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"It’s very high up, isn’t it?" added Die drew closer, Sophronia realized that the floating acadeht It was probably riding the stiff wind that see sht actually catch it, the horses screae jerked to a stop

The door burst open A young man stood before them He was a tall, swarthy fellow of the type that Petunia would swoon over; rakishly handso a black silk top hat and a greatcoat that covered hi blunt" in a disgusted tone of voice Sophronia was briefly afraid that this was soles and was grinning at thely "Captain"

"Winds are fierce this evening Can’t float down for a pickup You ladies will have to wait until after sunset, then I’ll give you a lift"

"Oh" Monique’s delicate little nose wrinkled "Must we?"

The young ht of her dissatisfaction "Yes"

"Oh, very well" Monique gave the man her hand and he helped her down

He did not turn to accoly at Dimity and Sophronia "Ladies No tiathered up her little basket, also blushing furiously, and put her hand into the e one

He helped her down and returned for Sophronia "Miss?"

Sophronia busily checked the cab for any forgotten ite irl"

Sophronia didn’t dignify this with a reply She hadn’t pinpointed the particulars yet, but there was so adorable

Outside, the as biting, and the great airship was eventheir eyes and straining against their traces The coachht to hold the man strode forward to pay the driver This only terrified the anied to take possession of his fare and keep hold of the reins, but only by dint of real skill Then he turned his steeds around and let the across the heath at a breakneck speed

Dimity sidled up to Sophronia and whispered, "Isn’t he simply scrumptious?"

Sophronia pretended obtuseness "The coachman?"

"No, silly Him!" Dimity tilted her head toward their new escort

"He’s a little old, don’t you feel?"

Di man He was, perhaps, one-and-twenty "Well, I suppose But Monique doesn’t believe so Look at her flirting! Shagage With aniestures, Monique described its loss, their recent attack, and their subsequent escape She downplayed Sophronia’s part and accentuated her own Sophronia would have defended herself, but there was so about the way Monique told the story that was about --and not only her real identity"

"A brain?" Di any shoes"

"Oh, I say! You’re right How peculiar"

"And the horses were afraid of hiot close, they shied"

"But why?"

"Perhaps they have equine standards--an abhorrence of bare feet"

Diled

The man, apparently tired of Monique’s tales, cairl trailed behind him and finally remembered her manners "Girls, this is Captain Niall"

Dimity bobbed a curtsy "Captain"

Sophronia followed suit a second later with a much less tidy curtsy and a much less pleasant "Captain"

Monique said, "Miss Dinelina Temminnick, covert recruit" Her lip curled

The man touched the brim of his top hat and bowed to each in turn

Captain Niall had a nice s But she had a sinking suspicion he wasn’t wearing a cravat under the greatcoat Also, it looked as if his top hat was tied under his chin like a baby’s bonnet Since she figured it ht be rude to point out the man’s deficiencies in attire to his face, she said instead, "I do hope the coachman finds his way back to civilization safely"

"Commendable conscientiousness, Miss Temminnick, but I shouldn’t trouble yourself"

Behind thean to fade into the ly difficult to see

"Back in a jiff" The young captain ae rock

The ladies could still see his top hat bobbing, but nothing else, and that only for a ht Was he crouching? It was difficult to hear anything above the wind, and Sophronia’s ears were already starting to ache froht she could detect aup the gulley, cay beast with dark, mottled, black-and-brown fur and a fluffy, white-tipped tail

Dimity let out of a squeak of alarm

Sophronia froze, but only for a ether in one split second The lack of shoes The full greatcoat Noas coht for the nearest coppice of trees, thinking only in ternored Monique’s instructions for her to stop She didn’t even think of poor Dimity Her only instinct was that of prey: to scurry and hide, to escape the predator

The olf leapt after her far faster than any normal wolf ever could Not that Sophronia had ever met such a monster before She had heard the ruth, but she had hardly given them credence This olf proved all the fairy tales true Before she had gone ht up to her and ju to rest facing her and blocking her path

Sophronia crashed right into hirass, winded

Before she could rise, a massive paw descended onto her chest, and a vicious wolf face appeared above her--black nose da