Chapter EightI rushed through the doorway and grabbed the dog around his cylindrical body, throwing myself backward and hoping he hadn’t clamped his iron jaws around Miss Venture’s throat. He twisted as we both fell, and by the time we crashed to the floor his cold tongue was wildly licking my face and we were both venting steam. I pushed us both upright before one of us blew up. Steam engines aren’t great for tipping upside down.
Miss Venture was laughing, and I slowly realised that her scream had been joyful rather than terrified.
‘You like him,’ I said blankly.
‘Very much! Why don’t you make cute things like this all the time?’
‘I do,’ I said, but she just shook her head.
‘Can you make another in time for the Expedition?’
‘Why?’ I said. ‘Now that I try to make something frightenin
