Chapters (30)
Despite the sunlight bathing the room, Mathieu was not visible. The glamour had lingered, leaving Mathieu invisible within the Sphère’s influence. Invisible while he was walking.
Jane clasped her hands, laughing in excitement. This was beyond what they had hoped, to have the glass work without glamour entering it. She and Vincent walked to the spot where they had last seen Mathieu.
As they passed within the Sphère Obscurcie, he popped into view, frowning as he tried to understand the excitement apparent on their faces. Of course, being in the centre of the Sphère, he had no way of knowing that for a few moments, he had been invisible. Vincent explained as best he could, and then Jane took Mathieu by the arm to lead him out of the Sphère.
When she turned him to face whence they had come, the boy’s jaw dropped. He stood gaping like a fish.
‘This is a wonderful thing you have helped us with, Mathieu La Pierre.’ Jane took him by the hands, and, in the French fashion, kissed him on both cheeks. ‘You have my undying gratitude.’
‘And mine as well.’ Vincent’s disembodied voice expressed firm approbation.
‘Madame, monsieur, the pleasure is mine.’ Mathieu mopped his brow with a handkerchief already soaked with sweat, while staring in wonder at the place where Vincent had been. He walked back into the Sphère and disappeared. ‘I should put it in the tempering chamber, before it cools too much.’
Jane, following, asked, ‘Why is that a danger?’
‘If it is not tempered properly, it will be over-fragile, and chances are good it will crack from cooling too quickly.’
Jane’s hand went involuntarily to the scratch below her eye. ‘How long will this take?’
‘Should be cool enough tomorrow or the next day.’ He jerked a finger at the windows. ‘On account of the cold, we have to be more careful about getting it cooled down far enough.’
‘I see.’ Vincent rubbed his chin. ‘I had hoped to demonstrate it to Bruno tonight, but we can wait. Possibly.’
‘Are you professing impatience?’ Jane raised her eyebrows in a show of surprise.
Clearing his throat and pointedly ignoring her, Vincent arranged to have the crystal spheres packed for them to carry back to M. Chastain’s on the day following, while Jane changed back into her street clothes. As she stood in the relative cool of the storeroom, she felt all the fatigue of the day wash over her at once. She sagged against the wall as the room swam around her, and wished Anne-Marie were there to help her dress. The amount and complexity of the glamour might have been small, but the heat made her feel as if she had been working glamour for a lifetime. Regardless of how ill she felt, the effort seemed well worth it every time Jane reminded herself that the Sphère Obscurcie had worked.