The soldiers didn’t seem to see it the same way. They marched inexorably forward, even though there were children directly ahead of them. Surely they wouldn’t trample the children, I thought, and then sighed in relief when the commander called the soldiers to a halt just before they reached them. The children, oblivious to any potential danger, cheered their approach. They thought the bright red coats, shiny brass buttons, and glistening rifle barrels were all great fun.

The soldiers did an about-face and marched in the opposite direction, then turned smartly and marched back and forth. The children cheered their every move, running alongside them. Some formed into their own ranks and mimicked the soldiers’ maneuvers. I glanced back to Alec and saw that he and the others had completed preparations to transport the children home. Now they leaned against Bessie and chatted as though they didn’t have a care in the world.

A man on a white horse came out of the fort and approached the drilling soldiers. He wore a uniform resplendent with gold braid and medals, and when he drew near enough, I recognized the general. I immediately turned away from him. “What is it, Verity?” Lizzie asked.

“It’s General Montgomery, the one I overheard.”

“We can’t let him recognize you. Go back to Alec.” I started to run, but she called, “No! Don’t act like you’re fleeing.” I had to force myself to walk at a normal pace as I headed toward Alec and the machines.

I must have looked terrified, for Alec pulled me close in a comforting embrace. “There’s no trouble,” he assured me. “They obviously don’t want violence.”

“And I don’t want the general to recognize me.”

He moved to block me from the general’s view. “No, we’d lose you as a spy.”

“I might also lose my job,” I snapped.

“Oh.” He hesitated a moment, then said, “Well, that goes without saying, of course.” I shouldn’t have been surprised that the cause was his highest priority, but it still stung that my well-being was an afterthought.

From the shadow of the steam engine, we watched the soldiers drill for their appreciative audience of children. “The little traitors!” Alec remarked. “We bring them here and feed them, and they cheer for the British.”

“I don’t think they care about your politics,” I said.

“They should. We’re their only chance to be free.”

“How much difference would freedom make for them, though?”

He looked at me in astonishment. “It’s the first step. Without the magisters, things will be fairer for everyone.”

So far, the soldiers seemed to be avoiding trouble. They were merely putting on a show. After a few more drills, they closed ranks and faced the park exit. The general raised his saber over his head and shouted an order before riding forward. The soldiers marched out of the park, heading uptown on Broadway.