Palace of Versailles, France
Spring 1846
The train arrived in Paris just after sunrise.
Steam rolled heavily beneath the locomotive as the massive iron machine slowed into the station, its steel wheels screeching softly against the rails before finally settling into place. Heat and pressure escaped from the engine in bursts of white vapor that drifted through the cold morning air while workers moved quickly along the platform shouting instructions to one another over the noise.
The station itself already felt overwhelming.
Passengers began descending from the railcars one after another. Businessmen carrying leather cases stepped onto the platform beside military officers in formal coats. Merchants barked at assistants hauling cargo while diplomats from different nations gathered near station exits waiting for escorts.
And among them stood the American delegation.
