Free Consequences by Carla Jablonski

Happiness he had never experienced before flooded through him. Finding Reverend Slaggingham had been a stroke of good luck. Thanks to the old gent he’d be able to find Marya again. This was a joyous day!
    â€œI never seen her wear that coat before,” Daniel commented.
    â€œShe must have bought it since she left…er, since she came here,” Slaggingham said. “This is showing Marya right this very minute.”
    â€œCor.” Daniel looked back at the viewing screen. He could tell she was running—her long hair streamed out behind her. “Where is she?” he asked. “What is she doing?”
    Slaggingham pressed another button and a slip of paper popped out of the machine. He glanced at it and said, “She’s somewhere in East London, sure as gears have teeth. As for what she’s doing, let’s have a look.”
    Slaggingham adjusted the machine and the image pulled back, giving them a long view.
    â€œNo,” Daniel gasped.
    There, large as life, was Marya, only now Daniel could see who she was smiling at, who herarms reached for, who she was running toward. It wasn’t Daniel.
    It was Timothy Hunter.
    All her smiles. All her yearning. It was for that magician! And boiling his blood even more was how intently Tim was staring at Marya.
    â€œThe smarmy dog!” Daniel shouted. “He’s going to catch her and kiss her. Slag me if he ain’t.” Daniel whirled around and covered his eyes with his arm. “Make it go away,” he pleaded, “before my heart bursts.” He flung himself across the room and slumped at the table, burying his face in his hands.
    Daniel heard a clicking sound behind him. “It’s gone, lad,” Slaggingham assured him. “You can look up now.”
    â€œLook up?” Daniel said into the crook of his arm, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ll tell you when I’ll be able to hold my head up again. When that four-eyed traitor is cat’s meat and I have Marya back.”
    â€œToday can be your day,” Slaggingham promised. “I’ll help you, I shall. I have another invention—a little something I whipped up that may be of use. Come along, lad.”
    Daniel wiped his face on his sleeve. He didn’t want Slaggingham or any of those workers to seethat he’d been crying. He stood and was ashamed of how weak his legs felt. He allowed Slaggingham to lead him through the tunnels, oblivious of the twists and turns they were taking. He didn’t care where they went, he just stumbled along, pain filling his every pore.
    There were no workers in the room Slaggingham took Daniel to. Just a large column-like machine with wires and dials and whatnots.
    â€œStep inside, lad,” Slaggingham instructed.
    Daniel stepped up to the glass capsule. “What is it?”
    â€œThis beauty is an Amalgo-Reductive Persona Potentiator. It made me what I am today. And it can do as much for you. The glory of it is that it takes what’s there inside you and makes it more so.”
    Daniel stared at the invention. “What will it do?” “It will reduce your pain,” Slaggingham explained, “and increase your power to take on the likes of Tim Hunter.”
    Daniel’s eyes widened. “I’m for that!”
    â€œClimb in, partner,” Slaggingham wheedled. “And be everything you can be.”
    Daniel walked up the little steps into the capsule. Slaggingham pressed a button, and a door in the capsule whirred open. Daniel stepped inside. The moment he did, the door whirred shut again.It was like standing inside a glass chamber. He peered out, trying to see Slaggingham, but he was all distorted through the glass.
    Slaggingham took his place at the control panel. “You’ve got a lot of spirit, lad. Time to let it show. Let ’er rip.”
    â€œLet it out, sir? My spirit?” Once again, Slaggingham was making no sense.
    â€œYes, lad.