Clockwork Blue Read Online Free Page B

his chest puffed out with pride. " Ah, but we can. We take our orders from Maestro. "
     
    " Well, s orry, but that doesn't make me feel any better .
     
    "But Maestro is the epitome of goodness. He is the king of kings, above all creatures and it's to Maestro that we must all answer to in the end."
     
    "You can exalt him all you want. I don ' t approve of his tactics, especially since obviously it was Maestro who evidently led Glissando to do what he did to my grandmother . "
     
    " Glissando is… complicated. He isn ' t always honest. Not that he ' s necessarily bad, " he rushed to clarify. " But I ' m certain he completed his calling to the best of his ability. "
     
    " And you can call yourselves agents of Maestro? "
     
    Allegro flew to land on the sconce that Glissando had deserted earlier. " Maestro works in mysterious ways, and even I don ' t always know His reasons. "
     
    " But I would wager you question Him sometimes. "
     
    The pixie blushed… again. " An d you would win. Because I have. I do. But that doesn ' t mean I don ' t believe in Him. "
     
    Nicola glanced in the looking glass, straightened her hat as best she could, and then opened her reticule to dump the crumbled remains of her starfish inside. Then she gave the pixie a final bow of her head. " This has all been interesting, but I must be on my way. I bid you a nice journey back to your bank of clouds. "
     
    He soared from the sconce to flutter in front of her. " It ' s called Jubilant. "
     
    At her puzzled look, he clarified. " Our country. It ' s called Jubilant. I ' m from the city of Overture. "
     
    " Oh, well, whatever. Safe travels. "
     
    " You cannot be rid of us so easily. " Allegro ' s wings were a blur as he tracked her movements toward the door .
     
    " I can and will. Now, go follow your fri end. At least he knows when he has lost. "
     
    " What? " Allegro glanced around the ladies ' chamber, only now realizing his accomplice was gone. " Blast that note-slider ! Where did he go? "
     
    " Back to… Jubilant, Overture, wherever. " Nicola crossed her arms. " You might as well join him, because as of this moment, I am going to ret ire from this social gathering. " She reached for the copper handle .
     
    Glissando suddenly darted through the doorwa y, causing Nicola to stumble backward. He panted from his exertion, his thin cheeks glowing. " H-hold! "
     
    With an audible sigh, Allegro positioned himself next to his p artner. " What a relief you are back, Glissando. He focused on Nicola . " We haven ' t even gotten to the purpose of our mission and she is already planning to leave. But we can ' t let her go because she hasn ' t even met her spouse-to-be. "
     
    Nicola shook her head. " Don ' t try to stop me because I ' m going home— now. "
     
    Frantically, Glissando waved his arms. His breath came in shallow gasps. " A ye … leave… quickly . "
     
    With a frown, Allegro stared at him. " Whose side are you on? "
     
    Nicola gave Glissando a grim smile. " Ah, then we are agreed about this. "
     
    " Her side . " Still gasping, Glissando lurched toward her nose, cau sing her to hesitate once more. "But… not home. "
     
    She gave him a questioning look.
     
    " Save ... cousin. "
     
    Her heart flopped at the thought of her beloved cousin and his shena nigans. " Save him? " she asked, holding out her hand to help the little Caller despite her feelings toward him . The tiny fellow was obviously struggling.
     
    Glissando plopped down on her proffered palm, holding his chest, youthful-looking even through the lacy cravat . He took several deep breaths before glancing up at her with an earnest expression on his piquant face. " At this very moment your cousin, Ramsey Diderot , is headed for serious trouble. "
     

Chapter 3
     
    Nicola crept toward the darkened workhouse on the outskirts of town—a facility owned, ironically, by the very intimidating Earl of Falconwood—hoping against hope that she would arrive in time to stop Ramsey