The Clockmaker's Shadow | ONC 2021 | LGBT

9. The Commission

(Author's Note: this chapter is dedicated to my long time ONC companion TheGoodShip_55 and their charming entry for the ONC 2021, The Findale Manor)

Of course, it wasn't Ari! What on earth had he been thinking? Ari was dead. Dead, and on another world.

"I'm so sorry!" Rik apologised. "For a moment there, I thought you were someone I knew."

"Someone else called Ari?" quizzed the other man.

"Short for Harold," improvised Rik. "But obviously I was mistaken. Sorry."

And now that he looked at this man more closely, he could see small, tell-tale differences.

He was a little broader across the chest, (Ari had been slight), his hair was darker and shorter and his nose was a bit crooked. And his eyes, though they were the same colour, held a different expression entirely. Instead of warm interest, they were staring at him with cool suspicion, as if unconvinced by his explanation.

He saw Aron's fingers tighten around the box.

"I don't know you. What happened to the man I usually deal with?"

"Mr Martin?" Rik made a point of mentioning the butler by name. "He's getting on a bit and the Viscount sent me instead. I've only just begun working for him."

"Can I see the note from Viscount Harlow again?" Aron asked his sister, apparently still unconvinced.

He read the note again, carefully. "Well, it seems genuine enough," he admitted.

Rik stood by, biting his tongue, waiting for Aron to make up his own mind whether to trust him with his treasure or not. He knew Aron wasn't Ari but it was hard, so hard, to be treated by him as a stranger.

Aron hesitated another moment before deciding to open the box. "Here it is. Just as he ordered. It's quite unique, there isn't another one like it."

Rik stepped forward to peer into the box and sucked in his breath. Iridescent green shimmered from the nest of straw packing. Instantly he realized why Aron was being so cautious, this must be worth a fortune!

He looked up at the clockmaker, awestruck. "It's beautiful! What is it? A creature of some kind?"

"It's a jewel beetle, modelled on the real thing. The key is down the side there. Can you let the Viscount know that he only needs to turn the key four or five times to activate it, any more than that might damage the mechanism."

Rik nodded.

Aron continued, growing enthusiastic as he explained his creation.

"The beetle should complete two or three circles in the air before it starts to drop, and then someone will need to catch it before it hits the floor. It's as sturdy as I could make it, but better safe than sorry."

"Right." Rik nodded again.

Aron replaced the lid and handed the box to Rik. "Take good care of it. It's worth a small fortune."

Their fingers touched briefly during the exchange and it was all Rik could do to stop himself flinching. He could do this. Only a little longer and their business would be completed. He would be on his way, and he would never have to see Aron again.

Rik placed the box carefully inside the satchel he had brought and swung it around so that it rested on his chest.

"It will be safe with me," he assured the two clockmakers.

"I'm sure it will be." Aron smiled for the first time, looking so much like Ari it sent a dagger through Rik's heart. "Well, it was good to meet you, Rik Sandro. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Rik rode away, his head in a whirl. This was the first time in all his world hopping that he'd run into a person so similar to someone he knew from the previous world. Usually when he jumped, he'd find some basic similarities but, like the Viscount and his house, the details would be different. Some worlds, of course, had been so different he had stayed only a minute or two before moving on.

The worlds where technology was more advanced than what he was used to, were the most tricky. Fascinating as they were, it was too easy to stand out. His ignorance exposed him at every step, not to mention that they always had highly sophisticated personal identification systems.

So, did the appearance of Aron mean something had changed or was it simply co-incidence?

Just then, a pedestrian ran out in front of him and he had to brake hard, narrowly avoiding an accident. Damn, that had been too close, perhaps he had better concentrate on riding and worry about everything else later.

~~~

The Viscount was thrilled with his new acquisition, sending it flying around and around the library, until Rik told him he had better give it a rest or he'd wear it out.

"I suppose so," Ned conceded, packing the toy away in its box. "I didn't actually commission it for myself, you know. I intended it to be a present, but now I'm not so sure. It's rather marvellous, isn't it?"

"Unique," agreed Rik. "Who were you intending it for, may I ask?"

"Clara." Ned looked at him expectantly, as if he thought the name should mean something to Rik.

"Oh?" The name was not familiar. She must be someone special though, to warrant such a gift, thought Rik. His sister, perhaps?

"Lady Clara Pendelton, my betrothed." Ned gave him an odd smile.

"Be-betrothed?" stuttered Rik, fearing that he sounded as startled as he felt. He could have kicked himself. It was a long time since he had misread so many signals. He had been almost sure Ned fancied him...

Ned raised one eyebrow. "We have an arrangement, one that suits both of us."

"An arrangement?" echoed Rik, feeling even more bewildered.

"I know," sighed Ned. "You'd think in these modern times it would be nobody's business but our own whom we loved, but... there it is. Our betrothal protects us, both from the worst of the gossip and from unwelcome advances from the wrong sex. Clara has her companion and I have my... friends."

Ned smiled again, and this time, there was absolutely no mistaking the heat in his eyes.