Littles on Marketday
Khil, Les, and Max, Aristan Foundlings, age 11, walked side-by-side in the marketplace, their steps matching so perfectly one would never think that just a few months before, the physicians had said Khil'd never walk straight again. Even the livid-but-not-fresh scars on their right arms matched.
The boys, walking toward a particular stall well within sight of Everyone Else, were engaged in what was now almost a nursery tradition: skateboard negotiation. They wanted to get a good one tah wouldn't break easy. That meant they needed more of them in on it. Which might make it good to get a big one to accomodate different sizes among the others. And should they get one of the planks of wood with six clay wheels attached instead of four?
There was another boy at the stall, and a bored-looking woman several yards away watching him. The Boys couldn't prevent three identical slight-eyebrow-raises. Was that gold in the other boy's amulet? Who did that? Seriously?
And then he opened his mouth, and they knew who did that: somebody they'd heard about from a few of the others. He thought he was Funny.
Les and Max each grabbed one of Khil's wrists, because Khil was impulsive, before answering, in extremely bored Surround-sound tones. "Wouldn't know. Never met her."
The boys, walking toward a particular stall well within sight of Everyone Else, were engaged in what was now almost a nursery tradition: skateboard negotiation. They wanted to get a good one tah wouldn't break easy. That meant they needed more of them in on it. Which might make it good to get a big one to accomodate different sizes among the others. And should they get one of the planks of wood with six clay wheels attached instead of four?
There was another boy at the stall, and a bored-looking woman several yards away watching him. The Boys couldn't prevent three identical slight-eyebrow-raises. Was that gold in the other boy's amulet? Who did that? Seriously?
And then he opened his mouth, and they knew who did that: somebody they'd heard about from a few of the others. He thought he was Funny.
Les and Max each grabbed one of Khil's wrists, because Khil was impulsive, before answering, in extremely bored Surround-sound tones. "Wouldn't know. Never met her."