pace, hearing the councilâs muffled voices on the other side. They were arguing now. She inched closer and pressed her ear to the wood. The door shifted at her touch, opening just enough that she could make out voices on the other side.
Mr. Fowler spoke heatedly. âI do not believe the girl can be trusted, no matter her skill. Lest you all forget, she was convicted of treason and espionage, among other things, only last summer.â
âThose charges were dropped,â said Vice-ÂChancellor Lyndon.
âAgainst the majority vote of the Guild council!â said Fowler, slamming his hand on the desk. âIt is my vote that we reject this project and the girlâs application, as well as revoke her studentship. She never should have been allowed one in the first place.â
âMiss Wadeâs status as a student is not in question here.â
âIt should be,â replied Mr. Fowler.
There was a murmur of agreement from the other council members.
Lyndon cleared his throat. âI should remind you, Mr. Fowler, the current vote concerns only the quadruped project, not any previous crime Miss Wade might have been falsely accused of.â
âFalsely?â repeated Mr. Fowler. âThat bloody machine broke two of my ribs, and then she had the gall to destroy it! Months of effort wasted. You were there , Lyndon! YouâÂâ
âThat is enough.â Julianâs voice cut through the argument, and Fowler fell silent. âGive your vote on the project at hand and say nothing else of Miss Wadeâs previous misconducts. That is not why we are here.â
There was a pause.
âFine,â said Fowler. âI vote to reject the project.â
âAre you certain?â asked Julian, a hint of warning in his tone.
âShe does not belong here,â he hissed. âMark my words, Julian. Your obsession with this girl is going to ruin you. A dozen engineers have brought forward suitable enough designs, with the potential for mass production. Why not use one of theirs instead?â
There was another long pause.
âIt is a fair question,â said one of the other councilors. âYou have asked us to be patient, to withhold funding until Miss Wade provided us with a war machine, but six months have passed since you promised us a project from her. We could have built any number of other designs by now. Why must we use hers?â
âBecause not one of our engineers has her skill. Not one of them can think their way around a machine like she does,â he replied. âRegardless of her loyalties or inexperience, her innate talent cannot be ignored. Her design meets our every requirement. How many times have I delivered the Royal Forcesâ parameters to applying engineers, only to have them come back with a mediocre design unworthy of the GuildâÂor worse, tell me it isnât possible to create a war machine of that caliber? We are not in the business of âsuitable enough,â gentlemen. We are at the front lines of modern science. We should want innovation , not a rehash of decades-Âold technology. And we will never have progress if we donât push ourselves toward higher standards.â He paused, a thick silence descending on the hall. âThe Royal Forces has asked us for a war machine to end all wars, greater than anything that has come before. I believe that machine is sitting before you now.â
A heavy silence followed his words.
âEven so, I stand by my vote,â said Mr. Fowler. âMiss Wade is a traitor, and I will have no hand in her treachery. If you allow her to work on this project, the anti-Âimperialists will win.â
âYour opinion has been noted,â said Julian, his voice sharp. âVice-ÂChancellor, I believe Mr. Fowler has had his say. Do continue with the deliberations. I believe it is Dr. Reidâs vote next.â
âVery well. Mr. Fowlerâs vote has been
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