Jerk.
“Do you see one that will fit?” Oss asked. I would’ve kissed him for the interruption if I didn’t think he’d stab me.
“Not yet.” I pushed Justin farther away, willfully banishing memories of other times he held me in a similar grip.
The collection of gears on the wall had me gaping at the size. There were so many! Tiny ones crowded in clear jars packed shelves while giant ones needed thick chains to hold them in place. I couldn’t even comprehend what the Gear Master had planned to use them for. My imagination sparked with each group I found, but nothing looked to be the right size according to my measurements.
I rubbed my forehead, trying to push back the pulsing pain. Where would he keep parts for Buster. Wait! I scanned the wall again and spotted a cabinet close to the paper-filled desk on the first floor, but below the wall of exposed gears. Buster’s name was written on top.
As fast as possible without falling down the stairs, I rushed to the cabinet. A thin layer of dust covered the surface, making me wonder how long after Buster’s creation did the Gear Master die. It had an odd keyhole and when I yanked on the knob, it didn’t budge. I groaned. I didn’t have time for the great key hunt. I had no concerns over breaking the cabinet with Buster dying in the city above.
I read the labels nearest me just to make sure one wasn’t labeled keys. When that failed, I headed for the large desk tucked into one corner. It was made from a hard wood I didn’t recognize. Maybe it only grew down here. I wouldn’t be surprised if the City of Magic had their own unique flora and fauna.
“I keep getting distracted,” I muttered, putting my attention back on the desk. The mammoth piece of furniture had three drawers on each side and one in the middle. I opened the middle drawer first or tried to. Damn, locked also.
“Problem?” Oss asked, amusement in his tone.
I’m an idiot. I was traveling with a human lockpick and wasting time. “I could use your expertise. Can you get the cabinet with Buster’s name on it open and maybe this desk? That would be great.”
“Why the desk?”
“So I don’t have to drag you down here later.”
Oss laughed. “Understood.”
“Why did he lock up Buster’s parts?” Thorne asked, joining our conversation.
“That’s a good question. Maybe to keep them separate if he needed to change anything without having to search?” I shrugged. It didn’t really matter why. Normally, I would be all about the why of something, but the invisible countdown to helping Buster was winding down.
“Is this the only room?” Oss asked.
“I don’t know. I stopped looking once I found Buster’s cabinet.” I avoided my friend’s gaze. Foolish of me to neglect the other parts of the shop in my excitement. The rush of being inside the Gear Master’s workshop had gone to my head. “There’s probably a living space hidden somewhere,” I finished. “Unless it is in the collapsed tower.”
I made a silent vow to examine the tower when I had more time. Maybe we could dig out the ward stone eventually. I only had surface knowledge on how to deal with one of those, but Torren might have left instructions behind.
Oss squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll have plenty of time to look around after we find the right parts for Buster.”
Parts was the trick. A gear was one part, but I needed the supporting bolts and nuts and miscellaneous pieces that might or might not be available. The ones in my workshop wouldn’t work on a larger gear.
“Here’s a book of plans. It might have Buster in it,” Justin called from in front of a bookshelf.
I fought my instinctive urge to snap at him not to touch. My territorial instincts were set to high in this place I’d declared my own. “Let me see.” I infused gentleness into my tone.
Flipping through the pages, I had to force myself to continue when one idea after another caught my imagination. Almost to the end, I ran into the schematics of Buster’s build.
“I found it.”
“Good, does it list parts?” Oss asked.
“Torren’s very well organized.” A flash of shame went through me at the state of my own workshop. If I had built Buster and someone had to find my notes, he would’ve died. I built on instinct and magic. It never occurred to me to break things down into clear blueprints others could use years later. Of course, that would just make my ideas easier to steal if anyone was interested. I shook my head. Something to ponder later, not in the middle of a quest to save an automaton.
“We know exactly what we need. It’s your turn, Oss.” I nodded toward the locked cabinet. I had worried that the damage would throw off my calculations, but the blueprint confirmed their accuracy.
“I’ve got this.” Oss flashed me a wicked grin before kneeling before the cabinet. He placed his hands to the front of the cabinet, then closed his eyes. A loud click echoed in the cavernous room. “Done.”
“Good job,” I praised. Too bad I didn’t get such an innocuous gift. Unlocking things was a lot less flashy than bringing mechanicals to life.
“Thanks.” Oss pulled open the cabinet doors, revealing a wide selection of gears mounted on pegs for easy location.
