They were legion upon the clouds, held upright by the thick balloon exerting tensile strength across the wooden platform. Three furnaces roared with the combustion of coal, breathing their hot dragon breath into the magnificent canvas that carried sixty people into these lofty heights. The commotion came from a general milling about, and a little impatience as many were wondering how long this expedition would take. The majority, however, were taken in by the view over the water, the distant ships that had gathered to watch their rise into the blue beyond.
The Itinerant Flame, as she was christened, was restructured from a recent wreck along the coast. Most of the wood was intact, but before anyone could consider repairs, Magnus Blain had appeared like a whirlwind, and in a flagrant display of wealth, he purchased the entire salvage and paid for the haul back to his estate near the lake. He commissioned the design and construction of a double-deck platform capable of holding one hundred persons and enough supplies for a twelve hour voyage. The type of voyage was a little different, so it was no wonder that many of the carpenters laying the frame of the ship were confounded by the flatness of the thing.
But Itinerant Flame was a success. Even the skeptics, as it concerned the purpose of this trip, were glad to be a part of this spectacular flight, aboard a ship unlike any in the world. As the crowd stirred, the restless voices grew to a crescendo. At this juncture, Magnus Blain ascended two steps onto a small, raised platform, waved his hands a moment, and had his men signal the crowd from the outskirts. Those at the far ends carried on their conversation in slightly hushed voices, for in the open air, Magnus's voice dispersed to the sky, heard only by those close to the stage.
Magnus lowed his arms, and spoke.
“Thank you all for joining us today. As you know, I have championed the hunt for an elusive beast, which has been no more than legend in the minds of many who reside near the lake. Two years ago, my own experience led me to the conclusion that our legend was not, as previously believed, a creature living within the lake. By luck, I was on the hills near the old Glendening farm, and discovered that all the sightings could be attributed to reflection. The shadows beneath the water were no more than reflections of a great beast of the sky.”
The furnaces flared loudly. Magnus continued.
“The skeptical among you, and I know you are many, will certainly call me a fool. But I have undertaken this expensive and laborious task so that we may finally settle this. As you know, I have entered into a little bet with Aldous Glenn. The stakes are no more than the Itinerant Flame itself. Should we fail to find the beast today, I will, and with no regret, relinquish this masterpiece upon which you all stand, to Mr. Glenn. Should we track down our elusive quarry, Mr. Glenn has agreed to pay the cost incurred in Itinerant Flame's construction. Sixty souls reside on this skyborn vessel as witnesses. Let us forge our conclusion with the evidence of our eyes. For now, that is all. Enjoy the rest of the expedition, and forego all ceremony, for there is adequate food and drink for all who have chosen to join me here today.”
They skies grew gray as afternoon touched on evening. The crowd ambled about, with many growing weary of scanning the clouds for evidence of Blain's ridiculous beast. “How could such a thing maintain flight?” came the skeptics. “How will we know where to look?” “Would such a creature not be visible on a cloudless day?”
But Magnus was vigilant. He had is own theory, which he had not fully disclosed. Indeed, he did believe the creature would follow the path of the clouds. Yet it had been seen with some regularity over the lake. Below lie the largest freshwater lake around, a soothing precipitation for any monster the likes of which Magnus Blain suspected. He considered the creature not one of a simple biology, to say the least, for if his eyes had not deceived him, the creature he was after was one that could ride the clouds. It had to be something porous and light of body, existing in some sublime state as it skipped from cloud to cloud, soaring through the air with a white underbelly. The shadow it would cast over the lake at that height would dwindle its dimensions, yet even those dimensions were immense. Up here, it would be massive and unmistakable.
Magnus Blain and Aldous Glenn sat in the small room built at the stern of the ship. Magnus was pouring a glass of champagne for his guest, groaning as he took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs fastened to the deck inside the room. Aldous raised the glass and sat back in his own chair, taking a drink. Magnus filled his own glass and did likewise, then relaxed with a sigh.
“So here we are, coming to the end of our little trip. It appears I owe you a ship. I suppose I should say it wasn't worth it, but I feel better knowing I tried.”
Aldous smiled. “Worth it for me, at any rate. This ship is a marvel. But never anticipate a bet, my friend. You may yet best me.”
“Fair words,” Magnus laughed. “You know, it's going to bother me forever. My assumption was that the creature, whatever it is, lives above the lake. The sightings were so regular, I was of the mind that something compelled its presence. But proving what I know to be true was never going to be...”
A cry erupted from the crowd. Both men felt a sudden jolt in their spines, anticipating the potential success of this journey. Of course, that would be ludicrous, but voices were rising, and Magnus shot from his chair, followed closely by Aldous. No sooner had the men stood than another, more serious jolt rocked the deck beneath their feet, sending them tumbling. Champagne splashed from the bottle and splattered across the floor. Everything was still, then, and Magnus stared at the shocked man across from him, both of them climbing up on their knees.
They scrambled for the door.
Outside, they were greeted by the sight of a vast crowd pointing at the sky. Magnus felt the hair stand up on his arms. He shouldered his way to the outskirts, trying to get a glimpse beyond the massive balloon. He followed the eyes now scanning the clouds, and he leaned against the port-side rail, straining to catch something.
From the corner of a bulging cloud, high above Itinerant Flame, a massive shape poured forth, diving from the clouds like a glacial sea lion, slipping into the vast ocean of the sky. By God, it should have made a whooshing sound, but it was silent as it was graceful, almost pure white, smokey and trailing vapor as it lurched forward, flippers dragging cloud trails.
“It's coming again!” several people shouted.
Again? Thought Magnus.
It was larger than Itinerant Flame, casting its shadow over everything on the ship. Magnus saw that, indeed, it was diving right for them, and before he could hope to find cover, it landed hard, rolling sidelong with the force of a large pillow, bowling over many of the passengers. Magnus caught a tumbling man who nearly went over the edge, and the Itinerant Flame lurched, threatening momentarily to drift to a deadly angle, but a sudden thrashing of the creature swayed the aft, and through luck alone the ship rocked with several nauseating turns and began to settle. The creature thrashed about, sliding off the rails. Coals were strewn about the deck, and a few perceptive folks hurried to gather them up in any cloth available, lest the ship catch fire.
A great wailing, and the deep rumble of something like a large goose giving a pained “honk” sounded through the air. Steam hissed as the brine barrels mixed with the traces of moisture left by the monster. Before the ship came to a steady motion, Magnus risked a dash to the edge to stare out over the side.
What a sight! The creature was thrashing about in midair, trying to find purchase in emptiness. It seemed to whither before his eyes, shriveling to a much smaller size and steaming in reaction to its collision with the barrels and the coal furnaces. The white, misty texture of its body began to brown and solidify, until it could no longer carry itself on the wind, and it fell with a great moan, diving into the lake with much less grace than moments before.
It splashed down near a small vessel, nearly capsizing the craft with the ensuing wave. The creature became a twisting shadow below the water. From this high up, Magnus could barely see the shadow dart away, disappearing in the distance.
He couldn't slow his racing heart. Magnus stood there, dumbfounded at what he had seen. Of course it was real; he had been certain of it for some time. Now nobody could doubt him, though he would have preferred under much different circumstances.
“It would seem...I owe you your winnings.”
Aldous Glenn came to the rail next to Magnus, resting against it with a look of astonishment, barely tempered by relief that the incident was over. Some time passed before Magnus came to his senses, realizing someone had spoken to him.
He rubbed his eyes and waved a hand. “Let's just...call it even and be glad we've survived. I could hardly take your money and feel good about myself when this could have ended much worse. I'll keep the bragging rights. Nobody will doubt me now.”
When the episode had cleared, and a fortnight settled the hysteria surrounding the event, Aldous paid a visit to his friend. They sat outside the estate of Magnus, near the trees that grew between Magnus's home and the shore of the lake. Magnus was in a better mood, and had already sold Itinerant Flame to Aldous. For a while, Magnus had been unable to stomach what had happened, and he did not hesitate when Aldous made the offer.
Now he seemed calm, and Aldous felt he could discuss the matter. He asked the question most on his mind, for he knew Magnus would, in his brooding, have considered the question as thoroughly as any man present that day could manage.
“So what was it?”
Magnus let his gaze fall over the distant lake. “Freakish evolution. A creature existing in a near gaseous state, the inner biology of which I could not begin to imagine. How it held together, massive yet light enough to rest upon a cloud, will forever be a mystery.”
Aldous nodded.
Then, he asked the other question.
“What do you think about the new sightings?”
A smile crossed Magnus's lips. He seemed to have a gleam in his eye now. The lake had captured his attention, and he spoke with an almost whimsical mirth.
“Now that is something, isn't it? I could not see why such a creature would choose so small a space to occupy when the sky sits wide open. It never appeared beyond the shores of the lake. Curious, and maddening when I try to imagine upon what diet it had consisted. But beyond the lake, we have oceans of saltwater, where such a creature was never seen. When our brine splashed over that monster, there was a chemical reaction that compelled the biological makeup of that airborne wonder to solidify. The heat, too, from the coals, seemed to aid this process in a manner I am not of the scientific training to assess. It must have shriveled to a third of its original size. Once that happened, it became a creature of sufficient density to plummet into the waters. I suppose it must have survived. Just imagine that! A creature of such unique makeup that it can adapt to a drastic change in an instant! And now I understand why it chose this place. The salty air over the ocean would be unwelcoming to its hide. Perhaps the ancestors of such a creature plummeted to the seas long ago, and sizzled into vapor.”
Aldous took all this in, then gave a nod of agreement. “So you think it survived?”
“I think,” Magnus said, turning a bright smile to his friend, “that we have caged a monster of the sky deep within Loch Ness.”