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"Thank you, Rue" Primrose sounded less like she wanted to cry

Rue left thelory of soft sheets and a puffy coverlet, when her mother’s voice stopped her

Somewhere, somehow, Rue found the reserves needed to turn around

"Mother"

"Infant Report" Lady Maccon was not happy about finding herself in transit

Rue took some satisfaction in that Lady Maccon always autocratically arranged things for her daughter, like a squishy benevolent cyclone It was so for Rue to find herself in the position of tyrant for a change

"We’ve safely attained flotsaypt Quesnel says Paw is fine, in perfect preservation and seely untroubled by aetherosphere transition I haven’t checked on hih, please do not distract my crew"

Lady Maccon looked relieved "You decided to transport us iiven Paw’s deteriorating condition And you were both already aboard"

"I should have liked to say goodbye to soers sent over three ht hatboxes, three jewellery rolls, a cravat case, and a large Spanish sausage Your butler sent one very old and battered portills and are located in the storage hold I’ll have theht to your quarters, if you like"

"It’s not about the objects" Lady Maccon’s voice cracked a little

"Dama said to bid you farewell"

Her mother’s eyes ide and shiny But she would not cry in front of her daughter Rue knew this because she hated crying in front of herPerhaps she had been too dictatorial Hoould she like it if Lady Maccon unilaterally re Mother, she’d been prepared for this for oodbyes

"I will never see Ivy again"

"Oh phooey, Mother, don’t be histrionic Paw ypt for the rest of his life" Rue choked a little but soldiered on "You, however, are not equally trapped You can leave hiue Or that’s the working theory Nothing prevents you fro to London for a visit"

Lady Maccon nodded "Fair point"

"Speed is our priority, especially if Quesnel’s tank fails Let’s concentrate on getting Paw to Egypt Everything else can be sorted later"

"Quite right, quite right"

The fact that Mother was ceding ground to her floored Rue She was determined to retire in possession of the field Before Lady Maccon could find anything else to get annoyed about, she said, "There is food in the stateroory Cook’s laid on smelts, calf’s heart, and stewed rabbit with cauliflower, and Norfolk dus"