A sparkling evening

Welcome to the International Exhibition! Here you will discover all the wonders of tomorrow! Admire our various stands—there is something for everyone—and you can also participate in Highland games or try out the roller coasters!

The International Exhibition has just opened its doors this May, and our extraordinary vampires split into two groups. One group heads to the colonial cultures pavilion, particularly the Egyptology pavilion, while the other is captivated by the spectacle of the electrical machinery pavilion.

The show produced by a young woman is impressive; she creates electric arcs between her hands and plays with them in a breathtaking performance. Neither Cornie nor her Sire, who appears behind her, understand the technology used here.
Cornie, following Dr Murie’s ill-advised advice, rushes onto the stage and touches the electric arc. She is thrown several metres, her hair standing on end and suffering a nasty burn.
This brings the show to an end, especially as Pidge takes the opportunity to steal the electric gloves, hastily removed to help Cornie.
An old friend of the injured woman’s late father insists on escorting her to hospital.

On the Egyptology side, although the scenography is very cardboard-like, the texts are serious and even very scholarly. The curator, who is also the director of the Cairo Museum, Ardeth Bay, comes to meet Meical and Balthazar. Willow, hidden in the crowd, notices that Mr Bay seems to have a reason for approaching them, and it is no coincidence.
Through Meical’s taunts against Balthazar and scholarly discussions about ancient Egypt, it seems that Mr Bay has come hoping to build a network strong enough to recover artefacts from his country.
Meical provides names and leads, but without putting himself forward. The group exchange contact details, promising a future meeting.

The reunion takes place around Willow’s ‘rescue’ of Cornie, which leaves the old Lord’s servants in a state of stupor. The group shares their impressions of Mr Bay, Dr Murie, and the fair in general. Then they head to the stadium where Highland games are held, and where James wins the prize for the longest log throw.
The group takes a hot air balloon ride, and while the view is impressive and a feast for the eyes, the most interesting discovery is made by Balthazar: numerous ghosts seem to be dancing frantically around the exhibition. Or more specifically, they are trying to flee, spinning around like dervishes.

Back on solid ground, the group isolates itself, and Balthazar performs a ceremony to ask questions of one of his spectres. It was the spirit of an ancient Egyptian who had not encountered Seth, but who had been denied entry to Aaru. He was afraid, sensing that there was an artefact in the electricity pavilion that would destroy him, and that the haunting music was forcing him to dance. No, he had to flee.

The plan is to go and see what’s going on there. Easy, Pidge goes, grabs the artefact and saves the spirits. Then several problems arise: Dr Murie shows up again to tell his child, who is in disguise and whom he does not recognise, that he would like to see her in his office tomorrow as soon as possible.

The pavilion is closed, and workers are busy improving security at the stage. So far, nothing impossible for a resourceful orphan.
However, the hardened steel room, locked with a lock that has no opening, is a little more complicated.

Well, at least the group knows where to look in the next few days.