The Preparation of Helena Voutrakis

Acknowledgements

I would like to send my thanks to J Spe who added greatly to this tale by contributing his editing skills, providing grammatical correction where needed, highlighting even the most obscure continuity errors and inconsistencies of plot, and providing useful suggestions that shaped the flow and detail of the tale. Thanks are due to him for making this tale readable and, hopefully, enjoyable. The errors that remain are entirely my own.

Preamble

In the second Victorian era, great strides have been made since the days of the first Queen Victoria. While steam power and gas lighting still rule, society has moved on in many ways. But, while Britain enjoys modern marvels, such as the London Over Rail transport network and the Telectroscope, one man harks back to the values and traditions of the nineteenth century, using his skills in the service of those around him, offering a very unique set of services.

And it is he that we encounter, fresh from his work with the wards of Harwell Tusker, as he travels to a meeting with an old friend.