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"Back out," ordered their Alpha fe Biffy The others can take the sun"

"I thought olves could withstand sunlight?" asked Boots

Alexia"Yes But not when still learning control"

"What’ll happen to him if he doesn’t make it in?"

Rumpet reappeared at that juncture "Ah, Mr Floote" He acknowledged his butler peer with a slight bow

"Mr Ru his attention back to Lady Maccon, "Now, h the pain"

Alexia glared at her butler "Easy for you to say Have you ever done this?"

"Certainly not, et sorted?"

"Mostly, my lady"

"What do you mean, mostly?"

The conversation paused at that while everyone waited courteously for Lady Maccon to let out another part screah her body They all pretended not to notice her thrashing It was very polite of them

"Well, a few of the vampires spread themselves about So we’ll have to put so to? Vaether," quipped Alexia sarcastically

One of the clavigers, a cheerful, freckled blighter who had performed Scottish ballads for the queen herself on more than one occasion, said, "It’s quite sweet, really They’ve snuggled up with each other"

"Snuggled? The wolf should be tearing the vampire apart"

"Not anymore, my lady Look"

Alexia looked The sun was up, its first rays cresting the horizon It was going to be a bright, clear summer day It was all too much, even for the most sensible preternatural Lady Maccon panicked "Biffy! Biffy’s not yet inside! Quickly!" She gestured the clavigers "Get me up Get me out there Getto cry, both fro out there, burning alive

"But, ive birth!" objected Rumpet

"Oh, that’s not i"

Floote nodded He pointed to one of the clavigers "You, do as she asks Boots, you take the other side" He looked down at his hter would be difficult "Mada blankets," yelled Lady Maccon at the reers and Rumpet "Rip those curtains down if you must Most of the pack is out there naked! Oh, this is all so eer for their crossed arms and hoisted Lady Maccon up She threw an ar men part ran and part stuly endless hillside toward the carnage below

The octomaton was down, the result of toobattle As she neared, Alexia could see the now-naked bodies of the pack lying fallen--bloodied, bruised, and burned Scattered a them were the severed tentacles of the octoine parts Here and there, a claviger or BURat a wounded limb, but thankfully none of them seemed seriously injured The olves, on the other hand, lay floppy and nonsensical, like so much fried fish Most of them looked like they were simply sound asleep, the standard reaction to full- under the direct rays of the sun Even i around covering the ones they could with blankets and pulling others back toward the house

"Where’s Biffy?" Alexia couldn’t see him anywhere

Then she realized there was someone else she couldn’t see, and her voice rose in terror to a near shriek "Where’s Conall? Oh no, oh no, oh no" Alexia’s co distress only offset by the need to scream as another contraction hit her She loved Biffy dearly, but all her worry was now transferred to an even more important love--her husband Was he injured? Dead?

The two young , in and around the wreckage until, near the great metal bowler hat that was the fallen head of the octomaton, an oasis of cale velvet curtain wrapped about hinified, wasthe atoward him, he said, "Lady Maccon?"

"Professor Where is my husband? Where is Biffy?"

"Oh, of course, preternatural touch Very good idea"

"Professor!"

"Lady Maccon, are you all right?" Professor Lyallher closely "Have you started?" He looked at Boots, who raised both eyebrows expressively

"Where is Conall?" Alexia practically shrieked

"He’s fine, my lady Perfectly fine He took Biffy inside, out of the sun"

"Inside?"

"Inside the octomaton With Madame Lefoux Once she realized, she opened the hatch and let them in"

Lady Maccon sed down her fear, almost sick with relief "Show me"

Professor Lyall led them to the octomaton’s head, around one side, and then rat-tat-tatted on it diffidently A door, previously invisible it was so sea, popped open and Genevieve Lefoux looked out

Lady Maccon wished fervently at that reeted the Frenchwoetting them all into such a pickle Justified or not, the inventor had caused everybody a good deal of unnecessary bother

"Professor Lyall Yes?"

"Lady Maccon, to see her husband" The Beta stepped aside to allow the Frenchwo and clearly distressed Alexia and her improvised transport

"Alexia? Are you unwell?"