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He looked at her oddly.
And it s not a rice cooker.
Harry blinked. Would you prefer a rice cooker?
Not in a million years. She ripped the paper off, carefully, and then suddenly forgot to breathe.
Harry.
I got it in Alaska.
He got it in Alaska. One of the five most coveted, rare and exquisite pieces of marionette
workmanship in the entire world. Harry, do you know what this is?
It s a marionette. His smile teased.
It s a Tlinglit. It must have cost you a fortune. The beautifully painted wood face seemed to move
with subtle expressions, it was so cunningly crafted. The hand-carved puppet of a female stood nearly three
feet tall, and the control apparatus allowed for a full range of movement, including moving her eyes and her
mouth. Ginnie boggled at the attention to detail in the hand-crafted dress and individually punched real
hairs.
She explained, Ritual surrounds the creation of a Tlinglit marionette, from the moment the mothers
and grandmothers file into the forest to search for a perfect spruce tree, to the ceremonial circling of the
tree to pay respects and apologize to it for cutting it into pieces, to the shrouded-in-secrecy formal sacrifice
to the wood spirits so they ll be happy to give their life to the marionette. She warmed to the story,
enjoying his rapt attention. The native chief s signature always down the outer left leg attests to all of
it being done correctly. Ginnie checked. Yes, the beautiful string puppet was signed. Ten fortunes. It
should be behind thick glass. In a museum.
www.samhainpublishing.com 85
Christina Crooks
I hope you like it.
Like it? I m in awe of it. I m scared to death of getting cream sauce on it. Ginnie carefully placed it
on a shelf where she could continue to admire it while they ate. Then she flung herself into Harry s arms.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
He hugged her back enthusiastically. You re welcome.
Later, when they d finished dinner and washed up, Ginnie taught Harry the rudiments of marionette
manipulation down in the basement.
Marionettes can t move exactly the way human beings can. The human body is very complex, so we
have to be content with achieving an approximation of human movement. For example, a dancer would
need mainly leg and body movements. And a marionette that lies down to sleep will need extra long strings
attached.
She demonstrated with the smooth, incredibly responsive Tlinglit, delighting in its beauty and grace.
It almost lived on its own.
Harry tried to copy the moves with Little Jeffrey. He managed a passable walk, but the moves were
jerky.
Little Jeffrey needs a light touch. Look at how little movement is necessary to give the suggestion of
startlement. See how I m taking my time moving his arm, to show his emotion? All your moves have to be
subtle and controlled, to get the best result. Here. Just& suggest, you know. The audience will do the rest.
They ll project. Yes, even that mechanism for his chest, it has to be gentle, to give the impression of his
pulling his chest open you do that with your other hand.
My left hand is otherwise occupied, Harry informed her. He made Little Jeffrey s legs march in
place. And my right. He made Little Jeffrey s mouth open and close.
Ginnie grinned. You re discovering why puppeteering is such a difficult art to master. In some
countries where puppetry is more widely revered, people apprentice themselves to masters for fifteen years
to learn enough to work a show.
She let the Tlinglit woman glide, elegant and provocative, to Little Jeffrey. Touch his face, a glancing
caress. And away, looking back over her shoulder while swaying her hips gently.
To her surprise, Harry manipulated Little Jeffrey right after her, shuffling with an open-mouthed,
limp-armed, foot-dragging gait that implied total infatuation. Ginnie laughed aloud, delighted. Yes! They
played, the woman teasing, the clumsy boy clearly struck by Cupid s arrow.
The whole time, Ginnie tried not to read too much into it. Even though it was the second time they d
flirted via puppets, it didn t necessarily mean anything. He seemed much more relaxed, more open and
86 www.samhainpublishing.com
Hands On
emotive with puppets involved. He seemed& relaxed. Happy. But Harry s astonishing gift of a masterpiece
to her, and their evening spent together, and now this& It didn t spell a relationship.
Was it a date, though, at least?
It was dangerous to even think that way, but she couldn t help it. She was smitten, just like Lara
accused. She was head over heels, even more so than Little Jeffrey over the Tlinglit woman. And that was
saying something.
Little Jeffrey had cornered the Tlinglit woman. He d gone down to his knees, tugging at the edge of
her delicate skirts, looking up pleadingly. Begging for a favor. For a kiss.
Insistent, isn t he? Ginnie mused. Her gaze met Harry s, and she gasped at the heat she saw there.
He likes what he sees.
He has good taste. Ginnie made the Tlinglit tremble, as if with emotion.
He does, Harry replied, looking only at her. The fire in his eyes began to make a cinder of her.
Ginnie allowed Little Jeffrey to kiss the Tlinglit woman s hand. Then she glided her new puppet
away. We don t always get what we want.
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