The residents of New Adapolis hurried into the streets, startled by the display of blue lightning within their homes. Women chattered with one another about the strange occurrence. A vicar connected indexes and thumbs as he stood outside the local rectory. He observed the flurry of activity with his usual calm. Henly and Lord Myron strolled through this scene, anxious but silent. Henly deduced the vicar had warned his minions of similar inevitabilities as one would have expected of the times, only the vicar didn't know he would not be exempt from the city's fate.
"Things are falling into place, Lord Myron," he said just loud enough to be heard by one man, "and not in a good way."
"So I gathered," replied Myron. His pale skin drew beads of sweat as the two maintained a running walk across town.
People left behind half-filled cups at a tea parlor to join and learn from those already in the streets. Barbers, engineers, coachmen, society women and seamstresses, urchins darting about the adults like trees... It appeared that very little of the active populace were unaware of the phenomenon.
With so many citizens suddenly in evidence, Henly took in the great diversity of species. Amphibian, furred, one type resembling simian, several reptilian but each unique from the other, plus all manner of humanoid beyond Terran. Indeed it was that everybody came from somewhere else. And they all lived by the same social code. The concept was positively exhilirating.
At last they reached the piers - and headed for one in particular.
"I'm overriding the filter and narrowing the band as far as it will go. At this frequency I can pinpoint just about anything, but risk detection."
Lord Myron looked into the murky water, knowing what lay below. He noticed Henly playing with the scanner's settings without hesitation and agreed privately that at this stage action was paramount.
Henly whirled and pointed his device past Myron's shoulder as the scanner gave off a sequence of high-pitched tones. Myron turned slowly to determine the destination.
Facing back toward the street one could hear the snapping of sparks nearby as the robots welded submersible vehicles without deviation. There was another sound mixed in as during their prior visit, only now that second sound was prominent. It was like a rhythmic steam engine propelling metal on metal. Or so Lord Myron could best categorize.
Henly looked up in revelation. It came from the nearest building. "Whose establishment is this?"
"Someone from the city counsel," Lord Myron said. "This is a major landmark at this time. Its dome is in the first glimpse of skyline for approaching merchant and airships. There are many engravings, some of night scenes depicting an exceptionally bright..." his voice trailed off.
Henly stepped past Myron toward the building. The grating effect was unlike any steam powered contraption he'd ever heard. "What did this official do?"
"The official title is His Right Honourable Chairman to the Ministry of Science. You can imagine such a position ranks high in this society."
Henly nodded while looking up at the patina dome.
"They say he was the man who unlocked the secret of our ancestors, made it possible for my people to utilize their technology on a small scale..."
"...he made your time machines possible..."
"He may have," Myron said slowly.
Henly turned back toward him.
"You know how these work. Sometimes they take the credit for the the efforts of someone in their charge..."
"-but you don't think so..."
"They say this was built to his exact specifications, that he was a hard practitioner."
Henly took the inaccurate translation to mean the man was obsessed, a fanatic. "And he disappeared with the city?"
"Presumably."
"What would you say to paying this prominent and well-respected member of the community a visit?"
Lord Myron lifted his hat enough to wipe some perspiration from his hairline. "I was afraid you might suggest that."
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