Chapter 5

Considering it's short life, the American Emporium Hotel was quite a sizable structure. Of course, a lot of structures in the capital of St. Lucia had seemed to have sprung up overnight, but the American Emporium Hotel was like a behemoth, slowly swallowing the smaller structures and properties around it. Point of fact, the American Emporium Hotel had originally started as three separate structures, an aging hotel, a once prominent restaurant and small row of shops that had been abandoned. All three structures would have been doomed to eventual dilapidation if it had not been for the Edison Moon Project. On the eve of the launch of the Prometheus, the American Emporium Hotel had not only connected these three structures, it had fairly consumed them. With the thriving business that came with the Edison Moon Project and all the other industries and commerce popping up on St. Lucia, the hotel's appetite was only growing more voracious.

The hotel was already a grand, byzantine structure, surrounded by small two-story cottages, such as the one James called his "room" (James had wanted just a simple room, but the three partners of the American Emporium hotel had decided it was unbefitting for the head of the ethernaut corps, as well as a local hero, to sleep in a small room with a shared bath). The hotel had grown in such a fashion that very few could navigate the structure in its entirety without getting lost at least once. And then there were the caves.

Underneath the original hotel was a fairly large cave, which had originally been used as a storage area/trash dump. When workers cleared out the debris, a tunnel was discovered that, with a little work, showed the large cave was connected to four or five smaller caves, all surprisingly very stable and well ventilated. These were used for the wine cellar, cold storage and other similar uses.

Dayo Wong had converted one of these caves for his family's use, and it was his daughter Cuifen who had discovered another tunnel that led to a cave with water. Specifically, the cave had a pool fed by a hot spring, and another one that was cool, with diffused light coming from the ceiling. Cuifen immediately told her father about it and asked if she could use it as a bath for her and her friends. That might have seemed an odd request to any other father from his daughter, but Dayo had grown up with public baths in his town (with separate areas for each gender, of course), and his first thought was to investigate the soundness of the caves. Exploring the caves himself, Dayo, who had some experience with tunnel building in the Western United States, declared them sound. Building a door for the entrance of the cave baths (to ensure the modesty of his daughter and her friends), Dayo gave his daughter several precautions, such as not to light paper lanterns around the bath. Finally, after one final check of the cave, Dayo pronounced the Wong Bathhouse for Women open.

Of course, Cuifen only had three friends to share it with, and they were reluctant at first. Bathe with a group of other people? It seemed an outrageous idea. Of course, a number of people might have considered the friendship that existed between Cuifen Wong, Jane Meynard, Sophia Fiorvanzo and Katherine O'Sullivan outrageous but, when examined, it was actually understandable. Cuifen, Jane and Sophia all worked at the hotel, and being of the same age and not really knowing anyone else, slowly migrated toward each other. And Katherine, for all her worldliness and talk of independence, did yearn at times for the company of friends other than the hard writing, hard drinking press corps that she was usually surrounded by. And so the four young women found themselves becoming fast friends.

So when Cuifen gleefully told her friends that the four of them would have their own bathhouse, the news was met with shock, which of course shocked Cuifen. To her, it was an unheard of luxury, one that was surely reserved only for noblewomen, to have a bathhouse just for her and her friends. So why shouldn't she want to share in her good fortune with her friends? After an uncomfortable silence, it was Katherine O'Sullivan who slowly drew out tales that Cuifen had heard from her father about the various wonders of a Chinese city, including the public bathhouses.

After chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully, Katherine looked at her two Occidental friends and said, "Well, ladies, let's get out of our knickers and take a proper bath." Sophia and Jane were now doubly shocked, but Cuifen was filled with glee, uncharacteristically hugging her friend Katherine, then grabbing her by the hand, leading her to the bath. With an air of dread and foreboding, Sophia and Jane followed.

Once they got down to the bath caves, Cuifen showed them the door, with it inside lock and slide bar, then led them to the bath cave. The room was dimly lit from some unseen vents in the cave's ceiling, giving it the look of early morning. Cuifen showed them the various racks to hang their various clothing and then, in one seemingly swift motion, disrobed and launched herself into the warm waters.

Exhibiting more courage than she felt, Katherine made a show of nonchalance as she undressed. Turning to Sophia and Jane, she said, "Well, come on you two, if you wait too long, I'm sure that water will get cold, hot spring or no."

It was probably Cuifen's obvious glee of having such a treasure to share with her friends that gave Sophia and Jane the courage to disrobe in front of others in public, and climb into the warm water. Cuifen was laughing and clapping, and talking about how they could perhaps bring fruit juice and chill it for serving here. The western women nodded, finding the water actually quite comfortable, and the natural bench in the pool rather smooth, but still feeling rather exposed (both physically and psychologically). After a short time, the group shifted to the colder pool and, as they got dressed, Cuifen happily announced that this would be a weekly event, an announcement that was not met with universal glee among her Western friends.

Still, it did not take long for the weekly bath to become tolerated, and after a while, even anticipated.

And as James was pondering how to deal with his old (and new) commander's daughter, Katherine O'Sullivan was sitting forward in the warm water, naked as the proverbial jaybird, as she regaled her friends of her appointment as the Moon Project's spokeswoman.

"And then he stuck out his hand to shake mine, to confirm the deal."

"Because he wanted to show you respect," Jane noted solemnly, and Katherine nodded her head vigorously.

"And so what did you do next?" Sophia asked.

"I kissed him, of course," Katherine deadpanned. There was a collected gasp, and then Sophia laughingly said, "You Jezebel!" which led to a giggling water fight between Katherine and Sophia.

Finally Sophia raised her hands in the air and yelled, "I give! I give!" As she caught her breath, Jane asked, with a certain amount of envy, "What was it like?"

"Contrary to popular opinion," Katherine said, with a mock glare at Sophia, who giggled, "I don't have much experience, but I will say that our Mr. Davidson can certainly make a girl's toes curl. And he knows how to properly rub a bum as well." This led to more shrieks of laughter from Sophia, and a "You didn't!" from Jane. Cuifen sat quietly, not saying a word, but quietly watching the exchange between her friends.

A grim look came on Katherine's face. "I'll not say I haven't had to slap more than one man's face for putting his hands unwanted on my posterior." Then a look of contentment crossed Katherine's face. "But for all his derring-do, our Mr. Davidson is a very gentle man, and I'll not say his touch was unwanted. And there's something to be said for a man who picks the best man for a job, especially when that man is a woman!" This pronouncement was met with general laughter from Jane and Sophia. The laughter quickly stopped when Cuifen quietly announced, "James kissed me too."

Three sets of Western eyes look at Cuifen with amazement, and then Katherine quietly asked, "Cuifen..."

"I gave him my birthday present, the watch chain that I made with my braided hair. You were right, he loved it. Then I told him I would be leaving for New York next summer to be married, and before I knew it, I threw myself into his arms and he hugged me and it was the warmest place in the world, and the safest, and I knew nothing could hurt me there. And when I Looked up, we just looked at each other, and then we were kissing. And my toes curled, Katherine, just like you. It was like being in a summer afternoon rain shower, or a thunderstorm, exciting and a little frightening but you feel really alive. And then he touched me here and then here..."Cuifen ran her fingertip from her cheek along her neck to the hollow of her throat..."and I wanted him to touch me other places, but I left and I ... and I ... and I don't want to go to New York! I want to stay here! Even if James never kisses me again, I want to stay here!" With that last pronouncement, Cuifen burst into tears, Katherine scooted over, cradling Cuifen to her, stroking her hair and whispering nothing and everything, while Jane and Sophia scooter closer, also trying to comfort her.

After a few minutes, Cuifen sat up and looked at her three friends. "The three of you are the best friends a woman ... no, a person," Cuifen stared at Katherine when she said this, and got an approving nod, " ... could ever have." Cuifen ducked her head underwater, then came back up. "And I will be a dutiful daughter and go to New York. But I will have your friendships in my heart."

Katherine and the others had resumed their seats. "You could stay here. I'm sure ... well, at the very least, I'm sure I need an assistant. You could stay in the Moon Project. Well, there has to be SOMETHING we can do," Katherine said, looking at Jane and Sophia pleadingly.

Cuifen gave her usual quiet smile as she felt again composed enough to speak. "I'm not you, Katherine. I do envy you your freedom and your adventure and the great delight which you consume life. But I am who I am. And a year from now, I will be a dutiful wife living in New York City." Cuifen's face was serene, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes, easily visible by those who knew her.

Katherine, though, simply straightened her shoulders. Then a wicked gleam came to her eyes. "Well, I'll make sure you have a few more memories to last you before you leave. Did you like your kiss with James? I know I did." Cuifen blushed but nodded. Turning to the other ladies, Katherine said, "Well, when James gets home from his party, I think we should all give him a birthday kiss as well. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I think it's time for me to rinse and cool off." With that, Katherine moved from the warm pool to the cool one. Before she stepped in to the cooler pool, Katherine added, "I think our Mr. Davidson would probably be very appreciative if, for his birthday present, he could see us all like we are right now."

This got a chorus of shrieks and protests and laughter, as the rest of the ladies joined Katherine in the colder pool.

"Be still, James."

"Yes, sir," James responded, as Antonio Fiorvanzo took a brush over James' dark dinner jacket, one of the tailless ones that had quickly become the fashion on both sides of the Atlantic.

The two were standing in the reading room of James' cottage, with Antonio going over James' attire with a soft brush. Finally, Antonio stood back and, with a smile, nodded. "You will do your country proud, James."

James nodded, though in his heart, he wondered if America could ever be his country again. His youth in Maryland seemed like a different life time, and his time in the West was something completely alien to what James thought it meant to be an American. Even the short time James had spent in New Jersey, before the Moon Project moved to St. Lucia, always felt temporary.

"America is home," Antonio said, as if reading James' mind. "No matter where we start, or if we stumble and get lost, America is the home we are always seeking."

James smiled, clapping Antonio on the shoulder. "Thank you, Mr. Fiorvanzo." The immigrant, more so than those Americans whose family had spent generations in the United States, was much more forgiving of James' past.

Again, Antonio seemed to read his mind. "James, I think you will find that the people back home think of you as the prodigal son. They are happy that you have returned to the fold, and are proud of what you do, proud to claim you as one of their own. But enough of this. We ... that is my family, the Wongs and the Meynards, have a birthday present for you."

James was embarrassed. "Mr. Fiorvanzo, really, all of you do too much for me already."

"Nonsense. As I said, we are all proud to call you our American hero." Antonio dug into one of his pockets, then pulled out something in his folded hand. When Antonio opened his hand, James' eyes bugged out. "Sir, I cannot..."

"Of course you can, James. Now be quiet and let me put them on." James put his wrists forward dutifully, as Antonio fastened James' sleeves with two gold cufflinks, shaped like the forerunners to the Prometheus.

"Sir, I don't know what to say..."

Antonio grinned and impishly replied, "In the small town I grew up in, you would say 'Grazie', and I would reply 'Prego'!"

Antonio's face took on more serious countenance as he added, "I am very proud of you, James. The thing you do is important, but not only for the machines it will build, or the adventures you young men will have. I think what you do, what we'll do will..." Antonio's brow furrowed in concentration. "I may not have the right words, but I will try to explain myself."

"Look where I stand, a poor Italian boy. My sons run my shop at home, and I stand here in a tropical paradise, a rich man, able to give my family and friends the best. And this is only with a little freedom. In our America, each generation expands this freedom. Who knows, perhaps one hundred years from now, my great grandson will be President." Antonio rubbed his chin, then continued. "It is not cheap, this freedom. And it is not easy. It is like a woman giving birth, and the pains are uncomfortable. Who knows? Perhaps a hundred years from now, a man will be free to tell me my beliefs are superstitions, and I shall have no right to express my opinion in public." Antonio gave a Gallic shrug. "But in the end, what is in my heart is mine, and I have a right to express it, and you have a right not to listen it, and that is that."

James watched in earnest silence, never having heard the older man speak this much on anything. Antonio chuckled, "Forgive my rambling, James. But I think, here, what we do on this island, will usher in the freedoms faster. Why, you have women working in important posts in your project. The Russian woman who does the adding and subtracting. Can you imagine any such thing ever being possible? And I think in the future, the very near future, a man ... or a woman! ... will be able to do anything as long as they have the talent for it!"

"Sir," James said solemnly, "I think you are the one that makes me proud to be an American."

"Pffft," Antonio said, waving his hand dismissively. "I am just an Italian barber. But my great grandsons and great granddaughters, will owe you much for the world you open here. Which leads me to a serious subject." James became nervous at the serious tone that Antonio took. "I know that there is a certain fondness that exists between you and my daughter, Sophia, and it is the secret hope of both her and my wife that you will convert to the beliefs of the Church so that the two of you can be married. However, no matter what you do, I will forbid my daughter from ever marrying you."

"Oh?!" James was taken aback by this statement. True, he had come to the decision long ago that, because of his ambitions, he could never marry Sophia, but to have her father pronounce such a union as impossible...

"Do not get me wrong, James. I think you are a fine man, a good man. And in other circumstances, I would welcome you as my son. And, though I will deny having ever said such if you repeat it to my wife," Antonio said with a twinkle in his eye, "in their purest essence, I think there is no difference between Protestantism and Catholicism. However, both my daughter and her mother are committed to the Church, so there is nowhere else you two could be married. And, what you are doing, it is too important, even if it means denying innocent people their happiness."

"I understand, sir," James said stolidly. He was looking at his barber with open eyes, and could only admire the man all the more.

As Antonio escorted James out the door to his waiting carriage, Antonio clapped his hand on James' shoulder, "But James, once you actually return from the ether, I think that even if you were to convert, no one would dare close a door on your future. Then we can have this discussion again!"

With a bounce in his step at this thought, James climbed into his waiting carriage.

As James climbed onto the front of the coach, thinking it the height of foolishness to be driven to an event that he could have easily walked to, Maya Ramirez walked into her one room apartment, a bag with a few goods from the market in her hand. As she closed the door behind her, she cried out, "Are you hungry, Alejandro?"

"How can you think of eating? Aren't you excited about tomorrow?"

Maya knew exactly what Alejandro was talking about, but decided to feign ignorance. "I don't think it's your birthday, and it certainly isn't mine. And it's too early for Christmas."

Alejandro rolled his eyes. "It's the rocket launch!"

Maya laughed. "Yes, the big rocket launch. The one that will measure the ... the..." Maya was trying to remember the English word.

"The ether!"

"Yes, the ether," Maya said, forming her lips around the strange word. It was such a new concept that it Had yet to make it into her French Creole. "All these amazing things happening on our little island. And you," Maya added, taking Alejandro's face between her hands, much to his embarrassment, "will be very important in it one day."

Alejandro slipped from his sister's affection, which made her laugh even more. "That is what Miss Waggoner says. She says that if we work hard and focus, that we can accomplish anything we want."

Maya beamed at her little brother, happy at his optimism and enthusiasm. "Then this Miss Wag -gon -er is a very wise woman." So many strange names, and so hard to fit her tongue around. But, Maya decided, she thoroughly approved of any woman who was giving her brother this opportunity, strange name or no.

"She arranged for someone from the rocket facilities to come to the school tomorrow for the launch, and to tell us everything that is happening. And tonight, they're having a celebration at the English compound, and they'll have fireworks..." Alejandro added, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"And you would like to stand outside and watch. I think we can do this. Why don't we stop by Allain's booth and buy some accras tonight, and walk over to the English compound?"

Alejandro hugged his sister tightly, feeling as if he was the luckiest boy alive. Maya looked in the broken piece of mirror hanging near the door, ran her hand through her hair, and led Alejandro out into the hall.

Maya froze when she saw the owner's agent coming down the hall, two burly men walking behind him. In an instance, she knew what they were here for. Turning to Alejandro, she said, "Go! Run!"

"Maya, I..."

Maya shoved Alejandro down toward the opposite end of the hall. "I said get out of here! Now!"

Alejandro ran to the stairwell at the end of the hall, looked back, and saw his sister facing the men, her knife in hand, as the three man were laughing and grinning.

It was a cold, hard fact of life that, under normal circumstances, Maya would have been all alone in defending her virtue. Of course, Maya was not complaining. She had been doing so for years. She was more than aware that a larger, more determined attacker could overcome her defenses, but she also knew that all she had to do was hurt her attacker so badly that the potential bodily damage she would do was a deterrent in and of itself. Even as the owner's agent cautiously approached her, his two allies flanking him, Maya was deciding which one of the flankers to attack, her thought being that if one ally was wounded, both the allies might abandon the owner's agent, leaving Maya a battle she already knew.

When Maya sent her younger brother away, it never entered her mind to have him seek out help. In the part of Castries where Maya and her brother lived, the citizens learned to fend for themselves. Although a small, calculating part of Maya's brain might have sent Alejandro away so that she wouldn't have any distractions in the upcoming 'confrontation, ' the main reason she sent her brother away was because she didn't want her beloved brother hurt or exposed to what would happen to her if she lost.

Alejandro, for his part, was neither a coward nor a fool. Like all the children in the poorer parts of Castries, Alejandro had been exposed to the hard facts of life early on, and knew exactly what the three men planned to do with his sister. In other circumstances, Alejandro would have stayed regardless of his sister's command to the contrary, and no doubt gotten badly hurt or possibly killed for his efforts.

But the American school had instilled a sense of optimism in Alejandro. He didn't want to abandon his sister, but neither did he think he could effectively help her. So Alejandro ran down the stairs and out of the building, trying to come up with some plan that would force a squadron of colonial police to follow him back to his building. Not that the section of Castries Alejandro lived in either wanted or expected help from St. Lucia's colonial police, but Alejandro's reasoning was that, if confronted with the ongoing assault on his sister, the police would have to do something.

But then Fate provide Alejandro a better plan. Alejandro's apartment building was located not too far behind a string of market stalls that lined part of the thoroughfare from the American Emporium Hotel to India House. As Alejandro ran up to the street, looking for the police, he spotted the carriage carrying one James Davidson, American ethernaut.

Without a doubt James Davidson was Kenny's favorite customer.

Ironically, part of the reason Kenny liked the American was that the American rarely ever used Kenny's services. Anyone and everyone on St. Lucia knew that its recent growth was due to the Edison Moon Project and that, for all practical purposes, James Davidson was the face of the Moon Project. And yet the man considered himself as just one of the crowd. Which was quite different from many of Kenny's normal customers, minor merchants and bureaucrats who were quite full of themselves and who were usually very stingy with their gratuities. Which again was not James Davidson.

The American usually only hired Kenny's carriage for important functions, when onewas expected to arrive under the power of a horse-drawn vehicle, not one's own legs, even if the legs had as long a stride as James Davidson's did.

It had startled Kenny the first time James had asked to ride on the forward seat, but the two had had a very interesting discussion about their experiences with horses, and Kenny looked forward to the next time the American ethernaut would ride with him and the far-ranging conversations the ride would produce.

"Well, I cannot say that I approve of this cable car you tell me that they are operating in your country, if for no other reason, than I think it will put me and my horses out of business."

"Right now, Kenny, it's only in the city of San Francisco, and just in one very hilly part of the city. But I would not be surprised to see one in Castries within the next ten to twenty years." James tapped his upper lip with his finger, lost for a moment in thought. Technically, his only job was to train the ethernauts for their eventual ascension into the ether. But James was an inventor and innovator himself, if on a lesser scale than Edison. Which meant James spent a good deal of his time helping the various projects under the Edison umbrella on St. Lucia to mesh, and sometimes James saw other opportunities as well.

"Kenny, I'd like to hire you again three nights from now, for a couple of hours. I want to get this launch accomplished first, but I have an idea, and I'd like to get you involved in it."

Kenny just shook his head and laughed. "You Americans, always thinking. I wonder where that will leave our world when my grandchildren are running it?"

Before James could respond, a young boy dashed straight for their carriage, shouting "Mr. Davidson! Mr. Davidson! Help me!"

Alejandro dashed to the main thoroughfare, looking for one of the colonial police and trying to think of a story or lie or action that would get one or more of the constables to chase after him. And then Alejandro spotted HIM!

Like most of the boys on St. Lucia, regardless of their social or economic background, Alejandro knew everything about the Edison Moon Project, including the head of its ethernaut corps, the American James Davidson. Undoubtedly, in a few years, one of the companies that made baseball cards in the United States would make cards for the ethernaut corps, but boys like Alejandro didn't need them. They already knew all the facts about their heroes (or at least the more palatable ones).

And to see his hero riding in the front of a carriage, right when Alejandro came running up to the thoroughfare, seemed to be a gift in and of itself. If it had been any other American or European, Alejandro would not have bothered, expecting only a beating from the driver for showing the insolence of running up to a carriage. But this was an ethernaut! THE ethernaut!

So without a second thought, Alejandro ran to the carriage, shouting for help.

To Kenny's credit, he reached for his whip and was about to "shoo" Alejandro off.

That is to say, Kenny was an experienced carriage driver who was used to chasing off the street urchins that would approach his passengers and beg for small coins. Such was Kenny's reputation among the street children that he didn't even have to reach for his horse whip. Just the sight of his carriage was enough for the youngsters to look elsewhere.

James laid a hand lightly on Kenny's lower arm. "It's OK, Kenny. What's the problem, son?" James asked Alejandro.

"My sister is in trouble. There are three men who are ... who are..."

James nodded and climbed down off the carriage. "Lead the way, son."

Kenny shouted, "Mr. Davidson, wait! You can't go!"

"I'll be right back, Kenny. Wait for me!" Then James disappeared into the crowd, heading for a nearby building.

It didn't occur to James that he might be heading into a trap. But it certainly did to Kenny. Since the boy knew Mr. Davidson's name, Kenny assumed the boy might have allies who had decided that the Moon Project might pay well for the return of its top ethernaut. Fortunately, there was a constabulary station nearby where his brother-in-law was posted. Kenny quickly got the carriage going, hoping he could get help to his favorite customer in time.

Meanwhile, James followed the running Alejandro through the milling crowd to a building that had a look of being both brand new and dilapidated. As Alejandro ran through the halls and up the stairs, doors were narrowly cracked open and then immediately slammed shut. James found himself in a hall with a low ceiling. At the end of the hall was a group of three men corralling a young woman into a corner.

One of the men in the back heard James and Alejandro enter the hall and brought it to the attention of the owner's agent. Turning around to see the American and Maya's brother, the owner's agent grinned. "You're in the wrong place, Doos. Leave now."

James peeled off his jacket, tossing it to Alejandro. "Back into the stairwell. Now." And without a second thought, James launched himself into the fight.

It was not just a matter of James being an experienced fighter, though he was that. Nor was it the fact that James had more than a few inches and few pounds of muscles on each of the three men, though he had that as well. But James was an American who had wandered into a fairly poor section of Castries, and the three men honestly thought that James, having seen three armed men in a strange hallway, would run away. Truth be told, if the three men hadn't been occupied with the task of separating Maya from her virtue, they would have undoubtedly set upon James for whatever valuables he had on him, as well as for the general sport.

The first man went down with a hard punch to his kidney. The second man, seeing the first go down, spun around, his knife slashing around in an arch. James jumped back just in time, but still had his shirt and undershirt cut by the knife's tip. The second man advanced on James, jabbing at him with his knife. On one particular jab, the second man extended his arm too far, and was rewarded with James grabbing the man's wrist with one hand and used the other hand to slam his elbow. The ensuing pain made the second man drop his knife. James moved in quickly and dropped the second man with a series of blows to his torso.