The Delta Pearl, 6 — Listen

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Photo by Dan Antion
Photo by Dan Antion

Hello, my chuckaboos!  Welcome back to the #steampunk riverboat, The Delta Pearl.

I was pressed for time this week, so let’s get right to it.

This week’s random reader things

G. P. Cox gave us a thing that was a name, Sir Reginald La Felin.  That actually continues last week’s thing from D. L. (Denise) Finn a Black Cat.  Mary J. McCoy-Dressel added Smokestacks to the setting.  Then Deborah M. Zajac gave us Jelly Babies — yes they were around in the Victorian Era!  Doctor Who would be envious.

Thanks to Dan Antion and for letting me use some of his photos. 

If you need to review, click the link for Chapter 5 –Read.  The introduction includes a recap of the passengers.

This chapter is longer than the past few have been.  Consider yourselves warned.   Without further ado…  All aboard!

The Delta Pearl

Chapter 6 — Listen

Eavesdropping, Théodore Ralli 1880, Wikimedia
Eavesdropping, Théodore Ralli 1880, Wikimedia

Sun glinted off the spotless leaded glass panels.  That’s where the Captain was — up there inside the transparent enclosure of the pilothouse.  He prepared to take the Delta Pearl out of port.

Onyx, the clockwork owl alighted on an open window.  He hesitated briefly when the Cook approached the pilothouse.  She carried a silver soup tureen.  Onyx seemed to find that more interesting than the pilothouse.  He fluttered over to the Cook’s shoulder.

Agate used her elbow to knock on the glass.

“He’s an adorable little metal thing, but he’s always putting his little brass beak into everyone’s business,” I muttered.

I didn’t realize Hyacinth Harvey was beside me.  Fortunately, she wasn’t listening.  It wouldn’t do to call a passenger’s attention to our clockwork creatures.

However, her attention was fixed on her new husband.  Harrison Harvey followed Randal Needleman.  The wealthy, middle-aged man had caught up with Victor T. Elam.  They were engaged in an animated conversation.

Although the young inventor seemed willing enough to talk with the entrepreneur, Mr. Harvey seemed out of his element with either man.  Mrs. Harvey made a displeased noise when she noted her husband’s lack of success in engaging Needleman.

Vernon Lee by John Singer Sargent 1881
Vernon Lee by John Singer Sargent 1881

“Did you see that black cat over there?” Hyacinth asked.  “I hope it doesn’t bring us bad luck.”

“What?” I began.  “Oh, Sir Reginald La Felin!”

“Pardon?  Is there a lord onboard?” Mrs. Harvey asked eagerly.

She adjusted her feather-topped chapeau and twisted the blond ringlets that rested on one shoulder.  She looked around expectantly.

“No, I’m sorry.  I meant the cat you asked about.  That’s what I call him, Sir Reginald La Felin.  It’s Reggie for short.  He belongs to the Dealer.  I promise you there is a sufficient amount of white on the cat.  There’s no need to worry,” I added in a playful tone.

I excused myself and headed toward the pilot house.  I had been concerned when the Captain sent word for mt to take his usual task of greeting the passengers, so I wanted to check on him.  However, after meeting our guests, I also wanted to ask for his thoughts about them.

As I climbed the stairs, I understood why the Captain delegated the first face greeting to me.  From that higher vantagepoint, I could see that the port was more crowded than I realized.

Our riverboat was docked in a tight spot.  The smokestacks of large steamships were on both sides of us.  He wouldn’t have wanted to trust anyone else with the tricky job of navigating the Delta Pearl out of such close confines.

From the pilothouse, engine orders were sent to the engineers stationed on the main deck below.  Captain Perlog could speak commands into a tube designed for the purpose, or transmit them via a series ringing bells.

Office speaking tubes hanging on desk, circa 1903 Wikipedia
Office with peaking tubes hanging on desk, circa 1903 Wikipedia

I was on the stairs, just below the pilothouse when I heard voices.  Of course, I stopped to listen.  That’s only human nature.  Then when I heard my name, I certainly wasn’t moving.

“Is that Cook’s cock-a-leekie soup I smell?” the Captain asked, startling me with his booming voice.

I was just barely out of their view.  The Captain was easy enough to hear.  If I concentrated, I could understand most of what everyone else said.

I recognized the cadence of Jaspe’s Creole accent along with the Captain.  I didn’t hear anyone besides those three most senior crew members in the room.

“Bitch the pot, if you please, Jaspe,” the Captain continued.  “I could do with another cup of tea.  How about you?  And you Aggie?”

“Cecil!  Mind your language.  You know how I feel about slang,” Agate chided.    “No, thank you.  I can’t sit long.  There’s too much work to be done in the kitchen.”

The table where the tea would be set up was across the little room.  The Cook arranged it that way because she said he drank too much, causing him to sleep poorly.  I heard his chair move as he stood, probably to take the tea the Dealer handed to him.

China cup by Dan Antion
China cup by Dan Antion

“She’s almost sweet sixteen, but you can’t be giving her that horrid thing as a birthday gift!  She’s a young woman now Cecil.  Can you destine her to spend her life on this boat?”

I gulped at the emotion in the Cook’s voice.  I had stumbled upon a serious conversation, and I was the subject.  What “horrid thing” could she mean?  Plus, what was all that about my destiny?

“Why not?  It already bears her name,” the Captain replied in a cajoling voice.  “Aggie, darling, I would like to make her my heir… but not my prisoner.  I don’t mean to take away her life.  The girl has such potential.  I can’t help believing this is the best place for her.”

The Captain’s voice was edged with concern and something even more unexpected ― uncertainty.  That frightened me, because he was always sure of himself.

“Destiny,” the Dealer said abruptly.  “If the Delta Pearl had not found her, the girl’s destiny would have been death before she was even ten years old.  There is no destiny.  We make our own.”

Louis Jourdan in Madame Bovary 1949
Louis Jourdan in Madame Bovary 1949

Jaspe’s intensity was a bigger surprise than the Captain’s uncertainty.  I held my breath as their conversation continued.

“Pshaw!  That’s two men for you.  Not a single romantic thought in your heads,” Agate complained and I could imagine her waving that soup ladle as she spoke.

“Transferring the stone does not change anything,” the Captain went on in the face of Agate’s ongoing sounds of protest.  “At least not for a while.  It takes decades for the stone to attune.  And it would still be connected to me.  Nothing need change, so there’s no reason for you to fret.”

Then all three of them began to speak at once.  I couldn’t make out anything else they said in all the hubbub.

Sometimes it seemed like I had always been part of the Delta Pearl’s crew.  I was grateful to have a relaxed but respectful relationship with the Captain.  Despite his firm hand with the crew, he seemed like a doting uncle to me.

I couldn’t have thought more of the Captain, the Dealer, or the Cook if they were my own blood.  Truth be told, I would have thought considerably less of them if they were my blood-kin.  Jaspe had been right when he said I would have been dead before I was ten years old, if not for the Delta Pearl.

The people on the riverboat were the only family I cared to have.  I had escaped my old life and I would never turn back.

They wouldn’t explain their conversation if I asked.  However, I knew I couldn’t keep crouching where I was.  I went on up the stairs.

When the Captain saw me come into view, he abruptly cleared his throat.  He touched the all-seeing eye pin that held his puff tie in place.  That was a habit that meant his thoughts were elsewhere.  In this case he was undoubtedly hiding the fact that I had been the subject of their conversation.

Robbie Coltrane as Cecil Perlog, aka The Captain
Robbie Coltrane as Cecil Perlog, aka The Captain

It was an intriguing pin.  I remembered that it had belonged to his grandfather.  An oval white “blister” pearl made the eye, and a large round emerald was the iris.  A small black diamond made the pupil.  The piece was rimmed by black enamel, giving the illusion of eyelashes.

He started praising the soup Agate had brought him.  The Dealer left politely, as if he had already been headed out of the room.

“Well done, Onyx,” the Captain told the clockwork owl.  “Well done, my boy.  You’re nothing if not determined.  I knew you wouldn’t let me down.  Thank you kindly, Aggie.  This is my favorite of all your Scottish dishes.”

Agate gave an uncomfortable glance at me.  However, she caught the Captain’s meaning, and acted as if their conversation had not been about me, only seconds before.

“You needn’t have sent Onyx to me, Captain,” Agate dissembled.  “I was already preparing you this small serving of cock-a-leekie soup,” the Cook told him, meaning the heavy silver crock that took both of her hands to hold.  “Ha! The little devil did peck anybody what tried to lift the cover on the tureen.  Protecting it for his Captain, he was.  This should tide ye over ‘til dinner.”

Captain Cecil Perlog had an appetite to matched his huge frame.  He was a remarkably large man, both tall and broad.  He dwarfed the pilothouse.

I shook my head, bemused.  The structure seemed crowded with just the Captain.  Add Agate and me, and it felt uncomfortably close.  I stood in the doorway rather than go inside, but he motioned for me to enter.

“Emmie, darling, when Coral went ashore, she brought back some Unclaimed Babies for us.  Come down to the kitchen when you get a chance.  I know what a treat they are for you,” Agate told me with a wink.

The captain had made a chocking noise at the prospect of unclaimed infants being brought aboard.

“Oh, you mean Jelly Babies?  I’d love some.  I forget that they are called that.  Jelly Babies sounds like a much nicer name for something to eat,” I added for the Captain’s sake.

Jelly_babies Wikimedia
Jelly Babies, Wikimedia

Captain Perlog recovered himself and wanted to know how the greeting went.  I didn’t have to bring up any of my concerns or questions about the passengers.  He asked me what I thought of each one.  He nodded as I spoke, and muttered sounds of agreement.

I moved to leave the pilothouse.  However, the Captain called me back before I got away from the door.

“Tell the Dealer to keep an eye on those two,” he instructed me.

“Who,” my mouth formed the word, but before I could ask the question the Captain spoke.

“Jaspe will know who I mean,” he supplied.

Cryptic as ever, I thought.

It irritated me when Cecil Perlog deliberately kept information from me.  It thoroughly annoyed me when I thought the Captain did so just to make me use my “critical thinking skills” as he was fond of saying.

Why the Captain would keep such a thing from me was beyond my reckoning.  It also left me feeling utterly frustrated.

Paddlewheel Riverboat by Dan Antion
Paddlewheel Riverboat by Dan Antion

The big red paddlewheel started to turn, at first slowly then progressively faster as the riverboat got underway.  I loved to watch the water churn through the wheel, so I headed toward the railing for a better view.

I heard an odd wooden clatter and the moan of machinery.  Irritated and distracted, I failed to see a wet area on the decking.  Worse, it was not just water, it was much more slippery.

Just as the Delta Pearl jolted from an unplanned pause, I slipped on the oil.  Between the bounce from the riverboat and my skating feet, I had enough momentum that the railing did not stop me.

I went over the rail.  Worse, I knew I wouldn’t land in the river.  A hard deck two stories below awaited.

The sensation of falling engulfed me.

Altered image by Alex Iby at Pixaby
Altered image by Alex Iby at Pixaby

***

End Chapter 6

***

Meet me at the riverboat dock next weekend, my chuckaboos.  There’s more to come!

If you haven’t already done so — or even if you have, I invite you to leave  a random non-modern thing, to help drive the story.  Please limit your description of the “thing” to two words if possible.  Remember any technology-thing you offer needs to be appropriate to the Steam Era. 

I love hearing from you, so please leave a comment, whether or not you leave a thing.

***

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Copyright ©  2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

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97 thoughts on “The Delta Pearl, 6 — Listen”

  1. Pingback: The Delta Pearl 57 — Pin – Teagan's Books

    1. Haha — maybe it could be *any* two, so he didn’t have to explain. This is a re-write of an unfinished novel form a few years ago. To be honest, I don’t remember which two! LOL.
      Thanks for catching up, my chuckaboo. I know you have a lot of work to do preparing for Bad Moon Rising. Hugs!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. Pingback: The Delta Pearl, 7 — Catch – Teagan's Books

  11. Nice set up for some mystery, Teagan. The all-seeing eye pin, Emmie as heir, the two passengers needing to be kept under Jaspe’s watchful eye. And that fall – what a cliff-hanger. Excellent episode. I’m looking forward to the next installment. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. At last, I got to read this instalment in peace, lol. Wow, mysterious objects attuned and ready to be passed on? The cat, the need to keep an eye on a certain two people. I have my suspicions but will keep them to myself. On no, can’t wait until next instalment to see where she goes. Fantastic, Teagan, I’m loving this serial. xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Jill, it’s good to see you. LOL, you know I couldn’t let it be as simple as falling into the river, just not as scary. 😀 The Delta Pearl would actually look more like this riverboat below.

      If you look closely, you can see that the “hurricane” deck (where my pilothouse would be on top) and the higher levels are not as broad as the lower decks.
      I’m just trying to give a better visual. Besides, this one is a beautiful craft. Heartfelt thanks for visiting, my chuckaboo!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Sorry, my chuckaboo! You know I can’t resist cliffhangers. Plus you can probably tell (from going all the way over the railing) that one was building up for a while! o_O It’s great to see you, Joanne. Hugs on the wing!

      Like

      Reply

  19. Oh no! Over you go, I hope your skirt catches on something, someone sees you and pulls you back. Questions to answer. A secret about the stone. And why watch the couple? This was fast moving and fun to read, 📚🎼Christine

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for that specific feedback, John. Captain Perlog’s character is more firmly in my mind with this rewrite. Maybe finding that photo helped… Who knows. I appreciate you spending part of your weekend here, my chuckaboo!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. Wonderful, with Sir Reginald too. 😉 Do you know, we had a cat named him in a noble way too. Till his death we cant get this out of his benaviour. There need to be always special food and other things for him. LoL Have a beautiful weekend, and thank you for this sequel too, Teagan. Best wishes, Michael

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Oh, I didn’t think of that… We’ll see next time, whether Émeraude’s fall was karma or something else. 😉 They say eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves. While it was difficult to understand the parts Émeraude heard, at least they weren’t talking about her being a horrible brat! 😀 Thanks for commenting, my chuckaboo!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  25. Okay Teagan, you must’ve taken your mean pills this morning ending this week’s episode with Emmie falling over the rail into/onto Lord knows what, and creating such a huge cliffhanger!! 🤗 And if that’s not bad enough, you leave us wondering “who” the two are that the Captain wants the Dealer to “keep an eye on”!!!

    But could you leave it at that? Noooooo. How and why is there oil on the deck? Is there more? Hell yes, there’s always more with Teagan. We’re pondering what kind of future for Emmie the Captain is mapping out.

    Needless to say, I’ll be aboard next Saturday to get my next “fix”, now that I’m addicted to the Delta Pearl!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Well dash my wig… I didn’t realize just how much was in this chapter before you said that, Ginger. It’s been awhile since I did a big cliffhanger. LOL, I’m unrepentant. 😉 Thanks so much for your delightful comment, my chuckaboo!

      Like

      Reply

  26. Yikes!!! Poor Emmie. I do hope she doesn’t suffer any serious injuries in her fall, like a cracked rib! 🙂 Great segment. I loved taking a closer look at the Captain, and he has an obvious fondness for Emmie, as do the other crew members. Now, I’m wondering two things. Where did this oil come from? I hope the Delta Pearl isn’t in need of repairs. And where is Emmie going to land? I enjoyed this segment immensely, Teagan!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Jan, my chuckaboo, thanks so much for your comment! I think you’re right to wonder about the oil. At least, there’s likely more to it than meets the eye. Bushwa! I wasn’t thinking about your injury. I hope you are doing better, although I know that takes time.
      Actually, that “fall” scene is part of the original version. I honestly can’t remember if Emeraude was hurt. We will see next time! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  27. Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
    Time to catch up with the Captain and crew of the Delta Pearl as she prepares to leave the dock… this week there are some questions raised about two of the passengers, what the Captain, the Dealer and the Cook are talking about, and just where our heroine is going to end up… plus if you are lucky your path will be crossed by a black cat… don’t miss out and head over to Teagan Geneviene’s post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  29. Oh my, leaving us with a cliff-hanger! The story is coming along and keeping us all interested, Teagan. You must have so much fun with it. Thank you for including Sir Reginald La Felin (translation in English: Reggie the Cat) aboard ship.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  30. Oh my goodness! I hope Em isn’t hurt. Talk about a cliffhanger, yikes.

    I really liked they way you filled in more about Em’s past and hinted at a curious future, both at the same time. Well done, Teagan. The overheard scene in the pilot house was so well written, I felt I was standing beside her near the door. Everything she thinks/has thought about these people point to her considering them as family. I love how it all fits together.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  37. “Aaaaahhhhh…” Oh I think that must of hurt, unless there’s something or someone to break the fall. Hmmm. I’ll be interested to see how you pick up the fallen. So much fun, this is.

    Liked by 1 person

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