The Tale of Amaretto

Sixteenth Grain

Grain... In Which We Meet Our Illustrious Guides...

The black carriage stopped in front of the watch shop and the two horses on front of the cab nickered. Amaretto looked to her aunt in amusement, curious as to her aunt's reaction. Katherine raised an eyebrow in return. The man driving the cabbie jumped down from the front seat and came around to open the door on the side. He was dressed in a smart two-tailed suit of amber and black and had on a bowler top cap. As he opened the door, he doffed his cap and then put his hand out.

From inside the cab stepped a woman in a bright red dress with a small bustle on the back. Her blond hair was wound tightly into curls which draped from under a rather large brim hat with a velvet purple band that was draped with a small veil. Her hands, covered with long gloves made of lace trimmed with fur, gracefully accepted the cabby's hand and stepped down from the carriage.

The woman moved slowly to the side and began to fuss softly with her gloves. As she did the cabbie held out his hand and another woman took his hand from inside the cab. This woman had long delicate hands and long straight black hair that had been brushed to an almost impossible shine. It was held back by a simple band of blue ribbon. She was wearing a governess dress with an imperial corset around her center that was easier on the eyes than the other woman's red. The navy colored silk however clung scandalously to her frame. Large brown eyes stared back at Amaretto, seemingly lidded by tiredness.

The blond lifted her hands and carefully pulled back the veil. With curious eyes she looked first at Katherine and then at Amaretto with a shy smile.

"Are you both friends of the Watchmaker then?" The blond looked at them both earnestly and Amaretto looked at her aunt for guidance.

Katherine smoothly turned what appeared to be confusion into confidence and said, "Indeed; we are both acquainted with him."

At this the blond smiled a toothy grin and said, "Wonderful. I am glad to see we arrive on time then." She clapped her hands almost like she was a little girl and looked to the other woman. The jet black beauty merely blinked. The blond put her gloved hand out to Katherine, who in turn grasped it and shook lightly but firmly. "My name is Alice Crowley, and this is my friend Johanna Dee."

Katherine smiled in turn. "My name is Katherine du'Fée and this in my niece Amaretto. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Alice made a polite smile and then said, "du'Fée is a rather interesting name. Perhaps you are related to those of the du'Lac line then?" Alice seemed truly inquiring. Katherine simply smiled in answer.

Amaretto blinked at Alice's candor and put her hands on her hips as she frowned. "Aren't you forward with information? How are you sure we are the ones that you are looking for?"

Alice looked at Amaretto with a blank look on her face. She turned to look at Johanna who held a blank expression. Her face was a perfect mask of neutrality. Amaretto turned to look to Johanna who still did not change her expression. With a frank tone, Johanna proclaimed, "No one can lie about the Watchmaker."

Amaretto frowned and looked at Katherine. Katherine continued to remain silent and smile at their acquaintances. Alice shuffled for only a moment with a small bag and pulled out a rather large missive. On the side of it, imprinted in blue wax was the sign of a clock. The numerals were a little different considering the fact that instead of the four principal times, only the 3 was large. However, it also made Amaretto wonder when she noticed that the small image of a clock imprinted on the wax had a thirteenth number at the top rather than a twelve.

Alice waved the letter only slightly and then said, "We received a missive about the Watchmaker needing our help and it came with a full description of you both, right down to that beautiful emerald green bodice."

Amaretto looked confused. "How can that be possible? I only just decided to wear this..." She trailed of as Katherine suddenly snapped her parasol shut. Amaretto had not even noticed that her aunt had opened it.

"Well," said Katherine suddenly interrupting Amaretto's thoughts. "It looks like we will all be getting to know each other very well, though I must say that the weather is horridly dreary. Perhaps we could get a cup of tea and then you could show us around?"

Alice nodded her head and then said, "Of course where are my manners?" She placed the envelope back into her small clutch purse and then looked at Amaretto. "To answer your question though, the Watchmaker has a way of knowing things even before they are supposed to be known. That's perhaps why we get along with him so well."

Amaretto raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it's not because of his charm and good looks?" She was trying to be sarcastic but apparently it did not affect Alice the way she had hoped. Instead Johanna answered her.

"He is not all that charming and he has a penchant for having an awful chin." Johanna's staccato voice made Amaretto a little nervous, but she didn't say anything more. She thought about what was going on at that moment and she frowned. It was not her responsibility to make sure that everything came out okay. Here she was on another world, far from home, and she had no idea how it was she was going to get back there.

"Great, this is just great," Amaretto muttered under her breath. At that moment, Johanna seemed to take notice of her for the first time and stared directly at Amaretto. Amaretto found the woman's gaze unsettling. She turned to her aunt and then said in a hurried whisper, "So what happens now?"

Katherine shrugged her shoulders and said quietly, "I believe they show us around town and we find what we are looking for."

Amaretto continued to whisper, "How do we know that we can trust them though?"

"We have to believe in the fact that Tempus was telling us the truth. I don't think he would lie to us..."

"Why?" Amaretto asked maliciously. "Is it because he can't lie? Or is it because no one can lie about him?"

Katherine allowed for her mouth to turn into a disapproving line before she said, "I know you don't like this Amaretto, but this is how we are going to get you home, if you can just."

Amaretto looked at her aunt and then all but hissed at her. "This has nothing to do with getting me home! You know that it is just a 'test run' to try to get me to accept the fact that I am now the bearer of some silly artifact!"

Katherine shook her head and then said, "Is there another time that we can discuss this?" Her voice was dangerously low and it was suddenly apparent, that Amaretto was getting stares as she was furiously whispering with her aunt.

Amaretto took a moment to compose herself and then said, "So no one can lie about the Watchmaker?"

The questions seemed to catch Alice off guard, but she quickly answered, "That is correct." Johanna also nodded in her agreement.

Amaretto then said in a rather sarcastic voice, "Tempus is the nicest person I have ever met." she raised her eyebrows and then said, "This whole trip is not the most unfair thing to ever happen to me." She looked up at the not so dreary sky and then looked at Alice and Johanna. "Where's the lightning?"