The Workhouse War

An Artist's Visions of a Novel

A tall, elegant man like a sinister George Washington with all his dignity turned to cruelty. Although the newcomer puts a stop to the brutal beating, Nadine can tell by his manner that he has little or no sympathy for the victim. His high-flown talk draws a snort of contempt from Puggy.

Betrayed, Nadine and Puggy flee through the streets of Port of White Fleet. Nadine learns that the man in the tricorn hat is Maxwell, one of the leading officials of the notorious Workhouse. This is Port's orphanage, and Puggy regards it as being a hotbed of hypocracy.

After a confrontation with Maxwell in which Puggy claims that Nadine is his niece and mispronounces her name as "Danby," (and Maxwell calls Puggy "Admiral Beauregard," a name which summons half-remembered Civil War genealogy to Nadine's mind) Nadine knows that she has to have someplace to live so she isn't swept into the Workhouse. Puggy tells her that he and his "dragon" have set up a sort of private orphanage of their own, a refuge for some stray children and an alternative to the Workhouse.

Nadine gladly accepts and follows Puggy home to a huge Victorian house where she meets the other children. The next day Puggy takes her to her new high school and gets her enrolled. She is disappointed to discover that the art teacher won't let her join the class late, but Puggy consoles her by telling her to come straight back after school and she can begin private art lessons with his dragon.

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This page last updated March 15, 2000