Chapter 3: To Every Queen Her Throne
A/N: A chapter in which we see some remarkable talent from Miss Nancy. :-D R&R!
Warning: Contains thieving and lying six year olds and briefly bickering boys (say that five times fast.)
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"We've all been 'ard at work today then my dears?" All the boys and Nancy beamed up at Fagin as they gathered around the table. Nancy's smile it seemed was the largest but nobody for the life of them could figure out why. Fagin seemed to be in a much better mood since that morning and he even shot Nancy a smile as she entered the flat.
"Oh yes Fagin!" was everybody's assured reply.
"Alright then," Fagin said grinning. "Let's see it, empty out those pockets. Ace?"
"Two wallets," Ace said dropping them on the table.
"Very heavy, superb work Ace, superb!"
"The last one was from a real toff ya know tha'? Yer downright lucky I wosn't 'anded over to the bow street by now." Fagin muttered something under his breath that nobody could quite catch but to this day the surviving members of the gang will swear that he said that he was surprised Ace hadn't been put there years ago.
"And you Johnny?"
"Got the mash!" he cried beaming proudly. Johnny took off his top hat to reveal it full of biscuits and fresh sausages curled atop them.
"My eyes!" cried another of the boys. "That's like actual food that is!"
"Course' it's actual food," Johnny cried outraged.
"Not what you usually bring back," the other boy returned.
"Oh yeah?" Johnny shrieked. "Let's see what you got then Morice!" The other little boy scratched his flaming red hair under his hat before dropping a snuff box onto the table.
"Is that gold!" cried a little boy with jet black locks from across the room. His deep blue eyes were sparkling as he stared at the snuffbox over his freckled nose.
"Yup," Morice said proudly. "You bet your life that's gold James!" James smiled and eyed the snuffbox greedily. Noticing this, Fagin quickly reached out and pulled the pile quite a bit further away from the boy.
"And you my dear?" he asked nodding towards James. The boy dropped a couple of handkerchiefs in the center of the table and Fagin nodded his gentle approval. James was one of the younger boys in the group.
"I'll go next." Every spine in the room stiffened as Bill Sikes' voice echoed across the flat. They all turned to watch him with wide eyes. Nancy could feel anticipation rippling through her body, Bill always brought back the best stuff. Silently Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out a snuff box, followed quickly by six pocket handkerchiefs. Next he went into his other pockets and received what seemed like a whole pile of wallets, seven in all, lined and heavy. Fagin's eyes were glistening as Bill reached into his last pocket and distributed a solid gold watch on the table. Everybody applauded in Bill's general direction with fervor while he simply sat back meekly. The only other boy present, Marshall, quickly distributed his unimpressive three handkerchiefs and sulked back into his seat. Everybody was beginning to get up when Fagin's voice stopped them.
"Hold on just a moment!" They all turned and sat back in their seats. "Nancy my dear, what do you have for us today?" Nancy reached into her bodice and pulled out three snuffboxes, one engraved and two jewel encrusted. The boys' eyes widened as she laid them on the table, they'd never seen anything like that. Sure here and there but never that many that good all at once. Next Nancy pulled up her skirts enough that she could get at the pockets underneath and distributed seven wallets on the table. All lined and two of them twice as heavy as Bill's. Anybody with eyes could see she was doing nearly as good as Bill and the boys eyes widened further for she was not done. The little girl, no more then six and green as the grass in the countryside reached into her stocking and pulled out a gold pocket watch before laying on the table. Tied, by the look on Fagin's face the boys could tell that what she had produced was equal in value to what the Bill Sikes had put on the table. They were all staring at her in shock and awe when she extended a single finger indicating she was not done. The lot of them felt their eyes double in circumference as Nancy reached into her opposite stocking, the one Bill had taken that very morning, and produced a second gold watch. Fagin stared at the turn out of the day with greed while the rest of the boys just stared at her.
"That's more then Bill!" James cried in awe. All of them looked at Bill Sikes, their hero and greatest companion with a small twinge of disappointment. He'd been beat by a girl, a six year old girl! Bill looked completely crestfallen, and Nancy felt the greatest stich of guilt in her heart as she stared at him.
"Ace helped me," she said quickly. "We worked as a team on almost all of it, the only thing I got myself was the one watch. Bill steals nearly twice as much every day all by himself." The boys immediately turned back to their hero with a smile and Nancy chuckled to herself over her lie. Her first lie, and certainly her best. Let the boy be a hero, she knew the truth. And so did Ace, the boy could never look at her or Bill the same way after that. "I'm tired," she said yawning. "Mind if I get some fresh air Fagin?"
"Course' not," he said moving to go hoard the many items of the days take. However he seemed to be looking at the girl with a fine amount of suspicion in his eyes. Nancy walked out of the place and stood on the bridge staring at London. The sun was sinking down behind the buildings casting everything, including her face, in a rosy glow. Nancy started slightly when she heard footsteps next to her. She turned her head to stare through her crystal eyes at Fagin. "Enjoying the evening air my dear?" She nodded as she turned back out to look at London. Fagin was standing next to her now, leaning on the railing. "You know," he said in a much lower voice "you may have them fooled but not me. Ace, 'e ain't tha' clever you see? You got those things all by yourself didn't you my dear?" Nancy's spine stiffened as if it was made out of a broom's post before she nodded ever so slightly. "Might I ask...why, my dear?"
"Bill's the top thief. Period," she said looking at Fagin delicately. "Ya can't just go about one upping 'im, ya know? Especially if you're the new girl." Fagin detected quite a bit of bitterness behind the young one's voice and he stared at her curiously. There were no tears in her delicate blue eyes but the sorrow behind them was enough to pierce the old miser's very soul. "Bill hates me enough as it is." Her words were a whisper, and barely catchable, but catch them Fagin did. He knelt down on one knee and clasped his hands on the girl's shoulders.
"Now you listen to me," he said in his raspy voice. "The boys, they may like to pick on people but they do not hate anyone. Save for maybe the beak but that's beside the point. What you did today my dear was nothing short of extraordinary."
"I didn't even take that much," Nancy mumbled.
"I'm not talking bout what you managed to thieve, my dear. The fact that you lied to save Bill's reputation is nothing short of astounding." Nancy looked up at the old man, his eyes dancing merrily. There were flecks of gold seeming to illuminate their usually muddy brown hue. Nancy looked away, unable to bear how proud he was of her at that moment. It was nothing short of overwhelming.
"To every king his castle," she whispered. Fagin nodded as Nancy made this reference to Bill being the leader of the pack amongst the young ones.
"To every queen her throne." Nancy's head shot bolt upright as she stared at Fagin. "I assure you the lads will not pick on you again after tonight." And with that the old man left her there, staring into the slums of London as the sun drained the last bits of color drained from the sky. With a heavy mind but a light heart, young Nancy returned re-entered the flat to find a plate of food waiting for her on the table amongst the boys. She sat down and smiled at them all with a feeling of pride swelling in her heart. She didn't need the glory of being the greatest thief of all time, that could be left to Bill any day. All Nancy had ever wanted was a place to call home, where she really felt she could fit in. And for the first time in a long time, Nancy felt right at home amongst this small but noble band of thieves. As discretely as possible Nancy looked up at Bill, the boy who's glory she had saved with one little white lie. The boys deep brown eyes locked with hers for a moment, and Nancy could swear she had seen him smile.