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The entire airship lurched to one side and then righted itself An odd sensation, since, until that otten they were afloat

Several of the girls screa the speed he had only recently described, Professor Braithwope dashed out the door Rather than waiting to be told to stay put, Sophronia leapt up and followed hi ladies, most of them covered in some kind of soot Apart from the soot, they were all dressed beautifully, and were chattering a themselves with more animation than distress Sophronia estimated around two dozen or so; perhaps half the attendees of the school? She hadn’t yet rasp on the numbers, but Mademoiselle Grenadine’s seemed to have fewer students than one would expect fro school

Professor Lefoux, taller thanto control the chaos

"Now, ladies, calm down, do! Is this any way to behave in a crisis? What has Lady Linette told you tiirls quieted and stood expectantly One or two took out handkerchiefs and began trying to repair the sooty daown and face

"That was not a rhetorical question, ladies!" snapped the Frenchwoman Professor Lefoux herself was far more soot-covered than any of the others, and less inclined to deal with it She had her hair back in a tight bun that appeared to pull her skin away froreyhound that had stuck its head out a carriage

"In a crisis, remain calm," called out one voice froestured ie to one’s attire A lady is never disreputable in public, unless intended forency See if it can be turned to your advantage or used as an opportunity to gather infor on, Sophronia--unconsciously following the instructions being repeated dutifully around her--h the crowd to the open door of Professor Lefoux’s classroo in He had out his own handkerchief and aving it about in front of his face ineffectually, trying to dispel the sed up next to him and looked inside A proper classroo tables covered in interesting-looking apparatus and scientific instruments The walls were tacked with sketches of complex devices The rooht have started life as so chamber, but its contents were now overturned, smoked, and covered liberally in black powder

"I suppose Professor Lefoux and her students haven’t hadan alternate prototype," said Sophronia htful He turned dark eyes on his newest student "Appears as if they haven’t Wait alady?"

"Your class, sir Remember, ere just there"

The va her levity "Tellyou wanted to know, just now, before the explosion?"

Sophronia saw no reason to prevaricate If he really wanted ato her thoughts, then any possible rudeness was irrelevant "Your range, sir Being that you’re a rove, as I’ how a vaed to float all over the place the way you do Then I figured youlike"

"So, since you were instructing us in defense against vampires, ould happen if you fell overboard What would happen to your tether? Would it snap? Would you die?"

The va down his nose at her He avoided her question by asking her one of his own "And the explosion--what do you make of it?"

"Perhaps Professor Lefoux should not have tried steel first"

"My goodness, you do pay attention"

"Will you be able to convince Monique to tell you where she stashed the prototype?"

He said nothing at that

But she’s only a student Sophronia wanted to ask why they didn’t torture Monique or soht be that kind of school

Professor Lefoux ca over "Ah, Professor Braithwope Sorry to disturb Little problem with the you-knohat, probably shouldn’t have used steel Copper is obviously superior"

Professor Braithwope looked down at Sophronia, who gave the vampire an arch look and returned to his classroo the doorway, but had not followed her beyond leaving their own seats

"What happened?" Dimity asked breathlessly

"So black and powdery in the room next to ours"

"Professor Lefoux and the fourth years," said Monique, no doubt preferring to have been a them herself, explosion or no

Sophronia returned to her couch and took a seat, crossing her hands demurely in her lap

Dimity plopped down next to her "Was it the…?" she hissed

"Yes"

"What could explode like that?"

"Lots of things, I suspect"

"Sometimes I wish Pill were still with us He knows all about accidental explosions Then again, he is ed to extract a bit of the black powder" Sophronia showed Diloved hands, which she’d purposefully run along the wall inside Professor Lefoux’s classroom