Read Online Winged: A Novella (Of Two Girls) by Joyce Chng - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joyce Chng
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Gathering. Steamships puffed up the
Thames or made their berths near the coasts, bringers of men and of
machines. Trains delivered hordes of visitors and released wooden
boxes filled with gifts and more artifacts.
Meiji Japan arrived first with some degree
of pomp and circumstance, quickly followed by Imperial Qing China
who overdid the pageantry with extravagant displays of drumbeats
and dragon dances. The Londoners lapped up the show – it was a fine
spectacle. They watched the delegations parade down the roads as
they made their ways to their accommodations allocated to them by
their host, the Queen herself.
Other nations were less overt in their
displays, preferring more staid and stately appearances. Their
moments of glory would come, in the Great Gathering itself. All
their ships were already in warehouses near the Thames, heavily
guarded by vigilant troops.
Of course London had her own arsenal of new
ships, hastily constructed for the Event. The new vessels sat,
silent in a secret location, like large predators waiting to
pounce. There were five of these predatory vessels, with the
prototype being the First. They would take wing, emissaries for the
Glory of Britannia and the New Age.
Chapter Six
The Great Gathering
“Look at those airships!” Misato Kanaka’s
voice woke Katherine from a half-drowse. They were in a train
commissioned by the Academy and they were heading towards London.
In full formal regalia with braid and dark pants, the students
crowded at the window, amazed at the sight of the four huge
airships hovering in the sky like whales. They were merchant
airships, designed by the business and merchants guilds, decorated
with brightly colored pennants and streamers.
Their own leo-fins and blimp-fins had
already gone before them and were now in storage, ready to be
activated once the Great Gathering was in progress. Alethia sat in
her seat, in a contemplative trance. Katherine knew that she was
seeing her colors once more.
They steamed into stately Paddington Station
not long after noon and were guided to their steam-engined cars
where they were brought swiftly to a small hotel. Katherine watched
London life pass by before her as the car sped its way down the
roads. London always captivated her imagination. There were still
horse-drawn carriages making their staid way down the streets. A
festival atmosphere had galvanized the city who not so long ago was
struck by a horrendous fire. She had sprung back to life once more,
showing how innately resilient she was. Cities were built,
destroyed and re-built constantly. Katherine heard from Alethia
that when diggers excavated a piece of land holding abandoned
buildings, they revealed layers upon layers of civilization, dating
back to the Roman Empire. It was all very fascinating.
Their hotel rooms were sumptuously
appointed, with fine upholstery and Ming vases with the signature
blue designs. Soft goose-down beds and hot-water facilities were
amply provided. They would rest. It would be a long day
tomorrow.
~*~
Early morning saw the Gathering begin in
earnest with the airships and blimps taking to the air like large
and small animals, be it cetacean or avian. There was an audible
drumming as their impellers and rotor-blades churned the air and
the ships made their way slowly to the central meeting point in
regal wedge formations.
Spectators had gathered to watch the Great
Gathering. Soaring in the sky were the lion-faced golden Japanese
ships waving flags with the chrysanthemum emblem of the Meiji
Emperor. They were close to the Chinese dragon-ships fitted with
twin rotor-blades, sending blackish smoke into the sky as if the
dragons were alive and roaring; the Chinese ships tried to jockey
for position and there was constant shifting as the ships did their
mid-air dance of power with the other groups. The most
Thames or made their berths near the coasts, bringers of men and of
machines. Trains delivered hordes of visitors and released wooden
boxes filled with gifts and more artifacts.
Meiji Japan arrived first with some degree
of pomp and circumstance, quickly followed by Imperial Qing China
who overdid the pageantry with extravagant displays of drumbeats
and dragon dances. The Londoners lapped up the show – it was a fine
spectacle. They watched the delegations parade down the roads as
they made their ways to their accommodations allocated to them by
their host, the Queen herself.
Other nations were less overt in their
displays, preferring more staid and stately appearances. Their
moments of glory would come, in the Great Gathering itself. All
their ships were already in warehouses near the Thames, heavily
guarded by vigilant troops.
Of course London had her own arsenal of new
ships, hastily constructed for the Event. The new vessels sat,
silent in a secret location, like large predators waiting to
pounce. There were five of these predatory vessels, with the
prototype being the First. They would take wing, emissaries for the
Glory of Britannia and the New Age.
Chapter Six
The Great Gathering
“Look at those airships!” Misato Kanaka’s
voice woke Katherine from a half-drowse. They were in a train
commissioned by the Academy and they were heading towards London.
In full formal regalia with braid and dark pants, the students
crowded at the window, amazed at the sight of the four huge
airships hovering in the sky like whales. They were merchant
airships, designed by the business and merchants guilds, decorated
with brightly colored pennants and streamers.
Their own leo-fins and blimp-fins had
already gone before them and were now in storage, ready to be
activated once the Great Gathering was in progress. Alethia sat in
her seat, in a contemplative trance. Katherine knew that she was
seeing her colors once more.
They steamed into stately Paddington Station
not long after noon and were guided to their steam-engined cars
where they were brought swiftly to a small hotel. Katherine watched
London life pass by before her as the car sped its way down the
roads. London always captivated her imagination. There were still
horse-drawn carriages making their staid way down the streets. A
festival atmosphere had galvanized the city who not so long ago was
struck by a horrendous fire. She had sprung back to life once more,
showing how innately resilient she was. Cities were built,
destroyed and re-built constantly. Katherine heard from Alethia
that when diggers excavated a piece of land holding abandoned
buildings, they revealed layers upon layers of civilization, dating
back to the Roman Empire. It was all very fascinating.
Their hotel rooms were sumptuously
appointed, with fine upholstery and Ming vases with the signature
blue designs. Soft goose-down beds and hot-water facilities were
amply provided. They would rest. It would be a long day
tomorrow.
~*~
Early morning saw the Gathering begin in
earnest with the airships and blimps taking to the air like large
and small animals, be it cetacean or avian. There was an audible
drumming as their impellers and rotor-blades churned the air and
the ships made their way slowly to the central meeting point in
regal wedge formations.
Spectators had gathered to watch the Great
Gathering. Soaring in the sky were the lion-faced golden Japanese
ships waving flags with the chrysanthemum emblem of the Meiji
Emperor. They were close to the Chinese dragon-ships fitted with
twin rotor-blades, sending blackish smoke into the sky as if the
dragons were alive and roaring; the Chinese ships tried to jockey
for position and there was constant shifting as the ships did their
mid-air dance of power with the other groups. The most
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