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Rue could not argue; the werecat’s anger was justified

Primrose looked miserable

Even Percy was cowed

But Tasherit’s statement made Rue think "Percy, did you send your paper to an academic review co to announce the finding? Shockingly bad form to delay, if you ask me But they wanted verification"

"So people outside the Royal Society know, likely have known, since before we left London?"

Percy was not interested "I suppose so"

Miss Sekhed, her face drawn, cheekbones even more prominent

"You can be quite the insufferable nib, Percy You know that?" Rue scrubbed her face with her hand and began to pace

Pri "You think the attacks back in London and during quarantine are related to Percy’s paper, not Quesnel’s tank?"

Rue nodded "Our attackers are likely after Tasherit If Percy used her as the only known example and if he reported her presence in our crew as proof"

"Only to the review committee," interjected Percy "As evidence I didn’t need it in the paper proper for publication"

"Committees talk" Rue squeezed one hand with the other as she e shape?" Miss Sekh practice, Rue suspected, from an old supernatural creature

"I think the presence of a pet lioness fighting s"

"They’re after me?"

"You’d make a pretty nice addition to any unscrupulous natural historian anted to collect the world’s only known saed on display or pinned like a butterfly to velvet backing, I iine they care not which"

Prim scooted closer to Tasherit and put a cautious arm around the werelioness’s shoulders "Oh, Percy, how could you?"

Tasherit didn’t shrug her off

Rue paused at the head of the table "I thought they were after Quesnel’s tank, but Mother tells me that it’s an established invention with patents It makes more sense that they are after you The weremonkeys have a treaty and the werecats do not Which ame by empire law"

Percy looked as if he would protest, so Rue held up a forestalling hand