Dawn of Steam: First Light

by Jeffrey Cook

  From the personal journals of Gregory Conan Watts,

  July 20th, 1815

  New York

  40º 47'N 073º 58'W

  Though most unexpected, we at last have some information about those people hired to oppose us. Valuable as it may be, I would have much preferred to have avoided the stress and worry that accompanied the discovery. I have nothing but Matthew Fisher-Swift's word that the events I am recording are factually true, but nonetheless I feel that I must record them. If true, then he has taken great risk upon himself, but done us a remarkable service.

  He told no one he was leaving the dirigible. After hearing about the difficulties we encountered on our way back from St. Louis, he had grown quite curious about what manner of people were hired opposite us. No one noticed he was missing for some hours, as Matthew is often absent from our company, crawling about the ship. Once his aunt noticed he was not responding to her calls, which usually raise a response of “In a minute, Aunt Ruth,” she raised quite the fuss, and the rest of us were quickly about trying to find him with no luck.

  According to his account, not thinking a whit on how dangerous such a mission might be, he went forth under cover of pre-dawn darkness to peek in on the other dirigible. He says that they appeared to have been unloading and loading supplies, both delivering a good deal of material for unknown purpose, and loading crates of unknown content onto their dirigible.

  He stated that a pair of men directed most of these trips. One was clearly a British gentleman of significant standing, for Matthew called him a 'dark London fake of Sir James, except hard on people.’ However hard he may have been, those about him respected him enough to follow, and he seemed to know precisely where everything should go and how everyone should be conducting themselves. 'Second to His Nibs,' in Matthew's belief, was a large and dirty man in stained clothing, most distinctive to a young boy's eyes for the large patch of scarring on both the back of his right hand and to the right side of his face. While this man still had his right eye, Matthew described it as 'squinty' and 'evil looking,’ a different color than the left. The burn extended up a good portion of the right side of his scalp, such that he had shaven his head entirely lest he end up looking as patchwork as our captain. His commands were in a gruff voice and an accent helpfully described as 'not London.' The crewers and loading men seemed quite afraid of the scarred man, perhaps with some reason.

  Amongst them at times were three others of particular note that he was able to pick out and that seemed to belong in particular to the airship.

  There is little question why the first stood out. He was a massive – taller than any other about by almost a head, if Matthew is to be believed – and brightly-dressed man of Negro coloration. Sir James surmises he might be African. The former slaves among the workmen treated this man with some combination of reverence and abject terror, showing him great respect and giving him a wide berth. Each time he had passed, they would cross themselves before returning to their duties, even if doing so required putting down heavy weights, then taking them back up. Matthew did not hear him speak throughout the time he watched.

  The second of these extras was 'near as tall as Eddy, but scrawnier ... likes to hear himself talk, but too foreign to hear right. Spanish, I think. Clothes looked it.' This figure was also notable as he kept himself armed, despite New York's restrictions against doing so. Matthew enthusiastically described a bandoleer which was home to a brace of pistols, with one more such gun resting on his right hip, prompting the childish claim that he 'might be a pirate.’ The man's left hip bore another weapon, a bullwhip, upon which he regularly rested his left hand as if he might put it to use.

  The last is apparently a woman with an Oxfordshire accent to her voice, but so soft a tone as to make her words almost unintelligible from a distance. She wore a reasonably fashionable dress, save that Matthew had the good sense to be somewhat scandalized by the low cut of her bodice, and the poor sense to bring up this feature enough times that his uncle cuffed him about the head in the retelling.

  In time, Matthew was given away, and there was significant chaos amongst the men about the mooring area. A cry went up, and quickly, armed men both of the base and our rivals’ own private security, as well as some portion of their workforce, were moving Matthew's direction. Only a single man, thankfully, had begun close enough to provide real menace – the one who had seen motion behind a stack of crates.

  The next piece of narration I would find difficult to believe were one other piece of information regarding Matthew not made known to me amidst this telling. While he is indeed the Captain's ward, he earns his keep aboard the ship by hunting the rats and mice that occasionally threaten the ship's food stores with his slingshot. Apparently he has developed significant reflex and aim with the device as one might imagine would be necessary to successfully hunt down such small and quick targets. Thus it seems possible beyond the realm of childhood fantasy that when the cry went up, Matthew took up the only weapon that came easily to hand, and fired a stone with precision enough to strike the man down, clutching at his eye.

  Matthew does not believe that anyone got a good look at him in turn, but he did not learn anything more, nor pick out any further people of distinction after this, for his nerves and childhood exuberance were spent enough at this point that he simply ran until he was absolutely certain no one was following him. Then, keeping to cover, he returned to us to report. After this story was told, the young man received quite the scolding from both of his guardians first, followed, more quietly, by the first words of praise and support Matthew has yet received from Eddy. I am quite certain that the latter made far more impression upon him than the former, for though he remains wary of his guardians, he has otherwise gone about his business since with a wide smile and a spring to his step when he is not practicing standing or marching in military fashion, a habit I have caught him at frequently.

  July 22nd, 1815

  New York

  40º 47'N 073º 58'W

  My Dearest Cordelia,

  Two matters have converged recently to make life particularly interesting. The first was Sam Bowe's revelation that she was, in fact, Samantha Bowe. The second has been our invitation to a large formal event here in New York to celebrate the treaty signing all former French lands here in the colonies over to England. The Governor of New York, along with the Governors of St. Louis and its surrounding territory of Missouri and the new Governors of New Orleans and Louisiana, will be in attendance, as will the former French Governors of several territories. For several members of our crew preparing for a formal event is a welcome change from our recent activities. Miss Coltrane and Miss Wright in particular have thrown themselves enthusiastically into preparations.

  Where these events converge, of course, is that Samantha Bowe has no formal wear, or, indeed, formal graces that anyone can locate. Combine this, apparently, with the trio of Jillian, Harriet and Mrs. Fisher seeming to have taken offense on behalf of their gender that Miss Bowe should so long have passed herself off as male, and it has led to quite the spirited conflict here.

  Even aside from the prospect of the formal gathering, there have been many attempts to push upon her a woman's clothing proper for her age, all of which received a calm “No, thanks,” until at last, Miss Wright, of all people, persuaded her into a split skirt, women's riding boots and a men's shirt of style and coloration as to not completely offend the sensibilities. While she remains completely unmoving on the matter of wearing her hat when outdoors, they have convinced her through their relentless efforts to at least wear her hair down. She has permitted Miss Wright, and Miss Wright alone, access enough to her to get her hair properly combed out and tied back in the barest of fashions, though she will not allow word one of having it styled at this point.

  Given Miss Wright's own difficulties with matters of fashion and style, this might seem a frightening thought in its own right. It may be precisely that factor Miss Bowe is counting on to prevent too great an alteratio
n in her preferred style. Truly she would be a scandal greater than Miss Penn in England, but we are trying to give her some room and time to come to more proper dress and manner on account of being an American, and thus not to be held to the same standards.

  For a formal event, however, these refusals are holding no weight with the trio, and Miss Penn has joined them in working on getting her to make an exception and dress not merely like a female, but like a lady, just this once. She has attempted to refuse to attend the event at all, but in our invitations it was made very clear that our entire company was to be in attendance.

  In general, among all of us, only Eddy seems quite certain what to make of her. Which, rather than perhaps what you are thinking, he seems to treat her not at all differently than when he believed her to be a young man of extraordinary skill and training. They continue to talk with more regularity than is proper, though on the absolute insistence of Mrs. Fisher, to which both have happily agreed without hesitation, they do so only publicly and with witnesses, or where witnesses might regularly pass by. It seems she had an upbringing in some of the wilder parts of the world, where she had to learn to hunt, track and all the rest as one might imagine the boys of a savage society might learn. How she survived in this manner with her insistent disregard for firearms is another mystery to me, but then the woman herself is an enigma and a shock to the senses.

  Bringing some sanity to the entire affair, at least as I and her brother see it, is Miss Coltrane. While not claiming any position as enforcer of the rules of the airship as Mrs. Fisher has done, Miss Coltrane has taken a deep and personal dislike to all things regarding Samantha Bowe and has confronted her, though quietly and politely, many times over on matters of manner and behavior from the position of a woman of similar age. Though asked not to participate, she has nonetheless hovered about to supervise Miss Wright's attempts on Miss Bowe. Mrs. Fisher meanwhile has gone back to her normal station for the greatest part, watching all of this mostly from afar, chiding Harriet on all of the normal issues whenever she dares venture into the bridge of the ship, and occasionally then questioning after the efforts to tame Miss Bowe. I fear all such ventures are doomed to failure.

  I have to wonder if perhaps this is for the best, because while she is entirely unrepresentable amongst any kind of reasonable society, having not even a gentleman's manners, (or even a Scotsman's manners as the local case may be), she has already proven herself a vital asset when presented with danger. Given that her intended contributions are through her skills as a wilderness guide and any knowledge gained from whatever small ventures she might have taken in her father's company – and her knowledge of Bowe himself – I cannot imagine she could serve her function to our company in any kind of petticoats and corset, however much Miss Coltrane clearly wishes to see the wild girl so caged.

  Additionally, the matter of how best to deal with the Europeans has become a question of some import, and as seems to be so much the current trend in events, no one seems quite certain how to broach the topic or to tend to it themselves. Since our arrival, Giovanni Franzini has been the perfect gentleman. Perhaps this sudden burst of civility stems from the rather unique experience, amidst all the tales of children running away to join the circus, that he was deemed so loathsome a man that the circus ran away from him. His partner likely still resents their circumstances as well. I am not certain if she is any less a criminal, but even if not, for people of such character, she may well blame him simply for being the one who got caught. In any case, his manners have been almost up to the standard expected from a gentleman of refinement and education. Almost. Even so, he remains under significant suspicion, and with good reason.

  Sir James, as seems to be his way, had made the first overtures to him of some degree of acceptance, welcoming him to the ship and the mission, and asking for some exchange of stories, of which Mr. Franzini has no shortage. Sir James, in turn, is always most generous with sharing his experiences as well as being a skilled listener. However, the cheat has remained inauspiciously banned from that most required gateway into Sir James's social circle and acceptance into the confidence of our leader – the card game. It is, perhaps, unfortunate for him that the very means by which he has usually made most of his traveling money, aside from being the Great Franzini on stage, is also the thing that has exiled him from the primary social circle here, due to his attempt to cheat the wrong person.

  While Miss Coltrane has taken some exception to Miss Penn since our arrival, apparently an unapologetically loose woman is still more a part of her experience than one with the audacity to pretend to ungender herself, let alone to go about engaging in combat, gambling, drinking, and all the rest. She has taken to advising Miss Penn on traveling dresses in grays and blues when aboard ship, due to the lingering coal dust that still pervades the lower level, and even mentioning weighing one's skirts when promenading the decks, although the last may have been a small and subtle slight on Miss Penn's existence as a light-skirt. If Miss Penn detected this, she showed no recognition of the attack, simply smiling mildly and calling the idea terribly clever.

  For her part, the change in status for Miss Bowe has done nothing to change her opinion of either of the others recruited in the same time as she was. She ignores Giovanni Franzini beyond the necessities of interaction in so small a space as this. Her relations with Miss Penn have slowly grown more cordial, though Miss Penn still frequently seems at something of a loss in how to deal with Miss Bowe in light of her previous attempts to seduce her.

  This awkward sociability led to a most curious bit of nonsense as I was working on something recently. Miss Bowe approached Miss Penn as the latter sat holding one of her charlatan's cards, apparently upside down, though of course I did not look closely.

  “What occasions the lion?” Miss Bowe asked quietly.

  “A battle.”

  “I'm all for it.”

  Miss Penn's smile was somewhere between awkward and good-natured, though she did not drop her mystic charade. “This one is inside. The struggle with the self. The weights a soul bears.” Her green eyes fell on Miss Coltrane, seated with her cousin away from this nonsense. “Sometimes an animal in a cage or trap, unable to get out, will try to pull things in.” This strange flummery went generally unobserved. Miss Coltrane glanced over only to frown slightly at Miss Bowe's ill-coordinated farmgirl clothing. Miss Wright looked over only to smile encouragingly about the same.

  Speaking of Miss Wright, while I could be mistaken about this, I do believe that Miss Wright has somewhat caught Eddy's eye. It would not much surprise me, for I can only imagine that around his home, child-bearing hips and a sturdy frame are still of high value as womanly virtues. Whether I am correct or not, he seems to have decided to find more occasions to pass the time in paying polite and public visits that he might more often encounter Miss Wright. For her part, unsurprising to me, she seems entirely oblivious to this attention, perhaps simply through her own innate ignorance of social grace and convention. Surely if she realized, she could not help but be somewhat flattered, for he is still a hero of the land and quite near a baronet's cousin in rank. Perhaps it is simply frustration that Samantha Bowe is barely taking whatever little help Miss Wright can offer, as concerns proper behaviors for a young woman, that clouds her from noticing Eddy's glances.

  Regardless, it seems we shall have to rely on Miss Wright to somewhat civilize Miss Bowe, for the party is fast approaching and there is nothing for it but to rely upon her efforts. Personally, I would almost prefer the small scandal that might result from her not attending the event at all than risking what our wild woman might do to scandalize us all before such distinguished company.

  In any case, I care far more about what is best for our company over any individual's sensibilities, for when we are finished, I will care not at all should Samantha Bowe disappear back to whatever West there still is in America, or whatever other wild place suits her fancy, for I will be returned home. Should we find success by any reasonable def
inition, you and I will be soon planning our wedding.

  With Love and Hope,

  Gregory Conan Watts

  From the journals of Gregory Conan Watts,

  July 23rd, 1815

  New York

  40º 47'N 073º 58'W

  Jillian Coltrane has been a godsend amidst the chaos ahead of being guests of honor at a formal event with some of the most notable figures in the American colonies in attendance, to say nothing of numerous dignitaries from both England and France. She has seen to it that we have suitable clothing for the event. While for the Coltranes such a concern may be a matter of course, others among our number have never owned such fancy garments in our lives. Indeed, without their help, I could scarce afford such things with all my savings. They have spared no expense to make sure we are all suitably outfitted, and have likewise put forth significant effort to ensure that we know the precise manners needed to get through such an event.

  I endeavor to be a good student in these matters, both to avoid embarrassing our company and to learn to one day impress the men of Captain Bentham's social circles, representing Cordelia well as her husband. As important as this trip is, that is an even greater motivating factor, and I do not know that I will ever again have an opportunity to learn from so skilled of teachers in social affairs as the Coltranes. For all this eagerness I will admit to being quite nervous. I believe I very much understand now how Harriet feels.

  In addition to all of the shopping and education, Jillian has been kind enough to handle most of the communications ahead of the event. Many people wish our attention to congratulate us and wish us well. She has accepted numerous invitations to tea and written countless letters on our group's behalf to give the best impression possible. It seems that the opportunity to interact with her native element has invigorated her, for she seems tireless in her efforts to see that our best possible face is put forward. These efforts were, admittedly, somewhat delayed by a short disappearance after an unfortunate incident with Miss Bowe.