Iron Maiden
Page 27
Captain Schufeldt stood up and vigorously shook John Ericsson's hand. "Thank you, Captain; I am glad you have been honest with me. I am certain things will go well for you at the inquiry. You are a man of reason and compassion."
John left the captain's stateroom and walked amidships to his own cabin. Amelia was standing in the doorway, but she was frowning. "What's the matter, love?" Ericsson asked, taking her softly by her supple shoulders and kissing her cheek.
"This is the first time in months we will be sleeping in a proper bed," she said, wrinkling up her nose.
"Yes? I agree. It will be quite a change," John said.
"John, do you still love me?" she asked, slowly dropping her dress to the floor, exposing her lattice pattern of native tattooing all over her bare legs.
This was the first time Ericsson had seen his wife's legs under a light, and he enjoyed what he saw. The thought of his wife's native intrigue under the stars on Easter Island would be their secret for years to come. "Dance for me, love," said John, and Amelia began to shake.
* * *
At the base of the ship, standing among the remaining population of Easter Island, one hundred and nine citizens in all, were Chip Jefferson and his new wife, Kaimi Jefferson. Chip was dressed in native attire as was his lovely young wife, and their expressions told the story of the pain and tragic adversity that had taken place over the last few months.
As the U.S.S. Wachusett pulled out from the bay, Chip and Kaimi turned their backs to it as the sun retreated into the South Pacific. They did not want to watch the ship leave because they had the beginnings of a new family right where they were. Although Chip knew he could never be the Bird Man again, he was happy to start over. Captain Ericsson had agreed to lie about his death so he could stay on Easter Island, and Chip would forever be grateful. Ericsson said that it would be most difficult to explain away Chip's conspiracy with Dr. Garvey, and it was best that he settle with his new love. The land would again begin to flourish, under the careful husbandry of the remaining natives, and no longer would racism and greed rule the day. Chip knew they were a microcosm of what happened in many other lands, all over the world, and the lessons they learned were well worth the experience.
Historical Notes: The two main characters used in this novel that were not fictitious were John Ericsson and Samuel Dana Greene. Part III until the end of the novel was a completely alternate history, although much of the research came from many verified sources, including a great debt of gratitude to Professor Jared Diamond, author of the best-selling non-fiction works, Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.
Later, Ericsson worked with torpedo inventions, in particular the Destroyer torpedo boat, and in the book Contributions to the Centennial Exhibition he presents the so- called "sun engines", using solar power as propellant for a "hot air engine". Once again bitter and plagued by economic difficulties, his invention of the solar engine would not have practical applications for another 100 years.
Although none of his inventions created any large industries, he is regarded as one of the most influential mechanical engineers ever to live. After his passing in 1889 his remains were brought from the United States to Stockholm by USS Baltimore and to the final resting place at Filipstad, in his Varmland.
On December 11, 1884, while at the Navy Yard, Samuel Dana Greene committed suicide by shooting himself with a .38 caliber revolver. The Concord [New Hampshire] Evening Monitor reported on December 12 that "He had been observed to act strangely for some time, and had been watched for fear that he might take his own life." His suicide was attributed by some to criticisms of his actions on the Monitor after Worden was wounded. Recent articles in the press had brought old rumors to light and it was believed that Greene had not been able to cope with the resulting publicity. There is also some indication that he was in poor health at the time of his suicide.
Following reading experiences such as Camus' The Stranger (originally entitled, more appropriately, The Outsider); James Ray Musgrave began his own odyssey to become a published author of "radstream" prose. His nonfiction title, The Digital Scribe: A Writer's Guide to Electronic Media (1996), was his attempt to teach techies how to write with their entire brains, and his three novels soon followed in an attempt to teach humans how to read with their brains damaged by American "bestsellers." His published novels include: Sins of Darkness, Russian Wolves, and Lucifer's Wedding. His short fiction has been published in Outsider Ink, Ramble Underground, Skive Magazine, California Quarterly, San Diego Writer's Monthly, and Cowles Mountain Journal. He presently teaches collegiate humans in San Diego how to think (and hopefully write) with their brains damaged by the American K-12 system. His motto: Carpe nocto!