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Thus pleasantly entertained, the grouponly once, in one of the bazaars when Alexia was particularly taken by a fine display of leatherwork Looking up, she noticed that the oods attractively arrayed on a colorful striped rug was not the same in looks as all the others they had encountered thus far He had a different garb and bearing His sharp, bearded features and steady gaze betokened firmness, resolution, and an autocratic nature He was also not singing This was no Alexandrian local but one of the Bedouin nomads of the desert, or so Alexia believed at first Until she noted that a long rope ladder was tied to the building behind him, a ladder that stretched all the way up into the sky above, attached to the basket of one of Prudence’s beloved balloons The man was uncommonly handsome, his dark eyes intent, and he stared hard at Alexia for a moment

"Leather for the pretty lady?" he asked

"Oh, no thank you Si"

"You should look farther south The answers to your questions lie in Upper Egypt, Miss Tarabotti," said the Drifter, his accent thick but hisunmistakable

"PardonShe looked for Mrs Tunstell "Ivy, did you hear that?" By the ti up his rope ladder into the sky with remarkable dexterity and speed, almost supernaturally quick--iht

Alexia watched hihtly open until a new voice said, "Leather for the pretty lady?" and a sarb, looked hopefully up at her from the exact place the man had just been

"What! Who was that bearded man? How did he know e of lashes at her, unco "Leather for the pretty lady?"

"Alexia, are we finished here? I hardly see what you would ith such goods"

"Ivy, did you see that man?"

"What man?"

"The balloon noht here in my little book--Drifters don’t fraternize with Europeans You ined it"

"Ivy, ?"

"Fair point, Alexia In which case, I am very sorry to say that I did not observe the interaction"

"A disappointment for you, I’m sure, for he was a remarkably fine specis! You’re a married woorously "La, Alexia, such talk!"

Lady Maccon only smiled and twirled her parasol "Ah, well, I suppose time is of the essence We should press on" She tried to memorize the stall’s location and the color of theshades of deep purples

With no further disruptions, theyby six o’clock exactly Alexia left her party in ecstasies over Port Neuf, glittering rich and blue under the low light of the late afternoon sun She strode swiftly inside and, finding it was English run and quite up to snuff, had her own valve in place exactly on tie to Biffy At least she hoped it was the right tiraphors

"Ruffled Parasol in place," herthis time this location until departure" She then added the Alexandria codes and waited with bated breath Within moments, as ordered, there came a reply Unfortunately, it was not the reply Lady Alexia Maccon would have wished

Biffy’s sleep was troubled and not only by the fact that Professor Lyall boasted rather a small bed for two occupants While neither of theood deal taller than his cole off the end Still neither would even think to suggest that they sleep apart, not now that they had discovered each other Besides, once the sun rose fully, they both slept solidly enough to be thought dead, li soft and deep Nevertheless, Biffy’s dreams were colored by es

Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings had caught Biffy following Lyall into his roo He raised one blond eyebrow in silent criticis However, they both knew they were due to co, for all the pack would be inforossips, especially about their own Vampires preferred to talk about other people’s business; olves were a tadthat their new arrangement, as yet unformed in the particulars, was public fodder for the ruer instructions to see him awakened a few minutes before sunset in Lyall’s chaan Burbleson, a nice boy with considerable musical talent, shook Biffy hard soood deal of force to rouse a olf before sundown, especially one of Biffy’s youth

"Everything all right, Mr Burbleson?" Biffy heard the Beta whisper

"Yes, sir Mr Biffy askedan important appointment"