Page 24 (1/2)

"Sorry, darling, but your father has discovered solanced up "Oh, is it a textile shop? I hear they produce thethe lines of ruffled parasols, I believe"

Ivy was thick but not so thick as all that "Oh, of course," she said i in a very overt manner "Ruffled parasols Naturally Now, et we have a private show in only a few hours And while I know you are not integrated into the performance, your presence is desirable"

"Of course, of course This shouldn’t take very long"

"Carry on, then," said Mrs Tunstell, although her friend was already trotting hurriedly away Alexia heard Ivy say, "Lady Maccon is our particular patroness, don’t you know? Such a very gracious and grand lady"

She was e wolf In order toof it, Alexia purchased a donkey rope off an obliging, though confused, donkey boy This she clasped about Conall’s brindled neck, quite a feat of loops and twists, as she could not touch him and had to keep hold of Prudence Eventually she was successful and it looked as though she were taking a very large dog for a walk

Lord Maccon gave her a baleful look but submitted to the humiliation for the sake of propriety They wended their way through the still-vibrant city; sunset see to daily activities He led her a long way, due south down the Rue de la Colonne, past the bastions, through the outer sluinning to worry about the tiht nothour Conall, in his wolf forreat walker and never one to shirk exercise, traversing an entire city in the course of only an hour was really rather extre a disinterested toddler Eventually, they developed a method by which Prudence rode astride her father, with Alexia gripping one hand firmly so as to keep everyone in their correct forms and fur

The earl stopped imperiously at the bank of the canal, and it took Alexia only a moment to surmise they must cross it

"Oh, really, Conall Couldn’t this wait until tohed and waved over a reluctant-looking lad in command of a kind of reed raft obviously utilized to cross the canal

The raft boy refused, with many shakes of the head and wide eyes, to allow the massive wolf into his little craft but was charht when said wolf took to the water and sied his raft across He had no need of the pole nor Lady Maccon forbore to say anything on the subject of the cleanliness of the water

Alexia gave the lad a few coins and gesticulated in such a way as she thought ht convince him to wait for them, while Conall shook out his coat violently

Prudence clapped and giggled at her father’s antics, twirling about in the spray of dirty water Alexia caught her daughter’s hand before she touched hi the locals were accusto as Lady Maccon alone in the baser end of a foreign city with her only daughter and a large wolf should never be tolerated in any other part of the empire

Nevertheless, she followed her husband dutifully, reflecting that this was one of the reasons she had e that life would never be dull She often suspected it was one of the reasons he had nizable at first, but then she began to feel it--a tingling push, a little like the aether breezes against her skin when she floated Only this sensation felt like the reverse Aether tingling was like very h those bubbles were being generated by her own flesh It was a faint sensation and it was almost pleasant, but it was odd Had she not been alert for so her arms about excitedly, Prudence said, "Mama!"

"Yes, dear, odd, isn’t it?"

"No" Prudence was very decided on this She patted Alexia on the cheek "Mama and--" She waved her ar that to you the air feels likea word Alexia hadn’t until that moment realized she possessed

"Conall, is that what I think it is?" Alexia asked the wolf, her attention still on her wiggling daughter

"Yes, my love, I believe it is," said her husband

Lady Maccon nearly dropped Prudence in startle tricks on her and that her husband was standing a short distance away, fully naked and fully huhter The child toddled eagerly over to Conall, who scooped her right up, without fear No need of it--Prudence remained her own precocious human self

Lady Maccon went to stand next to hiue?"

"Indubitably"

"I thought I should feel more repelled by it"

"So did I"