day forty-eight and a gasp

The fantastically large Imperial Zeppelin, with it's black upper part and white lower part, made the airship Ron had travelled in look like a birdkid's party balloon. As Ron and Benny peered through the window of the Soup Shack, they could not see the ends of it. They could plainly see the Imperial crest on the side of the zeppelin and signs of unhurried activity were visible through the gold portholes of it's gondola.
Ron and Benny then gasped as a long gangway was slowly lowered from the underside of the gondola to the ledge below. It was like a chute rather than a staircase. After a minute, some penguins, obviously members of the Emperor's retinue, slid smoothly down the chute one-by-one, head-first. The penguins stood up on the ledge and saluted as a loud fanfare blurted out.  This was followed by the appearance of the Emperor himself, who regally descended the chute feet-first. The Emperor, flanked by his footmen and generals, approached the Soup Shack. He was an imposing figure, wearing a long red gown with a white fur collar, and a gold crown which reflected the pale sunlight. Ron and Benny jumped away from the window, their hearts beating louder than the now much quieter idling engine of the zeppelin. They took a deep breath....

"Knock, knock!"