Rip’s eyes refocused on the room. He realized everyone was staring at him.

He said, “Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Somehow, our legends associate vampires with the princesses’ country, rather than Wallachia.”

It took a moment for Kaminski to process this statement. While he mulled it over, Rip continued.

“Anyway, I must say both Hilda and Liza are excellent additions to the team. They stopped a robot invasion of Ethinium almost singlehandedly. And our latest mission down into the Calais vault proved far more expedient having them along. I appreciate their service to the Royal Venture Society, and Ripley’s Rangers in particular.”

Hilda smiled in response.

“Thank you, Ripley. We tried to join a team for years. No one in the Dual Empire would have us, though, following a certain . . . unfortunate incident in Vienna.” Kaminski raised an eyebrow at the delicate phrasing. “We decided to seek a team elsewhere. Through connections we ended up with Colonel Sharp here in Ethinium.”

Kaminski cleared his throat and added, “The Prussians would have nothing to do with them. Too close to Erdély and its unfortunate history with them in past battles. The French use only their Foreign Legion for venturing. That left Russia, Spain, Portugal, the Dutch and a few others, but there are language issues with some and . . . class issues with others.”

Rip said, “So, anybody want to share what ‘unfortunate incident’ led you here?”

The sisters cast their eyes down at the table, obviously embarrassed. Blair perked up and showed some interest in the conversation for the first time.

She said, “Who did you seduce?”

If Liza’s ears could turn red, they would, Rip thought. She looked up and met Blair’s eyes with shame and embarrassment.

“I fell in love with him. He was the scion of a great Czech noble house, and visiting Pest. I thought . . . I thought by turning him, we could live out our years together. Don’t look at me like that, Lady Blair. You have no idea how lonely it is to be one of us.”

Blair held up her hands.

“I’m not saying anything.”

“We can’t have babies like you and Ripley are having,” Hilda added. “And any man we love grows old and dies.”

The emotion both girls felt seemed very palpable, filling the room. Kaminski cleared his throat again, almost apologetically.

“Yes, well as it so happens, turning someone into a [Minor Vampire], while they are indeed less powerful than an original, results in them having to deal with all of those . . . urges . . . And they do not have the centuries of training and the storehouse of knowledge that our princesses do.”

“I could have taught him . . .” Liza said, with a hint of mourning in her voice.

Rip said, “I take it things got out of hand and the gentleman had to be put down.”

“Yes,” Kaminski said. “He was put down. After 86 innocent people died and about a hundred more were seriously injured.”

Liza buried her face in her hands while Hilda crossed her arms and looked away.

“How long ago was this?” Rip said, frowning. “I admit, I pay attention mostly to Umbrian news, but . . . this happened a while ago, did it not?”

Kaminski said, “Yes, in 1848. After several years of house arrest, an arrangement was made with your Royal Venture Society. Her grace and her sister have been in Ethinium since the late 1850s. I believe the princesses joined Colonel Sharp’s team a few years ago.”

Hilda said, “Yessss. It was so boring until then. No one wanted us on their team. We could not leave the premises without an escort. But the last few years have been fun. Especially since Ripley came into our world.”

The faces of both sisters lit up.

Blair frowned.

She said, “Well, hopefully you’ve learned your lesson.” But her tone was light and gentle, rather than accusatory.

“Oh, yes,” Liza said. “It was a lapse in judgment.”

“So, are you allowed to go home?” Rip said. “You’ve been away for what, 50 years, more or less?”

Kaminski nodded and said, “Indeed. The sentence they received at the time was to live in exile until after anyone related to the victims had passed. That time has now come.”

“You’ve kept track of everybody all these years?” Rip said, genuinely curious. “Across different governments?”

“No, not at all. However, Emperor Joseph believes more than half a century is adequate.”

He turned to address the ladies.

“There is the matter of repaying the Hungarian Kingdom the gold remitted to Liza’s paramour’s victims, but I assume your efforts in that regard have been fruitful?”

“Yesss, we have plenty. But we don’t want to go back right now,” Hilda said.

Liza said, “We never got to go down into a vault until Sir Sharp recruited us. And now that we are on Sir Ripley’s team, we have had all sorts of fun. This is the most excitement we’ve had in centuries!”

Both girls nodded vigorously.

“The Emperor is not insisting you return, at the moment. Not at all.”

Rip thought Kaminski’s voice had an undertone to it, as if implying Franz Joseph would be just fine with the sisters remaining far away from Vienna for as long as possible.

“Oh, good,” Hilda said. “Then we won’t. We wish to stay here in Ethinium with our team.”

“He is however, asking that you assist the empire in a most delicate matter. He wishes your help in retrieving a particular item for him.”

Both Hilda and Liza’s faces dropped.

At first, Rip thought they would simply refuse, whatever the request would be. Neither looked very happy about the idea.

Finally, Liza sighed.

She said, “What did the Emperor lose that he needs us to retrieve?”