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Herr Perzeval Einlass stood aside so that Ragoczy could examine his new coach, a modified Berlin but with elee that would coance anywhere in Europe It occupied the sunniest part of Herr Einlass&039; courtyard, immediately adjacent to his warehouse; half a dozen crafts to hear what the Comte would say "All the ht elliptical springs, just as you required, Herr Cos as well, so that the driver need not fear that he will be thrown from his place As you see, the box is placed deeper in the body of the coach, as you requested, and there are braces on either side of the driving-box The wheels are lip-rimmed and the spokes are reinforced, as are the axles"

"Yes," said Ragoczy, squinting a little in the bright"And the interior done with padded ar hand-straps as well?"

"Of course And in your servants&039; coach, as you stipulated My ht down to my warehouse: all the modifications we made to your coach but the device that turns the seats into a bed It will take less than a day to es" He paused "Mostto their co your own" His expression showed that he considered this to be a bit too th of the shiny new vehicle Heavily burled Alpine fir was setoff by panels glossily black with lacquer, and the s had black-leather curtains "I could still arrange for your device to be painted on the door-panel, Coested "It would be a handsoenerous, but I think not," said Ragoczy "In these republican days I think it is prudent to keep titles unannounced Notheir course, and itnobles" He had a brief, intense recollection of the crowds in Lyon, and the narrow escape he and Madelaine had had, thanks to the de Montalia device on her traveling trunks The howls of the ain, and he said ant as it is, and suitsa few steps away, her parasol raised against the August sun, now ca, "I think Gutesohnes will like it"

"The balance should please his "We should have less sway and es you wanted in the seats," said Einlass

"The device you have contrived is a clever one, and I would ilad of such improvements in his coach Many would pay well for these improvements It could make travel more pleasant for those anted your oczy could make a profit if he would license Herr Einlass to provide these modifications for others

"Let oczy fireniality "If they perform as I anticipate, then perhaps we should have a discussion" He regarded the coach- crafty in his demeanor "You, of course, would not provideproper contracts first, would you?"

Einlass&039; eyes flickered "No, Cooczy shook his head "Tell whomever you have offered my modifications to that you will not be able to provide theorously tested, and until they are, it would be premature to offer them to others" His voice was cordial but there could be nohis purpose

"Yes I will Of course," said Einlass, all deference "It is just that your innovations are soso "

"Practical?" Ragoczy suggested; in the two centuries he had been adding such modifications to his coaches, he had been able to refine theeous?"

"Exactly!" Einlass enthused "Those clips you have for the curtains, top and bottomatic addition for the traveler Do they need to be tested?"

"Another thing we can discuss later," said Ragoczy as he held out his hand to Hero "Would you like to inspect the interior?"

"Yes, please," she said; she closed her parasol and allowed him to assist her into the new coach

"The upholstery is just as you required, Comte," Einlass assured him "The colors are the colors you chose"

"Because this is the cloth I supplied You would be hard-pressed to find it anywhere in Europe" He stood in the open door "Are you comfortable, Madame?"

"I am," she said "So many s, and such well-padded seats" She ran her hand over the rich da of the interior "You&039;ve thought of everything"

"Probably not, but I have anticipated oczy ave his attention to Einlass "I will sendwith the tea the Coray horses

"No: ant animals, all four of the forward action I had theh it was more than two hundred years since Olivia had died the True Death, he neverhorses

"They are at the chateau; they arrived just eight days ago," said Hero in a carrying voice as she prepared to ee from the vehicle "Very fine animals Their coats are so dense a brown they are almost purple, and their manes and tails are pure flaxen They will set off this coach admirably"

"Will you take them all the way to A the road, I know"

"It will depend on hoe do If we go straight through, then ill need to change teae and Saarbrucken, or Ze the road to allow the teaoczy helped Hero to come down from the coach "Do you think you will enjoy the journey?"

She nodded "Oh, yes This will beabout after oczy with a nod to Einlass "Be ready for my coachman-Otto Gutesohnes is his name"

"Your courier?" Einlass was a bit surprised

"Hochvall is recovering fro forof the sort," Einlass adossip "Very well Everything will be ready after eight o&039;clock"

"I assume the payment I provided was sufficient to your supplies and labor?" Ragoczy asked, well-aware that the sum he had advanced Einlass was more than sufficient for the work he and his men had done

"You have a credit withat month&039;s end" Einlass bowed, then wiped the sweat fro his best to keep a deter hienerous as Cooczy, and started across the courtyard to where his calash aiting, two striking gray horses harnessed to it The top was down, so as Ragoczy lowered the steps he gave Hero his ar her his stability as she oczy cli-box, took the reins and the whip, loosened the brake, and put his pair in motion As he tooled the calash out into the street, he said over his shoulder, "Would you like to stop for dinner, or would you prefer to return directly to the chateau?"

"How long will it take to reach the chateau?" she asked, her parasol open and her face in its shadow

"Just over two hours, I should think," said Ragoczy

"Two hours," she repeated "The horses are not too tired in this heat? They would not be worn down?"

"Not too exhausted, no And they have been watered and walked whilethe coach" He could feel the pair pull on their bits as he kept the the cobbled streets; they were ready to return hoo back to the chateau, then," she said after a brief silence "I wouldn&039;t like to be on the road in the late afternoon They say that robbers are attacking travelers, and there are oczy, who carried a pri-coat, said only, "Robbers can rob at any tiht," said Hero, frowning a little "Darkness aids theoczy, expertly threading his pair through the confusion of wagons, carriages, carts, buggies, traps, and coaches that filled the streets of Yvoire At the oczy pulled his horses in to a sloalk, saying to Hero, "These wares are fragile I would not like to dae any in a rush to leave the town"

"No doubt the potters knohat they can afford to lose," said Hero, then sat up, chagrined by what she realized sounded like callousness "I didn&039;t mean that, not entirely I meant that they know not to put their most valuable here it could be broken"

"I should hope so," he said, and edged the calash past a large wagon laden with haunches of se of the market where fruits and floere sold, Hero said, "It looks as if there will be ain"

"Wise housewives will still make preserves and comfits, and put up berries in brandy, in case the cold returns," said Ragoczy

"Or there is another war," added Hero as she heard a distant roll of thunder froainst the mountains "We will be late for dinner, won&039;t we?" Without waiting for an answer, she settled back, and said nothingat a steady trot down the dusty road As they passed over a narrow stone bridge, she said, "There seems so much to do before we depart Do you truly plan that we should leave for Amsterdam at the end of this week? That is only three more days"

"Yes I can see no reason for more delay, and after the first full day of travel, ill be glad to have a day to rest" He noticedin the bushes, calmly unimpressed by the calash

"There is so ather in everything that had to be dealt with

"Inforier of your needs, and he will s ready Take what you would like-the coach can carry a fair arays as they came to the turn-off for the chateau "This won&039;t be like following your father into the desert, or preparing for an expedition to distant ruins, you know A that you may wish to replace, you will be able to find without trouble"

She laughed "I know that The habits of my youth stay with me; I never travel but I believe Ithat I ht need in any circumstances, no matter how unlikely" She leaned back on the squabs once er, after so long?"

"Other than my nature?" he inquired "There may be a few, faint echoes I always re the five days of the Solstice It was the time of my birth that selected me to join the priests of my people, and to be one with thele day," she said, a bit startled that he should htened tio; the priests who protectedof measured amounts of oil; this could not be precise to the exact day, but it could show the five days that were dark the longest" His dark eyes were distant "For some reason, I cannot, even now, fail to count the years"