Maeve finished up,"...and cracked open like this, the extractor pops out the rounds for reloading!" Cyrus asked,"METAL cartridges? That is just stupendous! That will revolutionize the firearms industry! How do they NOT blow up when fired?" Maeve said,"Thick brass walls in the cartridge inside the cylinder. I dare say, 45 caliber may be common one day." Her grandfather, Professor Mardalan sighed,"Maeve...I didn't invite these fine gentlemen up here to have ye demonstrate your patents in firearm design! Perhaps ye might want to put a sweater over your bare shoulders, so these gents might stop staring at them? Ye might not want to give them ideas?" Maeve snapped shut the frame of her pistol shut with a loud 'clack' and glared. She said,"I AM in my own home! My feet are hot and so am I! I have tried my hardest to deal with these primitives, and if they have any problems--they can leave or I can! I'll sleep in the loft over the stable if come what may! They won't have to look at my little noodly arms any more!" Cyrus held up a hand,"Whoa, WHOA, little lady! I'm from America and it's alright with me if you want to show your arms. The Brits are a LOT stuffier than I like, anywho! Lets all take a deep breath and calm down. I'm sure Phineas didn't mean anything leering at your grand-daughter,Professor!" Cyrus grinned broadly to show his comments were all in good fun. Phineas rolled his eyes. "I wasn't 'LEERING' at anything! I was admiring your grand-daughter's ability to design a pistol, complete with working levers, mechanical parts and working designs! It'd be impressive for any man, much less for a woman!" Neblae said,"Neither my husband, nor I live in the dark ages. We do not believe in women kept as chattel around here. Women are are strong or stronger than men. We have to do everything men can, AND give birth,TOO!" Archie Mardalan said,"You heard it from the goddess,gents! You'll just have to handle it!" Phineas asked him,"So you met her in the far off mountains of the Tibet, and they revered her as a goddess of the rivers? I've never heard a name like 'Neblae' before!" Archie nodded,"That's the story and I'm sticking by it! NOW--we were talking of peculiar happenstance? What do ye know of river monsters and such?" Phineas shrugged,"I know that Saint Claude stopped this river monster in the Ness river from attacking another man with the power of the cross, so the legends would have us believe. Of course this was back in the seventh century, so stories get distorted over time." Archie asked,"Is this the latest report of dragons or like monsters? Just curious." Cyrus shook his head,"Nope. What d'you call what we're drinking again?" Archie sighed,"Hot Jolla. Combination of Coffee, chocolate,a little cinnamon and ginger with a little cream and sugar. Drink of the house. What did ye mean,'nope'?" Cyrus narrowed his eyes and said,"Heard tell of big flying dragons with metal scales in Capiago,Chile just last year in 1868! Scared the locals something fierce!" He stopped. "Miss Maeve, you alright?" She said,"I'm just down." He said,"Look here. Both me and Phineas lost folk,too. Your Grandpa told us of your pa being killed by pirates in front of you. I lost my pa at Bull Run and later watched my brother die in front of me at Gettysburg. Phineas lost his pa back when he was a baby, and his ma when he was just twelve, from consumption. You ain't alone." Phineas said,"I think what Cyrus is trying to say in his own way...we'll never forget them, but we have to move on. For them! In any event--my friend, Jules Verne has an idea for a new novel. The submarine Nautilus captained by a man named Nemo. What's wrong?" Maeve pointed her pistol at him under the table, as dark expressions fixed on Neblae and her husband's faces. Archie growled softly,"WHERE did you hear that name, again?" Neblae said,"This is beyond co-incidence." --TO BE CONTINUED!--