By the author of BARD: Owner of the Gemstone

The Inventor leans over the next generation in automatons.  In a fowl mood, The Inventor is determined to get a hold of the books Mr. Claws left to his wife.  Books with knowledge The Inventor desperately wants.  To learn how to become invisible!  How to build a vehicle that can not only travel under the waves but stay below the surface indefinitely!  But that cat, that darn Maine Coon, Mr. TLC caused the Book Stealer to run out of steam!  The Inventor never liked that undersized tiger.  Neither did The Inventor’s twin.  Shame about the automaton.  Maybe the witch will help get the automaton back.  The image of her standing close, completely enthralled in his plans, while shaking her long, silken, raven hair, and staring with utter interest with those large, almond shaped eyes.  The Inventor jolts out of the reverie.

The Inventor and The Inventor’s twin used to torment that stupid Newfoundland dog, Ulysses, when they visited Mrs. Claws.  That nasty, miserable, vicious Mr. TLC was just a kitten then.  Yet, that malicious, horrible, evil kitten swatted The Inventor’s twin for bullying the slobbering, giant dog.  And Mrs. Claws defended that irascible, untamed—kitten. 

The Inventor’s beautiful, loving, understanding mother was horrified when Mrs. Claws accused her children of being untrustworthy, spoiled, and needing discipline.  Mrs. Claws even accused The Inventor’s twin of trying to steal one of the “precious” books her husband gave her.  What rotten people the Claws are!  The Inventor’s twin actually took two books.  Only one was returned.

The Inventor adjust the brass masks on The Inventor’s face.  During the Great War, The Inventor and The Inventor’s twin joined as Royal Engineers to learn more about explosives.  They were both, a little too enthusiastic, about adding mixing TNT, RDX, and ammonium nitrate together to make a bigger bang.  Afterwards, only one of the twins survived, that the world knows.  A genius doctor not only rebuilt the Inventor’s face but also added The Inventor’s sibling heart beside the one nearly destroyed.  Now endurance is never a problem.  But after studying The Steam Man of the Prairies by an author no one has ever heard of.  An Edward S. Ellis of Ohio, Maine, a place that exists on no known maps.  Perhaps that’s where that wretched Maine Coon came from.  The book is a marvel!  And now, The Inventor is more interested in becoming superior by melding machinery, with flesh.

*** One of the goals for these writing experiments is to include makers, and models of Steampunk.  Ben Lanzenstein of Switzerland creates Steampunk vehicles, weapons, and more.  I will be posting a short interview with Ben in very near future.  Meanwhile, you can see his work at:  ben_lanzenstein