...worth a try when she has the seed code written up.

She puts four hours a day into it. It's so boring and if she gets a number wrong she has to trash the page, that's what she can sustain. She mails a week's output at a time to Eliko so a lost package won't be too much of a setback but she doesn't wind up spending hilarious amounts on shipping.

She reads the books. She learns local musical notation, publishes writeups of her songs and works on a musical notation typewriter.

She receives a very official looking letter written on fancy paper with fine calligraphy inviting her to give a demonstration of her inventions to the Fire Lord's court.

...this is not really likely to be conducive to her work.

She asks the bookseller if it's likely that this invitation is actually a command.

Things like that usually are. She could find life in the Fire Nation becoming very difficult if she refuses.

Ugh. Okay. She will pack up a phonograph and a sewing machine and a typewriter and see about traveling to the court.

Happily, there is a ship in the harbor right now that is headed that way! It may have been the one that delivered the letter and also might have been waiting for her!

Which suggests that not showing up would in fact have gone poorly! She gets on the boat.

It is a very nice boat. It has a coal-fired engine.

Her cabin is spacious and well-appointed.

At least she's being comfortably shanghaied.

The Fire Nation capital is situated in the caldera of an ancient volcano. There is a switchback road leading down the side of the mountain to the large harbor and surrounding districts, which is protected by a seawall.

She can hike up a volcano with her appliances but she'd rather hire a cart if she can. Hauling them would attract attention.

As luck would have it, there is an escort of soldiers waiting to meet her, conveyances and all.

What a lucky person Tarinda is.

Her books say that those with excessive luck- good or ill- were once said to be spirit-touched.

The leader of the delegation, a woman in fine clothes, after a brief pause to take in her rather foreign appearance, hopes she had a pleasant journey.

"It was surprisingly lovely!"

"That is indeed good. The Fire Nation bears a somewhat unjust reputation for xenophobia, but we are always welcoming of those who have worth to offer." They start up the wide avenue which leads from the harbor to the mountain road. It is separated from the infrastructure surrounding the docks by walls dotted with towers at regular intervals.

"I've found all the citizens I've met to be friendly so far!"

Smile. "Yes, precisely. You have worth, and that is recognized."

"Your assessment is very kind."

"And not only in the colonies. There are several at court here who have watched reports of your... prodigious output with interest."

"I wasn't aware I was being reported on."

"It does behoove the capital to keep an eye on interesting happenings within its territories."

"I guess that makes sense!"

"We simply wish to be sure that all hands are turned towards the success of our nation."

"That makes sense too."