"Puff... puff... puff..."
White steam blasted from the cylinders beneath the train like a plume of dense smoke striking both sides of the tracks. Parts of the locomotive began to operate, producing ticking sounds. Puff... With the final release of pressure, the chimney that had just been sending up wisps of smoke instantly erupted with fierce, thick black smoke.
A huge column of white steam shot skyward beside the chimney, followed by a sharp whistle. "Woo... woo... woo... woo... woo... woo..." It sounded like the shriek of some monster.
The people standing guard on both sides of the railway were jolted awake by the ear-splitting sound. The locomotive made one final exhaust, its wheels began to turn, and the chimney gave its all. Amid repeated puffs, billows of black smoke were forced out through the towering black stack.
"Clank-chug... clank-chug... clank-chug..." The Constantin began moving along the tracks, its enormous steel wheels pressing over the rails with a tremendous roar.
The train left Dar es Salaam city railway station, continuously accelerating as it advanced toward First Town railway station.
"Your Majesty, the Constantin can reach a top speed of fifty-seven kilometers per hour. However, to ensure stability and comfort on this journey, we will proceed toward First Town at forty kilometers per hour," the technician explained in the carriage.
Constantin glanced at his wristwatch. "So we can return to First Town in an hour and a half?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Constantin's carriage had been specially commissioned in Austria. Its interior was exceedingly luxurious, little different from those of other European monarchs. Its highlights were the lighting installed throughout the carriage and the coffee stove in the drinking-water room, the latest product of Hohenzollern Daily Necessities Company. Both ran on electricity supplied by a small internal combustion engine. When the carriage