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There was nothing she could do to stop the invaders She’d once been stuck inside the pilot’s bubble precisely because of its precarious position jutting out on spindly supports into nothingness

Where are the teachers? Distracted by so? Did the Pickleed, and they all began to cliing in any recognizablebehind a balcony support beam

She peeked around in ti rapidly, like spiders extending threads She’d never done anything like this before, but so, she hooked her hurlie over a sturdy rail and with a deep breath kicked out off the side and swung out on an interception trajectory

She was a little off She didn’t exactly knock into the littlest Pickleman But she did knock off his hat, which turapple, she alsoback toward the ship It was all done in a weird silence, because even startled by a flying fe away as quickly and quietly as possible They landed on the ground below, unsnapped themselves frooat path

Sophronia was left, dangling, clutching a sack At which moment, Lady Linette, Professor Lefoux, and Sister Mattie finally eed onto the front squeak deck Lady Linette stuck her head over the edge

"Sophronia Teht have known Get up here this hed "It may take me more than a minute, Lady Linette"

Sophronia tried to explain what had happened, but they focused on the fact that she had been caught They thought she was concocting a wild story to explain triggering the alarm They refused to believe there had been an attack "We have people in place to warn us of such things," disht she’d been off at Bunson’s trysting with a boy! That was the downside of training intelligencers--it was i

Of course Sophronia couldn’t defend herself with, "I’ve been cli your infernal alarm!" That would only incriminate her further, and they’d likely confiscate her obstructor and her hurlie

She showed therab off the Pickle lady?" asked Professor Lefoux

"But it’s so ugly!" objected Sophronia

"Exactly, to throw us off"

"This is ridiculous Would one of you at least check the pilot’s bubble? See if anything is ah ti lady To bed with all of us Tomorroill come up with a suitable punishment"

Sophronia turned to a more sympathetic ear "Sister Mattie?"

The friendliest of her teachers shook her head "A ladybug cannot change her spots"