All ten-year-old Copernicus wants is to belong somewhere and to feel loved. But as an apprentice in Victorian-era London, love is as scarce as joy. Both he and his master's teenage son, Charles Hannover, dream of escaping the hot bakery where they s...
"Children!" she snapped as the boys crept out of the room. They looked back at her with frowns of confusion and dislike. Once again, her fake smile shined at them. "Darlings," she hissed behind clenched teeth, "where do you think you are going?"
"Wherever we likes. Where'd ya fink we was goin'?" Gibbs spat back. A warning snap of his father's fingers made him give a start of sudden fear and regret. He looked up at the man with a mixture of heart-broken respect in his eyes.
"We will have none of that!" Mordechai scolded. "You may very well be the commander of your brothers, Gibbs. But you are not the commander of my wife. You will pay your mother the respect she deserves."
"Indeed," Ebony grinned evilly. "And the obedience too. Now, little dears, I've got work for you." Her voice shifted between sarcastic endearment and hateful disgust. "Do you see the carriage outside? It's loaded with all of my things, and you're going to help the good men bring in my trunks. Be quick about it!"
A look in Mordechai's eyes told the children that no questions could be asked. How their hearts burned with anger as they hustled to obey the command. They were soon thrown into a busy evening of hauling trunks and bags galore into the house.
"Those three go up to my bedroom. And those two go to the kitchen," the woman instructed, pointing her long, bony finger at the boys. "And don't open that trunk, you precious wretch!" she growled at Twiddles. "Those are Mummy's things, don't you know? Get on with you, you're too small to be of any use to me!"
Twiddles went bawling to his father's arms, and the rest of the boys hated Ebony all the more. But their minds were taken off of their anger just a little as they continued to fetch their mother's belongings. They soon realized something rather peculiar: more than half of the things Ebony had packed were tall, long mirrors. She had them set up all over the house, and each time one was put in its proper place, she paused before it and smiled at her reflection with the greatest satisfaction.
Just when Copernicus thought his job was over, yet another wagon pulled up before the door, and more mirrors were brought in.
"Blimey! What's this?" he cried aloud. "Ya got more mirrors?"
"One can never have enough mirrors," the woman answered. And with a snap of her fingers, she ordered the boys to work again.
By the time they were finished, there was hardly a wall in the house where a mirror could not be found. Ebony loved them all. With so many looking glasses around her, there was never a moment when she couldn't admire her own beauty.
Terrible as the thought of having Ebony as a mother was, life went on, shaken but still in place. The woman was an unmerciful taskmaster when she was present. But to everyone's relief, she didn't choose to mingle with her new family much. She wasn't used to their nocturnal lives, and while they were awake, she was usually asleep. But even in the early evenings, she spent most of her time hidden away in Mordechai's bedroom, the only clean room of the house. She took her meals there, read her novels there, and sang her songs from there.
Mordechai spent a great deal of time with her, but he didn't shirk his duty toward the boys. He made a great effort to throw things back into their comfortable routine, and life almost felt normal again. He weighed their treasures when they got back from work, let the champion of the day sit beside him at the table, and before they went to bed, he bid them goodnight after telling them an exciting story with shadow puppets on the wall. It was enough for Copernicus. He could endure Madame Ebony. He could endure nights of sloshing through waste, and days spent completely in the dark as long as Mordechai was still there as his loving, protective father.
It wasn't so for Gibbs. He looked at the future and saw ruin lifting its fatal sword against him. A cold feeling of resentment toward Mordechai shattered the boy's devotion. He felt betrayed, discarded, unloved. While Copernicus did his best to move forward and accept the change Ebony had brought, Gibbs and Mose could not. Often, Copper caught the two brothers skulking in a room all by themselves and whispering to each other. They always threw him a look of startled fear and frustration when they found him spying, as if he had interrupted some secret plan. Something in their eyes told him not to ask questions, so as often as he saw them, he turned away without a word.
One early morning, Copernicus and his brothers came marching home from work, as lively and jolly as ever. Copper couldn't help marveling over the weight of the treasures in his bag.
It seems like an awful lot of tosh, he told himself proudly. But don't get your hopes up. You know Gibbs always finds twice as much as you do. It hardly mattered to him. He was used to Gibbs always winning the place of honor at their table. All he wanted was to see the smile of approval that would show on Mordechai's face when he looked into Copper's bag.
He pushed his way into the house, wishing he could get to the head of the line. But the pressing crowd was too fierce to allow it. He got stuck behind several of the other lads and had to wait his turn impatiently.
Mordechai's merry greeting rang pleasantly in all of their ears. Whatever valuables they had found, whether small or big, he praised them in the kindest way. He even marveled over the three pennies little Ozzy had found that day.
When Gibbs's turn finally came, Mordechai's mirth grew to high expectations. "My eldest son!" He smiled proudly. "How have you fared this day, my lad?"
With his face downcast, Gibbs hardly dared to raise his eyes toward his father. He hesitated as he handed over his bag and said, "I'm sorry. T'aint much."
A shadow of disappointment crossed Mordechai's face. He opened the bag and peered in at a small heap of scrap iron and copper. Then, he gave a little smile and pulled Gibbs close with one arm.
"We'll have better luck tomorrow, lad," he said encouragingly. Then, with one of his artful motions, he made his medallion appear in his hand and winked one eye. "I feel sure of it!"
All of the boys gasped in surprise. Their champion had failed? Gibbs's treasures were hardly worth looking at. That night it was Copernicus who found himself sitting close to Mordechai at suppertime. The boy was as happy as could be. Only, he thought it was very strange and unusual that Gibbs would find so little tosh.
If Copper had ever felt a vague belief in the medallion's power, it started withering from that day on. Despite Mordechai's faith in the gypsy's token, Gibbs came home every day with very little to show for his labor. The boy always looked so frightened as he presented his half empty bag. As he sank into a state of sorrow and shame, all of the other boys, except for Mose, Copper, and a few of the youngest, turned against him with venom. Even Mordechai's disposition took a subtle change.
"Must try a bit harder tomorrow, mustn't we, Gilbert?" the man noted with a quiet tone of severity in his voice.
"'At's right, Gibbsy old boy!" Porgy chortled. "Try 'arder like me! Father, look what I found today! I found a real silver pin all crusted wiv jewels! It'll fetch a pretty penny, won't it?" The pin was crusted with more than jewels; it was absolutely repulsive. But Mordechai exclaimed and marveled over it with the greatest joy.
Gibbs never uttered a word. He colored at the insults the younger children threw at him, but for once, he held his tongue and took it meekly. In silent dejection, he slunk away and hid.
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