Chapter Forty-Seven
Sunday was a bright day. Large clouds rose miles into the sky like white thunderheads, moving off the horizon and over the water as the start of the heat wave settled in. Despite the lecture the evening before, Alfred awoke in a pleasant mood. The breeze that blew through his window smelled of oleanders, and his day promised to be an adventure that he had needed. The train was pulling away from the station at a quarter to nine, and he’d been able to arrange for Joseph to take the remaining measurements for the day. It had only cost him a day’s worth of cleaning instruments, something Alfred felt was worth the trouble. But Joseph was already in the office when Alfred stepped through the door.
“Catching up on work?”
“Not quite. We’ve received a telegram from the D.C. o
