Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 168
Funny, he thought, but these wagons looked awfully
familiar. Then he looked past them, and understood why.
Turcaret’s steam car sat wreathed by smoke and mist a
little down the road. The controller himself stood next to it
talking to a pot-belled man in greasy velvet robes. Axel passed
the lead wagon and walked up the center of the road to meet
Turcaret.
When he spotted Axel, Turcaret turned and casually
waved. He was a tall man who appeared forever to be posing
for his own portrait. He wore a red velvet riding jacket, and
spotless black boots. He stood ramrod straight and held his
chin high so that he could look down his long, pointed nose at
Axel.
"Ah, the wandering agent of Ravenon," he said. "I see
you made use of my suggestion to visit the Boros. How is the
lady May?"
"Never better, sir." Axel peered into the pall of smoke
around the steam car. He hated Turcaret. "Having a little
mechanical problem?"
"Nothing we can’t fix. I’ve sent a man ahead to tell Yuri
we’re arriving. I trust you’ve found the Boros’
accommodating?"
"That we have." What was Turcaret doing here? He had
outlined his travel itinerary at length in several tiresome dinner
conversations prior to their arrival at Castor’s. Cal had decided
to take up the hospitality of the Boros family precisely because
Turcaret was not expected to come here. The fewer people to
compare notes about them the better.
Might as well admit surprise, he thought. "And what
brings you here? I thought you were heading straight for the
capital after Castor’s?"
"Oh, I was." Turcaret smiled one of his strangely