"You're a good lad." He patted Aubrey's cheek and had to reach up to do so. "You're too young to be such a pessimist. What's the use of living if you always expect the worst of people, if you constantly expect to be disappointed?"
"I would say, sir, that if you expect the worst to happen, then when your expectations are disappointed you are better off."
"Ha!" Gilbrick nodded and looked back over his shoulder at the other managers who had gathered around. "Common sense and a sense of humor, and a bit of a philosopher thrown in for good measure. Mark my words, the lad is going somewhere amazing someday." His smile faded slightly as he turned and hooked his arm through Gilda's. "Keep in mind, lad, there's a fine line between a realist and a cynic. Now, give us an hour, then come to breakfast. All of you! We'll have a grand conference and make plans to act on all the amazing things I've seen and heard about on this latest trip."
With that, he offered his other bent elbow to Merrigan, and the three headed down a slate pathway between two warehouses. A fourth building in the cluster owned by Gilbrick turned out to be his house, slightly smaller than the warehouses, which just meant it was enormous. Merrigan estimated it could hold forty guests, along with the staff needed to keep it running smoothly.
Chapter Twelve
Halfway through breakfast, two boys who had been dispatched to keep watch on the weavers dashed into the massive dining room. Gilbrick interrupted himself, stopping short and turning whiter than the blouses of his staff.
"They've finished early, sir," the taller boy announced. "They're going to open the doors any moment now."
"Why?" Gilbrick said with a gasp. "Come along, everyone! Business can wait." Tugging his napkin out of the collar of his shirt, he dashed away from the table with such speed and force, he knocked over his throne-like chair.
"Why?" Aubrey caught hold of the messenger boy's sleeve to keep him from running off to follow everyone else. "Why now, instead of at noon like they originally planned?"
"As soon as the town crier announced Master Gilbrick had returned, they opened their doors and shouted they were done, everybody should come see." He frowned. "Do you think something's wrong, sir?"
"I hope not." Aubrey watched the boy run off, so it was just Gilda and Merrigan with him in the dining room. "Maybe I'm naturally suspicious, but it seems to me they were waiting for Master Gilbrick to return."
"Oh, Aubrey, what can we do?" Gilda cried.
"See what this cloth looks like and what it's supposed to do," Merrigan said. "It may be a lot of stuff and nonsense."
"But what—" Gilda stopped with a gulp and rubbed her eyes just as they started to glisten. "Right. We have to see what the weavers claim before we know what to do."
"Shall we?" Aubrey offered them his bent arms, and the three set off together.
The walk to the weavers' shop was short, but long enough for Merrigan to solidify some suspicions. She was willing to believe that half the people on this side of the world knew about Gilbrick's quest for mysterious, magical, incredibly beautiful cloth. These weavers could have come to Alliburton specifically to fool and rob the clothing-obsessed merchant.
When the three reached the shop, a sizable crowd had gathered on the steps in front of the door and trailed down the street. This looked like a main thoroughfare through the artisans' district of the capitol city, and Merrigan decided the weavers couldn't have asked for better timing. What if this was what they had really wanted? What if it was their plan to send everyone into a panic by revealing the cloth earlier than planned?
Gilbrick never noticed when his daughter arrived. Aubrey guided them through the crowd so they could get to the top of the stairs and stand in front of the doors with Gilbrick. Merrigan wasn't quite sure how he did it, but he had a knack for getting people to move aside. People who seemed ready to come to blows over holding their position in line smiled and moved aside when Aubrey addressed them.
"Welcome!"
The man who stepped out through the narrow opening between the double doors of the shop looked as thin as a rake. His smile struck Merrigan as far too wide for such a thin man. She wished she had Bib with her, but she couldn't very well take a leather satchel full of book with her to breakfast. Besides, he had been indulging in his own sort of breakfast, harvesting information from Gilbrick's impressive library. Aubrey had hurried them off down the street so quickly she hadn't thought to go back to fetch the magic book.
"How very gratifying to see the support and interest of all the lovely people of Alliburton who have taken us to their hearts, especially when we were mere strangers just a few moons ago." He bowed, and Merrigan fully expected to see oil dripping from him. "Ah! And can this indeed be Master Gilbrick?" He held out his bony, long-fingered hands to clasp Gilbrick's between them. "Sir, it is indeed an honor to have you here at the unveiling of our masterpiece, the result of a lifetime of effort and dedication. Sir, you are known the world over as a man of discernment and infinite worthiness. A king among men. You honor our humble workshop with your presence and your interest."
Gilbrick reddened and made a short, jerky bow to the weaver. A moment later, a woman stepped out, as thin as the man. Just looking
