At Somersby-Taking Things Apart and Putting Them Back Together

[makesthings]

Somersby doesn't have that many good places to hide and most of the boys know them all by their last year.

After a few bribes and Nick using his charm, they convinced the groundskeeper to let them use a shed as long as nothing broke.

Over the few years that Nick and Sam have had access to it, its become a fairly serious workshop which at the moment is full of the sounds of metal as Sam waves something that was once a clock at Nick,

"It won't work if you do it like that."

Comments

[wordofa_sayre]

"A lot you know."

Nick's bent almost double over the miniature balance arm that he's painstakingly constructing from wire wrapped around a slender piece of wood.

"This isn't one of your stories, Sam. This is science."

[makesthings]

"I could make it for you in such a way that would work much better. Also they're not stories, they're real. How is doing it that way science anyway?"

[wordofa_sayre]

"Because by keeping track of the gauge and length of the wire, I can calculate the exact weight applied to each point of the balance," he points out. "It's called precision, old chap."

He glances up.

"And what do you mean you could make it work better? That shows a distressing lack of faith in my skills."

[makesthings]

"If I make one arm out of metal then you can do all the calculating you want. You just don't like it when I use the forge because I use the Charter to balance the fire. I'm better at making things and you know it."

Sam sighs and goes back to the coin that he's trying to make fly.

[wordofa_sayre]

"The day you can tell me how I can measure and report this Charter of yours in my experiment notes, then maybe I'll give it a go."

He tips the miniature beam from one side the other, then glares as it falls off the apex point and lands on the workbench with a clatter.

Giving up for the moment, Nick spins around on his seat and eyes Sam.

"I hate to have to point this out, but counterfeiting coin is generally frowned upon, you know."

[makesthings]

"You've seen me use it, I don't understand why you have to measure it. It just is."

Its much harder to reach the Charter here but Sameth finally gets something close to what he wants and the coin spins up and into the air,

"Its not counterfeiting, I'm just playing with it."

[wordofa_sayre]

"And again I remind you: science, Sam. That's the whole point."

He watches the coin bob upwards.

"Nice trick."

[makesthings]

"Yes, but its the Charter. You don't try to measure the air you breath, it just is."

Sam eyes the coin and traces a quick spell in the air before sending the coin towards Nick's head.

[wordofa_sayre]

"Hey!"

He swats at the coin, attempting to snatch it out of the air.

"I knew you weren't paying attention in class. Air has pressure and volume, Sam, which means you can measure it quite well."

[makesthings]

Its snatchable, it just spins in the air,

"I did pay attention, its the reason that forges get hotter when you close off the air."

[wordofa_sayre]

As it turns in his palm, Nick attempts to press the coin flat between his hands.

"You don't say! There may be hope for you yet. Let's try this: tell me, how do you know how much air you need to generate the amount of heat you want to use?"

[makesthings]

"By knowing what I'm doing with it and testing. I've been working around forges for a while, you just learn it."

The coin allows itself to be pressed flat but still wiggles.

[wordofa_sayre]

Nick heaves a sigh and tosses the coin back to Sam.

"This is exactly why you should come to Corvere with me. You need a university education."

[makesthings]

Sam catches it and stills the spell though his smile fades slightly,

"I can't, there's too much to do at home."

[wordofa_sayre]

"There's always going to be something to do at home," he argues. "University will just prepare you that much the better for it."

Nick grins.

"At least, that's what I said."

[makesthings]

"Yes, but no one there can train me to be Abhorsen. It makes sense for you, since you fit here. Also your uncle will be happy for anything to keep you from showing just how much smarter than him you are."

[wordofa_sayre]

"Oh, come on, Sam -- it's not like you have to do this Abhorsen thing for a while yet, right? There's time."

"Besides, can you imagine the trouble the two of us could get into? Wicked fun."

[makesthings]

"I hope not, but I don't want to leave Ellimere having to do too much either. Well, of course we would."

[wordofa_sayre]

"From what I know of your sister, she can handle it."

[makesthings]

"Course she can, but I can still help."

[wordofa_sayre]

"Absolutely you can," Nick tells him -- and then grins, quick and bright.

"After university."

Without waiting for Sam's next protest, he turns back to his workbench and reaches for a small pair of pliers, along with the wire-wrapped wood.

[makesthings]

Sam sighs and picks up a lighter wire,

"Try this if you're not going to actually make something sturdy."

[wordofa_sayre]

"Thanks."

He takes the wire and brings it up close to his face, scrutinizing it carefully.

[makesthings]

"Its lighter but stronger and probably will work better."

[wordofa_sayre]

"If it works at all, that'll be better than what I've got so far," he quips.


Several seconds pass. He's carefully shaping the new wire into a coil when he says,

"You know, Sam, if you're going to be stubborn about not coming to Corvere, maybe I should come with you instead."

He keeps it matter-of-fact. Nick doesn't look up from the wire.