Adventure was not an unexpected circumstance, sneaking up on unsuspecting innocents in the middle of the night: it was in fact a foregone conclusion. Even if Arrington Pentecost had not been born to be a hero, even if Algernon Vaudeville had not agreed to a foolhardy proposition, even if Jacob Damascus had not appeared on their doorstep, orphaned, frightened, and undeniably desperate: adventure would have found them. The appearance of a pretty girl in fear for her life only compounded it. Caught up in a whirlwind exploit of master criminals, steam powered technology, double crossing enemies,...