Butler's Apprentice(On hold)

Chapter Eight--Disaster

Amber sat in the corner of the kitchen at a small table, polishing silverware. After she'd dropped the meat on the floor and accidentally broken one of the plates they would be using, Sebastian had decided this would be the best job for her. After all, how could you mess up while polishing spoons, knives, and forks?

She rubbed the soup spoon vigorously with the rag she'd dipped in the silver polish. Her brow was furrowed in intent concentration. After a few moments of rubbing, she held the spoon up. It reflected her face upside down. She let out a huff of laughter. She turned the spoon over and now it showed her reflection how it really was. She realized something with a jolt.

This spoon is reflecting the real me, the girl me, when I look at it this way. But when I turn it over,  it shows me as everyone sees me. As a boy.

What they saw was a lie.

She let her hand drop into her lap and stared blankly at the floor between her shining black shoes, lost in thought. She sighed.

"Ambrose." Sebastian's voice broke Amber out of her daze. She snapped her head up to see the butler standing before her, his arms crossed, with a slightly exasperate countenance. One perfect eyebrow arched up, while the other, pressed down over his eye, scrunching his brow. "Now is no time to be daydreaming." He checked his watch. "Time is running out before Mr. Clause's arrival."

She blushed, a little shamefaced. "Yes. I'm sorry." She quickly got back to work, switching the now shining spoon for a butter knife.

Ring, ring!

She heard a bell ringing overhead and glanced up from her knife. The one of the bells on the wall was ringing again. She heard Sebastian let out an annoyed sigh.

"Really, young master. Must you call me at such a busy time?" He muttered as he slipped on his butler coat. "I will be right back. Keep working." He told Amber as he left. 

She had polished three more pieces of silver and had gone to put more polish onto her rag when she found that it was all gone. She'd used it all. Now what? She gazed around the room. Where would they keep silver polish? She set down her rag and wandered around the room, peering into cabinets and drawers. Nothing. Then she stopped in front of a door leading off the kitchen.

This must be the pantry, she thought, pushing open the door. She had guessed correctly. She began searching the food-filled shelves for a container or silver polish. At one point, she though she heard a noise out in the kitchen, but ignored it, thinking it must be Sebastian returning from checking with his master. No, their master, now.

Amber sighed, giving up her search. She just could find anything that looked like silver polish. As she was about to exit the pantry, a huge whooshing sound erupted from the kitchen. A few moments later, black smoke started curling underneath the pantry door.

She burst through it and instantly started coughing and wheezing in the thick cloud of dark smoke that pervaded the entire room.

"W-whats going on?" She gagged, covering her nose with her sleeve. She staggered out of the room, bumping into something. She looked up, rubbing her stinging eyes to clear them. She cried out in fright. Standing before her was Bard, his clothes scorched and his blonde hair blown up into a smoking black afro. He had a pair of white rings around his eyes, a stark contrast to his soot darkened face.

"What happened?" Amber asked the cook.

"Well...." He began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"That's what I'd like to know." A dangerously angered voice said from behind. The two shivered and slowly turned around to face a very angry Sebastian, who held a cowering Mey-Rin and Finnian by the collars of their shirts.

"W-well, you see...." Bard started again. "I--we, I mean-- wanted to show you how good we were, so we decided to help you fix dinner......" Sebastian glared the cook down.

"Helping includes burning the meat and kitchen--with a blowtorch, perhaps?--killing the garden of all living things, including young master's favorite roses, and shattering all the tableware?"

"Y-you see, sir, I was going to get the plates down to shine them, but I tripped and bumped into the case, I did." Mey-Rin explained, twiddling her thumbs, staring at her boots.

"I just wanted to help!" Finnian cried, tears streaming down his face. Amber felt sorry for him. "I was spraying the weeds, but  the top came open."

Sebastian sighed, releasing the gardener and the maid. "Why can't you three be more like Tanaka--" He stopped. He looked as though an brilliant idea was forming in his head at that very moment. He turned to the small grey-haired man standing beside him, that Amber had never seen before nor noticed until that moment. Sebastian took the little man's tea mug from his and cupped it in his hands.

"Now, everyone, listen to me carefully. I have a plan that might save this evening from entire disaster."