Roast Mutton

Mr. Anderson has proven to be a most charming host! I was received at his office most graciously, and we had a lovely luncheon of tea and roast mutton, with a very fresh cold green bean salad. Mr. Anderson has excellent culinary taste, as proven by his rotund build, but he is also an excellent solicitor and had very good advice for mounting an expedition of the magnitude I am expecting.

Mid-way through our meal we were joined by a gentleman of unusual bearing. Mr. Anderson, quite rosy-cheeked from the sherry, introduced him as Captain Pankov. He was tall and swarthy, and wore a very utilitarian costume. It seemed as though he had stepped straight out of an airship engine! He conducted himself in a very casual manner, slouching into his chair and eating with what I can only describe as a wolfen gusto. His boots were filthy, but his beard was well trimmed, a saving grace on a man who seemed to care not a jot for the civilized world. In noting this, however, I realized he was a perfect candidate to assist in the expedition.

The captain spoke of his airship, the Pegasus' Rapture. It is a vessel of small size, suitable to carry a small party with little cargo. It is also highly maneuverable, and should be able to land or hover over terrain that most ships would be too cumbersome for. I was very excited to hear this, and with the help of Mr. Anderson, managed to negotiate a reasonable price for the commission. Captain Pankov has his own flight crew, whom he claims to trust implicitly. This will be most important, as I will desire some secrecy about our voyage until I have published my findings. England's libraries and academic hallways are peopled with many would-be heroes of the empire whose discoveries have been published by other, more enterprising men. I must be cautious in who I tell the details of my work to, so that I am not made a fool by my own careless conversation.

The captain is a most capable man, apparently raised here in England by Russian gypsy parents. I do think, however, that we may have a difficult time getting along, as we have vastly different ways of seeing the world. I expect that if I keep matters professional, we can have a tolerable trip, if not an enjoyable one.