Latest / Daily Sci-Fi Books / 01 - Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey - Ingersoll Lockwood

Transcript

01 - Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey - Ingersoll Lockwood · Daily Sci-Fi Books

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey by Ingersoll Lockwood. Chapter one,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Bolger is greatly annoyed by the familiarity of the village
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: dogs and the presumption of the housecats. His health suffers thereby,
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: and he implores me to set out on my travels again.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: I readily consent, for I had been reading of the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: World within a World in a musty old manuscript written
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: by the learned Don Fung, parting interviews with the elder
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Baron and the gracious Baroness my mother preparations for departure.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Boger was not himself at all, dear friends. There was
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: a lack luster look in his eyes, and his tail
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: responded with only a half hearted wag when I spoke
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: to him. I say half hearted, for I always had
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: a notion that the other end of Bulgar's tail was
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: fastened to his heart. His appetite, too, had gone down
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: with his spirits, and he rarely did anything more than
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: sniff at the dainty food which I set before him,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: although I tried to tempt him with fried chicken livers
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: and toasted cost combs, two of his favorite dishes. There
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: was evidently something on his mind, and yet it never
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: occurred to me what that something was. To be honest
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: about it, it was something which, of all things, I
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: never should have dreamed of finding there. Possibly I might
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: have discovered that an earlier day what it was all about,
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: it had not been that. Just at this time I
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: was very busy, too busy, in fact, to pay much
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: attention to anyone, even to my dear four footed foster brother.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: As you may remember, dear friends, my brain is a
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: very active one, and when once I had become interested
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: in the subject, Castle Trumpe itself might fire and burn
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: until the legs of my chair had become charred, before
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I would hear the noise and confusion, or even smell
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: the smoke. It so happened at the time of Bulger's
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: low spirits that the elder Baron had, through the kindness
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: of an old school friend, come into possession of a
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: fifteenth century manuscript from the pen of a no less
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: celebrated thinker and philosopher than the learned Spaniard Don Constantino
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: Bortolomeo Strefolo fiche Guandneris Fum, commonly known among scholars as
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Don Fum, Entitled A World within a World. In this work,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: Don Fum advanced the wonderful theory that there is every
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: reason to believe that the interior of our world is inhabited, That,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: as is well known, this vast earth ball is not solid,
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: on the contrary, being in many places quite hollow, that
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: ages and ages ago, terrible disturbances had taken place on
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: its surface, and had driven the inhabitants to seek refuge
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: in these vast underground chambers, so vast in fact, as
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: well to marry the name of world within a world.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: This book, with its crumpled, torn and time stained leaves
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: excelling the odors of vaulted, cripped and worm eaten chest,
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: exercise a peculiar fascination upon me. All day long, and
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: often far into the night. I sat pouring over its
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: musty and mildew pages, quite forgetful of the surface world,
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: and with the plummet of thought sounding these subterranean depths,
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: and with the eye and ear of fans see visiting them,
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: and gazing upon and listening to the dwellers therein, while
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: I would be thus engaged. Boger's favorite position was on
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: a quaintly embroidered leather cushion brought from the orient by
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: me on one of my journeys, and now placed on
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: the end of my work table nearest the window. From
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: this point advantage Boger commanded a full view of the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: park and the terrorist, and of the drive leading up
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: to the poor Cocheer. Nothing escaped his watchful eye. Here
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: he sat hour by hour, amusing himself by noting the
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: comings and goings of all sorts of folk, from the
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: hawkers of Googleles to the noblest people in the shire.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: One day my attention was attracted by is suddenly leaping
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: down from his cushion and giving a low grow of displeasure.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: I paid little heed to it, but to my surprise,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: the next day, about the same hour it occurred again.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: My curiosity was now thoroughly aroused, and laying down don
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: Fum's musty manuscript, by hastened to the window to learn
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: the cause of Boger's irritation. Lo the seeker was out.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: There stood half a dozen mongle curves belonging to the
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: tenantry of the baronial lands, looking up to the window,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: and by their barking and annex endeavoring to entice Boger
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: out for a romp. Dear friends, need I assure you
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: that such familiarity was extremely distasteful to Boger. Their impudence
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: was just a little more than he could stand. Ringing
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: my bell, I directed my servant to hunt them away,
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: whereupon Boger consented to resume his seat by the window.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Next morning, just as I had settled myself down for
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: a good long read, I was almost my bogo bounding
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: into the room with eyes flashing fire and teeth laid
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: bare in anger. Laying hold of the skirt of my
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: dressing gown, he gave it quite a savage tug, which
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: meant put thy book aside, a little master, and follow me.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: I did so. He led me downstairs, across the hallway,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: and into the dining room. And then this new cause
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: of discontent on his part became very apparent to me.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: They're grouped around his silver breakfast place, sat an ancient
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: tabby cat and four kittens, all calmly licking or lapping
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: away at his breakfast. Looking up into my face, he
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: uttered a sharp complaining, how as much as to say, there,
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: little master, look at that. Isn't that enough to rub
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: the patience of a saint? Canst thou wonder that I
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: am not happy? With all these disagreeable things happening to me,
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: I tell thee little master, it is too much for
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: flesh and blood to put up with. And I thought
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: so too, and did all in my power to comfort
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: my unhappy little friend. But judge of my surprise upon
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: reaching my room and directing him to take his place
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: on his cushion, to see him refuse to obey. It
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: was something extraordinary and set me to thinking. He noticed
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: this and gave a joyful bark, then dashed into my
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: sleeping apartment. It was gone for several moments, and then returning,
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: bearing in his mouth a pair of oriental shoes, which
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: he laid at my feet. Again and again he disappeared,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: coming back, each time with some article of clothing in
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: his mouth. In a few moments he had laid a
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: complete oriental costume on the floor before my eyes. And
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: would you believe me, dear friends, it was the identical
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: suit which I had worn of my last travels in
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: far away lands, when he and I had been wrecked
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: on the island of Googla, the land of the around bodies.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: What did it all mean? Why this? To be sure?
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Little master? Canst thou not understand thy dear Bulgar, he
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: is wary of this dull and spiritless existence. He is
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: tired of this increasing familiarity on the part of these
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: marble curves of the neighborhood, and of the audacity of
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: these kitchen tabbies and their families. He implores thee s
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: break away from this life of reverie and in action,
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: and for the honor of the Trumps to be up
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: and away again. Stooping down and winding my arms around
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: my dear Bulger, I cried out, yes, I understand THEE now,
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: faithful companion, and I promise THEE that before this moon
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: has filled her horns, we shall once more turn our
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: backs on Castle Trump, up and away in search of
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: the portals to Dina Fum's world within a world. Upon
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: hearing these words, Bulger broke out into the wildest, maddest barking,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: bounding hither and thither, as if the very spirit of
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: mischief had suddenly nestled in his heart. In the midst
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: of these mad gambles. A low rap on my chamber
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: door caused me to call out, peace, Peace, Good Bulgar,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: someone knocks peace, I say it was the elder baron
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: with summer mean and stately tread. He advanced and took
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: conceit beside me on the canopy. Welcome, honored father, I exclaimed,
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: as I took his hand and raised it to my lips.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: I was upon the very point of seeking thee out.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: He smiled and then said, well, little Baron, what thinkest
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: thou of dn Fume's world within a world? I think,
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: my lord? Was my reply, that dun Fum is right
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: that such a world must exist, and with thy consent,
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: it is my intention to set out in search of
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: its portals with all safe haste, and as soon as
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: my dear mother, the gracious Baroness, and may be able
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: to bring our heart to part with me. The old
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Baron was silent for a moment, and then added, little Baron,
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: much as thy mother and I shall dread to think
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: of thy being again out from under the safe protection
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: of this venerable roof, the moss grown tiles of which
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: have sheltered so many generations of the Trumps. Yet must
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: we not be selfish in this matter? Heaven forbid that
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: such a thought should move our souls to stay thee
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: the honor of our family, thy fame as an explorer
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: of strained lands in far away corners of the globe
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: call unto us to be strong hearted. Therefore, my dear boy,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: make ready and go forth once more in search of
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: new marbles. The learned don Fom's chart will stand thee
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: by like a safe and trusty council. Remember, little Baron,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: the motto of the Trumps per adua ad astro. The
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: pathway to glory is strewn with pitfall and dangers. But
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: the comforting thought shall ever be mine that when thy
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: keen intelligence fails, Bulger's an erring instinct will be there
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: to guide. As I stooped to kiss the elder Baron's hand,
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: the gracious Baroness entered the room, Bulger hastened to raise
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: himself upon his hind legs and lick her hand in
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: token of respectful greeting. The tears were pressing hard against
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: her eyelids, but she kept them back, and encircling my
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: neck with her loving arms, she pressed many and many
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: a kiss upon my cheeks and brow. I know what
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: it all means, my dear son, she murmured, with the
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: status of smiles. But it never shall be said that
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: Gertrude Baroness von Trump stood in the way of her son,
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: adding new glories to the family, scutching, go, go, little
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: baron in heaven, bring thee safely back to our arms
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: and to our hearts in its own good time. At
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: these words, Bulger, who had been listening to the conversation
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: with pricked up ears and listening eyes, gave one long
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: howl of joy, and then, springing into my lap, covered
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: my face with kisses. This done evented his happiness and
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: a string of ear splitting barks in a series of
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: the maddest gambols. It was one of the happiest and
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: proudest days of his life, for he felt that he
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: had exerted considerable influence and sprang to the sticking point
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: my resolution to set out on my travels once again.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: And now the patter of hurrying feet and a loud
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: murmur of anxious voices resounded through the castle corridors. While
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: inside and out ever and Anon, I could hear the cry,
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: now whispered and now outspoken, the little Baron is making
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: ready to leave home again. Bogo ran hither and thither,
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: surveying everything, taking note of all the preparations, and I
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: could hear joyous bark ring out as some familiar article
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: used by me on my former journeys, was dragged from
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: his hiding place. Twenty times a day. My gentle mother
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: came into my room to repeat some good counsel or
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: reiterate some valuable caution. It seemed to me that I
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: had never seen her so calm, so stately, so lovable.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: She was very proud of my great name, and so
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: in fact were every man, woman and child in the castle.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Had I not gotten office I did, I should have
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: been literally killed with kindness and bogar slain with sweetcake.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: End of Chapter one