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It was an innocuous book, cheaply made with a pink canvas cover, without a doubt souide from a London publisher It was so utterly unexpected and out of character that Rue took it autolance it over

Rue opened it to the title page and read out, her voice rising with incredulity, "Sand and Shadows on a Sapphire Sea: My Adventures Abroad by Honeysuckle Isinglass? A young lady’s travel journal But these are two a penny in the bookshops back home Why on earth would I need…?"

But for the second time in as many minutes, Rue found herself abandoned by a female in the middle of conversation "Goodness, hasn’t anyone any manners on this station?" she asked the disinterested crowd

Then, looking up, she noticed to her relief that she had found her way to The Spotted Custard Or at least found her way back to the doorway leading to its dock Her ship bobbed softly outside the glass some distance away She did not consider the fact that as they walked together, Anitra had been guiding her back

Clutching her rescued parasol in one hand and Sand and Shadows on a Sapphire Sea in the other, Rue headed hoh cryptic encounters with mysterious females to last a lifetime After all, that was three in less than a half-hour – if one counted the lioness

As it turned out, Rue was the last aboard The deckhands were already pulling in theropes as she trotted down the spatula handle towards The Spotted Custard Prim and Percy were on the poop deck in deep discussion

As Rue ave a wave

"Lady Captain, where you been?" the scamp wanted to know

"Nowhere special"

"Had us worried, you did" Spoo was sporting a spectacular black eye Rue didn’t feel they were on intiies, Spoo" As Rue put her foot on the e blond bullet hit her from the side and twirled her around so that her back was pressed flush against the railing

Quesnel grabbed her by the shoulders and actually began to shake her "Don’t do that!"

"Mr Lefoux, unhandat hireatly teentleman in question seemed to have temporarily lost hold of his senses

He pulled her in and wrapped his arine was like that of one of her , and gave her heart a little boost in a way the uncles never had For one breathless ht there at the end of the gangplank in full view of her creith blatant disregard for all propriety He drew back and looked at her lips, his violet eyes very focused, but then he ainst her back She fancied she could feel the roughness through the h, all that handling of sprockets and spigots and such