(This is a piece from my Steampunk rock opera, “Absinthe Heroes.” Note that it’s sung by two protagonists – Chastity, and Captain Adastra – and the antagonist, Dr. Antikythera. Note also that, as with much of my Steampunk writing, I’ve intentionally left in some parts which make sense in a 19th century setting, but in the 20th century, are designed to make you say, “Waaaaaait a minute…”)
Dr. Antikythera:
Come join with me
We have riches untold
Lovers so bold
Your breath will steam;
Glories on so very vast a scale
Your waking life will outsail
Your greatest of dreams!
It’s true, a few will perish in pain
But we’ll cherish the rain
That wipes away grief.
The riches of the world to be plucked;
Concubines to construct
A soothing relief.
Think of the civilization we’ll will
Our workings will fill
The sea, land and space!
Indeed, the very ether we’ll plumb
No Golden Age will come —
We’ll do better:
Uranium!
And lace!
Sure, some millions will be dead
And a few will be fed
To tyrannosaurs, on
The Solstice eve…
Ah, but some murder
Might take you further
And truly great things
You’ll–
Achieve!
Captain Adastra:
You must be mad
You must be mad
No-one could say that
If he were sane
Too much absinthe
Too much smoke
Somewhere your mind
Was stained
With something awful
Something dire
Some inhuman
Mire
Chastity:
You must be evil
You must be evil
Born without a soul
Like an ogre
Like a ghoul
Like a troglydite
Or troll
Some creature out
Of myth
Dark as pitch
And pith
Adastra and Chas:
But there’s a problem
There’s a problem
And it’s solid as a stone
If you’re mad
Or if you’re evil–
You are not alone
Adastra:
The world is mad
The world is mad
It’s mad, far as
I can tell
It’s human folly
To say “sane” or “mad”
As if it were some kind
Of spell
You can’t chain it up
With speech;
That’s past human reach.
Chastity:
Is there evil?
There is evil
You may be evil,
I admit
But you’re half evil
And half otherwise
And for I, too
That fits
I’d try you on
As ruler;
We’ve had crueler.
Adastra and Chastity:
You make an excellent proposition
Why should we give opposition?
Adastra:
I want to see the wonders come.
Chastity:
I want to hear the engines hum
Adastra:
It may be horrible, and then some–
Chastity:
But without risk, you’re a ghost.
Adastra:
I’ll take your hand; I’ll take your side.
Chastity:
Let’s try the things that none have tried.
Adastra:
I’ll do my damnedest, and with pride.
Chastity:
I’ll drink to that
An absinthe toast.
My name is Jeff Mach (“Dark Lord” is optional) and I build communities, put on events, and make stories come into being. I also tweet a lot over @darklordjournal.
