Legends tell of early aeronauts crisscrossing the continent. Many of these adventures were secret privateers out to enrich the Queen’s treasury.
“Careful with that, you lot. It’ll fetch a pretty penny from the Queen,” shouted the woman.
“It’s blooming heavy; quit jabbering and give us a hand,” replied the airman.
The best of these flying pirates was Captain Nathan Crosby of the airship Endeavor. “I’ll show Lord Byron who is the better explorer when I return with a shipload of treasure,” said Crosby.
A storm had blown the Endeavor off course, forcing the crew to land and resupply for the return journey. Ned Stevenson was out to find water when he came across a gilded fountain.
“Hey, Captain, you better come take a look at this fancy water spout I found,” said the airman.
“Why, Ned, you’ve found the Fountain of Youth,” cried Crosby.
After filling all their empty rum jugs, the crew loaded fruit, nuts, and some fish they smoked for the trip home.
As they approached the mainland, Silas, the pilot, asked to speak with the whole crew. “Look, mates, this magic water will make us all rich, but in the end, we’re all goners, right?” questioned the aeronaut.
“What of it? We’ll die all fat and happy,” said Ned.
“Why are you bringing this up, Silas?” asked the Captain.
“Well, the way I see it, we have all the money we can spend now. What if we could live in good health for centuries?” remarked the pilot.
No one spoke for a very long time. “We could become gods and play normals like chess pieces,” said Captain Crosby.
“Think of all the secrets we would hold to turn the nation against itself. The Captain is correct. We would become gods,” said Sandy, the cook.
When it came time to head true north, the Endeavor continued east to Morocco, where they sold the Endeavor. Later, they purchased a small schooner and returned to England without being noticed.
“Now we wait and listen. We write down even the tiniest bit of chatter, and once we have our library of lies, we begin. In the meantime, each will take their daily drop of tonic to ensure health,” said the Captain.
When England and France began their wars of conquest, the Eye of Ra, as it became known, started playing chess.
“Madame Sandra, please place this scrap of paper in Lord Winton’s coat pocket. We can achieve our goal of bankrupting Winton and give France the upper hand,” Crosby told Sandy.
So it went as the Eye of Ra grew in power and influence. A century later, Endeavor’s crew had become the kingmakers.
Some say the Eye of Ra was a myth, a story created by nervous little men who could not accept their failures.
Others tell of a small island where three men and a woman live in grand luxury as the puppet masters of the deep state.
The truth doesn’t matter. People believe what they want these days. Still, it would be nice to know if there’s any water left.
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