Five Weeks in a Balloon Page #4

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- Listen, you-

- Hold your tongue, sir!

- Didn't you cause enough trouble on the ship?

- Help me!

Tried to kiss Lord Jolliphant's daughter

without an introduction.

Let me go! I'll kill you!

Fat pig!

Yeah, that'll cool him off.

Oh, hey, she never learned

that in a finishing school.

- Mr. Townsend!

- What?

- Mr. Townsend, sir!

- What is it?

The marketplace is in an uproar.

Your man helped the American

to free that slave girl.

They know he's with you,

and they're going to destroy your balloon.

And they told me you were

an inoffensive young man.

Thank you very much, sir,

for all you've done.

- My carriage is below. Take it.

- Thank you, sir.

Everybody on the double.

Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!

Hurry up!

Get the stuff loaded!

- Is it safe?

- Of course not.

- After you, General.

- Thank you.

They'll be here in a minute.

Jacques! Jacques?

Get her up.

Heat's low, Professor,

and all that baggage.

Baggage? Thunderation!

Where did all this trash come from?

- Over with them, General.

- Boy, over.

Over. Over.

Not that one. That's mine.

What do you think you're doing?

Put that down!

That's mine!

It is indeed.

Over with it.

Now, wait a minute, Professor.

Now, you just hold that.

That's my new Parisian clothes.

How dare you, sir?

Why, that's the most preposterous-

Take your hands off that hat.

You! You there!

Give me back that coat!

Why-

Fergusson, those two men

leading the mob-

They were on my ship.

They must be agents of the slavers.

- Are you sure?

- Indubitably.

They must've whipped up the mob

because of your change in plans.

- What change in plans?

- Take it up, Jacques.

- What change in plans?

- May as well tell him, Professor.

Why not? We're going

to West Africa, Mr. O'Shay.

West Africa?

You're crazy!

Knowing Sir Henry's

views on my toy...

I'm quite sure he agrees with you.

I couldn't care less, but I do want to

know why the sudden change in plans.

- We are going to plant the flag, sir.

- The what?

The flag, if you'd start listening

and stop jabbering, man.

Will you get down!

And let these wallahs

see me grovel? Ha! Unthinkable.

- What flag, General?

- The Union Jack, sir.

If this idiot contraption

can stay aloft...

Britain will keep the heart of West Africa

out of the hands of the slavers.

Who cares? Why should the Randolph

press get involved in British politics?

Besides, I'm due to winter

on the Riviera.

You see what these

colonials have come to?

Since we gave them their freedom,

they don't know right from wrong.

Gave us our freedom? Hmm.

Good shot, sir.

There's the small question

of illicit slave trading, you know.

If we fail, heaven help the natives.

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