Wood Sprites(164)
“Everyone I’ve talked to says that the Chang family might have built the race track but it was Team Tinker that started the sport.”
“I suppose.” Roach admitted cautiously. “Most of us went to high school together.” This generated a rude noise from Alexander. “Those of us that went to high school. The statistical outliers we met through business.” Another rude noise. “Roach Refuse.” He tapped his chest. “Pittsburgh Salvage.” He waved vaguely toward the truck. “Even people with brains the size of a planet need help with how to successfully run a business when they’re first starting out and I learned it from my grandfather’s knee.”
“How did you start the sport? Where did you get the hoverbikes? Were they already invented or was that part of coming up with the sport?”
Roach’s eyes widened slightly and the corner of his mouth twitched with what might have been a nervous laugh. He started to turn toward Alexander, but she cut him short with, “Ah-uh! You’re the one that agreed to this!” He winced and ducked his head to kick at the ground for a moment.
Orville came onto camera, freshly showered, carrying his muddy riding leathers and a cherry ice pop. With a wary look at Wyatt, he handed the ice pop to Alexander. He asked a silent question with the jerk of his head and Alexander snorted with utter disgust. The cousins sat side by side on the edge of the truck’s bed as Alexander sucked on the ice pop and listened to Roach try to explain.
“It’s not like we don’t have money,” Roach said. “But in Pittsburgh, we use barter a lot instead of cash. It’s a simple way to cut out the middleman who would normally take a big chunk of the profit to collect and redistribute goods. I’ve got a puppy. The guy who wants an elfhound has a half dozen old snowmobiles that are useless eight months out of the year. I know how to set up accounting books so the county won’t hassle you.” He jerked his head in the direction of the cousins. “They know how to cannibalize snowmobiles into something more all-weather. The thing nobody has a lot of are tires, especially ones for ATVs. Harder than sin to come by. We’re sitting around, drinking beer, having a bull session on where we could scrounge up tires, and the little mad scientist starts to giggle.”
A woman walked into camera range, carrying gear that she dropped beside Alexander. “Usually a very terrifying thing and you want to get out of blast range as quickly as possible, but still be in viewing distance, because it will be worth watching.”
Alexander glared at the woman who danced away from a half-hearted kick.
Roach took a couple of steps out of reach too. “A week later, we all had hoverbikes. And of course, the most natural thing in the world is to race them.”
There was a long silence after Roach came to the end of his story. Wyatt waited for more but none was coming. Judging by the looks Roach was giving Alexander, he was vaguely afraid of saying anything else.
“You’re Team Tinker.” Wyatt broke the silence. “Is Tinker the one that invented the hoverbikes? I’ve heard all sorts wild rumors about Tinker.”
The racing team all froze in place at the question.
“What wild rumors?” Alexander had been in the middle of licking melted ice pop off her fingers.
“Um.” The camera bobbed as Wyatt accessed his notes. “Um. The half-elf that runs the general store in McKees Rocks said that Tinker lives in the middle of the river and hands out magical swords to future kings.”
“What?” The entire team half-shouted, half-laughed.
“Yeah, it sounded really Arthurian to me,” Wyatt said. “I talked to a few elves and they all said that Tinker is a baby wood sprite, which apparently is a race of very clever but dangerous elves or a very clever but dangerous raccoon. My Elvish isn’t that good.”
Roach was making little snorts as he tried to hold in his laughter.
Orville scooped up Alexander as she started to sputter and carried her off camera.
“One person, a EMT, by the name of Johnnie Be Good, claimed that Tinker fathered most of the half-elves in Pittsburgh and is Blue Sky Montana’s real father.”
Roach lost control of his laughter. After a full minute of laughing, he wiped tears out of his eyes and stated, “That one is utterly true.”
There was a howl of anger and the video went black. Captions explained that Roach had ducked a helmet thrown at him and it hit unsuspecting Wyatt instead. His only camera broken, he was unable to continue filming. The team reimbursed him for his camera. There was no indication, however, that they ever told him the truth.
Louise played the interview with Team Tinker over and over again. This was her older twin sister. Their cousin Orville who obviously was close and protective and caring. Their close friends that they could count on. A warm and bright happy moment that Louise wanted for herself.