The Clockwork Scarab

Miss Stoker Miss Stoker Goes Hunting

Miss Holmes didn’t contact me the day after the Roses Ball. Nor the next day, nor even the next. Her silence didn’t concern me . . . in fact, I almost welcomed the rest from her bossiness.

But when it got to the fifth day after our adventure with the Society of Sekhmet and I’d had no word from her or Irene Adler, I began to wonder. What a nuisance.

Miss Holmes must be sulking.

I took out my aggravation on Mr. Jackson’s Mechanized-Mentor, beheading his metal self in an explosion of gears. As I was picking up a dented cog before Florence came to investigate the noise, I was struck by an unpleasant thought.

What if my outburst had put Miss Holmes in danger with the Ankh and the Society of Sekhmet? What if she hadn’t been in communication because something happened to her?

I wouldn’t be worried for myself. But for Miss Holmes? The awkward, brain-beaked young woman spent too much time thinking and not enough time in action. She’d probably deduced herself into a trap.

Or maybe she was still sulking.

I supposed I’d better look into the situation.

However, that afternoon, Florence reminded me it was her day to stay in and receive social callers. She insisted I stay in and help her serve tea and converse with whomever came to visit. I was only able to beg off by claiming I had plans to meet an acquaintance at the British Museum and by forcing Pepper to accompany me so I wasn’t going unchaperoned. I wasn’t lying about my destination, and Florence was thrilled that I actually had a social engagement.

“Who are you meeting, Evvie?” she asked, arranging a vase of flowers in the parlor.

“Miss Banes absolutely loves the Greek Wing,” I said.

“Miss Venicia Banes?” Florence perked up, her bright blue eyes widening. “The very eligible Viscount Grimley’s sister?”

“Yes, she is,” I said, adjusting my bonnet. I avoided looking at Pepper, who stood by, attempting not to giggle. She was just pleased she’d be able to walk to the livery and visit her beau while I was at the museum.

“Perhaps the viscount will be chaperoning his sister today,” Florence said.

“It’s possible,” I called, rushing out of the parlor. “So I don’t dare be late! Good-bye, Florence.”

By the time I got to the museum, it was near closing. The guard warned me I had less than half an hour with the artifacts and antiquities as I breezed past and into the echoing halls.

I made two wrong turns, but I finally found myself at the Special Office of the Keeper of the Antiquities. Below the sign was the Royal Seal of Her Majesty the Queen.

“Evaline,” said Irene Adler when she opened the door. She removed her spectacles, blinking as if she’d been reading for a long time. “Come in.”

I stepped into the office. The last time I’d been there was the night Miss Holmes and I met, a week ago. Then, the office had been neat and organized, but today was a different story. Books and papers littered the large round table, as well as the floor, desk, and every other available surface.

“Have you spoken to Miss Holmes?” I couldn’t imagine anything more mind-raking than sitting in this chamber, reading books and organizing them for hours. The bottoms of my feet felt prickly and uncomfortable at the very thought. But Miss Holmes would probably be happy as a pig in slop.

Miss Adler looked at me in surprise. “Of course. She’s been—”

A door on the opposite side of the chamber opened and Miss Mina Holmes strode in. She had her nose in an ancient-looking book. Behind her chugged a small self-propelled cart laden with more volumes. It came to a halt with a little burp of smoke.

“Right, then. Are you moving the entire library into your office?” I asked Miss Adler.

The older woman smiled, and Miss Holmes looked up from her book. “Miss Stoker,” she said. Her voice was cool but not quite rude. “How kind of you to join us.” Now it had gone a little more frosty.

“I would have been here sooner, had you requested my help,” I replied. Glancing at the never-ending piles of books, I thanked Fortune she hadn’t.

“I wasn’t suggesting you offer your assistance,” Miss Holmes replied, her nose back in the book. “I was under the impression this was precisely the sort of endeavor with which you preferred not to be involved.” She glanced up at me with a flash of chilly green-brown eyes. “My experience is that you’re more inclined toward drawing attention to yourself so you can demonstrate your superior fighting skills, regardless of the dangers involved or the prudence of such activity.”

Right. Definitely sulking.

“And, clearly, without any semblance of plan or organization,” she added, thumping the book closed in emphasis.

I bit my lip. So I’d made a mistake. I hadn’t meant to draw attention to myself. I was just . . . doing what I was made to do.

I cast a covert glance at Miss Adler to see her reaction, but the lady seemed engrossed in the book she was reading.

“I would have been here to provide my help with whatever you’re doing. But I received no communication from you.”

Miss Holmes sniffed. “I didn’t realize you required a summons to your duty.”

My spine stiffened. “I—”

“Perhaps,” Miss Adler said without looking up from her page, “you might bring Evaline up to date on our discoveries and theories, Mina.”

Miss Holmes set her book aside and looked up at me. “You might as well take a seat.”

Her cheeks had tinged pink at Miss Adler’s gentle direction. I noticed for the first time that her rich golden-brown hair was in nothing more than a loose knot at the nape of her neck. Dark patches under her eyes made her appear tired, and her dress was rumpled. Had something bad happened? If so, I hadn’t been here to help. I’d been doing my own sulking.

“We’ve been researching Sekhmet’s instruments for the last five days,” Miss Holmes told me as I moved a pile of books to sit on a nearby chair. “I’ve not even left the museum and hardly slept—there are so many references to review. We believe that someone, presumably the Ankh and her Society of Sekhmet, is attempting to follow a legendary formula involving four items that either belonged to the goddess—which is unlikely—or somehow have some supernatural tendencies attributed to her.”

“What sort of instruments?” I asked, thinking of pianos and violins.

“A scepter, a diadem or crown, a cuff or bracelet, and a sistrum, which is a musical instrument.”

Right. Well, I hadn’t been that far off.

I listened with growing interest as she described each of the instruments. They’d found several passages about them in a collection of books and scrolls, and they were even mentioned on a stone with hieroglyphics on it. This sort of puzzle, tinged with supernatural and otherworldly elements, reminded me of the stories from my vampire- and demon-fighting family tree. One of my family members had battled an UnDead who attempted to infuse a large obelisk with evil traits.

“What did the hieroglyphics say?”

My companion gave me a pained look. “Hieroglyphs, not hieroglyphics. The former is the text or the characters, the latter is an adjective. To wit, a hieroglyphic text.”

I glared, and she continued, “The hieroglyphs clearly represented Sekhmet and her instruments, which gives credence to the writings we found in scrolls and papers that simply couldn’t have existed—or at least survived—for the thousands of years since Sekhmet was worshipped as the favored goddess. Thus, we believe the instruments do, or did, exist. But other than that, we haven’t found any further information about where the instruments were, where they might be now, and what they could be used for if collected together—which is the crux of the text that originally sent us off in this direction.” Exhaustion showed in her face. “We could be completely wrong about this, and meanwhile, more girls could die.”

“Wait,” I said, my eyes widening. “A scepter?”

“A scepter, a diadem, a—”

“Some men were taking a large, heavy crate from the museum on the night Miss Hodgeworth was killed, and one of them also had a long, slender object.”

“A large crate? Large enough for the statue of Sekhmet to fit in? Who was it?”

“How the blooming fish should I know? Someone who didn’t want to be seen. Or someone involved with the Society of Sekhmet.”

Did that mean Pix was involved? If so, why would he tell me about it? Was it possible he was aware of the Society of Sekhmet too?

“I don’t know anything more, but I can try to find out while you continue to research more information.” I didn’t try to hide my delight. At least I could be doing something instead of poring over page after page of cramped, faded, archaic writing.

“Did you see the thieves? Do you remember anything—”

“No, I didn’t see them. He said they went off southwise, though,” I added to myself.

“He? Whom do you mean?”

“Some con artist who goes by the name of Pix. I found him lurking around the outside of the museum after you left that night, and he told me.” I stood with enthusiasm. “I’ll track down Pix and get as much information as I can.”

I was nearly to the door when Miss Holmes spoke again. “There is one other situation of which you might like to be apprised, Miss Stoker. If you can bear to be detained long enough for me to do so.”

“Carry on.” The sooner I was out of the room and on the streets, the better.

“Mr. Dylan Eckhert is the young foreigner we found with Miss Hodgeworth’s body,” she said. “He’s been staying here at the museum because he has an unusual problem.”

“Why? Is he partial to hieroglyphs?” I couldn’t help but ask. Miss Adler’s lips twitched, but she remained silent.

“No,” Miss Holmes said in a cool, affronted voice. “He’s traveled more than a hundred years through time, back from the future.”

Right. I blinked. And let the concept settle.

The rest of London would never believe it of their staid, gear-ridden, mechanized world. Vampires. Demons. Supernatural instruments supposedly belonging to an Egyptian goddess . . . and now time travel?

Fascinating and intriguing.

Because of this, Miss Holmes probably expected more from me than a nod of comprehension. But being a vampire hunter, I wasn’t easily surprised by supernatural things. I simply asked, “Does he know how it happened?”

“He isn’t precisely certain, but he believes it had something to do with a man-size statue of Sekhmet. He was near it, and there was an illuminated scarab in its base. When he touched it, something happened and he was transported back in time. When Mr. Eckhert became aware of his surroundings, he realized the statue was gone and he was in a different place and time. I have no theories as yet what caused such an event, but I continue to consider a variety of possibilities. In the meantime, Mr. Eckhert has been assisting us with our research. However, he prefers to spend an inordinate amount of time in the empty chamber belowstairs where he arrived so suddenly. I believe he’s hoping something will happen to reconnect him with his world.”

“Thank you for telling me.” I was sincere. The poor sod. He’d been shuttled back in time to a strange place with no way of returning home? “I’ll look forward to meeting Mr. Eckhert again at the first opportunity. But now I’m going to locate Pix and see if he can give me any more information.”

“He’s likely our only hope, for any footprints or clues outside of the museum would have been obliterated in the last week. If you had seen fit to tell me about this sooner, I would have been able to examine the scene.”

I nodded, gritting my teeth. “You’re staying here at the museum?”

“For now. It’s more efficient than traveling back and forth, and I’ve had clothing sent over.”

“Then I’ll contact you here once I have news.”

As I rode in a ground-level horse-drawn hackney back to Grantworth House, I mulled over the best way to locate a shadowy thief in the dangerous London stews. Pix told me if I needed to find him, to ask for . . . Old Cap Anglo? Mango? No, Mago. Old Cap Mago. Who or what was that?

I went home to dress and arm myself for a visit to Whitechapel. Once home, I learned that Florence didn’t have any evening plans. Blast it! She’d be in all night, making it difficult for me to sneak out . . . and she would also want to ask about my visit to the museum with Miss Bane. She would also be filled with gossip about Miss Hodgeworth’s death. Even though it had been a week since the girl was killed, the tragedy was still a topic of conversation and worry.

I resigned myself to eating dinner with my family.

Naturally, Bram was at the Lyceum Theatre. But Noel, who was ten, ate with Florence and me. In fact, he managed to steal the last piece of apple bread right out from under my hand. He gave me a big, satisfied grin as my fingers closed over an empty plate. I glowered at him, but at the same time, I wanted to tousle his thick, dark hair.

“How was your visit to the museum, Evvie?” Florence asked, adding sugar to her after-supper tea. The Sweet-Loader whirred softly as its wheel turned and three lumps plopped into the cup. “Mrs. Yarmouth made a point of saying how much she missed you today. And last week as well.” She raised an elegant brow meaningfully. “And your appetite seems to have returned.”

“The museum was crowded. And Miss Banes didn’t make it after all.” I realized I’d eaten two beef short ribs, a large pile of roasted parsnips and potatoes, a generous serving of greens . . . and a piece of apple bread. I was going to have to loosen my corset before going out tonight. I eyed a plate of slivered pears.

“Mrs. Dancy asked after you as well,” Florence said, hand-stirring her tea with small, neat circles. “She mentioned her son Richard. Apparently, there was a mishap with lemonade? At the Cosgrove-Pitts’.” Her spoon clinked sharply against the side of the cup.

Drat! I forgot about the pears. “Uhm . . .”

“That’s not a particularly polite or ladylike sound,” my surrogate mother said. She speared me with her gaze. “I was under the impression you hadn’t received an invitation to the Roses Ball, Evaline. You knew how much I was hoping to attend with you.” Along with the displeasure in her eyes was a note of regret.

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry, Florence,” I said, trying to think of an excuse . . . and a way to remove that disappointment. She loved parties and gowns and frothy things. “I . . .” The problem was, I never spoke a direct falsehood to her. That was why I’d hidden the invitation in the first place so I could tell her I didn’t see it—because I hadn’t actually opened and read it.

Being a vampire hunter who didn’t lie was impossible.

“I know you don’t care for those formal occasions,” she said in a milder voice. “But it’s a necessity, dear Evvie. Bram and I promised your parents we’d make sure you were taken care of, that you’d be married off well to a nice young man from a good family. One that could take care of you.”

I could take care of myself. But Florence—and the rest of the world—would never understand that. “I’m sorry,” I said again.

“I’m utterly confused as to why you attended the ball anyway, but without a chaperone. What if you had met someone completely inappropriate? What if something had happened to put you in a compromising position with him? Then what would I tell your parents—and Bram?”

An image of Pix rose in my mind. Could there have been anyone more inappropriate at the ball? Or a more compromising position than hiding behind a heavy curtain with a thief?

Thank St. Pete that Florence hadn’t chaperoned me.

“I’m very disappointed in you, Evvie. To that end, I’ve asked Mrs. Gernum to save all of the mail for me in the future. And you and I will review all of the invitations and determine which ones we will attend. Together. I take my commitment to your parents very seriously. And your well-being too.”

Right, then. How many vampire hunters got reprimanded about attending balls and being chaperoned? Surely I was the only one.

“Yes, ma’am.” By now, my head was pounding and my stomach roiling, so it wasn’t a lie when I said, “I’m not feeling well. I’m going to go lie down.”

Florence gave me a shrewd look, then nodded. Her lips were flattened, once again reminding me how much I’d hurt and offended her. “Very well, Evaline. But I expect you to be awake and breakfasting by nine tomorrow morning. You’ll be going with me to the milliner’s and Madame Varney’s.”

Drat. Madame Varney was a seamstress, but going there was more of a social excursion than a shopping trip.

“Of course,” I said. And fled.

Once in my chamber, I rang for Pepper, hoping she’d returned from her afternoon walk with her beau, Chumly. I needed assistance to prepare for tonight’s excursion. I’d be leaving as soon as I could climb out the window, even though the sun wouldn’t be setting for another two hours. She was the only other household member who knew about my secret life. She was clever and enthusiastic when it came to arming and equipping me for my dangerous tasks.

Pepper placed a two-finger-wide stake in its mechanized sharpener and flipped the switch. It whirred as the small wooden stick spun in place, a long peel like that of an apple falling away from the new point.

“M’great-gramma Verbena allays said to hide an extra stake in yer coy-fure,” she said, sliding a slender wooden pike down into the mass of braids she’d already done up in a tight knot. “An’ keep an’ extry one in yer sleeve.” She handed me the newly sharpened stake.

“I’m going to need more than stakes tonight, Pepper. I’m hunting a mortal, not an UnDead. Where did you put my pistol?”

My maid’s strawberry-blonde hair bounced as she selected other implements to slide into my tool belt. She kept her hair cut short, because its wild, frizzy curls were impossible to confine in any sort of hairstyle. I wanted to cut my hair short, for long tails were a liability when in a fight, but my maid always argued otherwise. “An’ where would I put the stakes if ye did that?”

She produced the pistol, and I slipped it in a holster beneath my man’s coat, followed by a supply of ammunition. A knife went down inside one tall boot, and other useful items dangled from the insides of my coat.

Instead of wearing a tight corset beneath a split-skirted ensemble, I’d chosen to dress as a lower-class man in trousers and boots. I donned a loose neckerchief around my neck, arranging it beneath the open collar of a dingy shirtwaist. Tonight I wore a special corset that flattened my curves instead of enhancing them. A piece of string tied the coat together where the buttons would have been, and one of the cuffs was missing. The stake and another knife had been slipped inside the lining of each sleeve. A soft, slouching hat hid my tightly braided hair, which Pepper had pinned painfully in place.

Then she used a piece of burned cork to give my face dirt smudges and a hint of stubble. Powder lightened the color of my lips and the cast of my skin as well. A pouch of money completed my ensemble. I was equipped for anything.

Even Pix.

Warning Pepper to dissuade Florence, who might come to check on me, I climbed out the window. Moments later, I was down the maple tree, reveling in the freedom of trousers and low-heeled boots.

It was a long ground-level walk to Whitechapel and Spitalfields. They were the most violent and dangerous neighborhoods of London and where I would begin my search. In the interest of time, I found a hackney. But I got out at St. Paul’s and walked the rest of the way so as to keep my disguise as an impoverished young man.

Big Ben announced it was eight o’clock. The sun was low, its glow hardly able to slip between the crowded London rooftops and chimneys. The ever-present black smoke clouds billowed into the darkening sky, interrupting the pale pink sunset. A gaslighter sang some happy ditty as he extended a long, mechanized arm to illuminate a streetlamp. It came to life with a small, pleasant pop.

The farther east I went, the dingier, closer, and more putrid the streets became. Here in Whitechapel, the sewer-chutes were almost nonexistent, and those that were there were often clogged and left to unclog themselves or fill up and overspill. And in this area, the upper-level walkways were the more dangerous and dirty ones. One well-placed push could send an unsuspecting person tumbling off the streetwalk and down to the cobblestones. Because the streetwalks were narrow, mechanized vehicles were uncommon even at ground level. Horse-drawn ones passed through without pausing unless required to. People loitered on street corners, in shadowy alleys, and in small clusters near the steps of dark-windowed buildings.

It took only a few well-placed questions for me to learn that Old Cap Mago could be found at a public house called Fenmen’s End.

The pub was small and dark, like everything else in Whitechapel. Its entrance was three floors above the ground level. I rode up in an old, creaky lift that had been jammed open and didn’t require any toll. As I walked across the narrow fly-bridge spanning the air-canal, I looked down and saw one man throw another into the overflowing sewer canal.

Inside, the pub was loud and smoky. In the corner was a self-playing piano attached to a small steam engine. The off-key notes could hardly be heard over the grinding, squeaking mechanism. Three large fans whirred from the ceiling. They seemed to just press the smoke down instead of causing it to dissipate.

I’d never been in a place like this before: filled with men drinking, smoking, and swearing. In the corner, a group of spectators cheered on two men who were arm wrestling.

For the first time, I felt a shiver of uncertainty. I didn’t have a plan. I was used to walking along dark streets and waiting to be accosted by thugs, or seeking out vampires by sensing their presence. That was much different than having to pretend to be a man in a man’s world. I could take care of myself as long as I wasn’t outnumbered. But in here, in this crowded, confined place . . .

I’d have to keep my voice low and masculine, my cap on, and act like everyone else. With all the cursing and whooping going on, it didn’t seem as if it would be too difficult.

I made my way to the counter, where a slender, bewhiskered man darted about filling drink orders. “I’m looking for Old Cap Mago,” I said in a gruff voice.

The man flipped a thumb toward the arm-wrestling corner. “Over there.”

The men were shouting and crowing, jostling each other to get a better view. Money changed hands, and bets were called out. Being short and slender, I could squeeze through the crowd to see the contest.

The participant facing me was tall and dark-skinned. His bald head gleamed in the light, and he wore a gold hoop in one ear. He was the size of a house, but all muscle and height. Moisture glistened over his forehead and a bare, tattooed arm. There was an anchor inked on his skin. I’m certain if Miss Holmes had been there, she could have given me the man’s entire history at one glance.

His fingers curled around a tanned, more elegant hand than his ham-like one, and the muscle in his upper arm bulged like a small, dark melon. The bigger man looked as if he’d easily win the contest, but as I knew, appearances could be deceiving.

The opponent, whose back was to me, also had sleek, well-defined arm muscles, exposed by the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt. I could see his shoulders move and shift beneath the white fabric. A short, dark club of hair showed from beneath his cap. Even though he was in the midst of a tense battle, he laughed and talked to the spectators. When he turned to jeer at the other man, I caught a glimpse of chin and mouth.

Pix.

Well, now. I started pushing closer to place my own bet, but then I had a brilliant idea. Turning to the man standing closest to me, I said, “I want to challenge the winner.”

He looked me up and down. “Ye wouldn’t last a minute wi’ either one of ’em, lad. And ain’t no one gonna bet on a snakesman like ye.”

“I’ll take on all the bets,” I said, thinking of the pouch in my pocket. “If I lose, I’ll pay them all.”

Pix had taken me by surprise twice already, showing up in unexpected places and catching me off guard. Then he’d slunk back into the shadows, leaving me gawking after him. Now it was my turn to set him off balance.

A loud roar erupted. “Winnah!” The small crowd surged closer and then retreated.

“Now, damme, ye made me miss it!” grumbled the man next to me. “Who won?” he shouted over the uproar, then turned away in disgust. “Damn. Pix lost me two pound notes this time!”

“Pix lost?” I couldn’t help but grin with satisfaction.

“No, dammit, ye fool. ’E won. ’E always wins. I thought f’sure that bloke would have pinned ’is ’and down.”

My grin grew broader. Now I was even more determined to play. Making sure my cap was low over my forehead, I pushed my way to the table. Between my disguise and the guttering, uncertain lights, I was sure not to be recognized. I was careful not to look directly at Pix or to give him a clear view of my face.

“I challenge the winner.” I wasn’t surprised when the men exploded with guffaws and jeers. Fine with me. To convince them I was serious, I had to pull the pouch from my pocket. When I loosened its ties and tossed it on the table, the crowd quieted as a swath of coin spilled out in the dim light. “My bet.”

“Well, there, boyo. If yer wantin’ t’give up yer gilt so easy, who’s t’argue?” said Pix. Settled back in his seat, in a satisfied pose, he looked around the crowd, laughing. When he glanced at me, his smile was expansive, as if he were a king granting an audience.

I took care not to meet his eyes, pretending to flex my fingers in preparation for the contest. I knew my hands were too small and slender to be a man’s, but I hoped I’d be mistaken for a boy. A foolish boy.

“Why ye want t’give us yer brass, there, lad?” asked a stout man behind me. He was standing so close, he bumped up against my chair. The others had also crowded in so much I found it hard to breathe. “Ain’t no one ’ere ever beat Pix. Wha’ makes ye think ye can?”

Uhm . . . right. I hadn’t really thought that part through, had I? And drat . . . the last thing I wanted was to be recognized by my opponent before I slammed his wrist onto the table. Blast. “I—er—”

“The lad’s got t’be sodding drunk,” someone shouted before I could answer. “But he’s got flim, so I’m after havin’ a piece of it! The pansy wants t’give up ’is money and ye’re gettin’ soft about it?” A coin clanged onto the table, and all at once, others began to rain onto the scarred, dark wood. Someone began to collect the bets and separate them into two piles: mine, with only two small coins—and everyone else’s.

Pix lounged in his chair, jesting with the crowd. My opponent seemed to know everyone. He had a small glass of some amber-colored liquid, which he brought to his lips more than once.

“Well, then, shall we, boyo?” he said when the bets stopped coming. He placed his elbow on the table and opened his hand.

Looking at that long-fingered, masculine hand and sleek, muscular arm, I felt a flock of butterflies release in my belly. “Aye, let’s get to it.” I hoped it sounded like something a man would say.

I rested my elbow on the table and reached for Pix’s hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice that my palm was slightly damp. Strong, warm fingers closed over mine, grasping firmly as his thumb settled on the back of my hand. A shock of awareness flashed through me as our palms touched intimately.

Gentlemen wore gloves at all times, and I couldn’t remember a time I’d touched a man’s bare hand, except that of my brother. There was heat and texture. His skin was rough at the tips of his fingers, smooth on the inside of his palm. I felt the coarseness of a smattering of hair where my fingers curved near his wrist. And strength.

“Ready . . . set . . . go!” someone bellowed, and I immediately felt the pressure against me.

It was nothing. Pix was testing me. He expected to be able to slam my hand to the table whenever he was ready, and I decided to allow him to think so.

I kept my attention on the sight of our two hands entwined, one square and brown, and one slender and pale, and I made my expression appear tense. I allowed him to ease my hand backward a bit. He was hardly putting any effort into it.

Neither was I.

Pix turned away from the table, still pressuring my hand. “I’ll ’ave another one, Bilbo,” he called, lifting his glass. There was only a small portion left, and he slammed it back with an enthusiastic gulp.

“Come on there, Pix! We ain’t got all night. Finish it up so’s we get our glim!”

“Nay,” called another. “Two pence on the lad iffen he ’olds off Pix another two minutes. Put sumpin’ into it, laddie!”

I hid the excitement in my eyes, staring down at the table as a whole new round of bets rained onto the surface. How long could “the laddie” keep him off? they asked.

And that was when I started to put more pressure back.

Slowly, slowly . . . just a bit, until our hands were upright again.

And then I pushed a little more, waiting for Pix to pressure me back. I knew he was playing with me, but he had no idea how the tables were soon going to turn.

Easy, easy . . . I tried to appear as if I were struggling.

I pushed, easing him ever so slightly backward as he talked and joked with the others. Then all at once, while he was in the middle of a sentence, it was as if a mechanism switched on: his muscles tensed, his fingers flexed against mine. And he stopped me cold. Just stopped, didn’t push me back.

I fought back a smile. And I put a little more pressure against him.

His muscles tensed more as our palms ground against each other. He continued shouting out jests and even took a drink from his replenished glass as he held steady against my pressure . . . and shifted me back just a little.

And then I stopped him.

Smooth and steady, I increased the pressure. My muscles tensed as I eased his hand back toward the table . . . down . . . down . . . down . . .

The spectators noticed, and they were shouting now. Encouragement to me and jests to Pix. Pennies and other offerings tumbled into my betting pile, charging me to hold him off a little longer. No one expected me to win. They believed Pix was playing with me.

As if to confirm this, he increased his pressure again. His fingers tightened, and I could feel the tendons in his wrist moving against mine. He inched my hand up a little until our clasped ones were vertical again. I even let him tip mine over, backward.

He pressured me all the way down, down . . . until my knuckles hovered above the table. The spectators were hardly paying attention, talking among themselves, slopping their ale and whiskey about. They knew the outcome, and some were already beginning to gather up their winnings.

Wrong.

Deliberately, I began to ease Pix’s hand back up. He increased his pressure, but I kept mine steady, and I was stronger. I advanced: solid, smoothly, effortless.

I could feel shock running through him when he realized I was pushing him back up—and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

His conviviality faded, and he turned from his conversations with the spectators. For the first time, he placed his other arm as an anchor on the table in front of him, where mine had been all along. Despite the fact that he continued to throw out an occasional jest or insult, he was now concentrating on the match.

By now, the audience had noticed the change. Whether they thought it was another ploy by Pix to draw it out wasn’t clear. But he’d almost won just a moment earlier, and now I had his hand back up and over . . . and easing downward.

I could tell he was now employing all his considerable strength; it wasn’t effortless for me to keep his hand from rising. I was having to work at it. But, inch by inevitable inch, I forced him backward. Down . . . down . . .

He’d gone silent and dark with concentration. His muscles trembled with effort, but he couldn’t fight it. The crowd was quiet now too, and then all at once, there was a flurry of new bets flung onto the table. I hoped someone was keeping track of them, especially since my pile was swelling.

It was time to end it, and I eased his hand down . . . down . . . and then stopped. Just a breath above the table. Just enough that he knew he’d lost, but before the match was over.

For the first time, I raised my face. When our eyes met beneath the brims of our caps, I saw the shocked recognition in his . . . and then chagrin, followed by a flash of reluctant humor.

Having made my point, I relaxed the pressure, and he whipped my hand backward, up and over and down. My knuckles slammed flat onto the table.

“Winnah!”