Blair returned soon after they drained the blood from the last Septic Rat. She looked down on the floor at the empty body and frowned, not in pity but disgust.

Ignoring Hilda and Liza, busily wiping their mouths, Blair said, “We’re nearing the end.”

Rip nodded and shifted the lever down, bringing it from full speed reverse to partial. He kept slowing it down as ambient light in the tunnel increased, finally bringing the train to a crawl.

When the engine entered the room once more, he threw the lever into the horizontal position and pulled out another one marked, “Brake.”

A message popped up on his implant.

[You have earned a new skill: Train Conductor.]

“Good grief,” he grumbled to himself. “There better not be a cap on skills. Or if there is, I need some way to discard the useless ones.”

Before anyone could comment, police whistles sounded, echoing across the concrete. A stream of men wearing dark blue uniforms, tall round hats and shiny brass buttons ran in from the far tunnel.

Blair’s eyes narrowed. Then she looked down at the body on the floor.

“Girls, toss out these corpses. We don’t want the peelers finding them with bite marks, if at all possible. At least, nowhere near you.”

They scowled at her and looked like they were about to argue for a moment.

But as dozens more officers rushed into the underground depot, they thought better of it. Both moved with incredible speed. Liza scooped up the body on the floor and jumped out the other side of the train while Hilda zipped into the next car.

Rip said, “So, you do care.”

Blair turned her frown toward him, then noticed the grin on his face.

“Needle me all you want, Ripley. But we are going to have problems enough if the peelers are planning to interfere with an RVS mission. I doubt they’re even aware of any vampire’s presence in Ethinium, much less Greater Umbria. If at all possible, it will go much easier on us all if things stay that way. Now, come along.”

She led the way off the train and they approached the Venture Society members still resting near the crates.

The policemen facing them spread out, like the parting of a sea. Chief Inspector Sperry walked in from the far tunnel, looking conspicuous in his brown fedora and grey overcoat amidst all the blue uniforms.

He stood quietly, taking in the room with a sweeping glance.

His eyes rested on Blair and Rip for a moment, then he moved on to Bixby, Sharp and Finley.

Sharp stepped forward, by some unspoken agreement between the three nobles.

“Good afternoon, Chief Inspector. We did not expect to find such a strong police presence underneath the streets.”

Hilda and Liza walked around the end of the train at that moment, heading toward the group and drawing the eyes of every man in the room.

They smiled in delight. The weight shifted on dozens of officers’ feet.

Sperry cleared his throat, pulling his own eyes away from the attractive girls.

“As far as I’m concerned, the septic system is still part of the city, Lord Sharp. A city I am sworn to protect. Someone brought up out of the Chelsea pump station what appeared to be an injured fellow, carrying him to a steam truck, which is illegally parked I might add. One of my boys was busy writing out citations for the drivers when he observed the man being loaded on one. He recognized the black leather togs of Lady Finley’s group. Then he realized the poor blighter was dead. At that point, he called for assistance.”

The inspector spared a quick glance at his men. They all stared at the Verez sisters, who seemed to be smiling at each man in turn.

In annoyance, he returned his attention to Sharp and resumed his tale.

“About that time, we heard reports of gunfire from underneath the streets. That warranted a much larger response. In light of the recent attacks on Doctors’ Commons, I marshaled every man I could lay hands on and headed for the Chelsea station. Imagine my surprise to find your people already here. Lord Atkinson’s men directed us this way. And here we also find the illustrative Sergeant Coulter, recent hero of the air . . . and destroyer of clock tower tops.”

Rip cleared his throat, blushing.

“His Majesty assured me that the tower was due for reconstruction anyway, and that I shouldn’t worry about any damages.”

This statement was met with a long silence. Sperry stared at Rip for a moment, without blinking.

Finally, he said, “How convenient. Regardless, I now find a . . . mess here under the streets. And, apparently, an underground train of some sort. Recently driven by you, Sergeant. Or so it appears. How is that, would you say?”

Rip scratched his head and said, “Would you believe me if I told you I just recently picked up the [Train Conductor] skill? Darnedest thing. Apparently, if you apply yourself, you can get certain skills.”

Or if someone kisses you.

He kept that last thought to himself.

Rip belatedly noticed the officers no longer stared at the Verez sisters. They all looked at him, now.

He felt a sinking feeling in his chest, as he realized he was the center of attention for a lot of people.

“I’m hoping there’s not a skill cap or anything. Because, that would suck. I mean, uh, that would be bad.”

“Don’t mind the Sergeant, he babbles when he’s nervous,” Blair said. “The important thing is, we are about to depart from this location and find out just where this subterranean choo-choo leads us to.”

Sperry glanced at the train again and came to a decision, one instantly etched on his face and plain for all to see.

“Very well. The sworn officers of the Ethinium Police Department will accompany you on the train.”

Not one of the RVS leaders looked happy with this decision.

Bixby said, “That may not be a good idea, Chief Inspector. You saw what happened to Lady Finley’s people. If they can do that to enhanced Venture Society members, they can do even more to mundane police officers. All of whom appear to be unarmed, I might add.”

Before an argument could fester, they were interrupted by the sound of heavy metallic footsteps thumping down the tunnel leading toward the gazebo.

One of Atkinson’s men walked out first, patting the air with his hands.

“Have no fear, everyone. Do not be alarmed. This is the latest thing from the Lyceum, there is nothing to be worried about.”

He stepped to one side and everyone peered into the tunnel’s gloom as the thumping footsteps grew louder.

Rip saw it first with his newly enhanced eyesight. His eyebrows rose.

Slowly out of the gloom a large robot emerged, its feet clanking on the concrete.

One of the officers said, “It’s a steam vault automaton!”

The police scattered, some hiding behind crates. Several blew their whistles, loudly, despite the shouts of reassurance from Atkinson’s man.

Outside the tunnel, the metallic monstrosity stopped, and the head tilted back on a hinge.

Out of the hole a human head popped out, like a bespectacled mole. Disheveled hair flowed around thick, soda bottle glasses.

Dr. Oggolopoli smiled at everyone.

“Oggy!” Humphries said. “What are you doing here?”

“I did it, Humph! I backtracked the circuit diagram on the guardian we disabled in the vaults. Then I was able to rewire Tinny here, the one we had in Fusselton’s lab. I know, it hasn’t moved in years, but look at it now! I’ve got a splendid suit of armor now. I can make it do anything!”

He adjusted some controls inside the robot. It lifted an arm and waved at everyone.

Humphries looked suitably impressed, his vast sideburns quivering.

“Brilliant, Oggy! Absolutely brilliant! You advanced our knowledge of robotics by a decade, at least.”

Oggolopoli’s smile threatened to split his face in half.

“Yes, it is brilliant. It really is. This changes everything!”