Lastly, a small advertisement was placed concerning the theft or escape of a trained monkey, last seen leaving the circus wearing a top hat and a red jacket.
The reward offered was noted as "a reluctant willingness to accept his return, along with a complete disavowal of responsibility for any destruction the creature may have caused during his absence."
Appendix A
The History of New Africa
Despite being so far west, New Africa is one of the oldest and most respectable of the continental republics. The capitol city is Franklin, and the largest city is Omaha, near the Iowa border.
Founded in 1785, New Africa was settled by patriots of the Revolution, former African slaves. Slavery had been in rapid decline for years before the Declaration of Independence and Emancipation Proclamation were signed in July, 1776.
The invention of alchemically-powered automatons made slavery as economically unfavorable as it had always been morally reprehensible. Wealthy men followed the advice of accountants more reliably than conscience.
When the colonies won the Revolution and declared themselves independent republics, the Continental Congress granted this western territory to any New Africans who’d chosen to stay and fight for independence. Partly, the grant served as thanks for their valor. Partly, it was designed to create distance between the New Africans and former slave-holders in the southern republics.
New Africa has received a small but steady stream of immigrants from the old continent of Africa, as its reputation as a place of opportunity in the New World grew. This has lead to an interesting culture, which is an amalgam of old African and North American habits, dress and customs.
Until the Mechanicals War, New Africa managed to avoid getting embroiled in the civil conflicts that cropped up among the republics from time to time. The people of New Africa are honored as descendants of war heroes, although they’ve suffered heavy casualties in this most recent and unfortunate conflict.
For the New Africans, automatons have served as both a means of deliverance and an engine of destruction in just a little more than a century. The steam-powered machines used to till the rich New African soil conspicuously bear no resemblance to men. Instead, their agricultural engines are boxy and abstract, with wheels or continuous tracks for movement. Even the wealthy have neither mechanical nor human domestic servants.
Like the republics of Kansas and Iowa as well as the Great Sioux Nation bordering it, New Africa is generally a pragmatic, industrious nation known for agricultural and artisanal exports. For the most part, the people were prosperous, somewhat isolated from other republics, and often a little bored. For this reason, a large number of New Africans immigrate to other republics each year.
About the Author
Katina French is a science fiction and fantasy author from southern Indiana. An award-winning copywriter, she's been writing professionally for over 20 years. Recent works include "The Clockwork Republics Series," a set of steampunk retellings of classic fairy tales, as well as the space adventure serial BELLE STARR.
Ms. French writes fast-paced, humor-laced adventure stories with a touch of mystery and romance that appeal to young adults and the young at heart.
Books and stories by Katina French
The Clockwork Republic Series
Blowhard
Big Teeth
Mirrors & Magic
The Belle Starr Series
Belle Starr: Whiskey on the Rocks
Belle Starr: The Skull Game
Belle Starr: A Pair of Aces *
The Exodus of Jerry B. Johnson
Flashes of Wonder (Collection)
Bitter Cold
(novella in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale)
*Coming Soon
Mirrors and Magic: A Steampunk Fairy Tale (The Clockwork Republic Series) Page 15