Well, we can't really fault a doctor for being more focused on his own injuries. That sort of thing comes naturally. The guards had given him that look because they knew the girl wasn't
overtly violent...at least, not without reason. Nothing they'd encountered
thus far, at least. The crowd, of course, had murmurs on the matter. They were drawing their own conclusions, none of which seemed to even register on Kate. If public opinion
really mattered to her, she'd be wearing a dress like other Connlaothian women. The guards, sensing that this was just a misunderstanding, urged them to
move along.Faraday, meanwhile, had asked about the gun...which immediately got her attention with a small smile. Right where she was, she sat and composed herself with legs crossed - neverminding either of their conditions for the present moment - as she explained.
"It
is for climbing buildings, or trees, or rockfaces. Whatever you can sately latch it to, really. The principle is that, given the correct amount of gunpowder, a cannon will successfully shoot anything you put into it in an effective way. It came to me that you could try something similar with a gun, even though they were made to fire bullets. The idea does
work, but I've been having some trouble with the design."
She took the gun back, taking practically no notice of his crawl for a cigarette.
"The barrel to determine force, the frame for balance and control, the ignition, the hook, and the rope - I've gone through alot of designs to try and find the right combination. This all works, but it's not enough. It's not
practical."
She was indeed trying to make it work, and work
well. However, she had a feeling that the design was not streamlined enough, and the rope was definitely cumbersome. Now then! Somewhere amidst this speech, which came out
way better than her conversation with the guards, she had failed to register that she was a little short of breath, thanks to taking a dive onto the cobblestones without bracing herself or anything. So, when Faraday asked, Kate looked genuinely confused for a second, then poked her ribs experimentally, wincing.
"Apparently."