Ink Brass — Goshawk Clock Tower Locksmith

The story of Ink Brass

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The locksmith of Ink Brass carries a key tall enough to rest on the floor. A smaller key opens the door to the stair, but the large one is used where the gears meet the winding mechanism. The locksmith makes the climb before the streets fill, while the sounds from the tower can still be heard clearly.

On most mornings, the task is to watch a single tooth move past a fixed mark. If it passes smoothly, the locksmith can leave the mechanism alone. An apprentice once insisted on tightening everything before the first bell. It took three visits to discover which part had needed the little bit of play.

The goshawk has slate plumage, a pale eyebrow stripe, and a sharply hooked beak. Dawn catches the brass key and the edges of the mustard waistcoat. The darker coat stands out against the clock's open face, where the city is just beginning to appear beyond the gears.

One day the large key starts to turn before the locksmith has put it in the mechanism. It makes only a quarter turn, just enough to point toward a narrow slit between two stones. From inside the slit comes the sound of the bell at a time the tower has never marked.

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