The Assistant's Contraption

by Charles Payseur

Rascan, world-renowned inventor (or so he likes to think), is worried. His normally diligent and obedient assistant Friday has been hiding something from him. Could he really be scheming behind Rascan’s back, preparing to leave and set up shop on his own? There’s only one way to find out -- breaking into Friday’s rooms to find out what he’s been up to!What he doesn’t expect, though, is that his snooping will activate a new and complex contraption the likes he’s never seen before. It’s a discovery that will fundamentally change his relationship with Friday -- but will it push the two men apart forever, or bring them together in a steamy new partnership?

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Charles Payseur is an avid reader, writer, and reviewer of speculative fiction. His works have appeared in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Lightspeed Magazine, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, among others, and many are included in his debut collection, The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories (Lethe Press 2021). He is the series editor of We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction (Neon Hemlock Press) and a multiple-time Hugo and Ignyte Award finalist for his work at Quick Sip Reviews. When not drunkenly discussing Goosebumps, X-Men comic books, and his cats on his Patreon (/quicksipreviews) and Twitter (@ClowderofTwo), he can probably found raising a beer with his husband, Matt, in their home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting interpretation of the exchange of power theme this story turned out to be. With a touch of Steampunk, and some definite magic, watching Rascan the inventor and his assistant Friday battle it out was extremely entertaining – and very hot once they got going.

Calling Rascan “eccentric” is probably the polite way of putting it. He knows what he wants, has some very fixed ideas about his and his assistant's respective roles, and will not let anything interfere in the “orderly” sequence of things. Watching him rant and rave internally as he looks for his late and potentially absent – gasp! – assistant was great fun. And when he enters Friday’s room and begins to wonder what the contraption he finds there might do, I still wasn’t sure what was going on. But then the apparatus comes to life and it all became very clear to me very quickly. It takes Rascan a little longer to figure it out, but that, too, was done well and kept me smiling.

If you like mysterious, magical contraptions, if you enjoy characters who “play” with their relationship, and if you’re looking for a very short, very entertaining read, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: The anthology this short story was published in has been provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.