Anso’s face fell. “Father Marsilius, when last we met..”

“I have had time to discuss that incident with my superiors, and we have decided that more study needs to be done.” The elder Inquisitor watched Anso with a grandfatherly concern. “I do not believe that you have created an Infernal Device, but I need to be able to persuade the rest of the Holy Office that it is so.”

The young friar became frantic, and defensively backed against the table where he had set his equipment. “But if I can just give you a demonstration of how far I’ve come, I can show you that the forces at work in my machina are as natural and godly as those at work in the tools we use to tend our fields, convert fruit of the vine into wine of the sacrament. Please just let me show you…”

Brother Salonius stepped forward, his roughly woven black robes whispering against the stone floor. “Show us how it works, nothing more nothing less. Give us enough information to operate this device and we will leave you.”

Nervously, Anso began.