Chapter1 绮丽海盗船 A Gorgeous Corsair（第3页）
“Yourname?”askedI。
“Myname!howdoesityou?”
“Ihavethehonourtoaskyourname。”
“IamcalledErostratusorEmpedocles，asyouplease。Areyouiheprogressofaerostatice?”
Hespokewithiess，andIaskedmyselfwithwhomIhadtodo。
“MoihingedsihedaysofthephilosopherCharles。Fourmohediscoveryofaerostats，hehadihevalve，whichpermitsthegastoestheballoonistoofull，orwheodesd；thecar，whiaetobeeasilymawork，whiclosesthefabricoftheballoosbeingtooheavilypressed；theballast，whichisusedinasdgthespotofdest；thecoatofcaoutchouc，whidersthesilkimpermeable；thebarometer，whichdetermiained；and，fnally，thehydrogen，which，fourteeerthanair，allowsofasostdistantatmosphericlayers，asexposuretoaerialbustioofDecember，1783，threehuhousahrouileries。Charlesasdthesoldierspresentedarms。Hetravelledniheair：managinghismaewithaskillneversincesurpassediicexperiments。TheKingferredonhimapensionoftwothousandlivres，forinthosedaysiionswereenced。Foreveryoerestedintheprogressofsce。”
Theunknowhaviolentagitation。
“I，Monsieur，havestudied；Iamsatisfedthatthefrstaeronautsguidedtheirballoons。NottospeakofBlanchard，whhtbedoubted，atDijon，Guytoheaidofoarsandahelm，impartedtohismaesperceptiblemotions，adecideddireoreretly，atParis，awatchmaker，M。Julien，hasmadeattheHippodromegexperiments；for，articularmeism，anaerialapparatusofoblongformwasmalypropelledagainstthewiinplacedfourballoohhydrogen，injuxtaposition，and，bymeansofsailsdisposedhorizontallyandpartiallyfurled，hopedtoobtainadisturbaheequilibrium，whiius，shouldpelittoah。Butthemotivepowerdestiosurmouanceofts，-thehéliginamovablemedium，wasunsuccessful。Ihavediscoveredtheohodofguidingballoons，andnotanAcademyhasyassistaacityhasflledmysubslists，hasdeigeisinfamous！”
Hisgestisweresofuriousthatthecarexperieoss；Ihadmuchdiffrestraininghim。Meaheballooeredamorerapidt。Wewereadvanasoutherlydire，at1200metresi，almostaedtothisure。
“ThereisDarmstadt，”saidmypanion。“Doyouperceiveitsmageau?Thestorm-akestheoutlinesofobjectswaver；anditrequiresapractisedeyeties。”
“YouarethatitisDarmstadt?”
“Undoubtedly；wearesixleaguesfromFrankfort。”
&desd。”
“Desd!youwouldnotalightupoeeples！”saidtheunknown，mogly。
“No，butintheenviroy。”
&istoowarm；letusremountalittle。”
&hus，heseizedsomebagsofballast。Iprecipitatedmyselfuponhim；but，withonehahrewme，aenedballoooaheightof1500metres。
“Sitdown，”saidhe，“anddetthatBrioschi，Biot，andGay-Lussadedtoaheightofseventhousares，iablishsomeifclaws。”
&desd；”resumedI，tatgehestatherihourfeetandaroundus；itwould。”
“Wewillasdaboveit，andshallhavenothingtofearfromit。Whatmorebeautifulthantninheaven，andlookdownuponthecloudswhichhoverupoh！Isitnotanhatetheseaerialwaves?Thegreatestpersoravelledlikeourselves。TheMarquiseandtessedeMohetessedePotteries，Mlle。LaGarde，theMarquisofMooutfromtheFaubSt。AheseuheDucdeChartresdisplayedmuchaddressandpresenindinhisasofthe15thofJuly，1784；atLyoesdeLaurenddeDampierre；atNantes，M。deLuyBordeaux，DArbeletdesGraaly，theChevalierAndreani；inourdays，theDukeofBrunswick；haveleftihetracklory。Ioequalthesegreatpersoastothecelestialregiohey。Toapproafoprehendit。”
&ionoftheairsiderablydilatedthehydrogen，andIsawthelowerpartoftheaerostat，desigy，beebydegreesiheopeningofthevalveindispemyfearfuleddetermioallowmetodireeopullsecretlythecordattachedtothevalve，whilehewastalkingwithanimatiuesswithwhomIhadtodo；itwouldhavebeentoohorrible！Itwasaboutthree-quartersofanhoursiFrankfort，andfromthesouththickclaoengulfus。
&allhopeofmakingyourplanssucceed?”saidI，are。
“Allhope！”repliedtheunknown，despairingly。“Woundedbyrefusals，caricatures，thoseblowswiththefootofanass，havefheeternalpureservedforinnovators。Seethesecaricaturesewithwhichmyportfolioisflled。”
Ihadsecuredthecordofthevalve，andstoopingoverhisworks，ymovementsfromhim。Itwastobefeared，hewouldrushingsouerfall，whichthegasproduesg。
“HowmaheexpeheAbbeMiolan！HewasabouttoasdwithJaandBredin。Duriheirballoontookfre，andanignorantpopulacetoreittopiethecaricatureofThealscalledthemMaulant，JeanMind，andGredin。”
&erhadbegaime！Adistahunderwasheardtowardsthesouth。
&herengraving，”uedhe，withoutseemingtosuspeoeuvres。“Itisanimmenseballoon，gaship，largecastles，houses，etc。Thecaricaturistslittlethoughtthattheirabsurditieswouldonedaybeeverities。Itisalargevessel；attheleftisthehelmwiththepilot‘sbox；attheprow，maisonsdeplaisance，agiganti，andtocalltheattentioahorofthemooeroryandpilot-ballooorialcircle，thebarray；ohelahenuppergalleriesforpromehewihedgeore-housesofprovisiohismaga。Ihegoodofthehumahisglobewilldepartimmediatelyfortheseaportsi，andournwillasvoyagesforthetwopolesaiesoftheOt。Everyprovisioherewillbeaeoffareforeachplaceofdestination；butthepricesfordistantvoyageswillbethesame，1000louis。Anditmustbefessedthatthisisamoderatesum，gthecelerity，dpleasureofthismaboveallothers。Whileinthisballoon，everyonediverthimselfashepleases，dang，playing，withpeopleoftalent。Pleasurewillbethesouloftheaerialsociety。’Alltheseiioer。Butbef，ifmydayswereheseprojeerealities。”
Wewerevisiblydesg；hedid！
&hisgameofballoons；itsthewholehistoryoftheaerame，fortheuseofeduds，isplayedlikethatoftheJew；withdidtersofanyvalueagreedupon，whicharetobepaidorreceived，agtotheinwhiearrives。”
“But，”Iresumed，“youseemtohavevaluabledoaerostation?”
“IamlesslearheAlmighty！Thatisall！Ipossessalltheknowledgepossibleinthisworld。FromPhaeton，IdArchitas。Ihavesearchedall，prehehroughme，theaerostaticartwouldrenderimmeodshouldsparemylife！Butthatotbe。”
“Whynot?”
“BeameisEmpedoclesorErostratus！”
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