

Her name was Emma Whitestone, and she was beautiful, at least on the outside. Inside she was horrific, one of the ugliest people I have ever encountered.

How? Angeline said.

How was she ugly? Angeline nodded. She was nice as pie as long as she got her way, which she used flattery to get. But when things didn't work out as she liked, she was spiteful and venomous.

And your brother wanted to set you up with this woman?

Felix nodded. He didn’t know what she was like at first. It wasn’t until she had us hanging over the Grand Canyon by our fingertips… Well, I’ll get to that.

The sun reflected off the placid surface of the lake and sparkled in our eyes as we looked out at the young couple in the rowboat. She was white and fragile-looking as porcelain, with blue-black hair framing her lovely face. Her dark, deepset eyes looked up playfully from under her white sunhat that matched her dress, right down to the pink ribbon tied into a bow.

He was a thickly-muscled young man with a healthy build and dark hair that was changing to an early gray. He pulled at the oars of the rowboat with even strokes, moving them steadily to a small island in the middle of the river. The picnic basket that sat between them in the boat held a red and white checkered blanket and a small lunch for the afternoon. A bottle of Bordeaux and two wineglasses completed the romantic meal.

Tell me about yourself, Miss Emma, said the young man.

She lowered her chin and smiled demurely, which Felix began to suspect was an act. What would you like to know, Felix?

Felix turned the oars and put the dripping ends carefully in the boat, letting them drift with the current. He looked Emma in the eye and said, Tell me why you are attempting to get my brother and I involved in a round of fisticuffs.

Whatever do you mean? Her shocked expression might have fooled him a couple of days ago, or even fool his brother now, but Felix was on to her conniving scheme and he didn't like it one bit.

Archer arranged for us to have dinner last week, and the theater, and this picnic today. He even had the lunch made by Sazani's, and paid for it himself. And yet you talk to him as you talk to me about a future together, leading him on while pretending that I am a suitor for your affections at the same time.

Emma’s smile faltered. Her eyebrows knit together in a partial scowl as she attempted to keep up the pretense. Yet Felix wouldn’t relent.

I saw how you flirted with my brother as he loaded this picnic basket into the boat for us. As he said this, the rowboat bumped ashore on the island. Felix jumped out, pulled the boat farther on shore and held out his hand for Emma.

Emma stared at the offered hand, her lips locked tight in disapproval of the direction this conversation had taken. After a moment, she took Felix’s hand and stepped daintily from the boat. Felix escorted her up to the grass on the shore then returned to retrieve the picnic basket.

He placed the basket at Emma’s feet, laid the blanket on the ground and held Emma’s hand as she sat. He then walked back to the boat, pushed it into the river and began to row away from the island.

Emma’s silence was due to incredulity at being left behind and it only fueled the fire burning in her eyes and in her heart. She vowed to herself that she would not let Felix Valentine get away with dismissing her.

Two weeks later, Felix and Archer were visiting the Grand Canyon, testing one of Felix’s new inventions: a warp chisel. Felix was sure it would revolutionize the mining industry. Depending on the settings, it could de-atomize any type of mineral and rematerialize it in another location within the range of the device. Archer’s airship, The Sky Arrow, a modified dirigible transported the warp chisel from Felix’s lab in New York to the Grand Canyon for testing, and was tethered to a large tree a few yards from the test area. Felix’s plan was to create a more navigable trail to the canyon floor with the chisel. If successful, he would sell the device to the United States government for use by the Army Corps of Engineers.

I’m not talking about her, Archer, said Felix. He tightened the next to last bolt on the stand for the warp chisel. "She did what she did. I am a little