The white-smocked man puffed out his chest and went red in the face. “You’d rather have punch than my fantabulous elixir?”

“It’s not a case of preferences, sir,” I hurried to say. “I merely doubt my ability to earn it.”

He raised his goggles and winked. “I might be persuaded to give you a second try if you miss on the first one.” He licked his lips to indicate how I would have to persuade him.

No drink was worth that, I decided, so I had better make the first shot count. As I tossed the gear, I mentally nudged the ether to surround the gear and guide it into the metal dish, the way I used to move buttons into a jar. “The lady has earned herself a drink!” Colin shouted, thumping me on the back.

When the gear hit the dish, it set the whole device in motion. Other gears turned, and an amber liquid flowed through the glass tubes. Flames shot up from a string of nozzles surrounding the tubes. The amber liquid poured into a jar, where another ingredient dropped in, then the jar shook before tipping over to spill into a funnel that led into another set of tubes that passed through more flames. Finally, the liquid poured down a chute and into a battered tin cup, which the man in the white smock handed to me with a flourish. “Your beverage, miss.” It seemed an unnecessarily complicated way to dispense libations, but I supposed it was in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.

One sip of the drink sent a blast of heat throughout my body. At first, I thought it was because the liquid was so hot, but after I’d drunk nearly the entire cup, I realized that some of the warming sensation came from a generous portion of alcohol.

“Thank you for bringing your sister a drink,” Lizzie said acidly to Colin, one eyebrow arched, when we rejoined her.

“You know the rules, Liz. You have to make the shot for yourself. But if you need me to escort you over there, I would be happy to oblige.”

A young woman in a shockingly short skirt that showed the tops of her calf-high boots skipped over and grabbed Colin’s arm. He shrugged helplessly as she dragged him away before Lizzie could retort. “He really is hopeless,” Lizzie said with a shake of her head. “Come on, you should meet everyone.”