Snippet #2472598

Spotface blinked, and counted again. Ah, yes, they were all still there. 27 pocket watches; some big and others small, some plain and others fanciful... all ticking away. When he'd first started the collection earlier that week, the offbeat ticking was something of a bother, but somewhere around the first dozen the sounds combined into an oddly pleasant chorus, like the patter of rain, or the rustle of reeds. Speaking of rustling... which of these fine schmucks has the next watch for my collection?

Spotface stole a glance from around the gargoyle he'd been perched behind to survey the street below. The street was crowded and noisy, full to the brim with happy, rich, and distracted people--just the way he liked it. Only... He looked at the watches again. Seven on the first day, from the caravan... Another five from the hotel that night, and only four yesterday from the market... that would mean, what, eleven pilfered watches from the fair so far? And the day isn't even over!... No, this won't do. The revelry's making this too easy... the challenge is gone.

For Spotface, traveling the world over had its perks, but he found himself constantly inventing games to keep himself entertained. Sensing that pocketwatch pickpocketry had run its course, it was time to begin the search for a grander scheme to pass the time--the fair is but once a year, after all, not the sort of thing to waste on watches. With that goal in mind, he dropped carefully to the ground, but almost fell on a beggar he mistook for a heap of rags and trash. They shared a bewildered look, then, with a grin, Spotface tossed the sack of watches into the man's lap.

"Uhh, here. I'm done with these," he said, and bounced away into the crowd, looking for another game to play.