The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Chapter 8- Cards

~Chapter 8~ 

Cards

AFTER MAKING HIS MORNING ROUNDS with the clocks, Hugo showed up at the toy booth the next day prepared to work. He could feel the cogs and wheels in his head spinning in different directions. One moment he felt angry and resentful. But he did his work. He swept the floor and organized the small boxes behind the counter. He untangled the wires of the flapping birds and repainted the chipped toys. He fixed the mechanical creatures that had stopped working.Hugo found himself surrounded by more mechanical parts than he ever could have imagined. Everywhere he looked there were buckets of loose metal bits, tiny motors, gears, springs, nuts, bolts, and brightly colored tin. Hugo knew he shouldn't steal anything else, but looking at all these pieces was just too tempting. If he did get his notebook back he would need more parts. 

He rubbed the buttons on his jacket and deftly pocketed the tiny mechanisms he wanted.

While Hugo worked, the old man played cards. Hugo's father had taught him how to play solitaire, and he used to entertain Hugo with a few card tricks. Hugo hadn't thought about that in a long time. As he watched the old man play, he saw things that captivated him. The old man didn't just shuffle the deck, he fanned it and flipped it and made the cards jump up into an arching bridge, shooting them in rapid succession from one hand to the other. He could cut the deck with one hand and make a second fan of cards appear behind the first. He even made a card float up by itself and then lower into the deck again. How could such a mean old man do such amazing things? 

The next time Hugo came to work, he brought his deck of cards. After he had nearly finished his chores, he boldy went over to the old man and set it down. 

"Show me how you do that with the cards." 

"How do i do what? Play solitaire?" 

"How you make the cards fan out like that and float." 

"Was I doing that?" the old man asked. "I wasn't paying attention. Now go work before I lose my patience." 

Hugo didn't move. 

The old man hesitated. He squinted at the boy with one eye, then picked up his cards and fanned them out in his hand again. He made them dance and rise and float. 

Hugo stood, staring in delight, until the old man's voice shook him out of his trance. 

"Enough. Go work." 

But throughout the day Hugo stole glances at the old man, who continued to do amazing things with the cards. Sometimes Hugo caught his eye and got the distinct impression that the old man wanted him to see what he was doing. 

Eventually, the old man fell asleep again, and Hugo felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw the girl with a bright red book under one arm. She put a finger to her lips. 

"Meet me at the bookstore in ten minutes," she whispered. "Papa Georges doesn't want me here." Then she slipped behind benches and columns and disappeared down the hallway.

"I started looking for your notebook," the girl said when Hugo appeared. 

"You better not look inside." 

"If I find it I should at least be able to look at it." 

"Then don't look for it." Hugo glared at her. 

"I'm trying to help you. Why are you being so mean?" 

Hugo blinked. He had never thought of himself as mean before. the old man was mean, not him. Hugo had no choice...he had to keep secrets, but he couldn't explain this to the girl.