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Author: LolaLane
Title: Round Robin Introduction
Jacks
“Every bit of lost sales is coming off of your backside,” Theadsen
shouted, as he beat Jacks mercilessly with his measuring stick. The boy
was twisting fiercely, pulling at his ratty shirt sleeve. Jacks cried
out, his rear having been thrashed twice already for tardiness and
insolence. “’Tweren’t me fault, Sir,” he yelped, rubbing his smarting
thigh, “I toldja that them street kids is quick’ens.” Jacks didn’t dare
tell Theadsen that this wasn’t the first time they’d lost their goods to
those rotten urchins. He had grown up with some of them, been one once
even; with no longer parents to speak of, young Jacks had to learn fast
and hard that the streets were rough, the stockades excruciating, and a
prison cell insufferable. He had held many odd jobs over his fifteen
years, and this one, though no prize, was agreeable. Jobs were scarce in
North Umberland and Old Theadsen let him sleep on a cot in his barn,
even gave him scraps of meat to eat. Jacks couldn’t lose this job.
“Right then, Sir,” he promised, shaking his cap at his employer and
grinning crookedly, “I’ll keep doin’ me best, Sir. Reckon these loaves
are good as gold.” Jacks pointed at their breads and pies for sale,
nodding vigorously. The fat, sweating man looked at him, perhaps
contemplating another beating, but mumbled and returned to his books.
Jacks considered how he might protect his wares more effectively.
He wasn’t a large boy, to be sure. He had lived mostly on stale cuts of
bread and old potatoes, but he was a scrapper, wiry and tough. He’d
fought an occasional ruffian, bully and stray dog, and he could run
fast, faster than most. He rolled up his sleeves and considered some
sort of alarm system for his cart, but he was not smart enough for that.
In the end, he found a great log and shaved down one side with his
knife. Taking it into his dirty fingers, he gave it a meaty swing. “A
fine chunk it’ll take out of any lousy thief,” he thought to himself,
tucking it onto his shoulder. He pulled the soiled cap over his shaggy
brown locks and big ears, and prepared for whoever may cross his path.
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