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Octavia Pye Interview

By Jack Fletcher

BEGIN TRANSMISSION

"Octavia, my little squab of delight-"

"Mr. Fletcher, really! I will not be addressed in public by such terms."

"No? You didn't mind last night, when I had you spread eagle on my bed, and touched you right there."

"I am not a squab. I don't resemble a squab in any way, and I reject your attempt to distract me by touching me there. And there. Jack, stop it! Someone will see!"

"All right, we will do this properly, since it's got your corset strings in knots. Let's see...How did you first come to meet me?"

"You know very well how I met you!"

"Sweetheart, you aren't getting into the swing of things. This is an interview we're doing here. I ask questions, and you answer them. That's how an interview works."

"Yes, but you know how I met you. It's silly of you to ask that."

"I know how we met, but they don't."

"They who?"

"Them. Right out there. See?"

"Oh. Good heavens. Do you think they saw your hand on my bosom?"

"No. Absolutely not. Maybe. So how did we first meet?"

"Ahem. Good people of Jack's Interset-"

"It's Internet, and it's not actually mine...never mind. Go on."

"I met Mr. Fletcher in most unusual circumstances. My lovely, if a bit outdated, airship Tesla was wending its windy way across the battle-torn frontiers of Europe."

"Nice alliteration."

"Thank you, I try. As I was tending to the many detailed and highly complicated duties common to a Southampton Aerocorps captain-"

"I thought you said you were talking to yourself at the time?"

"Hush. As I was tending to varied duties, I was informed by the bosun's lad, Dooley, that two bodies had been found in a forward hold. I was aghast, naturally."

"Naturally. Ow! I don't think that deserved a pinch."

"When I went to investigate this strange occurrence, I discovered the body of Mr. Fletcher and his sister, Miss Norris."

"Let's fast forward to the part where you fell madly in love with my rugged good looks and manly naked chest."

"Jack, I refuse to allow you to bring my interview down to the level of...did you say your naked chest? Oh, I do like your chest...ahem. Where was I?"

"Madly in love with me."

"I took one look at Mr. Fletcher, and knew then, good people, that my life was soon to be filled with trouble. And so it was."

"You loved every minute of it. Next question: what do you think of steampunk?"

"I still don't understand what it is, so I can hardly have an opinion, other than you seem to feel we are living in it."

"Right. Moving on...how did you get to be a captain?"

"I was promoted from first officer."

"No, I mean how did you get to be in the Aerocorps to begin with?"

"Jack, is this really necessary? I hardly feel all those people care how I came to be in the Corps."

"OK, but my next question is about all of your previous lovers."

"I joined the Aerocorps when I was sixteen. My foster father was a captain in it, and I loved flying in the airships so much, it just seemed natural that I should join the Corps as well. It took another sixteen years before I rose to the position of captain."

"Gotcha. Now, about those old boyfriends-"

"Jack."

"Hmm?"

"I'm tired of answering questions."

"Oh? What do you want to do...holy crap! You're not going to...nrnng."

END OF TRANSMISSION

Note from Katie: If you have questions or comments for Jack or Octavia, I would be happy to pass them along and post answers, although they were a bit distracted the last time I checked.

Katie MacAlister, Steamed, steampunk, romance, Penguin, Signet, books