On the last day of the Boulder Fair, the two con men came up to the Liberty Bell while Vonn was working as ground crew. "Know what'd be a really exciting show? You dangle the kid from your boat!" The Elf pushed forward the yellow-scaled Kobold boy, who grinned up at Vonn.

Vonn sputtered and said something rude, but the Elf waved one hand. "No, seriously. He falls off from like five paces up, he has a good harness so he's safe, and he whips around on a rope and swings while everybody gasps. We pass the hat, and you take ten percent."

He looked to the kid. "What are you doing with these two, anyway?"

"I'm getting fed! That's better than before."

Vonn muttered. That was some kind of abusive adoption, using the boy for petty crime. Except this particular deal wasn't illegal. "I'm gonna need to ask my partners about this one."

"Maybe we can work the lightning trick into it!"

Vonn returned to his duties but when Tazo showed up, he took a break between airship rides. Over in the Company office, where Vonn was doing intermittent tours, he took Tazo aside. She said, "It's good to see those two doing something legal."

"Do we want to be at all associated with them, though?"

She frowned, flicking her ears back. "I can see why not. But this does make our machines more famous, right? And it'll help dispel any fear about the ship."

"If we can do it safely. Can we tune a slowfall ring to not go off during a short fall like that? Double-check the ropes anyway."

They worked out a reasonably safe way to do it, but he wanted Selen standing by to swoop in with a spell or something if need be. So he went over to her. The Aves sat at a market stall atop the great boulder, hawking (or possibly owl-ing) jars of colorful powder.

He explained. Selen's beak hung open. "Seriously, Vonn? You'd let them do that?"

"The physics of it --"

"I don't mean the physics! They're traveling con men. At best, they picked up some orphan to use as a prop until he stops being profitable. Then they'll ditch him."

"I can't fix everything."

Sunflare, the red Aves beside her, said, "Think we could have the Two Hoots hire him?"

"Are you proposing to grab him away from the dynamic duo?"

He faced Vonn down with one of those unreadable bird stares. "Are you planning to just let them drag the kid along to parts unknown?"

"I can't legally do anything. I don't know that those two have even scammed anybody this week."

"And how prominent are you in this town? Selen's been making waves in the whole city of Grandbridge even while moving out."

Vonn sighed, faced with a double bird glare. "I'll talk with the Reeve. Meanwhile, I have an idea that doesn't involve pushing orphans off of an airship."

#

He found the con men repeating the "dangling boy" experiment nearby. The kid seemed to be enjoying himself. Vonn busied himself until they had a break, then approached the Human. "I thought about the ship demo, and I've got a better idea."

They didn't go for it at first, but he promised to teach them another trick or two they might show off later. The result was that Tazo put the airship back up in the sky, and Vonn stood underneath it holding an iron orb. It dangled from a rope like a wrecking ball, suspended from the airship's prow. While the showmen told jokes, Vonn marched to one side of the ship and held the ball in front of his face. He let go. The heavy, improvised flail swung faster and faster down beneath his airship, came back up past the other side, then rushed toward his snout again. He grimaced, instinct telling him to dodge, but he made himself stand rigid. The ball came up and kissed his nose while people gasped, and then it swung back again.

Vonn strolled closer as if to grab the ball, turned to the audience to speak, then hopped onto the thing as it swung for his ankles. He rode the ball for a second, waving, then hopped off. As planned. "Anyone else want to try?"

The pendulum stunt really had no need to be done with an airship, but the con men were right that it looked cooler that way. He had to explain the importance of not pushing the ball to give it extra speed.

At the workshop afterward, Vonn had someone bring out a thick sheet of paper and stretch it out like a tabletop. He scattered iron filings along it, then picked up a lodestone from a compass and waved that around beneath its surface. The metal shavings flicked as though by magic to form odd curling patterns.

The two entertainers looked on, the Elf intrigued and the Human bored. "Maybe I could do something with this," the first one said. "Work it into the routine."

He left them with that and a trick of messing with a compass using a lightning spell nearby. The duo didn't know enough to understand why that was strange, since really they were just collecting gimmicks they could use to show off for pay. But he figured that if he gave them a few vaguely scientific stunts he might get them to spend less time selling snake oil and might get people interested in learning more. He considered also explaining the concept of the "magic lantern", ie. slide shows, but wasn't equipped to fool with that right now. He did have a zoetrope lying around.

It took him some mental gear-switching when Tazo said, "Could you show them something magical to do with the magnet trick?"

"I'd have to think about it."

"Well, go think while getting me a snack. I'll see if I can give these two some ideas."

He caught her winking at him. Vonn got the message and got out of there, to find the Reeve. He was balancing on his crutch and trying a knife-throwing game.

Vonn caught his attention and explained about the kid. The village headman frowned. "Suppose the travelers legally adopted him?"

"I don't know, sir."

"If they've got documents, I can't legally stop them. Unless the boy outright asks for help."

Vonn felt queasy thinking about the social situation. Everyone in town lived under the "protection" of the chain of nobles, and any justice there might be would come from their personal attention more than from a well organized court system. He went looking for the kid, mumbling in an Italian accent, "And one day I may ask a favor in return."

The yellow-scaled Kobold was napping under a tree at the cooper's shop, ignoring the noise of a mass of rumbling, rolling barrels. A game had been set up about balancing on them, with Vonn's help, and there he'd been glad for the absence of easy lawsuits. A man tumbled and crashed as onlookers hooted.

Vonn nudged the Kobold with one foot. "Hey, kid."

On the second nudge the boy sat up and a knife appeared in his hand. Vonn hopped back, but the kid relaxed. "Oh, the airship guy."

"Sorry to wake you. Look, my friends and I saw you traveling with those two guys. I've seen them trying to cheat people. If you want to get away and live with somebody better --"

"Ha. This town's nice but I bet it gets boring once the festival's done."

"Well, there's this local crazy guy who keeps inventing things. But I meant going to Grandbridge and being a messenger. Friend of mine is hiring."

"How is that better than getting to see the whole river?"

"Better company. If you're interested, go talk with Selen the pale owl, over at the dye stand there."

"I'll think about it." The boy slumped down again and shut his eyes.

Vonn figured that was all he could do, short of forcing a confrontation. He bought some candied nuts at another stall and brought them back to share.