Lady Janali Jedalor glanced at the door, warm light from the gas-lantern reflected off the angled brass key, assuring the bolt was engaged. A second glance out her tall fourth story frosted windows, yielded no sign of intrusion. For a moment, she held her breath listening intensely. A whirring came from the spring driven magnetic stir, a soft hiss from the tight blue flame of the hand-torch she held, the hall clock clicked-clocked as its weighted chains slowly played out to the pendulum’s motions, and a breeze rustled the snow covered branches of the tree that just touched a window.
Bending over the lab bench, she controlled her breathing and willed her hands steady as they held the welding torch and solder. The blue flame heated the eyepiece setting. A curl of heat signaled the metal was at the right temperature. She touched the brass solder to the joint. The solid solder wire flashed into liquid, flowing into the seam. Biting her tongue, she applied the precise amount of solder needed to hold the adjustable loupe selector.
Although solidly bonded, it wasn’t enough. She’d broken a magnifier loupe and was forced to polish scratches from the other loupes when the mounting broke the week before. Regarding the neat instrument she’d built, she shook her head. She wanted to be conducting experiments with what little free time she stole, not repairing her custom tools.
The lost week to replace the broken loupe could have been avoided if she dared. She considered the repaired bracket. She knew how to make it indestructible. Straightening her back and shoulders she took another quick look out the window. The yards remained empty.
Drawing in a deep cleansing breath she closed her eyes. She imagined herself opening to the Star Empresses. Moving her hands slowly in a gathering motion, she pulled the ambient energies into her core. The power was warm and filled her with a joy she couldn’t explain. Every time was like the first. She continued to gather power until the sensation of it in the center of her chest began to burn uncomfortably.
She couldn’t hold the energies for long.
Her fingers rested on the hot metal as she concentrated on the image of the bracket’s parts flawlessly joined. The moment of clarity came, she released the energy with a soft exhale.
Given a path and purpose, the power surged through her arms to her fingers into the bracket. The metal flashed white casting minor shadows on the walls. Removing her fingers, the brace glowed a soft white faded to blue and then looked ordinary in the span of a few seconds.
The parts were no longer separate pieces soldered together. Now they were seamlessly melded brass as if hand-tooled from a single cast rod.
She picked up the eyepiece, examining each of the eight magnifying loupes. The supporting pin, another artifact of her application of the Star Empresses’ powers, would bend but never break. Even if bent fully back on itself, it would snap back straight. The mounting brackets were tightly holding the lenses. She couldn’t find a visible seam even under her thick magnifying glass.
A satisfied breath filled her lungs, quickly stolen by another glance into the yard, ensuring she wasn't observed.
