Grain...

Amaretto smiled when Johanna turned her head. She looked down the street an then turned to the cabbie and spoke in her monotone voice. "Please turn down the next street and wait there please."

The cabbie tipped his hat and then climbed into the driver's seat and dirrected the horses to take the carriage downtown the next street to wait. Johanna then turned to Amaretto and grabbed her by arm and began to husstle her towards the alleyway.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Johanna didn't speak to Amaretto, but instead spoke to Alice. "Iron men are on the way. We need to get out of the street."

Alice's face turned grave and then she carefully took Katherine's arm and began to direct her as well.

Amaretto tried to stop Johanna, but was unable to. "What are Iron Men?"

Alice looked aghast at what Amaretto said. "How do you not know what Iron men are?"

Katherine smoothly inserted a response, "We are actually from Indus. In Indus there are no Iron men out there."

Alice turned to Johanna and Johanna nodded her head. "They are at the other side of the Empire. They are a colony. That is outside of the Empire's purview. They don't use Iron men."

At this Alice nodded. "Iron men are the policing force here."

"Aren't they called 'bobbies'?" Amaretto looked confused.

Alice responded. "No. They switched to a more... reliable policing force a with the invention of the steam engine."

Amaretto looked at Katherine, who made a slight shrug of her shoulders. Amaretto allowed herself to be dragged along by Johanna before she asked, "What do you mean?"

At this Johanna put up a hand. "They are almost here."

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