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"Yes"

Alexia took a gamble "While I know that ostensibly the countess sent you along to keep an eye on ure out what Matakara wants with Prudence, I don’t suppose your true purpose in visiting Egypt is to investigate the expansion of the God-Breaker Plague for the OBO Is it?"

Genevieve dimpled at her "Ah I see You’ve noticed it, too, have you?"

"Conall and I suspected aswe arrived, and a o, or thereabouts, it began an accelerated push"

Mada that it was ht have set it into ed

"Genevieve, we have been through this before Don’t you think it wiser si half of London and having to build weapons of immense tentaclization"

The Frenchwoman pursed her lips and then nodded She stared for a reen eyes and then finally said, "I suppose It’s not that we know exactly what caused it, more that there is a terrible coincidence How to put this? You see, Alexia, your father happened to be in Egypt right about that tihtest by this infor like that? Even with all your contacts"

"Ah, yes, that Well, that’s the proble for the OBO at the time"

"It was after he broke with the Templars? Go on There must behappened, and he abandoned the OBO with no warning"

"That sounds like anization"

"Ah, but he took half the OBO underground infor sensation "Dead?"

"No, turned They stayed alive, only working for hiet thele of butterflies in her stonificance So was, quite defiantly, up

"It’s sealed under the Clandestine Scientific Information Act of 1855" Professor Lyall sat doith a thump next to Biffy on the sently to ainst him affectionately but moved Lyall had just returned fro acid, and the Thanored this to continue his complaint "It’s all sealed"

"What is?"

"Records to do with Egypt, for a period of twelve years, starting right about the tian to expand Familiarity with clandestine-level scientific secrets is beyond my rank and authority Especially ers, or persons with suspected excess soul are allowed access I orking for BUR at the ti about the Clandestine Scientific Information Act until after it had passed into law" Professor Lyall seemed mildly annoyed by this It wasn’t that he was particularly troubled by not knowing, in the way of Lord Akelda that upset the efficient running of pack life or BUR duties

Biffy thought back to some bits of information that Lord Akeldama had once let slip "Wasn’t the Clandestine Act linked to the last of the intelligencers before they were disbanded?"

"Under the previous potentate, yes It also had so to do with the Great Picklemen Revolt and the disposal of patents of dos were in those days"

"Well, that’s that, then" From what Biffy could recall, very serious action had been taken and there was nothing even the hives could do to countermand the restrictions that were put into place as a consequence

"Not entirely All this ypt is locked under a cipher, and that cipher is linked to the code name of a known provocateur A provocateur whose loyalties were unreliable and true allegiance unknown"

"Yes?"

"Fortunately, his is a cipher I knoithout having to go up against the Clandestine Act"

"Oh?" Biffy sat up a little straighter, intrigued

"He went by Panattone, but his real naoodness, your forers in many pies"

"Preternaturals are like that You should know their ways by now"

"Of course--worse than Lord Akeldama He has to know everyone’s business Lady Maccon has to know everyone’s business and interfere in it"

Professor Lyall turned to face Biffy fully on the s olf’s knee His calh not a hair was out of place Biffy wondered if heis, he was there I know Sandy was there It’s in his journals--several trips to Egypt starting in 1835 But there is nothing about what he did while he was there nor the name of his actual es, but to require an official seal?"

"You think it ue, don’t you?"

"I think preternaturals, ether better than custard and black-currant jelly Alessandro Tarabotti was one powerful preternatural"

Biffy wasn’t co about his former lover in such a reverent tone, but he kept hisreassurance in the fact that Lyall’s hand was still on his knee "Well, I have only one suggestion And Egypt is not exactly his forté But you know…"

"We should see what Lord Akeldaested it, not me" Biffy tilted his head and exans of jealousy Unable to discern any, he stood and offered the Beta a quite unnecessary hand up Any excuse for a touch

The two men clapped top hats to their heads and made their way next door to call upon the vampire in question

Lord Akelda drone opened the door a good five minutes after they had yanked on the bellpull for the third tile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>