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from the table. “A busy day for us all, eh? Miss Calliope, an honor. Mr. Smithson, good luck.”
    He scampered from the room, leaving Andrew looking dejectedly at his notes. “I was going to tell him he has wonderful auspices in the third house. The house of cooperation among peers.”
    Calliope kissed Andrew’s cheek. “Maybe he’ll discover it for himself.”
    * * *
    The clouds overhead covered the moon, leaving a darkness so intense the lantern light seemed ripped away by the wind.
    Andrew, Calliope, Franklin, and Franklin’s secretary, Peter Martin, stood on a hillside outside the city. Also present, though only Andrew could see him, was Franklin’s elemental.
    Franklin was divesting himself of his clothes, hanging each article over the proffered arm of his secretary. He saw Andrew staring at him. “Men take more pains to mask than mend,” he said, merrily tugging off one stocking.
    The elemental Franklin was still fully dressed. It shook its head. “Joyful will I be to escape these homilies,” it said. “In my original state, I had no need of words or clothes or houses or books. Indeed, you may have been hard pressed then to speak with me, my speech was so strange and random.”
    Now Franklin was tugging down his breeches.
    “Calliope, are you going to stand there gawking?” called Andrew. “Cover your eyes, girl, or your mother will hear of this.”
    Calliope, holding a parchment kite with a long muslin tail, gave him an impudent grin, then turned her back to Franklin.
    The old man began to caper in the moonlight, skinny shanks flashing, pot belly jiggling. “This was how I did the first experiment, children. That didn’t show up in my writings, though, did it, Andrew? Heh heh heh.”
    “I’m glad we can speak,” said Andrew to the elemental.
    They had been conversing for the past hour, at Franklin’s house, in the carriage, now on the hill. The others had at first been disconcerted and confused, but soon grew used to Andrew’s one-sided conversations. The elemental didn’t know science, but it did know its own nature. “Opposites on either side of the kite string, you said?” Andrew asked. “You mean, like a magnet with its two opposite forces?”
    “That is it exactly,” said the elemental. “I move most at ease along paths set for me with just that positivity and negativity.”
    “I feel rain,” cried Calliope, holding her face to the sky.
    “We’d better send this kite up now.”
    A flash lit the dark clouds; then a boom of thunder sounded.
    The elemental seemed to be less distinct, almost gaseous, though it shone as brightly as ever. It lifted its arms to the sky. “I feel them!” it cried. “My kind await me.”
    “Send up the kite,” said Andrew. They’d already fastened an iron key to it. Now Franklin’s secretary took the ball of string from Calliope and began backing away, unrolling it as he went.
    “Oh, this airbath is delightful,” called Franklin, still capering. “Did you ever hear of the Hellfire Club? Regular airbaths we had, men and women together, no shame at all. Lovely, lovely. Only the British could be so cultured and free at the same time.”
    “Run with it,” called Calliope to the secretary. Andrew saw her shoot a sidelong look at Franklin, then grimace and look away.
    A spatter of rain began just as Peter Martin tugged the kite from Calliope’s hands. The kite soared out of the lantern light and disappeared.
    “Is it up? Is it up?” called Franklin delightedly.
    “Yes, sir, I feel it tugging,” said Peter Martin. “Will you take the string?”
    “Thank you for interceding,” said the elemental. “Though in my original state, I would not have known gratitude either. Perhaps this miserable old lecher taught me some worthwhile things after all.”
    Another flash lit the sky. The thunder roll was almost immediate.
    “You’re welcome,” said Andrew. “And I’m grateful to you, for your helpful discourse and for showing me my Talent.” He