Spencer Winston's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

Spencer arrived at the junction market three hours before opening. He pulled the sled into the same spot as yesterday and began arranging Sir Goosifer's work on the counter. The mushroom blanket went in front. The scarves hung from the wooden frame he'd built last week. Gerald sat beside the coin box where Spencer could see him. An elderly fox in a blue floral dress approached the stall forty minutes before opening. She wore small round glasses and carried a green clutch bag in one paw, leaning on a wooden cane with the other. She stopped in front of the counter and peered at the scarves through her glasses. "I ordered a custom scarf last week," she said. "Pale yellow with white edges. The young cat said it would be ready today." Spencer looked at Gerald, then back at the fox. He had written down four orders yesterday. Sir Goosifer didn't know about any of them yet. Spencer had planned to tell him tonight after the market closed. He set Gerald on the counter where he could think clearly. The fox waited, her paw resting on her cane. Spencer could tell her the order wasn't ready and lose her trust. He could promise it for next week and hope Sir Goosifer agreed to make it. Or he could go home right now and tell Sir Goosifer about all four orders before the market opened. Spencer picked up Gerald and tucked him under his arm. "The order exists," he said. "But my brother doesn't know about it yet. I need to tell him now." The fox nodded slowly. "That's honest," she said. "I'll come back next week." Spencer left the stall exactly as it was and pulled the empty sled toward home. He would tell Sir Goosifer about the orders before opening the market today, not after closing it. That was the correct sequence. He had learned it by doing it wrong first.