CHAPTER 35
Alice seemed immeasurably relieved to see Rory when she got to the roof.
“I found it — I found the lab,” Rory told the girl triumphantly. “It was in the Black Orchid all along! Them guards have been turned, I ain’t even sure you could call them alive any more. Did you see, they didn’t even look at me.”
Alice nodded. “I thought I was gonna see you get arrested or worse,” she said.
“Smooth as silk I was. I heard Assio and his men, and I followed the noise, and then I found this secret door at the bottom of the stairs.” Rory described the orchid and the workbench, along with the cage.
“That’s fine technology, that. Cruikshank’s gonna be impressed. Now, you need to go find Longinus and Adelma, and sharpish. I’ll stay here to keep an eye on — Mizria!”
Down below, Mizria had jus
