Take her hand

I nod hesitantly and take her hand.

"Excellent! The deal is sealed." I feel her strong grip through her gloves. When I see smiling face, I feel a warmth in my chest, like a wind blowing into my heart. "Now that we're settled, we just need to wait for her."

"For who?" I ask.

"You'd better watch out! She's got a weakness for cute boys like you."

"I'm cute?"

Lupin smirks, then bows deeply. "Of course. Once we arrive in London, you're beauty will draw the attention of many a woman. You must beware these temptations, monsieur." Lupin's voice is both serious and formal, and I nod meekly in reply. "I was joking. You're supposed to laugh."

I hear the sound of machinery from afar.

Maybe those soldiers from last night have found us after all!

I stiffen up.

Lupin pats me lightly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she's with my group. She's just as annoying as the British soldiers, though!"

Group?

I wonder if whoever is approaching is the same person Lupin had mentioned before. I turn and see the automobile draw closer, spewing black smoke and roaring. I remember it from last night.

It's so fast. It screeches loudly and comes to a stop in front of me.

"Lupin! Heeeeey! You're alive!" A short dark skinned girl covered in soot and wearing goggles sits in a seat atop the machine. She has long white hair that is braided into a ponytail and highlighted with a fews trips of soft pink. "Sorry I'm late! My beloved car wouldn't listen to me. Wait... Who's the cutie?! Aha! You decided against stealing the treasure and went to pick up boys last night! Introduce me, you bitch!"

"Dolt. The 'cutie' IS the treasure." Lupin says.

"Say what?" The girl gets up to leave her seat.

Fire bursts out from the machine and a cloud of smoke surrounds us.

I quickly jump in front of Lupin to shield her with my body. When the blast subsides, I look at the newcomer.

"Augh! The engine's done it again! Wait just two minutes, cutie! Your princess will be right there to enact a romantic first encounter!"

"But we've already had a first encounter." I say.

"I love you." the girl shouts in response for some reason, before diving underneath her vehicle. "Gah! I knew this pipe was the problem! I want to get a new one, but money's tight. All right, good girl! Good good good!" A short time later. "Done! All better!" The machine releases another huge puff of smoke as she taps it with her wretch. I cough. "Haha! Sorry 'bout that. She's an unruly one. But she's in tip-top shape once again!"

Lupin also coughs. "Hey, Nemo! Is this thing really going to get us to London?"

"How rude. If this genius engineer says so, then it's got to be true."

"I was able to walk there and back but it took hours." I say.

"I doubt the two of us have your stamina." Lupin says.

The dark skinned girl stands in the smoke and looks at me. "Ah! Nice to meet you, cutie! It is I, your very own princess astride a white horse!" She raises her goggles and smiles at me with her soot-covered face.

"Don't mind her, she's not a bad guy. She's just a scatter minded tinkerer." Lupin says.

"Excuse me! That's 'distinguished engineer and great inventor'! And 'amazing beautiful looking woman who knows what's what'! Most importantly, a woman who will one day land on the moon! Captain Nemo! Ready, willing and available! Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Caleb. It's nice to meet you." I say.

"Whoa! Now that I get a closer look at you, you are ridiculously cute! I would swear Eros escaped from a painting!"

"Eros is a sculpture. You can't even engineer a proper pick-up line." Lupin says.

"Oh, just call me Nemo, Mister Caleb!" As she's saying this, she gives me a good long stare. "Well, you are a special one! If you desire full-service love maintenance, I can provide it! Let me give you the tune-up of a lifetime!"

I'm not sure how to deal with her.

As Nemo wipes her grimy face with a rag, Lupin hits her in the face with a punch!

"Ow! What was that for, Lupin?!"

"Enough chitchat. Let's get going. Those troops aren't idiots. We shouldn't stay here for too long." Lupin says.

"All right, all right. You're a better speaker with your fists, at usual. That's not going to get you any boys, you know!"

"I only use my fists to speak with people at your level."

"Oh, good. I guess I don't need to worry, since there's nobody else at my level."

"Yes, you're on a level all your own."

Nemo is cheerful, while Lupin sounds annoyed. It's almost as if they're having difference conversations.

"I'm turning the engine on!" The machine roars to life and spews another cloud around us. "Whoa! Is she leaking steam again!? C'mon, darling, you can do it!"

What can I say?

There are lots of strange people in the world.