It's early evening. Amelia has found herself with more free time than expected before the 'important' Kettenrad dinner that evening, she ended up walking over to the Wingnut territory. Unfortunately, Zahnrad wasn't around … nor any of the other Kettenrad's at the time. Fortunately, one of the other Wingnut families were manning the dam and with the fellow's help, she found her way to the main platform of the Kettenrad section of the clan territories. It's quiet up here; with only the wind in the trees and the nearby rush of water from the dam breaking the silence.

The dark-furred Kadie stands around nervously, unsure of which way to go. With Olivia's help, Amelia has actually managed to dress up like a girl, wearing a cream-colored blouse and a brown skirt. She even has her hair tied back with a big white bow, and has one of Olivia's white cloth flowers tucked behind an ear. She fidgets with the large wax-sealed jar in her hands, and decides to head toward the larger building, figuring someone will be there.

The leaves above the Kadie rustle a bit … which would be normal, if it weren't for the fact the wind has died down briefly.

Amy freezes, and wishes she'd brought her staff along after all. Cautiously, she looks up into the branches for what might have caused the noise.

A shadow darts through the leaves. There is definitely someone up there. But, Amelia isn't given much time to wonder whom, exactly. About ten feet in front of her, something in the leaves screams, "Rrraaaaah!" The branches part overhead and down drops a completely gray furred Kadie, wearing nothing but pants, and necklace with a gear on it, and carrying a makeshift spear. He stands there warily, waving the spear at Amelia. It's … a kid. Probably no more than fourteen at the most. "Halt, wicked marauder!" he insists.

"I'm already halted," Amelia says, going wide-eyed at the apparition. "And I'm unarmed, too," she adds, in case the child mistakes her jar for something dangerous.

The Kadie eyes Amelia warily for a moment, then raises the spear and holds it like a staff at his side. "Aw, man," he grouses. "Here the first interesting thing all day happens; we get invaded, and it's a girl." He eyes her again, arching an eyebrow and asking, "Are you sure you're not a marauder in a dress?"

"It's not a dress!" Amelia snaps before she can catch herself. A bit more calmly, she says, "That is, it's a skirt, there's a big difference. And I was invited here, actually, so I'm not a marauder."

The Kadie looks rather disappointed. He lets out a long sigh, "Oh, you must be one of the people Mom invited toni… " He pauses, then blinks and scurries over to get a closer look at Amelia, "Whoa, wait."

The girl leans back automatically as the boy rushes up. "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

The Kadie peers in close. "So, it's you," he says in an almost accusational tone. He rests the spear on his shoulder and asks, "Okay, I have to know. What does my brother have on you?" He then rolls his eyes and says, "And oh, manners, yes. Mom would swat me for not introducing myself. I'm Gunther, Zahn's absolutely awesome, brave, brother."

"Oh, the loud one?" Amy asks, grinning a bit. "And my name is Amelia, not you. But you can call me Ms. Blacktail," she says. "And what do you mean by Zahn having something on me?" Amy wonders if Gunther is talking about the borrowed pair of shorts…

"Yes, as in what's he blackmailing you with?" Gunther asks and waves at Amelia up and down. "I mean … you're pretty, uhm, Ms. Blacktail. He has to have something on you," he insists.

And what do you mean, the loud one?"

"I heard you yelling when I first visited here," Amy explains. "And Zahn isn't blackmailing me with anything. I just like him."

Gunther huhs, as if such a thing wouldn't have occurred to him. He then grins widely, "And so … you're the one he had in his cabin? Heh, lucky guy."

"Aren't you a bit young to be thinking about things like that?" Amy asks, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh, what do you think I was thinking about?" Gunther counters and waggles his eyebrows. He idly scratches his cheek with the spear tip and grins. "I figured you two were just being cute. So … was it something else?"

"Cute?" Amy asks, sounding a bit offended. "We were drying off after being soaked getting your dam prepped for the storm."

"Oh, naked and in Zahn's cabin? Well, nothing wrong with that, Ms. Blacktail," Gunther says, still grinning. "Anyway, Zahn is working with Dad on some new project. Something Zahn keeps calling the stew pot. Dad doesn't like that name. I have no idea what either of them talk about; they're both loony if you ask me."

Tail twitching in agitation now, Amy asks, "What makes you think we were naked? And anyway… are you going to let me pass, or at least tell me where I can go to wait?"

Gunther shrugs, saying, "Hard to dry out in wet clothing." He steps back and considers something, "Well, you are welcome here, Ms. Blacktail. Mom said so. So did Zahn, plus something about stuffing me into a wheel and sending me for a roll if I bothered you… " The Kadie just shrugs that off and adds, "I can show you into the main enclosure; it's where Mom is, anyway. I would take you to Zahn's cabin, but he won't give me the access code."

"I suppose taking me to your mother is best then," Amelia says. She doesn't want to stand around outside of a booby-trapped door, after all.

Gunther salutes Amelia. "Aye, aye, Captain Blacktail, ma'am!" he replies and spins. He marches toward the main enclosure and opens the door. "After you. Mom's in the back; I'll announce you in a second."

"Thank you, Gunther," Amy says, remembering some of the things Olivia told her about etiquette as she steps through the doorway.

Gunther watches Amelia enter, arching an eyebrow as she passes. Hefollows in after her.

"You must have a big family," Amelia comments as she looks at the table.

"Please, just sit anywhere," Gunther says, "Except the fourth bench from the due east point, going clockwise." He heads toward a door in the back of the room and knocks on it. "Mom!" he yells, "Ms. Blacktail is here! You didn't tell me she was pretty!"

Gunther glances back and says, "Well, we were going to, anyway. Just four of us now, really."

Blinking at the warning and the compliment, Amy tries to figure out which direction is east. "You were going to?" she asks. "Did your father have an… uh… accident or something?"

"No. I wasn't born yet, so I just know what Zahn's told me. We don't talk about it in front of Mom," Gunther says quietly. Moments later, a female Kadie somewhere in the next room says, "All right, Gunther. I'll be out in a bit. Please, don't try and provoke her. We don't get many guests, you know."

Amy thinks about just how much she wants to know about Zahn's family, then asks, "Can you point out the bench I shouldn't sit in? Do you all have places you usually sit at?"

Gunther motions to the bench to not use. "You can sit anywhere, just not there." He walks back over toward Amy and sits on the table. "Mom gave up on trying to have a large family when Stephen was killed fourteen years ago," he says quietly so his mother won't hear in the next room. "Zahn told me he died in an accident at the dam; when a rainstorm caused a section to collapse. That seat was where Steph usually sat. So, we don't sit there. It just doesn't feel right, you know?"

Amelia nods, and sits on the opposite side from the indicated spot. "I've seen how dangerous the dam can be during a storm. Are you the full-time guardian of the family territory, Gunther?"

"Of course! I have to protect the family from evil marauders bent on stealing our top-secret designs," Gunther says proudly. He gets a playful grin on his face, adding, "Even if they wear skirts."

"Did you make that spear yourself?" the girl Kadie asks, ignoring the skirt remark for now. "I use a staff myself when dealing with poachers and thieves."

"Sure did. Had to carve it, because Zahn won't let me use the lathe in his shop; says it's too dangerous," Gunther says and shrugs. "But really, he's just protective of his stuff. I don't think he'd let anyone else touch it. Well, maybe if he really trusted them."

"His machinery is scary," Amy says, then sets her jar on the table and holds out a hand towards Gunther. "Can I have a look at your spear then?" she asks.

Gunther curls his fingers reflexively around the spear, considering. "Well, I guess," he relents and hands over the roughly carved spear. It's not perfectly straight, but the tip is well cut and it has a few decorative patterns cut in it along it's length. "Scary? Zahn's stuff? It's not too bad, but I guess I've grown up around it."

After giving the spear a quick examination, Amy hands it back. "Have you tried asking him to just make you a spear?"

"Ask him? Where's the fun in that?" Gunther asks, looking surprised. "You're not supposed to ask your brother. That's … just so weird."

Amelia thinks about this for a moment. "Well… I suppose I don't ask my own brothers for help very often either," she admits. "Have you ever actually used the spear on an intruder?"

"Uhm … I've never seen an intruder. They all end up being guests, dang it," Gunther admits. "But when I do, I'll be ready!" And from behind Amelia the female Kadie's voice can be heard from a few feet behind Amelia, "Preferably with you being properly dressed, Gunther. You knew we were having company today, so please go make yourself presentable."

Amy nearly jumps out of her fur, the voice catching her off guard. She grabs the jar and turns to face the older woman. "Hello Mrs. Kettenrad, I-brought-you-some-plum-preserves!" she blurts out, and practically thrusts the jar out at the woman.

The older female Kadie takes one step backward, but doesn't seem overly startled by the outburst; perhaps living with the Wingnuts makes them a little less startle prone. Now that Amelia can see her fully, she can tell Mrs. Kettenrad has color patterns much like Zahnrad; a dusty gray coat with black hair. But, the years have begun to show on her as streaks of gray have started to form in her hair. She's dressed quite simply, in a light colored blouse, with the sleeves tied off at the wrists and elbows to keep it from being too billowy and dark pants, with a simple wrap-around to give the illusion of wearing a dress. She raises her hands to accept the jar and says with a smile, "That was very kind of you, Ms. Blacktail. I certainly wasn't expecting you to bring anything; you're our guest." She cranes her head to look over Amy's shoulder at Gunther; whom promptly says, "Yes, Mom!" and runs out of the room.

"It's traditional for guests to bring an offering," Amelia recites. "And… uh… my family grows plums, so it seemed appropriate… " she adds, growing quieter. "I hope I'm not too early?"

"Ms. Blacktail … Amelia, you're among friends here. Of course you're not too early," Mrs. Kettenrad says gently. "You're welcome any time. I hope Gunther didn't tell you that we eat guests that offend us; like he told one of the shopkeepers who came here last year. Gunther is … a bit wild. He means well, but he's convinced he must defend us from marauders. But really, we don't have anything people would want to steal. Well, except the otters that like to steal Zahn's door. Between you and me, I think they do it because he gets so mad about it." She walks over to the table and sits down and sets the jar down as well. She motions to a nearby bench.

Amelia sits down on the indicated bench, and nervously smoothes out her skirt. "He seems nice. I was like that when I was his age too."

Mrs. Kettenrad raises an eyebrow. "You ran around without a shirt and waved spears at people?" she asks.

"Well, not exactly," Amelia says. "I used an axe. I still defend our territory, but I haven't killed anyone or permanently maimed them or anything," she babbles.

Mrs. Kettenrad reaches over and pats the back of Amelia's hand. "Dearie," she says gently, "Relax." She considers something, then says, "Why don't you help me get a few things ready? It'll help you work off some of that nervousness. Plus, we can talk where its more private."

"Oh, okay," Amy says, glad for the chance to distract herself. "I'm good at chopping and smashing things."

Mrs. Kettenrad stands up and picks up the jar again. "And, you can call me Elsa. Mrs. Kettenrad is so formal," she says. "The kitchen is a great place if you want privacy. Most of the guys won't go near the place. They seemed to have forgotten they built it to eliminate most of the boring work, anyway." She heads toward the back door.

Amy gets up and follows along. "Thank you… Elsa," she says, grinning a little at being able to use the woman's first name.

"Oh, don't mention it dearie," Elsa says and pushes the door open and walks into the kitchen. Or well, it might be a kitchen. There is a stove of a sort in there, but there is also piping and odd rails going all over the room. In one wall, there's a short box with a glass window in it. Inside are a series of racks, all meant to hold … something. "And don't worry, it's not as weird as it looks in here."

"I haven't spent much time in a kitchen before, actually," Amelia admits, as she looks around for something familiar.

Well, the is something that looks like a chopping block, and there is a rack of pans on one wall. "Good for you," Elsa says, "I spend as little time in here as possible. and it's also why we've automated parts. There are so many more interesting things to do than cook." She rubs her chin, saying, "I was thinking of having a light salad with cracked nuts on top, followed up by a vegetable stew and some bread. Although, I did meet this strange fellow in town a few days ago who kept talking about how frying food is so much better for you. Sounds ghastly if you ask me, but if you would prefer something along those lines, we could probably put something together."

"Was he a sort of patchwork looking man?" Amelia asks, remembering a recent breakfast argument. "I don't really care for fried foods. Would you like me to crack the nuts?"

"I couldn't see much. He had a tattered cloak on," Elsa admits and walks over to the odd box with the glass front. "Certainly," she says, "That would be very helpful. We keep nuts in the far left bins against the wall. There's a mallet in the drawer near the chopping block." She opens the box and peers in. "Oh, drat," she mutters.

Carefully opening the drawer in case anything pops out, Amelia pauses to ask, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, someone didn't start the dish cleaner," Elsa says, sounding slightly annoyed. She turns a crank near it several times, then pulls a level. A few moments later, sloshing water can be heard. "Zahn's father, Andre," she explains, "specializes in hydro … machines powered by and use water. We have a water container higher up that pushes water down to here, which can then be used to clean dishes and such for us. It's pretty simple, really, just a corkscrew, some pipes, and a few rods."

"And it doesn't break the dishes?" Amy asks, imagining mechanical hands holding rags.

"Not at all. The water pressure causes it to spray over the dishes. But, you have to be careful with the soap. It can get sudsy of you use too much. I came in here one day and found Zahn and Gunther sliding along the floor on makeshift sponges. The room was just full of suds.," Elsa says and sighs.

Amelia giggles, and starts putting nuts from the bin onto the chopping block. "Sounds like good clean fun to me!"

"That was their excuse, too," Elsa says. She goes over to a nearby cabinet and pulls out a few fresh looking loaves of bread. "So, how long did it take you two to get out of Zahn's bed?" she asks absently as she sorts a few things.

"Um, it was just me in the bed," Amelia says, making a pile of nuts before smacking them with the mallet. "He unhooked it and lowered it to the floor so I could untangle myself," she adds, her ears blushing.

"You were just 'fooling around', if I remember how you put it," Elsa comments and looks a bit amused. She glances over at Amy briefly, then says, "And yes, I know it was innocent. Not that it's really my business, of course. You're both adults."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't misunderstand things," Amy says, setting aside the first pile of crushed nuts and starting on the next. "I guess Zahn hasn't had many female friends before?"

"I'd rather expect Zahn to faint if it was more than innocent, to be completely honest," Elsa says and pulls out sole leafy greens for the salad. She sighs and nods, "Not just female friends, any friends. He doesn't get out enough. I'm really glad you're spending time with him."

Smiling, Amy asks, "So you don't think I'm a bad influence or distracting him from his work then?"

Elsa stops working and turns to look at Amelia. "Of course not, Dearie. Please, distract him all you want; it's good for him. I trust Zahn in deciding how much time he should spend where. As for a bad influence, I've heard some of the things that people in town say about you. But, I also know how gossip goes and know not to put much belief into it," she says. "Besides, I also knew your mother, Abigail, a little. She was a sweet lady."

"You knew my Mom?" Amy says in surprise, forgetting the nuts for a moment. "I didn't think she had any friends… but I guess she had to have before she got married."

Elsa nods. "Not well, but I knew her a little," Elsa says. "Quiet girl, gentle, very demure. You have her hair, you know. I used to ask her for fashion advice ways back when I was a little younger than you are now, because she had a good sense of style then. Mainly to get her to talk to others, I admit, but still."

"I must not be anything like her," Amelia says quietly, and goes back to crushing nuts for a bit. "These used to be her clothes though. I had them altered to fit."

"Only because you didn't get to grow up with her around," Elsa says gently. She fetches a pot off the wall and fills it with water from a nearby pipe. "But if you think about it, why should you have to be like her? You are your own person; that counts for something. Hard as it is, that's why I try not to meddle too much in my children's lives after a certain point. I want them to become who they want to be, not who I want them to be. Zahn makes that hard, though."

"He does?" Amy asks. "How so, if I might ask? Is he too much like his father or something?" She brings the crushed nuts over to Elsa.

"Not exactly. What makes him hard is his drive. He's so intense … he forgets how dangerous things are. He wants to fly, as I'm sure he's told you … probably repeatedly," Elsa says and takes the nuts. "Oh, would you mind cutting the greens up for me while I heat the water? But, back to what I was saying, I'm afraid he's going to kill himself."

"I made him promise that he wouldn't," Amelia says, and looks through drawers for the knives. "I was sort of surprised that you hadn't arranged a marriage for him already."

"Arranged? Oh, well, the Kettenrads are a bit strange for Kadies, I suppose. We don't arrange marriages. We let our children choose who they want, or if they ever want to be married," Elsa says as she carries the water over to the stove. She pauses after setting it on the top and looks back. "He actually promised to be careful?" she asks, sounding honestly surprised.

Amelia nods, and starts chopping the greens. "I said I'd help him, but he had to survive," she says. "Or else."

Elsa puts some wood in the lower part of the stove and lights it with a nearby tinderbox. "See? You're good for him," Elsa says, sounding amused. "A nice strong Kadie lady to keep him in line."

Chop! Chop! Chop! Amy seems to really enjoy chopping things. "I hope I can. He still tends to think that nobody would miss him and stuff sometimes, but I'll fix that in time. Did you do the same for Mr.Kettenrad when you met?"

"Oh, you can believe that. Andre was almost hopeless when I met him," Elsa admits and stands. She dusts off her knees. She walks back over and gets out a large bowl to mix the salad in. "Since you've not had your mother to teach you a few things, please let me. Men are hopeless, dearie. Most think they're in charge and such, but they're not. We are, and always have been; they'd be lost without us," she says and smiles over at Amelia. "Andre isn't the best looking Kadie out there, but he's devoted, caring, and a hard worker. He's been a good father to our children and a good friend. But, he sure didn't start that way. When I first met him, he was constantly covered, head to toe, in grease."

Amelia blinks in surprise at that. "Well, I can sort of see that… but you've got the hot springs to clean off in… did he just not notice that he was filthy?"

"Ah, I believe his reasoning was 'why bathe? I'd just get dirty tomorrow'," Elsa says and shakes her head. "So … I whispered a few things in his ear. After he recovered from fainting, he started bathing after working. Imagine," she says with a playful grin.

"Was it like hypnosis?" Amelia asks, fascinated. "Isolde told me about that, but wouldn't teach me."

"Not exactly, no. It's just … giving a bit of encouragement," Elsa says enigmatically. "And today, Andre is trying to build a simulated hot spring. It's coming along well. He's been working with Dieter on some lighting for it that makes it glow. Same guy who once didn't bathe. So, see? We rule the men. Zahn thinks the simulated spring is silly and looks like a giant stew pot. But, for some reason he volunteered to help today. Would you know anything about that?"

"Well, he did get sort of stinky working at the castle," Amelia admits. "I suppose having something like that in the compound is more convenient than having to walk to the springs. And you could wash your clothes in it too."

"Then again, maybe he just wanted to ask his father about girls?" Amy suggests.

Elsa hmms, then nods, "Possibly, possibly. He has seemed rather confused of late. He's never been good at expressing or understanding feelings. I imagine you've vexed him." She gathers up the greens Amelia chopped and sets down some potato-like vegetables near the board. "If you would cut those into squares, dearie?" she asks, then puts the greens into the bowl. "Now, I'm afraid comes the time when I have to ask you a few questions, dearie," she says.

Amelia starts cubing the tubers, and says, "Well, I figured you had some, so ask away." She doesn't look up from her chopping though.

"Well, I'm curious as to your intentions towards Zahnrad," Elsa says, sounding curious, but not stern. She sprinkles the nuts over the salad, then splashes some red vinegar from an old wine bottle onto the salad.

"I want to help him accomplish his dream," Amy says, sounding serious. "Then, maybe he'll focus all that intensity of his on me."

"Good answer, dearie," Elsa says, sounding pleased. "I'll have to say, though, don't be surprised if he takes the occasional break to focus on you. Gives him a chance to step back, then rethink things with a fresh mind, after all." Elsa tilts her head, considering, then nods. "Are you comfortable talking to me?"

Amy smiles and nods. "I like talking to older women. I've got a lot to catch up on, especially if I want to be a mother someday." She passes over some of the cubes.

"Mother?" Elsa asks, eyebrow arched. "It's a difficult job," she says, taking the cubes and carrying them over to the water. "I was mainly asking because I want you to feel comfortable in coming to me, should Zahn give you any problems. After you're done with him, I'll have to have a little talk with him, too."

Amy pauses in her chopping, and asks, "After I'm done with him?"

"Dearie, I don't see you as the type to take being treated badly quietly," Elsa says knowingly.

"You think he'll treat me badly?" Amelia asks, sounding confused. "Or… do you mean he'll try to drive me away?"

"Honestly? I don't think he'd every intentionally treat you badly; he's not like that. It would most likely be the latter, if he gets scared," Elsa replies and stirs the water slowly. "So, I expect you'll have to keep him in line now and then. And if you need my help, just ask."

Chopping up the last tuber, Amelia says, "Oh. Alright then, thank you. But I'll try not to scare him." After a moment, she asks, "What's he afraid of, though?"

"Getting close to people. He's not used to having to deal with things that aren't logical," Elsa answers simply. "So, for him caring about someone is … disconcerting sometimes, I imagine. But anyway. If he tries to run, just grab his tail and sit on him," she says with a wink.

"Ah, I know how to hold onto tails," Amelia says cheerfully. "And my Dad says I'm stubborn as a tree stump, too. So if Zahn starts getting confused, I'll knock some sense into him."

"Good girl, I knew I could count on you," Elsa says and flicks her tail, pleased. She glances back and says, "And now for the awkward question. And no real easy way to ask this, so … do you know yourcycle?"

"Oh yeah," Amy says confidently. "Isolde taught me all about that. And Morgan knows how to make herbal mixes for when the timing isn't convenient." After a moment, she adds, "Uhm, not that I've actually used any of that before… "

"Good. I remember what it was like at your age and I remember getting the lecture from Isolde's mother, even," Elsa says and stirs more on the pot. She sprinkles in a variety of seasonings. "And I'm far too young and pretty to be a grandmother yet. So, if you and he get, ah, physical. I know you'll be smart about it. And really, that's all I'll say about that. It's not my business; it's between you two." She pauses, considering. "But, in case, ah, you're in his cabin. Leave towel on the windowsill. That way I know not to walk in." She coughs and shifts his stance a bit.

Amy blinks at that, then nods and tries not to blush too hard. Silently, she brings over the veggie cubes.

Elsa takes the cubes, her own ears slightly red at the last bit of commentary. She dumps them into the pot and stirs slowly. "And in any event," she says, breaking the silence at last, "If you and Zahn just end up friends and nothing more. That's fine. I'm just happy he's seeing things other than the insides of his shop. Thank you."

Smiling, Amelia says, "I found him sleeping in there the first time I visited. Is there a safe way to wake him up? He didn't like having his nose tickled."

"Hmm, scratch the back of his neck. He turns to putty if you do that. Or, comb his tail, he likes that too. If he's sleeping, either will tend to wake him slowly. And whatever you do, don't listen to Gunther's idea of a pot of warm water," Elsa says knowingly. She pushes the pot a bit back so it sits on the edge of the hot part of the stove. "Speaking of which, we should probably check in on the boys and make sure they're not getting into too much trouble. If we're lucky, we might even hear what they're talking about."

"Oh, with those speaking-tube things?" Amy asks, remembering the one in Zahn's cabin.

"Exactly. They're great for keeping an ear on things. Well, providing they haven't stuffed a sock in their end," Elsa says and puts a lid on the pot. She then smiles at Amelia and says, "And good, you're much less nervous now. I think you'll survive us, after all."

"Do I have anything to worry about from Zahn's father?" Amy asks, just in case.

Elsa considers that for a moment. "Probably not, dearie. He may ask some about your father, and ask to speak with him sometime, though," she admits.

"Oh my, I hadn't counted on anyone wanting to talk to Dad," Amelia says, sounding nervous again.

"Will that be a problem?" Elsa asks, sounding concerned.

"I don't know," Amy admits. "Dad just doesn't come across as a very sociable man is all. And sometimes his collection of edged weapons makes people nervous too."

"Well, you've seen Zahn's shop, right?" Elsa asks, "And the dam?"

"Yes," Amy says, calming down a bit. "A Kettenrad man would probably ask Dad how he keeps them all so sharp."

"Or offer advice on how to make more, or other sharpening techniques," Elsa says with a nod. "I presume your father will find at least minor interest in that you're hanging around with a guy a lot in any event."

Amy scratches at her ear, and says, "I suppose he would. My sisters-in-law will probably tease me though."

"Really? Why?" Elsa asks. She goes over to a nearby wall and pulls out one of the voice-tubes, not removing the cap just yet.

"Because I usually gave them a hard time when they were courting my brothers," Amy says. "I guess I just don't like sharing territory with other women."

"Hmm. So, would Zahn having other female friends be a problem for you?" Elsa asks, eyebrow raised. "Friends meaning, friend, friend, not courting, of course."

"That depends on their interest in him," Amelia says, with an edge to her voice. "Not that I've really laid a claim to him or anything," she quickly adds, sounding more normal again.

"I … see," Elsa says, looking mildly amused and concerned at the same time. "I mainly ask because I know he talks to that Weaver girl … Olivia? Now and then. Plus, he's been talking about trying to form a working partnership with that strange Dr. Pike. He wants her help on some sort of alchemical stuff."

"Oh, I'm not worried about them," Amy says, flicking her tail and smiling. "Dr. Pike is too old, and Olivia is a friend of mine."

"All right, I was just curious," Elsa says and starts to uncap the listening tube. "Now, let's see if we can hear anything… "

Amy stands close next to Elsa, a little unsure if eavesdropping like this is proper, but curious nonetheless.

"Ach, all this talk about women bores me," comes an unknown voice over the tube. A moment later it's followed by Gunther, "Dieter, you haven't seen her!" That's quickly followed by Zahnrad, sounding irritated, "All right, that's enough. She's a lot more than just looks, you know. She's … she's my friend and I like her. So, can we please just drop it? Let'sget the flow system working already." That is quickly followed by an older male voice, presumably Andre, Zahn's father, "Agreed. Gunther, quit bothering your brother. Dieter … Dieter, no, don't turn th… !" The voices fade out with a sound of water, then a bunch of gurgling.