"I hate this," Sarah said as she politely grinned.
"I keep telling young Sarah that for her to dress any other way would be a waste of God's talents as a designer," Farbeaux said sincerely.
"For once, I have to agree with our friend," Niles said as he took Sarah's gloved hand and looked her over.
"Hear, hear," agreed Lee.
"All right, old man, don't let your one good eye fall out of your head," Alice said as she took the senator's arm.
Alice Hamilton was dressed in a nice gown of blues that had a chiffontype material that covered her arms from the shoulder straps to her elbow-length gloves.
"This one eye is torn between viewing either Aphrodite or Venus, as both are so lovely," Lee said diplomatically.
"Indeed, Mrs. Hamilton, you are the very definition of grace and elegance," Farbeaux agreed with a bow.
"This, coming from a Frenchman and a has-been politician, makes me giddy all over," Alice said as she sneered at the two men, and then turned and started scanning the room. "I don't see Virginia," she said, craning her neck.
"Hasn't shown yet. I would like to get a chance to speak with her alone," Niles said as he saw the first officer, Commander Samuels, approach.
"Good evening--you all look very nice," he said, bowing.
"Yes, well, if our clothes hadn't been absconded with during our showers, I assure you, we would not have cooperated with you to this extravagant length." Niles locked eyes with the commander and didn't shy away.
"We thought for this occasion, the proper attire would be most appropriate. Your clothing will be returned cleaned and pressed."
"And that occasion is?" Lee asked, leaning on his cane.
"Why, the anniversary of Captain Heirthall's great-great-greatgrandfather escaping from Chateau d'If, of course, which coincides with the birth of Octavian Heirthall to the very day five years later, the very genius behind all of this," he answered, gesturing about the room.
"Chateau d'If? That sounds familiar," Alice said.
"If I may, Commander," Farbeaux said. "The Chateau d'If is a very old prison of some renown in my country, Mrs. Hamilton." He turned from Alice to Samuels. "More famously it is known for the setting of one of the world's great novels." He smiled at all in the half-circle around him. "French, of course-- The Count of Monte Cristo."
"Very good, Colonel," Samuels responded with genuine pleasure. "One and the same."
"You're implying--just what areyou implying?" Sarah asked.
"I imply nothing, Lieutenant McIntire. I am only informing you of a truth."
"I find that somewhat hard to believe, Commander," Farbeaux said without the mirth of a moment before.
"Roderick Deveroux was falsely imprisoned by the Emperor Napoleon in the year 1799. His crime was failure to deliver to the emperor his life's work on ship design and construction of naval vessels that would have revolutionized the navies of France--swift, cutterlike ships that would have been models for today's America's Cup vessels. Plans for steam and coal-fired engines, battery storage systems for electricity--the list would continue for several hundred pages."
"How could he have been so far advanced of the science of design and propulsion?" Niles asked.
"According to legend, Deveroux's intellect was staggering. He spent his life entirely at sea, and most of that time corresponded with the most brilliant minds in the world. He was slave to the betterment of humankind: advanced ways to gather the bounty of the sea, and still not over-fish the grounds--ideas and plans for alternative fuels that would save the lives of whales the world over, and stop men from seeking their deaths for lamp oil and lubrication. Yes, he was a man of science, but also a man of compassion who still believed in his brotherhood with other men. Napoleon guaranteed he would take another view after his imprisonment."
"The emperor couldn't get his designs, so he threw him in prison," Alice said aloud.
"Yes, but he escaped, just like Mr. Dumas said in his account of the story. That is where the tale departs on fits of fancy."
"The treasure was a fallacy in the Dumas story?" Niles asked.
"Oh, no. During his escape, Deveroux was washed ashore on a small island in the English Channel. While there, he discovered a treasure long lost to history: gold and jewels from the sacking of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. We estimate its value in today's currency," he bowed to Niles, "in American dollars, to be just a little less than three-point-seven trillion dollars."
"A sum like that would have destroyed the economies of most nations of the world. Having that much gold and precious stones thrown into the market."
Samuels looked at Lee with a smile.
"Not if the money is doled out slowly, evenly, and used only for the advancement of science being studied on a small, out-of-the-way island." He gestured to a portrait that sat upon an easel. The large painting showed the family Heirthall.
"Mr. Deveroux is seated in the chair with his son, Octavian, and his wife, Alexandria. As I stated before, Octavian was the real genius of the family. After the murder of his father, that left Octavian and his mother, who was severely ill and bedridden by that time by a malady called Osler's disease. The disease is passed from parent to child, and can cause blood clots throughout the body."
The entire Group noted the mention of the disease for later discussion.
"Where did they go after Deveroux's death?" Sarah asked.
"Nowhere; everywhere; America, Asia, the South Pacific--Octavian took his family's work and developed it into the very submarine that you had within your complex, the very first Leviathan. It was meant to save the world and render warfare useless. He would command the world's seas, and with that command he would guarantee to the world it could never war upon each other again, for without the sea, military measures are useless."
"What happened to him?" Sarah persisted.
"Octavian Heirthall struck a deal that would preserve part of the sea for his work. Abraham Lincoln recognized the legitimacy of his request and struck that deal--one that guaranteed for Lincoln that the United Kingdom would be kept from recognizing the Confederacy. Heirthall only wanted the Gulf of Mexico protected. As always, men failed the captain--which brings us to the current mistrust."
At that moment, the two large hatchways opened and the lights dimmed as the captain of Leviathanentered the observation lounge. The officers started applauding, the sound muffled by their white-gloved hands. She was dressed as they, only her uniform was a deep navy blue with sea green and gold epaulets and braid. She wore a pure white turtleneck, and her hair was pulled into a severe bun. She wore pants in lieu of a skirt, but her beauty was still unmatched by anyone in the room with the exception of Sarah. She bowed and then smiled.
"In case you're wondering, and if you'll excuse me, I'm beginning to understand how you think, the captain has earned the right to wear that rank. She served as a trainee and midshipman under her own parents. She has taken the final exams of both the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Her scores have never been equaled. Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, duty calls."
Samuels took an offered glass from a midshipman.
"Captain, it is an honor to salute you and your ancestors on this yearly day of days," Samuels said aloud as the middy stewards passed around trays of something that resembled green Kool-Aid in champagne flutes. Once everyone had a glass: "Captain, to the great god of the seas--to Roderick Deveroux Heirthall, and to the creator of Leviathan, past and present, his son, Octavian, upon his birthday!"