The Iron Man [Serial]

The Barque

Hermes' voice carried from the Zephyr's voice tubes, "Contact confirmed with the Roc...10 o'clock high." I saw the airship above the port bow. It was just a dark blip in the afternoon sky to my naked eyes, but clearly no bird or cloud or falling star.

I knew the Fashionista commanded a fleet of balloons. I had seen photos of the decoratively trimmed orbs in the Review, and I had heard rumors of sightings over the Channel, but I hadn't seen one in person. In contrast, the Egyptian barque looked like an ancient river sailing vessel, with tall prow and stern between which a tubular balloon was fixed.

I saw the Roc in greater detail as it and the Zephyr converged. Its shallow hull was flanked aft with something like spinning rudders. As it neared, broad fans extended on poles, just prior to a rapid turn that put the craft broadside to us. As the Zephyr continued forward, the Roc matched its course above to that below.  

Grappling lines fell to the deck of the Zephyr. I saw rapid flashes of light on the underside of the Roc, which I supposed Hermes must be receiving as ray communication on the Zephyr's bridge. The Roc's rudders-- propellers stopped. The grappling hooks scraped the deck of the Zephyr; I ducked into an interior corridor to escape one. The deck beneath me tipped and I braced myself against a wall.

When the ship returned to its previous regular movement, I opened the door and stepped out. The grappling lines fixed to the stern of the Zephyr were taut as the large yacht towed the barque. The prow of the Roc loomed over the aft deck of the Zephyr. I heard Valentine call out from a walkway above me, as I walked aftward. 

"Ahoy," called a man above, I could see at range only that he wore a blue military styled jacket and hat and had a mustachioed face. "Permission to come aboard?"

"Granted," Valentine said.

A bird flew over the deck of the Roc, swooped downward and flew past me. I was distracted so I did not see the tossing of a rope ladder from the barque, but noticed afterward the Egyptian naval officer descend to the Zephyr. He lifted a gloved hand and that same bird flew from behind the mass of the Zephyr to perch on his arm.

Valentine came from the stairs. "Cloud."

"Yes."

"Valentine. Captain Erik Balentinos."

"Captain Nablus ibn Samir al-Isra." He gave his hand as I also approached. "You served Greece in The War."

They shook hands. "I did. Native Cypriot, but we were not yet free to fight for ourselves, so some of us volunteered for Greece."

"Self-determination is important. I heard mention of you recently. At a meeting in Damascus with an Auditor for the Anatolian Demilitarized Zone. Psyche Mariwda?"

"We've met," Valentine said sharply, "May I introduce Mr. Stocking?"

I'd made sure to dress reg proper and as much like an English gentleman as possible. Not that I felt seeming British would ingratiate me to an Egyptian officer, given history, but it was the most honest without drawing undue attention. I offered my hand, and Cloud shook it. "Julien Stocking. I work with your brother."

"Good to meet you."

"I wish it were under better circumstances. Would you like to see him?"

Cloud glanced to Valentine.

"Please," Valentine said, "Julien can show you the way."

"Miss Sina is with him," I said. I gestured back toward the door to the internal corridor.

Cloud walked barely a step behind me. As we neared the door, he asked for a moment. Cloud took something from a trousers pocket. It was a hood he fit on his bird.

"Does it have a name?"

"Just Sa'r."

"'Saqr' means 'hawk', doesn't it?"

"Na'am."  Cloud grinned, probably because my accent was horrible. "That is a charming fob."

I put my right hand over my stomach and fob pockets, where the silver crescent hung from Murphy's watch chain. I managed a whisper. "I'm holding onto it for a friend."

Cloud opened the door and went inside. I gave him verbal directions to the medical bay as I walked just behind.

Sina and Raphael were near Murphy's bed when we arrived. Sina greeted him with kisses either side his face. They began speaking in Arabic, and though I was still trying to learn it, neither were speaking slowly for the benefit of my education.

Finally, Cloud turned to Raphael. "Dr. Laurus?"

"Yes."

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. Captain Nablus of the Roc. Murphy is my brother and I am told you have taken good care of him."

"We've done all we can for him."

"I have no doubt he has received every available treatment while under your protection. Allow me to take on your burden. Our family and superiors wish him in a hospital in Cairo. Egypt sends this gift." He brought something from a pocket and offered it to Raphael.

I only saw a glint of gold as Raphael closed his hands over whatever it was. "Yes. I understand you have a barque."

"We travel as the hawk flies," Cloud said.

"I've made him ready for transport. His chart is here," Raphael waved towards Murphy's feet, the shape of which could be seen through the blanket that wrapped him. "Jade, do you think you can help me move him?"

"Of course." Raphael had already transferred Murphy to a portable stretcher, which had been placed atop the bed. Murphy, along with his chart and the various tubes and containers related to his treatment were secured with cloth straps.

When we reached the aft deck, Egyptian sky sailors had already deployed ropes and pulleys to lift the stretcher. As Murphy was lifted, Sina came and kissed my face. "Alpha will bring you to Cairo. We will see you there."

Cloud went to Valentine to offer him also a gift, but he refused. "Tell them I tried to keep my word to Athené."

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Here is the Tuesday update. No music/video, but there's a new Rory's Story Cube roll!

So, we had our first appearance of an airship! And, our first mention of Psyche, of whom Valentine doesn't seem too happy to hear.

If you check the cast, can you guess at least one character she shares a past with? I do consider a lot of factors in choosing my celebrity dream cast (and I confess being the correct age is usually the first thing to go), but sometimes I bypass some of the careful consideration to cast someone who 'was in a movie kinda like this once' or 'played opposite that other actor once' or 'played a similar character once'. But, I do in most cases give the cast real thought considering how they convey a character's appearance, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, manner of speech, personality, and weapon skills. A lot of times, I pick who I think meets most of those things, even if not all.

(Mr and Heather Gray were totally cast for their actors' voice roles in the Pound Puppies cartoon.)