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 For cases were known and whispered through the service, more certain than idle rumors or sky-stories, of extended duty so terrible in its demands on morale that now and then, unable to continue, some unfortunate Chum of Chance had decided to end his life, the overwhelming choice among methods being the "midnight plunge"—simply rolling over the gunwale during a night flight—yet, for those who might prefer less dependence on altitude, any gun on board would present an irresistible appeal.

* * * * * * * * * *

So far, the Chums of Chance and their life have been painted in a joyful light: just a bunch of youngsters on adventures across the world. But suddenly we're introduced to the dark side of Chumming. Not just with the sudden revelation that suicide among the crews was not unheard of but also the realization that the missions the crews embarked upon could be the catalyst for their destruction. What dark adventures have torn at the fragile and innocent psyches of these boys? What dark recesses of the world and nightmare realms have they been witness to? Perhaps H.P. Lovecraft was once a Chum, later to write about the wretched things he saw and the terrifying experiences which played out before his young eyes.

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 The other danger was less easy to speak of, and everyone—except possibly Pugnax, whose thoughts were difficult of access—found themselves speaking in euphemisms.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sometimes sky pilots kill themselves. Although, is not having a gun really much of a deterrent to suicide aboard an airship? It's more likely if a Chum found themselves depressed or ashamed or broken-hearted, wouldn't going for a gun in the armory take quite a bit more time than simply strolling over the side of the deck?

"except possibly Pugnax"
What a weird moment to remind everybody about Pugnax! He was the least of my worries about causing harm with a gun and he's even less of a worry for committing suicide! Puppy power!

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 "As of this moment we are all friends and brothers," Randolph supposed, "but historically any ship's armory is a free-standing volume of potential trouble—an attraction to would-be mutineers, and little else. There it sits, waiting its moment, taking up space that might, particularly on an airship, be more usefully assigned."

* * * * * * * * * *

Randolph eloquently explaining why guns are bottom-tier inventory. In this case he's speaking about ships, particularly airships, but why not extrapolate his argument to any home in America? Oh, because you want your gun? Fine, whatever. What do I care? Have fun with your free-standing volume of potential trouble, you coward.

"an attraction to would-be mutineers"
Who do you think he looked at when he delivered this line? Lindsay or Chick?

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 But the broader issue remained.

* * * * * * * * * *

"the broader issue"
Gun control onboard the Inconvenience. Or, perhaps taking "broader issue" a littler more broadly, gun control in America. Would a gun offer the Chums more security or would they create one more risk to considered aboard an already risky affair of living in a hydrogen balloon floating across various nations of the world? The argument against gun control is a paradox because it relies on the foundational argument that guns are deadly weapons and therefore guns are needed to protect people from guns. But in America, the argument for guns, and why America has so many, has always come down to racism. White Americans treated Black Americans like shit (I know, a totally reductive statement) for, well, ever. So when Black Americans were freed from slavery, white Americans were afraid of what they would do to them. So obviously they needed as many firearms as possible. And that same feeling continues on through every aspect of Black Americans trying to gain equality in this country. It's not just, "I need my guns to protect myself." It's almost always, "I need my guns to protect my property from those impoverished by the systemic racism of a white supremacist country." It's a projection of who are criminals and shouldn't be allowed to have guns and who are proper citizens and should be allowed to shoot whomever they want whenever they want.

Americans exist who don't believe they're accommodating white supremacy or that systemic racism isn't a real thing. But anybody who looks into the history of what white Americans chose to do to public pools once pools were integrated will see reflected in it the way the accommodation of white supremacy informs how the American government's decisions are often made. If a public good or service exists and Black Americans benefit from it, the government (the GOP, mainly, but Democrats are too often willing to compromise with racism, or accommodate white supremacy) will generally do away with that public good or service and allow private enterprise to take over, meaning those whom systemic racism keeps impoverished will lose out on that good or service. Just look to the pools.

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 In the matter of Lew's gift, the solution was easy enough—keep it unloaded.

* * * * * * * * * *

Boo! Boring!

"Lew's gift"
A miniature spotter's telescope disguised as a watch fob capable of firing a single .22 round.

"the solution"
Keep it unloaded!

"keep it unloaded"
The solution!

Chapter 1: Section 6: Page 54: Line 164 (957)

 The boys thanked him sincerely enough, but that night after Evening Quarters argued late over the recurring question of introducing firearms aboard the Inconvenience.

* * * * * * * * * *

"recurring question of introducing firearms aboard the Inconvenience"
This isn't the first time the Chums considered arming themselves. What led to the other moments deemed dangerous enough to even broach the subject? Possibly the encounter with the KKK when they recruited Chick to the team. That one mission in South America with the gambling ring probably saw them in some precarious situations which a gun may have helped extricate them (or, perhaps, simply escalated the situation. That's probably why the arguments over the recurring question). But this time, the firearm came their way innocently enough, as a gift and an oddity. But still quite dangerous, not simply because of the possibility of an accidental wounding but the possibility of blowing the entire balloon to bits.

Obviously the solution is to remove the single bullet and putting it in Randolph St. Cosmo's sock. No wait. Lindsay would demand custody of the bullet, being chief hallway monitor and a huge narc. Probably better to just toss the bullet over the side. It probably won't kill anybody.

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 Lew in return gave them a miniature spotter's telescope disguised as a watch fob, also holding a single .22 round which it was able to fire in an emergency.

* * * * * * * * * *

Hey Joe? Where you going with that spotter's telescope disguised as a watch fob in your hand?

Is the climactic scene of the novel going to be Randolph St. Cosmo blowing away Scarsdale Vibe with his watch fob gun as Scarsdale tries to kill Randolph with his walking stick gun?

"miniature spotter's telescope disguised as a watch fob, also holding a single .22 round"
This has got to be a "You'll shoot your eye out!" joke, right?

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 The boys gave Lew a gold-and-enamel Chums of Chance honorary membership pin to be worn beneath his lapel, which, upon being revealed at any branch anyplace in the world, would entitle him to all visitors' privileges provided for in the C. of C. Charter.

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Who the fuck are the Chums of Chance and why do they apparently have branches all over the globe?! Forget about being paranoid about moving to the long gone Frontier! Be paranoid about gangs of school children with enough power and capital to live in balloons traveling all over the world while spying on everybody! Just because they're kind, it doesn't make them just! Is that sentence a palindrome? "Just them make doesn't it, kind they're because just!" It is!

"any branch anyplace in the world"
So am I to believe there aren't just other clubs ballooning around the world but also other "Chums of Chance" as well? Or are the various branches just meant as support for this one group of balloon boys in wide ranging cities around the world? What are these kids up to?!