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Jenny seemed eager to meet with the Professor the next day, and Jim was certain that because of the situation, the old hound would have insisted on an earlier introduction as well. He was just sad that the first time Jenny would be meeting his beloved mentor would be under such trying circumstances.

The pair talked long into the night about what this new kind of war could mean for Cabalton. Jim being relieved that she didn't seem to want to walk on eggshells regarding her sister. It made his affections for her strength seem greater, and despite what she had said to him, Jim knew that she would have she would have been able to say goodbye to her sister and still open the bakery the next day with or without him. He was just a fortunate counterweight on an already stable pillar, reinforcement for her troubled heart. It made Jim happy to be there for her, whatever his function.

But all the talking about these strange new machines left the couple to a restless sleep, their dreams plagued by metal birds of prey diving at them with hailstones of fire in their wake. Jim often awoke sweating when he dreamed that these machines of death looked like the Clockwork Falcon, and he would pull Jenny closer as she softly cried into his shoulder from her own nightmares.

Dawn broke, but just barely; even the clouds seemed to be mourning the approaching war as they held the city in a bleaching gloom. The young couple showered and dressed, Jim trying to feel cheery about introducing his love to the Professor. He opened a window and sniffed in the melancholy atmosphere, and he could smell the pulling earthiness of the air.

"Looks like rain, sweetheart. There's a storm brewing," Jim said as he looked out the small window of the apartment.

"I'll try not to take it as an omen," Jenny replied nervously as she pulled on her clothes. She chose her best frock and coat since she planned to take the day off, and because she wanted to look nice for Jim's esteemed mentor.

"How do I look?" Jenny asked, doing a quick twirl for Jim.

Jim paused before answering, "...You look like starlight through the clouds in spring. You look like the way fresh vanilla smells to me, and you're the most beautiful part of my life...also, your clothes look nice too..."

Jenny beamed bashfully as she punched his thin shoulder, "You're already making me reconsider bringing you along at all; You're not going to be spouting poetry all day are you? "

Jim smiled and pulled her into a kiss.

"Only whenever I think you need it," he said with a meaningful look.

A twitch of sorrow crossed Jenny's face as she remembered her sister, but it was quickly replaced by affection as she kissed the young husky again. The couple left the flat with an umbrella in hand, and they braced against the chilling wind as it began to rain.

"Ah, there you are, lad. I was going over some of your designs and I had a couple..." The Professor paused when he turned to look at Jim as he entered, and was surprised to see the pretty wolf girl at his side, "Well, I see you've managed to forget what time supper occurs--" he started with a gruff chuckle, but stopped when he saw the look on Jim's face.

"What's the matter, my boy?"

"Something's happened, Professor. The Imperium's been invaded," Jim said with imperative seriousness as he helped Jenny navigate some of the clutter around the workshop, "They were using flying machines..."

Horror and thought strobed across the old hound's face as he considered what Jim had said. It seemed like an eternity before he answered, "That's...that's very serious, Jim...how can you be sure? There wasn't anything in the morning papers."

Jim finally reached the Professor's worktable and pulled up a seat for Jenny as he answered, "We're quite sure, unfortunately. Jenny's brother in law was injured in the attack, and her sister has gone to be with him in a hospital near the combat zone."

"Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry," the old hound intoned sadly as he looked at the morose wolf in front of him, "That's terrible...But the fact that they were using flying machines...That's very serious indeed," he paused as his mind raced, then started when he looked up at Jenny, "Goodness and damnation, I've gone and forgotten my manners," he said grumpily as he stood.

"My name is Professor Cornelius, but please just call me 'Professor' if you don't mind. I've been very anxious to meet you and it seems an absolute disaster to do so under these conditions," he said with a bow and offering his paw.

"It's very nice to meet you, Professor. My name is Jennifer, but I prefer 'Jenny' if you would offer the same courtesy," the pretty wolf replied with a curtsy before taking his paw. "But please, I have faith in my sister's ability to come back to me; I'm more worried about what this means for Jim and yourself."

"Jim!" The Professor snapped angrily, "Of all the times that I couldn't get you to stop banging on about how pretty this young lady was, you never once mentioned that she was as intelligent and gracious as she was beautiful. You will make a point to be more forthcoming in the future," he said with a slashed frown and twinkling eye.

"Of course, sir, my apologies," Jim grinned as he looked to a blushing Jenny.

"Good, because this fine young lady is quite correct," the Professor continued as thoughtful worry took over his face, "The emergence of this new weapon at the same time that we developed our prototype is extremely serious. Were it not for my services in the war, I'm sure I would already be under inspection for the possibility of treason."

"You served in the last war, Professor?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Don't make me add 'simpering flatterer,' to my description of you, young lady," the Professor chuckled, "This was a couple wars past, back when I was still a young man."

"Is that how you got your limp, Professor?" Jim asked, unable to resist his curiosity despite the circumstances.

The old hound waved a paw impatiently, "Don't get me off track, you lot; You're already making me forget my manners again, let's continue this from my study where you can warm your clothes."

Jim couldn't help but feel that the question was intentionally dodged, but there wasn't much else to be said. The Professor was a private man, and his study reflected that.

Rather than the general clutter of the workshop, his studyroom was practically spartan in decoration. Books were the most notable method of diffusing the dim yellow of the walls, as shelf after shelf laden with heavy volumes rose from waist to ceiling. However, the Professor soon had a cheery fire roaring in the small hearth, and the three quickly moved chairs to be closer to the warmth.

"Now then," the old hound said gravely as he filled his old clay pipe, "We have to decide how to proceed. I know for a fact that my designs could not have been adapted to an effective machine of war, as the weight from weapons would make it unwieldy if not ground the machine entirely," he lit his pipe and took a few thoughtful drags, "This fact, however, is immaterial. There is some larger scheme at work here, and I'm concerned about how our neighbors will react once the general public is made aware of Lowtack's weapons..." he felt into thought.

Jim was thinking that the Professor may have been being a little paranoid. The situation could be related, but it could also just be a near-impossible coincidence. Even if it was related, how could this trace back to them? Had someone been monitoring their work? Had someone examined the machine when they were away from the workshop? There were too many questions.

"We don't have enough data to make a conclusion," the Professor finally intoned around a mouthful of smoke, "I would have to see what these Lowtack machines look like, but I can make a few assumptions on principle.

"These machines would have to be fast, and I doubt they could use ornithopic propulsion with a steam engine. Without a device to increase the positive yield of an actuated wing, like my Guilty Gear system, there is no way for a machine like the Clockwork Falcon to get itself into the air, much less a bomb," he growled around another puff of smoke, "It has to be a sublimated fuel of some kind, ejected with enough force to drive the machine at its airspeed velocity, or a turbine spun in a similar manner. I'd wager Lowtack has discovered, or been provided with, Pyrosteam crystals," he clicked the pipe between his teeth.

Jim was almost sure that the Professor was just being paranoid now, seeing the face of his latest competitors in some diabolical conspiracy. It didn't make sense.

"What do you think, Jim, Jenny?" the old hound asked.

The young couple looked at each other, and Jenny nodded for Jim to speak his mind.

"I was just thinking, sir, it doesn't make sense for Pyrosteam to provide the crystals willingly. They're one of the most successful corporations in our city, so why would they risk it? The crystals must have been stolen or copied if they actually are the power source," Jim replied hesitantly.

"That is at least partially true. Pyrosteam has benefited greatly from their government contracts and treason is a serious crime," the hound nodded at Jim, "What about you, my dear?"

Jenny hesitated and looked back at Jim apologetically, "I...I thought that it did make sense for Pyrosteam to sell to both empires," she said nervously. "Once there was this apiary owner who produced a batch of extremely high quality honey. Julie and I went to buy some, and we overheard one of the other food merchants offering him a lot of money if the apiary would only sell the honey to him. They shook on the deal, but the owner still called us over and offered to sell to us if we kept it a secret," she twisted her ear anxiously, "I've been thinking about it ever since you mentioned Pyrosteam..."

The Professor stared at her for a moment before looking over at Jim, "I hope for your sake that you care very much about this girl," he said warningly, "If I find out you have let her go, I will box your ears personally."

Jim smiled warmly at his beautiful wolf, "No fear of that, sir. I'm in love with her," he said as he reached to hold her paw.

The Professor cleared his throat loudly, "Anyway, either one of you could be right or all of us could still be wrong. We must leave nothing to chance, in case the Clockwork Falcon is involved somehow," he took another drag of his pipe, "We must accelerate building your flier, Jim."

Jenny looked over at him in astonishment and the husky quickly realized he had never told her about the Professor's gift, "Bloody hell, I completely forgot in all the excitement. The Professor is helping me build a brand new flying machine for myself."

"That I am," the Professor nodded, "And I want you to be able to take Jenny away from this city if I am ever accused of treachery to our nation," he leaned forward to emphasize his point, "Something smells off about this whole thing, and I'm not leaving it to chance. Do you two understand? You are to leave this city no matter what happens, especially if I cannot escape myself in the Falcon."

The young couple nodded after a brief hesitation, but neither felt they could possibly just leave if something happened to the Professor. Jenny was already growing quite fond of the cantankerous old hound, Jim's filial affections for him notwithstanding.

"Good," the Professor took a finalizing drag on his pipe before tapping it out on the hearth, "But there's the remaining possibility that I'm just a batty old dog, so I'm not going to deny us a revitalizing meal at the...Jim, what's that damn place's name?"

"The Wooden Parrot, sir," Jim said with a smile as Jenny suppressed a giggle.

"That's the ticket," he returned with a wrinkled smirk, "I'm going to start drawing up the measurements for the parts you'll need cast; I can put in a rushed order for them after lunch. Fortunately, we have enough spares from the Falcon to at least get started later this afternoon or tomorrow while they're being made."

"What would you like Jenny and myself to do in the meantime, sir?" Jim asked as the hound stood to go back to the main workshop.

"You two just stay up here and keep drying; I'll be finished in about a half hour anyway. Help yourself to anything you like, and hopefully this damn rain will let up by noon," the Professor grumbled at the window as he went down to the workshop.

"He seems really sweet, my love," Jenny said as she moved a little closer to the fire, "He's just like how you said."

"Yeah," Jim replied absently, "I'm just worried about what he was saying...About Pyrosteam and whether they're involved," he said with a frown. Jenny had been right, it would be very profitable for the weapons and energy company to play off both sides of a war. But they were also a relatively young company and supposedly employed by the Imperium, could they be so greedy as to betray their countrymen? Even worse, could the Professor be right and Lowtack's invasion was timed with the Falcon intentionally?

Jenny meanwhile had pulled her chair next to his and rubbed his back while he thought. It seemed to help calm him.

"Anyway, like the Prof' said, he could just be going a little batty. Can I get you a tumbler of something to warm you up?" Jim said moving over to the hound's small drinks cupboard.

"Whatever you're having is fine," Jenny replied contentedly as she stretched her cold hind paws in front of the fire.

Jim poured two small glasses of port to help back off the chill of the rain and carried them back to the fire. They chatted mildly, trying to find something else to talk about as the Professor prepared the order forms. But it seemed like they kept coming back to wondering what was going to happen next to their city of Cabalton, and when the Professor returned it just continued with all three of them going over and over the few details they had until the noon bells rang.

The storm did not let up as they went to the Wooden Parrot.