already looked. One rider was way behind them, and two others roved much farther up the line of wagons. He motioned her over to the happy face. She followed uncertainly. “Say something to her,” Cole instructed.
“Today is the bestest day ever to make a new friend,” the cheerful face said.
The girl blinked, then looked at Cole in surprise. “How’d you do that? Are you a ventriloquist?”
“Yeah,” Cole said. “Cool trick, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “What’s the matter with you? Does this seem like a good time for jokes?” She scooted back to her former position.
Cole hunched down with his head near the happy face. He put his hand up to cover his lips. “Do you mind talking quietly?”
“Not a smidge,” the face said at a lower volume, although still chipper. “I’m just glad as can be to have a new pal.”
“What are you?” Cole asked. “How are you talking?”
“I’m a semblance, silly. I was shaped to talk.”
“A what?”
“I was made by Liam, the superdy-duperest shaper in all the land. After he was taken as a slave, he made me to keep him company. When he got sold, he left me here to cheer up anyone who talked to me. Feeling better yet?”
Cole could hardly believe he was talking to a magical happy face. It seemed even weirder to him than slave traders from another world. The little guy was so enthusiastic, Cole couldn’t help feeling a bit better. “Yeah, actually. Do you have a name?”
“Happy.”
“I’m Cole. Can you see me?”
“Sure, silly billy. I can see up your nostrils.”
Cole stifled a chuckle. He glanced at the other kids, but they all sat with their heads bowed, wrapped up in their fears.
“Does it hurt if people step on you?”
“Not a bit. You stepped on me when you came in here.”
“Sorry.”
“No harm done. You have a good sole.”
Cole smiled for Happy’s benefit. “You said the kid who made you was a shaper. Did he shape you with a knife?”
“No, silly, with his shaping.”
“What? Like magic?”
“Kind of, I guess. Life is magical.”
“He brought you to life?”
“Not really. I’m a semblance. I seem alive, don’t I?” The face gave a squeaky giggle.
“Did Liam program your words?”
“I just say what I say, Liam showed me the way, in this cage I will stay, while you’re here, we should play.”
Cole wondered whether Liam or the little face had created the rhyme. “Do you feel alive?”
“I love to talk, especially with a special new friend.”
The face seemed mostly designed to act friendly. Cole wanted to check if it could tell him anything useful. “Why is the sky like this? Why does it look like sunrise everywhere?”
“We’re lucky it’s a duskday—not too hot, not too cold. It’s nice to feel glad about the weather.”
“Are there lots of duskdays here?”
“They come and go. It depends. Are you from outside?”
“Outside of this place? I’m from Earth. These guys kidnapped my friends.”
“Don’t let greedy slavers keep you down. Whenever you fall, remember to bounce!”
“Listen, Happy. Can you help me get out of here?”
“I’d surely help if I could. I’m just a face on some wood.”
Cole glanced around to make sure nobody was noticing his conversation. No guards were near, and the other kids still ignored him. “You’ve been here a long time. Maybe you know something that could help me.”
“You bet I do,” Happy chirped. “Here’s a good one: If at first you don’t succeed, another chance is all you need!”
“I mean info about the slavers,” Cole said. “Or about this wagon. Secrets that might be useful to help me get away.”
Happy giggled nervously. “Don’t try to get away. It makes them very grumpy. You’ll get to leave when they sell you.”
“Where will they sell me?”
“The slave market at Five Roads.”
“What kind of people might buy me?”
“The kind with money, silly. The kind who need slaves.”
“What sort of work will I do?”
“You
“Today is the bestest day ever to make a new friend,” the cheerful face said.
The girl blinked, then looked at Cole in surprise. “How’d you do that? Are you a ventriloquist?”
“Yeah,” Cole said. “Cool trick, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “What’s the matter with you? Does this seem like a good time for jokes?” She scooted back to her former position.
Cole hunched down with his head near the happy face. He put his hand up to cover his lips. “Do you mind talking quietly?”
“Not a smidge,” the face said at a lower volume, although still chipper. “I’m just glad as can be to have a new pal.”
“What are you?” Cole asked. “How are you talking?”
“I’m a semblance, silly. I was shaped to talk.”
“A what?”
“I was made by Liam, the superdy-duperest shaper in all the land. After he was taken as a slave, he made me to keep him company. When he got sold, he left me here to cheer up anyone who talked to me. Feeling better yet?”
Cole could hardly believe he was talking to a magical happy face. It seemed even weirder to him than slave traders from another world. The little guy was so enthusiastic, Cole couldn’t help feeling a bit better. “Yeah, actually. Do you have a name?”
“Happy.”
“I’m Cole. Can you see me?”
“Sure, silly billy. I can see up your nostrils.”
Cole stifled a chuckle. He glanced at the other kids, but they all sat with their heads bowed, wrapped up in their fears.
“Does it hurt if people step on you?”
“Not a bit. You stepped on me when you came in here.”
“Sorry.”
“No harm done. You have a good sole.”
Cole smiled for Happy’s benefit. “You said the kid who made you was a shaper. Did he shape you with a knife?”
“No, silly, with his shaping.”
“What? Like magic?”
“Kind of, I guess. Life is magical.”
“He brought you to life?”
“Not really. I’m a semblance. I seem alive, don’t I?” The face gave a squeaky giggle.
“Did Liam program your words?”
“I just say what I say, Liam showed me the way, in this cage I will stay, while you’re here, we should play.”
Cole wondered whether Liam or the little face had created the rhyme. “Do you feel alive?”
“I love to talk, especially with a special new friend.”
The face seemed mostly designed to act friendly. Cole wanted to check if it could tell him anything useful. “Why is the sky like this? Why does it look like sunrise everywhere?”
“We’re lucky it’s a duskday—not too hot, not too cold. It’s nice to feel glad about the weather.”
“Are there lots of duskdays here?”
“They come and go. It depends. Are you from outside?”
“Outside of this place? I’m from Earth. These guys kidnapped my friends.”
“Don’t let greedy slavers keep you down. Whenever you fall, remember to bounce!”
“Listen, Happy. Can you help me get out of here?”
“I’d surely help if I could. I’m just a face on some wood.”
Cole glanced around to make sure nobody was noticing his conversation. No guards were near, and the other kids still ignored him. “You’ve been here a long time. Maybe you know something that could help me.”
“You bet I do,” Happy chirped. “Here’s a good one: If at first you don’t succeed, another chance is all you need!”
“I mean info about the slavers,” Cole said. “Or about this wagon. Secrets that might be useful to help me get away.”
Happy giggled nervously. “Don’t try to get away. It makes them very grumpy. You’ll get to leave when they sell you.”
“Where will they sell me?”
“The slave market at Five Roads.”
“What kind of people might buy me?”
“The kind with money, silly. The kind who need slaves.”
“What sort of work will I do?”
“You
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