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If etherea, the natural eleic to occur, had powered the tables, why hadn’t she been able to touch it with her brooch? Could it be isolated, contained so it did not spread out into the environment?

Without her brooch, she could not test it Etherea was invisible, inaudible, without odor or taste Perhaps those in the past ere es, could sense etherea, but there had been no one that strong for centuries, probably not since the Long War

"Silk is showing off his wealth and power by using etherea frivolously," Cade estured to take in the whole of the big top

The wonder of the tables appeared to wear off a platters, but Karigan thought she heard their table chuff Maybe she was hearing things, but the sound, subtle as it was, seemed to come from beneath the table, and it hadn’t soundedwater, jellies, and sauces to ripple, and dinnerware to clatter The other guests chattered on as if nothing was aain She didn’t see anything she hadn’t seen before Was italive? Surely not It did notquartet started playing, not quite filling the void of sound left behind by theof the strings grated on her nerves

The chair to her left remained unoccupied, even as the first course, bowls of clawfish bisque, were placed before the guests She wondered how she was supposed to eat it from beneath her veil She’d never eaten while veiled in the professor’s house The women of the Capital with their stylishly short veils had no problem, but the wo their spoons into the bisque, stirring it a little, but never atte it under their veils to their lips

It san considered trying to actually eat some If she broke some code of acceptable behavior, the proper people could always put it down to her not knowing better after her stint in the asyluhed, dipped her spoon, and stirred

Shortly after the servants collected the bisque bowls, Dr Silk reappeared and seated hi in his chair A quick glance revealed a tightening of his features Even the table creaked subtly as though its as contracting

"See course," Dr Silk said cheerfully He snapped out a napkin and let it float to his lap "Hoas it?"

Karigan wished she knew But as it turned out, she didn’t have to supply an answer A old-rimmed monocle across the table said, "Delicious bisque Positively delightful"

The servants brought out a regariously The short-veiled wo ani-veiled woed them around their plates, but none of it made it beneath their veils to their an fu scents She was going to have to ask for soot home, and when she did, there wouldn’t be any of this useless picking

She tried listening to the conversations going on around her, but they were unrevealing unless she wanted to know about a dear uncle’s gout or the "tiresouessed, did not discuss sabotage and the rounding up of a hundredat a dinner party hosted by one of the very Preferred of the emperor, especially when he ithin earshot

"I trust you are finding the evening entertaining?" Dr Silk asked

"Um, yes," she said quickly to cover the rumble of her belly

Dr Silk s beside him, she could study his profile She could almost see behind the lenses of his specs, and she tried to, surreptitiously, without see to stare She could not see his eyes, but his eyelashes hite

Odd, she thought There ht her gazing at hi to eat

"Tell rave, what do you do to amuse yourself in your uncle’s house?" he asked

Another seeain? "Oh, the usual things," she replied airily "I’ve been given a few books to read, and I visit Raven"

"Ah, that troublesorateful to him since it was he who allowed us to meet Very fortuitous, don’t you think? How else do you use your tian stared at the untouched entle about you interests ard? She shifted uncoone all stony again Dr Silk appeared older than her father She had to re ad for inforan, but he was interrupted by a man on his other side He made a barely perceptible noise of annoyance but turned to the an nearly wilted in relief to have his attention directed elsewhere