Fine’s expression became a bit awkward before she responded.
“What makes you think I came here for something?”
“Well, it’s rare for you to come all the way here just to see me. So I’m sure there’s something you want. You don’t need to hold back with me; we’re pals! Let’s hear it. C’mon.”
Hearing me say this, Fine showed some determination and continued.
“I’m actually here because I want to see Lady Faust about something.”
My teacher had said she was busy that day, but I knew she would make time for Fine. The girl had been my best friend since we were little kids. There was no way my teacher would ever ignore her request.
I determined this a worthy cause before knocking on the door to her study, and I was beckoned with a “Come in.” At first, I was expecting my teacher to be mad at the intrusion, but my anxiety turned out to be unwarranted.
“Thank you.”
I let myself in and saw that my teacher was surrounded by a great wall of books and towering stacks of papers. In the middle of it all, she sat with a single sheet of paper before her. She may have been in the process of designing a spell circle.
“There’s something I need to speak with you about…”
“It’s about Fine, yes? Go ahead.”
It wasn’t clear when she’d realized Fine’s presence, but she looked over at the door from where my friend peeked into the room. Fine felt my teacher’s gaze and hurriedly entered the room with an “Ah yes!”
“L-Lady Faust. I-I’m sorry to bother you when you’re so busy.”
“It’s all right, my dear. Tell me what it is you need.”
“Th-thank you. So…”
“You want me to fix a clock?”
From her book fortress, my teacher looked at us with surprise, and Fine nodded yes with a bit of hesitation.
“I know it’s an insignificant thing to ask someone of your stature, but my wristwatch broke, and the clockmaker said there’s nothing he can do about it.”
“Is that so? Well, let me see it.”
“Here.”
Fine took her wristwatch off and handed it to my teacher. I knew the watch well; she wore it all the time. There were nicks and scratches all over the watch, and it had spots here and there where the original color had faded. It didn’t look like there was much that could be done to get it moving again, but although it no longer functioned as a watch, Fine still wore it.
My teacher examined the watch closely before sharing with us, “Your watch has lost all signs of Spirits.”
“Spirits? Like from fairy tales?”
My teacher answered Fine. “Not quite like the ones you hear about in stories.”
“Whether the item in question is organic or inorganic, so long as it serves a purpose, it harbors Spirits. In the East, they view such artifacts as being inhabited by the Spirits, whether it be the souls of the deceased or their many gods or goddesses. These Spirits move the things they inhabit—think of them as a power source.”
“And you’re saying that my watch has lost its power source?”
My teacher nodded in response to Fine’s question and then turned her look to me.
“You should know better than most, Meg.”
“Huh? Well, yeah…”
Spirits weren’t something you could normally see. This went for witches and wizards as well, but for a mage as powerful as my teacher, she could determine whether they were present. The reason a mage of my teacher’s caliber would turn to me at a moment like this was because, well, I was born with the ability to instinctively know whether there were Spirits in any given place. The magic in my eyes was powerful, a rare trait to be born with; or so I’d been told.
I looked at Fine’s watch, and it was as my teacher said. It was void of all Spirits. The better description was that there were Spirits there, but they showed no sign of activity. It was as if they’d lost their life and were in the middle of a long, long slumber.
Their slumber told the story of a watch that had fulfilled its role and lived out the extent of its life.
“So I suppose that means my watch is—”
Fine spoke with a sad expression, but my teacher cut her off. “Now, let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“Meg, take Fine to Geppetto’s shop.”
“Geppetto?”
Fine repeated the name with a bit of confusion, and I nodded.
“He’s a clockmaker in town. His shop is all run-down and dilapidated. It makes you wonder how he’s still in business.”
“Geppetto’s shop is in business because he does good work. Artisans skilled at their craft can at times breathe life into things. Geppetto may be able to fix your watch, even though the other clockmakers have deemed it irreparable.”
“Really…?”
“We’ll see. You may as well give it a shot, even if the chances are slim. If that is all you need, then please take your leave. I’m very busy.”
Fine and I hurried out of the study, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“No matter how many times I see Lady Faust in person, I’ll always be nervous when I meet her. She seemed really busy, and I half expected her to get mad at us for interrupting her about a watch.”
“My teacher doesn’t get upset at townspeople. She’s been livid with me before, though, like when I tried to cook one of her familiars.”
“Well, in that case, you definitely deserved it.”
My teacher was one of the Seven Sages. Even though she was always busy with something, I’d never seen her refuse to listen to a request from one of the townsfolk before. Witches were meant to help people. This was the ancient way, and my teacher observed those teachings, which meant helping people when they needed help, even when she was busy.