Mirrors and Magic: A Steampunk Fairy Tale (The Clockwork Republic Series) by Katina French

Author:Katina French [French, Katina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Steampunk retelling of the Snow White tale.
Publisher: 3 Fates Press
Published: 2014-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Fortune and Folly

Bella Venezia stifled a grumble as she crept down the midway, once again headed to the Mirror's tent and trying to avoid attracting attention. Instead of her emerald green outfit, she wore a dress of deep blue and plum colored stripes. A matching hat perched on her red coiffure, its dark veil wrapped around to preserve her privacy.

She found herself following a middle-aged couple accompanied by a gawky teenaged boy and a small girl with pale blond hair. Although she clearly didn't belong with such a bourgeois group, she attempted to blend in behind them.

"I still think you should get credit, Mama." The teenager sulked. "It's pretty obvious she's using your featherfall formulae, from what I've read."

The boy waved a newspaper with an image of "Bianca" floating above the floor of the big top. Bella cringed at the mention of her rival.

"First of all, the Alchemists Guild holds the patents. If your mother demanded credit every time anyone used it, she'd spend ten hours a day signing paperwork. You might as well consign her to the fifth circle of Hell, son."

"Umm! Daddy, you used the H word!" the little girl giggled.

"I'm talking about the place of perdition, Sweet Pea. It's not a cuss word if you're talking about the place."

The man pushed a pair of spectacles back up onto his nose and ruffled his daughter's flaxen hair. His own was black, but greying at the temples a bit.

Bella thought it unfair that men could age attractively like that. When her own hair started to sprout silver strands, she had diligently dyed it back to a flaming red. The spotlight had no mercy for a mature woman.

The mother piped in with a spirited reply.

"Not to mention if I took credit for every use of featherfall, I'd have to take credit for a few other things. And since I'd prefer not to take credit for starting a war, how about we just let me enjoy the circus in peace?"

With that, the odd family turned off towards the Ferris wheel, leaving Bella to wonder how such an ordinary-looking woman could expect even her own children to believe such a tall tale.

Everyone knew the alchemist Greta Merryweather had invented the anti-gravity formulae decades ago. She'd probably solved the Philosopher's Stone and still looked like a nubile youth. It was unlikely she resembled a frumpy matron with old-fashioned braids looped around her head, in a dowdy shirtwaist with scorch marks on one elbow.

And the greying man beside her couldn't possibly be Kit Merryweather, the renowned engineer. Their exploits were legend. People that famous certainly weren't wandering around a circus outside St. Louis with two chatty children.

She supposed children were foolish and would believe nearly anything. She had certainly been naive as a child. She'd believed hard work would be enough to earn the fame and glory she deserved. She'd been wrong.

For a year, she'd waited patiently for Lang and Perrault to acknowledge her greatness. She waited for Bianchi to step aside, and take his miserable brat with him.

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