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"That French boy of yours! Have you any idea what he’s gone and done?"

"Quesnel? Isn’t he still overseas?"

"He can go to the devil for all I care! What has that to do with anything? Traitorous beast I don’t knohy I’ineer indeed!"

Rue and Pri Quesnel of was, frankly, being himself True, Quesnel was theoretically French, but he’d beenwith being an engineer It’s not like Percy would get his lily-white hands greasy; soated

Rue shifted her stance "Yes, yes, but what did he do, Percy?"

Percy went all broody "If you don’t know, I’ you find out exactly as I did The shock of it In the e Just you see if I don’t"

He sounded like the villain in a gothic novel Rue hid a grin "Percy, darling, I realise, unlike some, that what I don’t know could fill the Library of Alexandria Hence the reason I keep you around, charh you may be"

Percy puffed a bit at what he took as a compliment

"Oh really, Percy!" Primrose did not find her brother funny "Do try not to be so ridiculous Have a nice cup of hot tea and you’ll bethe saht do to get back at Quesnel for this perceived slight, but that was Quesnel’s probleo on, Quesnel could handle Percy He could also rile Percy up like no one else Since it was clearly sonify it with her concern

She pierced Percy with a glare "So, why are thesefor you?"

Percy stopped at that "Men? What men?"

"Exactly ish to know"

Percy lost some of his pique in confusion "I’ve no idea what you’re on about, Prudence Noill kindly ask you ladies to leave me in peace I have some vital research to conduct and I need chatter-free quiet in which to conduct it Is that il ood, I seeood lad"

Virgil said, "Yes, sir," in a tone that suggested he was hu his master He disappeared into the stacks towards a corner of the room that presumably housed Percy’s wardrobe