Lady Amanda Ravensdale—heroine; medical student; inventor; daughter of the Duke of Avesbury 

Lord Sebastian Talbot, Earl of Thornton—hero; Queen’s agent; earl

Duke of Avesbury—Amanda’s father; London gentleman in charge of the Queen’s agents

Mr. Black—Queen’s agent; friend of Thornton

Steambot—a steam-powered household robot

Steam Mary—serving steambot

RT—a steambot roving table

Lady Olivia Ravensdale—Amanda’s sister

Carlton—future Viscount Bromwich; Olivia’s fiancé

Mr. Simon Sommersby—second son of a baron; Amanda’s suitor

Lady Emily Ravensdale—Amanda’s missing sister

Rufus—Amanda’s orange-striped cat and laboratory assistant; wears a monocle

Lord Edward (Ned) Ravensdale—Amanda’s brother; heir

Georgina—Ned’s love

Professor Corwin—professor of anatomy professor who left to pursue selkies; replaced by Thornton

Betsy, Joan and Sarah—other women in Amanda’s anatomy class

Burton—the Ravensdale family steam butler; an older model with a rusty jaw

Lady Eloise Huntley—Thornton’s laboratory assistant; widow

Lord John Huntley—Thornton’s friend; died in an air pirate attack of the airship both he and Thornton traveled upon

Mr. Henri LaFevre—Thornton’s laboratory assistant who works directly with Amanda

Samuel and Robert—other laboratory technicians in Thornton’s laboratory

Nicu Sindel—grandfather to her brother-in-law; taught clockwork skills to the Ravensdale children

Marko Blythe—first gypsy victim

Tony Spinolli—Ned’s personal health aid and physical therapist

Dr. Millhouse—doctor who proposes to operate upon Ned

Luca (Luca Sindel)—Emily’s husband

Wasp—villain; sometimes call ‘the eye doctor’

Lady Anne Grimwauld—Thornton’s former fiancée

Nellie Atwater—party at her house was where Ned was injured

Steam Cora—Lady Olivia’s personal steam maid

Lord Whitmore—home at which a ball is held

Tova—second gypsy victim

Nadya—Luca’s great aunt; Tova’s grandmother and Luca’s cousin

Milosh—Nicu Sindel’s assistant

Bloxham—rejected suitor of Amanda’s

Professor Quimbly—Amanda’s histology professor

Mr. Button—an annoying medical student

Lord Thistleton—head botanist employed at Lister Laboratories; in charge of the greenhouse

King of Iceland—nominal leader of Iceland

Steam Susan, Steam Joseph—additional steambots in the Ravensburg household

Cranial Nerves—nerves that emerge directly from the brain and brainstem

Peripheral Nerves—nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Sensory nerves‌—‌nerves which convey information to the brain

Motor nerves‌—‌nerves which convey impulses away from the brain

Oculomotor nerve—the third cranial nerve

Trochlear nerve—the forth cranial nerve

Abducens nerve—the sixth cranial nerve

Vestibulocochlear nerve—the eighth cranial nerve

Perilymph helix—fluid in the inner ear

Supraorbital fissure—foramen in the skull through which pass a number of anatomical structures including cranial nerves III, IV and VI

Galvanic skin conductance—active and passive electrical conductance of the skin

Fibular nerve—common peroneal nerve; innervates the muscles of the lateral and anterior compartments of the leg

Tinnitus, vertigo, nystagmus—ringing in the ears, dizziness, rapid eye movements

Myomere—a block of skeletal muscle

Diethyl ether—used as a general anesthetic

Acetic acid—CH₃COOH; a component of vinegar

Tungsten (W)—an element; transitional metal

Acousticocept—a device worn in the ear that allows an agent to hear

Acousticotransmitter—device that transmits sound to the acousticocept

Decilamp‌—a small bioluminescent torch (flashlight)

Kraken—clawed cephalopods infesting the Thames

Town and City Food Act of 1876—legislation requiring all homeowners, peers not excepted, to contribute to the problem of city-wide food shortages

Aetheroscope—a microscope that allows high resolution through the use of a vacuum chamber and aether

Neurarachnid—a programmable, clockwork spider the size of a bronze halfpence, one that could spin a replacement for a damaged motor neuron following spinal injury; neur=neurological/nerve; arachnid=spider

Babbage card—punch card used to introduce programing to clockwork and steam-powered contraptions; a reference to Charles Babbage

Screecher—a security alarm

Ascension chamber—an elevator

Crank hackney—a wind up conveyance for hire; common on the streets of London

Tritrometer—a device to measure titrations

Fuge—short for centrifuge

Neuroglycerol—an artificial neurological lipid; neuro=neurological; glycerol

OptiAir masks—gas masks used in the morgue; for use with badly decomposed bodies

London Times—newspaper reporting the gypsy murders

Rattus norvegicus—rats; hold grudges; a tendency to bite

Airship pirates—travel and attack by dirigible

Ada Reeve—name of the dirigible Thornton and Huntley were aboard when airship pirates attacke

Somnic—drug Thornton is using to control his leg pain

Pteryformes—bird-like creatures with leathery wings; nocturnal; with a possible relationship to pterodactyls

London Steam Orchestra—automusicians programmed by Ned

Submersible chute—Thames entry tube for cigar-shaped personal submersibles; fell into disuse when the kraken infested the river

TDM, Tentacle Defense Mechanism—new invention attached to the front of Thames submersibles used to clear kraken from its path

Captain Jack’s Tension Torque—uses alkylsorcin and a thumb wheel (to make fine adjustments) to open simple locks after which the alkylsorcin liquefies leaving no trace

Welsh Drobwll Disrupters—aka Whirlpool of Death; favorite of watchmen; blasts electromagnetic waves to render an intruder so dizzy and confused they often staggered in circles

Ferrous replacements—surgical procedure involving limb and muscle removal, for placement of bolts, hinges and pistons

Sparrow class dirigible—private, household dirigible; designed to carry two but has a jump seat in the tail compartment; netted narrow, cigar-shaped balloon; streamlined open cabin; maximum range of eighty miles

Phaoscope—a light glass sphere; an advanced eye providing its user with super-human visual acuity; iris with radial striations; a hexagonal aperture (pupil); camera

Daguerreotype—the first publicly available photographic method

Myotech—artificial muscle; capable of responding to electrical impulses to contracts; myo- is a Greek word root meaning “muscle”

TTX pistol—weapon issued only to Queen’s agents; uses darts with pufferfish poison (tetrodotoxin); one to slow a man down, two to drop him, three to kill him

Dirigible—flying conveyance filled with hydrogen (dangerously flammable, but cheap) or aether (stable, but expensive)

amatiflora—gypsy name for the flower; pick during the full moon for full potency; a twisting vine that bears white flowers; blooms late summer; used to make a nerve calming agent

Lister University School of Medicine—a co-educational medical school and research facility in London created to seek out the brightest young medical minds; associated with the Queen’s agents; Lister Laboratories; Lister University; Lister Institute; named for Joseph Lister

Clockwork Corridor—street in London where gypsies sell clockwork components and contraptions

Putney Heath—winter campgrounds for gypsies in distant, southwest London

Whitmore’s Ball—event location

Seymour House‌—Mr. Simon Sommersby’s home

Kensington Gardens—private gardens of Kensington Palace adjacent to Hyde Park

Vauxhall Bridge—its two central piers, damaged by kraken, lets the bridge bend with the tides

Effra—one of the lost rivers of London, now underground; little more than a sewer that empties into the Thames near the Vauxhall Bridge

South London Waterworks—former water pumping station, pollution forced a move upstream; converted into a factory for use by Airship Sails

Airship Sails—large factory; manufactures and sews enormous lengths of silver cloth to form the airship balloons that can hold aether

Roma and Romani—the gypsy people and their language

Marhime—Romani word for impure; ritually unclean

Gadji/gadje—female/male person who is not Romani

BLOG POSTS

An Origin Story

Lost Rivers of London

Cranial Nerves 101

Greek and Latin

Don’t Poke Your Eye Out

A Grammar Gripe: Affect vs Effect

SCIENCE

Neurons and Synapses: The History of Its Discovery

History of anaesthesia: Who discovered the neuromuscular junction? The opposing views of Claude Bernard and Alfred Vulpian

The Medical Practitioner Who Paved the Way for Women Doctors in America

Mrs. Isa McQuiston—heroine; traveling healer; Finn

Dr. Alec McCullough—hero; BURR member; physician; nickname ‘Mac’; captain

Aron Moray—BURR team member; Finn; cousin of Maren

Davis—BURR team member who dies during a mission

Shaw—BURR team member

Rowan—BURR team member

Rip—BURR team member

Jasper Sinclair—BURR team member

Major Fernsby—Alec’s OC

Dr. Morgan—Alec’s knee doctor

Avra—young woman about to undergo surgery

Mr. Logan Black—Alec’s half-brother; Queen’s agent; first appearance in THE GOLDEN SPIDER

Quinn McCullough—Alec’s full brother; Queen’s agent

Cait McCullough—Alec’s half-sister

Mr. McCullough, Sr.—absent; father to Quinn, Alec, and Logan; second son of a Scottish laird; merchant

Lord Roideach—researcher; primary investigator of a marine laboratory

Miss Lourney—Roideach’s laboratory technician

Miss Russel—Roideach’s laboratory technician; nursemaid

Duke of Avesbury—London gentleman in charge of the Queen’s agents; first appearance in THE GOLDEN SPIDER

Professor Corwin—hoped to study selkies; first to report rumors of octopus attacks

Mrs. Guthrie—Isa’s mother

Dane Guthrie—Isa’s brother

Livli Guthrie—Isa’s sister-in-law

Nina Carr—Isa’s sister

Jona Carr—Nina’s husband

Mrs. Carr—mother of Maren and Jona; community elder

Mr. Carr—father of Maren and Jona

Uncle Gregor—Isa’s maternal uncle; aka Commodore Drummond; wishes to discharge Alec on medical grounds

Maren Drummond—Gregor’s wife; sister to Jona 

Elias—a solid, dependable, Finn fisherman

Anton McQuiston—Isa’s dead husband

Larsa—dead body at wedding

Munro—the McCullough’s steam butler

Miss Patricia Thompson—Perfect Patsy; daughter of Alec’s mother’s best friend

Commander Norgrove—a Navy commander

Lord Dankworth—poisoned committee member

Lieutenant Dunnet—former Naval engineer

Nikko—man in a pub

Brown and Lovitt Families—emigrating Finn

Dr. Grant—expert on infectious water-borne organisms

Tredegar—pharmacobotonist; Evan Tredegar; first appearance in IN PURSUIT OF DRAGONS

Lady Rathsburn—Olivia née Ravensburg; first appearance in THE SILVER SKULL

Thomas—boy; son of Lord Roideach; heir to a viscounty

Bridget Stewart—Roideach’s laboratory technician; quit

Erica Thompson—Roideach’s laboratory technician; promoted to Lister Institute in London.

Flora Murray—Roideach’s laboratory technician; committed suicide

Mr. Morrison—suitor for Cait’s hand; rejected

Mr. Wilson—fisherman who finds Nina

Mr. Reid—Finn candidate for Isa’s hand in marriage

Crown Prince of Iceland—wedding planned to the Princess of Denmark

Princess of Denmark—wedding planned to the Crown Prince of Iceland

Rupert—biomech octopus

Nystagmus—involuntary eye movement

Facial hypesthesia—numbness of the face

Dysphagia—difficulty swallowing

Dysarthria—motor speech injury due to neurological damage

Apoplexy—an old medical term frequently used to describe a stroke (among other conditions leading to death that began with a sudden loss of consciousness)

Integument—skin; natural covering of an organism or organ

Cephalopod—a “head-foot” mollusk; intelligent; includes squid, octopus, nautilus and the fictional kraken; many produce ink

Subclavian artery—a paired artery that runs beneath the clavicle; supplies blood to the arms

Aortic arch—main artery leaving the heart; arches upward, then downward alongside the trachea

Anterior tibial artery—carries blood to the front of the lower leg and top of the foot

Ethanol—ethyl alcohol; EtOH; C2H5OH; often used as a disinfectant

Syndactyly—a condition in which two or more fingers/toes are fused together; can involve varying degrees of webbing; read in more detail about webbed fingers HERE

Abdominal aorta—largest artery in the abdominal cavity; a continuation of the descending aortic arch

Hemocyanin—a copper-containing blood protein that transports oxygen; found in cephalopods (including octopuses)

Chromatophores—pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells; found in a wide range of animals; octopuses employ these cells to undergo a physiological color change to adapt to their environmental background

Byssal threads—fibrous filaments secreted by a bivalve mollusk to anchor itself to a surface

Hematological—having to do with the study of blood

Chimera—a mythical or fictional animal comprised of parts from different species; a term used to describe mythical animals and genetic chimerism 

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) —a ligament in the knee (one of two) that serves to stabilize the joint

Hirudin—an anticoagulant produced in the saliva of leeches

Agglutination—blood clumping in the presence of antibodies; a technique used to type blood

Elasmobranchii—a subclass of cartilaginous fish including sharks

Glycoprotein—a molecule comprised of both carbohydrates and protein

Secretory glycoprotein—a glycoprotein that is released extracellularly, often into the bloodstream (see above)

Hypoxic—low oxygen level

Septicemia—blood poisoning due to an infection

External jugular vein—large vein in the neck

Ceramic blood filter—filter that catches and stops blood clots from further progress through the blood vessels

Flagellated organic-walled plankton—a kind of cyst-forming dinoflagellate that also has a flagella

Blue scintillans—sea sparkle; a free-living, marine dinoflagellate that produces bioluminescence when disturbed

Dinoflagellates—a subgroup of algae considered to be protists; many are photosynthetic; most are marine, though also freshwater; some have resting stages wherein they form cysts; some are endosymbionts, some parasitic

Cyprus Metal Acetate—a fictional treatment for infectious dinoflagellates created by the author after reading way too much about dinoflagellate problems in home aquariums

Lamellipodial protrusion—an extension of the cell using actin, one made to move the cell forward; studied for many years by the author

Amoeba—a single-celled organism that moves about using pseudopods

Trophozoite—the active feeding state of a free-living protozoan parasite

Salt of propamidine with isethionic acid—an antiseptic/disinfectant; treatment for an acanthamoeba (a type of amoeba) infection

Ipecacuanha—a drug made from the dried root of Cephaelis ipecacuanha, originating from the tropical forests of Brazil

Amoebic dysentery—intestinal infection caused by amoebae

Corynebacterium diphtheriae—bacteria that causes diptheria

Lipophilic alkaloid toxins—secreted by poison dart frogs

Corneal epithelium—epithelial tissue that covers the cornea; highly keratinized

Nasalis muscle—a muscle that can compress the nasal cartilages

Volatile gas—compound with a tendency to vaporize

Femoral vein—a large vein in the thigh

Axillary artery—a large blood vessel in the arm (running in the armpit region)

Chitinous beak—mandibles/jaws of a cephalopod; 

Self-retaining Weitlaner retractor—   Shaped like blunt-tipped scissors, they had a uni-directional ratchet mechanism that—when locked in place—allowed movement in one direction only: open. 

Sartorius—a long, thin muscle that runs across the thigh; helps flex, laterally rotate and weakly abduct the thigh

Adductor longus—muscle in the hip that adducts the thigh

Gastrocnemius—a large muscle in the back part of the leg/calf; used to flex the foot downward

Silicon (Si)—atomic number 14; brittle solid; metalloid

Argon (Ar)—atomic number 18; a noble gas that gives off a violet glow when placed in an electric field

Aquaspira breathers—(aquaspira scrubber failure); fictional rebreather loosely based on the real thing; uses barium hydroxide carbon dioxide scrubber; can absorb carbon dioxide for a sum total of only three hours without replacing the scrubber canister filled with soda lime

BURR team—Benthic Underwater Reconnaissance and Rescue team

O-class submersible—a Naval submersible (submarine)

Phosphorescent headlamp—a headlamp that uses a faintly glowing (phosphorescent) material to provide light

Hypoxic blackout—loss of consciousness caused by cerebral hypoxia; swimmer does not necessarily feel the need to breathe

UP bag—methanogenic bacteria entered a rapid growth phase releasing an ever-increasing amount of gas that shot his teammate to the surface

Excursion—when a sudden decrease in water density causes a vessel to go into an abrupt dive; happens upon encountering a halocline in sea lochs where saltwater suddenly meets freshwater runoff

Negative buoyancy—the point at which something sinks instead of floats; when an object is denser than the fluid it displaces

Glaister Institute, section five (Fifth Ward)—a secret research facility associated with The University of Glasgow School of Medicine; the Fifth Ward is reserved for unusual/inexplicable/dangerous medical cases

Mercury vapor light—uses an electric arc through vaporized mercury to produce light

Arthroflex—an experimental artificial knee joint

Finn—short for Finnfolk; Isa’s people

Progressive—someone who wants Finn features adjusted

Fine ophthalmic catgut—suture material; naturally degraded by the body

Diving reflex—physiological changes that occur when a mammal dives; optimizes oxygen resources to the heart and brain to support an extended period of time under the water; slows the heart rate; mediated by the V and X cranial nerves; studied in the grey seal

Selkie—a mythological creature capable of shedding its skin to change from seal to human form

Russian nematocyst weapon—bioengineered to use the cnidoblast of the sea comb (jellyfish); first mentioned in THE SILVER SKULL (cube jellyfish gun in THE IRON FIN )

Volterra equation—an integral equation; used to study viscoelastic materials

Viscoelastic material—material that exhibits both viscous and elastic behavior when undergoing deformation

Bunsen burner—laboratory equipment that produces an open, gas flame

Punch key—a previous generation’s concept of security

Queen’s agents—spies who work for the Queen under the supervision of the Duke of Avesbury

Aetheroscope—a microscope that allows high resolution through the use of a vacuum chamber and aether

Cryptozoologist—someone who studies cryptids, animals that were formerly thought to exist only in myth or legend

CEAP—Committee for the Exploration of Anthropomorphic Peculiarities; believe that myths and fairy tales conceal core truths; side-step rules and regulations in an attempt to discover their underlying biological facts

TTX pistol—weapon issued only to Queen’s agents; uses darts with pufferfish poison; one to slow a man down, two to drop him, three to kill him

Laudanum—a tincture of opium

The Dragon and the Flea—a curiosity store in Stornoway

Liquid microlens—used in adaptive optics

Catadioptric dialyte—combines refraction and reflection into a single lens

Meikine lens—a fictional lens combining a liquid microlens and a catadioptric dialyte and using an electroreactive fluid that remains viscous at room temperature

Trepanning drill—a drill used to make a hole in the skull to relieve pressure on the brain; an ancient technique

Sharksilk—fictional suture material sold at The Dragon and the Flea that is superior to catgut

Surgical eyeglasses—magnifying lenses (via a liquid microlens) to allow surgeons to better see their work; used as a bartering chip

Gaelic—a Celtic language spoken in Ireland and Scotland

Lucifer lamp—a lamp with blue-white light generated by bioluminescent bacteria; name originates from luciferase

Carbon fiber latticework—found in biomech octopuses; high tensile strength, low weight

Skeet pigeon—a clockwork bird used to carry messages; addresses are programmed in using a punch car

Ichor machine—a machine that analyzes blood; derived from ichor

Cu Quantitator program—a program (run using a Babbage punch card) that analyzes copper levels in the blood

Cipher cartridge—compartment into which Babbage punch cards are placed

Cornish pixie—a mythical fairy creature 

Biomech—technology that has mechanical parts that interact with living systems; incorporated to the point where mechanical and biological systems become inseparable

Factor Q—an unusual Finn blood trait that makes them sensitive to traditional anesthesia, often triggering  the dive reflex; common in those Finn with syndactyly; released into the serum when hypoxic conditions exist

Malling-Hansen Writing Ball—a curved, semi-cylindrical typewriter

Guthrie Shipyards—owned by Mr. Guthrie, Isa’s brother, who is the inventor of Guthrie Vibration Dampening Tubes (vibration dampers)

Crystalizing fluid—proprietary material found inside Guthrie Vibration Dampening Tubes; discussed in terms of the Bernoulli and Froude equations

Bernoulli equation—used in fluid dynamics, different forms are applied to various types of fluid flow

Froude equation—named after William Froude, engineer, hydrodynamicist, and naval architect

S-126 Class Water Skimmer—vessels that monitor Britain’s shoreline, keeping a close eye on foreign and domestic vessels

HMS Beta Water Skimmer—sighted the megalodon; sister ships are the Alpha and Gamma Skimmers

Department of Cryptobiology—department that handles unusual biology and/or unusual biological creatures

Megalodon—an extinct species of shark;

R14X Cormorant class dirigible—a military dirigible used by the BURR team

Acousticotrans system—new system allowing BURR members to communicate during an underwater mission

Acousticocept—a device worn in the ear that allows an agent to hear

Acousticotransmitter—device that transmits sound to the acousticocept

Hyena fish—fish from the western coast of Africa; vicious; will swarm carrion, stripping it to the bone in minutes

OctoFinn—a Finn with a biomech octopus attached

Armored Navy Steam Demon—an armored vehicle powered by coal and steam

Pectin coagulator—part of the lock that guards the back entrance to the Glaister Institute; derived from the words pectin and coagulation

Magic lantern—an early image projector

Filamentous mycobacteria infections—streaking pattern of infection

Caeruleus amoeba—a particularly nasty protozoa found in the mouths of altered hyena fish that infect only Finn

Corpse fish—maggots of the sea; eat dead flesh

Obfuscation goggles—goggles with dark lenses that obstruct vision

Cryptographer—a person who sends coded messages

Shaman—someone who has access to spirits

Sea Saami—a subgroup of the Saami (Sámi) people (from the northern regions of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and part of Russia) who are semi-nomadic; Finn are thought to have originated from this group; all Finn names are traditionally found within this group

Bannocks—Scottish skillet bread; made of oat and barley flour, butter and milk 

Spyglass—a hand-held telescope

Roving tea table—steambot table that moves about transporting tea trays and other items

Icelandic radicals—Icelanders who wish to throw off Danish rule

Natatorium—a building containing a swimming pool

Cephalopod stunning powder—paralyzes octopuses; in spear tips of BURR team

Ring clamps—clamp down on tentacles; contain cephalopod stunning powder

Bioactive nocturnal goggles—night vision goggles

Mussel mine clusters—groups of small explosive devices designed to work underwater

Bissel thread glue—a glue made from the bissel threads of molluscs

Red decilamps—red light doesn’t travel as far in dark water, difficult for enemies to detect

Lucifer lamp detonator—will cause a bomb to explode when the light of the bioluminescent organisms fades

Loch Broom—a sea loch in northwestern Scotland

University of Glasgow School of Medicine—a medical school dating back to the 17th century

Blackhouse—a traditional stone dwelling on the Outer Hebrides

Glasgow—city in Scotland

Isle of Lewis—island in the Outer Hebrides

Orkney Islands—islands at the northern tip of Scotland

Outer Hebrides—western Scottish islands

Stornoway—the main town on the Isle of Lewis

Ullapool—town on the northwestern coast of Scotland; ferry runs from here to Stornaway and back

Adaroche Park—a fictional hunting lodge and park near Ullapool; loosely based on Shieldaig Lodge

Harris—an island of the Outer Hebrides

Tarbert on Harris—the main ferry port of the isle

Portree—main village on Skye

Achiltibuie—a tiny village north of Ullapool

Summer Isles—a group of islands in the mouth of Loch Broom

Shetland islands—far north islands above the tip of both mainland Scotland and the Orkneys

Lerwick—main port of the Shetland Islands

Asgog Loch—a loch northwest of Glasgow

Allanach Castle—a fictional castle on Asgog Loch; loosely based on Skipness Castle

Edinburgh—capital of Scotland

Sea cave—cave carved by the sea into the rocky cliffs of Scotland’s coastline 

Traigh Ghearadha—a beach north of Stornoway

River Clyde—river that flows through Glasgow

Firth of Clyde—an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of Scotland; the River Clyde empties into it

The Minch—a straight of water separating the northern Outer Hebrides from the northwest coast of the highlands of Scotland

Faroe Islands—an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark an archipelago of islands in the North Atlantic

Tinganes peninsula—a historic area of the Faroe Islands

Tórshavn—capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands

Mummo—Finnish for grandmother

BLOG POSTS

The Isle of Lewis, Scotland (An on location post – the author visits Isa’s childhood home)

Bioluminescence

SCIENCE

When we meet Isa, we learn that her people require a special kind of anesthesia…

History of Anesthesia

How do diving mammals manage to avoid decompression sickness?

What’s underwater around Scotland’s coast?

An underwater safari: Incredible photos reveal secret marine world off the coast of Scotland

What inspired the idea behind the biomech octopuses?

Cardiopulmonary bypass: development of John Gibbon’s heart-lung machine

And what kind actually live in British waters?

Octopuses & other Cephalopods 

And was time for action…

Is it worse to be near an explosion on land or in water?

Lady Angela Tagert—heroine; botanist (pteridologist); missing sister of the hero of Venomous Secrets

Valtýr Árnason—our Icelandic hero; airship captain; engineer; fae?

Lady Olivia—heroine of The Silver Skull, book 2, her adventure launches soon after this book begins

Mr. Black—master spy 

Marcus, Lord Aubrey—Angela’s dissolute brother

Jack—Angela’s good brother, a spy, currently somewhere in Europe—hero of Venomous Secrets

Jarl Einar —false marriage target

Hildur (Valkyrie)—first mate and wife to Lisbet

Lisbet—airship mechanic, wife

Lauf—airship pilot

Dýri—guard/muscle, security officer, hero of Black Blood and Sand

Katla Dagsdóttir & Dagur Sveinsson—Val’s dead, ex-fiancée and her ambassador father

Jarl/King Haukr Sigurðsson—future King of Iceland?

Eirik Rømer—villain, Norwegian

Bjarki—troll that attacks Angela

Eyrún Guðjónsdóttir—Angela’s mother/grandmother

Sigríður Guðjónsdóttir—Angela’s aunt

Aron Gunnarsson—Val’s uncle

Sóllilja—Val’s living fiancée, heroine of Black Blood and Sand

Katrín Geirsdóttir—Val’s mother

Princess Margrit—Denmark princess set to marry Yarl Haukr

Grýla—mother of the Yule Lads

Sigge—a Norwegian huldrekall

SPECIES

Elf—fae, Æsir

Huldu (huldufólk)—the hidden people of Iceland, no tails

Hulder (Huldra and huldrekall)—from Norway, original fae who traveled to Iceland with Vikings) – some cut the tails away

House Nissi—household spirit from Nordic folklore

Trolls—formed from basalt, the black rock common to Iceland

TROLLS

Jólakötturinn—giant black cat that eats people who don’t get new clothing for Christmas; the Yule Lad’s cat

Gluggagægir—Yule lad who snoops by looking in windows, day 10

Ketkrókur—Yule lad, meat hook, day 12

jötunn—group to which the trolls belong

Tröllabanar—potassium anti-troll weapons

Grjótmál—stone speech, language of the trolls

Stekkjarstaur (Yule lad day 1)

Giljagaur  (Yule lad day 2) 

Stúfur (Yule lad day 3)

Glefsugrímur—troll

Tyrian Absinthe – a royal purple absinthe, Tyrian purple (royal purple)

Absinthe verte – normal green absinthe colored with chlorophyll

Artemisia absinthium – the absinthe plant (genus species), also known as wormwood

Rankine Institute – an engineering school (fake) in London 

Subnivean photosynthesis – plants making sugar under a covering of snow

Cetraria islandica – not a moss, but an Icelandic lichen

Phytochemicals – chemicals involved in photosynthesis

Vasculum – a cylindrical collecting case designed to protect collected plants

Photobioreactors – a way to grow water plants (algae & cyanobacteria) in giant tubes photosynthesis

Dinoflagellates – dinocysts (dormant state), also called pyros & pyrocysts, used to make the fire fern

Bioactive glass – a glass-ceramic material that can be implanted to repair/replace human bone

Sunstone – Icelandic spar, optical calcite, the stone Vikings used to navigate on cloudy days

Microalgae – small algae

Capillary electromigration – using electricity to pull things through a small capillary tube

Camellia sinensi – genus species of a plant more commonly known as tea

TTX pistol – British spies get this weapon, it’s filled with darts using pufferfish poison (tetrodotoxin)

Angela had seen her share of inked tattoos drawn with bone char, hoof gelatin, beetle shellac, beeswax, cinnabar… the list was long.

Epidermis and dermis down to the subcutaneous tissue 

Wardian glass case – sort of like a terrarium

Flagella – taillike structures dinoflagellates use for motility

Protozoa

Chloroplasts

Photosynthetic

Lucifer lamp – uses bioluminescent bacteria to produce light via the luciferase enzyme

Antifungal. Antibacterial. Possessed of keratolytic activity.

Aetheric microscope or aetheroscope – steampunk microscope using a fictional gas to achieve electron microscope levels of magnification

Antioxidant

Antimutagenic

Spirulina blue-green algae

Sodium chloride

Potassium chloride

Magnesium sulfate

Concentrated ethyl alcohol

Hypertonic

Scintillations – Dinoflagellates are sometimes called pyrrhophyta, meaning ‘fire plants’. The light is produced inside organelles called scintillons. Tiny but dense vesicles that, when exposed to shear stress, shaking of any kind, release chemicals that react with oxygen to flash light. Red light is unique to the ocean-dwelling varieties.

An infection of pyrrhophyte origin

Osmotroph – a parasitic creature that absorbs nutrients from its host

Sessile – a living creature that is more or less immobile

Sea snail Murex – makes purple slime that is used to color our Tyrian purple (royal purple) absinth

Family Blechnaceae (family, genus, species)

Organobromide

Rhodymenia palmate (genus species of), dulse, a cultivated seaweed often used as a food source

Húsafell – a town in the west county of Iceland; there are hot springs

Okjökull – a glacier in western Iceland

Selgil – a hot spring near Húsafell

Tatra mountains – mountain chain of the western Carpathians (hot springs in Poland)

Þingvellier – the rift valley where Vikings held the first Alþing, parliament, in Iceland

Þingvallavatn – the large lake at Þingvellier

Lögberg – Law Rock

Drekkingarhylur – drowning pool

Öxará River – the river that runs through Þingvellier and forms the drowning pool

Raufarhólshellir – lava tubes/cave

Reykjavík – capital of Iceland

Mývatn – town in Northern Iceland; home of Grýla and the Yule Lads

Grjótagjá – caves in Northern Iceland

Okjökull – a glacier

Loftskip – Icelandic for airship, dirigible

Loftskipið  – The Airship

Loftskipið Grænndreki – The Airship Green Dragon

Helvíti – “hell” 

ástin mín – “my sweet”

Völva – a Scandinavian witch

Seiðr – Scandinavian magic

Eldskrift – Fire Script, a tattoo using fire fern cells

Eldvörður – Fire Script Guardians, Eldskrift tattooed guards from long ago

Eitr – a mythological Norse substance, both a poison and the origin of all living things

Skuggabaldur – a fierce creature born when a female arctic fox and a male cat have offspring

Sálbundið – soul bound, a marriage marked with a special tattoo

Hjarta – heart

Þokki – grace

Ást – love

Sólættir – highest ranking huldufólk

Goði – a Viking pagan priest

Búð – booth

Þorrablót – a mid-winter feasting festival meaning ‘sacrifice’, now a feast to honor Thor, an excuse to break out the old Icelandic foods

Alþingi – an Icelandic parliament

Gyrfalcon – Iceland’s symbolic bird of prey

Sunstone – Icelandic spar, the stone Vikings used to navigate on cloudy days

Skautbúningur – a traditional Icelandic gown with a velvet bodice, embroidered with silver thread and adorned with delicate filigree: clasps, broaches and rings of heirloom silver. 

Spöng – a traditional Icelandi

Viking

Serk – A long-sleeved linen chemise secured

Smokker – Strapless apron pinned in place upon her chest with two large ornate oval brooches between which hung a string of colorful glass beads

Inn mátki munr – the mighty passion (love) – a Viking saying in Old Norse

Helvíti – an Icelandic curse “hell”

Loftskip – Icelandic for airship, dirigible

The Loftskip Grænndreki – The Airship Green Dragon

Loftskipið Grænndreki – ið adds “the” so instead of Airship GreenDragon, it becomes “The Airship Green Dragon”

Völva – a Scandinavian witch

Seiðr – Scandinavian magic

ástin mín –my love

Eldskrift – Fire Script, a tattoo using fire fern cells

Eldvörður – Fire Script Guardians, Eldskrift tattooed guards from long ago

Eitr – a mythological Norse substance, both a poison and the origin of all living things

Skuggabaldur – a fierce creature born when a female arctic fox and a male cat have offspring

Sálbundið – soul bound, a marriage marked with a special tattoo

Sólættir—highest ranking huldufólk

Goði – a Viking pagan priest

Búð – booth (Búðir is the plural)

Þorrablót ⟨Thorrablót⟩ – a mid-winter feasting festival meaning ‘sacrifice’, now a feast to honor Thor, an excuse to break out the old Icelandic foods

Alþingi ⟨Althingi⟩ – an Icelandic parliament

hjarta, þokki, and ást – Icelandic words turned into bindrunes: heart, grace & love

Skyr – Icelandic yogurt

Spöng – part of national Icelandic dress

Farðu til helvítis, drullusokkur! Go to hell, you piece of shit.

Það er búið. Hún er farin. It is done. She is gone. 

Kristalsís binst og bognar er eldur vaknar upp og glóðir loga. Kuldinn mun ei lengur bíta, né nóttin fela skugga sína – sár munu dofna og styrkur eflast. Crystal ice binds and bends as fire awakens and embers burn. No longer will the cold bite, nor the night hide its shadows—wounds will fade, and strength will rise.

Viking Words/Clothes

Inn mátki munr – the mighty passion (love) – a Viking saying in Old Norse?

Serk – a long-sleeved linen chemise secured

Smokker – strapless apron pinned in place upon her chest with two large ornate oval brooches between which hung a string of colorful glass beads

Assorted other language bits

Rauðr – Old Norse for red (link to pronunciation)

Álfar – an Old English word for elf

Ýr – a rune of protection and strength

Galdr charm – old Germanic incantation

Fuþark alphabets

Nålbound – Scandinavian method of tying knots to make things like socks/hats/mittens, resembles knitting

Norwegian flag of Vestfold

Haakon the fourth

Polish mountainside was once home to a rusalka or a vila (witch/water sprite) (links to pronunciation)

Words with Icelandic Letters

Þþ “Thorn”  transliterated as ⟨th⟩

• Alþingi ⟨Althingi⟩
• Þorrablót ⟨Thorrablót⟩
• Þingvellir ⟨Thingvellir⟩

Ðð “Eth” transliterated as ⟨d⟩

• Sálbundið
• Eldvörður
• Goði
• Búð

Æ æ no transliteration

• Grænndreki
• Sólættir
• Æsir
• Gluggagægir

Norwegian (and Danish) letters

Øø

• Rømer

BLOG POSTS

Iceland Research That Shaped Icy Betrayals

Pteridomania: The Victorian Fern Craze

A Timeline of Icelandic Rule

Þingvellir: Where Iceland’s History and Nature Collide

Icelandic Runes and Bindrunes: Symbols of History, Magic, and Meaning

What Is Bioactive Glass? The Real Science Behind a Deadly Tattoo

Natalia Zakharova Kinross—heroine; organic chemist; Lady of Kinlarig

Luke Dryden—hero; cryptozoologist

Stuart Kinross, Laird of Kinlarig—Natalia’s dead husband

Rathail—cryptid hunter; sells rare animals and their parts on the black market

Aileen—housekeeper; granddaughter of McKay

Zia—a Russian Mountain Dragon; Laudakia alpino

Willie McKay—the ancient Kinross butler

William—Natalia’s fencing student

Dimitri Kravchuk—a man Natalia once thought to marry

Sasha—young, male dragonet; named after Natalia’s father

Yuri—a young male dragonet that died

Sir Ridley Sutton—historian of dragon mythology

John Dryden—Luke’s brother; gamekeeper

Misha Ivanov—aka Michael; Aileen’s fiancé

Parthenogenesis—an egg formed without fertilization by the male of the species; first observed by Charles Bonnet in 1740; a reproductive strategy mostly confined to invertebrates but known to occur upon rare occasions in amphibians and reptiles

Hepatitis—inflammation of the liver

Milk thistle—an herbal remedy to support liver function

Ventral coccygeal vein—ventral tail vein; used to obtain blood samples from lizards

Ernst Haeckel—German scientist first to use the term “stem cells”

Stem cells—cells that can differentiate to become other kinds of cells

Hematopoietic cells—stem cells that give rise to other blood cells

Amniotic stem cells—stem cells derived from the amniotic fluid and/or amniotic membrane; highly mitotic, undifferentiated and immunoprivileged

Extraembryonic tissues—tissue surrounding and supporting the development of a fetus (includes the chorion, amnion, yolk sac)

Growth media—a liquid/semisolid/solid material designed to support the growth of cells; can contain (according to desired growth) a carbon source (often glucose), water, salts, essential elements, vitamins, amino acids; e.g. agar plates

Xenograft—a tissue or organ transplant from a different species (xenogenic immune response=immune rejection of such a graft)

Immunosuppressant drug—suppresses the immune system to prevent the body from attacking transplanted tissues; in this story, a sulfated purine derivative

Petri dish—a shallow dish named for its creator; used to culture cells

Enzymatic cascades—a series of enzymatic reactions in response to a stimulus that regulates cellular responses; allows cells to respond to changing internal/external environments

Candling—shining a bright light through an eggshell to study embryonic development

Blood ring—forms inside the eggshell when the embryo dies and the blood vessels detach from the interior of the shell

Sulfur (S)—an element; atomic number 16; brimstone; bright yellow; solid at room temperature; a favorite treat of dragons and pteryformes; good for the skin and hair; compounds of sulfur often carry a strong odor

Department of Cryptozoology—the Edinburgh division funds Natalia’s research

Pteryformes—bird-like creatures with leathery wings; nocturnal; with a possible relationship to pterodactyls

Hyena fish—fish from the western coast of Africa; vicious; will swarm carrion, stripping it to the bone in minutes

Kraken—clawed cephalopods infesting the Thames

Dragonet—young or baby dragon

Rapier—a long, slender and sharp sword

Trouvé outboard—Victorian inventor’s first outboard motor

Snowdrops—a small, white early spring (sometimes winter) flower

Thermite—a metal powder that, when ignited, gives off intense heat (sometimes explosive)

Fuge—short for centrifuge

Married Women’s Property Act (Scotland)—permitted married women to own and control property (enacted 1881)

Potato scone—tattie scone; savory griddle scone

River Teith—a river in Scotland

Castle Kinlarig—fictional castle based on Doune Castle 

Postern door—a secondary door in a fortification wall

Stirlingshire—a county of Scotland

Scottish laird—name for the owner of a long-established, Scottish estate; though styled address uses Lord/Lady, they are not peers (of the nobility)

Trossachs—mountains in Stirlingshire north of Callander

Callander—a town on the River Teith in Stirlingshire; gateway to the highlands

Loch Lubnaig—a freshwater loch in the Trossachs north of Callender

Castle Edinample—a Scottish castle on the shores of Loch Earn

 ~~~

Katorga—a penal labor camp in Siberia during (Russian Empire and Soviet Union)

Kama River—Russian river; tributary of the Volga River

Perm—Russian city on the banks of the Kama River near the Ural Mountains

Ural Zavód—a secret Russian biotechnology laboratory

Ural Mountains—mountain range in western Russia running north to south

Kadskoye—secret Russian biotechnology facility first mentioned in THE SILVER SKULL

Bairn—Scots for ‘child’

Cyrillic—writing script used in Russia (and other countries)

Lapochka—Russian for ‘sweetie pie’

BLOG POSTS

On Location: In Pursuit of Dragons (The author gives you a tour of the castle)

German Longsword

SCIENCE

In Pursuit of Dragons leans heavily on cutting edge research of our own era: stem cell therapy. There are many kinds of stem cells obtained from a variety of tissues, and I needed to choose one. But which?  Off to primary sources I went. There was also the question of dragon reproduction. When I read about parthenogenesis in Komodo Dragons, things began to fall in place. Here’s your chance to take an in-depth look at the biology behind the book.

On the origin of the term “stem cell”.

Could Stem Cell Therapy be the Cure in Liver Cirrhosis?

Placenta as a reservoir of stem cells: an underutilized resource?

In Vitro and In Vivo Hepatic Differentiation of Adult Somatic Stem Cells and Extraembryonic Stem Cells for Treating End Stage Liver Diseases

Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons.

Introduction to Fetal Bovine Serum Class

Enter the Dragon: The Dynamic and Multifunctional Evolution of Anguimorpha Lizard Venoms

The Filter of Life

Evie Brown—heroine; librarian; medieval scholar

Ash Lockwood—hero; botanist

Dr. Bracken—villain; chemist

Mr. Davies—head librarian

Dr. Wilson—chemist

Mr. Black—Queen’s agent

Timmy—Evie’s nephew

Beatrix—Evie’s sister

Papa—Evie’s father

Mary—Ash’s former romantic pursuit

Brea—scribe of Hardwicke’s Leechbook

Mr. Thistleton—head botanist of Lister Laboratories

Mengri—clockwork attack squirrel.

Gypsy peddler—man in Hyde Park who controls Mengri

Lord Thornton—Queen’s agent; earl; hero of The Golden Spider

Botany

Oleander—a bush or a small tree; all its parts are deadly

Oleandrin—bioactive component (poison) of the oleander shrub

Amatiflora—gypsy name for a (fictional) flower; pick during the full moon for full potency; a twisting vine that bears white flowers; blooms late summer; used to make a nerve calming agent

Gingerols and shogaols—ginger constituents

Mistletoe—a parasitic plant; Viscum album; poisonous if consumed in large enough quantities

Viscum album—scientific name for mistletoe

Hemiparasitic plant—a somewhat photosynthetic plant, but one that prefers to draw its nutrients and water from a host plant

Haustorium—structures that grow into a host tree, drawing water and nutrients into a parasitic plant

Taxus baccata—scientific name for the Yew bush

Sambucus nigra—scientific name for the Elderberry

English Oak—an oak species native to most of Europe and sacred to the druids

Panellus stipticus—the bitter oyster, a North American variety of the fungus responsible for legends of foxfire (Mycelial bioluminescence)

Mycelial bioluminescence—light produced by a fungus

Hawthorn—a shrub/bush with medicinal properties

Dried hemlock—a fine, white powder from the hemlock plant; poisonous; used to execute Socrates

Books

A Survey of Metals in Medieval Remedies, Magic or Medicine?—Evie and Dr. Wilson’s re-examination of an 1865 translation of medieval medical texts; fictional

Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft of Early England—translation of eleventh century Anglo-Saxon medical texts by one Oswald Cockayne.

Lacnunga—one of the volumes translated in Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft of Early England

The Old English Herbal—the British library possesses the sole illustrated copy of this Old English medieval herbal

Hardwicke’s Leechbook—fictional medieval text discovered by Evie and Ash, written by the fictional Brea

Complete Herbal and English Physician—a book of herbal remedies; completed in 1653 and written by Culpeper

The London Dispensatory—a pharmaceutical text; written/compiled in 1822 by A.T. Thompson

Ashmole 1505—a copy of Bernard de Gordon’s Lilium medicinae in Middle English and the inspiration for A SNOWFLAKE AT MIDNIGHT

Medical Terms

Wen-salve—a topical cure for tumors or swellings

Subcutaneous injection—medication injected under the skin

Copper and silver—elements with known antimicrobial properties

Cardiotoxic—toxic to the heart

Hepatotoxic—toxic to the liver

Nephrotoxic—toxic to the kidneys

Hatton Chair of Chemistry—an official academic position within the Lister Institute that comes with privileges and responsibilities

Yule log—an enormous log brought into the house, often decorated, and burned during the duration of Christmas

Lucifer lamp—a lamp with blue-white light generated by bioluminescent bacteria; name originates from luciferase

Queen’s agents— spies who work for the Queen under the supervision of the Duke of Avesbury

Oversight Committee—the group that oversees research projects in the Lister Institute

Review committee—the group that plans to review proposals and select the winning entry

Mincemeat—a traditional holiday pie made with, among other ingredients, currents, candied orange peel, cinnamon; originally contained meat

Stratospheric oxygen masks and wing packs—contraptions that are used in the even that an airship must be evacuated when in flight

Steam cook—steambot kitchen cook

Automixer—kitchen aid contraption

Pliny the Elder—a Roman author who, among other things, recorded some of the Druid traditions; with regards to mistletoe, he writes that it was cut down using a golden scythe while wearing white vestments

Iced biscuits—fancy cookies served, among other times, at Christmas

Romanichal gypsies—a subgroup of gypsies in the United Kingdom

Trees sacred to the Druids—Oak, Ash, Apple, Hazel, Alder, Elder, Yew

Wassail—a hot, mulled beverage involving cider; traditionally consumed at Christmastime

Tin whistle—also known as a penny whistle, indigenous to the British Isles; a simple, six-holed woodwind instrument

The Druid Oak—a fictional English oak growing in Hyde Park with mistletoe in its branches

Celtic—an Indo-European linguistic group

Cribiform wick—a device (wick) that absorbs and registers smells in order to inform a mechanical device; name based on the cribriform plate

Pectin coagulator—part of the lock that guards the morgue entrance to the Lister Institute; derived from the words pectin and coagulation

Nitroglycerine—a colorless, explosive liquid used in dynamite; in small doses, serves as a potent vasodilator

Goblin merchants—a reference to the poem ‘Goblin Market’ by Christina Rossetti

Fairy Queen—a nod to all the stories involving a fairy queen seducing a young man in the wilds

Posey ring—rings often given as an expression of romantic interest; “You have my hart” is the inscription on the ring presented to Evie

Mayan temples—built by the Mayan people in Mesoamerica, often pyramidal in structure;

Maudslay—a British archaeologist; among the first to study the Maya

Lister University School of Medicine—a co-educational medical school and research facility in London created to seek out the brightest young medical minds; associated with the Queen’s agents; Lister Laboratories; Lister University; Lister Institute; named for Joseph Lister

Captain Oglethorpe’s Luxury Airways—based in Dover; introduced dirigible boarding towers complete with various forms of gaudy, ostentatious, over-the-top decadence to amuse the wealthy 

Kew Gardens—the Royal Botanical Gardens in London

Girton College—a college of the University of Cambridge; a pioneer in woman’s education

Boroughbridge—a town in North Yorkshire

Oxford—a research university in Oxford, England

Bodleian Library—The University of Oxford’s main library; one of the oldest in Europe; opened in 1602; books were chained to their shelves (an inspiration for the Hogwart’s Library in Harry Potter)

Hyde Park—a large park in central London

British Honduras—a former British colony in central America now known as Belize

Old English

Old English—the oldest historical form of English spoken in the early Middle Ages

Wennsealfa—ointments for tumors

Misteltán—mistletoe

Āc—oak

Eow—yew

Ellæn—elder

Romani

Rúkkersaméngri—squirrel

‘Chavaia—stop

Av akai—come here

BLOG POSTS

Medical Mistletoe

Ye Olde Mincemeat

Getting Medieval 

SCIENCE

Mistletoe: Good for More Than Free Kisses

Durable response of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following high-dose peri-lesional injections of Viscum album extracts – A case report

Is Mistletoe Really Poisonous?

Mistletoe, the basics

Mistletoe Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae) on oaks in Britain

Comparative analysis of phenolic acids in mistletoe plants from various hosts.

Preparation of Herbal Tea as Infusion or by Maceration at Room Temperature Using Mistletoe Tea as an Example

Mistletoe Extracts

The Amazing and Mighty Ginger

The Twits by Ronald Dahl

MEDIEVAL

AncientBiotics – a medieval remedy for modern day superbugs?

A 1,000-Year-Old Antimicrobial Remedy with Antistaphylococcal Activity

Getting Medieval on Bacteria: Ancient Books May Point to New Antibiotics

Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces

Silver Gel

Medieval Herbal Remedies: The Old English Herbarium and Anglo-Saxon Medicine

Youyou Tu

‘Ancientbiotics’ team tests medieval treatments for modern ailments

Data-mining medieval text reveals medically bioactive ingredients

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015

What is an herbal?

Take a look at the illustrated Old English Herbal

Old English Translator

Special Agent Ryan Nolan—hero, cryptobiologist, attended Trinity in Dublin, Irish heritage

Charlotte Reid—heroine, paleontologist, early childhood spent in Jamaica, the western US and a few years in Europe

Mr. Francisco (Cisco) Alcantra—suspected smuggler

Rose—Ryan’s former fiancé

Captain Donovan—airship captain who served as Ryan’s mentor; Ryan and another character inherit the captain’s house

Maria Rodríguez—Spanish villainess; sister to Enzo Rodríguez

Glory—Charlotte’s dog, bears the same name as the dog who inspired this tale

Charlie Tims—one of Charlotte’s neighbors

Patrick Nolan—Ryan’s father; sick and dying

Liam—Ryan’s older brother; his steam car is “borrowed” in an early scene

Owen—Ryan’s nephew, Liam’s son; recipient of the iguana

Hobart Bigelow—historical character, fictional suspect; owner of The National Pipe Bending Company

Timmy—driver of the clockwork horse-drawn carriage that Ryan borrows

O’Conners—owners of the clockwork horse-drawn carriage that Ryan borrows

Ellen—Ryan’s sister

Enzo Rodríguez—Rose’s husband, herpetologist and head of the Zoology Department at the Peabody Museum; Charlotte’s boss; family fortune from exporting ironworks from northern Spain

Bixby—assistant to Enzo Rodríguez

Hiram—Charlotte’s brother; pathologist

Anderson—bone hunter mentioned

Mr. Peterson—museum employee who demands Charlotte help with a “pressing issue”

Dr. Carlos Tetzopa—visiting professor from Mexico, from the National Mexican Museum; Aztec (Náhuatl) surname, Z has an S sound

Romano—Rodríguez henchman in charge of “birds”

Tom Boyle—Ellen’s fiancé

Isla—Charlotte’s sister-in-law; wife of Hiram; mother of Princess Aileen

Aileen—Charlotte’s niece; princess

Paleontology—the study of prehistoric species

Quill knobs—bumps on bones that might have anchored flight feathers; possible evidence of dinosaur to bird evolution

Edward Drinker Cope—friend, then rival of O.C. Marsh; famous for involvement in The Bone Wars; associated with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; historical figure mentioned

O.C. Marsh—friend then rival of Edward Drinker Cope; famous for involvement in The Bone Wars; Charlotte’s ultimate boss, founded the Peabody Museum with his uncle’s funds; historical figure mentioned

Caenagnathid—bird-like dinosaur

Anzu wyliei—fossil named after a bird like demon from ancient Sumerian mythology

Cassowary—bipedal flightless bird; known as “the world’s most dangerous bird”

Archaeopteryx—genus of bird-like dinosaurs

Melanosomes—organelle that produces melanin pigment in animals

Organelles—a specialize subunit of a cell

Tyrannosaurus rex—large, carnivorous dinosaur

Intramandibular joint—a flexible joint in the jaw that helped the T. rex bite through bone

Kraken—squid/octopus cryptid creature

Pteryformes—fictional creatures in the Elemental Web; cryptid with leathery wings, reminiscent of pterosaurs

Cretaceous—145-66 million years ago; one of the geologic time periods when dinosaurs roamed the earth

Pterosaurs—extinct flying reptiles; wings formed by a membrane of skin

Pterodactyloids—last surviving types of pterosaurs

Pedagogical—of or related to teaching

Biped—creature that walks on two feet

Crookes tube or Cathode ray vacuum tube—forerunner to Xray machines; experimental vacuum tube that emitted cathode rays

Pentastomids—ridged vermiform parasite, Visceral pentastomiasis complicated by nasopharyngeal involvement

Tzabcan rattlesnake, Crotalus tzabcan (genus species)— Tzabcan is a Mayan name for the rattlesnake

Quetzal, genus Pharmomachrus—a colorful bird that lives in the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico

Herpetologist—someone who studies lizards

Alligator Mississippiensis—the American alligator

Edaphosaurus—a dinosaur, vertebrae, with impressively long spines mentioned

Anchisaurus—a bipedal dinosaur

Graphium deucalion—a species of a butterfly found in the Sunda Islands

Sunda Islands—islands in Indonesia

Petri dish—a shallow dish named for its creator; used to culture cells

Thermoconductive cell culture incubator—a fictional kind of incubator for growing cells (tissue culture incubation)

Collagen-based matrix—a gooey substance made of the protein collagen

Cartilaginous—made of cartilage

Acid solubilization—using acid to dissolve something

Dermal layers: ectoderm, endoderm, mesoderm—the three basic layers of embryological development; referred to as the germ layer

Stem arthropod—an organism that was the evolutionary precursor to arthropods (invertebrates)

Ontological—relating to the embryologic development of an animal

Crocodilians—an order including living alligators, caimans, the gharial and the false gharial

Maxilla and mandible—the upper and lower bones that make up the jaw

Phylogenetic—the study of evolutionary history

Caimans—member of the crocodilian family

Gharial—member of the crocodilian family

Downy feathers—feathers found under the tougher outer feathers

Pennant feathers—flight feathers

Rachis—the central shaft of a feather

Barbules—tiny hooks on feathers that hold the vanes together, stiffen them and enable flight

Proto-feather—an evolutionary precursor to a feather

Tyndall blue—a light scattering effect that produces a blue color; bird feathers appear blue via this mechanism (there is no blue pigment)

Foxglove/Digitalis—a plant that produces a poison (cardiac glycoside) that can be, in low doses, used to treat heart failure

Wormwood—Artemisia absinthium; also known as mugwort; a plant that produces chemicals used in herbal medicinal preparations (including being antihelmintic aka kills worms); bitter tonic

Gentian—a plant that produces chemicals used in herbal medicinal preparations; bitter tonic

Ophthalmoscope—a medical device that allows a doctor to look inside the eye

Intracellular—something found inside the cell

Tintype—an old fashioned photographic form made by depositing tin

Microbodies—a kind of cellular organelle (eg peroxisomes)

Keratin—a structural protein found in feathers, scales, hair, horns and nails (among others)

Tardigrades—an eight-legged segmented micro animal; hard to kill

Protostomes—organism that forms with the mouth as the primary invagination (infolding) during embryological development

Psittacosis / Ornithosis / Infectious zoonotic bacterial disease (Parrot fever)—a bacterial disease that often infects birds and can cause disease in humans; presents as a severe pneumonia; usually contracted when humans inhale contaminated bird feces

Chimera—a creature comprised of more than one animal or a tissue made up of more than one kind of cell

Atavistic—an evolutionary throwback; reappearance of a biological feature of an ancestor

Nitroglycerin—an explosive; used today in medicine as a vasodilator

Tapetum lucidum—a reflective layer behind the retina in some nocturnal animals that enhances the ability to see at night

Retina—the light-sensing layer in the back of the eye

Dodo—an extinct flightless bird

The great auk—an extinct flightless bird

Quagga (kwa·guh)—an extinct subspecies of zebra from South Africa

Tetrodotoxin—TTX; a toxin isolated from pufferfish

Conotoxin—a toxin isolated from a marine cone snail

Ammolite—an opal-like gemstone from fossilized ammolites

Kinetic chiroptera—a made up term for a mechanical bat that delivers messages, all bats belong to the mammalian order Chiroptera

Stabinsky Steamer car—a made up name based on a Polish surname

Improbable Biologics Investigational Service (IBIS)—the fictional US government entity that employs Ryan

Tommyknocker (Welsh as Coblynau)—a gnome like creature found in mines; often causes mischief

Quetzalcoatl/ Kukulkan—Aztec/Mayan names for the mythological feathered serpents

Mayan—meso-american native people who lived/live in southeastern Mexico, the Yucatan peninsula, and northern Central America

Chupacabra—a cryptic from the Americas that will suck the blood of livestock (especially goats)

Aetheroscope—fictional; a microscope that allows high resolution through the use of a vacuum chamber and aether

Savin Rock Park—an amusement park in West Haven, CT; established in the 1870s; closed in 1966

Wooster Square—historic housing area of New Haven, CT; also known as Little Italy, location of several famous pizzerias; Ryan’s father and his airship captain mentor each owned houses facing the square

Long Wharf—a location in New Haven, CT that once supported a very long wharf (and retains part of it today) stretching out into the harbor beyond river silt thereby allowing ships to dock, contained numerous buildings along its length

Peabody Museum at Yale (The Peabody Museum of Natural History)—Natural History Museum in New Haven, CT founded in 1866; the current museum was built in 1925; visit here for a history of the museum

Long Island Sound—body of water (Atlantic) that lies between southern Connecticut and the northern part of Long Island

Mill and Quinnipiac Rivers—the two rivers that drain portions of Connecticut and empty into New Haven Harbor

Harborside Park—a slightly made up park on the south side of old New Haven prior to the destruction of the neighborhood in the area to construct highway I-95; located near what was Water Street

Mansard Roof—a French style of a hip roof with slight angles that allow it to also support a full floor including windows

La Sorbonne (French university)—a famous university in Paris that Hiram, Charlotte’s brother, attended

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (museum in Paris)—where Charlotte wandered, studying dinosaur bones during her time in France

Yale—an Ivy League school located in New Haven, CT

Smithsonian Museum—the only building at the time of this story; the original museum in Washington, DC; where Ryan worked

National Mexican Museum (now the Museo Nacional de Antropología)—opened in 1825; has undergone many name changes; contains archaeological and anthropological artifacts from the pre-Columbian era; a museum not to be missed

Dwight Hall—one of the older buildings on the Yale campus

Statue of Abraham Pierson—statue on the Yale campus commemorating one of its founders

Marino’s (Italian name)—fictional Italian bakery; pizzarias were not yet a thing, but the local immigrants were starting to bake them in the backs of their homes and restaurants

Catalano’s (Italian name)—fictional Italian bakery; pizzarias were not yet a thing, but the local immigrants were starting to bake them in the backs of their homes and restaurants

Richter’s bar (German name)—fictional German restaurant; where Ryan buys bottled beer

Marseille corded quilt (French)—a lightweight bed covering

Ural Mountains of Russia—mountains where, in The Elemental Web, dragons live (see IN PURSUIT OF DRAGONS)

New Haven Green—park in New Haven adjacent to Yale that exists today; Charlotte lands an escape dirigible here

Dakota Territory—1861-1889; US territory that eventually became the states of North and South Dakota; sight of many dinosaur fossils and bone hunting of Edward Drinker Cope and O.C. Marsh; Charlotte bone hunted here; where Charlotte found the Anzu fossil

Wyoming Territory—1869-1890; sight of many dinosaur fossils and bone hunting of Edward Drinker Cope and O.C. Marsh; Charlotte bone hunted here

Cheyenne—a city in Wyoming; where Ryan left Charlotte after her ankle was injured

Trinity—a famous real college in Dublin which Ryan attended to study crypto biology

ASTURIAN

Cuélebre—a winged serpent dragon from Asturian and Cantabrian mythology

Iberian Celtic—the Celtic people occupying part of what is today northern Spain

Gijón—a coastal city in northern Spain

Celtiberian bronze carnyx —a wind instrument, trumpet-like, used in Celtic warfare to scare the enemies

Asturias—of Celtic origins, an independent kingdom between 718 and 910 located in what is today northern Spain

“Canon mi mantu”—an Asturian phrase meaning “shit”

MEXICAN (or in scenes related to such items or scenes)

Camellia sinensis—genus species name for black tea

Mescaline—a drug derived from a cactus; a hallucinogenic; effects similar to LSD

Peyote—a small spineless cactus known to produce mescaline; native to Mexico and southern Texas

Tequila—distilled alcoholic drink made from the blue agave plant; Mexican

Mezcal—an alcoholic drink made from agave

Zapotec—indigenous people of Mexico who live in the Oaxaca region

Obsidian—a black, glass-like volcanic stone; often used to carve art but can also be turned into sharp blades

Mayan—a pre-columbian mesoamerican civilization; Maya, its people, are still present and speak several of the original languages

Maize—corn

Cortez—a famous Spanish conquistador who invaded what is now Mexico in the early 16th century; his expedition led to the fall of the Aztec civilization

Conquistadors—Spanish and Portuguese explorers who led expeditions and carried out conquests in much of the “new world”

Aztec Chīmalli—a ceremonial shield

Mesoamerican—the southern part of North America that extends to the Pacific coast of Central America

Glyphs—pictorial or symbolic writing (found in the codices)

Mixtec (X gets a “sh” sound)—indigenous Mesoamerican people from the region near Oaxaca in Mexico

Mixtec codices (X gets a “sh” sound)—a folding manuscript from pre-Hispanic times

Amate—fig-bark paper, a type of bark paper manufactured in Mexico before indigenous peoples

Koo savi—a feathered serpent as it was known to the Mixtec

Mictlan—the Aztec underworld

Gypsum—a soft sulfite material (CaSO4·2H2O) used to paint things white (among other things – chalk, plaster/drywall, used as a fertilizer and for sculptures)

Gypsum gesso-covered—a white chalk-like mixture used to paint solid things white

BLOG POSTS

The Bone Wars

On the Mexican Antiquities

Lady Emily Ravensburg—heroine; botanist

Luca Sindel—hero; gypsy; master of clockwork contraptions

Rayka—gypsy woman in love with Luca

Nadya—Luca’s grandmother

Tesio—Luca’s clockwork horse

Lady Amanda—Emily’s sister

Lady Olivia—Emily’s sister

Duke of Avesbury—Emily’s father; gentleman in charge of the Queen’s agents

Lord Attwater—suitor for Emily’s hand

Lord Snyder—Lady Olivia’s fiancé

Wolfsbane—deadly poison if ingested; acontium; monkshood; queen of all poisons

Belladonna—a poisonous plant; also known as deadly nightshade and atropine is one of the active chemicals

Foxglove—Digitalis purpurea, a plant containing medically active cardiac glycosides

Bradycardia—a heart rate that’s too slow

Arrhythmia—a defect in the heart rate or rhythm of the heart

Roma and Romani—the gypsy people and their language

Vardos—gypsy caravans

Puri daj—Romani for Grandmother

Pliashka—a kind of engagement party in which the future bride receives a necklace of gold coins

Gadji/gadje—female/male person who is not Romani

Marhime—Romani for impure or ritually unclean

Knowlton House—Kent country house of the Ravensburg family

Viridis powder—turns flames green when thrown in a fire

Captain Oglethorpe—famous for his fancy airships

Chronospring—component of a clockwork horse

Sleipnir—an eight-legged horse in Norse mythology

The White Cliffs of Dover—eight miles of chalk cliffs near the town of Dover that face the English Channel

Bioluminescence—biochemical light produced by living organisms; often bacteria; often a brilliant blue-white light

Zoetomatic—battery powered mechanical creature

Gardener dies ‘after brushing against deadly wolfsbane flower’ on millionaire’s estate

Aconitum napellus (Monkshood): A Purple Poison

Botany Gone Bad: The History of the Deadly Nightshade Plant

Uses and risks of belladonna

Foxglove (Digitalis) 
A Little History and Some Growing Instructions

Digitalis: The flower, the drug, the poison

Lady Alice Hemsworth—heroine; engineer; would-be Queen’s agent

Mr. Benjamin (Ben) Leighton—hero; entrepreneur

Miss Clara Leighton—Ben’s sister

Lady Delphinia—a young lady out in society; almost-fiancée of Ben

Hugh Krause—German technology thief

Duke of Avesbury—in charge of the Queen’s agents

Watson—zoetomatic hedgehog

Lady Westmorland—held the ball where Ben and Alice shared a moment

Professor Armstrong—engineering professor in Edinburgh

Lady Gatwick—woman on train

Miss Cait McCullough—acquaintance of Mr. Black

Mr. Jackson—Queen’s agent

Aunt Ellie—Alice’s aunt

Burton—the Duke of Avesbury’s steam butler

Leighton Carriage Company—luxury steam carriages

Clockwork Corridor—street in London where gypsies sell clockwork components and contraptions

The Chemistry of the Secondary Batteries of Planté and Faure

Great Northern Railway—train from King’s Cross (London) to Edinburgh 

Newcastle—a city in North East England

Zoetomatic—battery powered mechanical creature

Societal liaison—women who work with/beside Queen’s agents

Queen’s agents—spies who work for the Queen under the supervision of the Duke of Avesbury

Rankine Institute—an engineering school in London; known to work with the Queen’s agents; courses include difference engine programming and robotic engineering skills; named after William Rankine

Markoid battery—a small battery (proprietary and experimental) that can power devices

THERMITE RAIL WELDING: HISTORY, PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS, CURRENT PRACTICES AND OUTLOOK FOR THE 21st CENTURY