Julius and the Watchmaker (26 page)

CHAPTER 22

Saturday 8th August, 1840
5:24 AM

Julius, Harry, Emily and Mr Flynn stood in the Royal Victoria Gardens shivering in the chilly dawn air. They had been walking since midnight to get there. The sun had not yet risen but a band of icy blue sky stretched over the rooftops. Across the river they could see the
Bountiful
docked on the water-side of the
Justitia
. The prisoners were being loaded by an enclosed gangplank straight onto the ship that was to take them to Australia. It was remarkably quiet.

Julius was dressed in Edgar Sedley's navy cadet uniform of blue felt jacket and white canvas trousers. He carried his kitbag slung over his shoulder the way Edgar had shown him to do it. He was feeling a little sick in the stomach, but he kept that to himself.

‘All the toys are in your kitbag, 'iggins,' said Harry. ‘All tested, oiled and ready to do their worst. You've got the spiders?'

‘Yes,' said Julius, tapping his jacket pockets. ‘Thanks, Harry.'

Harry shook Julius's hand with great formality. ‘It's naffing, 'iggins. Get on wiv you now. Time to report for duty.'

Mr Flynn checked the time on his watch. ‘Give my regards to the professor when you see him, Julius.'

‘Um…Mr Flynn?'

Mr Flynn shifted his weight. ‘Yes?'

‘I've been checking on my grandfather—just looking in the window.'

‘Oh…I'm sorry you had to see that, Julius.'

‘Mr Flynn, I know why you fell out with Grandfather.' Mr Flynn's eyebrows furrowed. He looked at his watch again and weighed it in his hand. ‘Do you?'

Julius waited for him to say more but he did not.

‘It doesn't matter to me, what you did—I mean, we all do things we regret. I'm just glad you came back,' said Julius.

‘How did you find out?'

‘I worked it out. I'm glad you came back, really; I'm glad you and the professor brought me along.'

‘And I'm glad you came. Gladder than you can ever imagine, my boy.'

Julius blushed. He had rehearsed this conversation a thousand times during their walk to the park. In his mind, it always ended with him saying the words ‘I know you're my father' and for Mr Flynn to embrace his long-lost son, but when the time came he didn't have the courage to say the words. The four of them stood in silence, shivering in the chilly wind.
At least you know now, Higgins, he as much as said it. When you meet again you can say the words.

Suddenly, Emily grabbed Julius's arm. ‘I'll see you off to the jetty,' she said, pulling him away before he could object.

At the jetty a skip was waiting. A few young navy officers were larking about nearby. When Emily and Julius came within hearing distance, Emily gave his arm a tug to stop him and stood closer to him than she ever had before.

‘See, I told you he was my father—he called me my boy. Did you hear that?' said Julius, looking into her eyes. She smelt of soap.
She must have washed before coming out
,
Higgins. Did she do it for you?

Emily's face reddened as if she had read his thoughts.

‘Emily? Look after Mr Flynn, won't you?'

‘Course. Especially now 'e's your pa.'

Julius laughed.

‘Emily?' I…er…'

Julius looked into Emily's eyes but he could not think of anything to say. Emily smiled and her dark eyes widened invitingly. Julius felt as if he was drowning in her beauty.

‘Yeah?'

‘Thank you for—'

‘Oh, Eddie, my darling, Eddie,' Emily shouted suddenly. ‘What will I do when you're gone? 'Ow will I get through them long, lonely days?'

‘Er…'

‘And don't you go breaking no more 'earts in them colonies, now, you 'ear me? And come back to me so we can be married, like you promised.'

‘Wha—?'

‘One last kiss before you leave is all I ask of you, my dearest Eddie,' she said, like a heroine on a provincial stage.

Before Julius could reply, Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a long, wet, airtight kiss on his lips.

Cor, blimey, Higgins. This is more like it
. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as he could without breaking her spine. His eyes rolled to the top of his head and swam in a warm, soapy pond where time could take as long as it wanted.

Eventually Emily pulled herself away and took a deep breath. She smiled at Julius, winked and ran back to Harry and Mr Flynn. Before Julius had time to gather his thoughts or say anything, he heard the young officers cheering. He looked towards the jetty where they were applauding and making lewd gestures involving their kitbags. Julius quickly thought through the instructions that the real Edgar Sedley had given him to memorise.

The rules for ribbing: A navy officer is always ready to give and receive a merciless ribbing in good grace, among his fellow officers. However, this should
never
be attempted while in the company of (1) The crew, (2) Passengers/convicts, (3) Ladies of rank, (4) The Captain, and (5)
Never
on the quarterdeck.

Julius took a deep breath.
Here goes, Higgins. It's up to you now.
He slung his kitbag over his shoulder, took a bow to his audience and sauntered over with the seaman's swagger he had been practising for a week. He looked back towards the gardens as the young officers were slapping him on the back. Emily, Harry and Mr Flynn waved. Julius waved back.

When they had all settled into the skip the boatman rowed them across the river towards the
Bountiful
. As they drew closer Julius could see the clockwork crew shinnying up and down the shrouds, setting the sails. (
When learning the names of ship's parts, do not to call the shrouds rigging or you would be cast overboard with the full blessing of the Admiralty. Only landlubbers use that term and are universally despised by seafarers as a result.
)

The clockwork crew were dressed in canvas tops and pants cut to just below the knee. They were smaller than the clockmen. Their movements were quick and co-ordinated, more like an organ grinder's monkey's antics than the clockmen's slow and considered wading-bird movements.

Julius climbed up the rope ladder to the deck, hoping that it would not take him too long to get his sea legs. The short trip in the skip had already made him a little queasy. He looked around to see what was what. A machine-cannon had been bolted in place on the quarter deck and was pointed down at the lower deck right at the hatch. Edging towards the hatch, he could hear the groans and calls of protest from the convicts down in the hold.
The professor's down there with them. Not too long now, Higgins.

Beyond the
Justitia
, on the dockside, Julius could see a crowd of sailors shouting and waving sticks and cudgels. A line of constables with truncheons drawn was waiting for them to charge.

‘Can't blame the salts really,' said a young officer. ‘They're losing their livelihoods to a crew of windup toys and getting hanged into the bargain.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘The salts are always up before the beak for drunkenness, fighting, the odd bit of skulduggery. They usually get a spell in the brig, or a flogging. But now… when the Admiralty and the Banshees decided to use Springheel's invention to crew the ships, all of a sudden they're getting hanged by the bucket load.'

‘I don't understand.'

‘They need their brains and eyes, dimwit. They need brains that know how to crew a ship, see. Look at them shinnying up and down the shrouds, born to it they are. They don't need food or water, just a drop of oil now and then to stop them seizing up.'

‘Oh, I see,' said Julius, looking up at the masts. ‘I hadn't thought.'

‘Well, it won't be the same with a windup crew, mark my words. Gives me the willies, I can tell you.'

‘Something giving you the willies, Mr Sprogett?' said a booming voice behind them.

Julius dropped his kitbag in fright.

‘No, Captain. I mean, yes, Captain,' said Sprogett, standing to attention as stiff as a coffin nail.

Julius spun around to see a short, stout man wearing a captain's hat and cape. He stood to attention and called to mind Sedley's instructions.

Rules for speaking to Captain Blight: (1) Try not to. (2) If addressed directly, stand to attention, say ‘Yes, Captain' and salute. (3) Under no circumstances are you to: smile, look him in the eye, pause to think before speaking, say anything that will give him an excuse to flog you. (4) Get out of his sight as quickly as possible.

‘What the devil is that?' said the captain, glaring at Julius.

‘Edger Sedley, Captain, reporting for duty.'

‘It speaks! What in blue blazes are you doing mud-larking around on deck, Sedley? No duties to attend to? Perhaps you would like me to get a chair for you? With a cushion?'

‘No, Captain. I'll attend to my duties right away, Captain.'

‘Well, get to it then, Sedley, or I'll have you flogged raw and then I'll throw you overboard for the sharks and when they've finished with you I'll have you hauled back on board scrubbing the deck 'til we round the Cape.'

‘Yes, Captain,' said Julius, and he saluted, picked up his kitbag and ran.

Julius looked up at the main mast. The sails were straining under the force of the wind and he could feel the
Bountiful
lifting and heaving beneath him as it ploughed through the turquoise sea at the mouth of the Thames. Overhead a squadron of gyroflyers flew in a V-formation to bid them bon voyage. The officers cried out ‘Horrah, horrah' and waved white handkerchiefs to them, while the clockwork crew performed their duties.

Four clockmen stood still and silent in a sheltered spot beneath the quarter deck; Christian Machine was among them. The other four clockmen were on duty guarding the convicts in the hold. The navy officers guffawed at the two army sergeants major, Oldsworth and Deakin, as they staggered below decks, pale with seasickness.

Julius was feeling very proud of his stamina until the choppy waters of the English Channel began to toss the ship about. As the English coastline floated away Julius attended to Edgar's instructions.

When first at sea, sea sickness is bound to occur. When it does: (1) Remain on deck where the fresh air will alleviate the symptoms somewhat. (2) At the first opportunity lean overboard while holding firmly to the rail. Proceed to heave up over the side. You will feel a lot better afterwards. (3) Do not take offence if fellow officers laugh at your predicament (see ribbing).

That done, Julius immediately felt better.

As a navy cadet it was Julius's job to learn quickly, to be silent and attentive and always to be useful to the officers. He had the run of the ship except for the convict quarters below decks. On the occasions when he attempted to go below there was always a clockman there to turn him back before he could see anything of any use. On rare occasions the convicts were allowed on deck, in small numbers, for exercise and air. The clockmen always kept a close watch over them with one of their number manning the machine cannon. The convicts were pale and sickly and shaded their eyes from even the greyest of skies as they walked in circles with their leg irons clinking along with the ticking of the clockwork crew.