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As ever, Lady Maccon took in her surroundings with a kind of reverence that was part appreciation, part horror There were engines and , many of theraer projects strewn about, mostly aeronautical devices such as ornithopters, as aetheric travel was one of Madame Lefoux’s specialties It smelled of oil

"Oh, my, is that a new coh the clutter, holding her skirts well out of the way of any possible grease stains

Do the chamber was a partly assembled transport contraption Or Alexia assumed it was a transport--as yet, it had no apparent wheels, rails, or legs It was shaped like a ht be an underwater conveyance Inside were levers and pull cords, an operator’s seat, and two slike and well outside of the Frenchwoman’s ordinary principles of subtlety Alexia’s parasol with all its secret pockets and component parts was far o in for big and flashy

"So on of late"

"Is it arly unladylike interest inin Madame Lefoux’s tone warned Alexia off

"Oh, dear, is it under contract from the War Office? I’ We shall say no ratitude Her dimples barely showed

Govern one could speak of openly, even to the queen’s muhjah The inventor moved to take Alexia’s hand, her oork-hardened by decades of tool use Alexia could feel the roughness even through her gloves, along with a corown to accept was part of the price of inti

"Was there so specific you wanted, my dear Alexia?"

Alexia hesitated and then, without subtlety, ju about the Kingair assassination atte from the Order of the Brass Octopus?"

Madaoodness, what has brought you back around to that?"

"Let us say I made a contact recently who has led me into explorations of the past"

Madaainst a coiled roll of brass plating "H I would have been no more than thirteen at the time, but we could ask ht be but the attempt can’t hurt"

"Your aunt? Oh you mean?????"

Mada diminished spectral cohesion Even with all my preservation techniques and chemical expertise, it was inevitable However, she does have her lucid moments"

Alexia realized this must be the true source of Genevieve’s distress She was losing a treasured family member The woman who had raised her Genevieve may have a well-developed mystique, but she was not emotionally reserved and she loved deeply Alexia moved to her friend and stroked her upper arm where the muscles tensed "Oh, Genevieve, I ahtly at the sympathy "I cannot help but think that this is to be elique and now Beatrice"

"Oh, surely not! You cannot be so confident you have excess soul" Alexia would have offered to ensure exorcisry when she perforelique

"No, you are correct I have been traveling, researching, studying, trying to find a way to extend uished, that of a scientist who sees a problem but no solution

"Oh, but you have done your level best! You have given her years, far longer than any ghost has a right to expect"

"Years for what? Humiliation and madness?" Genevieve took a breath, then placed her hand over Alexia’s where it stroked her arize, my lovely Alexia This is not your burden You still wish to speak to her?"

"Would she talk to me, do you think?"

"We can but try"

Lady Maccon nodded and atteal posture, trying to be less overbearing and physically threatening She didn’t want to scare the ghost Not that a woe

Madame Lefoux yelled, her normally melodious voice sharp, "Aunt, where are you? Aunt!"

Several hostly form shimmered into existence out of the side of a conveyer belt spool, looking grumpy