Chapter 4: A Corinthian Epistle

By the time that I awoke the following morning, the sun had already risen. A look through the port beside my bunk showed the azure blue of the Ionian Sea. We were, according to the regularly updated position marker on the large map in the ship's lounge, a short way north west of Ithaca, the legendary home of that voyager Odysseus. I was approaching the end of my airship journey.

The steam-flight field at Corinth is close to the magnificent Diolkos Cable Transporter. As our dirigible circled to land we could see below us the remarkable sight of sea-going vessels being hauled out of the water on cast iron carrying frames and transported along a trackway over the isthmus to the Saraonic Gulf on the far side, shortening by over a day the sailing time from Venice to British West Anatolia. I was impressed. It was a far more exciting feat of engineering than the canal originally proposed.

The only difficulty with our arrival was in the fact that the forces of the Macedonian-Ottoman Axis had reached the north shore of the Gulf of Corinth. As a result there was the risk of artillery fire from the ground as we approached. The Captain of our craft ordered gun crews to the rifle turrets. I thought it unlikely that any fire from them would be effective but no doubt the sight of the gun barrels swivelling in their mounts would be a signal to any troops that we were at least alert to the possibility of attack.

As the dirigible nosed towards the landing tower the quiet thrum of the motors eased for the first time in our flight. The calls of the landing crew below us on the field could be clearly heard as the teams, drilled with military precision, grasped the mooring lines and steered the ship to its landfall.

With the nose of the vessel secured and the lines made fast we were invited to step onto the gangway that took us to the landing towers elevator, a device at least as disturbing as the one I had encountered on my visit to Sir Bristow Merriweather and considerably more disconcerting than anything I had experienced in the dirigible. I was not sorry to put my feet safely on the ground.

As I emerged from the elevator cage I was confronted by a vision of loveliness. A tall, slender woman stood waiting patiently. Wearing a floor length cream gown with a high neck and leg-of-mutton sleeves, her pale complexion was shaded from the heat of the noon sun by a wide brimmed hat. She carried a large carpet bag, holding it in front of herself with both hands.

I was pleased. So many women seem to find it necessary to discard even the minimal modesty afforded by modern fashions when they find themselves in warmer climes. It was gratifying to see a woman of sense.

"Hello," she said, offering me a wide smile and a welcoming hand. "Amelia Knight, British Council. Doctor Julian asked me to look after you."

I was pleased to see her. Firstly, her assistance would no doubt be invaluable. Her modest attire spoke of a sensible attitude. So many young women have adopted fashions that deny the values that made us great in the first Victorian era. Miss Knight, in contrast, presented the perfect image of new-Victorian feminine virtue. Her presence, however, was something of a surprise to me.

"The British Council? This is a little outside your usual sphere, is it not?" The Council's normal tasks were cultural and educational. I had expected someone from our diplomatic corps.

"I'm filling in. The Consulate is a bit snowed under. All the refugees."

"Of course."

"But I'm sure you'll find everything has been set up in preparation. I've met with the young lady a few times. She's very – well – enthusiastic to meet you."

"Good," I said, impatient to begin after my long flight. "When can we start?"

"I have arranged a meeting for first thing tomorrow," Amelia responded in an efficient tone. "I thought you would wish to start as soon as possible. I have a carriage here to take you to your hotel and there will be another to collect you in the morning. Will 9 o'clock be convenient?"

Miss Knight had showed exemplary efficiency. I declared myself satisfied with her proposal and took the carriage to the Aegeus Hotel to prepare for my first meeting with Miss Voutrakis.

All characters fictitious

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