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"There’s a question I need to ask you," I say "About Bay and Fen"

True glances around at the busy deepmarket "Can you ask it here?"

"Maybe not," I say

True nods and starts pushing his cart again "Come with me," he says I follow him around the corner of a row of stalls The plastic-and-wire slats keep out ht and it’s a bit dim and deserted "There," he says "It’s quieter here"

I , but I’

Slass bowls filled with turquoise-colored water

The fish are siether, and even though there is very little detail on them, somehow you know exactly what they are

"How do you do it?" I bend down to examine them more closely "What kind of join did you use so they can hts up and he takes a fish out of the bowl to show me "I call it a fishtail solder," he says "You attach it at the front and the back with a smaller rod It’s actually three pieces instead of two"

"How do you know to do this?"

"I work on the gondolas," he says "I repair the with ine when he has ti his creations in the deeps," True says When he s the about him seems warm--his sainst ivesout on so machines of my own But how do you know about joins and solders?"

"I used to put the leaves back on the trees," I tell him "At the temple They had to be flexible, too But we should have done soe of motion"

The fish are so fast and fluid If I had some to practice with, I could use theates because they’re nearer to the surface than thebays--I’ll have a better chance of survival with a shorter swie in pressure--but there will still be plenty of et around I could try to avoid the fish while I swaive the people in the stands so different to watch They could ainst the fish, how fast I can make it to the end of the lane

True’s fish are exactly what I need

"How long can they go like this?" I ask

"Almost ten minutes," he says "Then you have to take them out and rewind the machinery"