He glanced at his pocket watch. “Precisely on time. We’re almost ready to go.”

Prue saw what appeared to be a small transmitter attached to the pocket watch. Probably the one he’d created to communicate with the stag-man on the farm.

“Finblewick will be along shortly. I suggest for quickness’ sake, you two work on a harnessing while Finblewick and I will work on another. When you make a connection, you will call me straight over. I need to be the first thing they see, so that they imprint on me and are within my control.”

They nodded.

“The blood moon has risen, and we need to make a start.”

In the middle of the room was a box filled with iridescent qwortzite.

“Won’t the Guild realize it’s missing?” said Prue.

“Not until they begin. As long as they stick to their planned schedule, they won’t be opening the safe until ten o’clock.” Primrose led them over to one of the stag-men. “You can watch me do the first one, then you can do your own. The chest cavity opens like so. They’ve been designed for speed of harnessing.”

Craftsman Primrose worked swiftly with the GODAR machine. He spoke as he adjusted the dials. “Your journal was very interesting, Prue. I noted your observations on the emotion portion of the signal with fascination. The more extreme the saw tooth signal, I believe the more heightened the emotion will be. So, we will select those with the most extreme patterns, and then we will have an army to reckon with!”

Craftsman Primrose had soon isolated a wildspark signal and wired the qwortzite into place. He stood facing the stag-man. The hollow red eyes lit like a struck match, its great jaw opened.

“Where am I?” said the voice of what Prue guessed to be someone about the age of her father.

“There is someone trying to enslave you and your brothers and sisters, and you need to kill them in order to stay alive in this world.”

It flexed its clawed hands.

“I am your master. Await my command,” Craftsman Primrose ordered.

An icy snake slithered the length of Prue’s spine.

The door opened, letting in a flutter of snowflakes. “All is going ahead at the factorium according to schedule,” said Finblewick.

“I feel sick,” Prue whispered to Edwin. “I can’t believe what we are about to do.”

“Think of your parents. Just as soon as this part is over, we’ll be able to help them.”

Prue nodded. “Did you see the transmitter attached to his watch chain? I need to get it somehow.”

Edwin frowned. “We’ll find a way. Just focus on not looking suspicious.”