India Rose & The Eternals - The Fountain Of Youth Chronicles Vol. 1

Chapter 11 - The Unquenchable Fire

The Grand Ballroom And Points Beyond On The RMS Majestic, 9 P.M, 81st Day Of Spring

The Man In The Brown Hat stood in the middle of the deathly quiet Grand Ballroom on the R.M.S. Majestic, holding a pitcher of water and surrounded by a phalanx of soldiers who were dressed in a sort of black armor that gave them a menacing and boxy appearance. Each soldier had on a glass helmet that resembled a fishbowl that had a tube which connected it to an apparatus on their backs. The Man In The Brown Hat had just picked up the pitcher from a nearby table where the diners were all clutching their throats and staring at the intruders with terrified, wide eyes. The water in the glass pitcher started to evaporate rapidly, producing plumes of steam that wound into the air in a spiral.

"Did you know that I haven't had a drink of cool, clear water in almost four hundred years?", he asked a particularly terrified-looking woman in fancy pearls and a lace dinner dress. "It's true," he continued. "Next year will be the 400th anniversary of my dry season, but I don't plan to celebrate it." As he said this, he slipped a glove off of one hand and reached into the rapidly emptying pitcher of water, further evaporating its contents into the air rapidly. When the last of the steam dissipated, he turned the pitcher upside down to illustrate that it was empty.

"See here? There is no more. It's as dry as a stone," he hissed. "It's now just a thing, a dry, empty thing." As he said this he tossed the pitcher into the air and the whole assembly watched as it crashed to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Now see here!", bellowed the Captain, standing up from his place at the Ballroom's head table. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you and your monstrosities there, have ten seconds to get off my ship before I have you thrown over the side!"

"Captain...Captain," purred The Man In The Brown Hat, I have no intention of doing you or any of these...fine...people harm. I hear that you have had quite a morning. I'd hate for my presence here to disturb you any more than it has to. But if you will sit down now and call off any security personnel you might have summoned, I won't be forced to use this." He held up a square black device with a small red button and an antenna protruding from the top. "I took the liberty of having one of my men deliver a package below deck before we intruded upon your merry feast here, a very 'explosive' present if you get my meaning. If you will but give me my old friends, Leo and his young apprentice, I will simply forget that I even brought this detonator with me. I was pleased when one of our people happened to hear the Captain's report that came in this morning over the wires. A very interesting tale...a missed iceberg, a sudden, uncharacteristic burst of speed, and maneuvering that is far beyond this vessel's capacity. This ship's home port might not know what to make of the events of this morning, but I did! It had all the trappings of my friend, Leo. He has an inability to say 'no' to the suffering of others. Well, almost everyone else but old friends. But if there is any resistance from any of you now, then that little maneuver that this fine ship of yours did today, will have just bought you a few hours reprieve from manning those lifeboats, which by the way, I had my men fill with holes before we entered."

"You're bluffing!", shouted the Captain, motioning for his second in command and a rapidly assembled group of sailors and security personnel, to advance on the intruding party.

"Stop!", bellowed The Station Master, advancing into the space on the dance floor between the seamen and the intruders. "He's not bluffing. That signal device he has is one of my own designs. And this man cares not for this ship or any of its people; he would send you to the bottom of the sea in an instant if he felt the need."

"Leo," laughed The Man In The Brown Hat, "you do me a great injustice with your words. I have no desire to harm these sheep of yours. I'm after bigger game, and if it means a few sacrificed, so be it. But it's never been my desire to hurt the innocent. They have no idea what this is about, what you and your pitiful Counsel have been hiding from them all this time."