Miss Emmeline Page - Revolutionary Librarian
(Setting: a roughly late 19th early 20th century alternate-history/universe American city in Steampunk style)
The years prior to the First Great War find Miss Emmeline Page working as a librarian for the city of Pankhurst.
Lately,in an effort to raise tax dollars and public support for the war, pro-war associations and the city council have decided to use the library to sponsor 'tournaments' for young men and boys to learn combat skills. This is perceived as being a convenient outlet for the youthful hooliganism that has been generated of late by several gangs of youngsters throughout the town. It is viewed otherwise by several groups of concerned parents,teachers and church members of the community who have been picketing the library in response to the
news of what is to become bi-weekly tournaments held on the park surrounding the main library branch.
En route to work one morning, Emmeline is met by picket signs and protesters, forcing her to retreat to the back of the building to gain entrance. The back door is opened by her old friend, Mrs. Stein who hurries her
inside.
"Get in, Em. You won't want to linger about today out there."
"Oh, Alice, I wish I could picket with them! It's certainly not the worker's idea to have this ruddy tourney! I oppugned the initial idea rather forcefully and was
told by our director, Mr. Dickman, that I was being 'negative' as well as un-patriotic and un-American!'
Here Emmeline ducked her head in a way that gave her an illusion of chins, plural,entoning:
"...the library simply offers this as an outlet for young folk who would get up
to unfortunate hijinks otherwise! It's up to the parents to supervise and decide their children's participation or not!" he said. Alice, we don't need to encourage these local gangs to incite more violence!'
Emmeline shrugged out of her coat and sighed.'All this talk of war. Tax dollars wasted on profiteering and special interest groups...'
"You're preaching to the choir my dear. You know my feelings about this awful war. I lost my Frank to the Patriot's Uprising. More war and violence won't bring him or any of the others back."
Emmeline looked at her friend. Although Alice held herself straight and her head high, Em could see lines of tension in her forehead and afew more grey hairs...dear Alice. Emmeline couldn't know what she'd had to live through.
Alice put her arm through Em's. 'Come on, then. It's nearly time to open.'
.......
Later that evening after closing, Emmeline and Alice decide to have a cup of tea at the cafe en route to the trolley stop. Em notices Alice eyeing the delicious cream puffs and scones. 'We'll take two teas please."
Alice sighs regretting the absence of scones,as they sit at their favorite table by the window.
'I do wish we could do something about this tournament trouble.'Emmeline returned to her usual topic as she had talked of nothing else since they had found out about the library's partnership with local pro-war factions.'I feel so powerless. If I was more outspoken I fear I would stand to lose my job.'
Alice touched Em's arm in sympathy, pouring tea. She knew only too well how difficult life was for women on their own, like themselves.
Suddenly, the two friend's tea break was interrupted by shouting from the street .A few of the lads from the local gangs appeared to be having a kerfluffle outside.
'Oh, you see, Alice! Teaching them how to fight will only exacerbate clashes like these!'Emmeline grew hot.'That tourney is just the torch that will start a conflagration in this city!'
Alice nodded.'I can't agree more. Look, here comes a policeman now.' The boys scattered.
'By the way,that man over there seems to be watching you, Em. Anyone you know?'
Emmeline looks up and espies through the crowded cafe,a dark, rather good looking gentleman at a corner table facing the window. Nice suit, although of fabric with an odd blueish sheen to it.She hadn't seen material with quite that light-reflecting quality. Emmeline bethought herself an excellent seamstress
and kept up with the fashions by this economical route that many working women were obliged to take. 'I like his suit,' she observed, taking a sip of the Earl Grey.
'Suit!' huffed Alice. 'If I were your age my dear I'd be more interested in what's inside it!.Oh, dear, it's nearly time for my trolley! Must run, lovey.' Alice began gathering her things and gave Emmeline a friendly peck on the cheek farewell.
With Alice's departure, Em picks up one of the library books she has checked out to herself. Lately she had been interested in the current rumors of revolution across the seas in the Old World's northern countries.A keen suffragist, Emmeline was determined to win the women's right to vote in elections, and was fascinated by women's equality in the north country where voting rights were already years in effect.The volume she was now reading detailed some recent history of that region and she tried to keep up with news of how the new revolution might proceed.
She hadn't read far when she felt herself being watched.
That man again!He was watching her.
A chime from the wall clock announced the hour and thinking she would miss her trolley, she gathered her coat and books, paid for the tea and was about to head for the door when a rather stout gentleman at the table next to her pushed his chair back into her, knocking the books from her arms onto the floor.
'Oh, dear I do apologize!' he said, but before he could assist her, the Man In The Suit was at her side,already bending over and had gathered her books, which he handed to her with a bow.
'Thank you, sir! I appreciate your help, but I must run! I'll miss my trolley, I fear!'
'Then plese allow me to escort you to your stop, I'd feel better if you weren't alone, one never knows when that or another gang will return.'
Emmeline thanked him again and felt she really would prefer an escort, especially the way things had been escalating with the local hooligans. The Dark Stranger fell into step beside her.
'Are you interested in North Country politics, mam'selle?' he enquired.
'How did you--? Oh, you noticed my book,' Em blushed slightly. She realized that although there was sympathetic agreement among many forward-thinking persons in town, in the main, the Northern Problem as it was more universally referred to, was a wholley foreign aspect to the materialistic, for-profit propertarianism that was the standard by which the nation operated.
'I work at the local library, Mr...?'
'Mr. Van Horn. Jack, actually,' he said, and smiled. His eyes, she noticed, took on the same shade of blue as his jacket.
'...Mr. Van Horn.'Em continued, '...and I am persuaded to persue various interests sometimes simply according to which books pass my desk & I might happen to fancy at the time... But, yes,'she decided she may as
well be as frank with him as he seemed to be with people he'd only just met,'I am interested in the history of the Northern Peoples, past and recent.'
'Ah, It pleases me that you are so open minded, Miss--?'
'Page.Emmeline Page. You may call me Miss Page.'Emmeline wanted to be sure she wasn't being too forward.'And here we are at my stop. Again, I thank you for your assistance, and for your escort, Mr. Van Horn.'
He looked around them, making sure there were no signs of ruffians about, she supposed.
He smiled.'Yes. Indeed, this city boasts a fine trolley system.It would be a great crime, if Pankhurst were to lose it.' His accent on the word 'crime' seemed odd to Em.
'But of course we won't 'lose' it!'Em laughed lightly,'Too many people depend upon it! Not all can afford the odd horseless carriage!'
Jack frowned slightly. 'They are becomming more common all the while. Perhaps one day, the trolley lines will be demolished to make way for the woeful degradation that is mis-termed 'progress'--but here is your carriage. I hope that we shall meet again sometime, Miss Page.' He hands her up on to the trolley steps and bows his farewell.
As Emmeline rides home, she ponders the day's strange events, and especially the curious Mr. Van Horn. Jack.
Why, she muses, would he speak of the advent of the motorcar as a 'woeful degradation'? She leaned back in her seat, tired now...'Curiouser and curiouser' as Alice would say!she thought.
Synopsis:
Along with our intrepid heroine, Em, & her pal Alice Stein, the puzzling Mr. Jack Van Horn is soon to be revealed as a Time Traveler and Inventor from the year 2076, who returns to the past in an effort to prevent the onset of a 3rd Great War which has broken out in his time, due to ecological and economic collapse, drought, and famine which have instigated yet another expansionist war for dwindling resources. Jack is accompanied by his trusty Watsonish sidekick, Dr. Parsons, 'the stout gentleman' who upset Em's books at the cafe.
Also en route in this journey is Emmeline's 9 yr. old nephew Aidan, a devotee of Jules Verne and HG Wells, who has a suspicion that Jack is actually the time traveler from the future that he is indeed.
...the above novelette is to be read whilst listening to Steve Martin play the all Amerikan banjo--
which i personally find rather sitar-cum- neo- koto-like and all the more so because of it.
i highly recommend: the Crow lp.
"Truly Wonderful and Just as Advertised"
Must be read whilst sipping a strong, hearty cup of tea. You will need it!
...to be continued...
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