Brotherhood of the Strange (Kingship, Tales from the Aether Book 1) by Michael Richie, Grant Wilson

the creation of Degory’s arm. The bird she chose now had been crafted while she was doing her medical rotation in the Royal London Hospital in White Chapel. The beak of this clockwork hummingbird was in fact a syringe, one capable of injecting medicine, usually powerful sedatives, into unruly or lunatic patients from a safe distance. Though it had been used by her and lauded by the hospital staff on numerous occasions, the shear cost and intricate construction ensured mass production would never be achieved. A hastily measured dose of powerful opiates was loaded into the beak-shaped syringe and the bird wound. Cordelia then placed it on the piano. Noticing the news from three days ago still shielded her from unfriendly eyes, she also retrieved her hydrocrystalophone from the same cabinet. Called a glass armonica by many, it was a curious musical instrument consisting of stacked crystal bowls lying on their side. These rotated via a gear and spring mechanism. With the judicious application of moistened fingers, the device produced ghostly, ethereal sounds. Like the piano, Cordelia was a more than competent player and had cleverly designed her birds to be operated and controlled remotely with the sounds of the instrument. It was this accomplishment that had earned her a seat on the Oxford Board of Clockwork Design, no small achievement for a woman as young as she. Cordelia switched on the device, moistened her fingers in the included reservoir of water, and began to play as the piano ended its rendition of Debussy’s masterpiece.
    The tones of the hydrocrystalophone were so different from the familiar sounds of a piano that the thug lowered his paper to see the source of the new sound. Any concern at seeing his captive playing some form of rare instrument was eclipsed by his observance of a mechanical bird flying towards him. He leapt from his chair and with a gruff voice shouted his surprise.
    This shook Cordelia and she almost lost her nerve, hitting a wrong note and nearly sending the hummingbird crashing into a wall. Choosing not to respond, she regained control and flew it towards her target. The thug took a swing at the bird but the diminutive size, combined with Cordelia’s skill, bested him as it weaved past his arm and impaled itself in his thick, sweaty neck. The concoction of opiates acted quickly. The thug took several steps towards Cordelia, each one becoming more uncoordinated than the last. Trying to draw his pistol, he fell to his knees before collapsing into a deep unconsciousness on the carpeted floor, the plasmatic weapon only half drawn.
    Cordelia stood there for a full two minutes shaking near uncontrollably. This evening had brought more violence in one hour than she had seen in her whole life. Finally, she was able to regain her composure. Checking the pulse of the man she had just sedated revealed it was slow but steady. The mixture she had given him would most likely keep him unconscious until morning. Cordelia still had no idea when her father would return and felt the accompanying haste. She had never been one for travel, and was unsure of what she’d need while away. Running to and fro throughout her chambers she began to pack in a most erratic manner. She packed her hydrocrystalophone and an assortment of birds including the valuable little hummingbird. Her medical bag was a must, as well as her bag of clockwork tools and parts. Only after those items were made ready did she look to her attire. London weather was unpredictable enough but Cordelia had no idea what to expect when traveling to the aether-suspended uplands. Knowing she needed to travel light she limited her wardrobe selections to a mere two steamer trunks and one hat box. A carpetbag consisting of a lady’s personal items as well as Degory’s sword cane were added to the pile. She freshened up and changed into a new red and orange dress. In lieu of washing and redoing her hair she selected a leather lady’s top hat sporting a