City of Air (Lost Cities Saga 1)

The sisters led Leona back to the main stage area where the army was assembled. A new soldier had joined the others, gleaming brass in a dark blue uniform, his chest decorated with medals. So this was the general then. Leona extended a hand to him and Rose pulled her back.

"No, not yet. We must wait on Father's signal," she said.

"Do you think Captain Bradley is out there?" asked Orchid.

Lavender and Rose exchanged a glance and Lavender said, "Now is not the time. He and the others have a lot to do. We have a lot to do."

"Yes, I know," said Orchid and she took Leona's hand from Rose.

From the stage they heard Mr Garnet say, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, friends all. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude for your trudging through that blizzard out there for this. The girls are delighted."

Leona looked at the general's construct. She had never heard of this General Grant before, or the battle he had died in. Why would children of the Empire be taught the history of a former colony anyway? As far as Leona's education was concerned, the story of the Union and the Confederacy ended the day they announced their independence. There was no mention of the war that followed, the defeats, the successes, the various treaties. What did the Order of the Stone want with him? She reached for him again and got her answer. This man had been a fire magician.

"Hey, don't do that," said Orchid. She took Leona's hand away again and stepped between her and the construct. "If you give us away we're all dead."

Leona let her gaze rest on the girl a moment before turning to the stage. Lavender and Rose were peering through the curtains at their father. They did not open it wide enough for Leona to see anyone, but she caught glimpses here and there of light, most of it white. The room had to be filled with magicians. Of course, Lord Aries would know that. Leona opened her mouth and this time the words did come.

"What's…going…on?" she asked.

Orchid started, giving a little squeak that alerted her sisters. They dropped the curtain and hurried back to Leona and Rose said, "Oh thank goodness, I was so worried that it would kill you too."

"What…is…this?" asked Leona. Her speech was slurred and slow.

"A piece of the philosopher's stone, it amplifies your powers. Well, as long as you're strong enough. When you call the general, he will bring his army with him and that will be the signal for the White Tiger League to make their move. Don't worry, Miss Ruby. Soon you will be free of that tyrant," said Rose.

"Are we…going…to war?" asked Leona, looking at the general.

The sisters exchanged a glance and Rose said, "Don't worry about that. It has nothing to do with you."

"I said, 'and now we start the show'!" called Mr Garnet beyond the curtains.

"Oh!" squeaked Orchid. "Positions! Miss Ruby you're with me!"

Lavender and Rose had already run back to the curtain and ducked out from beneath it to the sound of light laughter and applause. "Finally, I was wondering what you four had gotten up to."

"Oh, we're sorry!" said Lavender.

"So very sorry!" said Rose.

Orchid walked Leona further away from the general and said, "The first group of soldiers, those are the Confederates, my sisters will control them with sylphs. The play begins in the Confederate camp with General Lee and his men discussing the plot to assassinate General Grant. When the scene changes, you will let General Grant lead his men out. Mr Tolliver should be able to feel it so you will remain here with me. He will not make it onto the stage if he tries."

Leona thought about it and asked, "What…about my brother…and…Mr…Miller?"

"Who?" Orchid asked. Then, "Your brother is fine. Kara has him. Mr Miller, well, Mr Diamond will take care of him. We have been planning this for a very long time, Miss Ruby. We have thought of everything."

Leona looked up at the girl and said, "Lord…Aries…he killed…he's a killer…he won't…let you take…me."

"I dare him to get past Captain Bradley's pistol," said Orchid. She paused, listening for a moment, and then said, "Right, it's time. Summon the general."

She guided Leona back to the general and released her. At once, Leona reached for him with her left hand, pressing her palm just over where his heart would be if he were alive. She said the incantation without thinking about it; the words just formed and fell from her lips. There was a moment's stillness, and then Leona felt the pull on her energy just before she was swallowed by a wave of golden light.

Orchid gasped. Leona went up on tiptoe to put her other hand on the construct's face. The presence within was growing stronger, as well as those in his soldiers behind them. Leona knew their names, each and every one, as if she had known them all her life. Some had lied about their age, some had run away from enslavement, some had volunteered for glory and some were even women. The general was also not the only fire magician. It made sense, in a way. Fire magicians were warriors, soldiers, strategists. It was probably why the Zodiac Society and the Empire should have been more cautious of Lord Aries.

And then General Grant opened his eyes.

They were black with red and gold irises, demon's eyes if Leona had ever seen them. But she smiled at him and he reached up, grasped both of her hands and brought them to his lips for a brief metal kiss.

Golden magician, thank you.

"Oh my…" said Orchid behind them. The general let his gaze drift over Leona's head to the girl a moment before he stepped back and scanned the room. He kept one of Leona's hands in his but apart from that, Leona could feel no other connection. The philosopher's stone had done something. It was not draining to keep the general around. This was not like the séance at all.

When the general's gaze fell on his troops, he released Leona and turned to face them. None of them moved but they were all there, staring back at him. Then Orchid said, "General Grant, sir, I hate to interrupt, but we need your help."

He turned to look at her. There was barely the sound of the gears and pistons. The general's construct had been built differently, or maybe it was another effect of the philosopher's stone. He did not seem as unnatural or frightening as Master Opal had been.

Orchid started walking to the stage. "You see, General Grant, sir, General Lee is out there. He and his men and their allies have taken everyone in this house hostage."

"What…happened to the war? The last thing I remember, young lady, was walking into my tent at our camp. Is this a theatre?"

Orchid glanced at Leona and replied, "I'm afraid that General Lee and his troops won. They had you assassinated."

"Assassinated?" asked the general. He glanced at Leona too, who nodded, and then he roared, "That's a coward's way! I won't stand for it. Where is he?"

"Onstage with his men, sir," said Orchid. "We have allies in this room who are waiting for you and your men to make the first move. Once you have him caught, we will help you take the room. General Lee will be at your mercy after that, sir."

Leona wondered why Orchid felt the need to lie. Would the general not help them if they told him the truth? Then the general asked, "I would like to help you, miss, but if the general won, why has he taken this theatre?"

Orchid paled, glanced at Leona again and then said, "They have a plot to expand the Confederacy into Union territory. The war has not ended. I beg you, sir, my father and sisters are out there. Her brother is a prisoner as well. Please, help us, please!"

That did the trick. The general straightened and turned to the soldiers. "Men?"

As one, the soldiers saluted and replied, "Sir!"

Leona and Orchid both started. Surely someone outside had heard the response, but there was no movement beyond the curtain. The play continued as normal, someone was singing loudly. Maybe the audience had heard but were not suspicious. After all, why would they be? The Garnets had promised them a war play so of course they would have troops in the background. But did Lord Aries notice anything? The general commanded, "It appears that we may have the element of surprise. Let's not waste it. I want some of you to filter left, some to the right and blend into the audience if you can. The rest of you with me."

"Sir!"

The troops split to do as he commanded, and then the general turned to Leona and Orchid. "I want you ladies out of sight. It may get bloody and I would prefer to minimise civilian casualties if possible."

"Yes sir," said Orchid, taking hold of Leona again and guiding her away from the general. She led them to the side of the stage where another construct waited to pull up the curtain. The general walked up to the curtain flanked by the soldiers, some of who went off to the sides, creating a barricade between the girls and the stage.

"Here we go," said Orchid, and pulled the lever.

The curtain went up.

At first, it appeared that no one noticed. All attention was focussed on the singer, a young construct soldier whose actual voice was a soprano hidden at the foot of the stage. Then someone gasped, murmurs rose and a woman screamed. The performance came to an abrupt halt.

The soldiers in front of Leona and Orchid streamed onto the stage and then down into the crowd just as their brethren who had concealed themselves along the walls flowed out of the shadows heading for the stage. More screams and startled shouts. Mr Garnet said, "My word, what's this?"

Sounds of a scuffle erupted and someone cried out. Then Mr Diamond said, "Miss Ruby begged me to spare you, Mr Miller, do not make me go back on my word."

"What is the meaning of this, Garnet?" demanded Lord Aries.

"I am seizing this theatre in the name of United States of America!" declared the general.

"Oh thank goodness," said Mr Garnet, his voice filled with feigned relief. "Where are my daughters? Girls?"

Orchid started for the stage at once, dragging Leona along with her. Lavender and Rose were already there, clutching at each other as if afraid that they were going to be pulled apart. When they caught sight of Orchid, they pulled both her and Leona into the embrace. And then Leona finally caught sight of Lord Aries.

He had made it into the aisle and halfway down to the stage before he had been seized by the Union constructs. Mr Miller was still in his seat, Mr Diamond's gun at his head and he was glaring at Leona. Lord Aries, however, was looking at Mr Garnet. Mr Garnet was smiling at him and said, "I think this is what is called 'swindling'. Did you really think we would let you get away with the murder of a member of the Order? That we would let you get into the cities and your hands on its treasures? That we would let you keep Miss Ruby?"

Lord Aries looked up at Leona on the stage. She met his gaze but made no move to join him. The sisters held her fast between them. He said, "You would 'let' me? Have you forgotten who I am? What I am? Do you think you could stop me? I will kill you all."

"No, you won't," said Mr Garnet. "Because we have Miss Ruby and Miss Ruby is more powerful than you. Who do you think summoned this entire army?"

Lord Aries' eyes went wide and then he dropped his head a moment before throwing it back and calling, "Noor! Burn this place to the ground! Noo—"

He was cut off by the constructs knocking him to the ground. But Noor had heard her master's command and surged into the room on a ball of flame.

"Leona! Stop her!" Rose screamed.

Leona looked around the room for water, noticing then the great ice sculptures that had been set up around the room and summoned a nymph. The nymph formed from an ice sculpture like a leviathan, nearly thirty feet tall and slapped the djinniyeh into a wall. The flames went out immediately.

When Leona looked down at Mr Garnet he was smiling at her. But then Lord Aries said, "Is that…a fragment?"

The bracelet glinted at Leona's wrist. One of the sisters pulled her hand out of sight. Lord Aries began to laugh. "You amplified her power with a fragment…have you gone mad? She's a child. She has no control. The fragment will take over. I don't have to do a thing, she will kill you."

Mr Garnet glanced at Leona but no one made a move to take the bracelet. Instead he turned to the general and said, "General Grant, my name is Charles Garnet, and those three young ladies, Lavender, Rose and Orchid are my daughters. The young lady who summoned you is Miss Leona Ruby. You must understand by now that we have told you a little falsehood. Please forgive me, but under the circumstances it could not be avoided. This man is a murderer, a kidnapper and a thief, as Miss Ruby can attest."

All eyes turned to the general, who looked at Mr Garnet and said, "All of it was falsehood? But what of the war?"

Mr Garnet straightened and said, "That was true. The Confederacy has for many years been trying to gain a foothold in the north. Now they have the allegiance of the Zodiac Society, to which this man, James Tolliver, who calls himself 'Lord Aries' belongs, and the Empire. They want to claim our territories. With your and Miss Ruby's help we are going to stop them."

The general glanced over at Leona and then back to Mr Garnet and asked, "With just the two of us? I know a thing or two about magic, Mr Garnet, and it will certainly take more than a little girl and tin soldiers to stop the Confederacy."

At this a man in the crowd stood up and said, "Indeed, that is why we're here. The White Tiger League has pledged allegiance to the Union cause. My name is Augustus Diamond and in this room are the men and women, magicians and Tinkers, behind that organisation. We will not stand for the tyranny of the South any longer. Indeed, we intend to fulfil the Order of the Stone's grand vision of rebuilding the West City in the great United States. Will you stand with us?"

The general looked at the man though Leona could not see his face clearly from where she stood. What had Lord Aries gotten them caught up in? She looked down at him to find him staring back up at her. He was not laughing any longer but he did not look angry either. In fact, there was no emotion in his expression. Then the general said, "Of course."

The room erupted into cheers. Lord Aries closed his eyes.

Lord Aries and Cedric were led away from the room in chains; the djinniyeh behind them in wet bindings, and with their crew had been locked in the cavernous attic. Leona remained with the sisters and Mr Diamond as the members of the White Tiger League congratulated Mr Garnet and themselves. Clearly they believed that they had scored a great coup on the Zodiac Society and the Empire. Leona did not know if she should be happy for them or not. No one mentioned Generous or Kara.

Finally, someone remembered the girl responsible for their victory and Mr Garnet had Leona sent to bed. He took care to remove the bracelet first though, and Leona slumped with relief against Mr Diamond. It was as if someone had pulled her up out of a well, or from deepwater, and she had to take a few great deep breaths before she could manage to say to Mr Garnet, "Thank you."

Mr Garnet did not reply, but nodded to Mr Diamond who led her out of the room. He made no attempt to make conversation or release his hold Leona's arm, for which she was grateful, being suddenly exhausted. And when they got to her room and she had fallen into her bed, still fully-dressed, he said, "Rest up, cherie. We're heading south tomorrow and you will need your strength."

If he thought those words comforting, they were not. The Confederacy was no place for her, and especially if she was coming in with a Union invasion. If they caught her or her brother, if the Unionists failed, the consequences would not be mere hanging. Lord Aries might plead mercy on the grounds that he had been tricked or even abducted, but who would listen to two little freedmen?

Another worrying thought was what would happen to her now. She did not think that Mr Garnet and the others had any intention of letting her go. They needed her to raise their undead army; all those constructs in the laboratory were not servants but soldiers. But for how long could Leona do such a thing before it killed her?

"Cherie," said Mr Diamond.

Leona jerked awake and backed into the wall beside her bed. Mr Diamond did not laugh this time. He was standing before her bed with a tray. On it was a cup of milk, a slice of bread and a piece of cheese. It was going to take far more than that to sate Leona's appetite.

"Your breakfast, and eat quickly. We're taking Mr Garnet's train to the front. We need to see what your army can do."

"My army?" asked Leona. She sat up properly and took the tray from Mr Diamond. Her chest and sides ached a little from falling asleep in her corset and evening dress.

He sat down on the bed beside her and said, "We need more than one hundred soldiers, though the general thinks that just the idea of the walking dead is going to be enough to send them Confederates running."

Leona paused as she had an epiphany, then looked up at Mr Diamond, eyes wide and said, "This is why they killed the aether magicians before. We can make the dead walk." She stopped again, considering and said, "We could find out things the dead knew. What if you murdered someone and did not want them to know? I exposed Lord Aries when I summoned Master Opal and he hit me."

Mr Diamond nodded at this and said, "Aether magicians have always been rare, cherie. You've heard the fairytale, I'm sure? About the Golden Dragon hoarding his gift like treasure? People want that power; House Ruby tried to claim it by force and nearly destroyed the Order. Thankfully the other houses were able to salvage what they could before all was truly lost. We have been scattered to the four corners of the Earth. Here we had hoped to build a home for ourselves, a man like your Lord Aries and that Zodiac Society will destroy us all. Once we get them out of the Union once and for all, we can focus on rebuilding the city."

Leona stared at him, more than a little surprised that he had volunteered so much information, and then asked, "Is there a way to the real West City, or was that just a lie you told Lord Aries so he could bring you an aether magician?"

Mr Diamond smiled at her and replied, "Oh, the city is very much real. 'To enter the West City of the White Tiger, one draws the gate facing west, with an offerings of metal—a knife preferably—air—a sylph—and the blood of an air magician.' There are also appointed times and an incantation, as the magician appeals directly to the White Tiger. In fact, you're technically summoning the White Tiger and the only offering worthy of something like that is his element…and maybe a little piece of the philosopher's stone. Aerie just happens to be the highest point West we could find at the time and build a mansion over but it actually conceals a gate."

His smile widened at Leona's stunned expression and he said, "We acquired this knowledge from Eastern magicians a very long time ago, Miss Ruby, and the Order will not easily give up its secrets. Your Lord Aries would have been better off snatching your Master Opal than killing him, but I suppose he considered you more valuable because an aether magician could pretty much force their way in. The only trouble with this method, though, is that the city will immediately try to kill anyone who does it that way. Not to mention that he clearly wants to get the Book of Earth out of the city. That would destroy the city and anyone in it. I don't know how he expected you to win against the White Tiger. You're much better off with us than him."

"Can all the cities be accessed so easily?" asked Leona.

"Oh, perhaps, I don't know, I'm not a magician," said Mr Diamond. Then he glanced out the window at the dull, white sky and said, "You best get that down as quickly as possible. We want to be at the border by noon. If all goes well, Miss Ruby, in a few days you might soon be having tea in the parlour of the President of the Confederate States of America's mansion. You would like it too. We're going to free the slaves. There's no need for harbouring the poor creatures when you can have perfectly good constructs to do your bidding."

Then he stood, patted her on the head and left the room. Leona listened for it and heard the door lock click into place. She exhaled heavily and set down the tray on the bed beside her before sliding off the mattress and going to the window.

The mountains were unchanged and since she could not see the courtyard, she had no idea of what was going on below. What did war preparations look like anyway? Especially when one had a metal undead army? And what about her? Did they expect her to walk onto a battlefield in a gold evening dress? If anything that made her a target.

Her question was answered moments later when she heard the door click again. She spun to face it, just as the door opened and Rose carrying the black and yellow-striped dress she had first worn when they met. There was a construct behind her carrying a pitcher of water, a basin, bar of soap and small towel for Leona to wash up before changing. She smiled at Leona, though it became a frown when she noticed her untouched breakfast.

"Why haven't you eaten?" she demanded, folding her arms and glaring at Leona. "Eat, now. You will need your energy for later." Gone was the warm, smiling, talkative girl who had tried so hard to become Leona's best friend. Well, Leona supposed that she was not surprised. This was just like some of the girls Leona had known at school and Leona had a lot of experience dealing with those types.

Leona was not afraid of Rose Garnet and never would be. She folded her arms as well and spat, "Do you really think I can do any of what you want on just dry bread and milk? What do you think I am? I'm a magician, you should know better than anyone that I need real food."

Rose's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before narrowing into a glare and she said, "How dare you be so ungrate—"

Leona cut her off, real anger surging up, "How dare you forget that the only reason you guys have that army is me? Bring me a real breakfast or forget about your army."

Rose blinked and then grit out through clenched teeth, "Eat! Now!"

Leona turned her back on her and said, "Do you think I'm a dog. Do not forget that I have had an air magician and a fire magician as teachers and I am far more powerful than them both. Get me a real breakfast or leave me alone."

"You…you…" Rose tried again, but eventually she turned around and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Leona took a deep breath, released it and put her hand against the glass. It was ice cold. She did not know for sure that she was stronger than John Opal or James Tolliver, certainly not as powerful as Sebastian Tyne, but she could definitely take on Rose and her sisters and win, metal servants or no.

Leona had washed and was mostly into her dress when Mr Diamond returned with a new tray laid out with tea, orange juice, toast, eggs, fruit and sausage. It had all gone cold, of course, and Leona laughed when she saw it. Mr Diamond smiled at her too and said, "Mademoiselle Rose Garnet has asked me to bring you a 'real' breakfast. What did you do to upset your new little friend?"

"She's not my friend," said Leona, summoning a tiny imp to reheat her breakfast. Mr Diamond was so startled he nearly dropped the tray.

When she looked up at him, he said, "I can never get used to you doing that without a circle, cherie."

As the first wisps of steam unfurled from the tea, Leona dismissed the imp and said, "I'm an aether magician, I don't need a circle."

Unlike their arrival at Aerie, their departure was to be a much quieter affair. They were to take a steam-car to the mining town where they would catch a train that would take them to the state capital and from there board another train for the Confederacy. That was where the first salvo of the Second Civil War would be launched and Mr Garnet and the White Tiger League were determined to make it a resounding success.

There was still no talk of Generous or Kara and no mention of what had happened to Lord Aries and the others in the attic.

Mr Diamond waited with Leona until she had breakfast, and then helped her finish dressing. He dismissed her protests with a smile and a blithe, "I have sisters, Miss Ruby. I am not one of those men who lose their minds at the sight of a woman's flesh, especially when that woman is still just a little girl."

She had scowled but given in. There was no use infuriating him when he could just shoot her or knock her unconscious and carry her out anyway.

They met the sisters and their father in the courtyard. None of the sisters looked at Leona as she joined them, and Mr Garnet addressed Mr Diamond, "I trust that she is better behaved now."

Mr Diamond grinned and replied, "Mademoiselle Ruby is no trouble to me, Monsieur Garnet. She would not dream of it." Then he put an around her shoulder and drew her into him, so that she could feel the bulge of the weapon holstered at his hip.

She smiled at Mr Garnet, who stared blankly at her for a moment before turning to the first of the two waiting cars and said, "And we're off."

Mr Garnet, Rose and Orchid went into the first car and Lavender, Leona and Mr Diamond took the second. When her sisters looked at her in surprise, Lavender replied with a shrug, "Miss Ruby does not blather ceaselessly about captains."

They took a path that went through a tunnel that had been dug out of the mountain. It was narrow, dark save for a handful of lanterns and smelled of dirt and iron. Leona could not help her staring, though neither Lavender nor Mr Diamond did. When had the family done all of this, Leona wondered. Or was this part of some kind of abandoned mine? They family did say that they employed miners.

The light when they emerged from the tunnel was nearly blinding and Leona had to squeeze her eyes shut against the glare. When she opened them again, it was to find that they were now on a winding road heading down the mountain. She turned to look back at Aerie but saw only rocks and a line of steam-coaches, much larger than the one she and the Garnets were riding in. Mr Diamond said, "Our army, Miss Ruby."

"We have to be as inconspicuous as possible," said Lavender. "At no point, if anything goes wrong must one be able to follow anything back to Aerie."

Mr Diamond chuckled and said, "At this point, if anything goes wrong Aerie is the last thing you'll be worrying about."

Leona kept her gaze out the window for the rest of the journey. The snow-covered mountain gradually gave way to rocky terrain with a handful of great fir trees and bush here and there. The path became bumpy and Leona had to sit back from the window a little to avoid hitting her chin on the door. Then she saw the first cabin.

It was a small, wooden structure, barely bigger than the former slave huts she had known on the Miller plantation. There was a thin trail of smoke rising from its roof and a man out front splitting logs with an axe. Leona stared at him until he noticed, squinting back at the passing convoy as it made its way to the village, and then her gaze caught on the next house. It soon became apparent that all of the houses were cabins, of varying sizes, and most of their inhabitants looked as if they had had as hard a life as Leona's parents. The men all wore long, wiry beards, their skin leathered by their labour. The women, the few that were visible, looked barely any better and their dresses were never fine. Leona's eyes grew wide and remained that way as they finally made their way into town, where the streets were muddy paths.

Mr Diamond said, "Looks like home, doesn't it, Miss Ruby."

"No," said Leona. "Nothing like home at all."

The train station was at the other end of the town, which was barely a minute's ride, and the train was waiting on the tracks. They passed no more than three stores, five saloons, one theatre house, one tea house, a bakery, butcher shop and barber and dentistry shop all on the same stretch of mud-road. The driver drew as close to the wooden station platform as possible and then Mr Diamond got out first to help Lavender and Leona out. Lavender walked ahead to meet her sisters but Leona remained with Mr Diamond. It was absurd that she felt safer with him than the sisters.

Mr Garnet stood with Construct-General Grant at the train overseeing the loading of the soldiers. The ones already resurrected were assisting the Garnet servants, disguised as porters. And helping them was—

"Generous!" Leona cried, running over to her brother.

He stopped what he was doing to run to her as well. "Leona! I thought that demon lady had killed you! She went flying out of the basement in a rage! What did you do? Where's Mr Miller and Lord Aries?"

Leona could not answer. She could only hold on and breathe in the scent of him, of iron dust and oil and boy, until her eyes filled with tears. He was alright. They had not harmed him.

"Hello, young master Ruby," said Mr Garnet.

The siblings parted to look at him, though Leona held fast to her brother's hand. Mr Garnet noticed and smirked at Leona before saying to Generous, "I have heard so much about you from everyone, though we have not had the pleasure of being properly introduced. I am Charles Garnet."

Generous shook off Leona to go to Mr Garnet and shake his hand. "Everyone calls me Generous, sir. Please do."

Mr Garnet's smile widened. He took the boy's hand for a firm handshake and then looked past him to the constructs. He said, "My daughters and assistants report that you have already made yourself an invaluable member of the laboratory. They said that it did not take you very long to figure out how everything worked. That's very good. I'm impressed; we are definitely going to need your help in the coming days. And your sister's too, of course. You both are invaluable members of our plans."

Generous went wide-eyed and then looked back to Leona as if for confirmation. She stared at Mr Garnet. Generous turned back to the man too and said, "Well thank you, sir, for the opportunity. It has been a pleasure. I have never worked with such advanced construction before. Everything back home is so outdated and poorly-made it is almost no use."

Mr Garnet gave him a genuine smile then and said, "You sound like a very intelligent boy. That's very good. I hope to see wonderful things from you in the future. Now, I think we should let you get back to work. Don't you agree, Miss Ruby?"

How could she refuse? Leona said, "Yes. Keep up the good work, Generous."

He grinned at her and walked back to the loaders. He was half the height of most of the men and the constructs but he worked just as hard as they did. Looking at him then, Leona remembered the way the men and their father would have to chase him from the plantation mill for the fact that he kept wandering too close to the machinery to see how they worked. Her brother was a gear-head through and through and this was his element. Leona wondered though, if he had noticed how differently some of the constructs behaved as compared to the ordinary Garnet ones.

The Garnets had secured an entire car to themselves, one that had been as richly decorated as a mansion parlour, with velvet-covered walls, a carpeted floor, leather-covered seats, and a bar to one end where Mr Diamond had already acquired drinks for himself and Mr Garnet. As Leona boarded, he tipped his hat at her and said, "I have always believed that there is simply no better way to take the train than in style. Especially when one is riding into war."

Leona went to the nearest window to look out at the forest that covered the land on the other side of the town and said, "I would not know anything about that. Where we come from there is no war."

And as she said it, she realised that it was true. She had never experienced anything like war before. Sure there had been uprisings in the colony, but that was usually a great procession of labourers calling out their grievances to the Great Houses while the militia and their employers watched.

"Not anymore, that is true," said Mr Diamond. "So this will be an education for you. Study it well. You have a rare opportunity."

She turned away from the window to look at him and he winked at her. She scoffed, looked out again and said, "I don't think this is a lesson I really want to learn."