"The Enigmatic Mr. Black"
Bette Kane looked up from her book as a familiar black whirlpool appeared in her room. The Shade, known in this time as Mr. Black, emerged with an odd look on his face. “Mr. Black?” Bette asked. “Are you well?” Wordlessly he handed her a piece of paper. She opened it to discover a telegram that read, “San Francisco devastated by earthquake [stop] City in flames [stop] Thousands dead [stop]” “It appears that either you are telling the truth or are extremely lucky,” Shade said. “Since I do not believe in luck, then I feel you are telling the truth.” ”Then you’ll help me?” Bette asked. “Indeed I will,” Shade replied. “Come, my dear,” he said as he extended an arm. Bette accepted it and stood. “You must be hungry. I will explain my plans over breakfast.” Together, the two walked out. The Shade was sipping coffee as Bette took a final bite of her marmalade-covered toast. “Delightful,” the Shade said. “Tell me, my dear, is the coffee in dear Opal still as exquisite in your time?” Bette daintily patted her lips with her napkin. “Yes,” she replied. “Although I’ve only visited the city once or twice.” “A pity,” Shade said. “Such a beautiful place.” He placed his cup back in its saucer with a delicate clink. “I find that simply sitting at a café like this while sipping exquisite coffee makes me feel quite serene.” The Shade took a deep lingering breath and looked out across the quiet, tree-lined street. “That is why your presence here disturbs me. I would be quite… displeased for any of the unpleasantness you describe to appear here.” “Then we are agreed,” Bette said. “Degaton must be stopped.” ”Most definitely,” the Shade said. “Actually, I have already sent out several communiqués to certain associates of mine. I shall take no chances. This Degaton shall be stopped and shown the foolishness of his plans.” The Shade lifted his coffee for another sip. ‘Finish your breakfast, my dear. We have plans to make.” “Where are we?” Bette asked. Their journey through the twisting alleys seemed to have taken forever. “We’re nearly there,” the Shade assured her. “I have found it convenient to maintain several safe houses around the city.” They continued down the cobblestones until the Shade finally called her to a halt. They turned to face the door of what appeared to Bette to be a large warehouse. “Here we are,” the Shade said. He pulled a silver key from his waistcoat and unlocked the door. The door squealed as it opened, revealing a room filled with dusty crates. “This is it?” Bette asked as she brushed aside a cobweb. “Hardly,” the Shade said with a smile. He gestured at the dusty windows on the front wall. “This is merely to appease curious eyes. Come.” He led her deeper into the building. Bette was surprised to discover that the back wall was much closer to the front of the building than it looked – about nine feet in all. The Shade led her through a door and into a meeting room that was spotless. “Here we are,” the Shade said as he removed his top hat and placed it at the head of the table. ”This is incredible,” Bette said as she looked over the vastness of the meeting room and the back wall, which promised more space behind. “A simple optical illusion created by the paint and the boxes,” the Shade said. “As I said, I prefer that my personal business remain so.” He picked up a bottle. “Absinthe?” he asked as he pulled the cork and poured himself a glass. “No thank you,” Bette said as she continued to look around the room. “As you wish,” the Shade said as he placed a sugar cube in a slotted spoon and poured ice water through it into the glass. “This is one of life’s great pleasures.” He placed the spoon on a tray and took his seat at the head of the table. He took a small sip of the bitter drink and a smile crossed his lips. “Exquisite,” he said. Bette finished her survey of the room and turned back to the Shade. “So who are we waiting for?” she asked. The Shade simply smiled his enigmatic smile. “Some friends,” he said. He glanced up as a young man, his long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, ushered in another man. The servant was impeccably dressed. Bette took notice of his handsome, yet strangely pale, features. ”Black!” the man called out in greeting. “It’s good to see you!” His smile was wide. “Welcome,” the Shade said as he rose and clasped the other man’s hand. “We are waiting for a few more allies, and then we will begin.” ”All right,” the man said as he pulled his hat off and dropped it on the table. He immediately headed for the sideboard where a makeshift bar had been set up. Bette backed away from him and fought down a shiver. Something about those pale blue eyes of his made her uncomfortable. The servant soon showed another man in and took his place at the Shade’s side. The two men sat down at the long oak table facing each other. Bette sat down at the far end of the table. “Well now,” the Shade said as he stood. “Let us begin with introductions for the lady’s benefit. This is Ms. Elizabeth Kane.” The two men murmured greetings. The Shade gestured at the man who had arrived first. “This gentleman is Sheriff Wyatt Earp. He is a lawman in the,” the Shade’s lip twitched, “wild west.” ”Not so wild anymore,” Earp said, smiling at Bette. “And this is Lord Greystoke,” the Shade said, “Who has lived a most interesting life. He was raised in the jungle by wild apes.” ”I still miss them,” Greystoke said. “It was much more peaceful in the jungles.” “Now that we all know each other,” Earp said, reclining and crossing his legs on the table, “Why’re we here?” The Shade frowned as he dispatched a small patch of shadow to push Earp’s feet off the table. “I will allow Ms. Kane to explain this. She is far better equipped than I.” The Shade sat. All of them watched Bette as she rose. She briefly yet thoroughly outlined her experiences of the past few days – being pulled back in time and realizing that she knew Degaton’s plot. “How do we know this is right?” Earp asked. “Sounds like she’s been smoking a little too much peyote.” ”She predicted the earthquake in Los Angeles yesterday,” the Shade said. “So what? Even animals can do that.” ”That is true,” Greystoke admitted. “However, not at this distance.” He studied Bette for a moment. “I believe her.” ”As do I,” the Shade agreed. Earp shrugged. “Well, guess I got outvoted. So what do we do now? Ain’t there somebody over in England that can take care of this and not make us leave the US of A?” The Shade thought a moment. “I have heard of a group operating from London,” he said. “However, that serves no purpose as we have no way to contact them.” He listened as the servant whispered into his ear a moment. “Excellent,” he finally said. “Please tell him we are coming.” The Shade stood as the servant disappeared through a door in the back wall. “Please come with me,” he invited as he led his guests into the next room. Bette’s jaw dropped. Behind the meeting room was a vast empty space. A large vehicle (which Bette knew of as a blimp) hovered under the open ceiling. ”What is that?” Greystoke asked. “We’re thinkin’ the same thing,” Earp added. “This is a new creation from Germany,” the Shade said as he led the way toward the airship. He smiled proudly. “It is called a zeppelin.” ”Looks like a big balloon,” Earp said. The Shade smiled. “It functions among many of the same parameters. However, I would rather allow our captain to explain this.” An old man walked toward them. Despite his age, he still moved with vitality. “And here he comes.” ”Bonjour, Monsieur Black,” the man said as he shook hands with the Shade. The Shade quickly introduced his guests. “And this is Jean Passepartout,” he explained. “Monsieur Passepartout has also lived through a great adventure.” ”Pah,” Passepartout disagreed. “I was simply fortunate enough to be in the employment of a great man and to be allowed to accompany him on his voyage. Phileas Fogg is the man who has inspired me to begin research into flight.” “Fogg?” Greystoke asked. “Is that the man who circled the earth in eighty days?” ”The same,” Passepartout said proudly. Earp was inspecting the passenger cabin from the outside with an uncomfortable look on his face. “And we’re supposed to cross the ocean in this?” ”Indeed,” the Shade said. “A most extraordinary adventure, wouldn’t you say?” Earp snorted. “Extraordinarily foolish.” “I do not think so,” Greystoke said, rubbing the skin of the cabin. “I have always wished I could fly like the birds.” He turned to the Shade. “I will accompany you.” ”All right,” Earp said. “I’ll come too, but I still don’t like this fool idea.” ”Excellent,” the Shade said. “Monsieur, please prepare a list of supplies you require. We shall do the same. We depart in two days!” To Be Continued... Next Issue: The flight to England, and another familiar face joins the team. Plus, they finally come face to face with Degaton! Previous Issue | Next Issue |
