The chemical engineers had come up with this "modern day miracle" (according to the news people) or "fortunate accident in a chemistry experiment" (according to the research boys) that basically improved the output of gasoline engines. They'd had to design and develop new engines just to handle the increased power this stuff gave them.
I HAD considered naming the formula after myself. Decided against it. I know I've got an ego - you can't rise to the top in this world without having drive and ego beyond the average Joe. Better to let the guy who actually developed the formula be the name on it be the name on it. Yeah, lotsa people mangled 'Shizuma' but with that one Senator it was better to have it there.
Richard Shizuma, third generation Japanese-American. Who was real damn nervous about what that Senator guy and some of these groups like that "Native Sons and Daughters" group were saying. Especially with Japan going into China like that.
Can't blame him really. I'm 1/8 or so Iroquis - and that's enough to get me snubbed by some people. That I'm rich means most of 'em just swallow that and not exactly get in my face. Besides, the code duello is still there despite them lawyers trying to throw it all out again.
One of the young men working the deck approaches me and I have to search my memory for his name. Jesse... Hamilton?
"Sir, something happening on Deck 4. Never seen nothing like it afore."
"Oh?" Something new. Not something going wrong - always a possibility with a new airship. Not something alarming. Not like when I was on the cruiseliner and something with lots of tentacles and way too many eyes tried to eat it.
I check my pistols, gesture to my manservant, and my maid and we follow the young airman. Halfway there I remember the guy's name. Airman Derek Jefferson III. "What are we looking at, Airman Jefferson?"
"Door. Wasn't there five minutes ago, sir."
I nod. Door appearing out of nowhere. Sounds like trouble or opportunity. Sometimes you could turn trouble into an opportunity. The reverse is a lot easier but not so desirable, you know what I mean?
I get to where someone's put a monitor and shoved one of those newfangled cameras around the corner just as the door opens. Wish I'd had those on the cruiseliner. A boy, Japanese from the look of him, goes looking around.
After a few moments, a really odd crew come out from the door. One other boy, blond hair and blue eyes. A girl, looked Japanese except for the weird eyes. Another girl with odd hair. Weird clothing. The first boy has got a throwing knife in one hand. They're looking around like they're not sure where they are.
Then the girl with the odd eyes does something and her head snaps around to look in our direction. Everyone goes defensive.
I go around the corner and smile at them. "Welcome to the experimental airship Peerless. I'm Frank Deever, the owner and designer. I don't suppose you've got tickets?"
Of course, there are NO tickets. This is a shakedown cruise and this sure isn't some passenger ship. This is a ship developed for going off on adventures, which usually is something that hunts me down and finds me and drags me off kicking and screaming.
Looks like my plan to go finding adventure on my terms is actually working out. Sort of.
I hear them talking among themselves. It sounds like Japanese, mostly. All languages I've heard have a certain cadence to them. This kinda sounds like what I've heard from Japanese, but a little off. Regional dialect maybe? Like how Ivory Coast French sounds different from France French?
"You get any of that?" I ask everyone near me.
"A bit."
I glance back at my maid. Some people in my tax bracket wouldn't have a maid on staff that they'd actually listen to. Most people in my tax bracket or even way below it would dismiss a maid as not having anything to contribute. Most people wouldn't know that this particular maid could face a tentacled horror from beyond and fill its mouth with throwing knives or rescue her employer by slicing through tentacles with a sword she manages to hide in her uniform.
"Yuriko?" I prompt her. She prefers to be quiet and in the background, something about her past - which she really doesn't like talking about. That's fine. Lots of people in my employ have pasts they prefer to put behind them.
I notice how the four kids stop talking among themselves and look towards me.
"The boy there has a kunai. It is a masonry tool used in the past by ninja." Yuriko doesn't like drawing attention to herself and is uncomfortable, but I need info damnit.
Yeah. Those Japanese words get reactions. "You wanna try talking to them? Tell 'em where they are and ask who they are."
Yuriko starts talking in Japanese. I recognize the words like 'Peerless' and my name along with the '-sama' thing she throws on the end of my name every so often.
"Can you tell him to put the knife away?" grumbled Ivan - my manservant or butler or a half-dozen other titles that he's used himself. Big guy, looks imposing as hell. Which comes in useful on a regular type basis.
All of them looked puzzled at some of it and one of them was repeating words like they were unfamiliar with them.
"Might be a dialect you aren't up on," I said to Yuriko. "Try using real simple words. Get 'em to relax and we'll try figuring the situation out. Looks like another adventure came up after all."
"I'll have the chef reschedule dinner then," grumbled Ivan.
I thought about it, then shook my head. "Nah. Let's go ahead and have a meeting in the dining area. Try to keep this all peaceful like. Who knows - this might not involve ancient ruins or air pirates or any of that stuff. Might be a good change of pace."
Ivan sighed and mumbled something about how that was too much to hope for.
Sasuke had opened the door, they'd gone through, and they'd noticed the door disappearing behind them. No idea where this was, but it looked like they were staying here.
The maid, or girl who was dressed like one, spoke with a horrendous accent and kept using words they weren't familiar with. She thought she had the basics though.
"Okay. Summing it up," Sakura said as they were led to what was obviously a dining room of some kind.
"Tea," said the maid. "Sit to please would kindly you. (Unknown word) to provide will be."
"Should we?" asked Sasuke, not trusting any of this.
"You can stand if ya want," answered Naruto, going to a chair and pulling it back and forth. "Huh. Why do they got the chair on tracks?"
The guy who was in charge hit a button and there was a rattle of chain and hum of some motor. A metal wall retracted, revealing a wall of glass. At which point even Naruto found a good reason to remain standing.
The ground was WAY down there and moving past them at a fairly good pace.
Sakura tried not to gawk, quite aware that the guy who apparently owned this was enjoying Naruto's reaction.
"So this is what she meant by saying 'ship of air'," said Sasuke, satisfied by the explanation now.
"Tea," said the maid. Who'd introduced herself as Yuriko Yukinohara.
"This is totally cool," said Naruto, practically pressing his face to the glass.
"How much information should we give?" asked Sakura. "This is obviously not anywhere in the Elemental Countries."
"Name, village, ninja identification number," said Sasuke, who obviously remembered their lessons on capture by non-affiliated villages. Treat as enemy territory basically.
"If they know nothing about us, or where we came from, how are we supposed to get back?" asked Naruto, still peering down at the ground. "They seem kinda cautious and all, but they don't seem bad."
"Uhm," ventured Hinata. "The maid there? She has twelve kunai, a ninjato, a set of lockpicks, and three devices I've never seen before hidden in her uniform."
Naruto and Sasuke BOTH stared at the maid for a moment before Sasuke recovered and then slapped Naruto in the back of the head. Which, of course, led to some grumbling from Naruto.
"So she's a ninja too?" asked Naruto finally.
The maid glanced at them briefly, considering for a moment and when she spoke it was in a quiet voice. "Be welcome, honor guests do. Offer harm to boss though - you I end."
"Understood," responded Sasuke, actually giving her an approving nod. "Okay, he has the obvious muscle in that one guy. She's his ninja who hides in plain sight as a maid. He might act like an idiot but clearly isn't. I think what she said earlier is that he designed this ship."
"Yeah," said Naruto. "Got that. So what do we do? I don't think any of the ninja rules deal with this kind of thing."
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(Posted Sat, 14 Feb 2015 04:58)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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