Agatha H. and the Airship City by Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio

everything. The city, the college, the lands— everything.”
    “But…” Klaus shook him once. Merlot’s teeth shut with a snap.
    “And the first time you make a mistake, I’m shipping you to Castle Heterodyne.”
    Merlot’s face went white. “No! All I wanted—”
    Klaus released him and turned away dismissively.
    “What you wanted is irrelevant. I want Dr. Beetle lying in state—for viewing—by midnight, with a hero’s funeral to be held the day after tomorrow.”
    Merlot stared at the charred corpse on the floor. “But… my work… I just wanted to… do something important…”
    Agatha muttered an aside to the Jägermonster. “He was trying to turn chalk into cheese.” The soldier guffawed.
    Merlot’s head whipped around and found a focus for his displeasure. “Right! At least I shall get to do one useful thing today. Miss Clay—get out! Henceforth you are banned from this university. Forever!”
    Agatha looked stunned. “You… you can’t do that! I’m a student and—”
    Merlot drew himself up. “Of course I can do it! Haven’t you heard? I’m in charge now!”
    Agatha felt her world collapsing around her. She barely registered Dr. Glassvitch’s hand on her shoulder. “It may be for the best, Agatha,” he murmured. “Without Dr. Beetle’s protection, I doubt you would like it here.”
    “No!” Agatha shook her head. “How will I…?”
    Glassvitch cut her off gently, and began to escort her to the door. “I’ll come and see you, I promise. But now, I think, you had better leave.”
    Klaus watched the two leave. His mouth twitched. “Petty,” he muttered.
    Glassvitch returned and approached him with a worried look on his face. “Herr Baron, the girl is quite distraught… Are the streets safe?”
    Klaus sighed. He turned toward the Jägermonster. “Unit Commander! See the girl home.”
    The soldier grinned. “Hokay!”
Klaus plowed on, “Then come right back!”
    The soldier shrugged. “Oh. Hokay.”
    Once out on the campus, Agatha could see that things were in disarray. There were few students in evidence, though she could see that almost every window was crowded with anxious observers. Several airships had landed in the quad, and Jägermonsters and the Baron’s clanks were everywhere. As Agatha watched, one of the late Tyrant’s own clanks rounded the corner and advanced. Agatha had time to directly compare its jerky motion to the deadly fluid movements of the Wulfenbach clanks who spun and mowed it down. Other smoking piles of parts revealed the fate of the “Unstoppable Army.” The Baron had been right. Beetle’s clanks had become quite obsolete. As Agatha turned the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. There, looming before her was the burning hulk that had been Mr. Tock. A crew of the Baron’s mechanics was already swarming over it, and as Agatha watched, a group of hovering airships began to lower cables to their waiting hands. Agatha suspected that the giant clank would be quickly rebuilt. But it wouldn’t be the same. Nothing would.
    Agatha skirted the vast remains and felt tears well up as she passed between the vast gateway for the last time. “Goodbye, Mr. Tock,” she whispered.
    Her mood was shattered by the business end of a machine cannon dropping towards her face, and the amplified voice of the clank behind it roaring, “HALT. ALL CITIZENS ARE TO STAY OFF THE STREETS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.”
    Agatha stepped backwards and bumped into someone. Turning around, she found herself face to face with the grinning Jägersoldier she’d last seen in Dr. Beetle’s lab. “Hoy,” he called out to the clank, “she’s vit me!”
    The clank paused. “YES SIR,” and with a hiss it resumed its watch position.
    The soldier then looked back at Agatha and was nonplussed to see her crying. “Vot’s de matta, gurl?”
    Agatha stared at him through her tears. “They sent you out to eat me!”
    The monster soldier actually looked embarrassed. You could also tell