pulling them slightly out to view the cover.
“Don’t touch them,” Jed snaps and James returns the book to its place with an annoyed glance in Jed’s direction. He rolls his eyes as if this whole thing is a waste of time. The room is so silent I can hear Jed fidgeting with his sleeves and coat. I can hear the clock on the far wall ticking. There’s a cuckoo clock beside it and I squint as I look at it. I’ve never liked them. I’m always afraid they’re going to pop out and scare me with their beady little eyes and startling horn-like noises.
I see a robot marionette in the corner, similar to Jed’s puppet, Amabel, only bigger. All that hulk of metal and circuits can do, all its lovely abilities, I possess as well. And more. The idea makes me shiver, although with pleasure or fear I’m not quite sure yet.
I notice a large globe in the center of the room, almost half my size, and I walk up to it. Continents and countries are sketched across it in a precise yet squiggly scrawl and I roll the globe in its case to see the other side.
“Penelope,” Jed hisses.
“He’s not going to care if I touch it,” I tell him. “Just calm down.”
“You’re right,” a deep voice responds and I spin around in alarm to find a tall, dark-haired main standing in the doorway. “I don’t mind at all,” he assures me. His brown hair is flecked with gray and his suit looks almost exactly like Jed’s.
Out of the corner of my eye, Jed looks petrified. I’d be laughing if I wasn’t as startled. I’m sure James is silently dying of the hilarity.
“My name is Dr. Aldus Duquesne,” the man says with a smile. “I’m pleased to meet you both.”
Jed rushes forward, still slightly nervous-looking, but happy all the same. “I’m Dr. Jed Orville,” he gushes. “I’m a great admirer of yours.”
“As I am of you,” Duquesne replies. “At least if this young girl is what you claim she is.”
Jed nods his head vehemently. “Oh, yes, yes. This is Penelope Trump.”
I cringe slightly at the use of my full name; as far away from elegance as you could get. I wish I could have just introduced myself as Pen. I step forward. “Pleased to meet you.” I smile.
“And my son, James Orville.” James steps forward to shake Dr. Duquesne’s hand although his smile is tight and somewhat forced.
Jed rushes on, completely beside himself with delight. “Penelope, would you like to show Dr. Duquesne a demonstration?”
I nod, only because I know he’s telling me to. Jed hands me a deck of cards from his pocket and I look around for a table to perform the trick on. I spot one and head over, Jed and Duquesne following me.
It feels strange to perform a trick so trivial and juvenile for a man like Dr. Duquesne. Card tricks and rock-crushing seem to be for carnival-goers looking for something odd and frightening to amuse them. Dr. Duquesne doesn’t strike me as one to fall under that category.
But I pull out the cards anyway, shuffle them quickly and deal them out on the table faster than even my eyes can barely register. Duquesne blinks a few times, his features forming into a soft frown. But then he smiles, a slow smile that takes its time seeping across his face. “May I see your hands, Penelope?” he asks.
I hesitate, wondering if he has some absurd plan like the last scientist who inspected me. I don’t want another slap across the face. If he wants to know if I’m real, all he has to do is ask.
I think of the scientist I slapped and how I’m sure he’ll never doubt my authenticity. I’m dangerous, so dangerous. All I want to do is run away – away from this feeling I can’t understand. With a start I realize what I am – ridiculously powerful, yet so out of control.
He takes my hands in his, turning them over a few times, feeling my pulse, and then releasing them. But before he can comment, Jed
“Don’t touch them,” Jed snaps and James returns the book to its place with an annoyed glance in Jed’s direction. He rolls his eyes as if this whole thing is a waste of time. The room is so silent I can hear Jed fidgeting with his sleeves and coat. I can hear the clock on the far wall ticking. There’s a cuckoo clock beside it and I squint as I look at it. I’ve never liked them. I’m always afraid they’re going to pop out and scare me with their beady little eyes and startling horn-like noises.
I see a robot marionette in the corner, similar to Jed’s puppet, Amabel, only bigger. All that hulk of metal and circuits can do, all its lovely abilities, I possess as well. And more. The idea makes me shiver, although with pleasure or fear I’m not quite sure yet.
I notice a large globe in the center of the room, almost half my size, and I walk up to it. Continents and countries are sketched across it in a precise yet squiggly scrawl and I roll the globe in its case to see the other side.
“Penelope,” Jed hisses.
“He’s not going to care if I touch it,” I tell him. “Just calm down.”
“You’re right,” a deep voice responds and I spin around in alarm to find a tall, dark-haired main standing in the doorway. “I don’t mind at all,” he assures me. His brown hair is flecked with gray and his suit looks almost exactly like Jed’s.
Out of the corner of my eye, Jed looks petrified. I’d be laughing if I wasn’t as startled. I’m sure James is silently dying of the hilarity.
“My name is Dr. Aldus Duquesne,” the man says with a smile. “I’m pleased to meet you both.”
Jed rushes forward, still slightly nervous-looking, but happy all the same. “I’m Dr. Jed Orville,” he gushes. “I’m a great admirer of yours.”
“As I am of you,” Duquesne replies. “At least if this young girl is what you claim she is.”
Jed nods his head vehemently. “Oh, yes, yes. This is Penelope Trump.”
I cringe slightly at the use of my full name; as far away from elegance as you could get. I wish I could have just introduced myself as Pen. I step forward. “Pleased to meet you.” I smile.
“And my son, James Orville.” James steps forward to shake Dr. Duquesne’s hand although his smile is tight and somewhat forced.
Jed rushes on, completely beside himself with delight. “Penelope, would you like to show Dr. Duquesne a demonstration?”
I nod, only because I know he’s telling me to. Jed hands me a deck of cards from his pocket and I look around for a table to perform the trick on. I spot one and head over, Jed and Duquesne following me.
It feels strange to perform a trick so trivial and juvenile for a man like Dr. Duquesne. Card tricks and rock-crushing seem to be for carnival-goers looking for something odd and frightening to amuse them. Dr. Duquesne doesn’t strike me as one to fall under that category.
But I pull out the cards anyway, shuffle them quickly and deal them out on the table faster than even my eyes can barely register. Duquesne blinks a few times, his features forming into a soft frown. But then he smiles, a slow smile that takes its time seeping across his face. “May I see your hands, Penelope?” he asks.
I hesitate, wondering if he has some absurd plan like the last scientist who inspected me. I don’t want another slap across the face. If he wants to know if I’m real, all he has to do is ask.
I think of the scientist I slapped and how I’m sure he’ll never doubt my authenticity. I’m dangerous, so dangerous. All I want to do is run away – away from this feeling I can’t understand. With a start I realize what I am – ridiculously powerful, yet so out of control.
He takes my hands in his, turning them over a few times, feeling my pulse, and then releasing them. But before he can comment, Jed
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