Disclaimer: I do not own anything written by Kenneth Oppel

Chapter Two: Captain Vizzini

I was admiring the new mural in the dining room when I felt the engines start beneath my feet. The carpet purred and shivered for a moment before the Aurora drifted into noiseless activity. I knew at this very moment that many men were running around below my feet, releasing valves and ensuring that the hydrium was sealed into its compartments.

Some passengers were straggling into the dining room in their afternoon best for lunch so I took my leave and wandered down the hall towards the engines room. Expecting to hear the sharp voice of Mr. Rideau, I was surprised to find another man bearing the mark of First Officer. He was stalking the room with his hands clasped behind his back, barking orders to men at controllers. "Ease up on the right Mr. Kahlo!"

Aaah, finally a familiar face. Mr. Kahlo looked older than I had last seen him but he was still busy at work in the control car. I was contemplating whether or not to go see him when a man stepped into my line of view and squinted down at me. This man was enormous, by far the hugest man I had ever laid eyed on. "What is your business here," he asked in an almost undecipherable accent. I hesitated and then reached for the door handle behind me. "Wrong room." I muttered and shut the heavy metal door.

I decided to head over to Captain Walken's rooms to receive my room and duties now, not wanting to risk being caught by the giant man again. I passed men as I went, some I did not recognize and then others that I did. They all greeted me enthusiastically, pumping my hand and clapping me on the back, before rushing back to their jobs. The hours after take-off were always the busiest.

I passed the dining room again and poked my head in to see if I could find Baz among the swirling waiters. I saw Kristoff and waved at him as he served an elderly couple their tea and he grinned back at me, even as the old man reached up and tugged at Kristoff's collar for putting too much cream in his drink. I ducked out the door and finally ended up outside the Captain's Quarters.

The Captain's Quarters were off-limits to all crewmembers unless they had been given a direct invite. I knocked on the oaken door, uncertain of what to expect. The Aurora had changed some since I had last seen her but I knew old Captain Walken would still be as smiling and gray as always.

The door swung open, hinges clearly been greased to silence even the slightest squeak, and I stepped into the room. My feet sunk into the heavy carpeting and the first thing I noticed was the portrait of Otto Lunardi hanging over the wide desk. Captain Walken had not been a fan of Mr. Lunardi last I remembered but since his wealth had grown so much this last year, maybe Captain Walken had changed his preferences. I looked at the man sitting at the desk and was shocked to see someone other than Captain Walken seated there. This man had propped his elbows on the desk and was leaning his head onto his clenched fists, smiling at me in a disconcerting way. "You must be Mr. Matthew Cruse. A pleasure to meet you at last young man, your name is legendary on these decks." The man stuck out one hand and I grasped it timidly. He vigorously shook my hand and motioned for me to sit in the chair opposite him.

I sat down in the plush chair and turned to ask a question but the man had gotten up quick as lightning and was now pacing the room behind me. My mouth hung open with its unanswered question.

The man turned and smiled eerily at me again. "I'm sure you have many questions for me. Firstly, you must be curious as to who I am. My name is Frederick Vizzini and I am the captain of this beautiful airship."

"But what happened to Captain Walken?" This was not what I had wanted when I had rejoined the crew. Vizzini shook his head sadly. "Mr. Walken has been relieved of his duties by our gracious benefactor, Mr. Lunardi." I looked again at the huge portrait looming over the office. "And I was chosen as his successor. An enormous responsibility to be sure considering how revered Mr. Walken was but I'm sure I'll manage."

I didn't reply, my mind struggling to work through what this would mean for the Aurora. Captain Vizzini stared at me, clearly expecting me to speak and when I did not, he shoved a stack of papers at me. "These are your duties for this voyage and room assignment. I'm sorry to have to pair you with a Steward but there were no more open rooms at the time when you joined our crew." I decided that Captain Vizzini's grin was more oily than disconcerting, like an alley cat I had seen at home who had cornered a mouse.

I took the papers and thanked him. Retreating from the office as quickly as I could. No Captain Walken? I sailed under one man beside Walken and he had almost wrecked and killed the entire crew. Walken was a good man and a great captain, what could have caused his replacement? I furrowed my brow as I opened the first of the files. It was my room assignment and to my pleasure I saw that I was to room with Baz again. What good luck! With any hope, lunch would have ended and Baz would have returned to our room to prepare for his other jobs. I almost raced down the halls in my ecstasy to see my oldest and greatest friend.

The last time I had seen Baz had been at his wedding in Australia last year. I had felt separated from Baz then, like we were taking two different paths through life but then came the Hyperion adventure, there was nothing more I had desired than to confide in Baz all my worries about Kate, Hal, and Nadira. There was so much I had to tell him!

Knocking on the door to our room to make sure I didn't burst in one Baz changing outfits, I tucked the files into my belt and waited. Within a few moments the door opened and Baz stood there shirtless, toothbrush hanging from his mouth, and a stupefied look on his face. I knew I must have looked just as foolish with that silly grin splitting my face in two but Baz looked even sillier with his mouth hanging open. After a few moments of garbled babble, Baz was finally able to put together a coherent sentence. "You didn't stow away did you?" He asked, looking down at me suspiciously, of course the first thing he had to say to me would be in jest.

"No." I laughed, straightening my jacket. "I'm Sailmaker." Baz placed a hand to his chest and pretended to faint. "Sailmaker, sir I am but a humble servant." He swept into the lowest bow I had ever seen and held it. It took me moment to realize he was waiting for my okay to stand up. I stifled another laugh and adopted my straightest face. "You may rise." I folded my hand behind my back like the man in the control room and regarded Baz with an imperious look.

Baz straightened, the corners of his mouth twitching, and we both burst into laughter. "The hall is no place for a reunion young Cruse!" Baz ushered me into our room and shut the door behind us softly. It was just as I remembered it, I threw my bag onto the top bunk, planning to unpack properly later.

"So the Academy finally made an officer of you." Baz was folding his shirt and reached over to the dresser to put it away. "You always knew I was officer material Baz. You said one day I would be flying the Aurora."

Baz struggled into a clean shirt and smiled at me through the neck hole. "I did say that, and I still mean it. You'd be ten times the captain of this Vizzini." I settled down onto Baz's bunk and watched him try to button the shirt and buckle his belt at the same time.

The picture of his girlfriend Teresa in a bathing suit had been replaced with one of her smiling in front of the altar at her wedding. I grinned, able to make out a fuzzy outline of myself in a black suit in the background. To my surprise another picture had been added, one of Baz, Kate, and myself after we had docked in Sydney my last voyage on the Aurora.

I remembered the moment well; the dock was swarming with journalists after the news of our capture, crashing, and then re-taking of the ship from Szpirglas and the rest of his pirates. Baz, Kate, and I had come down the ramp smiling and a bloke had run up to us and snapped out picture. I remember Kate had been unhappy when the picture had appeared in the Lionsgate City Press. Kate was described as the scientific genius, me as the heroic boy who saved the ship, and Baz as the fearless crewmember who tried to oppose Szpirglas.

Baz finally finished dressing and did a little twirl for me. I nodded my approval trying to conceal my amazement, not a hair out of place when just a moment ago he had been a mess, it was impressive. Baz journeyed into the little bathroom we shared and I reached over to shut his dresser when a small box amongst his shirts caught my eye. I had seen this box before.

I took the box and opened and as I had thought, Teresa's engagement ring was sitting inside it.

"Baz," I called.

Baz stuck his head out of the bathroom and saw me with the box. The grin on his face vanished. I held up the box. "Isn't this supposed to be on Teresa's finger?"

Baz sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Mate, I didn't want to tell you this." I gave no signs of losing interest so Baz had no choice but to continue. "I'm in debt, really far in debt. Captain Vizzini's cut pay by nearly half and Teresa and I couldn't find enough money to pay the rent for our apartment. I was supposed to pawn the ring in Lionsgate or Paris but I couldn't bring myself to. I can't support my wife and we've only been married for a year. Oh, and guess what? She's pregnant. I don't know how we're going to make it with a baby."

Baz slumped against the doorframe; I had never seen him look so defeated. For me, Baz was the older brother I had never had and I couldn't stand by and let him suffer like this. It was clear that his financial dilemma was eating away at his conscience.

I stood up and crossed the room to Baz. I slid the box into his hand. "I'm going to help you."

Author's Note:

Like the story even a little yet? Ah well, I didn't expect it to be popular because I don't know how many people have read the book but reviews would be nice on what you think of my story so far. This chapter was a little longer than the first. Actually a lot longer.

Baz is my favorite character and it kills me to make him sad, in the coming chapters it's not going to get any better for him either.