It had flown from the hand of a girl riding a bike. It had hit the sidewalk and rolled down a storm drain and stuck there, collecting muck, until a heavy rain washed it away. Down the sewer pipes it went, floating out of the city, until it fell into a river that flowed slowly on, taking a long and meandering route toward the sea.
The energy drink bottle never made it that far.
It drifted in the current for miles, tumbling over rocks and brushing up against the banks, until finally, it caught on the limb of a tree that had fallen into the river. And there it stayed, just under the water’s surface, while the months passed by.
Hello, said a voice the bottle couldn’t hear. I am on a mission. You are supposed to help me.
Something flashing and silver wriggled itself inside the bottle.
It’s harder than it used to be, said Fish. Making myself so small.
* * *
“Wait a second, Pennyroyal! I think I see something right there.”
Jenny Mendoza leaned over the side of the boat, her orange life vest making it more difficult than it should have been. “Something’s caught on a limb under the water. Just . . .” She stretched as far as she could, then sat back. “Can you paddle that way? I can’t quite reach it.”
The tangerine-haired woman in her camp leader’s uniform shook her head. “Sorry. Can’t. My arms are tired.”
“You poor thing,” said Jenny, smiling. “You help slay a dragon, and then river cleanup does you in.”
“It’s a tragedy,” Pennyroyal agreed. She dug her paddle in the water, easing the boat along. “And if you keep talking about dragons, the other campers are gonna start to wonder about you.”
“I’ll tell them I like fantasy books,” Jenny said, reaching down into the water to scoop up the bottle. “Got it!”
Light flashed in Jenny Mendoza’s head, bright as the sun, and she froze with her arm still under the water.
“Jenny?” said Pennyroyal. “What are you doing?”
When Jenny didn’t answer, she frowned.
The Strongwoman stowed her paddle and stepped over the pile of garbage they’d already plucked from the water. She crouched low in the boat and reached for the bottle. She pulled it out, her eyes widening when she saw the little fish swimming around and around, delight apparent in every twitch of its fins.
“You,” Pennyroyal breathed. Then she narrowed her eyes at it. “Aren’t you supposed to disappear or something? After you’ve done your job?”
I had extra magic left, said Fish. My friend fed it to me.
Pennyroyal tilted her head, as if she were listening hard. She nodded slowly. “Okay. I think I understand. I’m guessing you don’t want to go back into the river, then?”
I am done with my mission, said Fish. Can I have my aquarium back?
Pennyroyal dug through the litter in the boat and found a plastic cap that matched the energy drink bottle. She screwed it into place and sat back down, tucking Fish safely under the boat’s seat.
Three minutes later, when Pennyroyal dragged the boat onto the bank of the river, Jenny toppled over and blinked.
“Holy smokes!” she said. “HOLY SMOKES! I just had the best idea.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I began working on a sequel to Circus Mirandus in 2014. The first book wasn’t even on shelves yet, but I knew I’d left so much of the world unwritten. I wanted readers to meet Micah on the other side of his grief. I wanted to introduce people to the magicians I’d been imagining for so long.
Nearly five years later, I’ve got a box full of manuscripts that weren’t quite right. And I’ve got a heart full of gratitude for all the people who helped me find my way to The Bootlace Magician. Many thanks to:
Elena Giovinazzo, my agent, who believed in the circus from the very beginning.
Nancy Mercado, my editor, whose advice and encouragement made this a better book.
Lauri Hornik, Rosie Ahmed, Rosanne Lauer, Regina Castillo, Tabitha Dulla, Lily Malcom, Samira Iravani, Jason Henry, Vanessa DeJesus, and the rest of the team at Dial/Penguin. They work so hard to put great books in readers’ hands.
Monica Roe, for her thorough and thoughtful critique.
Namrata Tripathi, who read my early attempts at a sequel and helped me figure out what this book should be.
Cindy Beasley, my mother, and Kate Beasley, my sister. They’ve read every version of this book many times, and it’s infinitely better for their advice.
And finally, thanks to you, the reader. I was imagining you as I wrote. I was praying that this book would make your world a little brighter. Wherever you are, I hope the fish you need is headed your way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cassie Beasley is from rural Georgia, where, when she's not writing, she helps out on the family pecan farm. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. The Bootlace Magician is the sequel to her first novel, Circus Mirandus, which was a New York Times bestseller and a New York Times Notable Children's Book. Her second book, Tumble & Blue, was received with widespread critical acclaim.
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