Life Of A 'prayer

Chapter 4

Adam had spared no expense. The besotted groom had spent a fortune when he had decided to rent a Hindenburg, along with her crew, instead of a Zeppelin. When asked the reason, he had mumbled something about Betty's toes being cold. James could only stare at his friend. Frozen digits aside, the air-pirates were a very real threat these days. Any airline worth their salt (and fare) carried coppers with her. The law-men were given special training which included orchestrating emergency landings, prevention of hostile takeovers etc. Piracy still happened; as long as there were airships, both 'prayers and pirates would never run out of work. To ensure peace of mind for his bride (and everybody else), Adam had hired a team of "Rat-Catchers"- a privately owned firm that boasted having made the highest number of pirate robberies unsuccessful. With a stellar record and a name like that- the name was a play on what the most dangerous band of pirates called themselves i.e. Ship Rats- the Rat-Catchers came highly recommended.

Amongst various other improvements was the fact that the passenger lounge had been converted into a dance floor, complete with a band. The promenades became the destination of guests who wanted to converse, fully equipped with musicians serenading them as they talked. The airship also boasted a smoking room, which to him, sounded like tempting fate, and James was a 'prayer!

Passenger cabins had been customized to each guest's liking- James' cabin actually had books with titles like, "Mechanical Pets and Their Care" and "What to do When your Metallic Cat Starts Coughing Nuts and Bolts." Who knew what his mother and sisters' cabin would have? When he discovered his towels were actually monogrammed with his initials, he considered throwing Adam out of a window.

The evening of the wedding ceremony finally arrived and James found himself on the deck. The bride looked like an angel- a giddy, jubilant one, while the groom looked-well-Adam looked like the proverbial cat that got the cream. Standing next to his friend, James had never wished for anyone's happiness as fervently as he did for this couple now. Not only was Adam lucky enough to find the love of his life, he was also going to spend his life with her- Adam was leaving the ranks of 'prayers.

I wish him every happiness, thought James. His mother wore a sappy expression, and his sisters' eyes gleamed with pleasure. Hope sparkled in their expressions. There was a time in his life when he felt that kind of hope. At one time, he thought he'd spend his life with Grace. He sighed, and then something collided with the dirigible with enough force to rock it. Recovering from a stumble, he strode towards his mother, who had been knocked down. After helping her into her chair, James chanced a glance outside at the promenade and swore in spite of himself.

"Brother, what is it?" inquired Emma as she walked up to him. He turned to her with a regretful expression on his face. "I hope you didn't get too attached to those stones, little sister!" Horrified, she peeked outside and squeaked, "Oh no!" "Oh yes! We are being boarded." His announcement was accompanied by a mournful note from a horn- the universal symbol of air-pirates. He could see the esteemed members of the security team had been overcome and tied up by the bandits. Bouncing like yo-yos, they seemed to be in danger of hypothermia, if left out there for too long. Spotting the banner on the pirate ship- a rat on top of an airship- caused his heart to sink even lower.