Steelhands (2011) by Jaida Jones, Danielle Bennett Page B
Authors: Jaida Jones, Danielle Bennett
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was healthy, too, with strong coloring. If he made a pass at my skirts, I was going to clobber him.
“Just … wanted to make sure you settled in fine, like I said,” Gaeth said at last, probably because nobody else was talking. “Is that … soot on your face?”
I brought my hand up to my cheek, and some cinders came floating out of my hair as I did so. Toverre winced dramatically, in the middle of polishing one of the brass buckles on my biggest suitcase.
“There was a problem with the fireplace,” I explained, pointing to the plate on the windowsill. “Had a plate in it.”
“There was a boot in mine, actually,” Gaeth said.
Toverre made a little clucking noise. “I haven’t even checked mine yet,” he said mournfully. “Do you think … No, I can’t
bear
it. I’d never crawl up into such a dirty,
dirty
place.”
“Could always give it a once-over for you,” Gaeth offered. Little did he know what he was getting himself into, doing something like that. “I’ve got a meeting with a finances advisor before supper, but after that I’m free.”
“As long as you don’t touch anything,” Toverre said. “And I mean
anything
. Leave everything the way you’ve found it, and …” His eyes darted to me, looking for all the world like a drowning man, and I tried to send him some form of encouragement through sheer will alone. “… thank you,” he concluded at last, though he sounded like there was a stone he was trying to pass when he said it. At least the actual words came out, which was a step in the right direction for poor Toverre.
“I’ll help, too,” I offered. “But I’m going to touch everything; you know I can’t help myself.”
Gaeth laughed, relaxed and steady, and Toverre even managed to join in, despite looking incensed. And just like that, we’d made our first friend in the city.
It only figured that he wasn’t actual city folk.
TWO
TOVERRE
Our first day of classes began in the bitter cold, the air so sharp that by the time we’d made it to the classrooms a delicate snow had begun to fall, dusting the rooftops of Thremedon like sugar powder upon a fancy cake. The whole city looked like a piece of wedding confectionary—at least, it did to
me
, but Laure had put her boot in a little yellow puddle only a few steps past our dormitory building, so she refused to agree with me about how lovely it was.
I had to walk down ’Versity Stretch on her other side the rest of the way.
Being a school with no separate campus for its students meant that the ’Versity was crammed right up against the city itself, so that even while making their way to classes, students might observe the most fascinating aspects of city life. I’d discovered that if I followed the Stretch long enough I would wind up at the mouth of the shopping district Laure and I had wandered into on our very first day in Thremedon. It was labeled
Rue d’St. Difference
on my map, and I’d practiced saying it so that I might sound as casual as possible when I finally did suggest it as a meeting place to a lover or newfound companion.
It had been difficult to get my desired amount of private time in my room for such practicing—Laure’s company was one thing, but Gaeth, too, had come to unstick my chimney just as he’d promised. There’d been a small metal pan normally used for cooking jammed in the flue, and I’d made him promise to take the thing with him, now that I knewit was there. Laure had suggested we might collect an entire dinner service at this rate, but not one whose practical use could be
condoned
.
Later that night, I’d been forced to lie with my stomach on the ground in order to properly inspect the floors for any soot or dust that might have come loose in the proceedings. I’d found none, but it had eaten into my time
considerably
.
There were shops along the ’Versity Stretch, too, but smaller ones, no doubt wishing to cater more to poor students and the size of
“Just … wanted to make sure you settled in fine, like I said,” Gaeth said at last, probably because nobody else was talking. “Is that … soot on your face?”
I brought my hand up to my cheek, and some cinders came floating out of my hair as I did so. Toverre winced dramatically, in the middle of polishing one of the brass buckles on my biggest suitcase.
“There was a problem with the fireplace,” I explained, pointing to the plate on the windowsill. “Had a plate in it.”
“There was a boot in mine, actually,” Gaeth said.
Toverre made a little clucking noise. “I haven’t even checked mine yet,” he said mournfully. “Do you think … No, I can’t
bear
it. I’d never crawl up into such a dirty,
dirty
place.”
“Could always give it a once-over for you,” Gaeth offered. Little did he know what he was getting himself into, doing something like that. “I’ve got a meeting with a finances advisor before supper, but after that I’m free.”
“As long as you don’t touch anything,” Toverre said. “And I mean
anything
. Leave everything the way you’ve found it, and …” His eyes darted to me, looking for all the world like a drowning man, and I tried to send him some form of encouragement through sheer will alone. “… thank you,” he concluded at last, though he sounded like there was a stone he was trying to pass when he said it. At least the actual words came out, which was a step in the right direction for poor Toverre.
“I’ll help, too,” I offered. “But I’m going to touch everything; you know I can’t help myself.”
Gaeth laughed, relaxed and steady, and Toverre even managed to join in, despite looking incensed. And just like that, we’d made our first friend in the city.
It only figured that he wasn’t actual city folk.
TWO
TOVERRE
Our first day of classes began in the bitter cold, the air so sharp that by the time we’d made it to the classrooms a delicate snow had begun to fall, dusting the rooftops of Thremedon like sugar powder upon a fancy cake. The whole city looked like a piece of wedding confectionary—at least, it did to
me
, but Laure had put her boot in a little yellow puddle only a few steps past our dormitory building, so she refused to agree with me about how lovely it was.
I had to walk down ’Versity Stretch on her other side the rest of the way.
Being a school with no separate campus for its students meant that the ’Versity was crammed right up against the city itself, so that even while making their way to classes, students might observe the most fascinating aspects of city life. I’d discovered that if I followed the Stretch long enough I would wind up at the mouth of the shopping district Laure and I had wandered into on our very first day in Thremedon. It was labeled
Rue d’St. Difference
on my map, and I’d practiced saying it so that I might sound as casual as possible when I finally did suggest it as a meeting place to a lover or newfound companion.
It had been difficult to get my desired amount of private time in my room for such practicing—Laure’s company was one thing, but Gaeth, too, had come to unstick my chimney just as he’d promised. There’d been a small metal pan normally used for cooking jammed in the flue, and I’d made him promise to take the thing with him, now that I knewit was there. Laure had suggested we might collect an entire dinner service at this rate, but not one whose practical use could be
condoned
.
Later that night, I’d been forced to lie with my stomach on the ground in order to properly inspect the floors for any soot or dust that might have come loose in the proceedings. I’d found none, but it had eaten into my time
considerably
.
There were shops along the ’Versity Stretch, too, but smaller ones, no doubt wishing to cater more to poor students and the size of
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