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Authors: Joyce and Jim Lavene
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little strawberry seeds. It didn’t take a lot of brainpower. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of it since the press played that phrase up big time.” He looked at the burn mark on my shirt. “You haven’t been wearing your gloves.”
“Bailiff!” Princes Isabel’s voice was demanding and a little whiny. “We believe we shall need your escort back to the castle. We are feeling rather faint after this ordeal.”
Chase bowed (at least ten visitors’ cameras flashed) but smiled at me around her. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Isabel put her delicate little hand on his forearm, and they fell in step as her courtiers hastened to go with them (more camera flashes here). I watched them go a little longer than I should have.
Henry was at my side with an evil smile on his face. “I bet Chase hates that.”
“Stay out of it,” I warned, walking past him to go back into the shop.
Roger was at my workbench. The look on his face boded no good for me. “You left your torch on to go outside, Jessie. That’s inexcusable, even for a newbie. I’m afraid there’s only one way to learn a good lesson on that.”
“Uncle Roger, you can’t put her in the stocks because she made a mistake.”
“Shut up, Henry.” Roger handed me a broom. “You’ll have to spend the rest of the day cleaning up. That’s what happens to lazy apprentices. An apprenticeship with an important craftsman is sought after, even fought over. A single mistake like this could cost your life.”
I didn’t want to spoil the theater, especially with a couple of visitors in the shop. I took the broom and the punishment without saying a word.
“I thought you told me the stocks were the punishment for making a mistake,” Henry continued. “You made me spend a whole night out there when I first started.”
Roger ignored him and went back to working on a large fairy with delicate wings. The two ladies followed Henry to his workbench and watched him start a new piece.
I swept toward the back door, glancing up occasionally to make sure no one was watching. Did Roger really make Henry spend the night in the stocks? Was Henry crazy enough to do it? It wouldn’t surprise me. People here actually took care of a lot of problems that developed. I wouldn’t have done it, but I wasn’t inheriting Roger’s glass shop either.
Sweeping the trash out the open door, I accompanied the little bits of hay and leaves that had found their way into the shop. The weather was glorious. Deep blue sky above me and cool breezes swaying through the small trees. It would be great if you could make glass figures outside. That torch was hot even when you stood away from it.
There was a smaller building behind the glass shop. I decided to check it out and found it was used as a supply area. The broken furnace was in there. There was also an oven that was used for annealing. I’d read about the process during my research before coming down here. The process took out the stresses, tiny fractures in the glass that happened when the glassmaker worked with it. I’d hoped to use an annealer. But not while I was in the doghouse. I had to admit it was careless to leave the torch on. I’d remember next time.
“Hello, Jessie.” Master Archer Simmons from the Feathered Shaft walked by and smiled at me. “Another apprenticeship? ”
“I’m learning glassmaking this time,” I told him. He made me long for the familiar, for something I was good at. When I had been his apprentice I’d done very well almost from the beginning with making and shooting arrows. I had a feeling working with glass was going to be harder.
“Good luck to you. I hope to see you at dinner one night, even though we’d be crossing guilds to sit together.”
“I’m sure it would be okay for one night. It’s good to see you.” Master Simmons belonged to the Weapons Guild like Daisy, who made swords, and Hans, the blacksmith. Glassmaking, pottery making, and basket making all belonged to the Craft
“Bailiff!” Princes Isabel’s voice was demanding and a little whiny. “We believe we shall need your escort back to the castle. We are feeling rather faint after this ordeal.”
Chase bowed (at least ten visitors’ cameras flashed) but smiled at me around her. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Isabel put her delicate little hand on his forearm, and they fell in step as her courtiers hastened to go with them (more camera flashes here). I watched them go a little longer than I should have.
Henry was at my side with an evil smile on his face. “I bet Chase hates that.”
“Stay out of it,” I warned, walking past him to go back into the shop.
Roger was at my workbench. The look on his face boded no good for me. “You left your torch on to go outside, Jessie. That’s inexcusable, even for a newbie. I’m afraid there’s only one way to learn a good lesson on that.”
“Uncle Roger, you can’t put her in the stocks because she made a mistake.”
“Shut up, Henry.” Roger handed me a broom. “You’ll have to spend the rest of the day cleaning up. That’s what happens to lazy apprentices. An apprenticeship with an important craftsman is sought after, even fought over. A single mistake like this could cost your life.”
I didn’t want to spoil the theater, especially with a couple of visitors in the shop. I took the broom and the punishment without saying a word.
“I thought you told me the stocks were the punishment for making a mistake,” Henry continued. “You made me spend a whole night out there when I first started.”
Roger ignored him and went back to working on a large fairy with delicate wings. The two ladies followed Henry to his workbench and watched him start a new piece.
I swept toward the back door, glancing up occasionally to make sure no one was watching. Did Roger really make Henry spend the night in the stocks? Was Henry crazy enough to do it? It wouldn’t surprise me. People here actually took care of a lot of problems that developed. I wouldn’t have done it, but I wasn’t inheriting Roger’s glass shop either.
Sweeping the trash out the open door, I accompanied the little bits of hay and leaves that had found their way into the shop. The weather was glorious. Deep blue sky above me and cool breezes swaying through the small trees. It would be great if you could make glass figures outside. That torch was hot even when you stood away from it.
There was a smaller building behind the glass shop. I decided to check it out and found it was used as a supply area. The broken furnace was in there. There was also an oven that was used for annealing. I’d read about the process during my research before coming down here. The process took out the stresses, tiny fractures in the glass that happened when the glassmaker worked with it. I’d hoped to use an annealer. But not while I was in the doghouse. I had to admit it was careless to leave the torch on. I’d remember next time.
“Hello, Jessie.” Master Archer Simmons from the Feathered Shaft walked by and smiled at me. “Another apprenticeship? ”
“I’m learning glassmaking this time,” I told him. He made me long for the familiar, for something I was good at. When I had been his apprentice I’d done very well almost from the beginning with making and shooting arrows. I had a feeling working with glass was going to be harder.
“Good luck to you. I hope to see you at dinner one night, even though we’d be crossing guilds to sit together.”
“I’m sure it would be okay for one night. It’s good to see you.” Master Simmons belonged to the Weapons Guild like Daisy, who made swords, and Hans, the blacksmith. Glassmaking, pottery making, and basket making all belonged to the Craft
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