This game exists in two forms. Which would you like to try?
A [[printable live-action version]] where players read scripts to one another as if rehearsing a play (6-10 players).
A [[Twine game]].
Many thanks to the many many beta testers:
Betas: Art, Bonnie, Ben Crispin, Chris Banks, Emma, Julian Fleetwood, Louisette, Mason, Mike, Natalie, Phil Minchin, Sianah, Tristan, Val, Will.
Cover Art
Photographer: Jody Cherry (Exposure Studios)
Hair & Make-up: Jody Cherry (Cherrish Hair & Make-up Artistry)
Model: Amelia Brown
Cropped to fit and text added (with permission) by Felicity Banks
Contact the author: fellissimo@hotmail.com
There are four versions of your printable file:
[[Give me one file with all the options.]]
[[Six players.]]
[[Eight players.]]
[[Ten Players.]]
The time is 1860. The place is Bearbrass, Australia: a sprawling metropolis of tin, steel, gold, stone, and brass.
It wasn't so long ago that the innate magic of [[certain metals->Magical Metals]] was discovered. Magically activated metal grants special skills to whoever is lucky enough to wear it.
Every character is equipped with four magical metals at the beginning of the game, and can increase the skills they lack at certain points throughout the game.
At other times, the character's skills are tested, and if they lack the right skills (whether granted through magic or through in-game choices) they will fail.
Is your heart is with the [[colonials]]; fierce criminals who want to break free of the United Kingdom's influence?
Or is it with the powerful, wealthy, and civilised [[British]]?
(set: $emmeline to 0)
(set: $matilda to 0)
(set: $patrick to 0)
(set: $doctor to 0)
(set: $samantha to 0)
(set: $colonial to 0)
(set: $british to 0)
(set: $tin to 0)
(set: $lead to 0)
(set: $brass to 0)
(set: $silver to 0)
(set: $gold to 0)
(set: $aluminium to 0)
(set: $xiniwe to 0)
(set: $slingshot to 0)
(set: $scene2 to 0)
(set: $scene3 to 0)
(set: $scene4 to 0)
(set: $tin to 1)
(set: $colonials to 1)
Who would you like to be?
[[Emmeline Muchamore]], the London-born mad scientist with a magic-operated heart of brass, as well as the wealth and determination to get away from the United Kingdom's control. Her name is well-known but photography is a recent invention, so she is able to travel unobserved in public.
Brass, Silver, Lead (enhanced senses, mechanical skill, empathy)
[[Patrick O'Connell]], the Australian-born Irish bushranger who can't stop himself rescuing people in trouble... especially his adopted sister, Matilda, and her best friend Emmeline.
Iron, Lead, Brass (strength, empathy, enhanced senses)
[[Matilda]], the defiantly tactless heiress with a Wurundjeri mother who taught her quite a bit more than how to embroider and play piano to the standards of a classical education.
Aluminium, Brass, Gold (grace, enhanced senses, charm)
[[Doctor Normal]], the wealthy alchemist and genius who is happy to live in Miss Muchamore's shadow as long as he's paid well for it.
Gold, Aluminium, Silver (charm, grace, mechanical skill)
[[Samantha]] the talented pickpocket who was adopted by Emmeline (and not out of pity) but remains savvy enough to deny all knowledge of her mistress if necessary.
Brass, Silver, Aluminium (senses, mechanical skill, grace)
All characters sympathetic to the cause of colonial freedom have a piece of magically activated tin, which assists in understanding and relating to the lower classes.
[[Magical Metals]]
(set: $gold 1)
(set: $british to 1)
[[Charles Dickens]], the writer, adventurer, and leader of security for this Great Exhibition. His name is well-known but photography is a recent invention, so he is able to travel in public without being recognised.
iron, tin, brass.
[[Miss Copperton]], the mechanic with an admirable work ethic and too many siblings to support.
Brass, silver, tin.
[[The Professor]], a brilliant inventor who is desperate to see this Exhibition go smoothly.
Aluminium, gold, silver.
[[Mr Lanyon]], the railwayman who's popular with the locals.
Iron, lead, tin.
[[Good Dog]], the steam-powered canine created and owned by the Professor.
aluminium, tin, iron.
Double-click this passage to edit it.
Double-click this passage to edit it.
Double-click this passage to edit it.
(set: $emmeline to 1)
(set: $brass to 1)
(set: $silver to 1)
(set: $gold to 1)
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
They have built a glorious structure made of glass, copper, and steel that is the tallest and widest building in the Southern Hemisphere, employing revolutionary new techniques of design and construction, especially in the unusually slender supporting columns and the glass-and-copper checkerboard ceiling.
The [[Grand Opening]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Born into upper-class British society, I was taught dancing, embroidery, and the classical languages. The inventing in my basement just... happened.
My life changed when I was a teenager transported as a convict to Australia. I escaped captivity and grew to love my new country, but if I don't convince Her Royal Majesty that Australia is unworthy of her attention, I could be sent back to prison for any number of crimes.
It's unlikely I'd be forgettable enough to escape prison a second time, particularly given that my intention is to commit treason.
I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to.
My [[activated metals->Magical Metals]] are tin, gold, brass, and silver.
(set: $patrick to 1)
(set: $iron to 1)
(set: $lead to 1)
(set: $brass to 1)
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
They have built a glorious structure made of glass, copper, and steel that is the tallest and widest building in the Southern Hemisphere, employing revolutionary new techniques of design and construction, especially in the unusually slender supporting columns and the glass-and-copper checkerboard ceiling.
The [[Grand Opening]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
I can't help it. When I see a woman in trouble, I have to dive to the rescue.
Mother is constantly getting herself imprisoned for demanding universal suffrage, or shorter working hours for children, or for fewer random beatings performed by the local police. She's a lost cause, and I know it... but at least I know that Emmeline and Matilda will welcome my help after their latest plan goes horribly awry.
Committing treason is new, even for Emmeline. I know she doesn't want to hurt anyone, but that doesn't mean no-one will get hurt.
Matilda's Wurundjeri family adopted me, making Matilda my sister. Emmeline has a family of her own, but they're all the way back in London―and I'm right here.
One day, one of my closest friends is going to get herself killed... and that will be more than I can bear.
I just wish everyone would stay safe... but I'm willing to fight for the ones I love.
My [[activated metals->Magical Metals]] are tin, iron, lead, and brass.
(set: $matilda to 1)
(set: $aluminium to 1)
(set: $brass to 1)
(set: $gold to 1)
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
They have built a glorious structure made of glass, copper, and steel that is the tallest and widest building in the Southern Hemisphere, employing revolutionary new techniques of design and construction, especially in the unusually slender supporting columns and the glass-and-copper checkerboard ceiling.
The [[Grand Opening]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Few men would dare attempt to marry an Aboriginal woman, but my father had the wealth (and the sheer social obliviousness) to pull it off. Unfortunately, his obliviousness extended to his WUrundjeri wife and daughter. That marriage broke my mother's spirit, but I ran away from home before it could break mine.
I have a full classical education and a perfect high-class fashion sense. I also have an equally thorough Wurundjeri education. If I need to eat a seven-course dinner, I'll reach for the right cutlery without thinking. I'll sit correctly, I'll speak correctly, and if called upon I can dance or sing or play the pianoforte to perfection. If, on the other hand, I need to disappear into the outback, I know I can live there indefinitely with the same casual ease.
Patrick's Irish, but he's been adopted as my brother. Poor Patrick hates it when Emmeline and I cause trouble, and today we'll be committing treason.
I'm not British.
I'm not Wurundjeri.
I'm loyal only to my own heart.
Over time, I've grown to enjoy the discomfort of others.
I rarely care what anyone thinks of me, but I care about Emmeline. That makes me vulnerable, but I just can't seem to care.
Stupid runaway heart.
We don't plan to hurt anyone today, but plans can change fast.
My [[activated metals->Magical Metals]] are tin, gold, aluminium, and brass.
(set: $doctor to 1)
(set: $gold to 1)
(set: $aluminium to 1)
(set: $silver to 1)
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
They have built a glorious structure made of glass, copper, and steel that is the tallest and widest building in the Southern Hemisphere, employing revolutionary new techniques of design and construction, especially in the unusually slender supporting columns and the glass-and-copper checkerboard ceiling.
The [[Grand Opening]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
I've devoted my life to studying the most beautiful metal: gold. No-one can change one metal into another, but some of us have spent our lives studying magic, and earned plenty of gold as a result.
I usually get what I want, and what I want is gold.
On the other hand... I've been wealthy for so long that I no longer have any idea if my friends appreciate me for who I am, or whether they only like me for my gold. They probably don't know the real answer themselves.
Emmeline came from nothing and thanks to her magic she already owns the richest estate in Australia. Maybe replacing her heart with magical brass wasn't such a foolish idea after all...
I believe she plans to commit treason today, and I'm going to be just as guilty as she is. She never plans to hurt anyone, but that doesn't mean no-one will get hurt.
My [[activated metals->Magical Metals]] are tin, gold, aluminium, and silver.
(set: $samantha to 1)
(set: $brass to 1)
(set: $silver to 1)
(set: $aluminium to 1)
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
They have built a glorious structure made of glass, copper, and steel that is the tallest and widest building in the Southern Hemisphere, employing revolutionary new techniques of design and construction, especially in the unusually slender supporting columns and the glass-and-copper checkerboard ceiling.
The [[Grand Opening]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Usually it's obvious what side my bread's buttered on.
Not that I'd had any butter before Emmeline took me in. Or much bread.
I don't stick with Emmeline because she's kind. I stick with her because she's smart, and fierce, and even now that she's richer than a lord I know she'd fight for half a pound as if it was a matter of life and death.
I happen to be a gifted pickpocket myself.
Sometimes even the smartest fighters get taken down. What will I do if Emmeline takes on Queen Victoria... and loses?
We'll be committing treason today. That's a hanging offence, even though we won't be harming anyone. At least, not on purpose.
My [[activated metals->Magical Metals]] are tin, brass, aluminium, and silver.
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
The [[Grand Opening->Scene A]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
The [[Grand Opening->Scene A]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
The [[Grand Opening->Scene A]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
The [[Grand Opening->Scene A]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
Today is the day.
Her Royal Majesty is visiting Australia, and the Governor of Bearbrass has ordered an Australian Great Exhibition to echo London's Great Exhibition ten years ago. All the greatest minds of the colony have worked day and night to perfect their devices and displays.
The [[Grand Opening->Scene A]] was this morning, and Her Majesty arrives in an hour!
(if:($emmeline < 1))[
It's been clear for some time that Emmeline has been getting a crew together, and you're one of her inner circle. She still hasn't said exactly what the plan is, but there certainly is one. Well... almost certainly.
It's bound to involve Her Royal Majesty somehow, which is sure to be a hanging offence. You're ready to lay down your life, and Emmeline knows it.
You're gathered in one of the smaller side halls of the Great Exhibition, where Australia's most famous gold nugget is on display.
Emmeline doesn't seem to notice that she's gently stroking the glass case with one hand. Above her, several tin whirligigs circle; part of the elaborate security measures organised by peons of the British royal guard.
"We've all got jobs to do," says Emmeline, "and I recommend you expand your skill set by..."]
(if:($emmeline > 0))[
You've been getting a crew together for some time, and you're happy with your ineer circle. They don't know your plan yet, but they will soon. It's simple enough that surely, this time, nothing will go wrong.
Since the plan involves Her Royal Majesty, it's a hanging offence. You're ready to lay down your life, and so is every member of your crew.
You've gathered your people in one of the smaller side halls of the Great Exhibition, where Australia's most famous gold nugget is on display.
Patrick doesn't seem to notice that he hasn't taken his eyes off the "Welcome" nugget since you entered the room. Nor has little Samantha, but she's just a child and it's very, very shiny. Several tin whirligigs circle above you; part of the elaborate security measures organised by peons of the British royal guard.
"We've all got jobs to do," you tell your group. "I'd like some practice..."]
[[Distracting the security guards.->Scene 1.2a]]
[[Finding some weapons, since we weren't allowed our own guns.->Scene 1.2b]]
[[Sneaking our mechanical spiders into various exhibits.->Scene 1.2c]]
(if: $emmeline<0)[
"You're right," said Emmeline. "We need an extra edge, or this could all go pear-shaped."
(set: $scene2 to 1)
(if: $matilda < 1)[
"I didn't know explosions were pear-shaped," Matilda said sweetly.]
(if: $matilda > 0)[
"As usual," said Patrick.]
Emmeline laughed. "You know me so well." She slipped into the crowd and we followed her, keeping safe by keeping on the move. "Now, here's what I think. We've got a great range of talents, but we could always use a few more." She paused, looking at me until I felt uncomfortable. "I think you should focus on...]
(if: $emmeline>0)[
"You're right," said Matilda.
"We need an extra edge," I said, "or this could all go pear-shaped."
(if: $matilda < 1)[
"I didn't know explosions were pear-shaped," Matilda said sweetly.]
(if: $matilda > 0)[
"As usual," said Patrick.]
I couldn't help laughing. "You know me so well. Now, here's what I think. We've got a great range of talents, but we could always use a few more." I paused, finding it surprisingly difficult to identify my own area of weakness. "For example, I shall focus on...]
[[Paying attention to our surroundings.->Scene 2.2a]]
[[Physical strength.->Scene 2.2b]]
[[Fast getaways.->Scene 2.2c]]
(set: $brass to 2)
(set: $gold to 2)
I walked past the security guards, smelling the sharp scent of carbolic soap mingled with the slight burnt smell of recently-pressed uniforms.
They were proud of their job, but they were physically uncomfortable.
I straightened my spine to match their posture and then engaged them in conversation, describing the new auto-press machine in gallery seventeen that used an ingeneous hydraulic system to test the pressure exerted upon the clothing so the creases were as sharp as physically possible.
They were suitably enthralled, and my companions crept into the back corridors of the exhibition with ease.
We reassambled at the gold-plated central fountain, secure in the crush of people who'd designated the same location for their own meetings of lost children, top-hatted suitors, and corsetted ladies.
(if:($emmeline < 1))[
"We've planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" Emmeline revealed. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[We won't harm the queen, will we?->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
[[Are we going to launch an all-out attack?->Scene 1.3c]]]
(if:($emmeline > 0))[
"We've planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" I revealed at last. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[Don't worry, I won't let the queen get hurt.->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
]
(set: $silver to 2)
(set: $iron to 2)
(set: $slingshot to 1)
The others distracted the security guards so I could get into the back corridors of the exhibition, where all manner of broken implements and spare parts lay in piles as enticing to me as a tower of profiteroles to a French chef.
I was extremely tempted to rig up a full-size cannon or three, but there were thousands of innocent people exploring the displays and innovations, and I couldn't risk them. Instead I put together some spring-loaded slingshots. I sat on an enormous steel pipe and enjoyed my creative process. It might have been my imagination, but I felt like the weapons I made enjoyed being reformed into something both beautiful and useful.
We reassambled at the gold-plated central fountain, secure in the crush of people who'd designated the same location for their own meetings of lost children, top-hatted suitors, and corsetted ladies.
(if:($emmeline < 1))[
"We've planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" Emmeline revealed. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[We won't harm the queen, will we?->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
[[Is that the moment we launch our attack?->Scene 1.3c]]]
(if:($emmeline > 0))[
"We've planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" I revealed at last. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[Don't worry, I won't let the queen get hurt.->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
]
(set: $brass to 2)
(set: $aluminium to 2)
(if:($emmeline < 1))[
(if:($matilda < 1))[
While Matilda distracted the security guards with her "lost my chaperone" act, the rest of us snuck past them into the labyrinthine corridors built into and through the supporting columns of the exhibition. ]
(if:($matilda > 0))[
While Emmeline distracted the security guards by stealing my patented "lost my chaperone" act, the rest of us snuck past them into the labyrinthine corridors built into and through the supporting columns of the exhibition. ]
The copper-lined steel of the corridors thrummed with the movement and the shifting temperatures of exhibits all around them. It felt uncannily like being inside an enormous beating heart.
Emmeline gave each of us a number of small cardboard boxes tied with twine. They twitched and wriggled in our hands.
"Don't open them," she said. "Just hide them. My little ones will find their own way out easily enough."
We split up, spreading the "little ones" far and wide. I climbed service ladders to the upper levels, planting Emmeline's quivering boxes under the yellow flowers of native wattle trees and inside the bellies of the expandable tin horse tents that were one of Australia's most useful local inventions.
We reassambled at the gold-plated central fountain, secure in the crush of people who'd designated the same location for their own meetings of lost children, top-hatted suitors, and corsetted ladies.
"We've just planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" Emmeline revealed. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[We won't harm the queen, will we?->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
[[Is that the moment we launch our attack?->Scene 1.3c]]]
(if:($emmeline > 0))[
While Matilda distracted the security guards with her "lost my chaperone" act, the rest of us snuck past them into the labyrinthine corridors built into and through the supporting columns of the exhibition.
The copper-lined steel of the corridors thrummed with the movement and the shifting temperatures of exhibits all around them. It felt uncannily like being inside an enormous beating heart.
I gave each person a number of small cardboard boxes tied with twine. They twitched and wriggled in our hands.
"Don't open them," I said. "Just hide them. My little ones will find their own way out easily enough."
We split up, spreading my little ones far and wide. I climbed service ladders to the upper levels, planting my quivering boxes under the yellow flowers of native wattle trees and inside the bellies of the expandable tin horse tents that were one of Australia's most useful local inventions.
We reassambled at the central fountain, secure in the crush of people who'd designated the same location for their own meetings of lost children, top-hatted suitors, and corsetted ladies.
"We've just planted a number of mechanical spiders throughout the exhibition!" I revealed at last. "Even if half a dozen are apprehended, the rest will converge on Her Royal Majesty the moment she arrives!"
[[Don't worry, I won't let the queen get hurt.->Scene 1.3a]]
[[It's about time the queen stopped treating us like her possessions!->Scene 1.3b]]
]
(set: $lead to 2)
(if: $matilda = 1)[I raised my eyebrows in a silent question.]
(if: $matilda < 1)[Matilda raised her eyebrows in a silent question.]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"We won't harm the queen unless we absolutely have to," said Emmeline firmly.]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"We won't harm the queen unless we absolutely have to," I said firmly.]
(if: $patrick < 1)[
"Uh oh," said Patrick, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
(if: $patrick > 0)[
"Uh oh," said Doctor Normal, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
I followed his gaze and saw a knot of people nearby watching us, including our old friend Mr Lalor. Mr Lalor had fought for justice and lost his arm as a result. It had since been replaced with an iron limb that suited him very well. I was less impressed by his wealthy clothes; a side effect of his new career as a politician and land-holder.
His eyes flicked to mine, and then away. He was watching us. They were all watching us. Mr Lalor was part of a special security team... and he'd just told his friends what we looked like!
(if: $matilda < 1)[
"Don't panic," said Matilda. "Those fustilugs don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $matilda > 0)[
"Don't panic," said Doctor Normal. "Those dew-beaters don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $samantha < 1)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," said Samantha.]
(if: $samantha > 0)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," I pointed out.]
[["Release the Training Montage!"->Training Montage]]
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]
[["We have to get away from them!"->We have to get away from them!!]]
(set: $iron to 2)
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"Exactly," said Emmeline. "This is our day to show what we're made of."]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"Exactly," I said. "This is our day to show what we're made of."]
(if: $patrick < 1)[
"Uh oh," said Patrick, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
(if: $patrick > 0)[
"Uh oh," said Doctor Normal, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
I followed his gaze and saw a knot of people nearby watching us, including our old friend Mr Lalor. Mr Lalor had fought for justice and lost his arm as a result. It had since been replaced with an iron limb that suited him very well. I was less impressed by his wealthy clothes; a side effect of his new career as a politician and land-holder.
His eyes flicked to mine, and then away. He was watching us. They were all watching us. Mr Lalor was part of a special security team... and he'd just told his friends what we looked like!
(if: $matilda < 1)[
"Don't panic," said Matilda. "Those fustilugs don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $matilda > 0)[
"Don't panic," said Doctor Normal. "Those dew-beaters don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $samantha < 1)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," said Samantha.]
(if: $samantha > 0)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," I pointed out.]
[["Release the Training Montage!"->Training Montage]]
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]
[["We have to get away from them!"->We have to get away from them!!]]
(set: $iron to 2)
"Only if we have to," said Emmeline. "Let's hope Her Royal Majesty attracts enough spiders to scare her off."
(if: $patrick < 1)[
"Uh oh," said Patrick, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
(if: $patrick > 0)[
"Uh oh," said Doctor Normal, looking beyond me. "We've been recognised."]
I followed his gaze and saw a knot of people nearby watching us, including our old friend Mr Lalor. Mr Lalor had fought for justice and lost his arm as a result. It had since been replaced with an iron limb that suited him very well. I was less impressed by his wealthy clothes; a side effect of his new career as a politician and land-holder.
His eyes flicked to mine, and then away. He was watching us. They were all watching us. Mr Lalor was part of a special security team... and he'd just told his friends what we looked like!
(if: $matilda < 1)[
"Don't panic," said Matilda. "Those fustilugs don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $matilda > 0)[
"Don't panic," said Doctor Normal. "Those dew-beaters don't know for certain we've done anything."]
(if: $samantha < 1)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," said Samantha.]
(if: $samantha > 0)[
"They don't need proof to follow us," I pointed out.]
[["Release the Training Montage!"->Training Montage]]
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]
[["We have to get away from them!"->We have to get away from them!!]]
(set: $scene3 to 1)
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"Yes," said Emmeline, cocking her head like a sparrow to hear more clearly.
"Gasket," she said suddenly, and set off at a run.
We all ran after her, wondering what was happening—until we heard the screams of terror and rounded a corner to see an enormous mechanical reaper chewing at the copper floor... and skittering sideways as the crowd fled its path of destruction!]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
I was sure I heard a faint hissing, so I shushed the others while I tried to figure out why my magical brass heart was bringing that tiny noise to my attention.
It was so familiar...
"Gasket," I blurted out, and set off at a run.
The others ran after me, but their footsteps were quickly drowned out by screams of terror! We rounded a corner to see an enormous mechanical reaper chewing at the copper floor... and skittering sideways as the crowd fled its path of destruction!]
[["Oh, those poor people!"->Scene 3.2a]]
[["Catch it!"->Scene 3.2b]]
[["It's heading straight for that nanny, and she hasn't noticed!"->Scene 3.2c]]
(set: $scene4 to 1)
I moved quickly among the exhibits, listening carefully to what people near me were saying.
"Mr Bhai told me Her Royal Majesty's not so tall. Will we really be able to see her for ourselves?"
"Look at the movement of that crank! Have you ever seen such a smooth turning motion?"
"I heard Miss Muchamore is here, in disguise."
"How does that contraption work?"
"Is it true that Miss Muchamore is going to fight the queen?"
"Timmy, stop sucking your thumb. There's a good boy."
I followed a well-dressed Chinese pair among a group of new locomotive designs as they discussed Miss Muchamore in less than glowing terms. It was important to know what people really thought of us.
All at once, I found myself trapped between a protoype engine and a high balcony, with Mr Lalor and his crew of security experts closing in!
[[Grab a poker and wield it like a sword!->Scene 4.2a]]
[[Use the exhibit to defend yourself.->Scene 4.2b]]
[[Get the wealthy couple on your side.->Scene 4.2c]]
(set: $brass to 2)
I climbed the stairs to the top floor balcony, and watched the crowd from above. It was impossible to get a clear view past the full-size eucalyptus trees inside, not to mention the masses of man-sized pipes and columns linking every part of the Great Exhibition to every other part.
The building was so enormous it had its own weather patterns, and there were ornithopters and gliders cluttering the air. The structure was so delicate it looked to my eye as if a smart saboteur could destroy it with minimal effort. It was chaos.
And then it wasn't. The thrumming engines had a distinct rhythm, and after a while I could see where the main beats were coming from: The automatic reaping engine vibrated at a frequency that moved in waves through the building every few minutes, and there was a herd of segmented tin horses that jerked along in a full loop around the central fountain over and over again. Even the ornithopters took flight as one flock before floating to the group and getting hauled back up on pulleys for a new set of amateur aeronauts to try.
The people followed the same swirling pattern, circling to their own right more often than not. They were densely packed, making themselves vulnerable to crushed skirts, pickpockets, and fires.
The members of the security team walked against the flow, scanning faces and ignoring exhibits. If we moved with them they would be far less likely to see us. We could also take advantage of exhibits with a central item that shielded customers from easy view.
I watched from above as several Mr Lalor's security team gathered in a sheltered alcove, talking intently to one another.
[[Spy on them.->Scene 2.3a]]
[[Confront them.->Scene 2.3b]]
[[Avoid them.->Scene 2.3c]]
(set: $iron to 2)
I made a beeline for an exhibit I'd passed on the way in: The Strong Arm of the Law. It was an innovation designed to assist the beleagured local police force.
The device was, quite literally, an arm. It was equipped with adjustable leather straps to fit its owner, and was reinforced with leather-lined iron with a range of tools operated by sliding levers. Inside the large iron shaft was a concealed knife, a spring-loaded packet of flechettes, and a grappling hook.
I wanted it. Not knowing how to acquire one of the prototypes on display, I stood staring at it until one of the inventors noticed me and said quietly, "You're one of Miss Muchamore's lot, aren't you?"
The activated tin I wore parped delightedly, and since I didn't have a choice I nodded confession.
"Keep it," she said, and pushed it into my hand before gently shoving me back into the throng of people. I walked on in a happy daze.
Mr Lalor's group of security experts gathered in a sheltered alcove, talking intently to one another. I snapped out of my reverie and wondered what I should do.
[[Spy on them.->Scene 2.3a]]
[[Confront them.->Scene 2.3b]]
[[Avoid them.->Scene 2.3c]]
(set: $aluminium to 2)
I climbed the stairs to the top floor balcony, and watched the crowd from above. It was impossible to get a clear view past the full-size eucalyptus trees inside, not to mention the masses of man-sized pipes and columns linking every part of the Great Exhibition to every other part.
The building was so enormous it had its own weather patterns, and there were ornithopters and gliders cluttering the air. The structure was so delicate it looked to my eye as if a smart saboteur could destroy it with minimal effort. It was chaos.
And then it wasn't. The thrumming engines had a distinct rhythm, and after a while I could see where the main beats were coming from: The automatic reaping engine vibrated at a frequency that moved in waves through the building every few minutes, and there was a herd of segmented tin horses that jerked along in a full loop around the central fountain over and over again. Even the ornithopters took flight as one flock before floating to the group and getting hauled back up on pulleys for a new set of amateur aeronauts to try.
The people followed the same swirling pattern, circling to their own right more often than not. They were densely packed, making themselves vulnerable to crushed skirts, pickpockets, and fires.
The members of the security team walked against the flow, scanning faces and ignoring exhibits. If we moved with them they would be far less likely to see us. We could also take advantage of exhibits with a central item that shielded customers from easy view.
I watched from above as several Mr Lalor's security team gathered in a sheltered alcove, talking intently to one another.
[[Spy on them.->Scene 2.3a]]
[[Confront them.->Scene 2.3b]]
[[Avoid them.->Scene 2.3c]]
(if: $aluminium>1)[It was lucky that I'd examined the area before approaching, because I was able to use my observations to remain hidden from view.]
(if: $aluminium=1)[My magical aluminium helped me to keep out of sight while eavesdropping.]
(if:$aluminium>0)[
It was tricky getting close enough to hear what the security team was saying, but I managed it.
"How many more are there?" said a professor-type man with a German accent.
"I'm afraid I don't know," a woman said. We've only found three, and that doesn't seem enough for the purpose."
"Parp!" said their automated dog, and stood up on its hind legs to examine passers-by.
I shrank back, holding my breath.
"Yes, Mr Dickens," the woman said. "Given a little time, I think I can figure out if they're an annoyance or a mortal danger."
"Her Royal Majesty is sure to be the target," the professor said. "What do you think, Mr Lalor? Are these rebels an annoyance, or a genuine threat?"
The dog was working its way through the crowd and I slipped away, making my way back to Emmeline and the others and telling them what I'd discovered.
]
(if:$aluminium>0)[
It was tricky getting close enough to hear what the security team was saying, and I wedged myself awkwardly between a new Polarity Reversing Water Closet and a pair of wheeled shoes.
"How many more are there?" said a professor-type man with a German accent.
"I'm afraid I don't know," a woman said. We've only found three, and that doesn't seem enough for the purpose."
"Parp!" said their automated dog, and stood up on its hind legs to examine passers-by. "Parp! Parp! Parp!"
It shook free of the professor's hand and bolted towards me! I gave up all hope of concealment and fled into the crowd. If only I'd possessed some magically activated brass or had spent more time building up a sense of my surroundings!
It was a narrow escape, and I was still shaken when I rejoined the rest of my party.
]
The day was far from over.
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[["We have to get away from that security team!"->We have to get away from them!!]]]
[["We're out of time! Her Royal Majesty is at the gate!"->Her Royal Majesty]]
I strode directly up to the security team, noticing that they held several of Emmeline's mechanical spiders and appeared to be trying to figure out how dangerous they were.
"Tell Her Royal Majesty to leave Australia to its own devices or suffer the consequences," I said.
A curly-headed man examined me in silence and I suddenly recognised the famous writer Charles Dickens. I'd seen his photograph in the paper.
The professorial type next to him slapped me across the face. "How dare you! Seize that rebel!"
Beside him, his steam-powered dog rose abruptly onto its hind legs and snapped at my right arm, while the muscle-bound Mr Lalor grabbed for my left with his iron arm.
He was our ally, once. No longer!
(if: $iron = 1)[
I knocked away Lalor's metal arm and kicked the dog hard in one of its back legs, knowing that if I didn't have magical iron assisting me then I would have broken several toes.]
(if: $iron = 2)[
I knocked away Lalor's metal arm and punched the dog hard in its chest, knowing that if I didn't have my own iron arm I would have broken my hand.]
(if: $iron < 1)[I struggled, and barely escaped their grasp!]
Before they could recover, I backed away into the never-ending stream of people. "Don't forget!" I called out, and moved away into the crush before they could coordinate themselves to attack me properly.
I rejoined my team at the next agreed-upon location, and updated them on what I'd done.
"Wait!" I said suddenly.
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[["We have to get away from that security team!"->We have to get away from them!!]]]
[["We're out of time! Her Royal Majesty is at the gate!"->Her Royal Majesty]]
(if:$brass=2)[It was lucky that I examined the area before approaching, because I was able to use my observations to remain hidden from view as I moved.]
(if:$brass=1)[My magical brass helped me to keep out of sight while I found a way back into the service corridors.]
(if:$brass>0)[
It was tricky navigating blindly through the service corridors but I managed it, treading carefully and locking every door as I passed perilously close to my enemies.
"How many more are there?" said a man with a German accent, and I realised I was hearing their conversation.
"I'm afraid I don't know," a woman said. We've only found three, and that doesn't seem enough for the purpose."
"Parp!" said their automated dog, and banged its head on the outside of my pipe.
I shrank back, holding my breath.
The dog parped again, and continued knocking its head against my corridor.
One of the others tried the closest door, finding it locked, but the dog only parped louder.
I slipped away, heading back to the others and telling them what I'd discovered.
]
(if:$brass=0)[
It was tricky navigating blindly through the service corridors but I managed it, treading carefully as I passed perilously close to the security team.
"How many more are there?" said a man with a German accent, and I realised I was hearing their conversation.
"I'm afraid I don't know," a woman said. We've only found three, and that doesn't seem enough for the purpose."
"Parp!" said their automated dog, and banged its head on the outside of my pipe.
I shrank back, holding my breath.
The dog parped again, and continued knocking its head against my corridor.
One of the others charged through the closest door, and I fled at once, barking my shins against discarded engine parts and barely escaping!
If only I'd possessed some magically activated brass or had spent more time building up my sense of our surroundings!
I was still shaken when I rejoined the others at our next location.]
The day was far from over.
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[["We have to get away from that security team!"->We have to get away from them!!]]]
[["We're out of time! Her Royal Majesty is at the gate!"->Her Royal Majesty]]
The ornithopters flapped to the ground and stopped.
Inventors and engineers stilled their creations.
Parents hushed their children.
The Great Exhibition held its breath, and the light tinkle of water on gold from the central fountain was audible throughout the galleries.
Then there was a mighty CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
A single person beat the rhythm on a massive tin pipe that reverberated like an organ.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
One of my feet automatically tapped to the 4/4 beat.
(if: $xiniwe = 1)[
"She's coming!" said Ms Xiniwe, grabbing my arm in her excitement.]
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
And then, all in a single instant, a dozen different orchestras began to play a [[horn concerto->Horn Concerto]] all at once, beginning with sweeping strings and building to a mighty chorus of horns!
(set: $lead to 2)
I saw the scene in all the myriad colours of people and dress and mechanical wonder. Everyone in the Exhibition had come to admire the brilliance of Australia's creators, and now one of the most magnificent and useful creations was about to chew them to bits like so much dumb stone.
The inventor herself stood within the informal confines of her display, frozen with horror. Her skirts were not quite long enough, and still were still augmented with the crinoline wheels that had long since fallen out of fashion. Even among inventors, she was underfunded, and I suspected her dark skin was the cause.
Underfunded meant only having one prototype; bringing the wheeled version into the Great Exhibition instead of building a second model specifically for public display in a confined space. Underfunded meant layers and layers of fear: Being ejected from Society on a whim; being imprisoned for an innocent mistake; being laughed at; destroying her machine and her life with it. The fear of becoming an accidental murderess was buried among the rest.
She was brilliant, but not when she was full of fear.
I spotted her name on a hand-stencilled sign half-hidden in the shadows at the back of her display area, and I knew exactly what to say to snap her out of her frozen terror.
"Ms Sarah Xiniwe!" I shouted, and her chin jerked upwards as I pointed to her rogue machine. "It is beautiful!"
Her mouth dropped open in simple shock, and then her eyes cleared and she gathered her skirts and leaped aboard her machine, hauling on a lever and unwinding a gear-chain until it suddenly came to a stop.
"Magnificent display!" I yelled into the sudden silence, and the crowd gasped in delight and cheered her.
She met my eye, and gave a slight wave of acknowledgement. I nodded back, and applauded with the rest of the crowd.
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," Emmeline said thoughtfully.
[["Let's assist her in hauling the machine back into place—that way you can escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so you're not noticed.->Scene 3.3c]]]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," I breathed.
Samantha heard me. "So would I."
[["Let's assist her in hauling it back into place—that way we can both escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so neither of us are noticed."->Scene 3.3c]]]
(set: $iron to 2)
I ran closer, and realised I was running straight past an exhibit of corrugated iron: wavy sheets of my new favourite metal.
"Help me make levers!" I gasped to one of the assistants. "This is too flexible! Do you have any normal iron?"
"For demonstrations, yes!" he said.
Together we wheeled several iron rods to the machine, pushing them underneath it on all sides and improvising fulcrums from an artisan's steel sculptures to lever the mechanical reaper right off the ground!
Its wheels and reaping blades moved helplessly against the air, and the woman who had invented it—a Ms Sarah Xiniwe, according to the sign in her stall—was able to get it under control once more.
The crowd clapped and cheered indiscriminately.
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," Emmeline said thoughtfully.
[["Let's assist her in hauling the machine back into place—that way you can escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so you're not noticed.->Scene 3.3c]]]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," I breathed.
Samantha heard me. "So would I."
[["Let's assist her in hauling it back into place—that way we can both escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so neither of us are noticed."->Scene 3.3c]]]
(set: $brass to 2)
I focused on the nanny with all my might, and heard her reprimanding little James Octavius Southwell for hitting his sister—the baby squalling in her arms.
"James Octavius Southwell!" I yelled at the top of my voice. "Move out of the way!"
The child looked at me, and at the machine, and ran. His nanny ran after him, still holding one baby and dragging a perambulator with the other.
With the threat of imminent casualty taken care of, the machine's creator—a Ms Sarah Xiniwe, judging by the sign in her stall—was able to get her device back under control.
The crowd cheered and clapped, pleased by the spectacle.
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," Emmeline said thoughtfully.
[["Let's assist her in hauling her machine back into place—that way you can escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so you're not noticed.->Scene 3.3c]]]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"I'd like to speak with Ms Xiniwe," I breathed.
Samantha heard me. "So would I."
[["Let's assist her in hauling it back into place—that way we can both escape public notice."->Scene 3.3a]]
[["I'll see if I can convince her to come with me into a more secluded area." ->Scene 3.3b]]
[["That machine will need repairing. Let's volunteer together, so neither of us are noticed."->Scene 3.3c]]]
(if: $iron > 0)[
(set: $xiniwe to 1)
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
Emmeline and I joined several others cheerfully hauling the quiescent machine back into position. It was even bigger when I stood next to it, and it was't easy to get it moving. I was grateful for my enhanced strength.
Emmeline gave me a smile and let go of her section so she could move next to the inventor, where the two brilliant women quickly fell into a conversation that was cut off all too soon as the exhibit was restored to order.]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[Samantha and I joined several others cheerfully hauling the quiescent machine back into position. It was even bigger when I stood next to it, and it was't easy to get it moving. I was grateful for my enhanced strength.
Samantha gave me a smile and I took the hint moved closer to Ms Xiniwe. We quickly fell into a conversation that was cut off all too soon as the exhibit was restored to order.
But Ms Xiniwe knew who I was, and she gave me a careful nod. Our paths were sure to cross again soon.]
]
(if: $iron < 1)[
I joined several others cheerfully hauling the quiescent machine back into position. It was even bigger when I stood next to it, and I soon realised I wasn't any use at all.
I moved away silently, and made my way to the next meeting place.]
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[[We have to get away from them!!<-"We have to get away from the security team!]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
(if: $gold > 0)[
(set: $xiniwe to 1)
I approached Ms Xiniwe as she supervised the return of her machine into its proper place. "That's a beautiful machine," I said.
"Hm?" she said.
"Your machine is fantastic," I said.
"Oh," she said. "Yes."
"Are you able to take a moment to speak to my associate? She wants to meet you."
She looked at me properly for a moment. "A woman who likes to meet inventors, but can't afford to draw attention to herself?"
"Yes," I said, "exactly."
"I would love to meet Miss Muchamore, whenever and wherever is convenient for her," she said with a sly smile.
Once her machine was settled, I led her to our next meeting place, guessing correctly that the others would be there early, waiting for us.
It was a delight to watch my new and old friends in conversation.]
(if: $gold < 1)[
I approached Ms Xiniwe as she supervised the return of her machine into its proper place. "That's a beautiful machine," I said.
"Hm?" she said.
"Your machine is fantastic," I said.
"Oh," she said. "Yes."
"Are you able to take a moment to speak to my associate? She wants to meet you."
She looked at me properly for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I'm simply too busy at present."
I left her to join the others, knowing I lacked the magical charm that only gold could give.]
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[[We have to get away from them!!<-"We have to get away from the security team!]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
(if: $silver > 0)[
(set: $xiniwe to 1)
Ms Xiniwe looked ready to swoon at the scale of the disaster in front of her, so I moved to take care of the machine.
It was clear at once that the blades could be retracted, so I wound them up into their highest position and engaged the reverse gear, sending the machine smoothly back into its place.
Ms Xiniwe snapped out of her reverie and joined me, and I saw her face brighten in surprised delight as she realised I knew my way around machines.
I brought her with me to meet the others.]
(if: $silver < 1)[
Ms Xiniwe looked ready to swoon at the scale of the disaster in front of her, so I moved to take care of the machine.
It was clear at once that the blades were a major hazard, and I didn't have the first idea of what to do.
Mourning my lack of both magically activated silver and a modicum of mechanical skill, I walked to the next meeting place without a new introduction.]
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene4 = 0)[
[[We have to get away from them!!<-"We have to get away from the security team!]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
(set: $aluminium to 2)
There was a good sharp poker resting against the balcony wall. It was still shiny with newness instead of wearing the thick black charcoal layer of a proper tool, but that suited me fine.
I gripped the handle and took a few practice swings. It wasn't balanced anything like a sword, and I adjusted my stance to compensate for the point-heavy weapon.
For a poker, it made a pretty good sword. It felt good in my hand, and the excess weight only made my muscles sing with the effort of making it work for me instead of against me.
The curly-haired leader of the security team squared up to me, grabbing a length of wood.
He smiled slightly, and I knew he knew he was no match for me. On the other hand, his friends were behind him while mine were elsewhere.
I ignored everything I knew about swordfighting and smashed my poker on his club with all the force I could muster.
It shattered!
My enemy jumped back—but his friends immediately swarmed forwards.
[[Talk your way out.->Scene 4.3a]]
[[Time to drop the poker and punch your way out.->Scene 4.3b]]
[[Improvise a contraption to help you soar away!->Scene 4.3c]]
(set: $silver to 2)
I raised my fists in a bluff I felt sure they'd answer.
Mr Lalor himself squared up to me, clenching both his fists: one flesh, one metal.
I noticed scars on the skin of his knuckles from past battles. Worse yet, his friends were behind him while mine were elsewhere.
As he moved to take a swing at me, I moved... sideways. I grabbed the safety value closest to me and pulled the handle to one side, sending a jet of scalding steam right at Mr Lalor!
Mr Lalor jumped back, but his friends immediately swarmed forwards.
[[Talk your way out.->Scene 4.3a]]
[[Time to drop the poker and punch your way out.->Scene 4.3b]]
[[Improvise a contraption to help you soar away!->Scene 4.3c]]
(set: $gold to 2)
"Hey! Britain!" I said loudly. "Are you going to arrest me? What's the charge? Is it because I don't have the proper British accent? Is it because I support the rights of all Australians, not just those who hail from the United Kingdom?"
The Chinese couple immediately turned to see what happened. They muttered to one another, and eyed the security team in an unfriendly manner. All around them, the rest of the crowd shifted position, growing angry.
Mr Lalor stepped forward, and I knew he was about to reveal who he was: the hero of Eureka; railwayman, Irishman, and supposed ally to democratic principles.
The tide could easily turn in his favour.
[[Quietly ask the security team to let you leave.->Scene 4.3a]]
[[Time to drop the poker and punch your way out.->Scene 4.3b]]
[[Improvise a contraption to help you soar away!->Scene 4.3c]]
I lowered my voice and approached my enemy with my hands spread in the universal gesture of peace. My heart beat at a frantic pace, and my mouth was dry, but I did my best to speak calmly.
"None of us want innocent bystanders hurt," I said. "This is a gentleman's disagreement."
"Will you always remain so chivalrous?" asked the eldest member of the security team.
(if: $gold > 0)[
"Yes, and I trust you'll do the same. I've caused no harm today. You have no reason to impede my progress."
The curly-headed man nodded, and stepped back. The others followed his lead, although I felt the professor's eyes on my back until I was out of sight.]
(if: $gold < 1)[
"Will you?"
The professor controlled his anger with an effort, and the lady mechanic of the security team laid her hand on a large wrench hanging on her belt.
So much for my charm!
I fled, barely escaping their grasp. Someday I'd have to get myself some activated gold, or I'd never be able to convince the wealthy to trust me.]
I returned to the latest rendezvous point and reported my impressions to the others.
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
(if: $iron > 0)[
I didn't like my odds, but at least I had the element of surprise—and a trick or two up my sleeve.
Before they could grab me, I punched their curly-headed leader in the face, sending him flying backwards. He tripped over their steam-powered dog and crashed into the professor, sending both men sprawling.
Three down. Two to go.
The lady mechanic had a wrench at the ready, and Mr Lalor had both his fists clenched: one flesh, and one iron.
I grabbed Mr Lalor's metal arm and used it as a lever to swing his body sideways into his companion. Iron hit iron, and I leaped over the fallen and fled, running full-pelt until I was out of sight.]
(if: $iron < 1)[
I didn't like my odds, but at least I had the element of surprise.
Before they could grab me, I punched their curly-headed leader in the face. He reeled but recovered fast, kicking my legs out from under me.
The lady mechanic struck me a fierce blow on one arm, and I yelped in pain.
So much for the element of surprise.
I scrambled past the professor and regained my feet just in time to escape the steel grip of Mr Lalor's iron fist.]
After that, I made my way more carefully to the rendezvous point where I reported all that had happened to the others.
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
I looked desperately around myself, seeing nothing but heavy locomotive engines in every direction... and a silk cover on one exhibit, where the inventor had hidden his or her device while wandering around to see the rest.
Silk.
Smoke.
Steam.
I kicked up the power on the engine closest to me, making the security team back up in confusion. The ground floor wasn't so very far away, and copper wasn't as hard as iron. I just needed to slow my fall a little.
The silk made a shushing noise as I pulled it off the unattended engine, and the owner shouted in anger and ran my way.
I threw the sheet of silk over the exposed steam valve where my favourite engine would normally feed power to its wheels. Here in the Great Exhibition, it had to remain stationary.
The silk puffed out at once, catching and holding the steam. I saw the steam already condensing inside its silk bubble, but held my nerve and hoped for the best.
When my improvised balloon felt ready to tug itself out of my hands I drew the corners together into a mass of silk and ran with it to the balcony, hurling myself balloon-first into the air.
For a moment, the muscles in my arms strained as the force of gravity lost its fight against my steam-filled balloon. Then scalding water ran down my hands, and the balloon quickly lost what little steam it had managed to contain.
I fell.
(if: $aluminium > 0)[
My knees and back and ankles shrieked as I landed on the metal floor, but I lived! I was alive, and unharmed, and the crowd was cheering at the supposed show.
(if: $aluminium < 2) [Thank goodness for the potent magic of aluminium! ]]
(if: $aluminium < 1)[
My knees and back and ankles crumpled as I landed on the metal floor, and for a moment I lay stunned. The crowd laughed at me and I limped away, glad I wasn't more severely injured.]
I used a circular route to reach the rendezvous point where the others were already gathered. Once I'd made a full report, we were ready for our next challenge.
(if: $scene2 = 0)[
[[Training Montage<-"We need a training montage!"]]]
(if: $scene3 = 0)[
[["Do you hear something?"->Do you hear something??]]]
[[Her Royal Majesty<-"Queen Victoria is about to arrive!"]]
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Horn Concerto no. 1 in D major, K. 412, 514 - I. Allegro
(long but good; nice sweeping opening)
The ornithopters flap to the ground and stop.
The loudest mechanisms are stilled.
The parents hush their children.
The Great Exhibition holds its breath, and the light tinkle of water on gold from the central fountain is audible throughout.
Then there is a mighty CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
A single person beats on a massive tin pipe that reverberates like a mighty organ.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
One of your feet automatically taps to the 4/4 beat.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
And then, all in a single instant, a dozen different orchestras began to [[play Mozart's Horn Concerto no. 1 in D maj]] all at once, beginning with sweeping strings and building to a mighty chorus of horns!
The crowd stood open-mouthed, enthralled by the music coming from all directions. It filled the air with swooping elegance and the glorious power of the horns.
Her Royal Majesty was coming.
I stood on a balcony and watched from above as she walked inside, preceded and flanked by her attendants. Her consort was strangely absent. She was smaller than I expected, and looked older than her forty-odd years. As I watched, she waved to the crowd of onlookers, turning her head to take us all in.
When her gaze turned upwards, it felt as if she was looking directly at me. The steadiness of that gaze made her seem ancient; timeless rather than old.
There was something in her dark hair. A spider!
She flicked it off with a single quick motion, and it scuttled right back towards her, disappearing under the hem of her skirts. The professorial type from her security detail cried out in anguish and rushed towards her. She executed a fast double-step and moved backwards, letting the professor see the spider she'd crushed.
He clasped both her hands, making his true identity clear in an instant: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband to Her Royal Majesty.
She blushed at the outrageous display of public affection, but gave him a tiny smile as he released her hands.
And then the rest of the spiders converged upon them, falling from above and wriggling through miniscule gaps in the floor. Their tiny metal feet clinked and clattered as they appeared from crevices and cracks in exhibits, in the copper walls, and even from the hair and clothing of passers-by.
This was Emmeline's moment: a moment to prove the frailty of the queen by making her look like a fool in front of thousands of her citizens. I wondered if it would merely alienate Emmeline's chosen people. I wondered if we'd all be hung for our insolence.
"[["What is the meaning of this!"]] shouted the queen, blazing with incandescent rage.
The crowd stood open-mouthed, enthralled by the music coming from all directions. It filled the air with swooping elegance and the glorious power of the horns.
Her Royal Majesty was coming.
You watch her walk inside, preceded and flanked by her attendants. Her consort is strangely absent. She's smaller than you expected, and looks younger than her forty-odd years. As you watch, she waves to the crowd of onlookers, turning her head to take them all in.
When her gaze turns upwards, it feels as if she is looking directly at you. The steadiness of that gaze makes her seem ancient; timeless rather than old.
There was something in her dark hair. A spider!
She flicked it off with a single quick motion, and it scuttled right back, disappearing under the hem of her skirts. The professorial type from her security detail cried out in anguish and rushed towards her. She executed a fast double-step and moved backwards, letting the professor see the spider she'd crushed.
He clasped both her hands, making his true identity clear in an instant: Albert, prince consort of the United Kingdom, and Her Royal Majesty's husband.
She blushed at the outrageous display of public affection, but gave him a tiny smile as he released her hands.
And then the rest of the spiders converged upon them, falling from above and wriggling through miniscule gaps in the floor. Their tiny metal feet clinked and clattered as they appeared from crevices and cracks in exhibits, in the copper walls, and even from the hair and clothing of passers-by.
"[[What is the meaning of this?"]] she shouted, blazing with incandescent rage.
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"This nation does not belong to you," came Emmeline's voice, magnified to piercing clarity by a copper speaking tube that combined magic with a connection to a vat of acid.]
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"This nation does not belong to you," I called out, enjoying the amplification given to my voice by a combination of activated copper and a vat of acid.]
"It does not belong to any of us, but to every person living here. For better or worse, I am no longer a British subject but an Australian one. As an Australian, I see you for what you are: A visitor, nothing more. Go back to your own land and rule your own kingdom, because we no longer belong to you."
Her Royal Majesty purpled with rage, and I suddenly realised that my excellent view of the scene exposed me in turn.
Queen Victoria scanned the room with a gaze sharper than steel, and her eyes fell on me. I stepped back instinctively, realising too late that I'd given away my guilt. Her husband followed her gaze, and stiffened in fury.
"There!" she said, shaking her arm to temporarily dislodge some dozen or more spiders. Unfortuantely for us, she had quickly realised the spiders were no more than a nuisance. "Guards!"
In seconds, there were people running towards me up and down stairs and even through the copper corridors that I'd hoped would assist me in making good my escape.
The day was technically a success, in that Her Royal Majesty's security team had failed to stop our attack on her dignity. But I was about to pay the price for our defiance. Unless, that is, I could figure out a way to use my skills to escape.
[[Appeal to the crowd.]]
[[Use your mechanical skill to protect yourself.]]
[[Fight the guards hand to hand.]]
Double-click this passage to edit it.
"Does she own you?" I cried out at the top of my lungs. "Is this her land... or yours?"
The crowd paused for a heart-stopping moment, and then a wave of sound thundered throughout the enormous building, reverberating from the copper and glass in a terrifying cacophony.
I didn't know what they were saying, but it didn't matter. They were with me.
(if: $xiniwe = 1)[
Ms Xiniwe stared out over the crowd with me, entranced.]
Her Royal Majesty's closest companions were still heavily engaged in plucking an endless array of mechanical spiders from Queen Victoria without mishandling her, and so they didn't see what I saw: Waves of people moving like one giant monster, back and forth.
One sea; without love or hate or compassion.
Powerful and destructive.
They moved against the unusually fine copper columns, beating, beating.
And the columns moved.
A single pane of glass from the copper-chequered ceiling slipped from its place and fell, smashing to bits in the fountain. None of the roof's glass and copper squares were secured! They held each other upright in a perfect geodesic pattern... and the pattern was broken.
The Great Exhibition was going to fall! It was designed for an exhibition, not a mob!
This would not be a simple escape. More lives than my own were in danger, and the crowd-pleasing magic of my tin wouldn't be enough to save the day on its own.
[[Use your empathy to calm the crowd.]]
[[Remove sections of the building's ceiling before it collapses.]]
[[Repair the damage—fast!]]
There was an ornithopter exhibit near me, and someone had been repairing a ruptured wing just before Her Royal Majesty arrived.
Their electicity-powered hammer was still there, arguably a more innovative device than the ornithopter itself.
(if: $silver > 0)[
I grabbed it and ran for the tunnel entrance where the closest guards were about to attack me. The hammer was a marvellous thing, melting together the seams of the door as if by magic. I found the lightest caress of the hammer was more effective than beating away at the door in terror.
I was aware of many eyes watching what I was doing. But it worked. The doors sealed shut, protecting me from the guards.
I heard them banging on the doors. And I heard the crowd cheering—for me.]
(if: $silver < 1)[
I grabbed it and ran for the tunnel entrance where the closest guards were about to attack me. As fast as I could, I beat against the seam around the door, hoping the electrical hammer would seal it shut.
For a moment I thought it would work... and then the guards broke through!
(if: $xiniwe = 1)[
Ms Xiniwe moved to stand in front of me, buying me a few precious seconds.]
I backed away, and quickly found my back against the balcony railing as the guards advanced. Turning, I faced the open air.]
The crowd paused for a heart-stopping moment, and then a wave of sound thundered throughout the enormous building, reverberating from the copper and glass in a terrifying cacophony.
I didn't know what they were saying, but it didn't matter.
Her Royal Majesty's closest companions were still heavily engaged in plucking an endless array of mechanical spiders from Queen Victoria without mishandling her, and so they didn't see what I saw: Waves of people moving like one giant monster, back and forth.
One sea; without love or hate or compassion.
Powerful and destructive.
They moved against the unusually fine copper columns, beating, beating.
And the columns moved.
A single pane of glass from the copper-chequered ceiling slipped from its place and fell, smashing to bits in the fountain. None of the roof's glass and copper squares were secured! They held each other upright in a perfect geodesic pattern... and the pattern was broken.
The Great Exhibition was going to fall! It was designed for an exhibition, not a mob!
This would not be a simple escape. More lives than my own were in danger, and the crowd-pleasing magic of my tin wouldn't be enough to save the day on its own.
[[Use your empathy to calm the crowd.]]
[[Remove sections of the building's ceiling before it collapses.]]
[[Repair the damage—fast!]]
"Out!" I yelled, hoping against hope that I was quick enough and sounded sure enough to grab and hold people's attention. "Get out!"
(if: $lead > 1)[
They wanted someone to tell them what to do.
"Evacuate!" I yelled into the silence. "Quick march!"
I grabbed some kind of tool from the exhibit beside me and raced to the closest copper service corridor, beating it in a fast rhythm that echoed all around the Great Exhibition as people gradually realised their danger and made for the exits.
I watched the way the crowd moved, and I knew that I'd gotten the timing of my rhythm exactly right: somewhere between a walk and a run that kept people moving steadily without trampling or delays.
There was still a space around Her Royal Majesty, although it was impossible to tell if it was because of respect for her position or a healthy dislike of the mechanical spiders still flocking towards her.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
Samantha was making temporary repairs to buy a few precious minutes, and Matilda was removing whole sections of the roof before they fell. ]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
Emmeline was making temporary repairs to the roof, buying a few precious seconds.]
Soon the Great Exhibition was sufficiently empty that the remaining people were able to run pell-mell for the exits, and I followed their lead at once, escaping moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
We ran and walked and ran again, getting rapidly far away from the beautiful building that almost killed us. Fear gave wings to our feet.
I stood on the slope of a nearby hillside, gaping at the ruins. The others had scattered, and I was alone.
Queen Victoria's prince came and stood beside me. "You committed treason today," he said conversationally.
My heart skipped a beat, but his tone was calm and his team wasn't with him. When I glanced up, I saw my own companions watching from a short distance away. They were waiting to see if I needed rescuing.
"Am I under arrest?" I asked.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking your comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking Miss Muchamore's comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"You could have harmed my wife, and you didn't. For that, you are granted mercy—once." He wallked away to rejoin Queen Victoria, and didn't look back.
They returned to their cohorts, and left the Great Exhibition in a long line of gloriously decorated carriages. When they were finally out of sight, I was able to still the shaking of my hands. I wasn't going to be hung for treason—today.
Queen Victoria was not easily frightened, but she'd seen how her people felt about her, and it wasn't as simple as she might once have thought.
The story was far from over.]
(if: $lead < 1)[
"Evacuate!" I yelled, feeling my voice grow shrill.
The crowd milled about. Some looked up at me. Some moved towards the exit.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
Samantha was making temporary repairs to buy a few precious minutes, and Matilda was removing whole sections of the roof before they fell. ]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
Emmeline was making temporary repairs to the roof, buying a few precious seconds.]
It wasn't enough!
"Evacuate this structure at once!" Queen Victoria's voice wasn't magnified by magical means, but it cut through the silence like a sword. "This way."
She walked briskly to the closest exit, ignoring the dozens of spiders still wriggling all over her.
The crowd followed, funnelling out through the doors as if they'd been trained by a drill-sargeant.
Soon the Great Exhibition was sufficiently empty that the remaining people were able to run pell-mell for the exits, and I followed their lead at once, escaping moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
It had been so beautiful, and so brilliant, and so dangerous. I tried not to think about the implications for our own party.
I stood on the slope of a nearby hillside, gaping at the ruins. The others had scattered, and I was alone.
Her Royal Majesty had saved the lives of hundreds of her people. We had set out to humiliate her and popularise our own cause, and we'd caused a ruckus that could have killed thousands of innocent people.
Queen Victoria and all her travelling companions settled into a long queue of gloriously decorated and equipped carriages. They rode away without any further trouble from us or anyone else. The crowd lined the road and waved, cheering for their queen and saviour.
I needed to have a long, hard think about what I truly believed was right for Australia.]
THE END
[[Return to the beginning->Stuff and Nonsense]] or to [["What is the meaning of this!"]]
As the closest guards ran from the copper corridors I ran to meet them. I punched the first in the face before the second had time to emerge.
The second guard was quicker, pulling a gun on me before I had time to attack her. I twisted into her rather than away, head-butting her in the face so her nose smashed. Her blood wet my hair, and I grabbed her wrist and twisted until her weapon fell to the ground.
And fired.
The crowd gasped as one, and in that huge intake of breath the smash and creak of broken, twisting metal stood out as the warning it was.
Necks craned upwards, seeing the thin heights of the central column begin to collapse from its highest, thinnest point.
A single pane of glass from the copper-chequered ceiling slipped from its place and fell, smashing to bits in the fountain. None of the roof's glass and copper squares were secured! They held each other upright in a perfect geodesic pattern... and the pattern was broken.
The Great Exhibition was going to fall! The innovative design wasn't designed to withstand gunfire!
(if: $xiniwe = 1)[
"Oh no," Ms Xiniwe said. "Oh no oh no oh no!"]
This would not be a simple escape. More lives than my own were in danger, and the crowd-pleasing magic of my tin wouldn't be enough to save the day on its own.
[[Use your empathy to calm the crowd.]]
[[Remove sections of the building's ceiling before it collapses.]]
[[Repair the damage—fast!]]
I didn't have time to be safe. Or smart.
I shed my belongings and climbed up the wall, ignoring everything except the next supporting strut that was likely to take my weight.
(if:$aluminium = 1)[I felt the delicacy of the metal under my fingers, and silently thanked Emmeline for the activated aluminium that neutralised my weight, allowing me to climb all the way to the ceiling.]
(if: $aluminium > 1)[I was grateful I'd carefully examined the entire structure, so I could plot my course safely.]
[if: $aluminium < 1)[The fragile metal struts bent and broke under me, and I fell helplessly back to my balcony. I was lucky I hadn't gotten farther, and fallen to my death.]
The ceiling of the Great Exhibition was a checkered pattern of copper and glass squares, and I wasn't sure which would be more destructive when it fell.
(if: $aluminium < 1)[There was nothing I could do. I moved to flee, and realised the stairs were crammed with people.]
(if: $aluminium > 0)[
The roof was pitched sharply enough that I felt confident any panels I managed to loosen would slide down and away. There was a large tin shed hidden behind the main Exhibition building's Western side, so as I pulled panels away I threw them in that direction.
They slid away just like I'd planned, but with a most horrific screeching of metal on metal. I worked from the highest, most vulnerable part of the ceiling, trusting my life to the thin metal supports.
I forced myself not to think. I just pulled out the custom-fitted pieces one by one and threw them aside.
My muscles ached and the roof squealed as if in sympathy. I risked a glance downwards, and was encouraged to see that the building was almost half empty.
Something twisted, and the metal skeleton of the roof bent and snapped. I worked harder, ignoring the pieces I was unable to remove and throwing the others recklessly towards the west, balancing on the bending frame and trying not to think about what I was doing.
A whole section of frame popped, and glass and copper panels fell to the ground below. The distance was so far I didn't hear them fall, but I saw where they gouged jagged holes into the metal floor, terrifying the remaining people.
My feet slipped as more of the frame bent and broke. I'd done all I could, and I had to get down!
I raced across the copper frame and shimmied down a wall, passing balcony after balcony with strange and wondrous exhibits that would soon be crushed to scrap metal.
The floor caught me as I fell sprawling, then jumped to my feet and chased the last stragglers out the door moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
We ran and walked and ran again, getting far away from the building that almost killed us. Terror gave wings to our feet.
I stood on the slope of a nearby hillside, gaping at the ruins. The others had scattered, and I was alone.
Queen Victoria's prince came and stood beside me. "You committed treason today," he said conversationally.
My heart skipped a beat, but his tone was calm and his team wasn't with him. When I glanced up, I saw my own companions watching from a short distance away. They were waiting to see if I needed rescuing.
"Am I under arrest?" I asked.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking your comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking Miss Muchamore's comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"You could have harmed my wife, and you didn't. For that, you are granted mercy—once." He wallked away to rejoin Queen Victoria, and didn't look back.
They returned to their cohorts, and left the Great Exhibition in a long line of gloriously decorated carriages. When they were finally out of sight, I was able to still the shaking of my hands. I wasn't going to be hung for treason—today.
Queen Victoria was not easily frightened, but she'd seen how her people felt about her, and it wasn't as simple as she might once have thought.
The story was far from over.]
(if: $aluminium < 1)[
"Hurry up!" I yelled, feeling my voice grow shrill.
The crowd milled about. Some looked up at me. Some moved towards the exit.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
Samantha was making temporary repairs to buy a few precious minutes, and Matilda was attempting to hurry people out the doors. ]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
Emmeline was attempting to hurry people out the doors.]
It wasn't enough!
"Evacuate this structure at once!" Queen Victoria's voice wasn't magnified by magical means, but it cut through the silence like a sword. "This way."
She walked briskly to the closest exit, ignoring the dozens of spiders still wriggling all over her.
The crowd followed, funnelling out through the doors as if they'd been trained by a drill-sargeant.
Soon the Great Exhibition was sufficiently empty that the remaining people were able to run pell-mell for the exits, and I followed their lead at once, escaping moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
It had been so beautiful, and so brilliant, and so dangerous. I tried not to think about the implications for our own party.
I stood on the slope of a nearby hillside, gaping at the ruins. The others had scattered, and I was alone.
Her Royal Majesty had saved the lives of hundreds of her people. We had set out to humiliate her and popularise our own cause, and we'd caused a ruckus that could have killed thousands of innocent people.
Queen Victoria and all her travelling companions settled into a long queue of gloriously decorated and equipped carriages. They rode away without any further trouble from us or anyone else. The crowd lined the road and waved, cheering for their queen and saviour.
I needed to have a long, hard think about what I truly believed was right for Australia.]
THE END
[[Return to the beginning->Stuff and Nonsense]] or to [["What is the meaning of this!"]]
I tuned out the crowd and focused on the damage to the structure, tracing the pattern of columns in the air with my hands to get a sense of where the building would break first.
It was a complicated structure, but the true danger came from above, where I felt sure the glass and copper roof would soon fall in, killing anyone still below.
People were already starting to flee, but they wouldn't be fast enough.
A baby screamed.
What I needed was an industrial crane, a crew of expert blacksmiths, and a week of cautious testing and repairs.
(if: $brass > 0)[
(if: $brass = 1)[
I had a small piece of magically activated brass, and I had myself.]
A broken ornithopter lay beside me. Exept it wasn't broken at all. I could smell the burnt stink of the new metal partially repairing the wing, and it would hold.
There was an electicity-powered hammer lying beside it; arguably a more innovative device than the ornithopter itself.
I hauled the ornithopter to the launching ramp, and shoved it into the air, leaping inside just as it reached the tipping point, and compensating for the weaker wing with the controls.
It quivered and flapped and moaned, and together we flew higher, quickly reaching the point where the ceiling's intricate framework had bent, loosening a single glass panel that had left every other panel imperfectly supported.
"There, there," I said to the frame, trying desperately not to actually crash into it, but to wedge the hammer diagonally across the open square.
It creaked agonisingly, but held. It wouldn't hold for long since it was a single line of support where a full squre was needed.
Below me, the entire Great Exhibition emptied. I landed awkwardly and raced for the exit, finding the sudden emptiness more terrifying than any security team.
I chased the last stragglers out the door moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
After a panicked run I stood on the lower slope of a nearby hill, gaping at the ruins.
Queen Victoria's prince came and stood beside me. "You committed treason today," he said conversationally.
My heart skipped a beat, but his tone was calm and his team wasn't with him. When I glanced up, I saw my own companions watching from a short distance away. They were waiting to see if I needed rescuing.
"Am I under arrest?" I asked.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking your comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
"Her Royal Majesty is taking Miss Muchamore's comments under advisement," he said, raising one hand in a peaceful gesture to my friends.]
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"You could have harmed my wife, and you didn't. For that, you are granted mercy—once." He wallked away to rejoin Queen Victoria, and didn't look back.
They returned to their cohorts, and left the Great Exhibition in a long line of gloriously decorated carriages. When they were finally out of sight, I was able to still the shaking of my hands. I wasn't going to be hung for treason—today.
Queen Victoria was not easily frightened, but she'd seen how her people felt about her, and it wasn't as simple as she might once have thought.
The story was far from over..]
(if: $silver < 1)[
A broken ornithopter lay beside me. Exept it wasn't broken at all. I could smell the burnt stink of the new metal partially repairing the wing, and hoped it would hold.
The electicity-powered hammer used to repair it was still there, arguably a more innovative device than the ornithopter itself. It wasn't strong enough to fix the roof supports, so I left it where it was.
I hauled the ornithopter to the launching ramp, and shoved it into the air, leaping inside just as it reached the tipping point.
It was immediately obvious that I'd made a terrible mistake. I plummeted to the ground with a scream, and emerged from the flying machine with one arm hanging uselessly at my side, and blood from my own forehead obscuring my vision.
The crowd milled about. Some looked at me. Some moved towards the exit.
(if: $emmeline > 0)[
Samantha was making temporary repairs to buy a few precious minutes, and Matilda was removing whole sections of the roof before they fell. ]
(if: $emmeline < 1)[
Emmeline was making temporary repairs to the roof, buying a few precious seconds.]
It wasn't enough!
"Evacuate this structure at once!" Queen Victoria's voice wasn't magnified by magical means, but it cut through the silence like a sword. "This way."
She walked briskly to the closest exit, ignoring the dozens of spiders still wriggling all over her.
The crowd followed, funnelling out through the doors as if they'd been trained by a drill-sargeant.
Soon the Great Exhibition was sufficiently empty that the remaining people were able to run pell-mell for the exits, and I followed their lead at once, escaping moments before the structure fell in upon itself.
It had been so beautiful, and so brilliant, and so dangerous. I tried not to think about the implications for our own party.
I stood on the slope of a nearby hillside, gaping at the ruins. The others had scattered, and I was alone.
Her Royal Majesty had saved the lives of hundreds of her people. We had set out to humiliate her and popularise our own cause, and we'd caused a ruckus that could have killed thousands of innocent people.
Queen Victoria and all her travelling companions settled into a long queue of gloriously decorated and equipped carriages. They rode away without any further trouble from us or anyone else. The crowd lined the road and waved, cheering for their queen and saviour.
I needed to have a long, hard think about what I truly believed was right for Australia.]
THE END
[[Return to the beginning->Stuff and Nonsense]] or to [["What is the meaning of this!"]]
''Tin'' can communicate a little. It also increases a character's ability to appeal to the lower classes.
''Lead'' is the metal of artists and public speakers, increasing empathy and passion.
''Copper/Brass'' heightens sensory awareness, and seems to deliberately assist criminals in manipulating their marks.
''Iron/Steel'' enhances strength, and is beloved by laborers.
''Silver'' is the magical assistant to doctors and mechanics, and can even bind flesh to metal. It increases mechanical skill.
''Gold'' makes its wearer more charming, and is favoured by the upper classes (probably because the lower classes can't afford it).
''Aluminium'' neutralises the weight of the wearer, making them unusually graceful, coordinated, and fast. Local police have protested against the underground aluminium market, blaming it for the rise in catburglars and successful pickpockets (and for the embarrassing way so many criminals escape their pursuers).
Is your heart is with the [[colonials]]; fierce criminals who want to break free of the United Kingdom's influence?
Or is it with the powerful, wealthy, and civilised [[British]]?