that require?
What anatomical dissection?”
“For that? None, but—”
“The taloi that work our mines and fight alongside our soldiers, the engines that heat and protect our city, the boats that speed across—and beneath—our waters… I believe I have kept up with scientific advances these past years, but I cannot recall ever seeing mathematical demonstrations of any of these things.”
“But all of them are based in the calculus and alchemy, ultimately, the advances made by Sir Isaac Newton.”
“Yes, but now that the angels have come to serve us, we have no need of those rough, dubious pursuits. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that those old sciences were often traps for the soul, seducing the unwary into a godless, mechanical universe. Now we know, without shadow of doubt, that Descartes and his fellows were wrong. Our science comes from God, is of God; and we must not allow the devil a foothold in our academy. Other than the alteration of a few of your tutorials, Mademoiselle, I cannot possibly see how this violates our agreement. You have published fifty papers since you came to us. I have reviewed them, and I have seen very little in the way of either mathematics or EMPIRE OF UNREASON
alchemy in any of them.”
Adrienne could only stare at the three of them, thunderstruck.
He was right. And she had been trapped, in a way more subtle than she could have ever imagined.
9.
Mask of the Sea
Ben’s horse clopped from beneath the overhanging oaks into the broad yard of Nairne’s plantation. Robert and Shandy Tupman were already there, awaiting him—he could see them by the light of their pipes and the pale, sickle moon.
“ Y‘ left the party early, I see,” Shandy called.
“I’ve a weak stomach, it seems,” Franklin replied. “What news?”
Robert tamped out red sparks from the bowl of his pipe, laying a red constellation at his feet. “Up an‘ down the coast, no sign of more ships. The comestibles f’r the party, y’r wife’s dress—all were bought here by various Tories, as y’ suspected.”
Franklin nodded, wiping sweat from his brow with his shirt cuff. The night air was still warm, and not a little briny. “Any sign of airships?”
“Not by any reckoning. But they might be far enough away to keep our compasses quiet.”
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
Franklin dismounted, and a boy scurried down .from the porch to take his horse. “The compasses would detect airships or warlocks for a range of a hundred miles or more,” he mused. “Let’s go question our prisoner.”
“My name,” the man said, “is Leonhard Euler.”
“And you are a Moscovado?”
“No. I studied there and lived there for many years, but by birth I am Swiss.”
“But come recently from Russia. Let’s start with that.” As he turned to Robert, Franklin leaned back until the legs of his wooden stool creaked. “We’ve sentries up the road?”
Robert nodded. “Y‘ weren’t followed here, not by man, not by sprite or warlock.”
“Good. Mr. Euler, I’ll come to the point, because I have little time to waste with you. Did you come on the ship with James Stuart?”
“I came on one of his ships, yes.”
“Is James backed by the tsar?”
“He is.”
“Holy mother—” Robert sputtered, but Franklin waved him to silence.
“And is the tsar backed by these malakim overlords—these cherubim—you speak of?”
Euler chuckled. “You do come to the point, sir. The true answer to that is long and complex. The brief answer is yes.”
“It is the brief answer I care about, just now. And here, too—is it the tsar’s plan, through James, to conquer our colonies?”
“Yes. Either James will be accepted peacefully, or he will take his throne with EMPIRE OF UNREASON
Russian might.”
Franklin rested his chin on his hand and rubbed his jaw, scrutinizing Euler.
The warlock’s face seemed a bit blurry—it was time for him to get fitted for those eyeglasses he kept putting off.
“Mr. Euler, why
What anatomical dissection?”
“For that? None, but—”
“The taloi that work our mines and fight alongside our soldiers, the engines that heat and protect our city, the boats that speed across—and beneath—our waters… I believe I have kept up with scientific advances these past years, but I cannot recall ever seeing mathematical demonstrations of any of these things.”
“But all of them are based in the calculus and alchemy, ultimately, the advances made by Sir Isaac Newton.”
“Yes, but now that the angels have come to serve us, we have no need of those rough, dubious pursuits. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that those old sciences were often traps for the soul, seducing the unwary into a godless, mechanical universe. Now we know, without shadow of doubt, that Descartes and his fellows were wrong. Our science comes from God, is of God; and we must not allow the devil a foothold in our academy. Other than the alteration of a few of your tutorials, Mademoiselle, I cannot possibly see how this violates our agreement. You have published fifty papers since you came to us. I have reviewed them, and I have seen very little in the way of either mathematics or EMPIRE OF UNREASON
alchemy in any of them.”
Adrienne could only stare at the three of them, thunderstruck.
He was right. And she had been trapped, in a way more subtle than she could have ever imagined.
9.
Mask of the Sea
Ben’s horse clopped from beneath the overhanging oaks into the broad yard of Nairne’s plantation. Robert and Shandy Tupman were already there, awaiting him—he could see them by the light of their pipes and the pale, sickle moon.
“ Y‘ left the party early, I see,” Shandy called.
“I’ve a weak stomach, it seems,” Franklin replied. “What news?”
Robert tamped out red sparks from the bowl of his pipe, laying a red constellation at his feet. “Up an‘ down the coast, no sign of more ships. The comestibles f’r the party, y’r wife’s dress—all were bought here by various Tories, as y’ suspected.”
Franklin nodded, wiping sweat from his brow with his shirt cuff. The night air was still warm, and not a little briny. “Any sign of airships?”
“Not by any reckoning. But they might be far enough away to keep our compasses quiet.”
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
Franklin dismounted, and a boy scurried down .from the porch to take his horse. “The compasses would detect airships or warlocks for a range of a hundred miles or more,” he mused. “Let’s go question our prisoner.”
“My name,” the man said, “is Leonhard Euler.”
“And you are a Moscovado?”
“No. I studied there and lived there for many years, but by birth I am Swiss.”
“But come recently from Russia. Let’s start with that.” As he turned to Robert, Franklin leaned back until the legs of his wooden stool creaked. “We’ve sentries up the road?”
Robert nodded. “Y‘ weren’t followed here, not by man, not by sprite or warlock.”
“Good. Mr. Euler, I’ll come to the point, because I have little time to waste with you. Did you come on the ship with James Stuart?”
“I came on one of his ships, yes.”
“Is James backed by the tsar?”
“He is.”
“Holy mother—” Robert sputtered, but Franklin waved him to silence.
“And is the tsar backed by these malakim overlords—these cherubim—you speak of?”
Euler chuckled. “You do come to the point, sir. The true answer to that is long and complex. The brief answer is yes.”
“It is the brief answer I care about, just now. And here, too—is it the tsar’s plan, through James, to conquer our colonies?”
“Yes. Either James will be accepted peacefully, or he will take his throne with EMPIRE OF UNREASON
Russian might.”
Franklin rested his chin on his hand and rubbed his jaw, scrutinizing Euler.
The warlock’s face seemed a bit blurry—it was time for him to get fitted for those eyeglasses he kept putting off.
“Mr. Euler, why
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