course. Eventually I decided I liked springs and clockwork more than steam and weapons.”
“Weapons?” Jacob asked.
“Oh, that’s an old story for old men,” the vendor said with a smile.
“Would you sell one for five coppers?” Alice asked as she fished around in her purse.
“I can’t afford that,” Jacob said before he sighed. He’d thought about coming back later to see if he could steal one of the little contraptions, but now that he knew the vendor was a friend of Charles’s, he couldn’t do it.
“For a fellow apprentice?” the vendor said. “I would indeed.”
Alice handed him five coppers, and he took them with a nod before picking up the little sphere and placing it in a roughly woven beige sack.
“My name is James,” the vendor said. “Charles always liked to call me Jimmy, but do tell him I said hello, won’t you?” He held the bag out to Jacob.
Jacob looked over at Alice.
“It’s yours,” Alice said. “I don’t need that much more candy, and I’ve still got a few coppers left.”
Jacob took the sack and stared at it. “Thank you,” he said, not entirely familiar with people doing nice things for him. “Thank you.”
Alice patted his shoulder. “What are friends for?” She reached out and flipped the bronze switch on the side of a small rectangular box. It looked like a modest jewelry case, silver and adorned with intricate etchings. A run of high-pitched notes played, bright and happy.
“A music box?” Jacob asked, somewhat unimpressed, even if it did have a beautiful melody.
The lid popped open and a strange white bird waited inside. It spun to one side and then the other as it flapped its wings.
“Oh, wow,” Jacob said.
They all cringed when a horrible sound blared from the music box before the bird’s wings folded in and the lid snapped closed.
“Ouch,” Alice said. “Is it broken?”
James shook his head. “It’s a cock-a-doodle-doo. That bird went extinct a long time ago. It couldn’t fly very well.”
“It’s … great?” Alice said.
“The mechanics are pretty amazing,” Jacob said, “but that was an awful sound.”
Alice shrugged. “If I could fly like a bird, I wouldn’t much care what I sounded like.”
James laughed and wound up the old music box again. “Go on now, you two. Enjoy Festival!”
“We will!” Alice said as she grabbed Jacob’s arm and pulled him down the street.
They walked for a while before Alice said “Look” as she pointed toward the courtyard outside the Hall. “There are more games. It looks like someone set up more Cork fields.”
“You want to play?” Jacob asked.
“I want to win,” Alice said, laughing and dragging him toward the nearest game.
CHAPTER NINE
Jacob wasn’t sure how long they’d been playing games, but they’d won almost every one. He groaned and put his hand over his stomach when he and Alice flopped onto a wooden bench.
“Too much candy?” Alice asked.
Jacob looked up at the sky. “Too much … everything.” It was starting to get dark now, and the brighter stars were already plain to see. It wouldn’t be long before the only other light came from the street lamps. He couldn’t remember how many matches of Cork they’d won. Alice had a great arm, and her strategies could be even crazier than his at times. Their victories had led to food and candy and more food.
“I think I’m going to explode.”
Alice unwrapped a hard candy, a butterscotch, and Jacob looked away in revulsion.
“You couldn’t pay me to eat another bite,” he said.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I could,” Alice said.
Jacob watched her for a moment. “You’re a fantastic Cork player.”
Alice flashed him a smile and said, “Thank you.” She finished her candy and leaned into the back of the bench. “Did you ever think about trying out for the city league?”
Jacob shook his head. “No, but you should. That one shot you had? Where you looked at one goal, but aimed for a different
“Weapons?” Jacob asked.
“Oh, that’s an old story for old men,” the vendor said with a smile.
“Would you sell one for five coppers?” Alice asked as she fished around in her purse.
“I can’t afford that,” Jacob said before he sighed. He’d thought about coming back later to see if he could steal one of the little contraptions, but now that he knew the vendor was a friend of Charles’s, he couldn’t do it.
“For a fellow apprentice?” the vendor said. “I would indeed.”
Alice handed him five coppers, and he took them with a nod before picking up the little sphere and placing it in a roughly woven beige sack.
“My name is James,” the vendor said. “Charles always liked to call me Jimmy, but do tell him I said hello, won’t you?” He held the bag out to Jacob.
Jacob looked over at Alice.
“It’s yours,” Alice said. “I don’t need that much more candy, and I’ve still got a few coppers left.”
Jacob took the sack and stared at it. “Thank you,” he said, not entirely familiar with people doing nice things for him. “Thank you.”
Alice patted his shoulder. “What are friends for?” She reached out and flipped the bronze switch on the side of a small rectangular box. It looked like a modest jewelry case, silver and adorned with intricate etchings. A run of high-pitched notes played, bright and happy.
“A music box?” Jacob asked, somewhat unimpressed, even if it did have a beautiful melody.
The lid popped open and a strange white bird waited inside. It spun to one side and then the other as it flapped its wings.
“Oh, wow,” Jacob said.
They all cringed when a horrible sound blared from the music box before the bird’s wings folded in and the lid snapped closed.
“Ouch,” Alice said. “Is it broken?”
James shook his head. “It’s a cock-a-doodle-doo. That bird went extinct a long time ago. It couldn’t fly very well.”
“It’s … great?” Alice said.
“The mechanics are pretty amazing,” Jacob said, “but that was an awful sound.”
Alice shrugged. “If I could fly like a bird, I wouldn’t much care what I sounded like.”
James laughed and wound up the old music box again. “Go on now, you two. Enjoy Festival!”
“We will!” Alice said as she grabbed Jacob’s arm and pulled him down the street.
They walked for a while before Alice said “Look” as she pointed toward the courtyard outside the Hall. “There are more games. It looks like someone set up more Cork fields.”
“You want to play?” Jacob asked.
“I want to win,” Alice said, laughing and dragging him toward the nearest game.
CHAPTER NINE
Jacob wasn’t sure how long they’d been playing games, but they’d won almost every one. He groaned and put his hand over his stomach when he and Alice flopped onto a wooden bench.
“Too much candy?” Alice asked.
Jacob looked up at the sky. “Too much … everything.” It was starting to get dark now, and the brighter stars were already plain to see. It wouldn’t be long before the only other light came from the street lamps. He couldn’t remember how many matches of Cork they’d won. Alice had a great arm, and her strategies could be even crazier than his at times. Their victories had led to food and candy and more food.
“I think I’m going to explode.”
Alice unwrapped a hard candy, a butterscotch, and Jacob looked away in revulsion.
“You couldn’t pay me to eat another bite,” he said.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I could,” Alice said.
Jacob watched her for a moment. “You’re a fantastic Cork player.”
Alice flashed him a smile and said, “Thank you.” She finished her candy and leaned into the back of the bench. “Did you ever think about trying out for the city league?”
Jacob shook his head. “No, but you should. That one shot you had? Where you looked at one goal, but aimed for a different
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