Free A Matter of Temperance (The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance Book 1) by Ichabod Temperance Page A

relationship is of the most honorable sort. We are friends but there is no intimacy involved!”
    He sneers:
    “Yes, vith you, I can imagine. Vell, you never know vith zee English women zees days. Interesting, though, for she is most comely, for common quail.”
    Himmel looks up and into his own downward-plunging thoughts.
    “I have a goal to achieve, but it strikes me there may be an alternate route to achieve this aim. Death is not necessarily the goal of the mission. A disruption of abilities could be achieved by damaging the purity of the vessel.”
    I can almost see the crude imaginations passing through his eyes.
    “Ja, what I have in mind should prove a most delightful way to clip the wings of this British Bluebird.”
    ~!!!~
    “What was that, Herr Himmel? I don’t think I like your insinuations, sir.”
    He had forgotten me for the past couple of moments.
    “Oh, yes. Fraulein Plumtartt’s little American friend.”
    He steps back and looks me up and down.
    “Do not send a boy to do a man’s job. You are obviously inadequate to satisfy Fraulein Plumtartt’s requirements. Do not take offense; you just lack the proper breeding to rise above your station.”
    ~!!!~ I promised her I would behave...
    “A few minutes with zee pride of Dusseldorf and this maiden will no longer be eligible for her destined role.”
    ~!!!~ I promised. I promised.
    “Ja! Of course! I merely have to de-flower this English virgin hen...”
    ~Bam! ~

Chapter 22 – No Human Hand.
    Persephone
    Stanislas and I hurry from the parlour containing Herr Doktor Himmel and Mr. Temperance. I deplore forcing that awful man upon my friend, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
    With a surprising grace given his mere fourteen years of age, Stanislas leads me to his private parlour, on the floor above my father’s chamber.
    I am pleased to note that young Stanislas has been accepted into the clubbe despite his extreme youth, but, to their credit, occultists of our Post-Comet generation are somewhat more inclined to accept members based upon their abilities and not their gender or age, and in any event, young de Guaita is a prodigy by any standard. However, I find myself discomfited at his obvious nervousness - clearly, he has not yet learned to cloak his emotions as rigorously as is required by males of our time. For all of his prodigious abilities, he is still little more than a child.
    I am thankful for the transparency of his emotions, but am distressed at the anxiety he reveals – it confirms my own assessment of our position.
    Still, I am somewhat distracted during the early moments of our meeting: I confess to having formed an instant dislike for Herr Doktor Himmel, whose dismissive and denigrating treatment of Mr. Temperance roused my ire to a surprising extent. Arrogantly, he was obviously making a clumsy attempt to insinuate himself into my affections, as if I should be flattered that he was condescending to offer the dubious delights of his - ahem - “charms” to my person.
    At that moment, Stanislas breaks into my distasteful musings with a chilling train of thought that restores my focus to the urgency of our situation.
    “Persephone, I believe that you are in the gravest danger. Beware of the “great” Herr Doktor, for he is not all that he seems.”
    “Indeed, Stanislas, I concur, for I could almost see two faces superimposed upon each other: a rather handsome, if florid, outdoorsman, and something...something dark and amorphous, not...not human...”
    “I am sorry to admit that I have thought the same thing, Persephone, my dear. Worse still, it is my belief that Herr Himmel is at the center of the dark events surrounding you and your Mr. Temperance.”
    “‘ My ’ Mr. Temperance?”
    “Persephone, you are as a sister to me. I must speak as I feel; if you wish to upbraid me for my forward speaking, you may do so.”
    “I could never upbraid you, my dear friend, for your honest opinion...even if I find