The Fuller's Apprentice (The Chronicles of Tevenar Book 1) by Angela Holder Read Free Book Online Page B

hovering above his outstretched hand. “Is this your shop, Master Nur?”
    “Yes, it is.”
    The view swooped to where Roni could be seen, waiting his turn. Another boy stood behind him. As they watched, the other boy’s hand snuck out. He picked up several honey rolls from the window display and slipped out of the shop. A customer turned and shouted; other voices joined her. Roni stared around. Seeing the many accusing glares aimed in his direction, he panicked and dashed for the door. The baker lumbered from behind his counter and gave chase, calling for the Watch. The window followed them out of the shop and into the street. Several watchers converged on Roni and took him into custody.
    “See! It wasn’t me!” Roni jumped to his feet. “It was that other boy!”
    The baker sat back in his chair, shaking his head. “I was so sure… But the boy’s right. He didn’t take the cakes.”
    “No.” Elkan concentrated again on the sphere in his hand. “Let’s find the one who did. Master watcher, observe closely.”
    The watcher stepped out from behind Roni’s chair and fixed her eyes on the open window. Roni’s mother pulled him into a hug, which he bore stoically, though he rolled his eyes. The scene in the window backtracked to the moment the other boy stretched out his hand. The viewpoint zoomed in until the boy’s face filled the circle. The watcher nodded at Elkan, and the view expanded again. It moved forward in time, this time tracking the other boy as he raced from the shop, ran down the street, and ducked into an alley. He stuffed the cakes into the pockets of his tunic and made his way down the alley, emerging into the next street calmly. He strolled until he came to a public privy, which he entered. The view didn’t follow him inside, but stayed fixed on the door. The passage of time sped up, passersby zipping along comically fast, until at length it slowed again. The boy hadn’t emerged.
    Elkan looked at the watcher. “This is the present time. Go and fetch the boy here.” She nodded and left, beckoning her two comrades who were watching from the benches to join her.
    Josiah kept his eyes fixed on the window so he wouldn’t miss the watchers entering its view, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Elkan studying Roni. The boy sat back in his seat, a worried look on his face.
    Within a few minutes, the watchers appeared in the window. They called out a warning and entered the privy. After a moment they emerged, dragging the shoplifter with them.
    Elkan let the window fade to a blank gold dazzle, but he continued to focus on Roni, who squirmed under his gaze. Elkan looked back at the window and it cleared again. Roni and the other boy stood in the bake shop. The view began moving backward in time, slowly at first, then faster, tracking Roni as he backed away from the door of the shop and down the street. He retreated several blocks, then into a side ally. The other boy was already there, having backed more quickly to the same spot.
    The view zipped back a bit more, than resumed normal forward progression. The boys’ voices became audible, and the volume increased until everyone could understand what they were saying.
    “You’re sure nothing can go wrong?” Roni looked nervously at the other boy.
    “Just be sure to make a big enough fuss so they chase you and not me. Then when they take you to the wizards, everyone will see it wasn’t you. I’ll hide in the privy. Everybody knows they aren’t allowed to look in there. I’ll take enough cakes for both of us.”
    “All right.” The Roni in the window squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and stepped into the street.
    All eyes turned to the real Roni. He jumped from his seat, but his father’s hand on his arm stopped him. He scowled and ducked his head.
    The baker surged to his feet. “It was both of them! I want payment for what they took, and I want them punished.”
    Roni’s mother stood also. Her face was pale. “It was