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Maderoup in awe "These boys are quite wonderful, aren’t they?"

"I’ve always thought so" Sophronia kept the annoyance out of her voice

Handle explained "As the boilers cool, she’ll eventually sink to the ground But it’ll take days The balloons are filled up tight, and very little heliuet her down I’ll stay with you, miss, show you how"

Sophronia shook her head "No, Handle, you’ve done enough Professor Braithwope and I can take it froged in the hallway above in a drunken stupor But it took a stronger man than Handle to disobey Sophronia It took Soap

"If you say so, miss" He turned to his fellows "Let’s find Smokey Bones, boys, and abandon ship"

A brief flurry of activity ensued while they looked for their cat, who, of course, when desperately wanted, had vanished entirely Finally, they unearthed it beneath a particulate illu

Sophronia hid a smile "Come on, everyone Over behind that coal pile in the corner We should have a rescue waiting at that hatch I’m so fond of"

Handle popped open said hatch and there, nested up alongside the school in a display of real air ability, was the gondola of a second, sside their own dirigible, so nor popped by a balcony Very i

Sophronia stuck her head out the hatch, her last piece of fake food at the ready, just in case "My, but that’s so these seven ht it’d be for you, but we can’t always pick our battles"

There, standing before her, looking well dressed and as stunning as ever, was Monique de Pelouse

OUT OF THE FLYWAYMEN INTO THE FIRE

I got your note" Monique was alot your note" Dirin She iggling Sophronia’s doily-wrapped crossbow bolt gaily in one hand

"As requested, we kept the bolt for you" Agatha ducked into view fro here?" Sophronia could hardly believe it

"Agatha and I utilized Soap," explained Diled for delicacy under the circumstances--"lupine h control of himself not to eat us, as it wasn’t full -distance mode of transport, not for three people"

"Three! Is Vieve with you?"

"Nope"

"Can’t be Pillover"

"Never that rusty-gutted whiffin" Diive her brother any quarter

"Who, then?"

"Felix Mersey"

Sophronia couldn’t stop asking questions This was all so a "Felix?" She shook her head, which was a bad idea as it made her nose hurt

Monique interrupted what looked to be a long inquisition "Someone had to man the boiler on this airship, after all" Of course Soap would have been a better choice, but he could no longer float