The Curious Adventure

Chapter Three: The House

"Dr. Von Heikenroter." I slid into the shop, flipping the closed sign to open. I felt my heart sink; coming into the shop with it all closed up was an all too familiar feeling. I would get a call before he boarded his airship to God knows were. Maybe he's sent a postcard with manic scribbles detailing the adventure he was on. On the counter Everett's Arm was on display, its dull porcelain shin reflected by the glass and mirror all around it.

All is repaired, as good as new. Return to Everett. The master's identity is in my grasp this time. I'll phone you as soon as I know more. All repairs are to come into the shop, no house calls scheduled for today. –E.

"A first initial signature," I commented aloud, "He's feeling worse than I thought."

I stood behind the counter and anxiously clicked my fingers against the glass. I wasn't nearly as tall and the doctor. From my reflection, I could tell that I looked unimposing and unprofessional behind the counter.

The peonies from Everett still looked lovely in the window right near the open sign. Next to them sat a stack of papers the doctor picked up from the library. Maybe I can find him if I retrace his steps I thought lightly turning through the pages. They were housing records and plots of the city, maps of who owned what land.

I looked up from my work feeling guilty to be preoccupied as customers came in. "Welcome," I greeted them, stepping out from behind the counter.

"Is the doctor not in?" The woman of the pair asked with a heavily accented voice.

"I'm afraid not," I replied, sliding a notebook out from under the cash register, "he isn't feeling well but I can take your name and contact information if you wanted to come back for a fitting and I'm very capable of repairs."

The woman gave me an incredulous look but motioned for the man beside her to come forward. The fingers of his arm were frozen in a half-grasping position. I tossed on the doctor's apron and hopped up on the counter so I was tall enough to reach the man's arm. I wasn't dressed to be covered in grease today. I rolled up his sleeve and popped off the side panel.

He exchanged nervous glances with his wife as I worked removing the first layer of gears to get a look at the cables underneath. "Here's your problem." I held up a gear to the light, one side of it was stripped so that it would pop out of the arrangement with its partner. "I'll fetch a new one and you'll be as good as new."

I slipped into the back room half hoping to find the doctor asleep in the bed in the back. Instead, I was greeted by another mound of documents, this time it was the shipping manifests from the great collapse he had mentioned. I held the gear up to the others strewn about his workbench until I found a match.

"All set!" I proclaimed hopping back up on the counter to reassemble his arm. He said a few things to his wife in a foreign language and nodded to me with a smile.

"What is payment going to look like?" His wife asked, as her husband flexed his fingers.

"10 commons," I responded, the pair passed me coins across the counter and went on their way.

I leaned against the door to the workshop and dialed the operator. "Hello, can you get me to Greene's Greenhouse? Thank you." I hung the apron back on its hook while listening to the phone ring on the other line.

"Greene's Greenhouse, Everett speaking."

"Everett, it's Ellowyn. Your arm is in the shop anytime you're able to pick it up."