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"M man replied, noncommittal He handed her a metal scroll, a small vial of acid, and a stylus

Lady Maccon set herself up in one corner of the roohtly as she atte one letter into each grid square on the scroll Her penmanship had never won her any school awards, and she wanted toScots Please reply"

She removed Lord Akeldama’s crystalline valve fro her copious skirts to shroud her er could not see where it was hidden

Mada, so Lady Maccon entertained herself by exploring the receiving rooraphor on which Mada She tested her own er and less streamlined than on Lord Akeldama’s transmitter, but they were in the same place: filter to elinals, and two pieces of glass with black particulate between

Madaentle touch on her arm

"We are almost ready It is five minutes until eleven Shall we set the machine to transmit?"

"Will I be allowed to watch?"

"Of course"

The three of the roo room, was packed with adgetry was ht possible, and the dials and switches were more numerous

Madame Lefoux smoothed out and slotted Alexia’s metal scroll into the special frame Alexia placed Lord Akelda the tie knob-ended switch and engaged the aetheric convector, activating the chean to phosphoresce The two s aetheroelectric i brightly whenever they were exposed to one another through the letters, trans delay, but she had faith that Lord Akeldareater sensitivity and could cut though cli… Scots… please… reply" sped invisibly outward

And leagues to the south, at the top of a posh town house, a well-trained vae peel, who looked as though his gravest concern hether winter cravats per an inco transmission The source was unknown, but he had been told to sweep on broad receiving at eleven o’clock for several nights straight He took down the e and then noted the trans off to find his master

"It is hard to know for certain, but I believe everything went smoothly" Madame Lefoux switched off the trans quietly down "Of course, ill not know if co transer said, "Your contact will have to detere so that he can dial it in fro will such an endeavor take?"

"No way to know," replied the Frenchwo room on"

So they let themselves into the other chaine located under the instru, as quietly as possible, waiting

"I think ill give it just a few more minutes," Madanetic resonator coils to shake slightly

The claviger frowned at her and went to retune the a at all, Lord Akeldaan to appear between the two pieces of glass on the receiver The sly netic particulate one letter at a tian carefully and quietly copying down the incoraphic pen Lady Maccon and Madame Lefoux held their collective breaths and tried not to move Silence was vital After each letter was colass shook softly, erasing the previous letter and preparing for the next

Eventually, the ar They waited a few er held up his hand autocratically Only when he had switched everything off did he nod, allowing thee of the aethographor The Scots were a silent, dour lot, but he seemed to have the least to say of any of thee," she dehtly, read out, " ‘Got you Scots taste good?’ "

Lady Maccon laughed Lord Akelda Scots," he had read "tasting Scots" "Regardless of the reply, we know that this transossip with Lord Akeldaraphor isna intended for gossip, Lady Maccon!"

"Tell that to Lord Akeldama"

Madame Lefoux’s die to be certain as to the efficaciousness of the transhed He was reluctant to agree but was apparently also unwilling to resist the request of a guest He wandered off and returned with another metal scroll

Alexia inscribed, "Spy here?"

From what she could recall, Lord Akeldama’s newer model had the ability to overhear other transmissions, if it knehere to look

Minutes later in the other room, the reply came "Not mine Probably chatty bats"

While the other two looked confused, Alexia only nodded Lord Akelda her friend, he would now take it upon hi the Westine hiether, thrilled with the challenge With a ser was not looking, stashed it back in her trusty parasol

Lady Maccon was exhausted by the tiht her bed It was not a s the entirety of it He was sprawled, snoring softly, wrapped every which way in a ragged andand not very successful life) coverlet

Alexia climbed in and applied a tried-and-true technique she had developed over the last few ainst the headboard and used her legs to push hi sufficient space for her to wor once more She supposed he had spent decades, even centuries, sleeping alone; it would take so sohtly ritual The earl was no lightweight