Life Beyond the Mississippi (Eleven, River, G)

[eve11]

This was written for the "River" drabble challenge over at who_contest

Title: Life Beyond the Mississippi
Author: eve11
Word Count: 547
Characters: Eleven, River
Rating: G, All ages

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**

Why should a man aspire to politics and power when he could pilot a riverboat? Perched above slaves and senators alike in the lush lighted decks beneath his feet, the paddles churning relentless wake at his direction, sluicing through the currentless mirror of the Mississippi, surrounded by the slowly scrolling grandeur of coastal ports and summer magnolias, why even a cub on his first lone watch in the pilot house may come to believe he has a hold on the entire world. And surely the paycheck does nothing to disabuse him of the notion. But the riverboat's lessons in humility are abundant and strange.

It was summer, middle watch, and we were picking across the treacherous shallows ringing the delta. I had called for leads and kept an ear attuned above the din spilling out onto the promenade--a party grown from Memphis to Natchez, determined to keep pace with the waxing moon.

"Quarter li-ine, half li-ine..." the leadsman sung from starboard bow, relayed to the hurricane deck. "Ma-ark Twain!"

"Are you?" came a voice at my back. The door slammed shut, cutting off the song, and I whirled around to find myself besieged by the British heiress who'd embarked with her young gentleman friend at Greenville. She smiled primly and produced a contraption from her petticoats that I mistook for a derringer, until she uncapped it and painted her lips. "I've always wondered what other talents come with a witty tongue."

I would be hard pressed to invent a lie so outrageous, and harder still to invent a retort, though I've had many nights since to mull it over. In truth, I stared agape until she sashayed toward me and winked. "I've heard a kiss from the pilot is good luck."

I did what hardly any robust young lad in my situation would do, and ducked away from her puckered lips. "Madam, in my experience, luck manufactured so deals good and bad in unequal measure!"

She pouted, chasing me further from the wheel. "Clever clogs, you are him, aren't you? More's the pity."

"Your husband--"

A penetrating cry of "Riverrrr!" filtered down from above. She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Is currently fighting a mangled Auton clone of Colonel Bixby who's taken to scaling your smokestack for some anti-fresh air."

"No time like the present!" came the voice again, and I succumbed to my curiosity and looked up, only long enough to see two figures silhouetted in the moonlight. Then a hand turned my cheek--who knew she could move so stealthily in all that frock!--and I received the kiss after all. She shouldered into the wheel, driving us hard to starboard.

"Sorry, Mr. Twain. We really can't let him reach New Orleans, you see."

"My name is Sam," I managed, before my legs gave out. The last thing I heard that night was an ear-splitting scream--the whistle belching steam and fury from below.

**

We'd run aground by morning. Colonel Bixby was missing, as was the couple from Greenville. I took the demerits of course. What I saw on the stack in that second, I cannot remit to fog or shadows or drink. Only to one of Nature's great lessons in humility, and count myself lucky to have survived it.

Comments

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like how you captured the atmosphere/voice here, and the Doctor & River meeting Mark Twain is great. :)

[eve11]

Thanks very much! After coming up with the idea (vague as it was), I really wasn't sure if I would be able to pull off anything close to the right atmosphere or voice. Also... had to do some research on riverboats. Because why would I come up with an idea I knew anything about? ;D

[gallif-migrant.livejournal.com]

I like your description at the beginning! And like ladymercury_10 says, you really nailed the voices! So rarely does the Doctor visit my country, so it's nice you brought him there. So basically, wonderful job!

[eve11]

Thanks very much! I am from PA myself, but neither a historian nor very much into literature, so I did end up doing some legwork to flesh the idea out a bit. I'm glad it worked for you! :D

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

Ooh, Mark Twain! Very cool. ^.^

[eve11]

Thanks very much! :)

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

LOL!! This is EPIC, m'dear!! Sheerly EPIC! I swear, this is why waiting for your words is worth it each and every time!! Not only do I get the Doctor and River...I get them on a steamboat...with MARK TWAIN (I mean, Samuel Clemens) piloting said steamboat! Just...gorgeous!!

*Happy!Squishes!*

[eve11]

Aw thanks! I stewed on it last night for a bit, told myself it was too much trouble to try and write (OMG wit? No no no I can't do wit!), and no way would I fit anything worthwhile under 550 words with that sprawling southern style, but then I wrote a bunch of it anyway, stewed about it on my drive in to work this morning, and finished it up in spite of myself, it seems.

(Also, Ah I was supposed to send you a PM! I have been rubbish at answering comments lately, sorry! brain, going oooh shiny! at whatever new distraction is available...)

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Dude. I oughta smack you. There are people who would kill to write grocery lists like you do. You are all over the Wit and Awesomeness. Ever question that again, come see me *sniffs* My green-ness should be sufficient in telling you how awesome thou art.

(No worries!! I should have something to you by the next hockey session. Just send the PM anyway. And at least my brain isn't all lonely in the 'OH!SQUIRREL! Ohhhh, shiny!' category. That's all mine ever does. Well...once it eventually crawled back into my skull after Post!Office!Horrors!)

[eve11]

Yah, well, I mean, trying to reproduce something in the general vicinity of Mark Twain is a biiit intimidating! Especially when the last thing I read of his was Huck Finn in like, gradeschool! Luckily the Internet was there with some snippets of letters and correspondences about his steamboat days. Aaaand also gave me some nice info about parts of the steamboat, etc. I'm like, "Good lord brain, please come up with something involving complex math next time so I won't have to research anything!" Or alien planets; you can't get those wrong.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

LOL!! I will grant you that. Samuel is a tricky one...but you were flawless in execution, style, flair and artistry. Which. I expected no less. Guess that's a buttload of pressure though and I apologize for that...but: perfection=achieved.

I only know bits and pieces, but I loved his Goldbug and Huck Finn. So many layers to his tales - and you caught that feel, as well as the sense of history. Makes me ashamed that I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time, lol!!

Yeah. Alien planets are easy. Tis almost like cheating. *Grins*

[nonelvis]

Eeeee! Mark Twain fic! Adorable.

[eve11]

Thanks! :D

[paynesgrey.livejournal.com]

I really love this fic, especially the concept of it! Perfect characterizations too and the voice just had me smiling throughout. Well done!

[eve11]

Thanks very much! :)

[betawho.livejournal.com]

LOL! That's great. I definitely can see the Doctor and River meeting Mark Twain. Even better when he's still young Sam Clemens. And the Doctor and River on a "River"boat with Autons? Fantastic idea.

I wish they'd done something like this for an episode.

[eve11]

Thanks! I admit I had Autons on the brain after reading the third tale ("Strangers in the Outland") from the Eleventh Doctor book "Tales of Trenzalore." Come to think of it there was a sort-of boat in that one too, which may have been part of why I was thinking of it.

An episode would have been cool! One of my favorite Star Trek TNG episodes ever was the time travel one where they met Mark Twain (and he hitched a ride through the snake-wormhole to see the future and the Enterprise!).

[swan-secrets.livejournal.com]

Goodness, golly and gosh. This is all the awesome. Wonderfully written.

[eve11]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!