One by one, excited passengers start climbing to the Promenade on the deck above so they can have a view of Geneva at night without being blinded by the inside lighting. The Promenade's lighting is kept much softer for that purpose.
"As we're approaching the city," says Antioch, "I suggest we join the others on the promenade. The view of the city should be quite spectacular." He waits for Catherine to stand before rising from the table, hoping to offer her his arm.
“A capital idea” Jean-Michel seconds as he gazes towards the ever-growing exodus wending its way towards the Promenade-bound stairs. “It is very seldom that I am afforded the opportunity to fully enjoy the view on the final approach during landing. This shall be a rare treat indeed!” He also looks at Catherine, hopeful. She has not yet indicated a preference towards Antioch, Belpaire, himself, or anyone else for that matter. While it would be an honour and a pleasant privilege to escort her, ultimately the choice will be hers and hers alone. "After all, only a cad would force his company on an unwilling lady!" he thinks.
Louis Leopold also mixes in the conversation. "I'd be delighted to join you. Though, on deck you will have to excuse me as I have to pursue my duty for the publishing company, so generously sending me on a trip like this"
Saying this, he rises and slowly walks to the cloak room. There, he fetches a light linen jacket and slings it over his shoulder. Reaching to the spot where the jacket had just been, he grabs a small sketchbook and a cigarette box, obviously covered by the jacket until now. He opens the box, and suddenly seems to forget the outside world, only paying notice to the different pens, pencils and drawing implements the box contains, rearrainging them, weighing them in his hands... The others are faintly remembered of a picture of a marksman, loading and inspecting his rifle just before a hunting party.
This takes two, may be tree seconds. Then the draughtsman closes the box again and it seems as if the sound of closing the lid, though barely audible, suddenly awakes him from a far dream, as if it were a headmaster's ruler, slapped with full force on the desk of a daydreaming pupil. "Gentlemen, Milady, Let us go. "
Having already taken one step in direction of the doors, suddenly, he turns his head, as if he's forgotten something and addreses Jean-Michel in a 'by the way' tone: "Aach, Monsieur de-la-Vierge, no excuse. After the landing, you'll have to tell me all about your airship. I recently had to make some drawings of the newest Tissandier Dirigeable and it would be a pleasure to hear the point of view from a far-traveled aeronaut like yours."
Jean-Michel bows his head in acknowledgement of the praise but adds apologetically, “I regret that I have a prior engagement with Monsieur Antioch to discuss engines and other sundry mechanical matters. If he is agreeable, I have no objection to engaging in a group discussion." He is unsure whether Miss Palmer would be interested or not but includes her with a gesture. "In any event, my final destination is Bayern so there shall be ample time to exchange opinions, points of view, stories, etc., etc.”
Despite her table companions' best efforts, Catherine has remained somewhat absent-minded, if unfailingly charming, throughout dinner. Clearly, something is on her mind. Every once in a while, her eyes seem to stray over to the other tables, as if looking for someone. When everybody starts getting up, she quickly picks up her reticule and excuses herself, having apparently heard not a single word from her companions' last exchange. Smiling distractedly, she nods to Antioch, Jean-Michel and Louis Leopold, then slips away, apparently trying to follow someone in the movement of the crowd.
Antioch, Jean-Michel and Louis Leopold are left a little surprised and hesitate for a moment. The crowd movement towards the Forward Promenade is now in full swing. The three men look at one another, and almost without thinking find themselves following the crowd. The sight of the First Officer at the top of the Forward stairs, keeping an eye on the passengers and acting almost as a host, reminds them of their intention to get a private tour of the ship.
With an air of growing concern Jean-Michel turns to Louis Leopold. “If you believe this would be an opportune time to speak with the First Officer to arrange a tour then I shall travel ahead and endeavour to secure a vantage point suitable for your requirements. Otherwise we must needs move apace for the crowd grows ever larger.”
"Hmm", thinks Belpaire, and for one moment it seems that, though no sound left his mouth, his companions the blonde helmsman and the Dwarf could hear the sigh. The next moment the draughtsman is adressing the officer. His companions can hear an 'Excuse me, Sir..", followed by a long stream of words out of which they will recognise some names like 'Hetzel Publishers', 'Jules Verne', 'Nadar the aeronaut', 'the brothers Tissandier', as well as their own names.
The First Officer smiles cordially at Belpaire. He gestures at his companions, who are still a few paces back. "Pleased to meet you, gentlemen. I am Leutnant Wilhelm von Locke, Koeniglich Bayerisch Aerokriegsmarine (Royal Bavarian Aeronavy), 1st Aerotransport Division." He salutes, as Belpaire makes the introductions.
"Captain Jean-Michel du Pont-de-la-Vierge, of the airship Nuage d'Or... Doctor Antioch, recently of the Stockholm Academy of Science." Everyone exchanges calling cards, even the officer, and shakes hands. Von Locke motions the travelers away from the stairs, walking a few steps towards the windows of the Promenade. "Keenly interested in aeronautics, I understand?" he says in a light tone. "You may want to enjoy the view of Geneva as we make our final approach..." He gestures towards the expanse of countryside visible from the Promenade.
It is not quite dark yet, although it is dark enough to require artificial lighting to read. Against the dusky sky to the southeast, that is straight ahead as a gorgeous backdrop, the travelers can see the imposing silhouette of the Mont-Blanc, highest mountain in Europe, about 80 km away in Haute-Savoie, France. Craddled between the Juras and the Alps, Lake Leman curves like a bow to frame the distant view of the mountain. Geneva lies at the western tip of the lake, while Lausanne rests almost at its apex on the north bank. Geneva is draped from the lower reaches of mount Salève to the shores of the lake, with medieval fortifications still clearly visible. Towers and church spires bristle, although not as aggressive and tight-packed as they were in Paris. Streetlights have been lit, making the city sparkle like a jewel.
The Parsifal descends rapidly, too rapidly in view of certain passengers, although neither Lt. von Locke nor Jean-Michel seemed concerned. Nevertheless, oohs and aahs and even eeeks! abound. The airship comes in relatively high above the Juras mountains, but then slows its translational movement to a crawl above the lake while rapidly accelerating its downward movement. The city - and the lake's waves - seem to expand like an inflated balloon under the airship. Rattled passengers grab the railing tightly with whitened knucles. Then the Parsifal's plummet seems to stop as suddenly, and it's only then that everyone realises that not once have they felt the airship's movement. No rocking, swaying, or rolling; the airship feels steady as the ground. Jean-Michel is sharply reminded of the Nuage d'Or's rocky ride across the Atlantic...
Slowly, as a butterfly lazily approaching a flower, the Parsifal glides to the west of Geneva, where the Royal Luftschwansa of Bayern has built its station on the flatter bank of Lake Leman. As in Paris, a tall mooring mast awaits in the brightly lit airfield, with ground crews standing by.
Von Locke turns again to the travelers. He is a dapper young man of about thirty, with sandy blond hair, a well trimmed beard, and laughing blue eyes. He wears his dashing uniform with great panache, and the travelers can see the ribbons of several decorations on his chest. "I hope the trip has not disappointed you so far?" he smiles.
“Au contraire!” Jean-Michel enthusiastically replies. “Your pilot is a credit to the profession as is the rest of your crew. I wish to tender my sincerest respect and admiration on their exceptional handling of such a wondrous airship.” He feels a slight twinge of guilt, as if his honest compliment were somehow an infidelity to his cher Nuage or a belittling of his own loyal crew. Briefly he wonders how the Parsifal and her crew would manage under conditions other than these safe skies but no, she is much too elegant and refined to even consider less civilized surroundings. This is her natural habitat, the realm where she and her kind rightfully belong.
The First Officer chuckles. "I understand you wish for a guided tour of the Parsifal. As you might guess, this is not an unusual request, which is why we have an offical tour tomorrow night. However, I am currently off-duty and would happy to escort you on a visit of our airship. But," he raises one finger in a warning gesture, "you have to understand that acces in certain areas is restricted. Of course an inventor, a aeronaut and a reporter" (he bows to each in turn) "will be eager to see details that may be considered to the safety of the Bayernese Kingdom. In this case, I ask you to curb your enthusiasm. I will indicate those restricted areas as we pass them. Is this agreeed?"
The draughtsman immediately agrees, then looks to his two compagnons. Antioch smiles and nods head. Any tour would be better than nothing. He readily agrees to the officer's conditions.
Jean-Michel also nods his agreement. He is disappointed that he will not be seeing the Sorcerous Engines; however, he is certain there shall be other worthwhile sights during the tour, particularly the electric lighting which he deems much safer to use than an open flame in the presence of normal hydrogen. Another matter to consider is that Lt. von Locke is under no obligation to extend them the courtesy of this tour so if certain areas are closed to them, whether for reasons of national security or simply out of concern for their safety, it would certainly be the mark of a bad guest to disregard the wishes of his host especially when the intent is to protect the guest’s continued well-being.
The First Officer claps his hands in approval. "Excellent! We're
all agreed, then! If you will follow me?"
Adjoining the Main Promenade is a bar, where several distinguished patrons, nearly all male, have congregated. At least three or four ladies are also partaking in the refreshments, however. The bar proper is a splendor of ornately carved mahogany, with a gleaming rail of polished brass, backed by a large cut-glass mirror. Only by looking at it closely can one realise the apparently massive mahogany counter is actually thin, light-weight wood facing while the railing is only plated..
Leutnant von Locke salutes the passengers graciously but quickly, without pausing to engage in conversation. Once past the bar, he winks for his three charges' benefit. "That is the most dangerous spot on the entire airship," he comments. "One false move and you can find yourself entangled in conversation, plied with unrequested drinks - at least when you wear anything resembling a uniform."
Beyond the bar area is a large room, taking most of the port side in the forward half of the airship. Von Locke points to it with his right hand. "This is the Gymnasium," he says. "It contains the most modern exercising contraptions, as well as traditional items like parallel bars, hoops, saw-horses and so forth. More combative passengers sometimes come here to settle a quarrel under the guise of practicing fencing. No 'first blood', of course..."
With his left hand, he points across to starboard. "And on that side," he continues, "you have the Lower Library. There is an Upper Library on Deck Two, used mainly by the First-Class passengers. You can find the most recent newspapers, as picked up at our last stop, as well as references on a variety of topics." He keeps walking past towards the mid-ship stairs. "Ahead of us are Second-Class cabins on this deck, so we'll climb to Deck Three." As everything on the ship, the appearance of massive solidity and sturdiness of the staircase is a disguise for light-weight materials, revealed upon attentive inspection.
The First Officer looks at his three companions to make sure they are all following, then climbs up to the next deck. There, he stops to point towards the nose of the airship in a dismissive gesture. "Forward are the Middle Smoking Room and Middle Sitting Room, and aft," he points in the other direction, "is the Small Dining Room and Ball Room. I thought we would keep going to more, shall we say 'esoteric' parts of the Parsifal. I will be happy to explore the more mundane areas with you later if you are interested, but as you have the run of decks One through Eight, I assumed you would explore those more at your leisure."
With this, he starts climbing again, stopping on the landing of Deck Two to point out the Upper Library, Upper Smoking Room, and Upper Sitting Room, and on the First Deck to mention the First-Class Promenade and the König Suite. Upon reaching that level, he walks a little ways to get to a locked door marked "Crew Only." Opening it with a small key of dull-looking grey metal, he reveals another set of spiraling stairs leading up only, very utilitarian with none of the elegance of the main mid-ship stairways. He gestures for Antioch, Jean-Michel and Belpaire to precede him. "Go ahead, gentlemen, I have to lock behind us."
The three file in, waiting for him to close the door again. The electric lighting, very discrete in the passenger areas, is used here with its full power. The visitors are impressed by the brightness, whiteness and steadiness of the light produced, so unlike the yellow flickering of flame. There is, however, something very "dry" about this lighting, and the artist in Belpaire wonders how unkind this lighting would be to a lady's complexion, compared to the more forgiving glow of gaslights, oil lamps or candles.
Von Locke squeezes past the three travelers, and climbs the spiral staircase. It seems like a climb of perhaps six meters, and by then the passengers are becoming a little annoyed with all this climbing. Finally, they reach another door, necessitating a different key. The lieutenant turns towards his companions and grins. "Welcome to the cathedral," he says as he pushes the door open and steps through.
Beyond is an immense space, like a dark yet glittering cavern. It stretches ahead, then up, overhead, arcing back to come down again in a colossal circle. As their eyes get acquainted with the moderate level of lighting, as well as the startling proportions, the travelers realise that they are standing roughly mid-ship in the gas bag itself, or rather its armature and envelope. A gigantic rib of Dwarvish alloy encircles them, creating the cathedral effect the First Officer has just mentioned. When they turn to their left and right, they see huge balloons of rubberish-looking material, individual cells no doubt filled with the gas that provides the airship's lift. The immense bladders are perhaps fifteen meters across, and looking at them too long makes the observer uncomfortable, as if they just HAD to blow up... In truth, thinks Jean-Michel, this is so huge that if the gas bladders were removed, his beloved Nuage d'Or could fit inside the gas bag's armature and have space to manoeuvre!
Almost forgotten behind the visitors, Leutnant von Locke close the door and turns the key. "At this point, I will be happy to answer your questions to the best of my abilities," he says in a mild tone, with just a hint of humour.
Dozens of questions race through Jean-Michel’s brain. How do the Sorcerous Engines work? What is Parsifal’s maximum carrying capacity? What is the crew complement? What is the range, the maximum altitude achievable, the boiler output, emergency dive capability, maximum torque rating of the propellers, how does one apply for a helmsman position…? That last thought serves to cool his curiosity somewhat. He reminds himself that his place is not here, that his duty lies elsewhere and there are others who are waiting… no, depending upon him. With an effort, he re-directs his thoughts towards a more appropriate and useful line of questions. “The electrical lighting,” he gestures towards the dim luminescence, “How is it produced and distributed?”
The First Officer nods. "Ah, yes," he says, " that is a novelty, isn't it?" He gestures in the direction of one of the electrical lamps, then starts walking down the gangway towards it in slow steps, his hands behind his back. "The electrical lighting is an interesting feature, and I fully expect it to become very popular ground-side within the next few years. We produce electrical power on board using an experimental design created by Professor Théophile Gramme, the dynamo." He turns to Louis ad adds, "I believe Professor Gramme is a compatriot of yours, from Belgium, although he currently works for Minister Verne."
Reaching the lighting fixture, he uses his impeccably clean handkerchief to pull the outer quartz casing to allow the visitors to see the glass bulb inside. "The sleeve is made of quartz rather than glass for added resistance," he comments. "Although Bayern's airships are remarkably stable, they are not immune to storms, and a storm is exactly the time when you don't want to lose lighting! The bulb inside contains a very small filament of carbon, heated to incandescence by the power of the electrical current. These were invented by an American, Thomas Edison. Rather clever, I must say." He replaces the quartz tube and turns to his audience.
"The most recent improvement to the system is an innovation that was suggested by the Man from Beyond the Faerie Veil, the famous Tom Olam. Instead of using coal or even oil or gas to produce steam, our dynamo is powered by the energy of the sun itself!" Von Locke pauses dramatically to allow his listeners a moment of disbelief, then starts walking again towards the center of the huge structural ring supporting the envelope of the outer gas bag. He points upward. "After hearing Master Olam mention the benefits of harnessing a power source which is free, inexhaustible and omnipresent, Master Rhyme Enginemaster set some of his most gifted assistants to work on the idea. The Solar Capacitor is in its early stages and is very difficult to construct, but the Bavarian Ministry of Science and Education has high hopes for it. The Capacitor requires, in particular, an extremely flat and smooth surface, as well as a very delicate coating to be able to store the sun's energy, but our Sorcerous Engineers are becoming more and more successful at it. This allows our airships to travel very light. I would gladly offer to show these to you, but it is quite an adventure to access them as they are set on the top surface of the gas envelope, and it is currently dark anyway. The Solar Capacitors work the dynamo at night, and the electricity produced is stored in a Voltaic pile."
The lieutenant turns around and indicates the massive gas bladders looming around the visitors. "Another point of interest is the actual gas bags that provide the lift for our airship. Until very recently, we used hydrogen that was ensorcelled to reduce the risk of fire, but we have just replaced this with helium, heavier but inert. We have compensated by making the ship and everything it contains as light as possible, which is helped by the fact that we do not need to store fuel or boilers anymore. The decision to use helium was done both for safety reasons and because the skills required to ensorcel the massive quantities of hydrogen required can be put to better use, for example on developing new inventions such as the Solar Capacitor."
“Most impressive!” While suitably awed at these truly amazing advances in Science, Jean-Michel tactfully does not point out the drawbacks of using fragile, difficult-to-repair and fully exposed Solar Capacitors when travelling in areas which might have more than the slightest potential for airship-to-airship combat. He is curious about the weight tradeoff between boilers and fuel versus decreased carrying capability when using helium; while the decreased risk of fire is attractive in the extreme, the Nuage already carries more than her share of extra weight. Although it has repeatedly proven its worth he does not believe her design would be amenable to converting from hydrogen to helium anyway. There is also the matter of where to procure a reliable supply of helium; he knows from prior experience that hydrogen itself can at times be difficult to come by never mind a substance so exotic as helium. The electrical lighting, on the other hand, appears to be reasonably adaptable for use on the Nuage, at least so long as it can be powered by conventional steam boilers. This is certainly a subject worth discussing although probably at a later time. He gazes at both his comrades in turn, greatly desirous of presenting more questions yet not wishing to so boorish as to monopolize the lieutenant’s attention.
Meanwhile, Belpaire nodded in amazement. ELECTRICITY! So this was the true magic behind the Parsifal. Louis Leopold Belpaire couldn't help to wonder. After all the electrical devices he had drawn, understanding the power itself still seems somehow just out of reach for a normal human, even for a former engineering student like he was... The dynamo already seemed pure magic. You turn the axis on one side, and out of the other side comes pure electricity! Just imagine. The only part that he seemed to understand clearly was that there was some kind of caloric engine, some kind of Ericson or Stirling device, driving the device with the energy of the sun as it shines upon the hull... Let's see if at least that was right...
"So, Herr Von Locke, you mean to say that you are using the hull of this airship, the outside of this, as you call it, 'cathedral' as a giant solar mirror that provides the power for the Gramme dynamo to turn into electricity? But what about when you want to travel at night, or when you are in a thunderstorm, and the sun is blocked by the clouds above, excuse me, AROUND you? "
The next moment, he thought he could have slapped himself for his apparent stupidity. If the hull formed a solar mirror, it would have to be concave, in order to project all solar rays towards one point. A round form like a balloon or airship would do exactly the opposite: disperse the rays into all directions possible... Or would the Parsifal use the INSIDE of the hull? But what about the gas cells then?
But then, suddenly it all seemed believable. Not clear, but just believable. Modern techniques are full of opposites: This new Gramme dynamo was in fact nothing but a special kind of the Siemens electrical engine, used the other way round : generating electrical energy simply by turning the shaft, instead of using electricity to make the shaft turn, and recently, it was even discovered, that when applying energy to turn the shaft of a caloric engine, this causes the 'hot' cylinder of the engine to become cold. So may be, you had to 'invert' a convex solar mirror into a concave airship form in order to produce electrical energy. That could be possible ...
May be that even the whole ship was some kind of 'inverse-built' light bulb, devouring sun-rays and turning them into electricity, just like the electrical lamp, the officer just shown to them, uses electricity to produce light, only the other way round...
The First Officer shakes his head. "Of course the Solar Capacitor cannot work at all times; that is why we have the Voltaic pile to store the Electricity produced." He glances at Jean-Michel, smiling. "I noticed by your expression, sir, that you seemed to harbour some reservations about the trade-off between Solar Capacitors and boilers. I would be happy to chat about it further with you gentlemen over port and cigars, at some point. For now, allow me to drag you further and show you other points of interest."
He walks down the center of the 'cathedral', along the long axis of the airship. The gigantic rubber and silk gas envelopes are framed with catwalks to allow acces through the area. Von Locke walks to a sort of cage or construction in the center: perhaps three meters on a side, made of thin grey metal to form a sort of box; as the visitors walk closer, the mechanical equipment on top of the box give it away as a large elevator cage. The First Officer walks up to its sliding door, and sliding a key (yet another one?) into a small opening, activates the elevator.
A humming sound rolls for a moment, then the door slides open, revealing a lift probably used for large equipment. The rubber covering on the floor bears scuff marks and discolourations. A panel next to the door bears brass buttons numbered with the various deck levels. Lt. von Locke presses the one labelled "Deck Ten"; the door slides shut, and the lift starts shuddering. The lieutenant turns to his companions and grins again. "The Bridge is on Deck Ten," he explains.
As the lift descends, Jean-Michel is rather subdued despite his inward excitement as he anticipates viewing the Bridge. Either Lt. von Locke is better at reading expressions than he has given him credit for or else Jean-Michel is less adept at dissembling his emotions than he believes. Regardless of which of these is the case, he is greatly relieved that the Lieutenant has not taken offence at his reaction. He has known various Captains and crews of steamship, riverboat and airship alike who take exception at the slightest hint of an insult to their vessel and act immediately to remedy the situation while dispensing entirely with such formalities as Demanding Satisfaction, appointing seconds and such. To this day he distinctly recalls that unfortunate incident in Cayo Tiburon between his crew and that of the Harpy, particularly the point at which her Captain arrived on the scene...
Fortunately the Parsifal is more civilized than certain areas of Florida, and Lt. von Locke has in every instance comported himself in a manner becoming a gentleman in his position. Jean-Michel resolves to meet with the Lieutenant later if at all possible and endeavour to make amends for his earlier, unintended discourtesy.
The lift vibrates down to a halt, and a bell rings once. The doors slide open and von Locke steps out, followed by Belpaire, Antioch and Jean-Michel. The travelers are looking around expectantly, but find themselves in a rather drab corridor that has none of the elegance of the upper levels. The metal deck is covered with India rubber and the walls are painted grey. However, the corridor is much wider here than on the passenger decks, and at regular interval are set portholes of brass and crystal.
Peeking through, the visitors can catch glimpses of Geneva and Lake Leman. In the distance, across the airfield, they can even make out the silhouettes of a few other airships! Jean-Michel's practiced eye recognizes the bulky shape of a Prussian steam zeppelin, probably a Clausewitz-class. A shiver of mixed dread and curiosity runs down the back of those who are familiar with these machines, much like watching a tiger at the zoo. Someday, it might get free... A few small steam airships also dot the airfield, mostly odd constructions showing their inventors' individuality and creativity; one elegant Bayernese aerovette is departing, despite the darkness. As she turns away to the northeast, she sends a few pulses of semaphore lights in the direction of the Parsifal; although they can't see where the latter's semaphore lights are mounted from the portholes, Jean-Michel, Belpaire and Antioch can see an answering glow flicker briefly.
The First Officer starts walking down toward the prow of the airship,
making sure his charges are following. He nods towards the bulkheads,
commenting: "All bulkheads in sensitive areas are laced with fibers of
Cold Iron, to prevent unauthorized access by uninvited Faerie guests.
Appropriate Sorcerous detectors are also installed in various places to
monitor other types of intruders. You'd be surprised how many travelers
embarass themselves by ignoring regulations..." As he speaks, he
heads towards a large mahogany (or mahogany-plated) door at the end of
the corridor.
Towards the center of the room, with his back to the door, an officer sits in a large chair drinking coffee in a china cup, keeping an eye on the activity in the room. Three young officers, apparently enseigns and a midshipman, are speaking in low voices in a corner, poring over maps and charts, while a lieutenant is busy making some calculations with a slide rule. Midway between the sitting officer and the portholed bulkhead is a large Captain's wheel, with the coxswain standing near it at rest. Levers, handles, switches, buttons and dials protrude from everywhere.
Van Locke walks up to the bridge officer and salutes smartly. "Good evening, Sir! Permission to bring visitors on the bridge?"
The man in the chair puts his coffee down and turns to look at the newcomer. He nods once. "Permission granted." His voice is a nice baritone.
The lieutenant gestures for his charges to come forward. "Captain, may I introduce Master Antioch, an inventor; Monsieur Louis Leopold Belpaire, artist and reporter for 'Le Soir Illustré' of Paris; and Monsieur Jean-Michel du Pont-de-la-Vierge, an airshipman himself. Gentlemen, Captain Rolf von Vietinghoff, master on board the Parsifal after God."
The captain stands and nods to the visitors. He sports a brown beard with silver threads running through it, and under it his face is lean and sharp. His piercing eyes seem to assess the three travelers at a glance. When they approach, he shakes their hand in turn, with a firm grip.
Noticing their fascination with the entire bridge, he nods again to von Locke, and sits back in his chair. The First Officer's eyes crinkle with humour, and he turns back to the visitors. "Gentlemen, I am sure you are interested in learning how the airship is controlled from this bridge. This Captain's wheel swivels a projector crystal in the base of the Parsifal's superstructure, while the power of the spell is affected by levers that control the rate at which the Spell Engines' mechanisms are turning. Power to the Engines is generated, as I mentioned earlier, by our Solar Capacitors, although we do have a backup boiler.
"For utter secrecy, the Magnetic Spell Engines are mounted within massive alloy cylinders in the very of Deck Twelve, and are accessible only through a small opening in the upper part. This thick hatch can only be opened by simultaneously turning two special keys; one is held by Captain von Vietinghoff, the other by the Chief Engineer, similar to the system used by the Bank of England to protect its railway safes."
As the First Officer gives this description, the visitors notice that not only the captain is keeping a cautious eye on them, but also a woman they notice for the first time. She is rather petite, no more than 5'3" and of slight build; she is perhaps forty-five years old, but her blond hair, piled up to add to her height, does not show a trace of grey, and her figure is excellent. Most surprising is her outfit; she wears the uniform of the Royal Bavarian Aeronavy - and wears it well.
Noticing her sharp glance, von Locke salutes her respectfully. "Madam!" He turns to the travelers. "Let me introduce Fraü Patrizia Ehrenburg, Sorcerous Security Officer on board. She is in charge of all thaumic security measures for the Parsifal. Fraü Ehrenburg also teaches Military Sorcery at the Royal Military Academy of Munich."
The Security Officer looks sternly at the three newcomers, and particularly at Antioch. "Good evening," she says in a contralto that could be lovely, but sounds rather arctic. Von Locke exchanges a glance with her, then sighs. "All right, gentlemen, I'm afraid we've reached the end of the tour. Are there any questions before we return to the passenger decks?"
Although he can hardly fault Madame Ehrenburg for pursuing the duties of her office, Jean-Michel mislikes the turn the tour has taken. Ah well, best not to overstay their welcome and potentially jeopardize the Leutnant’s good standing with his fellow officers. He can think of no questions that cannot be held until a more appropriate time so he simply shakes his head. Antioch and Belpaire look at one another, then shake their heads as well.
The First Officer nods. "Very well, then, let us get back to the upper decks." He salutes again as he leaves the bridge, then escorts Belpaire, Jean-Michel and Antioch to the lift. The four of them quickly ascend to the Fifth Deck, where they had dinner earlier. When they get out of the lift on that deck, the travelers have a chance to admire how discretely the service lift is hidden (and locked) to avoid marring the elegance of the passenger deck.
"Well, gentlemen, I'm afraid I shall have to be on duty shortly, but I am free tomorrow night, and would be happy to meet you for a glass of after-dinner port wine if you so desire. I shall be in the Lower Smoking Room after dinner." He bows politely, then takes his leave.
The rest of the evening goes quietly, as Jean-Michel, Antioch and Belpaire
retire to discuss their impressions of the airship and compare it with
the performance and conception of other vessels, both aerian and sea-going.
It is late into the night when they finally return to their respective
berths.
Jean-Michel hastens through breakfast as quickly as manners will allow then hurries to the Promenade to secure a good vantage point. His intention is to view the departure then continue to explore the Parsifal but somehow he finds the ever-changing view irresistible. His youthful, near-boyish fascination with the snow-covered mountains is a cause for quiet amusement among several of the other passengers, one of whom finally summons enough nerve to approach him and ask the reason for his intense interest. It is difficult to say whether Jean-Michel is oblivious to the others’ mirth or merely unruffled by it; whichever the case, he simply replies, “I have never seen so much snow before.”
Marseilles proves to be nearly as fascinating as the mountains, with a sense of age and history to rival Paris. He regrets there is not enough time today to tour the city however, once the demands of family business are satisfied, he hopes he shall be able to return and indulge his curiosity at his own pace.
Lunch is a more leisurely affair as Jean-Michel at least attempts to be a better companion than he had been at breakfast, taking the time now to engage in actual conversation. Shortly after lunch finds him at the Promenade yet again, however the view does not appear to be so interesting now and after a time he ambles through the various decks. He endeavours to mingle among the other passengers making new acquaintances and, hopefully, new contacts in preparation for the time when the Nuage d’Or shall rise again.
Well before Rome comes into view, however, he returns once more to the Promenade so as to ensure he will not miss the first sighting of this famous city, key to so many of histories greatest events. He especially hopes they will be able to at least glimpse the Vatican.
