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The carriage approached the corner where he customarily disembarked on his nocturnal excursions. The neighborhood was of a quality that was dubious at best. The air was continually choked with fumes from the textiles and paper factories that comprised the predominant economy of this district. Raw sewage clogged the gutters that ran along the streets, adding its own distinct perfume to the milieu. Lucian could not keep himself from gagging at the malevolent odors. He wished once more that he could shift the facilities of this particular associate, but he was hesitant to become any more visibly attached to the seedier elements of Haggeston society. Being thrown in jail was enough of an indignity.

He steeled himself and stepped out of the hansom. He turned to the driver and flicked him a half-joule as a tip. "Thank you, Andrew. Meet me back here at the appointed time."

His driver tipped his hat and roused the horses into activity. Lucian quickly glanced around to make sure that he had not been seen by any passersby. When he was assured that the streets were clear, Lucian walked quickly for several blocks until he came to a warehouse at the end of a particularly dank alley. The sign He knocked on the door several times, using the military tattoo for a brisk march.

The door was opened by a man who was short almost to the point of dwarfism. He had large, bulging eyes that seemed to float between the sheen of his bald head and his fiendish half moon smile.

"Ah, Mr. DeYarrick," the short man said and pushed the door open wide enough for him to enter. "I'm glad you were able to attend this evening."

"I've always made our meeting, Mr. Savoy." Lucian walked into the warehouse and looked around. It was very much as he remembered it--dank, dark, and positively unappealing.

"Ah, yes, of course you have." The little man closed the door with a sonorous thud. "But I was afraid that your, ah, experience yesterday would have made you hesitant."

"Mmm. Quite the contrary, actually. It actually seems to have strengthened my resolve."

Lucian walked over to the table that held the tools of his host's trade.it was littered with glass tubes, pipettes, and beakers filled with assorted ichorous liquids of varying hues. One foul smelling concoction, reeking of fish and butterscotch, was bubbling over an open flame. Lucian pointed at that one.

"What in heaven's name is that mess?"

Savoy walked over behind Jonas and peered at the mess. "Ah, that's dinner. My thanks, I nearly forgot about it." He cackled a little and removed the offending item from the flame. "Care for some?"

"No, thank you. I've already had my supper," said Lucian. "Tell me about your  work."

Savoy's eyes bulged out even further as he sampled a finger-full of his bizarre cuisine, much to Lucian's dismay. "Yes, work! You'll be glad to hear that it's been proceeding nicely. I think I've found an elixir that will facilitate the effect that we're trying to attempt.

Lucian had hear this from the scientist before and had learned to reserve his joy. "Are you sure that you've found something that will work?"

"Well, I can't totally be sure until we actually test it." Savoy ate another bite of his dinner. "Are you sure you don't want some of this? It's actually quite tasty!"

Lucian winced and held up his hand. "I'd really rather just getting on with tonight's work, if you don't mind."

Savoy put down the food. "Yes, yes, yes, work before pleasure, right? Come this way."

The two men walked further into the darkness of the warehouse until they came to a door leading off to another portion of the building. Savoy fumbled with an oversized ring of keys until he found the proper one to open the door. He swung the door open and stood aside to let Lucian enter first.

This second workroom was quite different from the common area. Where the first was open and airy, this one was closed in. Lucian always had shivers of claustrophobia when he entered. The room's smaller size was further accentuated by the huge chair it the center. It was a squat, ugly piece of furniture. The seat was covered in threadbare horsehair and the