. . .

Emily crinkles up her face. “Oh, man.”

“Snip,” says Navvy Jim.

He closes his metal fingers around her thumb, as if to cut it off; but he doesn’t. Instead he picks her up. Instead he holds her high and she giggles and he spins around with her and he puts her down.

“Airplane!” Emily protests.

“Airplanes are not necessary,” says Navvy Jim.

She squints at him.

She offers a compromise, “Airplane and rock-paper-scissors?”

He laughs.

“OK!”

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