As Amaretto rushed after her aunt who had run into the Cloister, she felt a sudden shiver as she crossed the threshold. It wasn't coldness, but Darkness that she felt, and it made her skin crawl. The inside had been doe in a Jacobean style Victorian period slump with a large aerie feel to the vaulted ceilings in the area. From the ceilings hung large chandeliers made of metal and gears that ticked and spun and whirled and clicked. Amaretto was more than sure that these gears were machine parts, but to what machine she was not sure as the gas lighting that came from the chandeliers was so low, she could barely see in front of her.
As Amaretto paused to adjust to the new lighting in the area, she heard her aunt hiss something in the darkness. She turned to see her aunt making a gesture with her hand, motioning her over to hide behind one of the pillars. Amaretto picked up her skirts, just enough so her jeans would not be showing, but to make sure that they would not get in the way, and hurried over to where her aunt was hiding.
Her aunt made a worried face. "It seems that we were expected," Katherine began. "However, not to worry. We still have Johanna to follow and Alice is more than ready with her pistol. The only real problem is avoiding guards. We can either go in guns blazing, or sneak our way through. I prefer sneaking, and Alice prefers to blaze though. Either way, we have to make our way up to the second floor of the Cloister to make it to the back stairs where Mother Chime supposedly has her suites."
Alice bustled over from behind the pillar she was hiding behind and then smiled at Amaretto, both of her pistols in her hands. "Mother Chime however also has the queen with her. So we have to be careful that we don't fall afoul of scientists of palace guards."
Amaretto looked a little lost. "Scientists? What would be the problem with scientists?" Amaretto pictured a short man in a white lab coat with thinning hair and really beady eyes.
Alice snorted and then said, "For argument's sake, let us say that the scientists are more modified than the regular palace guards."
"That would make no sense," Amaretto said furrowing her brow.
"Alice smiled rather wickedly and then said, "The last scientist I saw had modified his hand to apply a saw in place there. It was a little creepy."
Amaretto tried to smile back, but found herself a little horrified.
Katherine patted her god-daughter on the shoulder and then spoke in a low tone. "Are you ready Amaretto. I'm going to need you on the front line, think you can do it?"
Amaretto shook her head and then looked at her aunt. Her heart was pounding a million miles a moment and there seemed to be no stopping the dread that she felt encroaching on her.
Katherine smiled and then said, "do it and when we get back, I'll buy you a pair of Seven Jeans."
Amaretto's eyes widened. "Are you trying to bribe me with the most expensive jeans in the world?"
"You and I both know there is a reason they call them '7 for all Mankind' jeans," her aunt smiled.
Amaretto pulled herself up from the slump that she had begun and looked around. She stepped boldly towards the other side of the room and made sure that her shoes slammed against the marble floors. She wanted to make as much noise as possible. As she did so, she heard the familiar clanking of metal against the marble floors. She began muttering the incantation even before she saw them. As the IronMen came around the corner, she shrieked the last line of the incantation aloud, "Iron of Man you now shall erase!"
There was a shriek and a sudden haze of smoke as the IronMen twisted where they were standing and then violently shuddered before turning their gazes towards the skies before they spewed black smog from their mouths. Boiling steam jerked from their chests as the iron hearts in their chests burst violently onto the floors. The automation stood there with the smoke pouring from their mouths and Amaretto took another step forward. From behind them, she saw another set of the IronMen and jerked her hand forwards and began the incantation once more.
"Voices of Ancients long ago past," she began.
The first of the IronMen raised his hands and his fingers seemed to bend at an impossible angle at the knuckles. They bulged and then fell downwards in a short burst.
"Spirits of Earth and reminiscent grace..."
The second IronMan turned his left arm up at the elbow and pulled back at the cloth holding his elbow in place. There was a large hole there and a large set of tubing ran up his arm with what appeared to be boiling green liquid.
"Spark of Energy here now recast," Amaretto continued.
The first IronMan jerked his hands and there was a pneumatic hiss and Amaretto could see small black projectiles heading straight for her. The second Iron man seemed to turn a large spigot on his arm and a spray of what looked to be Green acid spewed forth from the hole in his elbow.
Amaretto screamed the last line as fast as she could, "Iron of Man you now shall erase!"
At the same time Katherine threw her hand forwards and screamed out, "Escudo de anciáns, Wall Redonda!"
A shimmering force exerted itself into a shield of multicolored hues in front of Amaretto. As the last line of teh spell was said, the first IronMan jerked and the strange black objects went flying around. Amaretto covered her face out of reactionary force and heard several sounds of marble being cracked into with resounding force. Amaretto had little idea left that the black balls were actually old fashioned bullets. As for the second IronMan, he jerked and the green acid fell all around him and also onto the first IronMen, as the black smoke roiled forth from their chests, Amaretto watched in horrid fascination as they melted slowly and the struts that were in the back of their feet began to collapse.
The first Iron Man suddenly ejected the iron heart from his chest and as soon as it hit the ground with a thud into the acid, there was a shrieking hiss as it began to disintegrate into nothing. The second IronMan twitched and collapsed backwards as the struts in his legs gave out, tearing into the cloth that covered his legs. As the pants were ripped, Amaretto saw that the man's legs had been replaced with a crude valve system and hydraulics that were made from what might have been bright and shiny new cogs and springs, if not for the massive amount of black oil that greased it all up.
Amaretto almost gagged and then shrieked as the IronMan's heart rocketed out of his chest into the air and slammed back down into the green acid as well. It hissed with the same shrieking sound and Amaretto felt like it sounded like two cars scraping together against a cement wall. As she clutched at her ears she heart something that sounded like a strange sound.
WHUMPT!
Amaretto turned around and saw an IronMan reaching for her. She didn't scream however, as the IronMan was twitching and then fell forwards. From behind the IronMan, Alice stood with one of her pistols, aimed right where the automaton’s heart should have been. Alice smiled grimly and then picked up her skirts as she walked forwards. "Gotta make sure you don't die then, don't we?"
Johanna had turned to Katherine who was already moving forwards. "How did you do it?" Johanna's voice was deadpan.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Katherine replied with an almost exact duplicate of Johanna's voice. Katherine moved forwards with amazing speed and began to make her way down the long hallway.
Amaretto's initial idea seemed to be a success. Make as much noise as possible and the IronMen who were in the vicinity would come to investigate. From there it was as simple as having Amaretto speak the incantation of her ring that Tempus taught her, or Alice shooting them with the Mongooses that Katherine had given her. From each side of the Gothic rendered hallway, IronMen came to investigate and soon were dispatched with remarkable ease. However, the hallway soon gave out into an open courtyard from the center and there, something that was more Neo-Renaissance was seen.
Katherine gasped. Amaretto looked a little confused as she stared at the staircase in front of her. "What is it aunt Katherine?"
"It is a rather ornate copy of the Grand Staircase at Château de Chambord. It is said that the spectacular double-helix open staircase is the centerpiece of the château. The two helices ascend three floors without ever meeting but the outside has been redone and it looks like rather than the original two stairwells have been multiplied by two for four of them, and that is most certainly more than three floors that it ascends."
Amaretto looked stunned. “I have a feeling that Mother Chime is up there.”
Katherine smiled. I think you're right. Standing here won't get us closer to the stone though.” Katherine turned to look at Johanna. “Do you feel the tug of the stone?”
Johanna closed her eyes and then pointed up the stairs.
Alice smiled as Katherine turned to her and shrugged. “Just our luck eh?”
Amaretto groaned.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Grain... New Machina - Second Great British Empire
Johanna looked nonplussed. "We just have to find Mother Chime. We still have no idea where she is located in there."
Amaretto rolled her eyebrows and then began to push her way towards the still standing forms of the IronMen so that she could inspect them. She walked right up to them and then said, "They look like British Foot guards."
Alice smiled smugly and then said, "Those are the royal foot guards."
Katherine raised an eyebrow and said, “Where are the tall bearskin hats?”
Amaretto looked at her aunt with a critical eye. “I don't think that is what we should be worrying about.” Amaretto turned back to Alice and then said, "Aren't they supposed to be human?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders and then began to inspect the mongoose pistols that she had. Johanna walked past all of them and looked up the hill towards the Cloister of Science. "We have to get in their now. I can feel it. I can feel the stone in the Cloister. I need to get in there now." Johanna's voice, which was usually without emotion had a tenseness to it that Amaretto could hear.
She walked over to the older woman and then said, "We will get it back for you. Don't worry. It will be alright."
Johanna simply nodded her head and then turned to her aunt. "So what is the next part of the plan?"
Katherine looked at Amaretto and then just smiled. "I believe it was to find Mother Chime. She's the one who has the Stone of Communication, she's the one that has the first coordinate and then we can move on."
"First we need to find where she is in the cloister." Alice was still playing with her new pistols.
Amaretto frowned and then said, "Well, that's completely helpful. Where the hell is she then?"
Katherine looked at Johanna. "I think we have our own homing device built into the woman who was originally affiliated to the stone." Katherine smiled and looked at Johanna. "Can you truly feel the stone Johanna?"
Johanna closed her eyes and then started walking towards the Cloister. Katherine grabbed onto Amaretto's arm and began to drag her along as she walked behind Johanna. Alice quickly fell into step with them as Johanna walked along the cobbled walk towards the Cloister's main doors. The three women followed Johanna and as they reached the front doors, more of the IronMen showed up.
"Johanna! Look out!" Amaretto cried out, but even then, it was almost instantaneous that Johanna suddenly had her rapier out and was slashing down though the first IronMan in front of her. There was a screech of metal and a hiss of steam. There was also an unearthly shriek along with the IronMan's death. Johanna's second slash into the next IronMan was blocked however. The IronMan caught the slash down from the rapier in his hands. There was a sudden bang and a strange whizzing sound. At that moment, the IronMan staggered backwards and felt for his chest. Where he felt was a large hole and there was another small metal clanging on the ground as his heart fell and hit the ground.
Alice nodded her head in happiness. “These are the greatest pistols ever. I must say, how did you get a hold of these?”
Katherine simply patted her purse and then said, “I am not without my own little surprises.”
Alice snorted and then nodded her head. “Surprises, that's meant for bawdy women and strange men who have nothing better to do than haunt them in the dark of night.”
Katherine smiled and then in a slightly snarky tone said, “That is true, but I am not a bawdy woman or a strange man who hunts women in the night to eviscerate him.”
Amaretto tilted her head and then said, “Are you referring to Jack the Ripper? He's here too? I thought that the difference was obvious?”
Katherine shook her head. “No, even though there are differences in how the dimensions are, the time lines can be very similar. 'The Whitechapel Murderer ' is still around.”
Amaretto shuddered. “That's a little creepy.”
Katherine smiled and pointed to Johanna. “Let's keep going. We don't necessarily have time for all of this.”
Amaretto giggled. “What is this, a bad television show?”
Katherine smacked her charge playfully and then shook her head.
Johanna had already closed her eyes and then began to move into the Cloister. Katherine pulled her own parasol forward and then smiled. “We need to keep moving.”
Amaretto nodded and then looked at the ring on her finger. “I just wish I had a better weapon than this simple ring.”
Alice patted Amaretto on the shoulder. “It's alright. I will be sure to shoot anything that comes towards you.”
Amaretto looked at the IronMan with the hole in his chest. “Well, I suppose that it is nice that you know how to use that.”
Alice smirked. “I suppose that it is.”
Johanna walked into the Cloister at that moment, leaving all the others behind. Katherine whooped and picked up the edges of her dress and stepped lightly over the body of one of the IronMen. “Wait Johanna! Wait for us!”
Amaretto rolled her eyebrows and then began to push her way towards the still standing forms of the IronMen so that she could inspect them. She walked right up to them and then said, "They look like British Foot guards."
Alice smiled smugly and then said, "Those are the royal foot guards."
Katherine raised an eyebrow and said, “Where are the tall bearskin hats?”
Amaretto looked at her aunt with a critical eye. “I don't think that is what we should be worrying about.” Amaretto turned back to Alice and then said, "Aren't they supposed to be human?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders and then began to inspect the mongoose pistols that she had. Johanna walked past all of them and looked up the hill towards the Cloister of Science. "We have to get in their now. I can feel it. I can feel the stone in the Cloister. I need to get in there now." Johanna's voice, which was usually without emotion had a tenseness to it that Amaretto could hear.
She walked over to the older woman and then said, "We will get it back for you. Don't worry. It will be alright."
Johanna simply nodded her head and then turned to her aunt. "So what is the next part of the plan?"
Katherine looked at Amaretto and then just smiled. "I believe it was to find Mother Chime. She's the one who has the Stone of Communication, she's the one that has the first coordinate and then we can move on."
"First we need to find where she is in the cloister." Alice was still playing with her new pistols.
Amaretto frowned and then said, "Well, that's completely helpful. Where the hell is she then?"
Katherine looked at Johanna. "I think we have our own homing device built into the woman who was originally affiliated to the stone." Katherine smiled and looked at Johanna. "Can you truly feel the stone Johanna?"
Johanna closed her eyes and then started walking towards the Cloister. Katherine grabbed onto Amaretto's arm and began to drag her along as she walked behind Johanna. Alice quickly fell into step with them as Johanna walked along the cobbled walk towards the Cloister's main doors. The three women followed Johanna and as they reached the front doors, more of the IronMen showed up.
"Johanna! Look out!" Amaretto cried out, but even then, it was almost instantaneous that Johanna suddenly had her rapier out and was slashing down though the first IronMan in front of her. There was a screech of metal and a hiss of steam. There was also an unearthly shriek along with the IronMan's death. Johanna's second slash into the next IronMan was blocked however. The IronMan caught the slash down from the rapier in his hands. There was a sudden bang and a strange whizzing sound. At that moment, the IronMan staggered backwards and felt for his chest. Where he felt was a large hole and there was another small metal clanging on the ground as his heart fell and hit the ground.
Alice nodded her head in happiness. “These are the greatest pistols ever. I must say, how did you get a hold of these?”
Katherine simply patted her purse and then said, “I am not without my own little surprises.”
Alice snorted and then nodded her head. “Surprises, that's meant for bawdy women and strange men who have nothing better to do than haunt them in the dark of night.”
Katherine smiled and then in a slightly snarky tone said, “That is true, but I am not a bawdy woman or a strange man who hunts women in the night to eviscerate him.”
Amaretto tilted her head and then said, “Are you referring to Jack the Ripper? He's here too? I thought that the difference was obvious?”
Katherine shook her head. “No, even though there are differences in how the dimensions are, the time lines can be very similar. 'The Whitechapel Murderer ' is still around.”
Amaretto shuddered. “That's a little creepy.”
Katherine smiled and pointed to Johanna. “Let's keep going. We don't necessarily have time for all of this.”
Amaretto giggled. “What is this, a bad television show?”
Katherine smacked her charge playfully and then shook her head.
Johanna had already closed her eyes and then began to move into the Cloister. Katherine pulled her own parasol forward and then smiled. “We need to keep moving.”
Amaretto nodded and then looked at the ring on her finger. “I just wish I had a better weapon than this simple ring.”
Alice patted Amaretto on the shoulder. “It's alright. I will be sure to shoot anything that comes towards you.”
Amaretto looked at the IronMan with the hole in his chest. “Well, I suppose that it is nice that you know how to use that.”
Alice smirked. “I suppose that it is.”
Johanna walked into the Cloister at that moment, leaving all the others behind. Katherine whooped and picked up the edges of her dress and stepped lightly over the body of one of the IronMen. “Wait Johanna! Wait for us!”
Friday, January 14, 2011
Grain...
The Cloister of Science loomed up in Amaretto's vision as they walked stately towards the large iron wrought gates that demanded attention from anyone who came near. The gates were not just simple gates however, instead of the traditional iron bars there were small cariatides that formed the spaces where the bars should be. The cariatids were fashioned to look like tall men and women with bunson burners and beakers in their hands. However, on either side of the gate there were two more larger statues carved from white marble with just that. A woman in a flowing Greek robe held in her hands the implements of science, a ruler, a beaker, and a large plumed helm. In the other figure, a male, he held a large wand that was reminiscent of the medical profession and also held a winged cap in his hands. It didn't take long for Amaretto to notice the small wings jutting out from the statue's ankles as well.
"They are the statues of Athena and Hermes, the gods of Science," said Katherine noticing Amaretto's gaze. Amaretto nodded her head in understanding. There was not much more time to think however as two men in bright red crimson stepped forward. Unlike the other ones that she had seen on the streets of London, these two men were not at first look, IronMen. They had oily smiles, and dark cropped black hair, and the piping that had been used to make them was much thinner than the clunking beast that Amaretto had seen in the city proper out side of the Watch shop.
Also, from the back of their heels, the tall black boots were emitting a small thin stream of steam. The IronMan on the left looked at Amaretto for a moment and then turned to Katherine and then looked to their two companions. "What can we do for you today ladies?"
The voice was only slightly mechanical and sounded more like it was being produced from a speaker in the back of the man's throat. Amaretto watched the mans lips and if she hadn't looked very carefully, it would have even looked like the IronMan had actually spoke. Instead, as she watched the contraption's lips, she noticed that the lips only made the largest sounds, and so it looked a little like bad dubbing on a foreign film.
Alice smiled brightly at the IronMan and said, "We are here to tour the Cloister of course."
The other IronMan abruptly shook his head and said, "I am sorry ladies, but access is denied. The cloister is not currently open to the public at this time."
Alice made a face of disappointment. "Bloody hell, and here I was hoping to see the Cloister of Science, maybe even get a peak at Grandmother Chime."
The first guard shook his head and said, "Language most distressing to hear from a lady. Grandmother Chime is not seeing anyone at this moment as she is administering herself to the queen's presence."
Alice huffed and spun on her heel and in the process, turned her back to the facing guards. She quickly mouthed something to Amaretto and at first, Amaretto wasn't sure what to make of it. Then she realized that Alice was telling her to use the ring, so she reached back in her mind and sought out Tempus. He was there in an instant and spoke calmly and reassuringly to Amaretto.
"Don't worry, all you need to do is repeat after me."
"Everything will be okay?" Amaretto questioned.
"As long as you repeat after me, here goes. Put your hand out at the guards and say the following..."
Amaretto put her hand with the strange pearl ring on it out in front of her and then said:
"Voices of Ancients long ago past,
Spirits of Earth and reminiscent grace,
Spark of Energy here now recast,
Iron of Man you now shall erase!"
There was a slight rumble and the ring on Amaretto's finger turned a dark shade of purple. The IronMen looked at Amaretto with curious eyes until they suddenly spasmed where they were standing and jerked forward in an effort to capture Amaretto. They may have been automatons, but they were still able to think partially for themselves, and had linked their now new found moment of not being able to work any longer with Amaretto's new found spell casting ability. The IronMen spasmed again and then a blast of electric fire seemed to take hold of them and they jerked backwards, their mouths hung open and their heads tilted skywards. It seemed at first as if they were screaming, but Amaretto soon saw it for steam rushing out of their mouths as such a rapid pace that they were not sure what was going to happen next. From their chest cavities, there was an explosion and boiling steam rushed down their chests as small metal objects were forcefully ejected from their hearts.
The molten hearts fell to the ground and the IronMen just stood in place, the metal pokes in their feet forcing them to continue to stand upright. Alice whistled.
"That was bloody brilliant. I love it. Now we just have to find Mother Chime."
"They are the statues of Athena and Hermes, the gods of Science," said Katherine noticing Amaretto's gaze. Amaretto nodded her head in understanding. There was not much more time to think however as two men in bright red crimson stepped forward. Unlike the other ones that she had seen on the streets of London, these two men were not at first look, IronMen. They had oily smiles, and dark cropped black hair, and the piping that had been used to make them was much thinner than the clunking beast that Amaretto had seen in the city proper out side of the Watch shop.
Also, from the back of their heels, the tall black boots were emitting a small thin stream of steam. The IronMan on the left looked at Amaretto for a moment and then turned to Katherine and then looked to their two companions. "What can we do for you today ladies?"
The voice was only slightly mechanical and sounded more like it was being produced from a speaker in the back of the man's throat. Amaretto watched the mans lips and if she hadn't looked very carefully, it would have even looked like the IronMan had actually spoke. Instead, as she watched the contraption's lips, she noticed that the lips only made the largest sounds, and so it looked a little like bad dubbing on a foreign film.
Alice smiled brightly at the IronMan and said, "We are here to tour the Cloister of course."
The other IronMan abruptly shook his head and said, "I am sorry ladies, but access is denied. The cloister is not currently open to the public at this time."
Alice made a face of disappointment. "Bloody hell, and here I was hoping to see the Cloister of Science, maybe even get a peak at Grandmother Chime."
The first guard shook his head and said, "Language most distressing to hear from a lady. Grandmother Chime is not seeing anyone at this moment as she is administering herself to the queen's presence."
Alice huffed and spun on her heel and in the process, turned her back to the facing guards. She quickly mouthed something to Amaretto and at first, Amaretto wasn't sure what to make of it. Then she realized that Alice was telling her to use the ring, so she reached back in her mind and sought out Tempus. He was there in an instant and spoke calmly and reassuringly to Amaretto.
"Don't worry, all you need to do is repeat after me."
"Everything will be okay?" Amaretto questioned.
"As long as you repeat after me, here goes. Put your hand out at the guards and say the following..."
Amaretto put her hand with the strange pearl ring on it out in front of her and then said:
"Voices of Ancients long ago past,
Spirits of Earth and reminiscent grace,
Spark of Energy here now recast,
Iron of Man you now shall erase!"
There was a slight rumble and the ring on Amaretto's finger turned a dark shade of purple. The IronMen looked at Amaretto with curious eyes until they suddenly spasmed where they were standing and jerked forward in an effort to capture Amaretto. They may have been automatons, but they were still able to think partially for themselves, and had linked their now new found moment of not being able to work any longer with Amaretto's new found spell casting ability. The IronMen spasmed again and then a blast of electric fire seemed to take hold of them and they jerked backwards, their mouths hung open and their heads tilted skywards. It seemed at first as if they were screaming, but Amaretto soon saw it for steam rushing out of their mouths as such a rapid pace that they were not sure what was going to happen next. From their chest cavities, there was an explosion and boiling steam rushed down their chests as small metal objects were forcefully ejected from their hearts.
The molten hearts fell to the ground and the IronMen just stood in place, the metal pokes in their feet forcing them to continue to stand upright. Alice whistled.
"That was bloody brilliant. I love it. Now we just have to find Mother Chime."
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Grain...
Rising up in the distance, Amaretto saw what her Aunt had been talking about. Tall Gothic steeples rose form a church like front. The main building was ingenuity itself, turned upon itself like a large octagonal house with five floors. On each side, there were long hallways with flying buttresses elegantly winging the hallways off of the ground as the halls were suspended in mid air and leading to towers on either side of the cathedral like building. The towers spun each other and seemed to have spokes that branched off into smaller towers that were gathered haphazardly to the small clusters on both sides.
The towers raised brightly into the sky and along with them, smoke clouded the sky in dense clouds. Amaretto stared in wonder at the towers as they raised into the sky, piercing the smoke, only to be enveloped again. The entirety of the Cloister of Science was a grand architectural design of metal and stone and haphazard angles and architecture, and somewhere, Amaretto marveled at the fact that this world, which was so different than her own, was so elegant and yet so wild in something as simplistic as styling a building.
The carriage began to pull up towards the main gate when Alice rapped against the top hatch and said, "No, we want to be taken somewhere to the side. We aren't going to go through the gate." The carriage driver, still under the intensity of the glamor spell that Katherine had cast on him, obliged and the carriage took a rather sharp turn to the left. As it did, Amaretto thought that she saw the parliament house. A second look out the window and back the direction they were coming from confirmed what she thought she had seen. It was Big Ben.
The tall clock tower seemed even more imposing in the Edwardian England period. It's large top had a second terminus point that seemed taller than Amaretto had remembered in pictures, but out of the large vents of the top of the clock, bilious fog and acrid black smoke poured from it, alighting into the sky with a dull charcoal feeling. Amaretto almost giggled when she realized that no matter what the world, London was going to more than likely be cloudy and more than likely full of rain. Just underneath the face, a set of large round gears, four to be exact, were protruding from the sides of the clock and slowly spinning with such exactness, Amaretto was sure that they were helping in keeping the time. Down the sides of the clock, large pipes seemed to be carrying steam to allow for the clock to continue to work. The steam seemed to hiss through the large tubes that made up the clock. Amaretto stared in wonder and marvel at the large tower and then noticed, halfway up the clock, a large glass enclosure within the middle of the clock. There, spinning rather lazily in the center was a large blue crystal attached to a large silver chain.
the stone swung in a large circular pattern like a dowsing pendulum, rather than in the back and forth motion of a clock. Amaretto stared at it for a moment more and then turned to ask about it. Surprisingly, Johanna answered her question.
"The pendulum in the clock was made by a Mister Henry Willinsworth. Mister Willinsworth was a fantastic seismologist who studied the earth and determined how to keep a large clock tower running indefinitely using pendulum technology that spun in time with the earth. Thus it keeps the clock ticking ever in motion not necessarily with time, but with the earth's own clock system. It has yet to be incorrect."
Amaretto nodded her head in wonderment and then looked back at what everyone in this reality called "Ol' Henry. The clock left her with awe and she turned back to look at Johanna to ask another question when the carriage came to a full stop. Katherine quickly smoothed her skirts out and grabbed at a parasol that Amaretto had not noticed before. Within moments, the carriage door had opened and the carriage driver opened the door to let the women out. Helping them all down, except for Alice, who thought of herself as too independent at that moment, they all were soon out of the carriage and the driver was sitting back in his spot once more.
"Alice turned to Amaretto and then smiled. "So how does this ring work and where do we need to be?"
Amaretto took a longing glance towards Ol' Henry and then steeled her resolve. She quickly spoke in her mind. "Tempus? How does the ring work?"
Rather quickly Tempus responded to her question by answering, "All you have to do is repeat after me when we are close enough. In order to effect all of the IronMen, we have to be at least near the source that is powering them."
Amaretto snorted in her head. "That's the stone, and we can't get near it yet..."
"However, what you can do is invoke the ring several times on a smaller scale so as to disrupt smaller amounts of the IronMen. You simply have to be within fifteen feet of one is all though."
Amaretto blanched and then looked at Alice before she spoke aloud. "I will need to be either within direct line of sight with the object that is controlling all of the Iron Men, or, at least fifteen feet from one to disrupt them in such a manner as to allow us to get past."
Alice nodded her head and then smiled. "I will have no problem with getting that available to you."
Johanna however seemed to have a different idea. In her toneless voice she said, "Have you taken a good look at the gate Alice? It is wrought iron and barbed in many places. Even if it is open, there will still be quite a few guards."
Alice smiled and looked at Johanna. "Seriously Johanna, there is no need to worry. Remember, I have a full range of emotions even if you do not, and I can make any man's heart, weather it be flesh or iron, boil with desire."
Katherine made a rude sound in the back of her throat. Amaretto covered her mouth to suppress a gag or a giggle, she wasn't sure what. Amaretto was even sure that she could hear Tempus gagging in the back of her mind. Alice looked rather pleased with herself. Johanna simply stared black in blank fashion. Even if she had wanted to make a witty remark, she wouldn't have been able to due to her contract with the spirits.
Katherine cleared her throat and then smiled alarmingly wide at everyone and said, "Even though my niece does have the ring, we are still going to have to protect her. I suppose that everyone has weapons of some sort?"
Alice looked at Katherine rather blankly and then looked at Johanna. "Weapons?"
Katherine continued to smile and then said, "Don't worry, I have some right here." She then proceeded to reach into her rather large purse and rummage around for a moment before she came back up in her hands with a set of small pistols that Amaretto at first thought were Derringers.
Alice looked at the pistols in wonder and raised a single hand almost timidly when she said, "Are those Mongoose models?"
She reached a hand out and paused to look at Katherine who simply nodded her head. Alice took one in a gloved hand and stared at the small gun in awe. Amaretto tried to get a better look at the gun and noticed that instead of having a barrel, it had a strange set of coils that wrapped around. Instead of a chamber for bullets, it seemed to bulge in the back, and have a small pressure gauge there as well as what appeared to be a spark striker. The middle of the gun that three small copper tubes that seemed to go from the end chamber of the gun to the center and then the front of the gun where the coils were was something that protruded forth like a small rod.
Amaretto looked at it dubiously. "What is it?"
Alice pointed it directly at her and then said, "Winston Mongoose, 1892 model circa 1907. It uses Aether Oscillation to produce a sonic wave up to twenty yards. It can obliterate small parts of the anatomy in less time than it takes to pour a cup of tea."
Amaretto shook her hands in front of her with wide eyes. "Please point that thing somewhere else!"
Alice's smile turned into a grin as she dropped Amaretto from the sight of the ray gun and then turned to Katherine who seemed to have another one just for her. Alice took both and giggled like a school girl. Amaretto looked at her aunt who seemed to shrug. "the Poppins purse strikes again," she muttered under her breath as Katherine rummaged around in her purse again.
This time, she pulled forth a rather large and long rapier. the hilt was done in fine ivory filigree, with an elegant ring that seemed to be made out of auburn leaves coming down from the crosspiece. the pommel of the blade itself was a rather largely pounded out piece of metal which had scroll work all along the sides. The blade itself was also something to behold, with the scroll work on the pommel continuing onto the forte part of the blade. the scroll work continued on up into the debole as well and it seemed as if someone had etched fire into the very sides of the blade.
Alice raised a single eyebrow and stared. "You had that hidden in your purse?"
Katherine smiled and then looked at Alice with a smug smile. "Some of us are just more magical than others."
Amaretto bit her lip as Katherine passed the sword to Johanna. "I trust you had some practice fencing?"
Johanna tested the blade in her hands and then gave a few vicious thrusts with no expression and then said, "I was the fencing team champion of my school for three straight years."
"Then I trust you know how to use it," Katherine remarked.
Johanna nodded her head.
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you now," she began, "No remarks on sugar or spoons, or it's back into the sidewalk with you..." At this Katherine laughed and Amaretto smiled a little. The tension of the moment had slipped away just a little bit. Alice looked on rather confused while Johanna simply just looked on.
Amaretto watched again as her aunt pulled out her parasol and then pulled forcefully on the runner only to have a sharp blade pop out of the ferrule at the top. She then twisted the runner one more time and small blades popped out of the ends as well. Katherine nodded darkly to the Cloister.
"Let's get started shall we?"
The towers raised brightly into the sky and along with them, smoke clouded the sky in dense clouds. Amaretto stared in wonder at the towers as they raised into the sky, piercing the smoke, only to be enveloped again. The entirety of the Cloister of Science was a grand architectural design of metal and stone and haphazard angles and architecture, and somewhere, Amaretto marveled at the fact that this world, which was so different than her own, was so elegant and yet so wild in something as simplistic as styling a building.
The carriage began to pull up towards the main gate when Alice rapped against the top hatch and said, "No, we want to be taken somewhere to the side. We aren't going to go through the gate." The carriage driver, still under the intensity of the glamor spell that Katherine had cast on him, obliged and the carriage took a rather sharp turn to the left. As it did, Amaretto thought that she saw the parliament house. A second look out the window and back the direction they were coming from confirmed what she thought she had seen. It was Big Ben.
The tall clock tower seemed even more imposing in the Edwardian England period. It's large top had a second terminus point that seemed taller than Amaretto had remembered in pictures, but out of the large vents of the top of the clock, bilious fog and acrid black smoke poured from it, alighting into the sky with a dull charcoal feeling. Amaretto almost giggled when she realized that no matter what the world, London was going to more than likely be cloudy and more than likely full of rain. Just underneath the face, a set of large round gears, four to be exact, were protruding from the sides of the clock and slowly spinning with such exactness, Amaretto was sure that they were helping in keeping the time. Down the sides of the clock, large pipes seemed to be carrying steam to allow for the clock to continue to work. The steam seemed to hiss through the large tubes that made up the clock. Amaretto stared in wonder and marvel at the large tower and then noticed, halfway up the clock, a large glass enclosure within the middle of the clock. There, spinning rather lazily in the center was a large blue crystal attached to a large silver chain.
the stone swung in a large circular pattern like a dowsing pendulum, rather than in the back and forth motion of a clock. Amaretto stared at it for a moment more and then turned to ask about it. Surprisingly, Johanna answered her question.
"The pendulum in the clock was made by a Mister Henry Willinsworth. Mister Willinsworth was a fantastic seismologist who studied the earth and determined how to keep a large clock tower running indefinitely using pendulum technology that spun in time with the earth. Thus it keeps the clock ticking ever in motion not necessarily with time, but with the earth's own clock system. It has yet to be incorrect."
Amaretto nodded her head in wonderment and then looked back at what everyone in this reality called "Ol' Henry. The clock left her with awe and she turned back to look at Johanna to ask another question when the carriage came to a full stop. Katherine quickly smoothed her skirts out and grabbed at a parasol that Amaretto had not noticed before. Within moments, the carriage door had opened and the carriage driver opened the door to let the women out. Helping them all down, except for Alice, who thought of herself as too independent at that moment, they all were soon out of the carriage and the driver was sitting back in his spot once more.
"Alice turned to Amaretto and then smiled. "So how does this ring work and where do we need to be?"
Amaretto took a longing glance towards Ol' Henry and then steeled her resolve. She quickly spoke in her mind. "Tempus? How does the ring work?"
Rather quickly Tempus responded to her question by answering, "All you have to do is repeat after me when we are close enough. In order to effect all of the IronMen, we have to be at least near the source that is powering them."
Amaretto snorted in her head. "That's the stone, and we can't get near it yet..."
"However, what you can do is invoke the ring several times on a smaller scale so as to disrupt smaller amounts of the IronMen. You simply have to be within fifteen feet of one is all though."
Amaretto blanched and then looked at Alice before she spoke aloud. "I will need to be either within direct line of sight with the object that is controlling all of the Iron Men, or, at least fifteen feet from one to disrupt them in such a manner as to allow us to get past."
Alice nodded her head and then smiled. "I will have no problem with getting that available to you."
Johanna however seemed to have a different idea. In her toneless voice she said, "Have you taken a good look at the gate Alice? It is wrought iron and barbed in many places. Even if it is open, there will still be quite a few guards."
Alice smiled and looked at Johanna. "Seriously Johanna, there is no need to worry. Remember, I have a full range of emotions even if you do not, and I can make any man's heart, weather it be flesh or iron, boil with desire."
Katherine made a rude sound in the back of her throat. Amaretto covered her mouth to suppress a gag or a giggle, she wasn't sure what. Amaretto was even sure that she could hear Tempus gagging in the back of her mind. Alice looked rather pleased with herself. Johanna simply stared black in blank fashion. Even if she had wanted to make a witty remark, she wouldn't have been able to due to her contract with the spirits.
Katherine cleared her throat and then smiled alarmingly wide at everyone and said, "Even though my niece does have the ring, we are still going to have to protect her. I suppose that everyone has weapons of some sort?"
Alice looked at Katherine rather blankly and then looked at Johanna. "Weapons?"
Katherine continued to smile and then said, "Don't worry, I have some right here." She then proceeded to reach into her rather large purse and rummage around for a moment before she came back up in her hands with a set of small pistols that Amaretto at first thought were Derringers.
Alice looked at the pistols in wonder and raised a single hand almost timidly when she said, "Are those Mongoose models?"
She reached a hand out and paused to look at Katherine who simply nodded her head. Alice took one in a gloved hand and stared at the small gun in awe. Amaretto tried to get a better look at the gun and noticed that instead of having a barrel, it had a strange set of coils that wrapped around. Instead of a chamber for bullets, it seemed to bulge in the back, and have a small pressure gauge there as well as what appeared to be a spark striker. The middle of the gun that three small copper tubes that seemed to go from the end chamber of the gun to the center and then the front of the gun where the coils were was something that protruded forth like a small rod.
Amaretto looked at it dubiously. "What is it?"
Alice pointed it directly at her and then said, "Winston Mongoose, 1892 model circa 1907. It uses Aether Oscillation to produce a sonic wave up to twenty yards. It can obliterate small parts of the anatomy in less time than it takes to pour a cup of tea."
Amaretto shook her hands in front of her with wide eyes. "Please point that thing somewhere else!"
Alice's smile turned into a grin as she dropped Amaretto from the sight of the ray gun and then turned to Katherine who seemed to have another one just for her. Alice took both and giggled like a school girl. Amaretto looked at her aunt who seemed to shrug. "the Poppins purse strikes again," she muttered under her breath as Katherine rummaged around in her purse again.
This time, she pulled forth a rather large and long rapier. the hilt was done in fine ivory filigree, with an elegant ring that seemed to be made out of auburn leaves coming down from the crosspiece. the pommel of the blade itself was a rather largely pounded out piece of metal which had scroll work all along the sides. The blade itself was also something to behold, with the scroll work on the pommel continuing onto the forte part of the blade. the scroll work continued on up into the debole as well and it seemed as if someone had etched fire into the very sides of the blade.
Alice raised a single eyebrow and stared. "You had that hidden in your purse?"
Katherine smiled and then looked at Alice with a smug smile. "Some of us are just more magical than others."
Amaretto bit her lip as Katherine passed the sword to Johanna. "I trust you had some practice fencing?"
Johanna tested the blade in her hands and then gave a few vicious thrusts with no expression and then said, "I was the fencing team champion of my school for three straight years."
"Then I trust you know how to use it," Katherine remarked.
Johanna nodded her head.
Amaretto rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you now," she began, "No remarks on sugar or spoons, or it's back into the sidewalk with you..." At this Katherine laughed and Amaretto smiled a little. The tension of the moment had slipped away just a little bit. Alice looked on rather confused while Johanna simply just looked on.
Amaretto watched again as her aunt pulled out her parasol and then pulled forcefully on the runner only to have a sharp blade pop out of the ferrule at the top. She then twisted the runner one more time and small blades popped out of the ends as well. Katherine nodded darkly to the Cloister.
"Let's get started shall we?"
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