The Prince of Machines (The Last Mechanics)

by Holly Law

  Naton and Rebeka instantly scurried from the room, carefully avoiding the end of Madam Qwilfree's stick. “You're a lazy girl,” Qwilfree scolded her. “You've barely cleaned any of the dishes today.”

  “I'm trying, Madam Qwilfree. Something burned on the bottom of this pot and it is taking me more time,” Elisha said at once, not looking up from her work.

  “I'm glad to be free of you. You and your brother are the two most worthless orphans I have ever met.” Elisha looked up at Madam Qwilfree confused, not understanding what she meant. “You're eighteen today, or near enough as I can tell. You're no longer my burden.” Elisha could only stare as her chain was unlocked. “Get out of my orphanage and never come back.”

  “Gladly,” Elisha said and instantly moved to the door. She was outside the orphanage within a few more seconds. Her brother was out there already, grinning at her. Elisha didn't think she had ever seen a finer morning. “This was a pleasant turn of events.”

  “Definitely,” Eldwin grinned at her. “What shall we do?”

  “Make some money of course,” Elisha said as the two of them walked down the street. “Collect more scraps. Fix some machines.”

  “That didn't make us much last time.”

  “That's why we're going to sell them to people ourselves. I'll sit in the market with some fixed machines and sell them. You can collect parts during the day. We'll fix the machines at night.”

  “Huh, that could work. Don't know if anyone would buy machines from us though.”

  “It's worth a shot. I always heard people paid a lot for working machines.”

  “We'll see.”

  They spent the rest of the day going around and getting spare parts. As they had encountered before, people were eager to get rid of broken machines or spare parts. They rummaged through the garbage of places where no one was home. They spent the whole day rummaging like that. They made several trips back to their little tube under the bridge.

  It was getting dark by the time they had assembled all the pieces. It was a sizeable pile. They both sat down and started fixing the most likely machines. They were both very hungry, not having eaten at all that day, but they worked until they could work no more. Elisha fixed five small hand sized machines and her brother fixed up two larger sized ones. After working so hard, they both yawned in exhaustion and fell asleep.

  Elisha headed to the market place early the following morning. Her brother helped her, carrying the machines and some parts for Elisha to work on while she waited for customers. Elisha decided on a corner of the market she had never seen anyone use before. It wasn't the most obvious of places, but it would serve her purpose.

  It wasn't until nearly noon that anyone even approached her. It was a woman who was dressed in what seemed to be a store bought dress and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She was a severe looking woman and Elisha was wary of her. The woman examined her wares.

  “Where did you get those?” the woman asked her in a clipped tone.

  “They were scraps and broken machines others gave me yesterday. I fixed them and they all work perfectly.”

  “No one can fix machines,” the woman scoffed. “They look all scuffed up and worn out.”

  “No, they work fine. See, I’ll show you,” Elisha said at once, desperate to prove herself. She touched a button on a long thin tube. Slowly, light blossomed from the end of it that was a pearly white color. It wasn't made by flame and gave off no heat. Elisha had almost decided to keep the machine for herself. She turned on another one and it rolled forward to shine the woman's shoes. “See? They all work.”

  The woman stared at the machines. “I've never seen anyone sell machines before.”

  “No one else can fix them,” Elisha said with a shrug.

  “Tell me what each does,” the woman demanded.

  Elisha explained each machine the best she could. The woman ended up buying a small hand held machine that could accurately gauge the temperature of a fire. The woman confessed to being a baker and that such a machine would be immensely useful. The woman gave her three silvers for the machine. Elisha grinned at the money in her hand as the woman walked away.

  She had a few others come by after that. Each was fascinated by what she could do. “Can you fix any machine?” a man asked eagerly. He was a balding older man.

  “Any,” Elisha said. “If I have the parts.”

  “If I brought a machine by, could you tell me if you could fix it?”

  “Sure.”

  The man hurried off. He returned almost an hour later with a small little machine that was flat and hung from a chain. “It used to…” the man began as she examined it.

  “Tell time exactly,” Elisha finished for him. She popped open a panel on it and the man watched astonished as she readjusted the inside and replaced a tiny spring. The hands spun briefly after she closed it before settling on the correct time. It ran happily after that. “There you go.” She handed it back to him.

  “This hasn't run since I was a boy,” the man gushed. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Ten coppers?” Elisha suggested hesitantly.

  “A bargain,” the man said. “What a treasure you are! I'll tell all my friends about you and the miracles you do.” Elisha blushed as the man went off.

  Elisha made enough before nightfall to buy food for both her and Eldwin. She also bought a length of fabric to carry the machines to the market. Before she repaired anymore machines, she improvised a bag out of it. Nourished by the food, they worked much later into the night.

  The next morning, Elisha found several people waiting for her with machines that needed fixing. Eldwin grinned at her as he left her on her own to go hunt parts. All the fixes were quick and easy, and even after she raised her prices slightly, the people still called her work a bargain. By noon she had a small crowd around her. All her machines were sold, but everyone was content to watch her work on fixing a machine. As soon as a machine was fixed someone bought it. Once a pair of men haggled back and forth with each other until the machine went for five times what she would have sold it for.

  It wasn't until Elisha was nearly ready to pack up that the worst happened. A very well-off man recognized one of the machines she was fixing. It was one Eldwin had pulled out of the trash. “You stole that machine from me!” the man accused her, and the crowd fell silent.

  “Sir, all my parts and machines come from scraps my brother has asked for or the garbage outside someone's home,” Elisha told him. “If this was a machine you threw out, I would be glad to return it to you if you pay the price for having it repaired.” Elisha had just finished it and set it on the ground.

  “I won't pay for what is already mine,” the man said stubbornly.

  “Naturally not,” Elisha agreed. “Only the repairs, my prices are very reasonable.”

  “You had no right to that machine!” the man huffed. “Give it to me.”

  “Not unless you pay for the repair or I could break it again if you prefer.”

  “Give me that machine!”

  “Not unless you pay,” Elisha said firmly.

  “Guards!” the man called walking away. “Guards!”

  The crowd was all murmuring around her. All their eyes were skeptical. Elisha felt near tears. She had done nothing wrong. The guards wouldn't believe her—they never had when she had gotten in trouble in the past. Her lips quivered as tears came to her eyes. She could see the man approaching with a pair of guards. Elisha did the only thing she could do, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her out of the market. The guards chased her and called for others to stop her.

  More and more guards joined in the chase. Elisha's only hope was to try to lose them in the streets and hide. She ran for what felt like forever. Her lungs ached from the exertion in the winter air. Desperate for escape, she turned down an alley and turned the sharp corner at the back of some fine house. To her dismay, it was a dead end. She had no way out. She turned back just as five guards came down the alley.
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br />   Their expressions were triumphant as they saw she was trapped. “Got you!” one guard grinned viciously at her. “You've got no place to go, little thief.”

  “I didn't steal anything,” Elisha pleaded.

  “If you were innocent, you wouldn't have run,” the guard dismissed.

  “I knew you wouldn't believe me.”

  “What is going on back here?” a woman's voice demanded from the entrance to the alley. They all turned to look as the finely dressed woman stepped into sight. Elisha at once knew she must have been some sort of noblewoman. She was dressed in a fine green and red dress that was trimmed with fur. Her copper colored hair was pulled back and curled intricately. Elisha was not blind to the expensive jewelry on the woman. All that could have been missing and Elisha still would have known she was nobility. There was just something about the aloof manner of how she carried herself that proclaimed it to the world.

  “Just arresting a criminal, my lady,” the highest ranking guard said at once. “Nothing to trouble you or your students with.”

  “A criminal?” the woman asked, looking at Elisha. The woman frowned slightly and looked curious. “What is her crime?”

  “She has been stealing machines from people's houses and claiming to fix them,” the guard informed her.

  “I stole nothing!” Elisha objected. “The man had thrown the machine in his trash! I…”

  “Be silent!” the guard snapped.

  “Is all this commotion over one small machine?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, the girl wouldn't give it back,” the guard said with a shrug.

  “He wouldn't pay for the repairs!” Elisha objected again.

  “Dear, dear, dear,” the woman said, shaking her head. “What is her punishment?”

  “Probably a fine and jail until the fine is paid.”

  “How much is this fine?”

  “Fifteen silvers,” the guard said. Elisha winced at the sum. It was a ridiculous amount and one she knew would get greater every day until it was paid.

  “So little?” the woman said and reached into her purse. “Here, I will pay her fine.” She handed the guard fifteen silvers. Elisha stared at the woman, confused by the generosity. The guards looked at each other uncertainly, but could not argue with the elegant woman. They took the fine without question and went on their way. “May I have your name?” the woman asked her politely.

  “Elisha.”

  “Elisha, would you join me inside?”

  Chapter 4

  Elisha stepped into the building and felt like she had stepped into another world. The main entrance to the orphanage was only a mockery of the finery that overwhelmed her in the entrance. The warmth of the entrance was genuine. There was a fine rug with vibrant colors that spoke of the wealth of the woman who owned it. Small statues stood on pedestals in the hallway. Some were of elegant people and others were of animals. The lighting also spoke of the lady’s wealth. There were no oil lights on the walls. Instead, machines gave off a warm glow that the more primitive lighting could not manage.

  Elisha saw a few finely dressed girls her age watching her from the top of the stairs. The woman didn’t even glance to the girls as she led Elisha into an elegant sitting room. The chairs there were of fine, light pink velvet. Books filled the shelves, but Elisha couldn’t even guess their subjects as she could not read. Elisha barely noticed them. Instead, her attention went to a collection of small, ancient machines that were not working.

  “May I order tea for us as we talk, Elisha?” the woman asked her politely.

  “Tea?” Elisha asked blankly. She had heard of the drink, but had never had it before.

  “Yes, something hot to warm you up, I think,” the elegant woman said, pressing her hands together. “I will be back in a moment, please make yourself at home.” The woman left her and Elisha hesitantly sat in one of the chairs facing the table. Elisha felt like she must be dirtying it by simply sitting in the chair. The machines tempted her from where she sat. She clutched her hands tightly on her lap.

  Elisha resisted for only a minute before she reached forward and touched the first machine. She popped it open easily and discovered it required no extra parts. One little gear had simply become detached from another. She closed it up and activated it. A delicate little tune floated out of the machine. Elisha smiled at it and put it on the table. She reached for the second machine. She saw nothing wrong with repairing the machines in repayment for the woman’s kindness. The second one had a similar problem and proved to be a measuring machine that counted off lengths when run over any surface.

  “You’re very fast,” the woman complimented her with a smile. She came in carrying a tea pot and several small porcelain cups with a floral pattern on a silver tray. The tops were rimmed with gold.

  “It’s simple, that’s all,” Elisha told her with a shrug. “There was only a small gear in each that had fallen out of balance and was no longer moving as it should.”

  “I have met few who can even open a machine,” the woman told her. “Do you want cream or sugar in your tea?”

  “I um…” Elisha began, not certain what to answer. The woman looked at her expectantly. “I’ve never had tea.” She felt embarrassed by her confession and more out of place.

  “Oh!” the woman said and smiled politely. “Then let me set it up for you to try. I will add a bit of both for you.”

  Elisha waited quietly as the woman set up her tea for her. Elisha took the porceline cup hesitantly. She found she was terrified of breaking so fine of a thing. But she was also curious about the lady’s reasons for helping her. “Thank you for your help, my lady,” Elisha said hesitantly. “But I have no money to repay you for your kindness.”

  “You have already repaid me, Elisha,” the woman smiled at her. “In fact, I probably am indebted to you for your service. You repaired two machines for me that I greatly prized and have been broken for some years. A priceless service to be sure.”

  “I only charge a few coppers to repair such things,” Elisha disagreed.

  The woman looked stunned. “My dear, you have no concept of the value of your own skill! I know of no other with your skill for working with the fine details of a small machine. I know one who can build large machines, but small? No, there has been no one with such a skill for many years now. You are quite gifted. You could charge gold for your services and you would still not be charging enough.”

  “I…I had no idea,” Elisha said startled.

  “Yes, your skill is very valuable. I was wondering, Elisha, if you would be willing to provide me with your services in exchange for room and board, clothes, some lessons I provide to other girls, and some pocket change.”

  Elisha stared at the woman, uncertain what to make of that generous offer. She didn’t know what the lady’s motives could have possibly been to make her so eager to help her out. “My lady, I…I don’t even know you. Why are you so eager to help me?”

  “My apologies. My name is Lenora Dela Cora, I am, as you surmised, a lady. I serve in the Prince’s court as an advisor to him. I simply see value in your gift where others do not. Will you take me up on my offer?”

  “I am interested, my lady, but I have a twin brother, and he also does not have employment. We have never been separated. I…”

  “Of course, you would want to care for your family. That speaks well of you. If you wish your brother may work here and live in the basement. I have need of someone to care for the facilities and keep it clean. Would he be interested? There would be pay involved, too, of course.”

  “I would have to ask him, but I would think he would be interested.”

  “Excellent!” Lady Lenora said looking very pleased. “Then you may finish your tea and then tell your brother of your employment opportunity. May I have a room prepared for you upstairs on your return? And send for a seamstress too.” Lady Lenora looked at her speculatively. “A bath as well, I would think.”

  “It’s dangerous to bathe in winter,” E
lisha objected.

  “Nonsense, it is perfectly safe. Just do not go outside immediately afterwards to catch a chill. Now drink your tea up, and tell me what you think.”

  Elisha cautiously drank the tea. It was a strange mix of bitter and sweet. She told the lady she liked it, and the lady was pleased. Elisha was let out of the house after she finished her tea, feeling warmer inside than she had in over a month.

  She went first to the market to try to find her brother. He wasn’t there and her pile of machines and machine parts was gone. She sighed knowing all of her work had been for nothing, but was relieved that she would soon have a much more secure place to work and live. She went from the market to the tube under the bridge. She found her brother in there working on a machine. He looked startled to see her.

  “I was told you were arrested!” Eldwin exclaimed. He hugged her tightly. “How did you manage to get away from them?”

  “I was cornered behind a building, but the woman who owned the building paid my fine.”

  “Why?” her brother asked suspiciously.

  “Because she wanted to hire me. She’s a rich lady, came here with the Prince. She offered me room and board, pocket money, and clothes if I will repair and build machines for her.”

  “That’s wonderful!” her brother said, his eyes going wide. “You couldn’t have stumbled into a better opportunity.”

  “She said that you could work for her too, maintaining the house and she’d give you a room in the basement and spending money.”

  “Huh, that could work. This sounds like a lucky break. When do we start?”

  “When we get over there.”

  “Then let’s grab some of these parts and start walking.”

  Together they gathered up all the parts and machines they had and walked to the other end of town. Her brother was impressed by the part of town the woman lived in. Elisha walked up to the door and pressed the buzzer machine. She was disappointed to discover it didn’t work and knocked instead. “Guess I know what I’ll be fixing first,” Elisha noted.