Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Manchurian Fire Throwers. Those are only for official pyrotectic displays.”
    Jinx looked over his shoulder. “Uh-oh. Isn’t that Mama Santoni calling, Ned?”
    Ned took his cue. “Uh, yeah. She’s keeping those biscuits warm for us in the oven.”
    “Sorry, Mr. Hinkley. If we don’t hurry up, those biscuits are going to turn into
fire crackers
. Just a little humor from one pyrotectic to another,” Jinx called as he and Ned walked off. Mr. Hinkley smoothed his mustache as a new group of boys crowded around the stand.
    Jinx and Ned wandered past the next few booths of carnival games, where vendors tried to attract the attention of passersby. “Step right up! Toss three balls in the hole and win a prize. Or try your luck in the shell game. Win a Liberty Head silver dollar.”
    “So much for your big con, Jinx,” Ned teased.
    “A con is merely the art of distraction.” Jinx studied the booths. “Come here.”
    Jinx grabbed Ned by the elbow and led him to the shell game. A man in a striped shirt and bow tie smiled a crocodile smile. A tiny monkey perched on his shoulder. “Ready to try your luck and win yourself this here Liberty Head silver dollar? It’s an easy game. I’m practically giving away money today. Right, Nikki?” The monkey twittered his agreement.
    Ned shook his head. “I’m not into wasting money. No thanks.”
    “Come on,” Jinx said. “It only takes a dime and you can win a dollar. Then you can buy Pearl Ann a bag of popcorn and a lemonade with change to spare.”
    Ned grimaced and placed a dime on the counter.
    The man lined up three walnut shells and placed a pumpkin seed under one. He shuffled them around. Ned kept his eyes on the shell with the seed, and when the man stopped, Ned tapped it.
    The man uncovered the seed. “You’ve got a good eye.”
    Ned was jubilant. “So, hand over my Liberty Head silver dollar.”
    “You don’t get that on the first try. It takes three chances. And each chance costs a dime.”
    “Go ahead, give him another dime. You’re good at it,” Jinx coaxed.
    “Oh, all right,” Ned grumbled, reaching for another coin.
    Again, the man revealed which shell held the seed and shuffled them back and forth. Again, Ned tapped the correct shell.
    “Woo-hoo,” Ned shouted. This time, he didn’t need any coaxing. Pleased with his success, he already had his third dime on the table and waited for one last game to claim his silver dollar.
    Again, the man shuffled and Ned watched as the shell with the seed went left, then right, then around and ended up in the middle. The monkey hopped onto Ned’s shoulder and twittered with excitement. “Hey, little fella. You know a winner when you see one, don’t you?”
    Ned reached to tap the middle shell but Jinx stopped his hand. “Not that one. This one.” Jinx moved his hand to the shell on the right.
    “But I was watching. It’s not—”
    “This one,” Jinx said firmly.
    “Now, don’t let him sway you, son. You’re a natural at this game,” the man said without his usual smile.
    There was something so definite in Jinx’s voice that Ned uncovered the shell on the right. There was the pumpkin seed.
    The monkey jumped from Ned’s shoulder, snatched up the seed, and popped it into his mouth.
    “Now, look here,” growled the shell man. “This is not a two-player game. If you want to play, put up your own dime.” The monkey chattered more and more loudly in agitation.
    Just then, Judge Carlson approached the booth, patting Ned on the back. “Keeping those legs warmed up, son?”
    “Yes, sir,” Ned replied. “I’ll have my work cut out for me staying ahead of Heck and Holler,” he said, referring to the Judge’s sons, who were also star runners on the Manifest track team.
    “That’s right, Judge,” Jinx said, emphasizing the word
Judge
. “He might even get a new pair of shoes with the dollar he just won. That is, if this gentleman will give Ned his rightful winnings.”
    Judge Carlson looked at