Marius and Elsa stepped out of the hansom mobile. The house before them was a large edifice of a mansion. The houses in this district were the most expensive and elaborate in the city of Warlender. The front door opened and a servant women walked out. She wore a long blue dressed and a white apron that matched her servant's cap.

"Hello, do you have an appointment with the doctor?"

"No, my name is Detective Marius and this is my associate, Detective Elsa."

He showed her his badge.

The maid gasped. "Oh no. I will get her. Please come inside."

She opened the door and had them wait in the foyer. Marius saw something peculiar. The chandelier above them was floating, not attach to anything. He moved quickly out from under it. Elsa stared at the lights with wonder in her face.

"Do you like that? The chandelier is held by strong magnets powered by dylithic crystals."

He recovered and said, "Hello, I am Detective Marius."

A tall woman stood by the steps leading into a large room with a staircase. She was not dressed in a gown, but a brown form-fitting pants and black boots with a silky white blouse. On her head, was a tan hat tied with a white ribbon.

"Do you want any refreshments? I was about to visit my plants in the green house."

"No, we will follow you," Elsa said.

They followed Dr. Malovorian out of the front steps of the house. The garden was long with a round pond and a sculpture of a nymph sprouting water from its mouth.

"What is this about Detectives?" She moved with long strides of her slim legs.

Marius said, "We cannot discuss a case. Do you know of the shipping docks?"

"Yes, some of my gears and materials are shipped from overseas. I have never been to the yards myself. I have people to help me."

She walked along a small paved pathway. Trees lined the road. A glass structure poked out from a small gentle slope. In the front of the building was a male servant holding a silver tray with a decanter filled with ice tea and several glass cups.

She said, "Thank you, Gerald."

The servant turned and opened the door of the structure and walked inside.

Marius said, "Do you know about stolen magical weapons?"

Dr. Malovorian stopped and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her touch sent a shiver down his back. It was not pleasure but pain.

She said, "No, I am a technologist. I don't use magic of any kind. Is this why you came to question me?"

Elsa said, "We are sorry doctor. We have other questions." She gave him a look of annoyed anger.

"Call me, Terry." She smiled and Elsa smiled back.

Yet, Marius saw Dr. Malovorian mouth twitched when he mentioned the shipping docks and also the stolen magical items. He has an odd feeling about her.

They walked into the green house. The structure was wide and very long. Plants and flowers in bloom filled the interior. The air was perfumed with roses, lilacs and jasmines. Even though the temperature outside was in the early fifties, it was quite warm in the glass structure.

Marius emphasized. "Dr. Malovorian did you know a Professor Julius from the arcane university?"

"Well yes, we have talked about the role magic and technology has played in our society."

"Have you seen him lately?"

"No, we have no correspondence since last year. How is he doing?"

"He was murdered last night."

"Am I a suspect?"

"No, but we need to know what have you been doing last night between ten to midnight."

"I was at a benefit banquet to help the refugees from the tornadoes in the central Americas."

Elsa took out a small leather booklet. She said, "Who can vouch for you?"

"Yes, you can talk to Roland Trevor. He was the sponsor chairman. He can tell you I was the guest of honor." She gave Elsa his address and telephone number.

"Gerald place the tray on that table and pour our guest some refreshments."

Dr. Malovorian grabbed and crystal cup and sipped it. She was pretty in an aristocratic way. Detective Elsa took a cup and drank.

Marius said, "What did you and Professor Julius talk about?"

Dr. Malovorian's eyes for a second looked mad and scared at the same time.

"Like I said before we talked about technology and magic."

"Was there any arguments?"

"No, just spirited debates."

"Such as," Marius said hating Dr., Malovorian's flippant attitude.

"I hope you can understand. But as you know, dylithic crystals powered everything. I created these crystals from energy and technology." Dr. Malovorian voice became louder as if she was making a speech in front of hundreds of people. "These crystals are more stable than the magic core we used for power. Remember, we used to utilize magic cores in our hansom mobiles and our lantern lights. But, magic was costly." She sipped her tea.

Marius said, "So, did he agree with your dylithic crystals was better?"

"No, he did not like my theory. He believed magic was the wave of the future."

Marius jotted down some notes and looked up at the doctor. "Do you know what he meant wave of the future?"

"I don't know or care. Detectives I am busy. Are you done with me?"

"Yes for now. Do not leave the country for the next couple of days."

Dr. Malovorian said, "I have an appointment tomorrow at New Geneva. I should be back in a couple of days. I cannot postpone it."

"Give us a number of your hotel, so we can reach you."

"Sure." She told him the name of the hotel and the phone number.

"Gerald," Dr. Malovorian said. "Please show these detectives back to their car."

She turned away from them and placed a pair of leather gloves on.

Marius said, "Doctor one more question."

She turned to him.

"Would you replace every magic with a technology?"

Dr. Malovorian's face twitched. "I already have." She stormed away.

• • •

In the hansom car, Elsa fidgeted with her steering wheel and her seat belt. Marius sense she was angry, but he merely looked at Dr. Malovorian's large Victorian mansion with its many windows and several stories.

"How much you think a house like that cost?"

"More than our salary." Elsa said, "Why did you ask a prominent doctor and inventor those questions?"

"This is our job or did you forget you are a detective."

"I did not forget." She backed out of the causeway and drove away. She edged along with the other automobiles in the street.

"Elsa, on the report, did it mention the person who found the body of the deceased?"

"Yes, it was a Professor Laurie."

"We should question her again."

"Yes, I agree. I'm already driving to the Arcane University."

"Tell me what the report said."

Elsa swerved toward the right and took a sharp embankment toward a cobblestone street. A sign appeared printed in bold script. "Arcane University 3 miles."

Marius looked upward and saw zeppelin balloons flying through the sky. Their bulky carriage swayed along the currents. They blocked the sun for a second.

"When Professor Laurie heard a loud explosion around ten o'clock, she went to investigate. She already had a key."

"It sounds plausible. But I think Professor Laurie is not telling us everything."