"Hand me the spiral screwdriver," Odea calls while extending her hand out.
Ada goes into the tool chest and hands it up. "It is windy. I don't want to lose you to the Thames."
"I appreciate your concern," Odea makes the last two screws tighter. "We are done." She looks down at her shivering wife, "Let's get inside and get breakfast."
Vastra smiles after eating another delicious breakfast, "There was something in the air."
"We do have an adventure in a few days," Jenny offers as to the excitement. "I am elated. I only wish to see all my girls before we go."
"Their scents no longer linger. Do you know what they will be doing today?"
Jenny opens the family calendar, "Jennifer and Molly will be in the shop all day restocking and hopefully getting enough sleep. April and Kay will be heading to the cinema."
"What are they going to see?" Vastra looks outside and can see the wind blowing. "How can they go out in the cold like this?"
"Wuthering Heights and I am sure they take precautions." Jenny continues with her notes, "Mirum and the girls will be listening to three broadcasts today Bound Away it is about a ship's 12,000-mile voyage from the Firth of Clyde to Melbourne, a story called The Great Occasion of Marie Curie ..."
"What time?"
"The Marie Curie story will be on at twelve-forty"
Vastra looks at wall clock, "I wouldn't mind listening to that."
"They will also be listening, as they do every Sunday The Children's Hour at five-fifteen. Odea and Ada will be up in their private apartment reading."
Vastra laughs out loud, "Reading? In our younger years, we called it amorous congress."
"Basket-making," Jenny quickly adds.
"Bread and butter," Vastra responds with a giggle.
Quickly the game is afoot with Fiona, Catherine, Olga and Alaya adding their own knowledge of euphemisms.
"Clicket."
"Face-making."
"Blanket hornpipe."
"запрещено танец or forbidden dance."
"Blow the grounsils."
"тело-очистка or body scrubbing.
"Convivial society."
Vastra shakes her head trying to not laugh, "Playing at St. George."
Odea and Ada decide that is enough and each hold up a book with a bookmark sticking out.
The room erupts in laughter.
Vastra looks to her daughter, "What are two reading that is better than 'tying the true lover's knot'?"
Jenny rolls her eyes, "That you made up."
"I am reading The Footprints on the Ceiling."
Ada gives Vastra a wink, "Coming Up for Air."
"Are they worth more than a purr?"
"Vastra!" Jenny blushes, "I do not know why that is was intimate, it just is."
Ada quickly retorts, "Why are you under the assumption we can't do both? I have never heard of clicket?
Since that was Fiona's offering she responded, "This was originally used only for foxes, but became less specific as more and more phrases for intercourse at any moment notice, location irrelevant."
Odea's curiosity overcomes her, "What about playing at St. George?"
"Do you remember the story of St. George and the Dragon?" Vastra asks the girls.
"Yes of course." Odea brain is in overdrive trying to find the connection. She admits defeat, "I do not recall any direct or indirect copulation referenced in the story."
"The tale of St George and the Dragon told of a dragon rearing up from a lake to tower over the saint, but 'playing at St George' casts the woman as the dragon in the bedroom, scandalously putting her on top."
Olga finishes her breakfast, gets up, takes her plate and turns to Catherine with a cunning smile, "Mother, today is another example of why I am glad we came to London."
Catherine looks up from her tearing eyes from laughing so hard, "Do you not miss the engineering?"
"Sometimes." She smiles at Fiona, "You never know when my skills will come in handy with this family."
"Da! You never know."
Fiona and Alaya clean up the rest of the dishes and exit without a word.
Vastra grabs the newspaper and heads over to the warmest spot in the room. Jenny joins her.
Without a word, Vastra pulls the gossip and entertainment section and hands it to her wife.
The room is quiet except the crackle of the fire and the newspaper flutter with each page turn.
The door opens which is the beginning to traffic in and out of the room.
Jenny puts down her paper and watches the room's activities.
The long buffet is moved to another wall.
A long table is being put in its place.
She looks up as a hole is being created from the floor above and plaster is falling like snow. It is time for Vastra's attention. She taps her wife newspaper and points to the activity.
Vastra and Jenny watch everything as if it was a film.
The plaster is cleaned up.
Two wires are dropped through the whole and slowly hidden by adhering the wires to the molding with drawing pins.
A large radio is placed in the middle.
Wires.
To the right of the box a large map of the United Kingdom red markings is tacked to the wall.
Another map of South America is placed to the right of the United Kingdom.
A large map of the globe is placed above the United Kingdom and South America.
More wires.
Two rows of seven large hooks are arranged to the left of the box.
Headphones placed on the hooks.
Individual wrapped wired are placed on the bottom hooks.
A larger radio is brought and placed next to the original radio.
The large wires from the ceiling are being routed into the two radios.
More wires.
One microphone is placed in front of the two radios.
Chairs are moved from the table into front of the radios.
Olga pulls a seat in front flips switches and turns knobs.
There is a slight hum in the room.
Olga takes one headphone and one wire from the hooks, attaches them together and plugs it into the radio.
She looks up to the United Kingdom map.
Odea asks Olga, "What do we do if this doesn't work? Do we send Mirum house to house?"
"It will work." Olga smiles as she places the headphones on her head, "We are intelligent women."
"What are you going to say?"
"The obvious." Olga pulls the chair closer, pushes down on the microphone button and says, "This is London calling."
The air in the room has been flooded with anticipation. Even Vastra and Jenny are excited.
"It is good to hear your voice too. We need to talk one at a time. But please tell me your location." Olga bursts out laughing, "You are all too courteous. Is there anyone from the east?"
Olga shakes her head yes to the room.
"Is there anyone from the west?"
Olga shakes her head yes to the room.
"Is there anyone from the Middle Earth." Olga turns a knob and makes an adjustment and asks again, "Is there anyone from the Middle Earth? You have to hold down the microphone button to talk."
Olga shakes her head yes to the room.
"Is there anyone from HQ?"
Olga shakes her head yes and points upstair to Odea and Ada.
"Did all you hear the other speak? East? West? Middle? HQ?"
Olga listens.
"Make the following adjustments ..."
Alaya take this time and wave her mothers and points to the two chairs.
Vastra and Jenny do not hesitate. Once they are seated and given headphones.
"We will go in order from clockwise starting in the east with our conversations. We can't talk over each other; it is a limitation of this technology. Do you understand?"
"Here at Low Borrowbridge we understand."
"Here at Chantry House we understand."
"Here at HQ we understand."
"Here at Cove Harbour we understand. I just want to make a plea to our administrator as I have anxious four young girls. I would suggest that they go first."
"Any objections?"
"Okay Cove Harbour, go when you are ready."
"Mothers? Grandmothers?" Four voices come through the headphones.
Olga moves out of the way and let Vastra and Jenny move their seats forward, "When you want to talk, just push this. But only when you have something to talk about."
Catherine is given headphones and she sits immediately to listen.
Vastra and Jenny nod.
Vastra pushes the button.
Jenny speaks with a cracked voice, "We are here." She clears her voice and with better diction, "We are here - we miss you girls so much. Are you being considerate of Miss Dithers."
The girls each takes a turn to talk at the microphone, the last being Victoria which fell silent.
Fiona panics, pushes the microphone button, "Victoria? Are you there? Say anything. Something. Please."
A weak voice speaks, "I have nothing to add. They told you everything."
"That is not true."
"Yes, it is."
"You have not told us about you. How are you? Are you happy?"
Silence.
"Victoria, please."
"We have been playing crokinole."
"Are you enjoying the game?"
"Yes."
Mirum voice comes on, "Victoria has been a huge help. When there is ever an issue or an obligation she watches the cove. I believe she keeps the Nazis away."
"We are so proud of our Victoria."
Victoria weak voice perks up, "Once Mirum found a tin can and had to use the radio."
Fiona looks to the room and mouths 'tin can'?
Everyone shrugs their shoulders.
"What is a tin can?"
"I am going to have the girls play. Give me a moment."
Silence.
"I have removed the girls' headphones, speak freely."
"This is Jennifer from Middle Earth, mother a tin can is a Nazi submarine."
Fiona's face goes white.
"This Low Borrowbridge Kay and I have space here."
"I believe it might be best. We have responsibilities here. I can't leave my post."
"We do not have the dedicated time to take care of the girls. We have the space but not the time."
"We will think of something." Vastra looks to the room and everyone nods in agreement.
"This is Jennifer, I am sorry to be blunt but who is traveling and why?"
"This is Odea! I am excited to hear your voices. The travel is why we have accelerated the radios. Ada, Mother Vastra, Jenny and Julia will be heading to Argentina in two days."
"This is April, why isn't Odea traveling?"
Vastra takes the microphone, "The decision was mine."
Silence.
"Hi! This is Kay. Are these exclusively for Argentina."
"No, these are for the use of our family communicating. I know that the Cove and farm do not have telephones. I believe that you girls should work out a schedule."
Olga taps Vastra's shoulder and hands her a piece of paper, "It seems that Olga has already scheduled something."
"This Mirum. We have received the schedule with our kits. Thank you, Olga."
Olga leans over, between Vastra and the Microphone, "You will get a new one mailed every month as we know Jennifer and Molly's schedule as they have the most unusual schedule."
"This is Odea. Jennifer I know you are busy. Are you happy."
"Yes I am. Please everyone update us all about your lives. Starting with the east at Low Borrowbridge."
"We are doing well, per our books financially the Farm is a success ..."
"I must interrupt. I want to hear about your lives. Please. We are so far apart."
"You are correct. Kay and I will switch back and forth. Kay is leaping out of her seat."
"Hello everyone! This is Kay. Let me tell you about our community's ghost, Mary Baines the Tebay Witch ..."