With everyone inside the room, Amelia closes and bolts the door, then for good measure braces her oak staff against it with one end wedged into a gap between the blocks of the stone floor. "Now, it was just a splash," Dr. Pike says, trying her best not to look nervous. "It could have been caused by a crumbling bit of ceiling or something."

"Or a demon out for our flesh and souls," Zahnrad says and eyes the door critically. "I really hope it doesn't break the staff. I'd have to make another one if it did." He flicks his tail, then goes over to examine the arm.

Olivia asks Dr. Pike in a low voice, "Then do you hear anything else out there? Your ears are much better than mine."

"Not at the moment," the Eeee woman replies, and pushes her glasses up along her muzzle as she takes a good look around the room. "Goodness, what a mess… "

"Or maybe it's some sort of nasty vampire. This castle sure looks like it would be home for one," Zahnrad adds absently. He reaches down to tap at one of the metal looking claws.

The bones of the dangling arm show signs of having been chewed on, and the point where it broke off from the shoulder looks especially jagged and nasty. The bones are also longer and thicker than those of a Kadie or Skeek. The smooth coating on the claws feels metallic, and also reflects like a mirror.

Olivia quirks an eyebrow at Amelia and shrugs. "I guess we've done all we can for now." She turns back towards the objects in the room and goes over to examine the box mounted on the tripod. "This looks vaguely familiar… " She tries to think of where she might have seen one before.

The lens on the box looks similar to the one on the Magic Lantern from the wine cellar, and the box itself has some of the same style. There are hinges on the front, so apparently the top can be opened up.

Zahnrad inspects the manacle, looking for how to open it. "Anyone want to give me a hand?" he asks, then says with a small grin, "Er, another one?"

"Amy, could you help Zahn?" Olivia says to the Kadie girl. "I want to have a look at this thing here."

Pike picks up a bit of leather from the floor, then goes over to Zahn. "Hmmm. Why not just pull the arm part through?" she suggests. Devoid of flesh, it's only the bones of the wrist that are keeping it from falling through the manacles.

"What?" Amelia asks, glancing from Olivia to Zahn. "I don't really… " she starts to say, then pauses as Pike goes over instead.

"Because, I want the manacle too," Zahnrad replies and shrugs. "It could be used to help secure the door." He starts to try to work the arm through anyway. "Are you okay, Amelia?" he asks as he fiddles.

Olivia returns to the box and taps one finger against the lens pointed toward the wall. "I think one of my art books talked about a machine like this, in one of the chapters on alternate forms of art. It records images, if I recall aright."

"I'm fine!" Amelia snaps. "I'm just a little twitchy right now. Give me a moment to calm down."

Zahnrad pauses and looks over at Amelia, saying, "Er, all right." He goes back to the arm again, telling Dr. Pike, "I think we can use these claws to also wedge the door. They've got to be strong, so we just use them as a wedge along the base and seam. Eh? Of what?"

Olivia looks around the other side of the box and at the top. "There should be a little window to look through, to see what the image will look like when you record it," she muses softly to herself.

"Perhaps it has an image in it of what happened here then," Pike suggests to Olivia, and rubs her chin as she looks at the strange claws. "That material reminds me of something… " she says.

The lensed box apparently lacks any sort of viewfinder or external controls save for a tiny latch that secures the lid.

"You may be right," Olivia answers Pike, "but I think the material that it's printed on needs to be taken out in a place where there's weak light, so it won't be erased. If we know we won't be running for our lives any second, we should open the box elsewhere to look."

The Eeee runs a finger carefully along the edge of one of the claws, and says, "Still sharp, as I suspected. And no signs of abrasion or oxidation. I think it's metallic glass. Expedition technology."

"If you ask me, I think whatever the creature was chewed its own arm off and escaped," Zahn says then looks over at the Eeee. "Metallic glass? It didn't grow them, then?" He peers at the hand and hmms. "I could use those to make some great tools… "

"Metal Mages can produce this, but it's terribly expensive. Wealthy nobles will get their swords coated with it to make them nearly unbreakable… and because the edges will never dull," Pike says, sounding a bit like a lecturer. "The alchemical process to make it has been lost though, and the metals used are very lightweight and difficult to find in pure forms."

"Magic picture boxes and magic metals," Amelia mutters. She leaves the door to look at the pieces of the voice machine, but the wax on the cylinder is long gone.

"So, either the creature was intelligent and knew how to make it, or someone caught it and coated its claws," Zahnrad says with a shrug. "Rather pointless to guess; we need hard information. It may be that the formula is down here somewhere, in a hidden library, perhaps."

Olivia gives the tripod-box a last look before joining the others. She stares at the shiny claws left on the skeletal arm and asks, "I know what we saw before wasn't as silvery, but d'you think those claws are like the inside of the broken tower? You know, the one we passed on the way here?"

Zahnrad rubs his chin. "Could be, yes. That would explain why it was so thin," he says.

"How long ago did all this happen though?" Amelia asks, and tries to scrape at a bloodstain, with little effect.

"I would guess, what, one hundred years ago? That was the age of the junk in the cellar, right?" Zahnrad comments and rubs his chin thoughtfully.

"I'd guess about 143 years, actually," Pike says, holding up a bit of flimsy leather. "This is from an Eeee's wing. My great-great-uncle Orifice disappeared around then, when the castle belonged to him."

Zahnrad eyes the leather and makes a face. "Well, now you know what happened to him. Ripped to shreds by some sort of creature," he says. "Not a good way to go. And, er, his name was Orifice?"

"He was a very chatty fellow," Pike explains. "Probably why he used the voice-machine. Orifice Halberd was quite the alchemist in his time. There's no proof, but I heard he'd succeeded in created homunculi! Of course, that sort of research is forbidden nowadays."

"Hunk-a-lies?" Amelia asks.

"Created say what?" Zahnrad asks.

Absently twisting the scrap of wing-leather in her hands, Pike gets a far-away look. "Oh, they were fantastic! Golems animated by spirits instead of by a Mage. They could perform all sorts of tasks, before… uh… wearing out."

"Why are they forbidden then, if they're so useful?" Amy asks, sounding skeptical.

Olivia shivers a little at this, but asks, "And how long would it take before such a creature would… uh, 'wear out'?"

"Er, I don't think that's what these were. I wouldn't think they'd have real bones," Zahnrad points out. He glances at Olivia, and makes a circle motion with his finger near one of his ears, then points at Dr. Pike.

Olivia nods once to Zahn, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Oh, there were some undesirable side-effects," Pike says, waving the scrap of wing around like a kerchief. "Sometimes they'd explode, or go on killing sprees, or bang their heads against the wall until they stopped working. But I'm sure they could have been overcome with a bit of diligent research and experimentation. How long they lasted generally depended on how powerful the summoned spirit was. Usually a few days, though."

"And what happened to the spirit afterward?" Zahn asks.

"Well, its energy was used up," Pike explains. "They just… faded away, I suppose. Conjured spirits don't have enough power really, so it was necessary to summon natural ones. Elementals and demons and so forth."

"Or the souls of the dead?" Zahnrad asks and eyes Dr. Pike suspiciously.

"Ghosts?" Pike asks, squeaking in alarm. "Ghosts are different. You can't really control a ghost, and they tend to be stuck into certain patterns of behavior anyway. It just wouldn't be practical."

"Uh … huh," Zahnrad says and scratches his arm absently. "Well, uh, as a resident of the nearby town, I think we'd appreciate it if you didn't resume your relative's experiments regarding them."

"Oh, homunculi are obsolete now," Pike says, smiling again. "The future is in meta-golems, once someone figures out the final details."

Zahnrad eyes Dr. Pike suspiciously again. "Say, doctor, would you go listen at the door and see if you hear anything more?" he asks.

Amelia has wandered back to the door during the conversation, having no idea what the others are talking about. She stands aside though to let Pike listen.

Zahnrad walks over to stand near Amelia. "Feeling better?" he asks her.

"Really, you shouldn't be so distrustful Mr. Kettenrad," Pike says, then presses an ear against the door. "I mean, no meta-golem has ever been proven to be danger… " she starts to say, then goes quiet.

"I have no idea what you've been talking about, but my fur is flat again," Amelia says, watching the Eeee.

"What do you hear?" Olivia asks Dr. Pike.

"Hey, I deal with dangerous equipment all the time. Gearing, by itself isn't dangerous, but one screw-up and it becomes dangerous," Zahnrad points out. He glances at Amelia, commenting, "Er, right."

"Oh, just a sort of… shuffling sound," Pike whispers to Olivia. "With an occasional clinking noise. I don't think that's what an ironwood chain being dragged across stone would sound like though. Not that I've ever heard one before, mind you, but… "

Olivia shoots a look back at the skeletal arm, then says, "Like the clinking of metal claws against stone?"

"Oh," Pike says, blinking at the Skeek. "I hadn't thought of that. Yes, I suppose it could be… "

Zahnrad considers something. "Well, I don't want to remain stuck down here forever, and I'm sure you all don't either," he says quietly after taking a breath. "I volunteer to go out there and lure off whatever it is, so you all can make your way back to the surface."

"Lure it off to where?" Amelia hisses quietly.

"Canal," Zahnrad says quietly. "Then you folks make your way to the stairs. I'll grab the boat and end up, well, wherever it goes, I guess."

The shuffle-clink sound is loud enough now to be heard by everyone, as it passes by the door, then pauses and comes back again.

Amy goes to brace her staff, while Pike edges away from the door altogether.

Olivia whispers near Zahn's ear, "Would you be able to handle the boat by yourself if you had to make a quick escape?"

Zahnrad goes to stand behind Amy and brace her, if need be. He nods to Olivia and says softly, "I'd just go with the current. Besides, loss of one is better than everyone."

There are more clinking noises, and then something… knocks lightly on the door. "Hello? Ith anyone in there?" comes a familiar lisping voice. "I've brought thome glaththes of lemonade. Thought you might be thirthty."

Zahnrad facepalms. "Hey, Olivia, it's your admirer," he comments with a sigh.

Olivia leans against the wall near the door and shakes… but in quiet laughter at herself. "I think we can unbrace the door now," she says weakly.

"Igor!" Pike says, trying not to break out into nervous laughter as well. "You followed us all the way down those stairs?"

Letting out a long-held breath, Amy picks up her staff so the door can be opened.

Zahnrad goes and unbolts the door, then opens it. "You realize you scared the crud out of us," he says as he opens the door.

Outside the door waits the patchwork rodent, who is carrying a tray in one hand with several glasses of pink fluid. They clink against each other whenever Igor shifts his weight. "Thtairth? Not quite, Mithtreth. I uthed the old elevator."

Olivia looks among the others. "Elevator? Where?"

"Elevator? You knew about this place?" Zahnrad asks, looking irritated.

Igor looks around the room, and says, "My, my, you're weren't kidding about the crud, were you? Oh, the elevator ith in a room jutht to the left of the thtairway here. I found it while cleaning out a clothet the other day… "

Zahnrad sighs and rubs his temple. He looks like he's about to say something, then just grits his jaw tightly and waves his hand.

Olivia just shakes her head and goes over to take some lemonade from Igor. "This will teach me not to take things so seriously next time," she says, then sips experimentally at her glass.

"Why didn't we hear any rattling then?" Amy asks. "Elevators rattle," she points out after grabbing a glass of her own.

Zahnrad doesn't take a glass. Instead, he goes just outside the door, into the hallway, and looks around.

"Well, even I can't hear that well through stone walls," Pike says.

The hallway is just as they left it, except that one of the doors near the stairway is opened now.

Zahnrad walks over to the open door near the stairs.

The open door reveals a small room, with what appears to be an open wooden closet. The closet isn't very wide or deep, though – just enough for one person to stand in comfortably.

Zahnrad steps inside and starts looking for the controls, or access to the mechanism. "I think that twit knows a lot more than he's saying," he mutters.

A search of the wooden box reveals a single large stud at the back, at about Zahn's chest-level.

Zahnrad hmms and examines the stud. "What, it has no setting of what 'floor' to go to? This thing has to be deeper," he mutters, the then grumbles and shoves at his tail, adding, "Stupid tail, always in the way."

"Well, now that this little scare is over, I was wondering if you might do me a favor," Olivia says to the Eeee. "If I'm right and there is a glass plate in that tripod machine with an image still on it, would you develop it for me? I know that it takes chemicals to do so and since you're the alchemist… ?" she trails off, looking up at her.

"Oh, certainly!" Dr. Pike says, unaware that she has a slight pinkish 'moustache' from the lemonade. "I should be able to find the proper references for it. Although I don't recall offhand any methods that could produce the color images that were on the plates you found. I remember something about using asphalt or egg-white… "

The Skeek girl bobs her head to Dr. Pike. "Thank you! If we're lucky and the image hasn't deteriorated, we may be able to get a look at what your great-great uncle had chained to the wall in here."

Amelia steps out into the hallway next, looking for Zahn. "Zahnrad?" she calls.

Zahn's tail pops out from the door near the stairs. More muttering can be heard coming from that door, too.

"Do you want me to clean thith room up, mithtreth?" Igor asks Pike, who just shakes her head in reply. "Not just yet, Igor."

"What are you doing in there, Zahn?" Amy asks, peeking around the edge of the doorway to the elevator room.

Olivia puts her empty glass back on Igor's tray and gives him a smile, then trails after Amelia. "Yeah, do you two want to look inside any more of the rooms on this hallway? Or is there something good in the elevator?"

"Examining," Zahnrad comments, pressing his ear to the back wall to listen. "I don't buy his story. For two reasons: One, how did he know the elevator worked and would he really have tried it, considering how small it is? Two, what powers it? How did he know it was still powered? There's still some active devices down here somewhere and someone has to have kept them in working order."

"Maybe it isn't powered then," Amelia suggests. "I mean, would it need power to go down?"

"Then, how did he know where it went and where we are? Or, that this would go to where we were?" Zahnrad points out. "Plus, with elevators, it has to be powered anyway, they work off counterweights and balance."

Pike and Igor finally join the others outside the little room. The Eeee is carrying the creature-arm, and Igor has the picture-box and tripod. "Ith everything alright, young marthterth?"

Olivia jumps a little but covers smoothly for the others. "Oh yes, Zahn is just trying to puzzle out exactly how the elevator was built for the castle. His interest in mechanics, you know."

"Everything is just dandy," Zahnrad snaps, then steps out of the elevator.

"It utheth water," Igor says. "I could hear it on the way down, and it took a bit before it would go up again."

"And who has kept the gearing and such lubricated over the years? Or made sure the water deposits didn't jam up the mechanism?" Zahnrad replies flatly. "We have to keep an eye on the systems at the dam to make sure calcification doesn't muck up the gearing." He then shrugs and says, "Not that it matters."

"Maybe we thould uthe the thtairth to go back up then," Igor suggests.

"Well, given we all can't fit in there anyway, I think we have to use the stairs," Zahnrad comments and shrugs. He then starts walking away from the group toward one of the unopened doors. "Might as well check the remaining rooms while we're here."

"Should we pick up where we left off, or start over at this end and work towards the middle?" Amelia asks. There are still four unchecked rooms.

"Might as well start on this end," Zahnrad replies as he heads to the nearest unopened door.

"Yes, I'd like to see what else is in here, as well," Olivia adds, glancing at Zahn as he passes her. "Perhaps we will find the boiler that Zahn thinks might be here… "

The door on the opposite side of the hall is an outward-opening one, but this time there's a keyhole beneath the latch.

Zahnrad checks the door to see if it's locked.

Upon trying the latch, a rain of rotted wood splinters falls onto Zahn from holes in the ceiling. The door doesn't open, though – it's definitely locked.

"Was that a trap?" Amy asks, looking up at the holes.

Zahnrad looks up. "Well, that could have been ugly," he comments. "Yes, that was what was left of a trap." He digs in one of his side pockets for some of his smaller tools. "Now, before I try to force the lock, you don't happen to have the key do you, Igor?"

The Skreek hybrid produces a large key ring with at least forty different keys on it. "Maybe," he replies. "There are a lot for the cathtle."

Zahnrad taps a small chisel like device and starts to work on the hinge pins to see if they'll come out easily. "Well, if you want to see if a key works, go for it. I'm just going to yank the hinge pins. Instant skeleton key. Whoever put this door in was a dork. The lock isn't any good if you can get to the hinges"

"What if it's meant to lock something in then?" Amelia asks.

"Well, then putting a control knob for the lock on this side instead of needing the key would make more sense, if that were the case," Zahnrad comments as he works on the hinges.

Olivia hmms at what Amelia says, but examines the door handle and the lock for its design and composition, just in case she needs to try matching a key to the door if the hinges won't budge.

The lock plate is ironwood, like the door, but has a tiny symbol inscribed on it. It looks like a teardrop bisected with a diagonal line.

Zahn gets one of the hinge-pins free, but the second one sticks midway. Using brute force, the Kadie is able to yank it free, but not without damaging it too much to be reused.

None of the keys on the key-ring have a matching symbol, when they have any markings at all.

"And lo' I will forever be known as the Kadie who opened a door," Zahnrad says and sets the pins aside. He starts pilling at the now de-pinned door, trying to get it to come loose and out.

Olivia gives the symbol on the lock plate a curious look. "Um, be careful of your light-hat, Zahn. Does that picture on the plate look like a 'no-flame' warning to you?"

Pike and Igor give Zahn plenty of room, and Amelia holds her staff in a ready-to-bonk position, should anything come out of the room. As the heavy door is slowly moved, a certain gassy smell emanates from the room beyond.

Zahnrad ughs and steps back at the first whiff of gas. "You're right," Zahnrad comments. "I wonder if this place also had some gas piping in it," he says and goes a short way down the hallway. He pulls his hat off and sets it on the floor.

Olivia "whews!" silently and looks relieved.

"Why would anyone want to pipe that stench through their home?" Pike asks, fanning the air with her wings.

"I've thmelled worthe," Igor comments. Whether he's talking about encountering a worse stench or producing one himself isn't clear.

"It burns," Zahnrad comments. "You can use it to fuel a lighting system," he adds as he heads back. "I've heard from travelers some cities use that for lighting or heat."

"They must be awfully smelly places," Amy notes, having tugged her dust-mask back into place.

Olivia thinks that Amy has the right idea and follows suit. "I guess that's how the castle heated its bathing water?" she asks, voice muffled behind her mask.

"It doesn't smell after it burns," Zahnrad comments and starts working at the door again. Oddly, he doesn't bother with his dust mask.

Further opening of the door reveals two things. First, it is clear that there is no latch or lock on the inner side. Second, the room beyond is completely bare, save for a well in the center. The stumps of wooden posts around it hint that something may have been suspended over the hole at one time, but even more noticeable are the by-now-familiar gouges in the stone lip around it.

Olivia looks at Zahn sharply. "Guess we found the other end of that creature's tunnel," she says grimly.

"Empty, except for the remains of a well, torn up by our favorite phantom claw monsters," Zahnrad comments as he peers in the room. "And probably not, Olivia. Its hole would be in the ceiling, not the floor. Anyway, nothing to really see here, and we should probably close it, else we blow up the entire lab down here."

"Maybe the stink-gas is recent then?" Amelia asks, not seeing any pipes or other means of capturing or venting it from the room.

Olivia smacks her forehead. "Right. We're below ground, not at ground level. I guess its tunnel would be in the ceiling?"

"Hm. Oh! Yes, it's commonly called swamp or sewer gas. It occurs when things rot," Zahnrad says, glancing over to Amelia. "That well could go to a sewer or to a waterway feeding the swamp. Or! It could be where all the mad scientists throw their used body parts." He looks over at Igor.

"Don't look at me," Igor says. "I believe in rethycling."

"Obviously," Zahnrad says without missing a beat.

Olivia rolls her eyes heavenward. "Shall we try another door, then?"

"Yeah, after we get this one sealed up again," Amy says. "I hope it'll hold with just one hinge-pin."

Zahnrad forces the door back closed. He grabs his tail briefly, then sniffs it. "Great, now I stink," he mutters. He then starts fitting one of the pins back into the top hinge.

"I guess you'll need another bath then," Amelia says, grinning.

"Yeah, I will," Zahnrad comments and grumbles.

Satisfied with the one pin in place Zahnrad motions to the next door. "Shall we?"

Dr. Pike tries the next door down after looking for suspicious holes. She opens the door slowly and peeks inside the room, then closes it again before anyone else can get a look. "Oh, you probably shouldn't go in this one," she says.

Zahnrad walks toward Dr. Pike. "And why not? We've gone this far," he says flatly.

Olivia asks, "Yes, why not? Not more skeletal arms, are there?"

"It's just that… ah," the Eeee says, pausing to push her glasses back into place, "I'd rather that nothing was disturbed in this one, until I can do a bit of research." She opens the door enough to allow for a look inside, though.

Zahnrad peers through the door.

Olivia comes forwards to see inside, as well.

The room inside is dark, mainly because it's been painted black. Slightly fluorescent symbols cover the walls, ceiling and floor, along with a pentagram inscribed in a magic circle, with even more strange symbols within it. Bowls and jars full of colorful powders line the side of one wall, and tall candle holders stand at each corner.

Zahnrad eyes the doctor suspiciously. "You better not be planning to summon demons for golems," he comments. "I don't want to wake up with a gremlin in my shorts."

There's a snort from Amelia, who covers by turning to blow her nose.

Olivia gives a low whistle and glances at Dr. Pike. "There may be something to the stories about your great-great uncle's research, after all," she says quietly.

"It does look like the spirit-summoning room," Pike admits. "But really, Mr. Kettenrad, my own experiments lie in an entirely different direction."

Zahnrad eyes Amelia, momentarily. "Yes?" he asks.

Zahnrad grins. "Good," he tells Dr. Pike. "Two more doors to go, I guess."

Amelia smiles as innocently as she can to Zahn. "Oh, nothing. Just… gremlins mess up machinery, don't they? What would one be doing in your shorts?"

"Messing up machinery," Zahnrad says flatly. He spins and heads toward the next unopened door. He waves his hands as he goes. "I carry a lot of parts and machine bits in my pockets, afterall," Zahn explains.

The door across the hallway opens into a room full of shelves, with racks of small cages set upon them. Some of the cages have tiny piles of powder or dirt in them.

"Hm, the pet store! Er, the kennel where I guess your uncle kept experiments," Zahnrad says to Dr. Pike. "Looks like some have crumbled to dust. That common for golems?"

"When the magic runs out, yes," Pike says, examining the cages. "They're all small. Maybe that's how he got around the side-effects… but what can you do with tiny golems?" she wonders.

"Have a bunch of them gang up on a large task," Zahnrad suggests.

"Such as breaking a machine at several different points?" Olivia quips.

"Pocket golems! Fun for the whole family," Zahnrad says, then just shakes his head and steps away from the door, muttering. It sounds strangely like a repeat about finding gremlins in his shorts.

"Ugh, I don't like the thought of little vermite-sized monsters scurrying around," Amelia says, and starts watching the floor and corners with extra suspicion.

Olivia asks, "Shall I try the last door?"

"Knock yourself out. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean," Zahnrad says to Olivia.

Olivia pulls her mask down again so she can grin at the Kadie boy. "Although you'd probably enjoy that if it were to happen," she says lightly, then goes to the final unopened door and looks at it before reaching for the handle. She doesn't want to come across any other traps, after all.

The last door is across from the studio, and is slightly smaller and less heavy looking than the others. It opens inwards this time, and opens easily without the usual screeching noise. Beyond is a simple washroom and toilet.

Olivia stares blankly into the last room. "Well, that was… anti-climactic. It's just a washroom."

Zahnrad walks over and grins sweetly to Amelia. "And! Since you're wearing my shorts, I don't think you want gremlins in my shorts, either," he says, snickering.

Amelia sticks her tongue out at Zahn.

Zahnrad reaches up quickly and tries to tap Amelia's tongue!

The Kadie's tongue vanishes and she jerks her head back just to be safe. "A washroom? Well, that make's sense. I mean, if you're going to be working down here a long time… "

Olivia chuckles. "True enough."

"Could be a convenient way to dithpothe of dithobedient golemth ath well," Igor quips, then laughs in that odd hen-hen-hen voice of his.

Zahnrad continues to reach, and just taps Amy's nose instead. He flashes another grin, then says, "Yeah. I wouldn't want to either get stuck in a faulty elevator, or dash up several hundred feet of stairs just because I have to go."

"I bet you'd just use the canal," Amelia retorts.

"Sure, if there was nothing else on hand," Zahnrad says with a shrug. "Wouldn't you?"

"No, that's gross," Amelia says, looking pouty and offended.

Olivia shakes her head at the Kadies' by-play, but interrupts with, "Be that as it may, we've reached the end of anything new to explore down here… with the possible exception of the room with the magical symbols in it, but I think I'd rather let someone else work on that." Her face, however, pulls into a worried frown at her own mention of magic and she seems to be considering something.

"Mmmm, yes," Pike says. "Besides, looking at this room reminds me that Igor's lemonade has a tendency to work its way through you quickly… "

Zahnrad blinks, then grins widely. "Why, Amelia … that's the first time I've ever seen you act like a girl," he says in a playful, teasing tone. "Why, next you'll be wearing long flowing dresses!" The Kadie then shuffles back several steps. You know … just in case.

Amy just fumes in silence, then starts back towards the stairs. "The gas has gone to Zahn's head, obviously. Let's go back up," she snaps.

Smiling to Olivia, Igor gestures towards the stairs and says, "After you, milady."

Zahnrad follows Amelia towards the stairs. He pats her back gently and offers her a placating smile. "I've been thinking I may want to ask my mother to delay the dinner a few days, to be honest," he tells her, "Not sure I'm going to have the energy to deal with it."

Olivia gives the Skreek a nod, then turns to follow after Amelia as she huffs up the steps.

"Sure, that's fine," Amelia says. Bringing up the rear, Dr. Pike takes one last look down the hallway, then turns and starts up the stairs, idly swinging the monster-arm back and forth.