Read Steemjammer: Through the Verltgaat Online
Authors: John Eubank
Steemjammer: Through the Verltgaat (31 page)
Again, Bram misread Will’s look of revulsion as a positive reaction.
“That would give your miserable existence some actual meaning, wouldn’t it?” Bram said. “My father might even let you dye a false forelock. That would be a great honor, Stevens. No one’s earned it in many years, but don’t ever think of doing so without permission. You getting this?”
“Yes,” Will said, wishing Bram would hurry up and let him go, if that really was his intention.
“Take off the overalls. Just drop them.”
He did so, straightening out the smelly clothing he wore underneath. They went out on the creaky dock, where Will boarded a small boat. A rough looking man in a coarse-woven pea coat held up a canvas tarp, signaling him to crawl under it. Something about Bram changed. His face clouded over, like he was having doubts.
“Don’t fail me,” he hissed from the dock. “You know our chemicals can kill. Or force truth. You don’t want to find out what else.”
The look on Bram’s face was severe and cruel. How could a kid his age, Will wondered, be like that – even in such a family? How could he and Bram be so completely different?
“I see you’re properly motivated,” Bram grinned. “Good. Get going. Earn your place at the table.”
The tarp was pulled over Will. He feared this might be a cruel joke, but in moments came the clatter of working pistons. The boat’s small steam engine putted, sending them chugging across the river.
Was he really free? His mind drifted back to all the things he’d done to escape, and guilt almost overwhelmed him. He couldn’t help feeling he’d left some significant part of himself behind. Had he lost his goot steem forever? He wondered if it would kill him.
DE EINDE (THE END)
THE STORY CONTINUES IN
STEEMJAMMER, THE DEEPER TRUTH.
Phrase | Definition |
Aanhooren | Listen |
Achterhaalt | Old-fashioned |
Aether | Ether, the basic substance of empty space (which isn't really empty) |
Afzetterr | Cheater |
Alles komt op zin teed | All things come with time |
Alles zit goot | All is good |
Als de moyren oren habben, de fensters zingen sopraanen | If the walls have ears, the windows sing soprano |
Appelmoos | Applesauce |
Begekkin | Crazy |
Behoorlink | Properly |
Bespaaren ons | Save us |
Beverkenfort | Castle or Fort of Works, Working Fort |
Beverkenhaas | Working house or house of works |
Beverkenverlt | World of works or tinker world |
Booskroyt | Gunpowder |
Braaf | Brave |
B'verlt | Short for Beverkenverlt |
De | The (het also means the but is not commonly used in Beverkenverltish Dutch) |
De Achteroot Maalstrom | The Backwards Vortex |
De Groes Steem Maester | The Great Steam Master |
De Groes Zee | The Great Sea |
De Hoeg Bloodzoyger | The High Leech, title of the head of the Rasmussen family or Protectorate (doctors were called leeches long ago) |
De is loyk je te ontmooten | It's nice to meet you |
De Kasteel Leedink | The Castle Line |
De molen gaat neet om met wind dee voorbe is | The windmill doesn't worry about the breeze that's gone by |
De pekoerde | The pecking order |
De Tandweel Slagvelt | The Cobwheel Battleground |
Denk | Think |
Dis stinkan | This stinks |
Donec ignis potens et altum vaporem | (Latin) Keep your fire stoked and your steam high |
Ect neet | No way |
Eenvoodink | Obviously |
Ene beetya | A bit |
Falen | Fail |
Flink kint | Smart kid |
Foyr | Fire |
Gaaf | Cool, as in great, awesome, or wow (the expression) |
Ganoof | Enough |
Gebroyk de voormaaker | Use the sledgehammer |
Gedult | Patience |
Genau | Exactly |
Glokkenspeel | Toy clocks |
Goot | Good |
Groes Vevardinker | Great Maker (a reference to their Creator or God) |
Groes Weel | Great Wheel |
Groesmoyder | Grandmother |
Groesvader | Grandfather |
Haar | Hair |
Haas | House (Hoos is also used for house in some areas of Beverkenverlt) |
Haasbezook | House call |
haaskooler | house cooler |
Haast | Make haste |
Heersenen | Brains |
Hemel noyn | Heavens no |
Hemel snoor | Sky Line, a super fast chairlift-like mode of public transportation |
Hemel steen | Sky stone or meteorite |
Hoo gaas oo verkamer op de Dutch | How goes your studies in Dutch |
Hoot | Hat |
Hoy | Hey, wow, or aha |
Hoyzaa | Hooray |
Hulloo | Hello |
Ick kan Dutch spreken | I speak Dutch |
Ik ben de Alfonz | I'm Alfonz |
Ik ben in de baadkoop | I'm in the bathtub |
Incendium | A rare Beverkenverltish element that acts like solid lava and can be used to power small boilers |
Jaaren | Years |
Kaffee | Coffee |
Kalmte | Silence |
Kasteel | Castle or Fort of Works, Working Fort |
Kint | Kid |
Kinter | Kids or children |
klompen | Wooden clog shoes |
Kooken | Kitchen |
Koonen-Kroogen | Royal-Crowned |
Kopf | Head |
Kwellgeest | Small humanoid, imp-like creatures native to Beverkenverlt; extremely aggressive |
Lafaard | Coward |
Leef | Dear |
Locomobile | Steam car (from English, not Dutch) |
Loottel | Little |
Loygenaar | Liar |
Maanden | Months |
Minuten | Minutes |
Mit de Steemjammer kinter | With the Steemjammer kids |
Moderacium | A rare Beverkenverltish element that cools Incendium when in contact with it |
Moyder | Mother |
Moyna zweenking wel | My turn now |
Moyne | my |
Nachtdoyvel | Nightmare (literally a "night devil") |
Neef | Cousin |
Neh | Eh (like ending a sentence in "right?" – seeking confirmation) |
Noftalekt Juice | A brand name for a Rasmussen made remedy that cures most poisoning |
Noo | Slang for a pneumatically sent message |
Noyn | No |
Noyrhine | New Rhine (river) – a river near New Amsterdam named after the Rhine, even though the Rhine doesn't go through Amsterdam. |
Oevergave | Surrender or I surrender |
Onkel | Uncle |
Ontdaan | Upset |
Oo bent goot waar de rekent | You're good where it matters |
Ost Frisia | East Frisia |
Oudtante | Great Aunt or Old Aunt |
Oyteraan | Of course |
Oytsel het de deef de teed | Procrastination is the thief of time |
Perkaz | Peace |
Pofferjee | A cross between a donut and a pancake, dusted with powdered sugar or eaten with syrup |
Politweezen | Police |
Rasmussenfort | How the Rasmussens renamed Beverkenfort after conquering it |
Raz | Short for Rasmussen or Rasmussens |
Rootkoel | Red Cabbage |
Schaaren | Snippers |
Seconden | Seconds |
Shadovecht | Shadow warrior. English speakers use Shadovecht for singular and plural. Many Dutch speakers use Shadovechten for plural. |
Shadoverks | Shadow Works, the main Rasmussen base where Shadovecht are made |
Shlaapees | Sleepies, diminuative of sleep |
Shoonmaaken | Cleansed, cured |
Skirlberry | Scottish name for a Beverkenverltish berry with strange flavors and properties. Used in groat klonks. |
Sleeb | A slur used to insult someone based on their lack of status or not fitting in; slang |
Slemp | A hot sweet spiced beverage kind of like hot chocolate |
Snert | Split pea soup |
Snookendapp | A bitter Beverkenverltish fruit |
Steeler spelunk | Den of thieves |
Steem | Steam (can refer to gaseous water or a special quality valued by the Steemjammer family) |
Steemball | Steam Ball, a game played with armored steemtraps that fight over a one ton bronze ball in a large field |
Steemgun | Cannon powered by steam; can also refer to a large rifle powered by steam |
Steemlift | A steam-powered elevator |
Steemspeel | Steam toy |
Steemsuit | Steam powered personal armor. Steam comes from a hose to a boiler or an Incendium-powered backpack boiler. |