Lord Augustus Dechantagne sat in a chair at a conference table in The Office of Lizzie Affairs. Around him were seated Mr. Millard Tomley Esq., Mr. James Dawes Esq. and Amoz Croffut, the three of them, with the exception of two secretaries, the entire complement of the organization. The young lord flipped through the papers in front of him and blew air between his lips.

“I don’t think you gentlemen understood what I wanted.”

“You wanted to expand,” said Tomley. “We’re planning to more than double our staff.”

“Two more lawyers and four more secretaries.”

“Exactly,” said Dawes.

“Look,” said Augie. “Up until now, all you’ve done is help the lizzies here in Port Dechantagne when they’ve come afoul of our laws and customs. There’s nothing wrong with that. Yes, you need more help in order to fulfill that mission. You should definitely hire these additional people. But I want this office to keep track of all the lizzies in and around Birmisia Colony.

He looked at Amoz Croffut.

“You’re a military man, Croffut. When I need intel on the lizzies, I want to be able to come to you and for you to have it.”

“You mean you want it available for Governor Staff, don’t you?” said Croffut.

“I mean both of us.”

He pulled a paper out of his breast pocket, unfolded it, and handed it across the table. Croffut read it over and then handed it back.

“All right. So you have the full authority of the Governor.”

“Yes, so when I tell you to hire the people you’ve found, you should do it. You should also get more secretaries, at least one statistician or accountant, a military liaison, a linguist, and at least one anthropologist… or would you call it a reptiologist?”

“The term would be cultural herpetologist,” said Croffut, “but I don’t think there is such a thing.”

“Well find someone. I’d recommend Tiber Stephenson as your liaison, but hire whoever you want.” He looked up through the glass wall that separated the conference room from the outer office, and a smile broke across his face. “You’ll excuse me, gentlemen. My other appointment is here.”

Zoantheria stood at the far side of the large room in a beautiful sleeveless sky blue day dress. It was decorated across the breast with white lace and trimmed down its length in blue bows. She had a smart white boater atop her curled blond hair. She grinned when she saw him hurry across the room to her. When they touched, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Then she licked his chin, neck, and finally his ear.

“You are so yummy!” she said. “I could just eat you up.”

“Did you have an extra large breakfast this morning?” he asked, pulling back a bit.

“I did. I ate a two young iguanodons.” She cocked her head and raised a brow. “You don’t think I would really eat you. Do you?”

“Of course not, my love. Still, better to ask the question than to assume the answer.”

“Are you done with your meeting?” she asked, excitedly. “Are you done? Are you done? Are you?”

“It so happens that I am done for now. What is it that has tickled your enthusiasm?”

“I have to show you. It’s so wonderful.”

“Well then, let’s go,” he said. “I assume you’re driving.”

Grinning, she led him by the hand out of the office building to where her car sat steaming away. He climbed up into the passenger side, as she got behind the wheel. Seconds later, they were zipping up Bainbridge Clark Street, and through the gate in the Emergency Wall.

“Where are we going?” he asked, as the vehicle careened around the corner of Shadow Street.

“I met some new people,” she said. “They just bought a house at the west edge of town. They’re from Arbrax.”

“Arbrax? Are they polar bears?”

“No, silly. They’re perfectly nice people, and they said I could visit their house any time.”

She brought the car to a stop in front of a new home. It was constructed in the recently popular all wood style, with a high sloping roof. Zoey hopped out and ran around back to release the steam. By the time Augie stepped out of the car, she was there to take his hand and lead him down a walkway that led past the south side of the house and into the back. The property didn’t seem to have a proper garden, just a carefully placed path that led through pine trees as thick as anywhere in the colony.

“Are you sure we’re allowed here?”

“They said I was welcome anytime.”

The path came to an end before what appeared to be a tiny version of the house. It was constructed of pine and stood at full height with the same sloping roof, but was no more than twenty by twelve feet in dimension. Zoey opened the door and stepped inside, pulling Augie along with her. Inside was a small anteroom with hooks and cubbyholes presumably for the temporary storage of clothing. Beyond that, was an unadorned wooden wall, with a wood door that had a twelve by twelve inch window at face height.

“Take off your clothes and hang them up,” said Zoey.

“What is this?” he asked.

“I’ll explain it all when you’re naked.”

“Um, explain it to me now.”

“It’s a sauna!” she squealed. “It’s, well, it’s a hot room.”

“Yes, I think I’ve heard the term before.”

“Udo me,” she said, turning her back.

With a shrug, he began working the two dozen buttons on the back of her dress. As soon as he had most of them unfastened, she shimmied out of it and began to doff her undergarments. Augie pulled off his jacket and hung it on a peg, before taking off his trousers. He had one leg out, when the door burst open and a shotgun entered, followed by the middle-aged man who was carrying it.

“Who are you?” he growled.

“It’s me, Mr. Björgan. It’s Zoey.”

“Zoantheria?” he asked, squinting at her.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Oh. Well then, you go right ahead. Sorry about the gun.”

He stepped back out and closed the door. Zoey turned to Augie, revealing that her over-the-bust corset had slipped down, exposing one bosom.

“Hurry up.”

“So, what’s for breakfast?” asked Senta, strolling into the Dechantagne Staff dining room. The governor was present as were the three household children, but Mr. Staff and Mrs. Dechantagne were not.

“What are you doing here?” asked the Iolanthe.

“Oh, I invited her to breakfast,” said Iolana.

“Are we going to see you every day now?” asked Augusts Dechantagne. “I don’t mind, but you didn’t show us any magic tricks yesterday and I really think you ought to.”

“I’ve already made your lizzies disappear.”

They looked around and sure enough, all of the household servants seemed to have found some other place to be.

“They weren’t done serving my eggs,” he complained.

“Allow me,” said Senta. “Uuthanum.”

Platters of food flew in through the doorway from the kitchen and circled the table. As they did so, serving spoons flew up to intercept them and dish out their contents onto the diners’ plates. When all had been served eggs, white sausages, fried potatoes, and bacon, the flying dinnerware returned to the kitchen.

“That was ace,” said the boy with approval.

“I don’t suppose it’s as impressive as turning your mother to stone…”

“I heard about that,” said Iolana. “It didn’t really happen, did it?”

“It wasn’t me and I wasn’t there to see it. You’ll have to ask your mother.”

Iolana looked at her mother, whose fork stopped just before reaching her mouth.

“Yes. Zurfina did turn your Auntie to stone. It was very upsetting, too.”

Senta ate from her own plate that had been filled along with the others.

“So, what have we all been up to this morning?

“I’ve been working on my bug collection,” said Augie. “Iolana’s just been reading.”

“She does that all the time,” said Terra.

“And you don’t like to read?”

“I will when I get bigger.”

“Speaking of reading,” said the sorceress. “I read some of your poetry, Iolana.”

“It’s not very good,” said the girl. “I’m sure there won’t be a second printing.”

“I thought it was some of the best poetry I’ve ever read.”

“Well, thank you,” Iolana said, brightening. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Just how much poetry have you read?”

“Yours may have been the first.”

Iolanthe took a sip of her tea and then stood up. A lizzie practically flew from the other room to pull out her chair. “I need to get to the office. Did you want to see me about something?”

“Not at all.”

The governor looked momentarily startled. “Well, then. Good day.”

Senta talked pleasantly with the children as they all finished their breakfast. She told them about Bangdorf and Brech City and listened as they recounted their activities and stories of their friends. When they had finished the food and were still sipping tea, Augie brought up a topic that had clearly been simmering in his brain for some time.

“What did it feel like to get shot?”

“Painful,” Senta replied. “All in all, I don’t recommend it, if it can be avoided.”

The boy stared into his cup.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m sure I’ll have to take a military post. All the Dechantagne men do. I’m not too keen on getting shot, but I guess if you can stand it, I can.”

“If you’re in a colonial regiment, you’re more likely to get eaten by a dinosaur than shot,” said Senta.

“That doesn’t sound any better,” said the boy. “I don’t guess I’d mind getting eaten if I was already dead, but they figure poor Warren was probably still alive while he was getting eaten.”

“Stop it!” yelled Iolana. “Stop talking about it. It’s horrible.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t horrible,” he replied.

“You know I was almost eaten by velociraptors when I was nine,” said Senta. “Your father saved me, Augie.”

“Really? I never heard that story.”

“Yes. I got off in the woods chasing after Bessemer. It was woods then. I guess it was about the corner of Bainbridge Clark Street and Fourth Avenue now. I wasn’t watching what I was doing and they surrounded me. One of them actually jumped up on me. Then your father showed up and shot them all, quick as a biscuit.”

“Was he nice?” asked Terra. “He doesn’t look nice in his picture and I can’t remember him.”

“He died before you were born,” said Iolana.

“That’s why I can’t remember him.”

“He was always very nice to me,” said Senta. “He was very handsome too. He was sort of like Mr. Baxter, only without the red hair.”

“So what are your plans for today, children?”

“Iolana has to teach us writing today,” said Terra. “Only DeeDee isn’t coming over because of her mother.”

“DeeDee?”

“Chief Inspector Colbshallow’s daughter,” offered Iolana. “She, her mother, and her grandmother have gone visiting today.”

“Well, I’m sorry to tell you, Augie, Terra, but Iolana will have to cancel your class today. She has important business with me.”

“Yes!” cried Augie. “I’m going to go get Claude and Julius.”

“What am I going to do?” asked his sister.

“You’ll come too,” he said, after a moment’s thought. “You can be the princess and we’ll be your soldiers.”

“Take Esther with you,” said Iolana. “She’ll see that Terra stays safe, no matter what.”

“Esther?” wondered Senta.

“Esther is Iolana’s pet lizzie. She got her when she was small enough to fit in a hat box. The lizzies don’t even take care of them then. They’re just more animals running around and getting into things. Iolana’s got her trained up and behaving proper.”

“Now that you have your plans in place, you kids go along your business, and your cousin and I will get to mine.”

It was perhaps the earliest that Yuah had gotten up in a very long time. It was only a biscuit after eight in the morning, but she was wide-awake and full of energy. She washed up and brushed her long hair, before throwing a dressing gown over her nightdress and leaving her bedroom. She met Gladys Highsmith at the top of the stairs.

“Good morning,” said Gladys, smiling broadly. “You’re up early.”

“So are you,” replied Yuah. “Dressed and everything.”

“Oh, I’ve always been an early riser.”

“I used to be,” said Yuah. “Shall we descend and see what will break our fast?”

She held out her arm and Gladys took it and they came down the sweeping staircase, side by side. At the bottom, they found Augie, putting on his jacket.

“Good day, Mother. I’m just on my way out. Busy day and all.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Good day, Miss Highsmith.”

“Good day, Your Lordship. I want to thank you again for welcoming me into your home.”

“Think nothing of it. Any friend of Mother’s is a welcome addition. You are welcome in perpetuity.” With that, he was out the door.

“See?” said Yuah. “I told you he wouldn’t mind.”

“But I’ve been here close to a month.”

“And it’s been my most enjoyable month in a long time.”

They continued on their way into the dining room where Iolanthe was already seated at the head of the table. She was engaged in eating a full breakfast while reading from a stack of correspondence. She looked up briefly, nodded, and then continued with what she had been doing. Yuah and her friend took their seats at the far end of the table from her sister-in-law, and opposite one another. A lizzie servant sat a plate in front of each of them containing eggs, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, beans, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, and soldiers.

“I have noticed that you don’t pray,” said Gladys.

“We don’t do that,” said Iolanthe, from the far end of the table.

“Um, I pray in the evening, when I’m by myself. I’ve gotten out of the habit of praying at meal time.”

“I’ve never been much for religion myself,” said Gladys, “but I find the Zaeri faith very interesting. I think I would like to go with you next time you go to shrine.”

“That would be lovely,” said Yuah. “I will sit in the back with you, so you aren’t all alone.”

“In the meantime,” continued her friend. “You are the lady of the house. You should be the one who decides if a prayer is given at meals.”

“You are so right,” said Yuah, glaring at Iolanthe.

She bowed her head and felt Gladys take her hand.

“Our Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the bounty placed before us. We likewise give thanks for the health and prosperity of our family and friends. Please forgive us our offenses, as we should forgive those who cause offense to us. Amen.”

“I thought you people prayed in Old Zurian,” said Iolanthe.

“I said the prayer in Brech for the benefit of you and Gladys.”

“If it had been for my benefit, you should have prayed for death to my enemies,” said Iolanthe, getting up. “Or at least, for a better offer on coal from Pearce and Hallbourgh.”

“Your sister-in-law is a hard woman,” said Gladys, after Iolanthe had left.

“Let’s not talk about her,” said Yuah. “Do you have plans for today?”

“I would imagine that you want me to get out and find a place of my own.”

“Why ever would you imagine that? Does it look as if we’re overcrowded? The answer to that is no. You should plan on staying here as long as you want. Stay until you meet a nice young man and agree to marry him.”

“I don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” said Gladys.

“Too picky?”

“Maybe I am.”

“Maybe I am too,” said Yuah. “I loved Terrence from my very earliest memories. When we finally got together, we ended up having so little time.”

“Did you enjoy being with him? The physical act of love?”

“It wasn’t like you read in the books. I wasn’t swept away with love and mad with desire. In some ways, the whole thing is quite odd.” Yuah’s mouth curled into a secret smile. “Terrence wasn’t caring or sensitive. Not really. He was very… um, skilled, I suppose. He knew what to do to make me feel however he wanted me to feel. In some ways I felt like an instrument that he was playing—masterfully playing.”

“Will you marry again, do you think?”

“No,” said Yuah. “The thought of any other man pawing me or climbing on me, just has no appeal. The long and the short of it then is that you may stay here forever, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Well then,” said Gladys. “What are your plans today? Maybe I could tag along with you.”

“Of course. I thought I would shop for some new fall clothes this morning. Later, I’m having tea with Egeria. I could use your help in both of those situations. I always feel like an imbecile whenever I talk to Egeria, and of course, shopping is always more fun with friends.

An hour later, Walworth was driving the two women to Mademoiselle Deneuve’s. The Mirsannan woman brought them each a glass of wine and had them sit while she finished with several other women. Yuah saw the three customers, none of whom she knew, cast furtive glances in her direction as they passed behind the curtain to change.

“They’re whispering about me right now,” she told her companion.

“Well of course they are,” said Gladys. “You’re the most beautiful woman in Birmisia Colony, as well as being His Lordship’s mother. Why wouldn’t they whisper about you? Half of them admire you and the other half are merely jealous.”

“Do you really think so? Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Do I have a pimple?”

Iolana had been watching the post eagerly for five days. She wasn’t sure how long it would take for a response to her letter. She wasn’t even sure how long it would take for her letter to reach its intended recipient. But no answer arrived. So she was waiting eagerly when Kayden brought the morning post in on a silver tray and set it on the occasional table in the foyer. Among the twenty-three pieces of mail was a large rose-colored envelope addressed to Mr. and Governor Staff and Miss Iolana Staff. There was a similar one addressed to Mrs. Yuah Dechantagne, Master Augustus Dechantagne, and Miss Terra Dechantagne.

Picking up the silver letter opener from beside the tray, she sliced open the envelope with her name on it. She pulled out a beautifully engrave invitation. “You are invited for tea at the home of Miss Senta Bly, 2:00 PM, Octuary 7, 1907.” This was interesting. She hadn’t even realized that the Drache Girl had returned to Port Dechantagne. Only yesterday she had been reading in the Birmisia Gazette that Senta had been shot in Mallontah. She slipped the invitation back into the enveloped and placed it with the rest of the mail.

Making her way back to the library, she took Curse of the Cloud Women, the Rikkard Banks Tatum book that she had both started and finished that morning, and returned it to its crate. She had just picked up the morning Gazette, when Kayden stepped silently into the room, carrying a silver tray with another piece of mail upon it.

“Was this in the morning post?” asked Iolana. “I’ve already gone through it.”

“Special delivery.” Kayden still had problems with his Ps and his Vs, but by deemphasizing them, he almost was able to match human speech.

Taking the gold envelope and the opener from the tray, she had sliced it open before remembering to see to whom it was addressed. Miss Iolana L.D. Staff.”

“Hmm,” she said, opening what turned out to be another invitation. “I apologize profusely for the lateness of this request, but I would greatly appreciate if you could join our luncheon today at 11:30. Due to time restrictions, no R.S.V.P. is required. Your dearest friend, Sherree Glieberman.”

“My dearest friend?” thought Iolana aloud. “If I were in hell.”

“What’s that, dear?” Auntie Yuah walked into the room as the eleven-year-old waved the lizzie major-domo out.

“I have to get ready for a luncheon date,” said Iolana. “I’ve been invited to the Glieberman’s.”

“Didn’t you say the girl was a twat?”

“I’m sure I didn’t use that term.”

Her aunt shrugged.

“There’s an invitation for you with the mail,” said Iolana. “Tea with the Drache Girl it seems.”

“Really?” exclaimed Yuah, turning and heading for the foyer.

Iolana took the back hallway and the narrow back stairs up to the second floor and stepped into her room to change. She expected to find Esther lying on the floor, but the lizzie was not present. Stepping back out, she walked up past the balcony to the nursery where she found her playing the Birmisia block game with Terra.

“I need Esther for a minute,” she told her cousin. “You can have her back after I get dressed.”

“Don’t bother,” said Terra. “I don’t want to play anymore. She keeps beating me.”

Back in her room, Iolana chose a pink skirt and a white blouse, which she paired with a pink bowtie. She wasn’t sure who else would be there—she couldn’t imagine Sherree inviting only her—but it would be a sure thing that there would no Zaeri. She wouldn’t need to worry about outshining anyone. This reminded her that she should have Willa over to visit some time. Placing her red boater on her head, she started off.

“You can stay in here if you’re done playing with Terra,” she told Esther as she went out the door.

She found Walworth downstairs in the kitchen, not unexpectedly eating a sandwich.

“What is it my father pays you for, Wally?”

“Huh? He, um… for driving.”

“Well then, fancy driving me to the Glieberman House?”

“That’s what they pay me… oh, yeah.”

It took Wally almost fifteen minutes to get the steam carriage warmed up enough to set out, and took less than ten minutes to reach Iolana’s destination. The Gliebermans had recently moved into the same affluent neighborhood that the Staffs had always lived in. Their new house was several blocks south on Imperial Avenue. Iolana could have probably walked there in five minutes, but that would have meant crossing several vacant lots in between. Though the mud had dried up in the summer, the untamed areas within the city were filled with sticker bushes, and sometimes velociraptors.

The Gliebermans’ home was very much in the Freedonian style with square columns and square porches on both levels of the two-story home. The upper porch was enclosed with wire screening and porch swings, along with some iron chairs were featured in both locations. To Iolana’s mind it looked pretentious and grandiose. She sent Wally on home and walked up the steps.

The lizzie butler showed her in to the parlor which the Gliebermans insisted on calling the drawing room. Five girls waited sitting in chairs that had been arranged into a half circle. Sherree was in the center, with her perpetual shadow Talli Archer to her right. The others were all girls from their group: Najwa Melroy, Mona Stephenson, and Tildy Wolfsohn. Talli and Najwa were both patting Sherree on the shoulder while she cried into a handkerchief.

“What’s going on?” asked Iolana, taking an empty chair.

“Walter has thrown Sherree over,” said Talli.

“Oh, well maybe he’s just upset about his brother and all.”

“No, he’s already taken up with that horrible Wenda Lanier.”

“I would have thought she was out of his league,” said Iolana.

“What do you mean?” demanded Sherree, her giant eyes glaring. “She’s not nearly good enough for him.”

“Oh, well, um… what I mean…” Iolana’s voice just sort of trailed off. She really had no idea what to say.

The long line of suffragettes marched almost in step, north from Number 14, Crown Street, around St. Admeta Park, and then west on Avenue Royal to a final rally in front of Sinceree Palace. For the most part, they wore frilly white day dresses, almost all without a bustle, and each had a green and yellow sash slung from their right shoulders to their left hips imprinted with “Votes for Women.”

King Tybalt III of Greater Brechalon and Freedonia peeked out the window from behind the curtains. His two sons were in the room behind him, Crown Prince Tybalt leaning on the empty fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand, and Prince Clitus sitting in a chair sipping from a cup of tea.

“What do these women want?” wondered the King.

“That would be the vote, Father,” said the Crown Prince.

“Why can’t they understand that the vote is for families? A man votes not only for himself, but for his wife and children too.”

“By that logic, Father,” said Tybalt, “ widows at least, should have the vote for them and their children.”

“Here, here,” said his younger brother.

“You think women should have the vote?” the King demanded of his eldest.

“Why would I possibly care? It’s not like anyone votes for King. Let Parliament worry about who votes and who doesn’t. I was simply saying that your argument against women’s suffrage wasn’t logical.”

“Well I’m all for giving women the vote,” said Clitus. “What’s more, I’m going out there and show them my support.”

“You will not,” said the King.

“I shall.” The Prince looked to the doorway. “Bob!”

Bob leaned into the room. “Your Highness?”

“See if you can get me one of those sashes.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I forbid you to go out among those crazed females,” said the King, sternly. “You’ve only just recovered from a very foolish escapade into a burning building.”

“That was ages ago and I’m fine. Besides, those women hardly seem like a dangerous mob. If anything, they could teach our soldiers a bit about marching in parade.”

Bob arrived in a remarkably short time with a copy of the green and yellow sash. Prince Clitus carefully draped it over his white naval uniform.

“I’m going out, Father, and I think you should both come with me.”

“I’m going to take a nap,” said Prince Tybalt, setting his wineglass on the mantle and striding out.

Clitus turned and exited the room too, marching down the long corridor to the main staircase. Bob, Stigby the police officer, and Wizard Bassington all fell into formation behind him. Skipping down the steps, he burst out the front door. Two uniformed marine guards fell in behind him. The sounds of women shouting through megaphones slowly died away as he made his way to the great gate, until it was deathly silent as he signaled for the gate to be opened. Then he stepped through.

As he waded into the crowd of women, hands reached out to touch him on his shoulder or arm. One tousled his hair and a few became familiar enough that Stigby barked “Now, now, ladies!” The silence died away as female voices called out “The Prince is with us!” and “He’s our sash on!” and finally “We knew you were all right, Your Highness!” Clitus stepped up onto a soapbox, replacing one of the speakers, who gave over her megaphone. He brought the cone-shaped speaking device to his mouth, but before he could say a word, someone in the crowd shouted.

“The King! The King!”

Several women pointed. Clitus turned and looked, as did the rest of the crowd. There upon the second floor balcony, a yellow and green sash across his chest, and what his son recognized as a forced smile on his face, waving, was the king. Shouts of “The King is with us!” and “The King is a suffragist!” gradually coalesced into several choruses of God Save the King.

“Are you going to kick me out again at teatime?” asked Baxter, folding his arms and looking down at Senta.

She was reclining across a Mirsannan divan. She wore a long, flowing silk gown that completely covered her charms, though on the wall directly above her was a photograph of her and her mother reclining on the same piece of furniture—both nude. She reached up to rub her long, exposed neck. Then she ran her hand over her head, her blond tresses about the same length as his own red hair.

“Of course not,” she smiled. “I want you to be here. These girls today are my oldest and dearest friends and they’ll want to see you. Afterwards you can run along so that they can all tell me how jealous they are.”

“What about yesterday?”

“That was different. It was more of an obligation. I know that Graham’s sister will see me with you sooner or later, but I didn’t want to throw it in her face the moment I got back.”

“It’s been a long time,” he said. “He’s been gone a long time.”

“Almost four years, but when I see Gaylene, it’s like it was yesterday. Not like now—now it feels like it was eons ago. It’s a kind of magic, you know.”

“So I’m invited?”

“You’re more than invited. How did they say it when you were in the navy? You’re requested and required. You can skip out tomorrow if you like. The same girls will be back again, along with some others. But you have to be here the day after. The governor and her family are coming.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. You’re living in sin with a very important mucky-muck.”

“Should I dress?” he asked.

“We always dress for tea in this house—unless we don’t.”

He stared at her for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders and left the room. Senta knew he was going upstairs to dress. He had been given over for his own use one of the thirty rooms in the three-story mansion, but he had spent both nights in Senta’s bed. Looking up at the clock, she decided that she should dress too.

Climbing the stairs still causes a pain in her chest where she had been shot, but it was the only time now that she thought about it. At the top of the sweeping staircase, she waved her hand, magically summoning her lizzie dressing maid. The deep olive reptilian appeared from a room at the end of the hall and met her as she stepped into her boudoir.

One of only three servants in the house as of yet, Aggie was new. Cheery the butler, and Thonass the maid had worked for Senta for years and had taken care of the house while she was away. Thonass had given Aggie the recommendation. They were from the same family—or what passed for family among the lizzies.

“Something pretty today,” she told the reptilian. “Bring me my yellow and white striped day dress.”

“Yess.”

The dress was a traditional one. Cut for a medium-sized bustle, the skirt was vertically lined with broad yellow and white stripes while the bodice was a solid yellow with puffy frills of lace around the high neck and at the end of each long sleeve. She topped off the ensemble with yellow emeralds dangling from her pierced ears. She slipped a ring on her right hand that featured a yellow garnet. It was practically worthless, but she had purchased it in Bangdorf because she thought it was pretty.

“Nice,” said the dressing maid.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” said Baxter, stepping into the room. He was sharp in his grey suit. He was always sharp.

“Thank you, kind sir,” she said with a curtsey. “Shall we go down?”

Suddenly the baby began fussing from her crib in the next room.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” said Baxter, following her cries.

“Hmm,” she murmured, observing him. Then she turned to the dressing maid. “I’m going down to set up. Tell Thonass to find me.”

In the dining room, Senta found the table set with the everyday china, but the food for the afternoon tea filled several wooden crates stacked nearby. Having no one to cook and no one really to serve, she had ordered the tea catered from Café Etta.

“Uuthanum,” she said and the food began flying out of the crates, soaring around the room, and landing on the appropriate plates and serving platters. A spice cake was coming into a landing in the center of the table with Thonass stepped into the room.

“Take this envelope,” said Senta, retrieving the stated item from the lamp table along the wall. “Deliver it to the employment agency at the Department of Lizzie Affairs. It is a list of the other servants I shall need.”

“Yess,” said the lizzie.

As Thonass was going out, Cheery was coming in.

“Guests,” he said.

“Bring them on into the dining room please.”

The reptilian stepped out and came back a few seconds later leading three young women.

“Senta!” squealed Hero Markham, rushing forward and wrapping her arms around the sorceress’s waist. “I’ve missed you so much! Look at your hair. You look like a boy.”

“Well it’s good to be appreciated. You look wonderful. How’s the baby?”

“Brilliant.”

“She’s beautiful too,” said Gabrielle Bassett from behind Hero. She looks just like her mother.

Taller than Hero, though still shorter than Senta, Gabrielle was radiantly beautiful with sparkling blue eyes and ash brown hair. Behind her stood the third young woman. Dutty Morris was attractive but not pretty. Though her widely spaced eyes gave her a kind of blank expression, she was witty and kind.

“Hello, Gabby,” said Senta, disentangling herself from Hero and giving the other two girls quick kisses on the cheek. “Hi Dutty. Thanks for coming yesterday.”

“It was my pleasure,” said Dutty. “And I didn’t give away any of your secrets either.”

“What secrets?” asked Gabby and Hero at the same time.

“Let’s sit down,” said Senta. “I don’t want the food to go bad. I didn’t expect the weather to be this warm.”

The four women took seats on either side of the table. Neither Gabby nor Dutty gave any sign that they had noticed them, but Hero kept looking toward a fifth place setting at the table’s head, next to which sat a high chair.

“So why did she get invited yesterday?” asked Gabby, pointing at Dutty. “Hero’s your oldest friend, and I’m a much better conversationalist than this one.”

“I will concede both those points,” said Senta. “But I had tea with Gaylene and she and Dutty are about as close as you can get.”

“I’ve think I’ve just been insulted,” said Dutty.

“You have been, twice,” said Gabby. “So you wanted her here because Gaylene hates you?”

“She doesn’t hate her,” said Dutty “It’s just a complicated relationship.”

“You see?” said Senta. “She’s like the minister of state.”

“Never mind that,” said Hero, pointing to the empty seat. “What’s this then?”

“She has a man,” said Dutty, and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. I haven’t seen him though, but I did smell his aftershave on her yesterday.”

Sen stopped on the threshold and thought about whether she should knock or just go in. Such considerations were ended when the lizzie, Cheery, opened the door for her. The reptilian towered over her, no matter how he attempted to hunker down.

“Is my mother home?” she asked.

He pointed back and up. “Stairsss.”

The eleven-year-old nodded and stepped past him, walking through the parlor and up the stairs. When she reached the top, she turned down the hallway and walked to the door of her mother’s bedroom. She opened it, stepped inside, and closed the door after her.

Her mother lay sprawled naked across her bed, face down, with her head hanging over the edge. The image put one in mind of a murder scene, or it would have without the loud snoring. The girl stepped over, bent down, and looked at the top of the blond head. At first, she saw nothing, so she carefully lifted back the hair that fell around the elder Senta’s face. The snoring stopped, but she waited a moment and it resumed. Now she could see it, an ugly scar that ran laterally across her mother’s skull, about an inch and a half behind her hairline.

Letting the hair fall back, Sen walked across the room and sat in the chair against the wall. She pulled her feet up to her bottom, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. She sat there for about fifteen minutes, until she suddenly realized the snoring had stopped.

“So you’ve decided to grace me with your presence after all.”

“Yes.”

The senior Senta rolled over and sat up.

“I think I’m going to vomit.” And then she did, all over the floor.

“Kafira’s maiden aunt! How much wine did you drink?”

“That is not your business, you little bint.”

“Fine,” said Sen, getting to her feet.

“Wait! I’m sorry. It’s not me talking. It’s the demons that are pounding on my brain with sledge hammers.”

“Uuthanum,” said Sen, pointing to the mess on the floor, which magically disappeared, leaving the wooden slats as though they had never been soiled. “Do you have a healing draught?”

“Here in my nightstand.”

“Take it. Then take a bath. I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

It was almost an hour before Senta finally made it to the parlor. She was dressed in black leather pants and a gauzy blouse, with a leather corset over it. She was barefoot, but a pair of black leather boots floated along in the air behind her.   She plopped down onto the sofa. Her daughter, seated in the plush chair just across, watched her with one raised brow.

“You’re drinking too much.”

“What do you know about it? You’re eight years old.”

“I’m eleven, and you know it.” The girl crossed her arms over her chest. “So how much of it is real?”

“How much of what?” asked her mother.

“You being a twat. How much is real and how much is you just acting like Zurfina because you’re now,” she made air quotes, “the sorceress?”

Senta’s lips formed a sneer for a few seconds. Then she stopped and pondered the question. “I guess about fifty percent.”

“Interesting,” said Sen. “So, I’m here.”

“Indeed you are.”

Her mother pulled on her boots, and then got up, walked over to just in front of her daughter, and looked into her eyes.

“Repeat after me: Maiius Uuthanum.”

“Maiius Uuthanum.”

“Yes, you’re a natural. Now let’s go out into the garden and see what kind of beast you can summon.”

Chief Inspector Saba Colbshallow sat down for breakfast. He looked first to his left at his mother and then to his right at his daughter.

“And where’s the lady of the house?” he asked.

“Mummy says she doesn’t feel good,” said DeeDee. “She’s going to stay in bed today.”

Saba clucked his teeth in annoyance as Risty scooped scrambled eggs with diced peppers and onions onto his plate next to the sausages.

“I’m sure she has a good reason,” offered his mother.

“I’m sure.”

“She’s been having a rough time lately.”

“No doubt.”

“I don’t like onions in my eggs,” said DeeDee.

“Yes you do,” said her father. “Look at me. I’m eating them. Eat some and then Risty will get you a crumpet.”

“Maybe she’s out of sorts because she’s expecting,” said Mrs. Colbshallow.

“And here I thought Kafira was the only Immaculate Conception,” he muttered. He took another bite and ignored his mother’s scandalized look.

The only other bit of breakfast conversation was when DeeDee demanded strawberry jam with her crumpet. When they were done, Saba helped his daughter fasten on her shoes and then her bonnet.

“Come along girl. Your tutor is awaiting.”

“Maybe you should go up and kiss your wife goodbye,” said his mother.

“I’m sure she’s very busy with the second coming and all,” he said, and guided DeeDee out the front door.

They walked across the street to the Dechantagne Staff estate, where the lizzie doorman let them enter. Mrs. Dechantagne was alone in the parlor.

“Hello Saba,” she said, getting to her feet.

“Please don’t get up, Mrs. D.”

“Oh please don’t call me that.” She sat the book that she had been reading down and stepped over to him. “You’ve known me all your life, we lived in the same house for years, and don’t forget you were my husband’s best man at my wedding.”

“I was just a witness, and I haven’t forgotten a single moment.”

“You’re so sweet,” she smiled. “What can I do for you today.”

“DeeDee’s going to start on with Iolana.”

“You’re early. They usually don’t start until 11:00.”

“Yes, well I was wondering if I could leave her early. Her mother’s not feeling well.”

“Of course. I’ll take her upstairs and she can play with Terra. That girl could use some human companionship.”

“If you’re sure it’s not an inconvenience…”

“None at all. But you have to do me a favor first.”

“What?” he asked.

“You must address me properly.”

“As you wish… Yuah.” He blushed furiously.

“See, that didn’t hurt,” she said as she took DeeDee’s hand.

“Be a good girl,” Saba told his daughter.

“I will.”

Back outside, he crossed over to his own yard, but didn’t go into the house. He climbed into the steam carriage that the lizzies had already rolled from the machine shed and fired up. Putting it in gear, he pulled out onto the street and headed for downtown.

He arrived at the five-story police station five minutes later than his usual time. He had parked the car and quickly made his way up the walk when he almost collided with Eamon Shrubb, who was on his way out. He was dressed not in his police uniform, but in a grey suit not too different from the one that Saba wore, with the exception that Eamon had a turquoise utahraptor feather stuck in the hatband of his bowler.

“What’s this then?” asked Saba, waving at the other man’s clothes. “Finally got canned?”

“Quite the reverse, actually,” said Eamon.

“What’s the reverse of canned? You can’t have just got hired. You already work here.”

Eamon reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a wallet, flipping it open to reveal a police inspector’s badge.

“Well, somebody has clearly cocked up,” said Saba.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Not me. It’s Mayor Luebking. He’s got it in his mind that you’ve done some decent police work, and I can’t seem to disabuse him of the notion. The man’s going to run this town into the ground, I can tell you. Well, no help for that. Come upstairs with me and we’ll run through the open investigations.”

“Um, I’ll be back in a bit. I have to go show Dot my new badge.”

“Oh leave the poor girl alone. You’re going to knock her up again.”

“Too late,” said Eamon with a grin.

“Bloody Kafira. You’re like some kind of animal.” Saba shook his head. “All right. Go show her your badge, if that’s what you’re calling it these days. Be back in an hour. We really do have work to do.”

Taking the elevator up to his office, Saba pulled all the relevant files from the cabinet and began reading over them. There were quite a few unsolved cases, though that was not uncommon anywhere in the Brech Empire. The purpose of the police department was to keep order. Solving crimes was secondary. Besides, Birmisia Colony only had three police inspectors, himself included—four now that Eamon was on board. There were four unsolved murders, as well as the killing of a lizzie, which was considered a lesser crime. There were several dozen burglaries, a few robberies, an arson, and of course the bombing of the shipyard. Saba was so involved, that he hardly noticed when Eamon stepped into his office.

“That didn’t take long.”

“Dot’s sister was there—lucky for me. You know how she gets when she’s preggers.”

“Hmm.”

Yuah didn’t eat at the family dining table on any of the following four days either. It wasn’t because the dragon was there. In fact she wasn’t. Neither was Augie, and Yuah didn’t know if Iolanthe was or not. In any case, she certainly had no desire to eat alone or to eat alone with her sister-in-law. She took her meals in her room. She hadn’t gone anywhere during the day either, spending the mornings in the garden and the afternoons in the parlor or the library. She wasn’t brooding, she told herself. At last though, she could take the solitude no more.

Waking up early, Yuah decided that today would be a fine day to order a new dress. Opening up her closet however revealed that there was not an inch of room for such an addition. She immediately began pulling dresses out and tossing them into a big pile. Once she had taken out all the clothing that she would no longer have worn, she had a mountain some three feet tall in the center of her room. From the remaining collection, she chose a black dress with a red satin mock coat and a frilly bodice. It was far more traditional than she usually wore, but she remembered having appreciated how it had looked the one time she had worn it. Narsa, the lizzie dressing maid, helped her get into it, after she had donned the numerous undergarments required by Brech fashion.

“Get one of the males to take this out to the car,” Yuah told her, indicating the pile of dresses.

“Yesss.”

She went downstairs and notified the cook that she would not be home for luncheon. The lizzie did convince her to have a crumpet and a cup of tea before going out. She took them with her to sit in the enclosed back porch, where she found Walworth Partridge cleaning his pistol. Walworth, a tall and handsome man of twenty-eight, had been working for the Dechantagnes since he was a teenager, employed as a driver, bodyguard, and general problem solver.

“Good morning, Mrs. D. Going out?”

“Yes, and I would appreciate it if you could drive me. The lizzies are filling the car with some old clothing that I’m taking over to the McCoort house.”

“Right-oh.” He finished cleaning the weapon, reassembled it and loaded it, and then put it in his jacket pocket. “I’ll go get it warmed up. Enjoy your tea. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Walworth.”

When she had finished her tea and crumpet, she dropped off her cup, saucer, and plate in the kitchen on her way through, eventually going out the front door and down the steps of the portico where Walworth was waiting in the steaming carriage. He hopped down and helped her into the passenger seat, and then started off.

Though she might have meant either one of the two well-known McCoort couples, her handsome young driver knew Yuah well enough to know that it was her best friend Honor that she intended to see. It took less than fifteen minutes to reach her destination.

“Do you mind waiting a moment?” Yuah asked.

“Of course not. Let me know. I can unload this.”

“You are a dear,” she said, climbing down and walking up the path to the stone-faced cottage.

She knocked on the door, which was opened by a lizzie servant. Silently, the reptilian ushered her in and led her to the parlor, and then turned and left. Yuah found her best friend Honor reclining on a sofa. Honor looked up and opened her mouth in surprise, and for a minute Yuah didn’t realize why. Then she saw that her friend had only one leg sticking out from beneath her dress. Yuah’s hand went to her mouth and she quickly turned around.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” said Honor.

Yuah said nothing.

“You’re going to have to turn around and help me, unless you want me to hop across the room.”

Turning slowly back around, Yuah saw that a shapely wooden leg was sitting on an end table. Hurrying over, she picked it up and brought it to her friend.

“Why was it over there.”

“I had Ziggy polishing it with furniture wax. Then he left it there when he was called away to help in the garden. I was going to wait until the lizzies came through and could hand it to me.”

She pulled up her dress and fitted the prosthesis onto her leg stump, strapping it to her thigh. Then she smoothed her dress back down, pushed herself to her feet, and gave Yuah a hug.

“Can I ask you…?”

“What?”

“Do you keep your leg on in bed? With your husband?”

“Of course not. So what are you doing here? I thought you had sequestered yourself away to prevent any unwanted male attention.”

“Well, I had,” said Yuah, looking around as if she expected a clandestine observer to have his face pressed against one of the windows. “I’ve cleaned out my closet and I thought you might like one or two of my old dresses. Plus, you could tell me to whom I might give the rest.”

“Are they back at your house?”

“No. Walworth has them out in the car.”

“Ziggy!” called Honor, and when the lizzie stepped in the room. “Go out and get the clothing that is in Mrs. Dechantagne’s car.”

Hsrandtuss looked around. Yessonarah didn’t look appreciatively different than it had yesterday, or the day before, or for that matter, ten days ago. The dam was still under construction. The roadway down to the river was still being lined with gravel from the riverbed. There were more wooden houses situated around the hill—over a hundred, but the great buildings that he had envisioned were nothing but foundations, at the most. The lizzie population had grown though. He shook his head.

“What is the matter, my husband?” asked Szakhandu.

“Things are not moving fast enough.”

“We are making great progress.”

“It’s not fast enough. We don’t even have enough houses for all our people yet.” He pointed toward the hill. “I’m supposed to be looking at Yessonarah there. Does that look like a city worthy of the one remaining god to you?”

“Tsahloose was not built in a day.”

“Was it built in ten days?” he asked. “We’ve been here ten days now.”

She hissed mirthfully. “No, Great King. I don’t think it was built in ten days either.”

“I’m glad you find things so amusing.”

“My husband, you have to look at the positive side of things. We have made contact with seven of the nearby villages and we’re already trading with three of them. Game is plentiful. We’re feeding all our people. Workers are quarrying stone. In another ten days, it will begin to look like a real city.”

“I don’t want to wait,” he said petulantly.

“Why don’t you take a walk? That will make you feel better and it’s good for your health.”

Hsrandtuss grunted, but started down the path toward the river. It was a hot, humid day. Insects filled the air—more and more so as he approached the water. He hadn’t even reached the edge of the trees before he spotted half a dozen feathered runners scavenging the refuse piles. His people were dumping their garbage too close to the settlement. The six velociraptors, as the humans called them, lifted their heads to watch him pass. They didn’t approach, but they didn’t flee either.

When he reached the river bend, he stopped. About a hundred lizzies were moving large stones into place. The dam, having been started on this side, about halfway spanned the riverbed. On the far side of the river, several channels detoured the water around the work area. He didn’t see any crocodiles. The hunters had killed one two days earlier and the others might have moved down river. Then again, maybe they were just hiding under the surface. The gigantic beasts were known for their swift and savage attacks, but not their intelligence.

Turning southwest, Hsrandtuss followed the bank upstream. As the forest grew a bit thicker, the patches of dappled sunlight grew less frequent. Here he stopped to examine some blackberry bushes, but they had been denuded of fruit.

He heard the rustling of brush behind him and turned, expecting to find more of the raptors, but it was instead four lizzie males. He didn’t recognize any of them.

“If it isn’t the great Hsrandtuss,” said one of the males, “out for a walk in the woods with no weapon.”

Without looking down, the king ran his hand along his belt. It wasn’t completely true that he was weaponless. After all, he had his knife. But he had gone and left his sword and spear at home. He rested his hand on the knife handle, but didn’t pull the blade from its sheath. One of the males moved to the left, while two others moved to the right, so that they quickly had him surrounded.

“I think it’s time somebody showed you that you’re not so tough. You can’t just move in wherever you want and take over the country. People have already claimed this land. It isn’t yours.”

Hsrandtuss hissed with annoyance. He hated when they wanted to talk. If he had his sword, he would have used the opportunity to attack, but since he didn’t, he had to wait for them to make the first move, and this warrior apparently thought he should give a speech first.

“I’m not sure I understand,” he said. “You have weapons, but it seems you’ve decided to bore me to death.”

“Die invader!” hissed the warrior to Hsrandtuss’s right, thrusting his spear at the king.

Hsrandtuss sidestepped and grabbed the spear with his right hand, jerking the now off-balance warrior forward. Spinning around, he unsheathed his knife and jabbed it into his attacker’s neck. The talkative male jumped toward them with his sword raised above his head. Hsrandtuss shoved the wounded lizzie, a fountain of blood now spraying from his carotid artery, into the other’s path. Then he launched the spear he had taken at the male originally on his left. It skewered him through the middle of the chest. The lizzie with the sword tried to swing, but only managed to hit his already bloody companion. As the poor wretch dropped to the ground, Hsrandtuss reached over him and stabbed the first warrior in the eye with his knife.

At that moment the king felt an impact on his back and a suddenly excruciating pain. He knew the fourth lizzie had hit him with a sword. Stabbing the first male again, he left his knife stuck in the warrior’s face and reaching up, took the hapless male’s sword. Swinging it around, he decapitated the male who had hit him in the back. Then spinning back around, he did the same to the warrior with the knife still stuck in his face. A quick look at the other two told him they were in no shape to fight, though still alive. He retrieved his knife from the severed head.

Sitting down on a log, he felt his back. There was a pretty deep slice, at least a foot long, which was bleeding freely. It was a recoverable wound, assuming he made it back home safely. The smell of blood would attract predators. After catching his breath, he stood up and stepped over to the warrior with the spear stuck through him.

“Where are you from?”

The warrior said nothing, just looked up with his yellow eyes.

“I can find out from your war paint, assuming the feathered runners leave enough of you for my people to find.”

“We are from Achocktah.”

“Did your chief send you?”

“No, it was Stohla.” He looked at the body of the talkative lizzie. “He wanted to be king. Killing you would have given him much suuwasuu.”

Kneeling down, Hsrandtuss rolled the warrior on his side. Then he used his knife to cut the bindings holding the spear point to the shaft. Once the stone tip had been removed, he rolled the male back over and pulled the spear out. The warrior cried out in pain.

“I don’t know if either of you will survive or not. I think your friend will bleed to death, but you might make it, if that spear didn’t hit anything too important. Maybe you can help each other. You can try to get back to Achocktah or you can go half a mile to Yessonarah. If you make it, my people will give you aid. Just don’t expect me to help you up the hill.”