Chapter 84

Lee announced it was time for the final challenges.

Kyle and Sean were standing behind two of the tables and facing the crowd. Lee indicated that the third was for Zeke. He got behind the third table, looked at the tray of assorted items on it, and chuckled.

Lee grinned and turned to the crowd. “Since our challengers are all boys. I thought we’d have some fun. Their challenge is to make a working model. They can’t touch any item on the table. It has to be done with magic.”

She turned to face the men, “You have one hour. The audience will judge the outcome. You may start.”

She then stepped to the side and out of the way.

Sean scratched his head. “Honey, I haven’t played with a Meccano^(R) set since I was twelve.”

“Me, neither,” added Kyle, looking perplexed at the large tray divided with partitions.

The slots contained small nuts and bolts, assorted perforated metal strips - flat and angled, and plates with holes in them. There were plastic gears, wheels, axles, string, pullies, several tiny motors, switches, and even a couple of crystal batteries.

Lee chuckled, “It will be good practice. I’m sure Jackson and Anton will appreciate your knowledge when they get a set.”

The crowd mostly wondered how they were going build anything with just magic. Meccano^(R) sets were notoriously fiddly. They waited patiently for the wizards to start.

The three men stood looking at the parts, wondering where to start. After five minutes, Zeke stepped back from the table. He made a show of loosening his shoulders and shaking his hands and arms.

He shifted his feet so one was slightly in front of the other and put his hands out in front of his body with his elbows relaxed and fingers pointing at the box. Then his hands moved, and his fingers started to weave patterns in the air.

Most of the onlookers were so distracted and fascinated by his theatrical actions they didn’t realise what he was doing or see the parts move to where he wanted them. Suddenly, he stopped and stood up straight.

Zeke put his right hand on his hip and then clicked the fingers on his left hand. They all heard the whir of the little motor, and his crane started winding the string up at the end of its boom. It lifted the metal strip attached to the little hook up into the air.

It stopped when the hook was close to the top. The top half of the crane’s body then turned ninety degrees and stopped. The crane drove forward for 10cm and stopped. It then started unwinding the string to lower the metal strip until it reached the table top, before stopping again.

Zeke grinned.

“Bravo, Zeke,” Sean cheered and clapped. “I think I’m going to concede defeat. I’m still trying to work out what bits should go where. Domes and prefabs are easier to build. I think I’ll need to brush up on my mechanical skills.”

Kyle shook his head, “There is no way I can do that in an hour without a design in my head. Manual skills were never my forte. Well done, little brother.”

Zeke chuckled. “To be honest, I did cheat a little. I built the same crane when I was twelve. The trick was working out the spells to put it together using the parts as is. It would have been easier to just do this.”

He waved his hand at Sean’s box. Several parts lifted up, meshed together into a cloud of dust and little sparks, and reformed to look exactly like the other crane.

Lee shook her head. “Why do I get the feeling you have done that before?”

Raul chuckled, “How do you think he fixed two bashed-up, derelict spaceships while we were in orbit around Earth?”

Most of the people just looked at Zeke in awe. Those who knew him best chuckled.

“Well, that’s it, folks. I don’t think the other exercises will challenge Zeke, so how about we go eat?” Lee declared.

A good time was had by all.

Magical people loved food. Harry Molensky, the owner of Zeke’s favourite restaurant, had gone all out. When Lee had asked him if he’d like to cook for everyone. He had been delighted. While he didn’t tend to do buffet-style cooking, for this crowd he agreed it would be the best method of delivery.

Zeke was sitting on a middle seat at a long table with his family and Lee’s when Harry came up to Zeke and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at the nearly empty plate.

“Was your meal up to standard, Zeke?”

Zeke smiled up at Harry, “Could it be any other way, Harry? Thanks for doing this for my family and friends. We really appreciate it.”

Harry waved away the thanks. “It was no trouble, I’m just thankful to be alive and still able to do what I love. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be ashes like your father. I’m sorry for your loss, my friend,” he said and patted Zeke’s shoulder.