Soon, Vonn faced down around twenty curious scholars who were there to question whether he'd really invented a working flying machine. For a moment he froze, but then he laughed and his ears perked up. "I suppose you have reason to be skeptical of a random candle-making fox. But let me explain what I did, and the principle behind it."

These were Engineers and Alchemists and Mages of several stripes, along with more pure scholarly types. A member of the Duke's entourage in silver and black was attending, too, and Vonn gave him a respectful bow. On a chalkboard he explained the basic physics of the airplane along with the frostfire engine and the specific combination of special abilities he'd been using.

"You couldn't possibly have done all this," said a flabbergasted, portly Elf.

Selen said, "I watched it fly repeatedly, as did hundreds of others. And several of you have seen the public demonstrations of my own flying basket."

"But this is much more complicated! And look at him. He's just a commoner boy!"

Vonn grinned with gritted teeth. "Sure am. Want to bet I won't have at least another engine working within the year?" He'd deliberately echoed something said by the steam engine guy to this same audience.

Zahar was a Vulin Engineer, fourth level, whose tail betrayed to fellow foxes that he felt intimidated. "Excellent work, Vonn, but I'm still puzzled by the weight balance. How could such a heavy engine stay up?"

Vonn hadn't brought the exact numbers and blueprints along on this trip, and had apologized for that, but the truth was that he didn't want to explain every detail. He had combined several magical tricks to make the engine sturdier, its crystals more effective and its main shaft nearly frictionless. But he'd also taken advantage of golden magicite, partly for its unique anti-gravity effect. That was another thing the Duke would consider a "rumor" not to be discussed. If he even knew about that part. He definitely knew about the gold material in general, having confiscated some from Selen.

Vonn shrugged. "A bit of this is a trade secret for now. In the short term there are practical applications for the engine on the ground, so I'll be refining the design before flinging another one into the air."

Only one Aves was among these scholars despite tonight's topic. "If a forward force on the kite is the important part, why not use ropes and Updraft Mastery?"

"Hmm?"

Selen reminded him, "It's a common Aves power. Easier upward wind spell. I have that."

"Oh, right. You could use that, but you're limited in your pilot selection, and dependent on your Mana supply."

The avian scholar said, "Instead of this absurd anvil of an engine, I'd take a design like yours and mix it with a Longflight festival kite. I'd use it to haul cargo."

"A cargo kite!" said Vonn. "I like it." But he spent the next few minutes working out the numbers with this guy, and concluded that it needed a steady magic supply from crystals and probably more Mana drain than even two Updraft Mastery users could maintain indefinitely. "Still worth looking into though, for that idea of magic users taking turns with the spell."

The group seemed most interested in the engine, maybe because many of them were skeptical that the plane had really existed. That was fine, for now. Selen made a point of thanking the Duke for her funding, and elbowed Vonn to mention his own Baron's help.

Afterward, Zahar grabbed Vonn and Selen for a private chat. "Did you really do all that?"

"I did, sir. With help."

"By the gods! I want to be involved with this. What do you need?"

Vonn talked about machine tools and the use of magicite for power. Zahar had ideas about both, but he also wanted Vonn to recap his specific Engineer powers. Then the man said, "My own selections were a bit different. Most relevant to you is one called Precision, good for carving a part to very specific dimensions."

"I could definitely use that. Could I persuade you to make, say, a carved screw thread for my machines?"

Zahar nodded. "I would be happy to contribute. In return, perhaps you could get me a few of those sealed air pressure tanks."

"I have spares to send."

#

Selen remarked in private, "You picked your abilities strategically, rather than just what seemed coolest. I sense that some are, ah..."

"Schmuck bait?" Vonn said in English. "Well, that's not fair."

"But less useful for someone with big long-term plans. For instance, I got offered an Alchemy version of 'Stretched Materials' to cut my costs by 10%. That's good if I want to open a potion shop and cut my production costs. But I also got offered 'Self Mixing' which just mixes and stirs things easily. Handy but not worth it."

Vonn told her, "I turned down a Mage boon to make one item hover conveniently around me. I can do that with a normal spell, if I get a bit more skill; it was just cool. What was your new Alchemist ability, again?"

"'Material Maker', which helps me craft specific solid materials I've mastered. Know why I picked it?" She burst into chirpy song. "We are living in a material world, and I'm a material bird!"

Zahar's Elf girl assistant coughed beside them while Vonn was groaning. "What was that strange language you were using?"

Vonn startled. "That was..."

Selen answered for him. "It's something we use for our storytelling and idea swapping. Great for puns."

The Elf looked skeptical. "That's one elaborate private code. Master Zahar wants to know if you're staying another night."

Vonn said, "No, I really ought to get back."

"Then he bids you farewell, and asks that you send him updates on that 'engine' of yours."