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She grinned at the herself with a bit of her Paw’s leadership styleannounceentlemen, it will be, I am sure, an honour to serve as your leader, and to becorand adventures, you and I Probably not dignified, knowing rand"

The assembled company perked up Their fears over the evident youth and inexperience of their captain, Rue hoped, were now ood-humoured approach to life A few of the sooties s in anticipation

After a ood Carry on"

As one, the little crew dispersed and went back about their business, steps lighter for having reaser, knowing the ireaser was a strapping fe and lean and well-muscled She had reddish-brown hair cut short and a voice alh for a man Rue trusted Dama to have found her the very best, but this woloomy Not to her vampire father’s ordinary taste at all

"How do you do?" Rue said, sticking out her hand in the A it

Rue was tolerably certain the greaser should have said captain Still, it was better to be nice, even in the face of insubordination She retracted her hand "Might I know your naie Phinkerlington" She spat it out as if it should nificant

"Very pleased to ton" Rue ht sullen and bad-tempered

"Miss?"

"I trust you will keep her up until I can fix the officers in place?"

"Am I not doin’ so already, miss?"

"Of course you are Thank you for you proficiency" Rue was a little taken aback by the bluntness; it bordered on incivility

The woh, Rue said, "Dis Rue perturbed Not that she hadn’t ht Her et of prejudiced antipathy on h to be disliked for no apparent reason whatsoever She’d siton over She wondered if pretending to be otten standing next to her, said, "She ht be a bit of a proble to suspect problems are about to become my business Nohere shall we––?"

She was cut off as one of the teakettle boilers nearby shrieked loudly and then exploded in a great flash of heat and stea herself to the floor of the soot-covered chaht there with her He had excellent reflexes for a fop

"What the devil?" Rue turned her head, trying to see through the smoke All she could make out was Winkle’s dark eyes, wide in shock His top hat tu

There were shouts and Greaser Phinkerlington began yelling The s everywhere