Page 9 (1/2)

Madame Lefoux examined Alexia’s face sympathetical y "You think the Teet you with child?"

"Why don’t you tel ed to read a portion of the Templars’ Amended Rule"

"You did what?" Professor Lyal was impressed

Floote looked at the Frenchwo about this thing" Alexia poked an accusatory finger at her stil -flat stohtful but clearly did not want to teued at uarded in their approach Especial y if they find out you are pregnant But they are warriors, not intel ectuals I’m not convinced they can furnish you hat you actually desire"

"Oh, and what’s that?"

"The return of your husband’s regard"

Alexia glared daggers at the Frenchwoman The very idea! She didn’t want that disloyal fuzz-bal back in love with her She si

"I think," said Professor Lyal before Alexia could co a wasp hive"

"So long as it is not a ladybug hive, I shal be fine"

"I think," said Floote, "that I should come with you ladies"

Neither of the ladies in question objected

Alexia raised a finger in the air "Might I recoraphic transh that presupposes the fact that il be able to find a public transmitter"

"They have become more popular recently" Madame Lefoux clearly approved of the idea

The Beta nodded "Keeping a time slot open at BUR headquarters is an excel ent notion I shal give you a list of al the names and locations of transmitters for e have crystal ine valve frequensors, and e can thus transood one You understand, our apparatus is not as sophisticated as Lord Akeldama’s?"

Alexia nodded Lord Akeldaraphic transmitters, but BUR’s was old and clunky "I shal need a valve for your transmitter as well , for the Italian end of the business"

"Of course I wil send an agent ’round directly Shal we set the appointment for just after sunset? I wil havecoh from you at some point on that frequency If only so that I know you are alive"

"Oh, that is terribly optie

Professor Lyal did not apologize

"So, Italy it is?" Madaether in the lanced about at the four standing around her "One should always visit one’s roots once in one’s lifetis has arrived by now" She turned to leave The others fol owed "I shal have to repack

Better do it quickly, before anything else goes wrong today"

Madame Lefoux touched her arm before she could dash off "What else happened to you this ?"

"Aside fro condition in the public papers and an attack of virulent ladybugs? well , Queen Victoria fired me from the Shadow Council, my family ejectede about a cat Which reminds me" Lady Maccon took the mysterious metal cat col ar out of her reticule and waved it at Madanetic auditory resonance tape"

"I thought itlike"

Professor Lyal looked on with interest "Do you have a resonance decoding cavity?"

Madame Lefoux nodded "Of course, over here somewhere" She disappeared behind a vast pile of parts that looked to be the disine combined with half a dozen enorave every indication of being a very tal stovepipe-style top hat, with no brim, mounted on a teapot stand with a crank attach out its underside

Lady Maccon had nothing to say upon seeing such a bizarre-looking contraption

She handed over the metal tape in h a slit in the underside of the hat, turning the crank to run it through the device As she did so, a pinging sound began to e heliuether, and eventually a high voice caland," it said in a tinny, mechanical tone "And beware Italians who embroider"