Disclaimer: Pfft…please

Chapter Three: A Foul Odor in the Air

I left the room after Baz had gone on duty and wandered the corridors for a while, letting my thoughts settle in my jumbled mind. Ideas to help my friend fluttered by occasionally but were almost always rejected within seconds of contemplation.

Baz would never accept money from me, he was too proud for that although he wouldn't admit that. I could talk to Captain Vizzini about raising Baz's pay, but I sincerely doubted that would work either. If anything it would have negative repercussions on myself and I didn't want to be in trouble so soon after returning to the Aurora.

When my boot fell upon the floor with a clang, I startled. I had drifted onto the keel catwalk in my ponderings and delighted, I looked up at the furious activity going on around me. Stretching on for stories above me there were metal bridges and ladders with people scurrying along most of them. The axial catwalk was most crowded and the men were walking carefully around one another so no one fell off. There were only a few men in harnesses, checking the hydrium tanks and making sure the goldbeater's skin was sealed tight. All seemed well with the ship.

"Cruse lad!" A man propelled down from above and landed on the catwalk beside me. I immediately rushed forward and embraced Mr. Levy, the chief sailmaker.

"Good to see you Matt." He ruffled my hair fondly and I grinned.

"You too sir. But what are you doing in a harness?" The chief sailmaker assigned the other sailmakers what to do but never went up himself unless it was an emergency.

Mr. Levy gave a sour look but tried to hide it. I saw it anyway and gave him a puzzled expression. He sighed and hooked one thumb through his harness. "I've been demoted lad." Mr. Levy admitted, looking embarrassed and angry.

I took a step back in shock. "No." I said in disbelief. Mr. Levy had been on the Aurora's crew for almost ten years before I joined up. He deserved the rank of chief sailmaker and I'm sure he had done nothing to deserve the demotion.

"It's true. And I'm not the only one either. Vizzini's brought on almost an entirely new crew, and giving them our jobs."

I was astounded and stood speechless for a moment. "So, who's chief sailmaker now?"

There was a loud shout overhead from the axial catwalk and Mr. Levy grinned wryly, pointing straight up at the commotion. "He is."

I looked up myself and saw a very handsome man, probably in his twenties, leaning over the side of the axial catwalk and shouting instructions to a sailmaker clinging to the outside of the ship. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where…

"Henry Lunardi." Mr. Levy answered my unspoken question.

Once again, I spun on him in confusion. "Bruce's brother?" I knew he had looked familiar. His younger brother Bruce, who had been killed in the Szpirglas incident, possessed the same movie star looks.

"Has he even worked on an airship before?" I asked.

"Aye. A few before this, but only five years worth." Mr. Levy said.

I shook my head in disgust. "You deserve that post sir."

Mr. Levy smiled. "Thank you for the vote of confidence Cruse, but I really must be going back to work…or else my boss will be raising hell." Levy jerked his head towards Lunardi again and grabbed hold of a nearby companion ladder and started climbing.

My shift started at eight o' clock in the evening so I sat down with a few members of the crew in the kitchen to eat dinner before heading over to the crow's nest. The food was not as exciting as I remembered, back when Chef Vlad had been a knife wielding maddened genius. I left as soon as I could and hurried up to the lounge where I heard Baz was playing the baby grand piano.

The passengers were all wearing their evening best, women in sparkling jewels and men in freshly ironed tuxedos. Baz was wearing a well-worn suit, but the creases were well hidden by his careful ironing every day and you couldn't tell the difference between this bankrupted cabin boy and the wealthy passengers sitting in with champagne glasses in their gloved hands.

I snuck around the bar and stood beside Jack Mobius, who was cleaning a glass with a rag and swaying from side to side absently to the music. "Hello Matt." He greeted me and pulled out a ginger ale, sliding it over the counter to me.

I took the drink with a smile of thanks. It was well known that it was my favorite drink.

"Going on soon?" Jack asked.

I glanced at my watch. "Twenty minutes."

Jack nodded. "You're welcome to stay here if you want. Baz is almost through with this set and will be over for a drink soon."

"Yeah, I think I will stay." I jumped onto a stool and swiveled around to watch Baz. A few of the passengers were dancing, so it obscured my view, but I saw Baz every now and then, eyes closed in concentration and a faint smile on his face as his fingers danced across the keys. It was a marvel to me, his playing was like magic.

It seemed sudden, but the song came to an end and Baz stood and bent at the waist, acknowledging the applause of the guests before sauntering over to the bar.

"Mattie." He sat on the stool next to mine and threw an arm around my shoulder.

"Good playing." I congratulated him with awe in my voice.

Baz grinned and took the cigarette Jack offered him. "Nothing, you should've heard me hopping a half hour ago. Shook the whole place up."

Jack nodded, "It's true."

Baz smiled and patted Jack's arm over the counter. "See? I've got a voucher."

I laughed, and then my watch beeped. I jumped to my feet. "My shift starts right now! Sorry Baz, we can talk later. Thanks for the ale Jack." I dashed out of the first-class lounge and didn't stop running until I had reached the ladder leading up to the crow's nest.

I clipped myself into a harness and started the climb, feeling the air getting cooler as I went higher. I reached the top and zipped up my jacket before pulling my telescope out of an inside pocket.

"Mr. Cruse, are you there?" A voice rang out over the speaking tube.

I grabbed it, trying to ease my breathing before I answered. "Yes, Cruse here."

"Report."

I extended the telescope and looked in all directions; the sun was just visible on the western horizon and all around was a darkening sea. "All clear in all directions." I lifted the latch and stuck my head out into the nigh air.

There was a stronger than usual breeze coming from the South, bringing with it a pleasant warmth, even this high up.

"Mild winds from the South." I reported.

"Very good. Check in every hour." I didn't need reminding but the speaking tube went silent and I was left alone with the stars. For the first time since I had rejoined the Aurora, I felt at ease.

Author's Note:

Look! I updated! Isn't that amazing? Sorry for the obviously long wait but I lost all inspiration for this story. Now I really want to finish it but I don't know when I'll update next. I hope it won't be as long as this last wait. Now all I have to do is find a plot…

Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!