to try her luck.” He handed me a small brass gear and pointed to a metal dish on the end of the contraption. “Get this in there and you get yourself a drink.”
Colin leaned over my shoulder. “Go on, Verity, you can do it.”
“Didn’t I see a punch bowl?” I asked.
The white-smocked man puffed out his chest and went red in the face. “You’d rather have punch than my fantabulous elixir?”
“It’s not a case of preferences, sir,” I hurried to say. “I merely doubt my ability to earn it.”
He raised his goggles and winked. “I might be persuaded to give you a second try if you miss on the first one.” He licked his lips to indicate how I would have to persuade him.
No drink was worth that, I decided, so I had better make the first shot count. As I tossed the gear, I mentally nudged the ether to surround the gear and guide it into the metal dish, the way I used to move buttons into a jar. “The lady has earned herself a drink!” Colin shouted, thumping me on the back.
When the gear hit the dish, it set the whole device in motion. Other gears turned, and an amber liquid flowed through the glass tubes. Flames shot up from a string of nozzles surrounding the tubes. The amber liquid poured into a jar, where another ingredient dropped in, then the jar shook before tipping over to spill into a funnel that led into another set of tubes that passed through more flames. Finally, the liquid poured down a chute and into a battered tin cup, which the man in the white smock handed to me with a flourish. “Your beverage, miss.” It seemed an unnecessarily complicated way to dispense libations, but I supposed it was in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.
One sip of the drink sent a blast of heat throughout my body. At first, I thought it was because the liquid was so hot, but after I’d drunk nearly the entire cup, I realized that some of the warming sensation came from a generous portion of alcohol.
“Thank you for bringing your sister a drink,” Lizzie said acidly to Colin, one eyebrow arched, when we rejoined her.
“You know the rules, Liz. You have to make the shot for yourself. But if you need me to escort you over there, I would be happy to oblige.”
A young woman in a shockingly short skirt that showed the tops of her calf-high boots skipped over and grabbed Colin’s arm. He shrugged helplessly as she dragged him away before Lizzie could retort. “He really is hopeless,” Lizzie said with a shake of her head. “Come on, you should meet everyone.”
She led me around the room, making introductions. She still didn’t tell me anyone’s names, but the people were warm and friendly. Most of Lizzie’s friends had brought friends who didn’t seem to be members of the group, and they came from all walks of life. Some were factory girls, others worked in government offices, and some were laundresses or seamstresses. Most were Irish, some were Chinese, some appeared to be of African ancestry, and a few were German. The one thing we all had in common was that we worked for magisters. Then again, it seemed as though everyone in the city worked for magisters, either directly or indirectly.
While I met everyone, I couldn’t help but glance around looking for Alec. Surely he wouldn’t miss the party, or was he away inventing some new machine?
Colin came off the dance floor, red-faced and sweating. “What, you’re not letting her dance, Liz?” he asked. “Come on, Verity, let’s have some fun.” The drink had gone to my head, making me feel fuzzy and fizzy, so I went eagerly with him, letting him spin me around to the beat of that strange music. I could barely keep up with him. Tickles on my cheeks and forehead told me my hair was coming loose, and I felt sweat running down the middle of my back, under my corset. Even so, I was having more fun than I could recall in years—or possibly ever.
Colin suddenly jerked and yelped. His style wasn’t conventional, but I didn’t mistake this for a dance step. He reached up and pulled something out of the air, then quickly released it after yelping again. It was a small model of an airship, with steam and smoke pouring from beneath it. Muttering under his breath, Colin batted it ahead of him