First Page Friday: Cherry Tart
Nov. 27th, 2009 07:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdThis is in Ellora's Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy III
Leave a comment for an e-copy of CAVEMEN.
Chastity Millwood set her embroidery in her lap and raised the parchment shade over the brass porthole. There had been nothing to see, really, since Mars had dropped away a week ago. Aunt Prudence sat facing her on the red velvet seat, her clear pince-nez on since she was embroidering with colors, the gaslight turned up as she delicately added a French knot to the handkerchief.
Chastity sighed softly and ventured another glance out. The trip from Earth to Io was six tedious months, fully half of the year 1897. Four long months remained for her to fill with embroidery, knitting and self-improvement, rather than following the kinetoscope and aetheric news of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Worse, because lady immigrants were required to stay for five years, she would miss the turning of the new century as well.
She drew back as a boulder hurtled past them. The rock was too far away to harm them. As she watched, one of the Outriders in his self-propelled suit lassoed a very small asteroid with a wire loop shot from a sort of gun. He pulled it away from the ship.
Chastity put her hands on the side of the porthole and watched eagerly. The Outrider saw her. She watched him settle the asteroid between his knees, touch his helmet as if tipping his hat and steer the rock away from the ship, riding it as if it were a horse.
She couldn't see his face, but she knew he'd seen her. Oh, she hoped he was one of the good- looking ones. There were a dozen outriders, some gorgeous, some badly scarred and hideous. The journey from Earth had been dreadfully boring. Her Aunt Prudence rode tight herd on her, keeping her from talking to any man under the age of fifty. But she observed the men anyway.
Luna City had been almost like Earth. It reminded her of nothing so much as Kansas City, where she'd traveled once with her father. Bustling, busy and on the edge of the frontier, but still civilized, Luna City was the last stop where Earth goods could easily be gotten. The men there had been older, sober and hard working. They reminded her of her father.
Mars had been more exciting, with its prospectors and energy miners and men bound to the Line. Three great Liners had been in port at Redtown the week they were there. Parties and handsome young men, who were a little wild and frightening, abounded. Not that she'd been allowed out without a chaperone. But Aunt Prudence had to sleep some time and Chastity was an accomplished sneak.
She'd enjoyed Redtown Port and the company of the junior officers, mostly Outriders. There had been dancing and strange wines that made her head spin and lovely painted ladies she knew were not nice but who laughed and were such fun. Chastity had given up on niceness and proper behavior after William betrayed her.
Leave a comment for an e-copy of CAVEMEN.
Chastity Millwood set her embroidery in her lap and raised the parchment shade over the brass porthole. There had been nothing to see, really, since Mars had dropped away a week ago. Aunt Prudence sat facing her on the red velvet seat, her clear pince-nez on since she was embroidering with colors, the gaslight turned up as she delicately added a French knot to the handkerchief.
Chastity sighed softly and ventured another glance out. The trip from Earth to Io was six tedious months, fully half of the year 1897. Four long months remained for her to fill with embroidery, knitting and self-improvement, rather than following the kinetoscope and aetheric news of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Worse, because lady immigrants were required to stay for five years, she would miss the turning of the new century as well.
She drew back as a boulder hurtled past them. The rock was too far away to harm them. As she watched, one of the Outriders in his self-propelled suit lassoed a very small asteroid with a wire loop shot from a sort of gun. He pulled it away from the ship.
Chastity put her hands on the side of the porthole and watched eagerly. The Outrider saw her. She watched him settle the asteroid between his knees, touch his helmet as if tipping his hat and steer the rock away from the ship, riding it as if it were a horse.
She couldn't see his face, but she knew he'd seen her. Oh, she hoped he was one of the good- looking ones. There were a dozen outriders, some gorgeous, some badly scarred and hideous. The journey from Earth had been dreadfully boring. Her Aunt Prudence rode tight herd on her, keeping her from talking to any man under the age of fifty. But she observed the men anyway.
Luna City had been almost like Earth. It reminded her of nothing so much as Kansas City, where she'd traveled once with her father. Bustling, busy and on the edge of the frontier, but still civilized, Luna City was the last stop where Earth goods could easily be gotten. The men there had been older, sober and hard working. They reminded her of her father.
Mars had been more exciting, with its prospectors and energy miners and men bound to the Line. Three great Liners had been in port at Redtown the week they were there. Parties and handsome young men, who were a little wild and frightening, abounded. Not that she'd been allowed out without a chaperone. But Aunt Prudence had to sleep some time and Chastity was an accomplished sneak.
She'd enjoyed Redtown Port and the company of the junior officers, mostly Outriders. There had been dancing and strange wines that made her head spin and lovely painted ladies she knew were not nice but who laughed and were such fun. Chastity had given up on niceness and proper behavior after William betrayed her.
