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Rue was left with the distinct feeling of having handled so badly, yet she was utterly befuddled by what exactly it was

Quarantine ended with no further surprises The Spotted Custard found herself aobelisk over the city proper in a prime location near Shepheard’s Hotel She shared the post with three other dirigibles of standing The sober sleek pleasure barges drifted slightly ahen the Custard joined thehtly dressed dandy tries to infiltrate their gossip Rue wasn’t sure dirigibles had noses, but if they did, these were all looking down them at The Spotted Custard

Paw had procured both a warehouse and residence in Cairo soo, but he needed to consult his broker as to the location and condition In classic Lord Maccon fashion, he had purchased it at so of his wife and tea Many a ation The property turned out to be relatively close to Shepheard’s, near the bank of the canal, and exactly far enough from the newly built Principal Station to make the warehouse a practical business concern and the residence not dirtied by overexposure to modernity With Abbasiyeh Station and the skyrail nearby, it was a tradesman’s heaven, and an unexpectedly fortuitous investment Paw took full credit It was, however, still occupied by tenants whose lease had yet to expire

In the interim, Lord and Lady Maccon would stay at Shepheard’s in fine style with no one the wiser to the fact that they intended their retirenominiously mercantile end for a pair of vaunted aristocrats

Rue was proud of the to do under the desert skies Otherwise she ht end up Queen of Sheba or on a mission to save the local crocodiles from embankments, or whatnot

Rue, Percy, Prie accoage were lowered froround in porter’s nets with balletic aplo with a great deal less aplo point, and upon disled in her skirts Prim attempted sidesaddle and nearly fell off Percy, white-faced, lost his top hat and then his dignity in a flailing of liroundside they were rejuvenated by coffee fro nearby vendor

Rue’s reat the need was for proper tea in this country "Here we are, after a harrowing yet commonplace occurrence, and all that is on offer is coffee"

It was a quickobelisk to the hotel Quesnel did not accoaze and insisted he must stay to supervise the maintenance and restock

Tasherit stayed aboard, as ordered Rue also officially requested that she ensure the safety of the crew Catlike in protection of her territory and her people, Miss Sekhmet adored official sanction to cause maximu jacket, which looked very like a military uniform, and tucked a pistol of indeterminate make into the sash at her waist Rue didn’t ask if she could use the gun, let alone where she had purchased it Tasherit would never arm herself with a weapon she couldn’t wield, and her means of acquisition were mysterious and likely to remain so

With her ship in good hands, Ruein the wonders of the city around her In the co, the streets were alive with activity – perfor wares out of stalls or off the backs of donkeys, and all manner of street urchin On the short walk to the hotel, they stepped to the side to allow not one but two processions One was religious and the other military They were passed by several open-topped steaes and a caravan of impressive camels – no doubt off to view the pyramids A massive oers, so ling in such a way as to be both precarious and decorative

Cairo was a desert child dressed in soot and sand Therobes of rust, soft blue, and creareat deal of ientleman’s headwear, more so than even the top hats of Rue’s hoiven her familial relationship to Uncle Rabiffano and Aunt Ivy The street was loud, full of chatter andas they marched towards the Nile and the railway stations beyond Even as Rue delighted in her new surroundings, she dreaded the i her parents in this dusty place

Shepheard’s was very i Lord and Lady Maccon Certainly, the hotel was accustoe, even occasionally great title and power, but rarely all four at once

The Maccons were let the best roo out in an obsequious s some coin and the afternoon off, to be home before sundown Thus the aristocrats found the roo Percy," said Paw, "a private word if you would?"

Percy, surprised, followed Lord Maccon into a separate chaht repast of tea and sandwiches

"Not bad tea, actually" Lady Maccon was begrudging "I suppose they must cater to British preferences I wonder how much it costs them to import?"