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Floote did not respond There was accusation inherent in the term, for "sundowner"

iovernentleht to carry such a weapon

"Since ould you know anything about munitions, Gustave?" Madame Lefoux issued her friend an imperiously quirked brow

"I’ve developed a keen interest in gunpowder recently Terribly messy stuff, but awful y useful for a directed mechanical force"

"I should say so," said Alexia, readjusting her parasol and shooting her last dart

"Now you’ve wasted the fly with her own, y vampire just after Alexia’s projectile struck hoish black blood oozed out froo for the eye? It’s so unsightly" Monsieur Trouvé appeared to agree with Alexia’s disgust

"Only if you proain"

Thus two of the vampires were now incapacitated The other two had retreated out of range to regroup, clearly not having anticipated such resistance

Mada and use the lapis solaris"

"Are you certain that is strictly necessary, Genevieve? It seems so discourteous I could accidental y kil one of them with such a substance We’ve already had a little too much of that kind of tomfoolery" She nodded with her chin at the vampire Floote had shot, who now lay oeneral y rather old

Murdering one even in self-defense was like thoughtlessly destroying a rare aged cheese True, a fanged and ave the preternatural woman an incredulous look "Yes, final death was the idea when I designed it"

One of the vaain, intent on Alexia He held a wicked-looking knife Clearly he was adapting better to her preternatural ability than his now-inert cohorts

Floote shot his other gun

This time the bul et hit the man’s chest The vampire fel backward, crashed into a loaded display cabinet, and landed on the floor, et the dust out

The re both annoyed and confused He had brought no projectile weapons The vampire Mada optical i blackened, sluggish blood The two joined forces to charge once more

Madame Lefoux slashed, and Monsieur Trouvé, final y understanding the gravity of the situation, reached around and pul ed a long, wicked-looking spring-adjuster from its cradle on the walIt was brass, so it was unlikely to do any serious daht slow even a vampire if applied properly A sharp wooden knife had now appeared in Floote’s hand--both guns being of the single-shot variety and thus out of aht Alexia with pride

"Wel , if I uard the retreat," said Alexia "Buy us some time"

"What, in a clock shop?" Madaave her a withering look Then she opened and flipped her parasol over in a practiced motion so that she held it backward by the tip instead of the handle There was a tiny dial just above the netic disruption ehtly forward, mindful that she could harm her friends as well as the vampires with this particular weapon Then she clicked the dial round two tian to spew forth a fine mist of lapis solaris diluted in sulfuric acid

At first the sta, but when the e

"Up the stairs, now!" yel ed Alexia

They al began to retreat up the tiny staircase, Alexia bringing up the rear, brandishing the h carpet and wood permeated the air A few drops landed on Alexia’s claret-colored skirts Well, she thought, resigned, there is one goon’t ever be able to wear again

The vae By the ti backward and up with both hands occupied was no athered together a quantity of large, heavy objects hich to barricade the top Alexia’s parasol sputtered once, then e used up its store of the lapis solaris

The vampires renewed their attack Alexia was alone at the top of the stairs But Mada various interesting-looking gadgets down, until, at the last possiblepile of furniture and trunks that Floote and Monsieur Trouvé had piled at the head of the staircase

While Alexia recovered her breath and equani and tilting a ht as assistants

"Anyone have a plan?" Alexia looked around hopeful y

The Frenchwo earlier He says he stil has the ornithopter we designed at university"

Monsieur Trouvé frowned "Wel , yes, but it isn’t certified by the Ministry of Aethernautics to fly within Parisian aetherspace I did not think you actual y intended to use it I’ properly"

"Never you mind that Is it on the roof?"

"Of course, but--"

Mada her down the hal toward the back of the aparted along "Wel , then, to the roof with us! Ooof, wait, my dispatch case"

Floote dove to one side to retrieve her precious luggage

"No ti attained the top of the stairere apparently engaged in trying to bash their way through to the landing by application of pure physical force How vulgar!

"It has tea in it," Alexia explained grateful y when Floote reappeared with her case