a
lot."
"She said that meant we were percocious," Greb said.
"That's 'precocious,' " Maerlynn corrected him. "That means you're
growing up faster than the average Jantri."
Or else it just meant the Brum-a-dum year was a little longer than
the Jantri standard. But Jack wasn't about to bring that up. It would
only kick off a new topic of conversation, and he might not get in
another word all morning. Getting a Jantri to shut up was like trying
to sweep back the tide with a paintbrush. "I'm sure you are," he said
instead. "So what do you say we have a party."
Both Jantris blinked in unison. "A party ?"
"I'm not sure we can do that, Jack," Maerlynn put in warningly.
Clearly, she didn't want to get the twins' hopes up and then squash
them like an overripe berry. "There isn't any extra food we could use.
Or anything we could make special treats from."
"That's okay," Jack said. "A party doesn't need treats. All it
needs is fun and entertainment."
"Like what?" Noy asked eagerly.
"Well, you already mentioned games," Jack said. "We might be able
to get the Klezmer to come over and play a few tunes."
"Oh," Grib said, sounding a little disappointed. "We get to hear
the Klezmer all the time."
"Or," Jack added smoothly, "I could put on a magic show."
Both twins straightened like they'd been poked with sharp sticks.
"A magic show?" Grib repeated excitedly.
"A magic show?" Noy echoed, his face glowing. "Can I come, too?"
"Absolutely," Jack told him. "It's for anyone who wants to come
and watch."
"Can we do it now?" Greb asked, grabbing Jack's arm. "Can we?"
"Hang on, hang on," Jack said. "I've got a few things I have to do
first. My laundry, for one thing—this shirt reeks."
"No, no, no," Grib insisted. "Now, now, now."
"I also have to put together some props," Jack said firmly. He
couldn't afford to start the show too early, after all. "How about we
do it right after lunch?"
"Okay," Grib said. "Can we tell the others?"
"You can tell everyone," Jack assured him. The bigger and more
noticeable the audience, the better. "I've got to go now. See you at
lunch."
He had expected there to be a mad crunch at the tiny laundry
facility, what with everyone trying to clean their clothes on the same
day. But to his surprise, the slaves had the whole operation down to a
science. There was a posted list that assigned time at the machines by
bed groups, and those in each group seemed to show up exactly on that
schedule. Jack's group was next, and with a little coaching by one of
the other slaves he got his laundry going.
He should have guessed they would have it organized, of course.
These people had been here for years, after all. Some of them, like
Greb and Grib, had been here their whole lives.
It took a little more work and ingenuity to assemble the props he
needed for his show. He was able to borrow a set of drinking cups and
some small vegetables from the kitchen, but the cards and coins he
needed for some of his best tricks turned out to be a challenge.
Eventually, he wound up sending Greb and Grib scrounging all
around the colony. They returned triumphantly an hour later with five
coins and a genuine if slightly ragged deck of cards. The fact that the
scroungers were Jantris also meant that the news about the show got out
more quickly and effectively than if Jack had sent out engraved
invitations.
Which meant that by the time he stood up in front of the berry
collection table, practically the whole colony had turned out to watch.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Jack said, picking up three
potato-like vegetables he'd borrowed from the kitchen pantry. "Welcome
to the first annual Greb and Grib hatchday celebration. I'd like to
start the show with a little bit of juggling."
He tossed one of the potatoes into the air and caught it. "There
we go," he said. "Like it?"
"You call that juggling?" someone called scornfully.
"Yeah, we want to see you juggle all of them," Noy added.
"Oh?" Jack asked, acting surprised. "Well . . .
lot."
"She said that meant we were percocious," Greb said.
"That's 'precocious,' " Maerlynn corrected him. "That means you're
growing up faster than the average Jantri."
Or else it just meant the Brum-a-dum year was a little longer than
the Jantri standard. But Jack wasn't about to bring that up. It would
only kick off a new topic of conversation, and he might not get in
another word all morning. Getting a Jantri to shut up was like trying
to sweep back the tide with a paintbrush. "I'm sure you are," he said
instead. "So what do you say we have a party."
Both Jantris blinked in unison. "A party ?"
"I'm not sure we can do that, Jack," Maerlynn put in warningly.
Clearly, she didn't want to get the twins' hopes up and then squash
them like an overripe berry. "There isn't any extra food we could use.
Or anything we could make special treats from."
"That's okay," Jack said. "A party doesn't need treats. All it
needs is fun and entertainment."
"Like what?" Noy asked eagerly.
"Well, you already mentioned games," Jack said. "We might be able
to get the Klezmer to come over and play a few tunes."
"Oh," Grib said, sounding a little disappointed. "We get to hear
the Klezmer all the time."
"Or," Jack added smoothly, "I could put on a magic show."
Both twins straightened like they'd been poked with sharp sticks.
"A magic show?" Grib repeated excitedly.
"A magic show?" Noy echoed, his face glowing. "Can I come, too?"
"Absolutely," Jack told him. "It's for anyone who wants to come
and watch."
"Can we do it now?" Greb asked, grabbing Jack's arm. "Can we?"
"Hang on, hang on," Jack said. "I've got a few things I have to do
first. My laundry, for one thing—this shirt reeks."
"No, no, no," Grib insisted. "Now, now, now."
"I also have to put together some props," Jack said firmly. He
couldn't afford to start the show too early, after all. "How about we
do it right after lunch?"
"Okay," Grib said. "Can we tell the others?"
"You can tell everyone," Jack assured him. The bigger and more
noticeable the audience, the better. "I've got to go now. See you at
lunch."
He had expected there to be a mad crunch at the tiny laundry
facility, what with everyone trying to clean their clothes on the same
day. But to his surprise, the slaves had the whole operation down to a
science. There was a posted list that assigned time at the machines by
bed groups, and those in each group seemed to show up exactly on that
schedule. Jack's group was next, and with a little coaching by one of
the other slaves he got his laundry going.
He should have guessed they would have it organized, of course.
These people had been here for years, after all. Some of them, like
Greb and Grib, had been here their whole lives.
It took a little more work and ingenuity to assemble the props he
needed for his show. He was able to borrow a set of drinking cups and
some small vegetables from the kitchen, but the cards and coins he
needed for some of his best tricks turned out to be a challenge.
Eventually, he wound up sending Greb and Grib scrounging all
around the colony. They returned triumphantly an hour later with five
coins and a genuine if slightly ragged deck of cards. The fact that the
scroungers were Jantris also meant that the news about the show got out
more quickly and effectively than if Jack had sent out engraved
invitations.
Which meant that by the time he stood up in front of the berry
collection table, practically the whole colony had turned out to watch.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Jack said, picking up three
potato-like vegetables he'd borrowed from the kitchen pantry. "Welcome
to the first annual Greb and Grib hatchday celebration. I'd like to
start the show with a little bit of juggling."
He tossed one of the potatoes into the air and caught it. "There
we go," he said. "Like it?"
"You call that juggling?" someone called scornfully.
"Yeah, we want to see you juggle all of them," Noy added.
"Oh?" Jack asked, acting surprised. "Well . . .
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