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"Five hundred and twelve," he said slowly

Poppy couldn’t repress a satisfied grin "My father was a ht , and a nail" She dialed the disks carefully "What is the date of your birth?"

The stranger hesitated before replying, as if he disliked having to give information about himself "Noven," she said, turning the astrolabe over in her hands

"You believe in astrology?" he asked, his tone edged with derision

"Why shouldn’t I?"

"It has no scientific basis"

"My father always encouraged ertip across the star chart, and looked up at him with a sly smile "Scorpions are quite ruthless, you know That is why Artemis bid one of them to kill her foe Orion And as a reward, she set the scorpion up in the sky"

"I’oals"

"That’s not ruthless?" Poppy asked, laughing

"The word implies cruelty"

"And you’re not cruel?"

"Only when necessary"

Poppy’s amusement dissolved "Cruelty is never necessary"

"You haven’t seennot to pursue the subject, Poppy stood on her toes to view the contents of another shelf It featured an intriguing collection of what looked like tinplate toys "What are these?"

"Automata"

"What are they for?"

He reached up, lifted one of the paintedthe machine by its circular base, Poppy exaroup of tiny racehorses, each on its own track Seeing the end of a pull cord on the side of the base, Poppy tugged it gently That set off a series of innera flywheel, which sent the little horses spinning around the track as if they were racing

Poppy laughed in delight "How clever! I wish my sister Beatrix could see this Where did it coe fashions the"

"May I see another?" Poppy was enchanted by the objects, which were not toys soThere was Ad a banana tree, a cat playing with mice, and a lion tamer who cracked his hile the lion shook his head repeatedly

Seeer showed her a picture on the wall, a tableau of couples waltzing at a ball Before her wide eyes, the picture see their partners smoothly across the floor "Good heavens," Poppy said in wonder "How is it done?"

"A clockwork mechanism" He removed the picture from the wall and displayed the open back "There it is, attached to a flywheel by that drive band And the pins work these wire leversherewhich in turn activate the other levers"

"Reuarded or cautious "Obviously Mr Rutledge is raphy I read recently, about Roger Bacon, a Franciscan friar of the Middle Ages My father was a great adreat deal of mechanical experimentation, which of course led some people to accuse him of sorcery It was said that he once built a mechanical bronze head, which--" Poppy stopped abruptly, realizing she had been chattering "There, you see? This is what I do at balls and soirées It’s one of the reasons I’ht talking was encouraged at such affairs"

"Not "

Tap Tap Tap

They both turned at the sound The o," Poppy said uneasily "My companion will be very distressed if she wakes to find er conte ti casualness As if no one ever refused hi as he wished

Poppy took a deep breath "Nevertheless, I a," she said calmly, and went to the door

He reached it at the saainst the door panel

Alarh her, and she turned to face hi awakened in her throat and wrists and the backs of her knees He was standinghers She shrank against the wall

"Before you leave," he said softly, "I have so woh the hotel Don’t take such a foolish risk again"

Poppy stiffened "It’s a reputable hotel," she said "I have nothing to fear"

"Of course you do," he ht at it"

And before she could think, or move, or breathe, he bent his head and took her mouth with his

Stunned, Poppy wentkiss, so subtle in its demand that she wasn’t aware of the mo, angling her face upward

One arainst his, and the feel of hi With every breath, she drew in an enticing scent, an incense of amber and led in his armsbut his es of peril and promise His lips slid to her throat and he hunted for her pulse, working his way doard, layering sensations like silken gauze until she shivered and arched away froripped her chin carefully, forcing her to look at hiaze, she saw a flash of baffled animosity, as if he had just reat care and opened the door "Bring it in," he told the e silver tea tray

The servant obeyed quickly, too well trained to evince curiosity about Poppy’s presence in the rooer, who had fallen asleep in his chair Returning with the drowsy ferret, he gave it to Poppy She took Dodger with an inarticulate ainst her midriff The ferret’s eyes remained closed, lids completely concealed in the blackof his tiny heartbeat beneath her fingertips, the silkiness of the white undercoat beneath the overlying guard hairs

"Will there be anything else, sir?" the maid asked

"Yes I want you to accompany this lady to her suite And come back to infore"

Mr Rutledge?

Poppy felt her heart stop She looked back at the stranger Deviltry glittered in his green eyes He seeetheat all as she had iined him to be