X-Marks: Stealing Shadows

Manuals

"Hold it," Alger said from his workbench, his hands behind his back.

Mat stood in front of the other boys that were crowded behind the bench. Their eyes stalked a block Mat held above a brass contraption.

"Easy now, don't get too close or we'll lose it for good," Alger said and walked around Mat to get a closer look, "And remember, never let them stick together."

I had been waiting here, and not a glance of recognition had been made my way. This day was ending in the most miserable of ways.

At every stop, there was an awkward pause as the travelers looked me up and down. They no doubt wondered who I was and if I was lost. Once they knew why I was there the same script followed.

"Where's Evee?" they would say.

She's not feeling well.

"Is she alright?"

It's just a cough.

"When will she be back?"

I'm not sure.

I continued down my list and crossed off each disappointed strangers name until I reached Alger's. This was the last place expected to be treated like a stranger, and here I was in a corner, unsure if I should interrupt.

Mat held the block firmer until a faint click came from the contraption. He dropped the block like it was hot with fire. The crowd of boys cheered and Alger slapped Mat on his back. It was only then that I was noticed.

"Valen didn't see you there," Alger said, his hands in the pockets of his vest, "Hardly ever see you, in fact."

"Evee's sick, so Valen's organizer until she gets better," Mat said.

Alger's eyes opened wide as he stepped from behind the bench.

"Is she alright?" he said.

"She has a cough," I said as if reading from a list.

Alger's eyes relaxed and said, "I guess this has to happen from time to time. I'm sure nan is taking good care of her."

That I knew for sure. I hadn't talked with Ida in days since Evee's cough began it was making my already sour mood curdle.

"Is there anything you need?" I continued, ready to mark Alger's name off my list.

"There's very little to do. Evee made sure of that, but now that you're here," Alger said and rummaged through a nearby stack of papers, "There is something I need you to deliver."

"What is it?" I said, as the strike of my chalked stopped.

"Just some manuals that Neirin's been on me for months, but it's not my fault he couldn't read the first ones," Alger's said his nose wrinkled like Ida's and made his glasses teetered on the tip of his nose.

"What he and the rest of his clan needs is some schooling and not slacking all day on some oversized sea carriages. They couldn't even catch dust if they tried!"

Alger cleared a spot off his workbench and dropped a stack of papers on top. He gathered them with a fraying cord and handed them to me.

"Ask for Neirin at the fishing docks, let him know his new tracker will be debugged as soon as we can. It's just the Allies are finally catching on. Using new steel that our disablers can't get through. Buggy should be back with an updated one when he comes home from the Ally post. Tell him that and he'll leave you be."

I handled the stacks of pages between my palms, repeating Alger's words in my head when a high-pitched voice whispered from behind.

"Careful now," Mat said.

The other boys laughed with Mat and held their voices so low I could only hear the smacking of their lips.

I walked out of the room and wanted nothing more than for this day to be over.