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"I have other options" After the Pickle favorably, once more, on Lord Akeldama At least she kneasn’t a Pickle to have to choose sides We all do, in the end"
Sophronia cocked her head "Are you trying to recruit ood ith Countess Nadasdy"
"Thank you for the thought, but I have a better vampire offer" Sophronia was, however, in a quandary What was she going to do now? Even if she told Lord Akeldama, would he put a stop to the Pickle a piss-poor job of it Lord Akeldama didn’t seem the type to involve hi spoken her piece, corked up
Sidheag and Dimity joined Sophronia in a huddle close to Soap, so they could discuss without being overheard
"Options?" said Sophronia
Sidheag said, "You knoishes"
"You can’t flog Monique, it’s not done at your age," said Di said, "No Well, yes A switch tickle would do her soood But what I meant is that I want to continue on to Scotland My pack needs "
Sophronia nodded "Soap, do you think you can er?"
"Birive us stick But if necessary we can stash the train and continue on in a more traditional manner"
"Oh, yes, simply hide a whole train somewhere" Even Sophronia was doubtful
Soap s to take the Pickleet all mechanicals installed with the crystalline valves Theyup valve production"
Sophronia nodded "After we get her to Scotland, if we sourced the factory site, we "
Diet back to school eventually"
"Can’t do anything substantial fro substantial? Is this really our problem? What does it matter if Picklemen control mechanicals?" Dimity had already been kidnapped by va Pickleman interests She was tetchy on the subject and preferred to remain out of it
Sophronia said, "Just think, Dimity, what if they controlled the soldier mechanicals in our school? Mechanicals aren’t only servants, they can also be weapons This is not so poisoned tea This is ihed "But we do have time?"
Sophronia walked back to Monique "What’s your best esti until the Pickleiven valve production and distribution tilared at her
"Tell me and I’ll let you down"
Monique narrowed her eyes "Six months, a year at the outside Mine was supposed to be a covert operation tracking their activities, designed to discover just such useful information You messed it up"
"Covert? In a train?"
"They didn’t realize, until you came on board"