The man lacked only a fluffy gray tail to completethe picture.
Fox raised one hand to his mouth and coughed todisguise a smile.
He stood back and looked appropriately servile as thetwo alchemists went through the formalities. Avidan handled himselfsurprisingly well. By the time they arrived in Muldonny’s workroom,Fox’s worry began to ebb.
The room was like most of the alchemist shops Fox hadinfiltrated, cluttered with books and bottles and metal and leatherand a dozen projects in various stages of completion. Of particularinterest to him was the shell of a clockwork knight, identical tothe one that stood outside the workshop door, lying on aworktable.
Muldonny gestured to a trio of large vats in an lcoveoff the main workroom.
“These are some of my more effective solvents. Theyare not alkahest, not by any means, but they have provenuseful.”
Avidan walked closer to the nearest vat. He inhaleddeeply, closed his eyes, and stood as if listening.
“It’s a foul stench, I’ll grant you, but the solventis quite effective,” Muldonny said. “This dissolves metal, veryuseful in combat.”
“A strange weapon for someone who works with metal,”Avidan said.
The adept reached into a pocket over one massive hipand produced a small glass orb.
“It is because I work with metal that I still keepthe solvent in quantity. Should one of my servants malfunction, itcan be stopped quickly.”
“Very prudent, I’m sure.” Avidan shrugged off hiscloak and handed it to Fox. “I see you are building yet anotherservant.”
“My standard model,” the adept said dismissively.“Useful, but nothing innovative. But come-let me show you mygarden.”
Fox followed them out of the workshop, droppingAvidan’s cloak to the floor before he closed the door behindthem.
A small table had been set up in the courtyardgardens. The refreshments were not lavish-a tall samovar of tea anda plate of small biscuits.
Fox hoped the alchemist did not remember his commentabout fair reimbursement for the host gifts. Or if he did, thathe’d recall it was only a jest.
A clockwork servant poured out tea and then fell backseveral paces. Fox took his cue from the machine and measured hisown distance.
For a while, he listened while the men talked abouttheir work. Fox had little use for alchemy, so he learned for thefirst time that it arose in Veldoon in past centuries and onlyrecently spread to the northlands. Interesting, he supposed, but itwas time to move things forward.
He caught Avidan’s eye and tapped a hand to hischest. The alchemist acknowledged him with a barely perceptiblenod.
“I have heard that Sevrin is preoccupied withcollecting curiosities. Is this an interest you share?”
Muldonny gestured for more tea. “I have been to themuseums, of course, but not for several years. You may wish tovisit them, if your time in Sevrin permits.”
Avidan glanced at Fox for a prompt. The thief touchedhis left shoulder.
“So you are not a collector, then.”
“That would depend upon your definition of the term.Alchemists collect all manner of things. We must do so for ourwork, is that not so? But amassing a display of quaint objectsmerely to say you possess them?” He shook his head. “No, I am a manof singular focus.”
Fox touched his mouth. Echo him, keep himtalking.
“And what is that focus?” Avidan asked.
The adept smiled. “I admire your devotion to yourgreat-grandsire’s art. Like you, I believe there is much to learnfrom the past. Sevrin is not wise to cut ties to the old ways.Perhaps not even the old races.”
This was not something Fox had ever expected to hearan adept say. He touched his mouth again, urging Avidan to pursuethis.
Before he could speak, a metal servant approachedwith a silver tray. A single calling card lay on the tray. Fox’seyes widened as he recognized Rhendish’s seal.
Muldonny did not look much happier than Fox aboutthis development. “This is an unexpected pleasure,” he said in aflat tone. “It would appear that one of my brother adepts has cometo call.”
Avidan rose. “Then I will leave you to confer.”
“Oh, you must meet Rhendish. It will do him good toconverse with a man more learned than himself.”
Fox flashed the symbol for Lie.Graciously.
“You do me too much honor.” The alchemist resumed hisseat. “It will be my pleasure. I had hoped to gain an audience withsome of your fellow adepts. I have brought samples of my work withalkahest, if you think he might be interested.”
Muldonny’s eyebrows rose. “I am never quite certainabout Rhendish, but I’m certainly interested.”
“The vials are in my cloak.” Avidan snapped hisfingers as a signal for Fox to produce them.
The thief stepped forward and dipped into a low bow.“A thousand pardons, my lord. I left your cloak in Muldonny’sworkroom.”
“Fetch it immediately.” Avidan looked to Muldonny.“With your permission?”
As Fox expected, Muldonny turned to the clockworkknight.
“See Master Insa’amid’s man to the workroom andreturn with him.”
Fox bowed low to each alchemist in turn, and he leftwith the adept’s globe of solvent tucked into his sleeve. It was,if he did say so himself, a pretty bit of pocket-mining.
He retrieved Avidan’s cloak from the floor of theworkroom and patted it down. The lining held several pockets.Avidan had tucked into them four small ivory vials, all of themcarved from dragon’s teeth Fox had liberated from several privatecollections.
He grimaced at the sight of the scrimshaw carvings onone of the teeth. The vial would be too easily traced. He tucked itinto his pocket.
The clockwork servant gestured to the door. “Returnnow.”
Fox jumped, startled by the hollow, metallic voice.“These things are talking now?”
“Talking now.”
“Empty night,” Fox muttered. “The adepts are gettingtoo good at their work.”
“Return now,” the construct said.
“If you’re in a hurry, feel free to go on without me.In fact, if you would take these vials to my master, I’d appreciateit.”
“Take vials.”
“That’s right,” Fox said. He held out two of thedragon tooth vials.
The clockwork servant stood motionless. Apparently ittook instructions from no one but Muldonny.
Another idea came to Fox. He wandered over to theworktable and picked up a handful of tiny gears.
“Thief take clockwork!”
“No, just exploring your ability to assesssituations.” He dropped the handful of metal onto the table. “Outof curiosity, what would you do if I did steal somethingfrom the workshop?”
The clockwork servant spun toward the alcove wherethe vats of solvent stood. On the floor just in front was a roundmetal grate. The construct bent down and lifted the cover withabout as much effort as Fox might require to pick up his boots.
“Thief disappears.”
“That’s what I thought.” Fox hefted Muldonny’s globeof solvent. “You go first.”
He hurled the little sphere at the construct. Glassshattered against its plate-armor chest.
Fetid steam surrounded the clockwork knight. When itcleared, no more than three heartbeats later, Fox could see thesolvent vats through a gaping hole in the construct’s chest.
The clockwork servant stumbled forward and fell intothe shaft.
Several moments passed before a distant clatter andthud sounded from below.
No splash.
A triumphant smile spread across Fox’s face. He mightnot be able to make the dagger switch today, but at least he’dfound a way into Muldonny’s manor.
Now, to find a way to get himself and Avidanout.