The air screamed by Setzer as the airship shuddered back and forth.
His hands were clenched tightly upon the wheel, expertly spinning it back and
forth to compensate for the winds buffeting the oddly shaped balloon which
held the ship aloft.  Fifty-mile-an-hour winds screeched at him, and he began
to smell the distinct, bitter waft of ozone.

	"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, then raised his head and spoke
loudly, for the benefit of any who might be listening to him.  "Leave it to a
gambler to try to cross the ocean to the northern continent before we crash,"
he boasted, allowing a tight grin to cross his face.

	Confident in the trust his friends held in him, he allowed his
thoughts to drift briefly.  While it was true that crossing the ocean would
not be the simplest of tasks, and the balloon which gave the airship its lift
would provide it with a ballast of sorts, it would make it quite a bit more
difficult to repair.

	With a shrug and a dismissal of this rogue thought which had attempted
to jostle his confidence, if only briefly, he inched his hand down to a lever
set in the side of the wheel housing.  Jerking it suddenly forward, the
airship jerked forward in response, accelerating just as it lost altitude.
White hair whipped about his face.  Not sparing a glance away from his task,
he called over his shoulder.

	"Anyone for a game of Poker when this is over?"  Strange.  No
response.  From anyone.  He gritted his teeth in frustration before calling
out one final time, "Crash positions!"  Still no response!  Were any of them
left on the ship?!  Unfortunately, he had no time to put any thought into it.
The ground was rising up at him like Alphonz rising up to a 'simple' couple
hands of five-card stud.  Fast, and sure it was going to win in the upcoming
conflict.  Except that this time, Setzer would put his money on the ground,
rather than on Alphonz.

	These were his last thoughts as the airship plowed into the ground,
leaving a deep furrow behind it to mark its path.