Andelbert and I arrived in the gardens shortly before sunrise the next morning. A massive crowd of spectators had already arrived. The King and Queen were in attendance, of course. So was every royal in the surrounding area, it seemed. The Montgolfier brothers were making their final preparations and filling the balloon with hot air. The balloon itself was globe-shaped and decorated with fantastic decorative paintings, including a likeness of the King’s face on the sun. A clever bit of flattery, I thought.

After paying our respects and expressing our gratitude to the King and Queen, we made our way to the ballon.

I greeted the Montgolfier brothers.

“Good morning, Jacques and Joseph. It is a good day to fly, I hope.”

“Good morning, Britpop and Andelbert. It is nearly perfect weather for flying. Cool and clear with every little wind. We should have a wonderful flight,” Jacques answered.

“I have no doubt.”

We watched as the balloon continued to fill. Once it was full, Jacques climbed up on the passenger basket. While holding onto one of the ropes that secured the basket, he addressed the crowd.

“Your Majesties, I am delighted for the opportunity to demonstrate our newest balloon. Your support in these endeavors means everything to me. My only regret is that you will not be our passengers on this flight.”

The King shouted, “A King must keep his feet on the ground. Only his head may be in the clouds.”

At which, everyone in attendance laughed.

The Queen seemed in a playful mood and followed with, “And I fear I would faint and be nothing more than a useless sandbag.”

The King looked at the Queen with a surprised look and began laughing. Which was followed by more royal laughing.

“As you wish, my King and Queen,” Jacques said. “Then I will invite Joseph and the Blastfurnace brothers to join me in the basket. It is time to depart.”

We all got into the basket, and Joseph opened the vents on the firebox. The balloon slowly began to rise. The crowd cheered, and we waved as we gradually rose into the sky. A team of riders on horseback would follow us best they could from the ground until we landed.

As we rose silently into the sky, Joseph said, “Our first balloon flight at the palace featured a rooster, a duck, and a sheep as passengers. The King suggested we send two prisoners as test subjects. We gracefully suggested animals would be better suited. Plus, I did not want the honor to go a criminal. The animals suffered no ill effect, so the King deemed it safe for human passengers. Our brother Étienne was the first man to fly a few months later in a tethered flight.”

“The view is unbelievable. The size of the palace grounds is astounding. Everything looks so tiny. How high will we go?” Andelbert asked.

“I suspect we will reach between 1000 and 2000 meters.”

That was vastly higher than our balloon had taken us in Mayaguana.

“Incredible,” I said. I really was speechless as we climbed higher and higher. I could see the entire village of Versaille and the palace grounds by then.”

“Where shall we go?” Andelbert asked.

“Wherever the wind takes us,” Jacques said and then laughed. “Actually, we have learned that the winds blow in different directions at different altitudes, so we have gained a small ability to steer the balloon. But it is not perfect. We are still at the mercies of the wind and sky.”

We drifted along for quite some time when Paris came into view.

“Is that Paris?” I asked.

“Yes. And you are seeing her like few have,” Jacques replied.

“It is beautiful,” I said.

“Indeed,” Joseph replied.

We began our descent over Paris, and as we lowered more and more details of this breathtaking city came into view. I saw bridges lined with buildings, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and many ships sailing on the Seine river. The four of us rode for quite some time in silence, taking in the views. As we approached the farmland north of Paris, Joseph said it was time to land the balloon. We had been flying for close to two hours. We began descending toward an open field. Joseph warned us that the landing could be rough, and we would likely be dragged for some distance before stopping.

We were flying at about the height of a tall tree when a sudden gust of wind blew us off course and directly into one of the windmills used to grind flower. The sleeve of the balloon hit the blades of the windmill. We spun around harshly. The balloon tried to right itself, but that resulted in the basket slamming into the ground with great force. The four of us were thrown against the side of the basket. I felt a burning pain in my leg. The balloon dragged us across the field for several seconds before stopping. The other three passengers crawled out to safety, but I could not move my leg without feeling incredible pain.

“Andelbert, I believe I have broken my leg. I will need assistance,” I said.

Andelbert and the Montgolfier brothers helped me get clear of the balloon. Crowds of Parisians who had been following us as we flew overhead soon began to arrive. A doctor was recruited to examine my leg and confirmed that it was indeed broken. I was taken to a nearby hospital, and the leg was set. By then, a royal carriage had arrived, and the four of us were taken back to the palace.

As we rode, Jospeh looked very troubled.

“I am sorry about your balloon, Joseph,” I said.

“It is of no consequence. We will build a better one next time. But I am deeply sorry for your injury, Britpop. Such a wind gust is rare. I could not control the balloon.”

“There is no need to apologize. You are not in control of the wind. I would gladly do it again with the same result.”

“You are very kind. We will, of course, reimburse you for your medical expenses.”

“There is no need. I have plenty of traveling money as I have been the guest of the King and not required to pay for anything.”

“Still, I must insist.”

“Put it out of your mind. After all, I am now the first man to have broken his leg in a balloon accident. Soon I will be famous.”

Andelbert and the Montgolfier brothers laughed.