Chapter Eleven Notes
One sentence. One sentence was all it took to put me over my max word count on the entry containing Chapter Eleven. LJ, thou art Evil.
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Notes:
1. The patent office: No idea where it was or what system was used or if anybody could just come in off the street and look something up. There went that Artistic License again!
2. The tunneling technology Alice finds actually exists and was developed and patented in 1870. Until this time, a method called cut-and-cover was employed for digging most tunnels. (Cut-and-cover basically means, they knocked down whatever was standing over the tunnel site, dug a big trench, reinforced and lined it, then built the “ground” back on top of it. A timely and costly technique.) In 1818, a technique that allowed for tunneling under bodies of water was created by Sir Marc Brunel and it was called tunnel shielding. This was used in the construction of the Thames Tunnel (1825-1843) but in 1870 two assistant engineers by the names of Peter Barlow and James Greathead redesigned the system and drastically improved it, making it faster, cheaper, and safer. This became the tunnel shielding system called the Barlow-Greathead Shield. Using this method, the Tower Subway was built beneath the Thames river from 1869-1870 (but, as I mentioned in the previous chapter’s notes, I’m ignoring this). So, tunneling technology improved big time (from taking 18 years to less than two!) and it is this Idea that Alice uses to counter the proposed use of dynamite to speed up the cut-and-cover method.
3. Men in the Victorian Era were actually required to wear a kind of corset, too. (Perhaps the precursor to the cummerbund?) It was a very Uncomfortable Era for EVERYONE.
4. And I just gave Lady Ascot a name (Gerladine) since I have no idea what the woman’s first name actually is. *flashes The License*
5. OK, so, I was all set to just let Hamish “fade into the background” of this story when, suddenly, something Happened:
Manny: [busily typing away]
Tarrant: [pitter-patters over and taps on Manny’s shoulder] Excuse me, mistress?
Manny: Yeah? What now? More “quality time” with Alice?
Tarrant: Oh, would you? [gets hearts in his eyes] That would be wonderf-! Oh, er, ahem. Yes, please-and-thank-you! But you see, there’s something else, er, that is... [glances over his shoulder and Hamish shows up] Hamish and I would like to be... friends.
Manny: ... friends? [Looks at Hamish]
Hamish: I would not be opposed to a mutually beneficial acquaintanceship with Hightopp here.
Manny: ... (O.o)... uh, really?
Tarrant: So, can we?
Manny: Um, can you what?
Tarrant: [huffs] Be friends!
Manny: Um... if Hamish promises to behave himself, I... guess so...
Hamish: How dare you insinuate that I would be anything less than a perfect gentleman!
Manny: Buddy, I’m the Writer. I’ll Insinuate all over your lily white be-hind if I feel like it!
Tarrant: She will. She really will. Don’t make her angry.
Hamish: Fine. I’ll agree to act true to my perfectly proper character if you make sure Hightopp here doesn’t go berserk on me. I don’t care if he’s mad; I’m not touching his face to calm him down! It’s just not Done!
Manny: Agreed. OK, boys, congrats. You’re buds now.
Tarrant: Fabulous! Fancy a cuppa, Hamish?
Hamish: If there’s a dollop of brandy in it, perhaps.
Tarrant: You enjoy that Bandersnatch bile?!
Hamish: Hightopp, if you can’t use the Queen’s English I shall have to rethink this male bonding nonsense you’ve gotten me to agree to!
Manny: [watches as they wander off] Those two better not make me add any more chapters... [goes back to typing] ...