“What…. what is it?”

Esuyp had been locked up in the old building for months on end, emerging only to do her required part of the settlement’s labor and fix the things that needed fixing, sometimes to eat and even more rarely to sleep.  Qiameth had been running back and forth between Esuyp’s workshop — so they all assumed it was — and the old school buildings, muttering to herself.

Now the thing — the result of every minute of leisure time for two people for over half a year in a settlement where everyone was working steadily — was out in the middle of the Green and the whole settlement was staring at it.

“What is it?” repeated the Eldest.  

“It,” Esuyp declared, with a grin that bordered on manic, “is an envelope. ”  She pronounced the word carefully in Ancient English. “It is a protective covering which is pushed through the air by means of a unique propulsion system.  It is designed to hide and cover its contents — one to five people or a combination of people and cargo — while moving them, such that they appear to be part of their surroundings.”

“A — a unique propulsion system?”  The Eldest frowned, concerned.  “You’re not using internal combustion, are you?”

“This is not a reenactment settlement,” Esuyp retorted.  “No, no.  That was the tricky part, but Qiameth found the answer in an ancient text.  No, this one is special.”  She liked the air of mystery, that was true, but she also liked the way that everyone was looking at her — like she might be useful for something other than fixing the ancient tech around this settlement.

She stepped into the creation.  It was whitish, although it was currently green on the bottom, the same color as the grass of the Green.  It was vaguely tubular, with the opening on the top and a pressed vein along the bottom.  Qiameth stepped in next to her and, as it was her job to be brave, so did the Eldest.

The top folded over in a distinctive point.  Esuyp pulled three levers and the thing lifted into the air.  From the ground, the remaining settlers watched it vanish into the clouds.

“It runs,” Esuyp explained to the Elder, her voice full of supreme self-confidence, “on chutzpah.”

Written to today’s Thimbleful Thursday Prompt.