Calliope, Muse of Music crosses the path of the musical instrument named in her honour, the Steam Calliope. -- Knitnan
In the lack of belief, gods and demigods go to wherever their name is still spoken, written, or known. She was once such a demigod. The muse of music. She had had believers. She had had worship. Now... all she had left was her name. Calliope. And it was here that her name was given to a machine.
They counted the year as 1850. And in a steam workshop in Vermont, Alex Durry tooled around with his master's equipment. Steam could work wonders in this world. It moved great loads. It saved lives. And, as he discovered by moving an organ pipe over a steam vent. The noise startled him, and almost made him dent the pipe. But it did give him an idea...
They had all the equipment they could need to make a prototype in this workshop... Alex got all the spare parts he could together on one workbench. Enough to demonstrate the principal. Mister Stoddard might even be pleased enough to let Alex keep the idea. But then again, that was a high hope. White folks didn't like the idea of escaped former slaves inventing things[1]. Alex believed in Mr Stoddard, all the same. He was a good man, and had a head for useful inventions.
Alex was deep into it when Mr Stoddard arrived to the workshop in the morning. Alex's behemoth principal demonstration now dominated two workbenches, and Alex was working on the valves.
"My goodness, Mr Durry. What have you been up to in the night?"
Alex grinned. "It's almost ready, Mr Stoddard. I had me an idea. It done struck like a muse, sir. He tightened the last bolt and let the steam build up. "This here could be a whole new musical instrument, sir."
"It certainly needs refinement..." Mr Stoddard allowed. "I gather all this is to demonstrate the principal?"
"Exactly right," Alex got a couple of heavy hammers. "Levers are a bit stiff, you understand. There's a lot of pressure." Muscles once employed to drive spikes into rail lines pumped hammers at levers and managed half of a recognisable tune.
Mr Stoddard laughed, "That is a powerful instrument you've made, Mr Durry. Do you have plans?"
"I got scratch plans, sir. Working out what had to go where."
"That's a start, at least. Let's decouple your beast and work out the next step together."
For the rest of his life, Mr Joshua Stoddard repeated that he was not the inventor of the Steam Calliope. He only patented improvements on someone else's machine. But that never stopped anyone. Alex had been correct in his surmise. White people really didn't like the idea of escaped former slaves inventing things. Especially not things as artistic and fabulous as an instrument named after a demigoddess.
But Alex knew, and Calliope knew too. Though she no longer spoke through oracles or worshippers. Now, she speaks through polished pipes and steam.
[1]: Though a Joshua C. Stoddard is credited with the invention of the Steam Calliope, I've found one source that says the actual inventor is one A. S. Durry. And since I could find no other information but the name, I went with the natural conclusion that history has once again been whitewashed.
[AN: After compiling last year's Instants, I realised that my count was off and it has now been amended. Apologies for the confusion]
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / knips]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me.
Send me a prompt [18 remaining prompts!]