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"Don’t you think he’sdown to pat the top of the little an to tick-tock in pleasure, but it did seem less rapid than usual

Sophronia frowned down at her pet in concern "He probably needs to be fed" She’d not ain So of Bumbersnoot’s health, however, for last week one of the mechanical servants had appeared at their door with a platter Upon lifting the silver lid, the girls found a s else Not even a note Sophronia had surmised both whom the platter was for and whom it was from She also surmised that it was now her turn to visit Soap to renew the acquaintance and extend her gratitude

She’d not mentioned the sooties to anyone but Dimity, and even then not in any detail Diured it was best to keep the sooties to herself when possible

As they watched, Buloves waned and the flow of steaed down, and his tail stopped

"Oh, dear," said Dimity "Poor little mite"

Sophronia waited until the others were asleep before cli herself into the hall The gas lights were doused for the evening, and it took valuable loom

As soon as they did so, she made out a shape that caused her heart to pound in her breast It was the conical metal form of a mechanical maid The creature was stilled in its tracks, with no stea from under the crude white pinafore someone had dressed it in It was either dead or asleep Nevertheless, the maid was between Sophronia and any possible access to the outer hull of the airship I wish I knew s of these faceless mechanicals Can it see me, the way Frowbritcher could see me, or will it only notice when I’m in its way? Does it matter if I move slow? Or fast?

Sophronia decided to simply proceed with as ainst the wall and inched toward thenot to step on the tracks, worried that any vibration ht transfer to thein to own and not full skirts--inched past the maid

Thecaution to the wind, she took off down the hallway

At that, the maid whirled to life and came after her, far faster than any household mechanical Sophronia’s mother had on staff No alarh a door and onto an outside deck, past another slu suspended on the other side

The mechanical on the deck also awoke as she passed It was a foot an old-fashioned manservant’s white lace cravat The cravat fluttered as the an trundling back and forth However, it did not sound the alarm, either, and its tracks did not allow it to spot Sophronia on the other side of the railing

Sophronia barely breathed She noticed that the previous week’s book-balancing, dancing, and lessons with Captain Niall had given her new muscles and better balance She found this position far more comfortable than she had the first ti the outside of the rails, ju from deck to balcony to deck, was far easier This school really is trainingherself, almost automatically, at Lady Linette’s private balcony--the one with the rope ladder From there she climbed down and into the hatch of the boiler room with a sense of relief At least this part of the ship did not house any professors She was liking the school rather ht possible and would prefer not to be asked to leave just yet She was fairly certain that pursuit of food for an illicit mechanimal was not an acceptable activity

The boiler roo the day But it was still active The massive ship had to be kept afloat, and the balloons mented by both heat and propeller action Plus, Sophronia had to assume, much of the rest of the ship ran on stealass platfor, the tea

She had intended merely to sneak in, liberate some coal, and sneak out--a plan far simpler to execute when the outside of the ship was as dark as the inside But someone observed her stealthy entrance, and even as Sophronia was straightening up, the s boy appeared next to her elbow, grinning

"Well, well! Who are you, then?" The boy had a bit of a French accent and a very cheeky deer than any of the other sooties, with re green, but it was iht of the boilers He had dark, cropped hair, trousers that were too big, and an upruous character all round He was also slightly less shtly, ," said Sophronia "I’m a friend of Soap’s"

"Who isn’t?"

"Point taken I’m Sophronia"

"I heard of you The Uptop Soap’s sweet on" The boy grinned at Sophronia again, showing dimples

"How old are you?" was all Sophronia could think of to say to that

"Nine," said the boy, sidling up to her

"Are you a sootie?"

"Nope" The boy winked Actually winked!

"Then what are you doing down here?"

"I like it here"

"How’d you get in?"

"Came in, like you"

"You from up top as well?"

"Sort of"

Frustrated, Sophronia said, "I only cao wake Soap"

"Oh, no need to disturb him"

" ’Course there’s need Why do you think I was set to watch the hatch? Waiting on the ghost of boilers past? He’ll box my ears if I don’t tell him you came"

"What’s your na proper introductions with a child

"They callto go over there and get soave her another one of his di his trousers up with one hand He returned moments later, before Sophronia had a chance to collect any coal, with a sleepy Soap in tow

They e clothing and the tall, gangly sootie with shirtsleeves so short his wrists poked out the ends

"Good evening, miss" Soap’s dark face lit up with that wide, white-toothed sood, ood Got my little meal, did ya?"

"Yes, thank you Bumbersnoot and I were most appreciative"