Free Flight of the King by C. R. Grey Page B

suspicion on its own, given what the administration knows of my past.”
    Gwen nodded, and continued the rest of the way in silence.
    In the workshop, they split into makeshift teams, scouring through Tremelo’s hoard of metal parts, wires, gears, and bolts. Gwen, Phi, and Bailey worked over a table piled high with
tangled wires, while Hal and Tori fought at the other end of the musty garage.
    â€œI’d saved you a seat at the assembly,” Hal said.
    â€œNo one asked you to do that,” said Tori.
    Gwen locked eyes with Phi, who made a face.
    â€œLook for anything copper first,” said Tremelo, shuffling through a wooden crate of metal parts. “Most conductive—that
I
can afford, anyway.”
    â€œLike this?” asked Gwen, spotting a few flat sheets of copper tucked behind the workbench.
    â€œYes, exactly!” said Tremelo. He grabbed them from her and started a pile in the center of the room. “Let’s collect it all here,” he said. “We’re
looking for electrical wiring, thin, conductive metal like that copper, and anything that could be used to construct the frame.”
    Invigorated, the kids dug in. Every minute or so, one of them held up an object for Tremelo’s approval or tossed it straight onto the pile. Phi untangled several feet of frayed,
cloth-covered wire as Bailey and Gwen sorted the rest of the metal sheets. Hal picked through a tub of nuts and bolts, matching them according to size, while Tori and Tremelo overturned a barrel of
discarded motorcar parts to search for framing pieces. The pile in the center of the workshop grew.
    â€œWhat happens when we figure out what the machine does?” asked Hal. “What’s next?”
    â€œWe stop it from happening, of course,” said Bailey. “Right?”
    â€œYes, but how?” Hal asked.
    â€œThat’s obvious,” said Tremelo. This pronouncement was followed by confused silence from the students. “Once we know what the machine does, we’ll know how to
counteract it. And once we know that, we’ll build a modified version that Tori will enter into the Science Competition.”
    Tori looked at them all with a satisfied smirk.
    â€œI wouldn’t exactly call that ‘obvious,’” said Hal. “Why Tori?”
    â€œBecause I’m the only one of us taking Tinkering,” Tori said. “And I get it—we enter the competition so that no one will look twice at us lugging some huge
machine—”
    â€œDon’t assume it will be huge!” Tremelo interrupted.
    â€œOkay, some mystery machine into the Fair,” Tori finished. “And then once the time is right, we flip the ‘on’ switch and—”
    â€œBam,” said Hal. “Whatever ‘bam’ will be.”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Tremelo. “Getting our machine into the Science Competition will mean better access to Viviana, and whatever her ‘Reckoning’ will
be.”
    Gwen glanced at Bailey as they found another sheet of gleaming copper. He was smiling, his blue eyes glittering with purpose.
    â€œYou seem happier,” she said.
    â€œNice to have a plan,” he said.
    â€œAh! And if I’m not mistaken, there should be some silver shavings in my kitchen,” Tremelo called out. “Be right back!” Tremelo rushed out of the workshop, nearly
skipping.
    â€œKing Trent Melore, everyone,” said Hal. “The rightful ruler of Aldermere, off to fetch silver shavings…”
    â€œHe’s younger, though,” said Tori. “I mean, if you want to get technical about it, Viviana
is
the rightful ruler.”
    Bailey and Phi stared at her.
    â€œBut she’s evil,” Bailey said.
    â€œObviously,” sighed Tori. “And that’s why we have to stop her, and so on.
I
know that. But if you think about it, the Loon’s prophecy could just as well be
talking about her as it