Almost 14,000 words into "The Baby Killers" now. Damn, this thing moves slow.
The Governor-General far preferred horses, but had surrendered to the necessity supporting the very modern industry which he despised in his heart of hearts. If he were going to be seen in a horseless carriage, he preferred something mighty which properly projected the majesty of the law and the power of his office.
His conveyance was a 1905 Imperial series Seagrave Steam Ram. Intended for battlefield or heavy industrial use, this vehicle required a crew of four and a ton of anthracite coal on board before being brought into daily service. It was essentially a road-going locomotive which had to be carefully routed to avoid light duty bridges or sharp corners.
Knowing his master well, Hoare had thoughtfully equipped the gubernatorial steam ram with bronze statues of the nine Muses of Greek legend. Each had whistles installed in her various orifices tuned so that as the ram developed good head pressure it serenaded the occupants. The resulting visual effect was a stunning display of laughable poor taste and rampant misogynism, but as Belle had yet to view his own peregrinations, the Governor-General remained happily ignorant of this much-maligned symbol of Philadelphia's motor transport brotherhood.
