Fri, May 18 2012
As Passepartout pulls the Aurora near the enemy dirigible, the Foggs load a harpoon gun and make ready. Their aim is true, the harpoon catches taught against the side the other airship. Rebecca and Phileas slide across the tether and board amid the excited confusion. A fight ensues immediately. The Prussian soldiers rush the elegant gent, who greets them with a pistol volley; several are wounded but more advance. The rigging has caught the eye of the lovely Rebecca; she leaps and pivots grasping the ropes in the process. She then swings round and delivers a fury of kicks taking out several Prussian soldiers before lighting on the deck behind them.
On board the Aurora, Jules quickly regains consciousness. "Passepartout, we must overtake the Prussians."
"But, Master Jules we have already overtook them." Replies Passepartout "The Foggs be on board right now."
"They can't possibly hope to defeat them on their own," Verne resounds, "I will fetch Lydia, she can steady the Aurora. I will board, you will remain to help retrieve us."
Jules dashes to the workroom, and quickly apprises Lydia of the situation. She hands him some vials. "Flash powder, cyanide, sulphur and few things that might be use..." the woman explains while giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Jean and I want you back in one piece." They hurry back to the controls.
Lydia embraces Jean in a fervent haste, knowing he may not return to her. "Do not be worrying. I will come back. I think you be breakings me in two." The dark eyed man chortles. "You remember how to be steadying her?"
"Of course, I will be fine my love." She answers " Besides it seems I will have help" A confused Freud looks on nervously.
"I almost forget about the boy." Passepartout replies. "Lydia, this is Sigmund. He was for to being your noise in the workroom. He is bright boy-be no problems." He turns to leave and then catches her eyes; he kisses her deeply leaving her wanting as he follows Jules onto the deck.
The harpoon apparatus is still set up. Jules makes ready for passage; he secures the line from the gun onto the railing. "As soon as I am across, reload the gun. We may have need of it." States Verne flatly.
The young man slides precariously across to the other dirigible. There is a ghostly silence. Something is terribly, terribly wrong. He cautiously proceeds listening and keeping wary as he tries to ascertain the whereabouts of his companions. An evil laugh is heard below decks. Young Jules bears witness to an atrocity in the making, he sees the Foggs tightly bound and hanging from a wall. Von Kessel is pacing in front of them. The crew watches on in garish glee.
"We have had a chance to prepare since our last encounter, do you find our luftschiffe to your liking, Mr. Phileas Fogg? " Spits Von Kessel poisonously," This time I think you are not at the advantage. I must exact retribution for favours given. You see Fritz, here?" The Prussian general grasps the chin of one his compatriots, and turns his face to one side revealing a gruesome disfiguring burn. "Your little fire Mr. Fogg-and you dear Lady also have a repayment. Johann! " Another soldier steps up with a patch over one eye, lifting the patch he reveals an empty socket." That vial contained sulphuric acid, we had to remove the eye to prevent it from eating away at his brain" He draws a sharp blade from his coat, and places it under Rebecca's chin. Phileas struggles with the ropes, blood gushes from his wrists. Von Kessel then takes the blade and in one quick motion slits open the front of Rebecca's catsuit, leaving her bare breasted for all to see. There is a deafening roar of lascivious laughter. "Yes, this is how we will show our appreciation for all your good deeds. Don't worry men, we will all have a turn. And Mr. Fogg will be our audience. Fritz the POWDER!"
Passepartout awaits anxiously on deck. He is startled by Lydia's approach. "You should not be leaving the controls unattended. We will be crashing into the Prussians!!" the valet frantically cries.
"It is a simple job. The boy, Freud has a fantastic recall he has already learned much from watching you." Lydia explains " I thought I was needed more here."
"You know I want only for you to be safe." He sighs, "But, you are being right as usual. We must be finding a way to stop the Prussians at any cost."
A resolved look crosses the woman's face. "There is something we will need in the workroom"
With the momentary paralysis of fear wearing off, Jules realizes that he must take action against this insurmountable evil. He tosses the flash powder in the room and quickly cuts the ropes releasing the Foggs. They beat a frenetic retreat; Jules urges them towards the deck.
Lydia returns with vials, cotton wadding, and cloth strips. A perplexed Passepartout watches on as she carefully attaches the cotton wrapped vials to business end of the harpoon. "When you catch sight of Jules and the Foggs, we must fire the harpoon up into the dirigible itself " she explains.
"But, Lydia you can not be making a dirigible pop with a harpoon!" exasperates Jean.
"It will do far more than that" replies Lydia. The handsome valet just shakes in his head.
With the Prussians hot on their heels, Verne manages to lead his friends to the tether, but realizes the Aurora is hovering above them.
"I see them, Jean," Lydia shouts, "Dear God, they are trapped! Quick, we must descend under the Prussian ship, so they can escape. I will fire the gun." Passepartout speedily races to the controls. As the ship dives downward she releases the harpoon. The others descend down the rope onto the deck. As the harpoon hits, the vials break bursting into flames. The fire ignites the hydrogen leaking from the luftschiffe.
Passepartout is astonished to see Lydia appear out of nowhere and make a flying dive for the controls-The Aurora moves at a faster pace than even Jean thought possible. Then he sees why. Black smoke is everywhere; his stomach turns with the stench of burning flesh. What remains of the Prussian airship plummets down into icy glaciers below.
"Lydia, what have you done?" his eyes plead. Tiny rivulets stream down her cheeks.
"You said at any cost---the vials contained metal sodium." She confesses. He cradles her tightly, sharing in the remorse.
Verne and Rebecca approach with Phileas leveraged between them. Fogg collapses on the settee.
"Are you being injured, Master?" the valet inquires as he leaves Lydia alone and distraught.
"I seem to have twisted my ankle," Phileas replies, "Why is that woman on board again. Really Passepartout, this isn't a passenger line"
Young Sigmund appears with an ice pack and cushions and starts tending Phileas ankle. "Someday I hope to be a famous physician," he declares, "I have studied very hard, please allow me to take care of you, Mr. Fogg." The child's youthful enthusiasm stirs something inside the man. He agrees, leaving Passepartout free to be with Lydia.
Passepartout follows Lydia back to the workroom. "Make it go away, Jean," she begs "Their screams, the fire, men jumping....... Make love to me, drown it all out"
He gently kisses her and tenderly removes her dress. His eager mouth traces the supple curves of her body. She is unresponsive like a hollow shell. The two wrap together softly sobbing. He can take no more of this.
"I fix you some nice herbal tea, be making you feel better" soothes Passepartout. He makes her a cup of chamomile tea and puts some the white Prussian powder in it. When the tray is brought in she drinks heartily feeling the warmth trickle down her throat. After a few moments he stares deeply into her eyes.
"You will not be remembering the exploding, the fire or the screams," He repeats.
" I do not remember any explosion or fire or screams," She echoes.
"Remember only you love Jean Passepartout." He adds.
"I love Jean Passepartout," Lydia responds.
"And I will love you always." Kissing her forehead as he replies.
"Always" the woman mechanically answers.
His cheeks are drenched in wetness, as he lovingly feeds her the antidote.
"Darling, are those tears?" a confused Lydia asks, "Well, I know how to make them go away."
She sweetly kisses his moistened cheeks and then his mouth hungrily. Her lips begin to wander down his neck to his chest and stomach, soon she engulfs his entire body in a frenzy of licking, kissing and tasting. He lets out a low moan as her mouth reaches the warm shaft of his manhood, suckling and caressing until at last passion's tide ebbs.
"Now, that is my Lydia." he lovingly sighs.
Young Sigmund fluffs up a pillow and places it under Phileas ankle. "Are you in pain, Mr. Fogg? I can fetch you some laudanum or a nice brandy" the youth inquires.
"I don't think laudanum will be necessary. But, it might keep me from the nightmares, tonight" Fogg answers and wonders why he feels he should be so open with this child.
"I believe dreams are a guide to the inner workings of the mind," Freud issues, "Would you tell me of these nightmares?" Fogg seems to have a little control. He tells the boy of Erasmus slipping through his grasp, hellish images of his father and even Count Gregory. Everything pours out like a river emptying into the sea.
"So much hate, fear and anxiety," the boy nods his head, "It is no wonder you can not sleep. Hate is a black thing. You must release it. Otherwise, it is like the cancer of the soul. You hate your father for allowing your brother to die. You also hold the father responsible for the absence of the mother in your life. You fear failure, that it might show your imperfections to the world. You are afraid to love, for if you love someone they may die. You must embrace your own mortality, Mr. Fogg. Life is what we make of it."
"What utter and complete drivel." Fogg responds, even though in his head the boy's words make sense.
Jules and Rebecca enter followed by Lydia. Passepartout is bringing the tea trolley behind them. They sit casually, as Jean serves tea and cakes.
"Master Jules, do you think all the powder be destroyed?" asks the valet. . "Some of the powder will have gotten to the glacier during the explosion. But, it will be weakened considerably and will take four to five years to reach the water supply," answers Jules.
"Then we must keep alert for Von Bismarck's alliance with the Rhine Valley." Observes Phileas. "Until then, we must see this boy safely back to Vienna."
Jules notices Rebecca intensely staring at some papers. "It seems the Germans also have someone who has glimpsed the future." Miss Fogg surmises. " I thought I had found the formula for the powder. But, these are rudimentary design sketches for that luftschiffe..."
Verne bends over her. "May I ?" He asks, as he is entranced by the graceful simplicity of the drawings. He notices a signature F.G. Von Zeppelin. "Perhaps we should inform the service to keep an eye on this man, as well."
"Lydia?" asks Jean. He noticed she had been blankly staring at him, since the talk of the explosion began.
"I will love you, always." She answers.
"Come, help me clean up." He requests, "You can bring the boy and he can watch us land in Vienna, afterwards."
Lydia stays near as Passepartout begins the descent into the Viennese churchyard. Sigmund stares out the glass rondelet watching the scenery come ever nearer. As, they land a small crowd of people draw close.
Phileas and Rebecca attend young Freud as he disembarks the airship. A woman rushes up to him and scoops him tightly against her bosom.
"Mein Sigi, mein golden Sigi, where have you been?" she lets loose with flood of emotions. " And these people have they hurt you? You look well fed and cared for."
"Mama, I am quite well." Answers Sigmund "I am at fault. I stowed away and these kind people cared for me, and returned me safely home."
The woman turns to Phileas and says "It seems I am your debt. I offer you the hospitality of my home, although nothing could repay you for bringing me back my golden boy."
"It is quite alright, Madam" Fogg replies "You have a very clever boy. I am sure he will do great things. But we must return to England, now."
The crowd waves as the Foggs board the ship. They make their way to the main compartment with Jules, as Passepartout prepares for ascent. The Aurora gracefully lifts, and they begin the journey back to Shillingworth Magna.
End of Chapter Four
Chapter 3 | Chapter 4