Excerpt from The Chess Machine by Robert Lohr, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

The Danube rolled lethargically past Pressburg and on along its course, divided by an island in the middle of it. Kempelen came up beside Tibor and pointed to a pontoon bridge linking the two banks. "See that? A floating bridge. If ships want to get past, the two halves of the bridge come apart and join up again later."

"A floating bridge?"

"Exactly. Extraordinary structure, don't you agree? Now ask me who built the bridge."

"Who did build the bridge?"

"Wolfgang von Kempelen. And a man who can build a floating bridge over the biggest river in Europe will surely be able to hide a dwarf in a piece of furniture." Kempelen knelt down beside Tibor and put a hand on his shoulder. "Take a good look at the city, because you won't be seeing much of it for the next few months."

"Why not?"

"Simple. Because none of the people of Pressburg must ever set eyes on you."

"What?"

"A man of your height who's also a brilliant chess player is living in the Kempelen household, and a few months later Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen unveils a chess-playing machine ... don't you think someone might put two and two together?"

Tibor's eyes lingered on St. Martin's Cathedral. He would very much have liked to see the Madonna there, just once.

"I'm sorry, but those are my conditions. Don't forget, I have far more to lose than you." Kempelen clapped Tibor encouragingly on the back. "But never fear, my house is a city in itself. You'll lack for nothing there." Kempelen stood up again, brushed the soil off his knees, and went back to the carriage. He stood there like a footman, holding the door open for Tibor, and sketched a bow.

"Now, your first rehearsal in keeping out of sight, please."

Tibor clambered into the barouche, and a little later the two of them crossed the river over Kempelen's pontoon bridge.

Excerpted from The Chess Machine by Robert Loer. Copyright © 2007 by Robert Loer. Excerpted by permission of Penguin Group. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.