Steamborn Read Free

as he scrambled to think of a better alternative. “I can’t.”
    “And why is that?”
    “Alice would … Alice would never let me forget,” Jacob said in a very small voice.
    Charles laughed and flipped the ball up into the air. It thumped against the workbench and bounced nearly as high as where it had started. Charles caught it and eyed the dark piece of rubber. “I wouldn’t want to miss seeing you at the dance with Alice either.”
    Jacob blew out a breath and glared at Charles.
    “I’ll pay the city smith for these,” he said. “You just worry about getting those steps down.”
    “I hate dancing,” Jacob grumbled.
     “I appreciate the thought, Jacob,” Charles said as he gestured at the rubber orbs. “I believe you have Cotillion tonight, yes? You better run along. Miss Penny won’t be happy if you miss another rehearsal.”
    Jacob groaned. “I forgot about Cotillion. What am I possibly going to do there that’s better than getting the new boiler up and running?”
    “You’ll be out and living,” Charles said. “You need to do that while you’re young if you want to be a proper hermit when you get to be an old man. Be sure to tell Miss Penny hello for me.”
    Jacob turned away from Charles and grumbled.”
    Charles smiled and pointed to the door. “I do enjoy your company, but I don’t enjoy Miss Penny’s stern talking-tos. Now get yourself down to the Hall.”
    Jacob looked at the windows. It was getting dark. It was time for Cotillion, and Miss Penny was going to tear him up one side and down the other.
    Charles laughed and quickly shooed Jacob with his hand. “Run along. You won’t be much of an assistant if Miss Penny throws you off a cliff.”
    Jacob hesitated and thought about arguing, but when the logical side of his brain decided the old tinker was probably right, he nodded repeatedly and ran through the door.

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Jacob passed the lantern men as he ran back through the Lowlands. They’d already lit most of the street between the observatory and the Hall. Yellowish-orange light revealed the worst of the holes in the sidewalk, and he only stumbled twice in the darker parts of town.
    The Hall was in the middle of the Lowlands, as any proper Hall should be. Jacob glanced up at the enormous cut stones that piled one atop the other until they met in a sharp peak to form the roof. The Hall was the nicest stone building in the Lowlands, filled with stained-glass windows and ornate carvings. It was once the center of the entire city.
    The old man had said that had been almost a century ago, before the invaders came through the walls. Then, the Highborns wanted to build higher, too high for the bugs to climb. Jacob didn’t think any place was too high for the bugs to climb, but the wall around the Highlands could keep out just about anything.
    Jacob leaned back to pull open the old oak door and made his way into the Hall.
    He looked up at the ceiling, as he always did. How could anyone not marvel at that height? A cough brought his attention back to the crowd of people in the center of the Hall. There were a few bored-looking parents on carved wooden chairs on either side of the room. The other kids were lined up on the sides of the floor, boys on the left, girls on the right.
    Alice glared at him.
    Miss Penny cleared her throat, and Jacob smiled sheepishly as he made his way over to the boys’ side.
    “Now,” Miss Penny said, “if there won’t be any more interruptions?”
    Some of the girls laughed and pointed at Jacob. The boys looked jealous of his late arrival. There were only one or two boys in the entire village that enjoyed Cotillion. Frankly, Jacob thought they were crazy.
    “Good,” Miss Penny said, lifting the hem of her skirt slightly and moving her feet in a three-count rhythm.
    It could only mean the waltz. Jacob wasn’t too fond of the dance, as he always felt bad for stepping on Alice’s toes.
    “Girls, request a dance of your partner. Use proper