The Reckless Skies (The Society for General Inquiry Book 1)

PART TWO

PART TWO

Founded in 1841, the Archimedes Club had been envisioned as the social counterpart to the London Polytechnic Institution. Located in a recently renovated building on the east side of Cavendish Square, almost directly behind the Polytechnic, the club supplied its members with the same amenities as the other gentlemen’s clubs prevalent in London.

Jonathan Farrow had been introduced to his father’s club back during his university days, but he hadn’t been particularly fond of the place. A musty, dark tomb of masculinity, he had found it. Luckily for him, and much to his father’s dismay, the club hadn’t been interested in him either and they quickly passed him over.

The Archimedes Club, Farrow had been happy to discover, was something of a unique institution. Established for the promotion, pursuit, and praise of science, it included among its membership everyone from famed inventors to aristocratic patrons of the sciences. New members were elected and approved by the Election Committee, and anyone could be nominated for consideration, as long as the prospective member could prove himself or—since 1877—herself to be a man or woman of science (and could afford the annual membership fee of seven pounds and seven shillings).

During the summer, Farrow had been presented with the unexpected opportunity to join when one of the former members accidentally blew himself up during a chemical experiment. Mr. Boyer had used his position on the Election Committee to ensure his swift admission to the club.

This night, the Archimedes Club hosted a soiree in honor of the impending maiden voyage of the Victorious Skies. Members and their guests flocked to the club for drinks, light refreshments, and the opportunity to browse the club’s extensive collection of unique scientific displays. With the London Season ended for the year, any family worth its pedigree had retired to a country estate for the hunting season. Social events for permanent London residents were something of a scarcity in September, thus the party had quickly become the most anticipated event of the month. Rumors spread that a certain member of the royal family might make an appearance, and soon the club received word from a number of members to confirm they would come up to town for the party.

The hansom cab carrying Farrow squeezed its way between coaches bedecked with family crests and deposited its occupant as close to the club’s entrance as it could manage. Two large street lamps shined on either side of the front door, lit by some of the city’s first incandescent light bulbs. Installed by an honorary member of the club, a young American named Edison, the lamps provided a less than useful amount of light, but the gimmick entranced passersby nonetheless.

After negotiating between two puddles—the remnants of afternoon rain showers—Farrow entered the club. A large mosaic on the floor dominated the open space. Normally illuminated by the new Tiffany glass window in the ceiling, it now glowed in the light of a ring of elaborately crafted gaslights placed around the room. The mosaic had been commissioned at great cost by the club and depicted the seal of the organization itself: a spiral which curved out from the center of a round emblem. It reminded Farrow of a bisected seashell he’d found on the beach as a child. The shape, known as an Archimedean Spiral, could be found in abundance around the club: from letterheads to scotch glasses, from playing cards to doorknobs. Upon being elected to the club, each member received a silver pin bearing the club’s seal. Farrow wore his on the lapel of his evening jacket.

A few members and their guests lingered in the entrance hall, talking, laughing, and gossiping. Farrow was just plotting his course across the floor so he could avoid speaking to any of them, when Charlotte Beauchene caught his eye. She had been impossible to miss as she filled a doorway with her gown of red velvet and white satin. She acknowledged him with a nod as he approached, and he bowed politely in response.