| Chapter Eight - Re-appraisal & Flight |
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The captain's mood had changed. He had bid farewell to Tom, whose expression had been one of seriousness while he whispered secrectively
in the captain's ear and forced a wrinkled piece of paper into the his hand before taking his leave, To this day, I know not what he
said but upon our entry into laboratory Sadeian's mood had darkened considerably with a barely restrained fury seething behind his eyes.
"I'm afraid I must retire to my quarters immediately" he uttered sharply. My expression must have betrayed the confusion and
uncertainty I felt as his eyes then softened and he placed his hand on my shoulder "We will speak of matters in the morning, lad. Good
night." With that, he stalked to his chambers like an irritated feline.
Sadeian's abrupt exit had unsettled me. I slumped into my armchair with a glass of french brandy, watching the hazy light of the laboratory languidly reflecting from its gently undulating surface. I sipped slowly from the fine crystal glass, savouring the delicate flavours of the liquid and the soothing glow that flowed into my being, relaxing tight muscles and easing the tension in my mind as it pleasingly completed its journey to my stomach. Objective thought slowly became possible. The sudden outburst had caused me to re-appraise the captain. It suddenly came to me that I really had no idea just who Sadeian, the man, was. We seemed to have developed a close bond in the months since our first meeting. We had a productive and effective working relationship which frequently bubbled over into childlike humour and boyish mischeviousness. We enjoyed intellectually stumlating discussions and often "set the world to rights" of an evening. He could be an expansive and indulgent friend but to balance this he also had a tendancy to descend into long brooding silences and had an unwillingness to discuss his past, in particular he was reticent when questioned about the loss of use of his hand. The steady appearance of a number of shadowy companions was beginning to trouble me also, and by the time I had reached the bottom of my glass I had resolved to somehow learn more about the captains dealings. Feeling more content for having arrived at my descision, I retired to my quarters and slept well. I awoke easily with the dawn with a feeling of anticipation. I washed, dressed and scaled the grassy mound of our bunker with my morning cup of Earl Grey. I sat and watched the glowing red orb of the sun rise lazily, almost reluctantly, over the horizon. The sunlight kissed the earth and advanced towards me like a golden wave, illuminating the natural landscape before me and invigorating my soul. Sighing, I returned to the laboratory where further study and more importantly, breakfast, awaited. I had just heartily dispatched a breakfast of gammon and eggs, when the captain appeared in the doorway with a wide smile on his face. So eager was he to share his thoughts he had apparently neglected even to wash and shave before entering the room. He had clearly been pondering his predicament for a majority of the night and had found a route to improve his mood. Tossing a book on the table in front of me, he went on to explain the source of his ill temper the previous night, one with which I was well acquainted - financial difficulties. He went on to announce he had a way of both continuing our project and replenishing his family coffers, I raised an eyebrow in bemusement. "Ever wanted to be a smuggler?" he enquired with an earnest joviality. The captain observed me with amusement, watching the range of emotions play out in my expressions: intial shock, replaced by thoughtfulness, with this eventually being chased away with acceptance and, I have to admit, a wry grin. I was a still a young man and the thought of being a buccaneer was full of appeal, even if it did lack the king's approval. My opinion of the captain shifted further, he certainly was a rogue and one I wanted to know more about. As if in answer to this thought my gaze swept across the table and was captured by the book the captain had so casually thrown before me - a tome on geneology, that of the Sadeian family to be precise. I resisted the urge to grasp its cover and read it immediately, now was not the time, I would find the right moment and the courage to ask to view it later. The next few days offered no opportunity, for we were busied running tests on our wonderful creation and making some alterations to the troop area, to allow the stowage of cargo in place of its intended burden of flesh and bone. To this end we adpated traditional sea-fishing nets which I acquired from an old friend who had sheltered me in my early days just outside the capital. These nets would prevent any precious booty from moving around too much and acquiring damage, even if the initial smell left much to be desired. "At least we will smell like real pirates!" I quppied to the captain who playfully clipped me round the ear. The re-fit completed, it was time to fly. We had tested the great steam engine and the other mechanical parts as thoroughly as possible the previous day. Despite this, my fingers still trembled upon the ships wheel as we taxied the craft to the end of our runway at the extremity of the captains grounds. We turned to view the flattened strip that the workers had painstakingly mowed for us. There was no more time for study, no more tests, no more pondering - this was it. I looked at the captain. "Its time to make history my boy" he said calmly. "Either that, or we are about to create the most expensive pile of rubble and twisted metal the empire has ever witnessed......" I replied with a grin, and a bravado I didnt really feel. "Our appointment with fate awaits old boy, and the lady doesnt like to be kept waiting" he replied, his face a mask of excitement and nerves, "Shall we dance?......" I nodded and with that he firmly but steadily pulled out the brass rod producing a growing tide of power and a throaty growl from the ship's engine. We catapulted forward and following my notes which jostled around in front of me as we rumbled across the uneven ground, I pulled the lever to my left which raised my tail elevators and angled the wing flaps to produce maximum lift at a calculated speed, this coupled with the captain producing optimum thrust sent us soaring in the skies, clearing the ruined pillars of the captains former mansion by scant feet. Had the building still stood then our new enterpise would have faltered permanently at a very early stage. Rising to the peak of our ascent, I banked the craft to the right and altered our course, heading for the far off cornish coast. It seemed that the captain had yet another "associate", to add to the aleady lengthy list, whose counsel he sought at the end of our maiden voyage. All such thoughts evaporated from my mind as I revelled in the wonder of flight. We seemed high enough to reach out and touch the clouds as I put our bird through its paces; starting first with some elementary moves and advancing into more complex manouvers as I gained confidence. She was surpisingly agile given her size, and I felt an immense pride in our creation. The look of elation and satisfaction on the captains features clearly showed that he was experiencing the same feelings as I. Looking down out of the lower viewing porthole of our bridge, I saw a number of swans gracefully flying over a lake which cast back their reflection to me, silohetted against the mirror image of our metallic bird, it was a beautiful sight, and one which has never left me. That first flight remains one of the happiest moments of my life and filled us with a great optimism as we laughed and joked our way to the coast, it was the beginning of a new chapter in our lives........ |
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