Lirssa lay on her stomach in the middle of the parlor, ankles crossed and bouncing swaying slightly in the air from her bent knees. She was studying. In fact, all the children around her were studying. High Spires House was never so quiet as when they gathered around in the parlor, mostly devoid of furniture except a few chairs and a side table or two, and studied.

The children were tutored by a spindly old man with more hair on his chin than his head. He had a weathered look like old parchment, but he was kindly and patient. Most of all, he worked for a very small fee and return assistance around his own apartment in a brownstone three doors down. Every other day he came to give two hours of lessons, concentrating on each individual for an hour more for those that needed it.

It had become tradition that Lirssa join them after her tutoring with Mr. Jolly. Mostly she thought it was so no one was left out of anyone else's fun and mutual suffering was better than suffering alone.

Glancing up from her book, Lirssa spied Esther laying on her back staring up at the ceiling. "Stop daydreaming, Esther. You still have," she craned her neck to see the papers, "three more arithmetic problems."

"Oh poo," Esther scowled and sat up, tossing her pencil down. "I don't care about that. What good is it going to do me when I'm a prima ballerina?"

Val snickered, not looking up from his work, "You will very much care when the owner's rob you of your share because you don't know what percentage your pay is."

The other children giggled, even those that themselves did not know what percentages were. It was enough inducement for Esther to reapply herself to the homework and the room was silent again.

Creeping like a mouse up to Lirssa's side, Jess lay on her stomach as well, folded her arms and lay her head down. Dark eyes looked round and questioning up at her so penetratingly that Lirssa huffed and closed her book. "What is it, Jess?"

It was too strong, and the little girl almost visibly shrank, closing her eyes tight. With a roll of eyes and sigh, Lirssa set her hand on Jess's back. "I'm sorry, Jess. It's gonna be all right. Did you need somethin?"

A flash of dark eyes, closed again and then reopened. A pitiful sort of nod, Jess then whispered, "Am I going to be here forever?"

It was not a question Lirssa had expected, and by the looks of the children nearby the whisper had been loud enough for them to hear as well. "No," Lirssa reassured. "No, I don't think you're gonna be here forever. There's a family out there for you, it just takes the right sorta time. Mr. Jolly says there are lotsa folks who believe things are meant to be in their own time, and I guess this is one of those things. No rushing it, and all."

"Yeah but," Sampson started and stopped as he corrected some of his work, "Mr. Ephram says sometimes fate needs a bit of a push."

Val looked hard on Lirssa. He knew most of all what it was like to wait. "I'm getting a bit old, Lirssa. No one is going to adopt me. If I don't find a trade, I'm going to be cobble bedding." He cringed and it was like a ripple across the room. No one wanted to be back on the streets, finding beds where they could, sometimes cobbling them together out of discarded crates. "Thinking I may try to find myself an apprenticeship. Thing is, I don't have the right connections."

Lirssa listened to them all, moving to sit up, criss-crossing her legs, hugging one knee to her chest. Looks were exchanged as she thought on it. "Well, I know some folk, that's true. Those of you old enough and wanting apprenticeships, well, it isn't easy, and what you think you're interested in may not be the right thing."

Scratching at his chestnut hair, Liam gave a lopsided smile, "But if we don't start, we'll be certain off to cobble bedding again."

"Winter's a hard time. Most folk huddle up, but it is a good time to start asking around. I'll do it, too. I know some folk to start, like Mr. Jolly for one, and see what?s what."

That admission started a thunder of chatter and excitement about all the possibilities. Jess, however, stayed curled up next to Lirssa. It was in the little girl's eyes that all she wanted was a family, and Lirssa felt she had failed her.

Lirssa lay crosswise on her bed, her head hanging over the edge upside down. Every few moments she would inch a bit further over the edge, stretching her arms towards the floor. The process was a long one, limbering up before a performance. It was time best spent in thinking.

This particularly bright, if a little cool, midday she was thinking about what all she had to do in the next week. She had to make sure Jess met with Miss Rena to go out to Mr. Jake's farm. That sent a tumble of thoughts about the weather, seeing if Mrs. June would make sure Jess had proper shoes, and who else would be tagging along. It could not be too many or they might scare the animals to death. Benji in particular just lived for making things difficult. Once Jess was settled, he was her next big project.

More stretching, she bent backwards so her forearms rested on the floor while the lower half of her legs were still on the bed. She could feel the stretch in her stomach and legs. She tightened the center of her and slid just a bit more so the feet were of the bed and yet she still held the shape formed.

And she went to thinking more. While Jess was visiting the farm, she would visit the couple Dr. Maranya mentioned. That would be one visit she had sincere high hopes, which meant sincere fretting, too. With some sense in her head, she had not told Jess about the possibility. Jess would meet them on a second visit if Lirssa felt they passed muster.

Then there was getting Val out to meet with Mr. Johnny. That was going to have to be the next day. She just could not fit it all in, and particularly since she was certain Mr. Jolly would be back soon. That meant instructions would resume. That also meant less time to get things done she needed to while daylight was bright.

Passing messages between two people was getting to be more of a hassle than she thought. Still, the pay was good and it was not exactly difficult. It just took up time. Pick up the message from the minstrel at the Marketplace and run it to the inn to slip under a door. No, it was not really the time, it was the growing feeling of distrust that these were simple messages she was running. She had not read one yet, but something was growing smelly about the whole deal.

A puff of breath scattered a few strands of hair from her face as she slowly lowered her legs, then rolled to her back and lifted her legs and body, folding like a book with greatest ease, balancing on the base of her spine.

At least this morning she had done some chores about the house, prepared her reports for Mr. Jolly, and spent time with her family before going into town. But, it was time. She unfolded and rolled up to her feet, grabbed her satchel with the juggling balls, both glass and other, tinkling soft in their scarf wrappings as she bounded down the stairs and out the door with just a quick call to her mother that she would be back late. Again.