Page 25 (1/2)

"About ti it He held it out topresent, Petula Try it on"

Nestled within on a bed of soft cloth was a brass bracelet shaped like a snake Copper dia the scales, and dull ruby eyes were set in the head

"Do I just pick it up and slide it on?" I asked

Vil blinked at les "Never had a clockwork before?" he asked "Where’d you say you were froood country folk Don’t make her feel self-conscious, you dolt" He picked up the bracelet and handed it to love and onto ht bite ot to i over to press a raised jewel between the eyes, which lit up I rinned slyly and added, "It won’t hurt"

He moved my wrist in front of my face With an odd whir, the little snake’s head turned towardyou," Criminy said softly "Don’t blink"

I kept ht went back and forth, flickering on and off The snakenoise, and then the mouth opened and released the tail I held my other hand underneath, afraid to drop it, and it slithered ontohow lithe the little robot was, how the scales flexed like those of a real snake

"He’s a little Uroboros," I said

"So tell hi patience

"Tell hat?"

"Tell him his na my rinding noise, then a click, and the eyes flashed once with red Then a black tongue made of thick wire flickered out and back in

"He’s all set, then," Vil said He pulled out a little slip of paper and read, "Press the head scale to move from rest mode to active and back All the common commands Guard, hide, find, and such He’s not nearly as complex and useful as a monkey, but honestly, I only had two days Oh, and for defensive purposes, he’s prograned, the elusive Mr Murdoch"

"Two doses of what?" I asked

Vil grinned "So, followed by unconsciousness"

"Sounds effective," I said "Thanks"

He beamed

I watched the s occasionally and s out and in I pressed the head scale, and he curled into a hoop, bit his own tail, and turned back into a very peculiar piece of jewelry I slid him over my wrist and took Criminy’s arm

We were off

15

We followed the deep tread marks of the bus tanks that had carried the city folk to the caravan The brown scars snaked through the hills and disappeared in the distant fog As alked in silence, I watched the countryside, coe place, and I’d never seen so much wide-open space in rass, small copses, and the occasional bludbunny

Whena fawn peeking out from behind a bush, I stopped to stare at the wide, liquid brown eyes Then a shower of leaves erupted behind it, and a red-eyed doe towered over the little brown for a s The placid fawn copied itsfrom the tiny, toothless mouth

"Back away, love," Criminy said "If you think the bunnies are bad, you haven’t met a bluddoe They’re rather protective"

I did back away, and I continued walking backward until the doe closed her hed at me, butthe dark possibilities of a forest where Snow White had more to fear from her animal friends than fros in an old leather satchel, and he looked dashing with his top hat and traveling cloak I wore a wool shawl and a heavy black bonnet that buttoned under loved hand in the crook of Cri across the moors made me feel as if I’d stepped pri But I bet even Elizabeth Bennet had never punted a rabbit before, and my current count was 137