A Steampunk Guide to Hunting Monsters 17 | Page 15

footmen are carrying the ring through this market. I
just learned about its transport, just a moment ago!"
Th e Mayor took both of us by our arms and spoke
in hushed tones, "Please do not say such things
aloud. While I have never trusted the Ladroncello
family personally, they do bring stimulus, jobs,
and economy to my town. You cannot tarnish the
family name by claiming they stole the gold from
the sea."
"Th e gold was stolen from the sea," Percy said,
sternly. "Th e wedding ceremony to the sea does
not seem to have been performed since Napoleon's
attack." Percy held out his book for the Mayor to
look at. "You must do something!"
"Perhaps returning the ring, and renewing your
vows to the sea might help?" I asked.
"Take the ring! Take it and throw it
back into the canal where it belongs!"
cried the two footmen, opening the
treasure chest to reveal the large
golden ring.
"Do not even say such sacrilege!"
replied the Mayor. "We cannot
just seize the Ladroncello's prized
treasures to do with as we please!"
And perhaps he was the fi rst
politician in all of history to utter such
a remark.
An ominous crack came from above us,
scattering fl ecks of stone from the nearby bridge
down upon our heads. Th e Mayor shrieked in
dismay. A tentacle wrapped around the Rialto.
"To the Lido!" the Mayor cried.
And that is how I ended up rolling a large ring
down the streets of Venice, with a puffi ng Mayor
and Mr. Longville beside me.
We rolled the ring straight into a gondola, and
a tentacle swept all three of us, plus the many
books littering the streets, straight in after. Th e
mayor grabbed the pole and began to propel us
through the waters. Percy proceeded to feel about
in all his various pockets (Why are men blessed
with so many of these handy receptacles, and we
ladies so few?) until he uncovered the desired
book recounting the history of the Bucentaur.
"I have a book on the ceremony with me," he
said to the Mayor. However, just as they began
to speak, the Mayor was thrown overboard as an
enormous wave surged under the boat.
I tried to reach out to him, but he was carried
away so swiftly. I saw him latch onto a fl oating
apple cart in the distance.
"You must perform this ceremony for me!"
he called after us. "Save Venezia!" And then he
floated away.
I was so busy looking at these two very
distracting men, that the gondola ran aground,
books fl ying everywhere. Percy lost his grasp
on the pertinent one and we scrambled
through the pile looking for the
correct information while tentacles
rose behind us.
Th e Kraken, or sea monster, rose
ominously out of the water. Percy
looked between his book and the
monster.
"Th e Ceremony!" I cried.
"Oh... Sea... um, monster... we
represent Venice... with..."
"Just the ceremony, Percy!" I cried.
Percy began to read.
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than the snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones
which thou hast broken may rejoice! Hide thy
face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Allow for us, and all who sail thereon, that the sea
may be calm and quiet."
I looked up, surprised, for the sea was indeed
quieting, and the rage calming, and I found myself
gazing into Percy's eyes. It was strangely intimate
to hear him reading the words to a wedding
ceremony. To avoid any improper displays of
public aff ection, I somewhat ingloriously pushed