A Little Present for The Holidays

Welcome to my December post for Romancing the Genres. As a small holiday present I thought I'd share some of my writing with you. It's not very often that I get to do something of this magnitude with my writing. Yet. The little excerpt is from my completed manuscript, which I am shopping around.

Phoenix Warriors: The Key of Magic is set within 1880. In my alternate history world, Prince Albert has survived his bout of Typhoid Fever and has come to rule alongside Queen Victoria.

"That's an airship." Callie couldn't believe her luck.
She stood on the ground staring up at the delightful invention outlined against the full moon. It stood as tall as the old sailing ships the Royal Navy used to use with their tall masts and sails. The airship was much like those ships on the bottom. But it was the top part of the machine that amazed her the most. It was like a giant puffy blue cloud against the dark night sky. The material ruffled in the wind for a second before a blast of heat blew the slack material taut.
"Have you ever ridden on one before?" Imogen's amused voice came up from her right.
Callie shook her head, a little intimidated at the thought of being so high. Anything could happen in the sky.
"Don't worry. Captain Hanks is great. He's been flying for years."
"I thought they were new." Callie looked to the deck of the ship.
One set of the crew were loading supplies from the deck while shouting and joking with each other. Another set of men then took the supplies down into the hold. Not only was Dante up there, but Blaise and his men were working right beside him. She had spotted several crates of interesting inventions coming aboard. Dante had told her there was even a place she could tinker with her clockworks in the hull.
"New only to those in London." Imogen spoke, but something in her voice told Callie she was hiding something.
Callie resettled her two bags on her shoulder and started up the wooden steps to the deck. Dante was waiting for her when she got to the top step holding his hand out to help her.

What do you envision an airship should look like? Would you ever ride one?