Airship City

Chapter 25

“Good morning, Joseph. How was your trip to Aeropolis?”

Joseph froze as he held out the post to Churchill, his hand half-extended. But the Chairman simply chuckled. “Oh, don’t look so alarmed, dear boy. I shan’t tell your mother. Your secret, as they say, is safe with me.” He winked broadly.

Joseph recovered his composure, and deposited the post on Churchill’s desk. “But how did you know?”

“Oh, I have my spies. Anyway, how was it?”

“I enjoyed it very much, sir. I got to fly in a Spitfire!”

“Indeed? I had rather hoped to hear more about Miss Hughes and her famous mother, but never mind, this is most interesting. A Spitfire, you say? How exciting.”

“Yes, it was. The pilot let me have a go at the controls. He said I was a natural flier.”

Churchill’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Well, well. But then I suppose that you have it in the blood. People always said your father could fly a barn door if you attached an engine to it.”

Joseph smiled at this, but the smile soon turned to a frown. “I think I do take after him. But I don’t think that my mother wants me to.”

Concern creased Churchill’s forehead. He took out a cigar, nipped off the tip and end, and spent a few moments lighting it. At length he sat back, blowing out clouds of fragrant blue smoke. “I cannot deny that you are correct in your surmise. After your father’s untimely death, your mother came to me about finding work for you. I said to her then that there must be many in the aviation industry who would gladly help out the son of Morgan Samson. But she would not hear of it.”

“I didn’t know that. About her coming to see you, I mean.”

“I’ve known your mother since before she met your father. She worked for me as a typist when I was in Parliament. In fact she was much more than just a typist, she helped me immensely with my speeches. So when she asked me for help, I was only too glad to give it.” 

He took another puff. “The thing is, Joseph, I don’t think that you are very happy here. Are you?”

Joseph rubbed his forehead. “I don’t wish to sound ungrateful, sir.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s a question of that. You’ve applied yourself and worked as hard as anyone could expect, and from that alone no-one could accuse you of ingratitude for the opportunity. But you cannot help the way you feel. And I noticed, on that first trip to Aeropolis, that you came alive in a way I’ve never seen before.”

Joseph rubbed his chin. “Yes, that’s probably true. But I know that my mother is so afraid that she’ll lose me as well. It’s as if I have to continue on this safe path she’s mapped out for me, to keep her from worrying.”

Churchill looked thoughtful. “It’s an admirable thing, of course, to honour your parents. It’s one of the Ten Commandments, after all. But you do need to be true to yourself as well. Not so?”

“But how can I betray my mother like that?”

“Is it really betrayal, to follow your dreams?”

“It will certainly hurt her, cause her worry and concern.”

“What somebody may feel in response to our actions is certainly something we need to consider. But we can never let it determine our actions automatically. What if your mother decided it wasn’t safe for you to leave the house? Would you honour her wishes then?”

“No, of course not. But that would be irrational.”

“Some might say that not allowing your son to choose his own path was irrational too. And it may be that in time your mother would come to see this herself. Sometimes grief has a too-strong hold over us. You might be giving her the tool to break its grip.”