Preparations for the St Arwar’s Ball

In which Nate's dislike for Commander DeBlanc is matched by his affection for Lolly DeBlanc.


Amidst clouds of steam, I opened the cabin door and stepped outside in my full steampunk uniform.

‘Mmmm!’ said Lolly, looking me up and down with huge dark eyes. ‘I love a man in uniform.

I adjusted the peak of my gold braided cap, leaned against the doorpost and casually studied my pocket watch.

‘Well…. errmm, yes indeed.’ said Captain Wright. ‘Turned out very ship shape and Bristol fashion. Errm… I’m actually on duty, I have to go and limit the Boss.’

‘Off to see the Commander, are you?’ I said, feeling a pang of anger, ‘Give him my regards.’

‘Actually I’m going to check the Battlefield Operation Sighting System,’ said Captain Wright, ‘but I suppose it’s the same thing… DeBlanc is the Boss. You two go and, erm… enjoy yourselves.’

‘Wow! Nate. You look stunning.’ said Lolly, as Captain Wright strode off down the corridor. ‘You’re going to cause quite a stir among the girls at the St Arwar’s Ball… and I love your pocket watch.’

‘I keep it for special occasions.’ I said, dangling it by its gold chain. ‘It’s a Dress watch… not quite a Bewitchment, but...’

‘But it is gorgeous, as well.’ said Lolly, pulling a small watch from her top pocket, ‘All I have is my Venus Redstring Tick Tock that I got on St Valentine’s day.’

‘I don’t see how that can keep good time.’ I said, trying to read the petite watch. ‘There only seem to be seven numbers and the hands are at zero.’

‘It counts the hours of Venus,’ said Lolly, linking her arm firmly into mine, ‘and it is currently predicting that I will kiss my true love at two o’clock tonight.’

‘Two A.M. on a Sunday.’ I said. ‘Ah… the first hour of Venus.’

‘Yes! Very good, Nate.’ said Lolly. ‘You’ve been studying Captain Wright’s Twenty 4 Seven chart.’

‘I have been trying to understand it.’ I said, realizing that Lolly was waiting to see whether I would go left or right. ‘Look… I know you’re studying me but, really, I have nothing to hide. Your father didn’t need to drug me and search my room. Whatever I did aboard the Hindenburg was an accident and I can’t understand why he’s taken such a dislike to me.’

‘Nate! I like you…’ said Lolly, kissing her pocket watch as she put it back in her pocket, ‘…but there are certain individuals aboard the Uchronie who do not.’

‘Certain individuals who are in charge.’ I said, turning away towards the left corridor that led to the maze and the rain soaked gardens.

‘Oh!’ said Lolly, pulling me back, ‘You’re going in the wrong direction. It’s too wet to go outside. We fly low among the clouds when we’re over land because we don’t want any sightings. Come along… the Great Hall is right down here.’

St Arwar’s Masquerade Ball – Saturday 7pm to 2am

‘So…who was St Arwar anyway?’ I asked, innocently watching a crew girl on a ladder stringing the huge banner above the white doors of the Great Hall.

‘St Arwar is the Patron Saint of Craftswomen and Recyclers.’ said Lolly. ‘Reduce – Reuse - Recycle.’

‘Hi, Lolly, are you coming tonight?’ asked the crew girl, climbing down the ladder.

‘Oh yes. I’ll be there, Vicky.’ said Lolly ‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world.'

‘Great, I'll meet you here.’ said Vicky, checking the banner she’d just put up. 'Seven o’clock on a Saturday until two on a Sunday morning.  . . Isn’t it just completely romantic?’

‘Yes.’ said Lolly, ‘From one hour of Venus to the next.’

‘Oh…I nearly forgot.’ said Vicky. ‘The band is rehearsing inside; they want to know what to do with their instrument cases.’

‘I’ll sort that out.’ said Lolly.

‘And who’s this you’ve got with you?’ asked Vicky, smiling at me sweetly.

‘This is Nate.’ said Lolly, clutching my arm excitedly. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous in his dress uniform?’

‘Very handsome.’ said Vicky, smiling again, as she pushed the door open for me.

I had to put my hand up to shield my eyes as two massive flood lights inside the hall blinded me.

‘Gor blimey.’ I said peering into the whiteout. I could just make out the silhouettes of two enormous statues that guarded the entrance.

‘This is Osky and Brit.’ whispered Lolly, leaning close to me, ‘I’ll tell you a secret. They’re not statues… they’re robots. Daddy has arranged for them to come alive at midnight and dance the Charleston as a surprise for everyone.’

Turning my back on the blinding floodlights I looked up at the giant statues.

One was gold, shiny and smoothly finished; the other was a tangled mess of engine parts, pipes and wires held together by iron girders. The slender gold automaton had a smooth white face with enormous green crystal eyes and a painted smile. The iron man had a grinning, iron riveted, face connected to his twisted body by two bolts in his neck.

Both were wearing, gently steaming, stove pipe hats.

‘Which ones which?’ I shouted, above the sounds of musicians tuning up in the hall.

‘Osky is the gold one.’ said Lolly, heading towards the stage. ‘I’ll be back in a jiffy.’

‘Who built them?’ I called, but I was too late.

‘The statues were designed by Biffo.’ said Vicky, as Lolly disappeared into the bright lights. ‘Half a cup of mechanical and half a cup of enchantment.’

‘And half a cup of something else… no doubt.’ I said, ‘I’ve met Biffo, he’s bizarre.’

‘You don’t miss much, do you.’ smiled Vicky. Biffo is rather odd.’

‘It’s terribly bright in here.’ I said, as the music stopped. ‘I hope it’s not going to be like this for the dance.’

‘Don’t worry about the lights.’ said Vicky, opening a box of red balloons ‘I’m just making sure Osky and Brit’s solar ECISM’s are fully charged. It’s a bit dark among the clouds so I’ll leave the flood lights on for an hour while I blow up the balloons and finish the decorations.’

‘I can help you with the balloons.’ I said.

‘That’s very kind of you.’ said Vicky. ‘But there are a hundred of them… all torpedo shaped, like the Uchronie.’

‘That’s alright.’ I said. ‘I’ve got plenty puff.’

‘So you DO want to blow up the Uchronie!’ said Vicky, grinning from ear to ear.

‘Ah… you’ve heard the rumors then?’ I sighed, stretching a long red balloon as far as it would go.

‘Commander DeBlanc seems to think it’s more than rumors.’ said Vicky.

‘Yes he does.’ I said, looking across the dance floor.

‘How are you getting on with Lolly?’ asked Vicky, picking up a balloon.

‘She’s helped me a lot since I came on board.’ I said. ‘At first I didn’t know she was DeBlanc’s daughter but we soon sorted that out.’

‘Lolly is her own woman.’ said Vicky. ‘Underneath that bodice skirt there’s a suffragette chafing to get out.’

‘Yes.’ I said. ‘I noticed she wore the Green, White and Violet.’

‘You really don’t miss much… do you?’ said Vicky smiling again. ‘You’re as sharp as you are handsome.’

I blushed.

‘Lolly is a plucky girl,’ said Vicky, taking a deep breath. ‘She doesn’t want to take the path that her father has laid out for her but she’s stuck with it. Be careful she doesn’t use you as an escape route.’

Lolly reappeared out of the bright light with the three band members.

‘Anyway.’ said Vicky, loudly. ‘If you inflate some of these balloons I’ll be back in a few minutes.

‘Where are you going?’ I asked.

‘I have to go and attend to another surprise.’ said Vicky, whispering in my ear. ‘Lolly’s father has arranged a firework spectacular to mark the end of the ball.’

‘Nate. These gentlemen are Les Chemise Rouge.’ said Lolly, introducing three men in crimson shirts as Vicky left. ‘They will be playing music and entertaining us tonight.’

‘I’m afraid I’ve never heard of Les Chemise Rouge.’ I said, trying to inflate a red balloon.

‘Oh. Don’t be so blunt, Nate.’ scolded Lolly. ‘Say hello, or… Bonjour… to Pablo, Jules and Leon.’

'Sorry,’ I said, standing up. ‘Bonjour, messieurs. I’m pleased to meet you. What sort of music do you play?’

‘We are European.’ said Jules, putting down his wooden instrument case and shaking my hand. ‘Zumtimes we are known as Les Transports de Bois.’

‘I shook my head. ‘Sorry. my French isn't very good’

‘Your commander, Monsieur DeBlanc, saw us perform in Paris.’ said Leon. ‘Many years ago now, when ze tower Eiffel was opened.’

‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy their music.’ said Lolly, ‘It will be a good night.’

‘Zo! Vot other surprises will zere be at your masquerade ball? asked Pablo, looking up at the statues. ‘No doubt zere will be many cases of mistaken identity.’

‘All part of ze fun!’ said Leon.

‘Or, perhaps, everyone will be robbed of their valuables by a phantom thief.’ said Jules, pulling at the chain of my pocket watch. ‘Their identity hidden by a cunning disguise and ze darkness.’

‘Ah yes! There will be much scandalous behaviour,’ said Leon, grinning at Lolly. ‘We are honoured to be part of your entertainment. Monsieur DeBlanc has advised us it will be a show spectacular... We are ready for a surprises.’

‘We vill not be shocked.’ said Jules.

‘We are Unshockable!’ said Pablo.

‘Nuzzink can shock Les Chemise Rouge!’ they said in unison.

‘Come gentlemen we must rehearse.’ said Leon, tapping the side of his nose as he whispered to Lolly. ‘Be assured we are ready for all your… ‘surprise’ entertainments.

Yes!’ ‘Yes, I hope so.’ said Lolly, turning to me and trying not to giggle as they went back to the stage. ‘Come on Nate, we need to get these red balloons sorted.’ 

The afternoon quickly turned to evening, as all busy days do, and just before seven o’clock, the third hour of Venus, we joined the happy, thronging crowd under the St Arwars banner at the door to the Great Hall.

Lolly had dressed up as a green, white and violet princess and had braided her hair in knotted circles on either side of her head.

Vicky turned up wearing a bed sheet painted as a huge Dollar billl.

It was by no means the strangest costume in the masquerade crowd. Everyone had entered into the do-it-yourself spirit of the occasion and created their own recycled costumes.

Among the many would-be commanders, airmen and Victorian ladies was a character wearing a sheepskin waistcoat, flared jeans and red colored goggles.

His companion, wore a top hat with a cape made from boot soles.

At seven o’clock precisely the doors were thrown open and the eager crowd swarmed into the Great Hall of the Uchronie.

The floodlights had been turned off, replaced by flickering candle light and a glitter ball that swirled stars around the darkened room. The deserted dance floor looked inviting but everybody congregated around the free bars that had been set up in each corner of the hall.

‘It’s always like this at the start of the evening.’ said Lolly, pulling me towards a curtained off area beside the dance floor. ‘Come on let’s go and see daddy. He’s at the captains table.’


Next episode: 'St Arwar’s Ball' released December 3 2012