A Clatter of Jars Read Online Free PDF Page A

turned back, Renny already had his pilfered prize buried deep in his own pocket. Miles darted his eyes to the hidden loot, but Renny knew he wouldn’t tell.
    â€œ
Brother bond,
” Miles whispered, and Renny nodded. Miles didn’t tell Renny’s secrets, and Renny didn’t tell Miles’s.
    â€œI’ll be looking for you out in the water, Renwick,” Jo said. “Be sure to go all the way under, toes to hair. That’s the best way to soothe the sp—” Suddenly Jo put a hand on Renny’s arm. “Where did you get that?”
    For a moment, Renny’s heart stopped beating. And then he saw where Jo was looking. Not at Renny’s pocket, but rather at his right leg.
    His sock had fallen down, just a little. Poking out from underneath was a bracelet, woven from blue and green embroidery thread.
    â€œUh.” Renny bent down to tug at his sock. “Nowhere. It’s nothing. Miles made it for me.”
    (“
Mason Darlington Burgess,
” Miles recited. “
Seventy-seven years old as of his last birthday. Talent: Eker. Able to absorb Talents from other people with a handshake.
”)
    Jo’s face was dark, like a storm approaching. “Did you get that bracelet from my office, Renwick Fennelbridge?”
    â€œWhat?” Renny said, truly baffled. “No. I told you, Miles made it for me.”
    â€œI didn’t make the bracelet,” Miles said, breaking out of his recitation. “Renny bought it from a gumball machine. It cost two quarters.” Then Renny mouthed, “
Brother bond,
” and Miles clamped his mouth shut.
    Renny watched Jo, unblinking, and she watched him. Each seemed to be waiting for the other to twitch first.
    Finally, Jo said, “Why, Renwick, you
know
those things are a waste of money.” Her face had brightened so quickly that Renny almost thought he’d imagined the darkness. “Besides, someone with a Talent as grand as Scanning has no need for a second one.” She laughed. “Or did you already know I was going to say that, when you read my mind?”
    Renny laughed, too. “Good one.” He tugged at Miles’s hand. “We gotta get Miles a candy bar.”
    â€œA Caramel Crème bar!” Miles shouted.
    â€œDon’t forget what I said, Renwick Fennelbridge,” Jo called as they hurried away. “About the glorious dip in the lake. Toes to hair!”
    â€œ
No water!
” Miles shouted in reply. “
No water!
”
    Most people who met Miles Patrick Francis Fennelbridge felt sorry for him. Everything seemed so difficult for him, all the time. Miles needed his chicken cut for him at meals, into even pieces. He needed his T-shirts folded, into precise squares. He was unbearably, inexplicably terrified of water. And heaven forbid you suggested he sleep on the top bunk in their cabin at camp. Top bunks, Miles had informed Renny loudly that morning, were
NOT OKAY
. So Renny got the top bunk, whether he wanted it or not, because helping Miles with difficult things stopped him from having one of his finger-flicking fits. But no matter how much Renny helped him, Miles was always going to be the Fennelbridge disappointment.
    The truth was, Miles didn’t seem to mind so much, being omitted from his parents’ interviews. Standing alone in the doorway while a journalist posed the rest of the family for a photo. Knowing that their parents were coming to the camp Talent show to cheer only for Renny, and not for him. Somehow, the same kid who flicked and flailed at the very mention of water didn’t seem bothered in the slightest that his parents wanted nothing to do with him.
    Renny would have been bothered. He would’ve been bothered a
lot
.
    Fortunately, neither brother needed to be bothered by much at all. Because Renny kept Miles’s secrets, and Miles kept Renny’s.
    When they arrived at the camp store, Renny pulled out the object he’d swiped from Jo.