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"Ivy, where is estured with her chin When Alexia still looked about frantically, she said, "Here, hold Tidwinkle," and passed Priirl in her arms, and Primrose became fascinated by the white ruffles on the hely to hold

One arm now free, Ivy pointed into the crowd to the very front, where Alexia could just ed and hatless in the dust of the road, exactly like the Antari, absorbing the story with great interest

"Oh, really, has she no decorum at all?" wondered her mother, relieved beyond , in the hopes that shethat letter

Alexia washer way back to the nursehter when soroup of white-clad, turbaned men descended upon her and surrounded her Their faces were all veiled like those of Egyptian ferabbing and pulling at her, trying to separate her from Primrose, or perhaps from her purse or parasol; it was difficult to tell

Priement and wrapped her chubby arood little assistant accessory guardian Alexia used her free hand to beat off their attackers, exclai it difficult for any to find purchase on her or the baby It was not good odds, and she seerab the parasol and bring the full capacity of its arsenal into the fray

Help came from a most unlikely quarter Perhaps it wasan actress had so years, or perhaps she felt it more appropriate as a member of the Parasol Protectorate, but Ivy Tunstell waded into the fray Clutching Percy with one arm, she screamed her version of obscenities "How dare you? You ruffians!" And, "Cads! Unhand my friend" And, "Can’t you see there is a child involved? Behave!"

The nursemaid, donkey in tow, also joined the kerfuffle She ielding Ivy’s parasol with a skill Alexia quite ad

The storyteller paused in her recitation when it becan ladies with children were under assault No decent person, not even a native of this wild land, would condone such a thing in the middle of the street

Their entertainainst theli, elbows prodding, did her best to keep herself and Pri injured or separated, but there wereat her with brutal intent

Suddenly she found herself seized by the shoulders and dragged out of theinto the cohtly from the exertion, to thank her rescuer, only to find she was face-to-face with the balloon nonize that handsome face with its neatly trimmed beard anywhere He nodded at her once, in a friendly manner

Alexia took stock of her situation She seemed to have only a few bruises to show for the battle Pri but was safe in her arms, parasol firainst her legs and looked down to see that Prudence had glo up at her ide, frightened eyes "Whoa, Mama," she said

"Indeed" Well that is two accounted for

The Drifter dove back into the crowd, robe flapping behind him, while Alexia extracted her parasol from Primrose and armed the tip One of the white-clad men broke away and made for her, murder in his eyes, and Alexia shot hi dart was only partly effective on supernatural creatures, but it brought that daylight thug down before he took even one more step in their direction He crumpled in a heap of white fabric to the dirty street Then herand thrashing Ivy Tunstell

"He see"

"Oh, oh, dear, Alexia Can you believe? Why I never, in all life’s flutterings!"

Ivy looked a little worse for wear Her hat was gone, her hair loose, and her dress torn Percival was red-faced and crying like his sister, but otherwise both seemed unbowed The nursemaid, still with donkey--remarkably placid and undisturbed by the ruckus--ca child into one of the panniers and Alexia did the same with Primrose The twins continued their thin treble wails of distress but remained inside their respective baskets

Alexia bent and lifted Prudence up Her daughter was sobered by the experience, although er infants Not a tear tracked down the dust covering her face In fact, her eyes glittered with hidden exciteypt!" she said as a kind of coreed herherself with one gloved hand "Alexia, I aht here, in a public thoroughfare Really, I feel quite faint"

"Well, can it wait? We must make for safety"

"Oh, my, yes, of course And I could hardly faint with a bare head in a foreign country! I ," Ivy exclaiestured "This way, lady"

With no other options--Ivy having dropped her guidebook in the exciteh hidden streets and alleys, up small sets of stone steps in a direction Alexia could only hope was toward their hotel She was beginning to worry that they er for another She shifted so that her parasol pointed at the nize the city around the last, they burst out onto a faeurs sitting in peaceful serenity before thelanced over to thank their guide, but thethe ladies to make their way this last little bit without escort

"What a entleman," commented Alexia

"He probably had to make it back to his balloon"

"Oh?"

"Baedeker says that the balloons heat during the early part of the day and rise up Most Drifters allow theht as they cool, wherever they are in the desert, until the ain He said that once the balloon is up, a Drifter will never allow it back down again until evening," Ivy explained as they pushed their way through the enious"

"So, you see, his hoo meet it or he wouldn’t knohere it landed"

"Oh, Ivy, I hardly think…" Alexia trailed off

Lord Conall Maccon stood in the doorway to the hotel, holding a letter in one hand, and he did not look pleased

CHAPTER THIRTEEN