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Stories from the Verse
Multiverser: The Thirteenth Story
Chapter 42: Brown 378
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Takano 170
Breakfast done, Missus Douglas hinted that they could help out a bit. This is how they ended up sweeping the sanctuary and dusting the pews. It was not much labor, nor very strenuous, and they left well before noon for the steamboat office.
At the ticket window, Derek handed over fifteen dollars for two tickets with one inside room, meals included. An hour later, they and forty other people boarded the President Andrew Jackson. It was a large paddlewheeler, and with two loud horn blasts it left the dock and Joliet behind.
Taking the opportunity, they promenaded around the whole of the ship. Other boats, rowboats with fishermen, and small docks passed. Birds coasted in the air near them, and flew on. The smoke was strong, and that plus the speed kept the insects off them. Even though they saw hordes of small clouds of bugs, none really bothered them on the boat.
They even got a few invites, more half-hearted than not. Card games were a thing on the steamboats, and those who appreciated such games were beginning to look for competitors or gulls. No one was that eager yet, except for a foursome on the bow deck who were already deep into a game of pinochle as they distractedly explained before focusing back on the game play.
For the afternoon heat, they retreated back to their room and lay about, catching up on the rest they had been short on for the long hike. The boat stopped once, for an hour, but the small town did not seem worth getting off for so they stayed aboard. A few more joined, and a pair left. The steamboat was on its way again. They stopped short of the meeting point with the Cumberland, and loaded more coal, but no passengers got on or off. After nightfall a steward came by as they sat in the near dark, and told everyone as he passed, "We're at the meeting of the Ohio and the Cumberland Rivers now." More invites to cards came, but Derek remembered his last time he had nearly bet with the Devil, and he was not, in truth, fond of it anyway, so he declined. This got him some jeers as a milk-faced Methodist, but he merely ignored them and walked on. Their ploy to get him involved had failed, and as he walked on a steward spoke to him.
"Some of the men on board are honest sorts. Just looking for a fun game. However, we have to constantly watch out for the card sharps. We kicked one pair off at that town, and we get others back. Like weeds. So keep your eyes open, young man." Derek nodded even as he thought he was probably older than the mid twenties steward who was advising him.
"I'm too poor to be gambling," Derek said, hoping the information would get around. It did seem to. He got fewer invites to gamble, but he did get a few to "just play cards for fun". So he and Vashti sat down and played an hour of gin rummy on the top deck under the stars with a convivial bunch of merchants who sold cotton, wheat, cotton again, and lumber as he thought of them by their preferred trade good. He lost, but the only forfeit was to clean the table of trash which he was willing to do. They talked of many things, among them the Teapot Dome Scandal and whether President Harding was just a dupe, or in on it. All of them were "Harding Men" or had been as they were businessmen, and Harding was a Republican.
After that was talked out, one of them said he had been to the Cotton Club in Chicago and told how he had heard Bessie Smith there.
"Downhearted Blues she sang. Her own song. It was great. Almost made me cry, and I'd only had one beer."
"Well, my husband can play," Vashti said. The other men looked at her, and then at him.
"I don't have my trumpet." He hoped to slide out of this.
"Easily fixed," Mr. Cotton Two, as he thought of him, said. Derek shrugged, and the man called over a steward, and gave him some coins. A few minutes later a trumpeter came back with the steward.
"I hear we have another player on board." He spoke with open hearted ease. Embarrassed, he nodded, and the man handed over his trumpet.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with ten other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #542: Verser Initiatives. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
