In which Our Heroes arrive, at long last, in Panama City…and the real adventure can begin.
Having arrived safely in Colón, the TransAmerica Team booked themselves on the overnight train to Panama City. Colón appeared to be Panama’s equivalent of Miami (i.e., a port and transit hub, and not much else), yet the mood was energetic and evidence of electioneering was rampant. As it was only midafternoon, the team had several hours of waiting time in the train station, during which they endured aggressive busking, hawking of various and sundry wares, and pandemonium caused by other passengers and their children and livestock. However, it did give them time to catch up on the news from home:
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA Yesterday, newly inaugurated U.S. President Grover Cleveland sent Federal troops into the city of Atlanta in order to quell riots following the alleged theft of an historic relic, the cavalry sabre of the late Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The Mayor of Atlanta, Mr. Edwin Lamar Fairchild, has been variously quoted as urging the citizens of Atlanta to resist the federal incursion and as imploring the citizens of Atlanta to remain calm and avoid public areas. The Deputy Mayor, Mr. Lucius Whitney Spottiswood, was last seen leading a troop of city police against the federal troops, and is believed to have perished in the subsequent conflict, although there are no official reports of his demise at this time. The entire city is under martial law, and the unrest shows no signs of abating at this time. The Port of Atlanta has been closed for the past three days, and military offices refuse to speculate as to when it may reopen.
and items of local interest:
PANAMA CITY Presidente de la Torres, who is in Panama City for the upcoming opening of the Grand Ellipse, urged Panamanians to vote in the upcoming federal election of 5th April. Laws passed earlier this year have made it easier than ever for the people of the great Republic of Gran Colombia to vote. For the first time, voters will be able to register at their polling stations on the day of the election. The Conservative Party and the government of Gran Colombia cannot overstate the importance of guaranteeing every eligible voter the right to participate in the election. The most recent poll conducted by La Verdad Nacional shows Conservative party candidate Juan Sanchez leading his Liberal opponent, Anastasio Iribarra, by 12% of the vote. The Social Democratic and Communist candidates, Simon Bolivar Garcia y Garcia and Esteban Montoya, respectively, are tied at a distant third, with approximately 3% of the vote each.
At last, the travelers were able to board their Pullman cars, and they were on their way to the starting line. Plagues by coincidence as they are, Our Heroes returned from the dining car to discover that they were on the same train as a pair of recent acquaintances; namely Miss Penelope Fletcher-Finch and Mr. Henry C. Watson, both of the Philadelphia Clarion. Mr. Watson was already asleep (and snoring to wake the dead) when the gentlemen returned to their sleeping car; not so our intrepid lady reporter. In her relentlessly cheerful way, she attempted to extract information from the female half of the TransAmerica Team, including young Miss Carlyle. Eventually, however, everyone managed to get some sleep.
A telegram awaited Mr. Laughton at the train station in Panama City; the senior Mr. Guggenheim was in the city for the opening of the Ellipse, and wished a meeting with the entire team as soon as possible. Mr. Laughton displayed uncharacteristic trepidation as the cab approached the lush Panama Bay Hotel. At the meeting, the entire team was introduced to their sponsor, and Mr. Laughton (the Captain) and Mrs. Atwood (the Lieutenant) received keys to a warehouse in which expedition gear could be found. The team was also warned that their identities would be revealed within the next twenty-four hours, in order to complete the formalities required for entry in the race. Also, they were asked to provide information necessary to contact next of kin.
Having survived the meeting with their illustrious patron, the team checked into the comfortable Pacific Bay Hotel, changed into more appropriate clothing, and headed off to inspect the warehouse and expedition gear. Along the way, they noticed a street-carnival atmosphere, as various political parties provided entertainment (jugglers, acrobats, speakers on soap-boxes) as well as free beer and rum to prospective voters. The contents of the warehouse proved interesting, to say the least. Three two-person canoes packed with camping and survival gear (both tropical and polar) sat on oddly-constructed tables. Or at least, they appeared to be tables. It transpired that the tables were in fact magical devices that were intended to function as porters. The team members experimented with verbal commands, and then got down to the serious business of constructing an inventory of their stash.
And so we leave Our Heroes counting the loot, oblivious to events outside their very door…
Quote of the game: “Reconstruction’s not going well, then, is it?”