by Bob Blink
The King turned to Buris. “What of the supplies? Do we have replacements now? I know that was the entire stock of rifles we had at the time.”
“We have replacements for all the telegraph equipment. The rifles are another matter. While more have been produced, the entire production has been carefully allocated, and sending another five thousand rifles will have a significant impact on the planned distribution. Someone will have to do without, with the implications associated with the shortage.”
“Perhaps we should review who is scheduled to receive the rifles, and what changes can be considered” said King Otar. “This afternoon perhaps?”
Buris nodded at the order. It would be a simple matter to gather the records from his lab and bring them here. They were actually a bit ahead of the production schedule, but not by enough to make such a large distribution without someone being shorted.
“Who’s going to pay?” asked Sayusta. “The Royal Treasury is being taxed by the recent demands and we are not even at war. Can we not ask Kimlelm to contribute funds for the replacements, assuming we can find something to send?”
“We offered the rifles in good faith,” said Otar. “It would seem wrong to now ask them to pay, just because our ship was lost. I think we can absorb the costs. While the rifles are expensive, they are really insignificant in light of the total expenditures the crown makes.”
“Then how are we going to ship them?” asked Sayusta. “It has reached the time of year where shipping is becoming risky. We could well end up with another shipment at the bottom of the sea. Shipping overland is even more difficult. It would take a very large caravan, which not only would attract attention, but would more than likely be caught in the first snows before it could cross the mountains. It also means traveling perilously close to Ale’ald.”
“These are all things that need to be considered,” agreed the King. “I think you need to join us for the discussions later today.”
Sayusta sat back, somewhat satisfied. She would see to this foolishness later. It was one thing to supply your allies, but one must consider the realities of the situation. It would be best to wait for spring when the full winter’s production was available and safer conditions for the delivery existed. By then they could also have made arrangements for shared funding with Kimlelm. She knew they would pay. The new rifles were far too important for them to refuse. She’d seen the looks the Kimlelm military representatives had given the rifles when they’d been given a demonstartion.
“Are the King and his Council available for a meeting with Jolan anytime soon?” asked Chancellor Vaen, seeing the current discussion was ending. “Word of the loss has reached his ears, and he has another proposal to put before the crown.”
“In the morning,” suggested the King. “I think Buris and I will be occupied the rest of the day.”
“I’ll tell him to be prepared,” she answered.
“What of Mojol?” asked the King. “I know from previous exchanges he is getting restless in Yermo. He was informed that I want him to stay put, I hope. I know he wants to ride off to the mountains where Ale’ald is expected to attack.”
“He has already suggested that under the circumstances there is little point of him sitting out the winter in Yermo,” replied Polum. “He was informed once again that you expect him to remain in place as the senior member of Angon’s diplomatic team in Kimlelm. I believe he understands the seriousness of your intent.”
* * * *
“What do you call this thing?” asked the King, looking at the crude drawing Jolan had laid on the table for all to see. It looked immense, the scale partially demonstrated by the drawing of a man standing beside the object.
“A train, your Highness. It represents a better way to transport goods over long distances. It transformed my country back on Earth in a matter of years, and after a hundred years is still one of the most economical means of transporting goods.”
“It looks like a large group of wagons that are connected together. I can’t see anything particularly original here.”
“There are several aspects to the design that offer advantages. Everyone knows the problems of shipping by sea on Gaea. There are risks during the best times of the year, and it becomes very dangerous during the winter months. I personally have seen the means by which goods are shipped by land. The roads are generally poor, can become bogged down in mud during the rains, and even to ship to relatively nearby Seret requires the long route up through Trailways and back down into the southern part of the country. It takes a very long time.”
“Why would this offer any advantages?” asked Chancellor Vaen. “You would still have to travel the same distances.”
“I’ll address that in a minute. First, the train uses a pre-built travel route that is carefully graded with the roughness taken out in the contruction. Heavy steel rails are used, and steel wheels on the train itself. A significant advantage results that isn’t obvious at first. The steel on steel provides a low friction interface, which means far more weight can be transported by the same effort. No longer is a significant part of the effort spent in simply trying to overcome the resistance of the ground.”
“You would move the loads with an engine operating on steam?” asked Sayusta. “I don’t think we can build such a thing.”
“You can, without a doubt,” corrected Jolan. “I had the good fortune to observe one of the steam engines on the boat from Carta to Jupura when Asari and I sailed down the river. The design is surprisingly mature, and while changes would have to be made, the same engineers would be up to the task. There would be some development time, but in a couple of years I know you would have a workable design.”
“A couple of years seems to be too late,” observed Chancellor Vaen. “We expect Ale’ald to begin hostilities much sooner.”
“I know,” agreed Jolan. “Initially I’d use horses to pull the load. The advantage of the track and wheels is still there, the loads would just be less to start with. It will take a couple of years to get all the track you’d want built and put in place anyway. One of the main improvements you could have completed before the winter is over, however.”
“And what is this improvement?” asked Sayusta.
Jolan unrolled another piece of paper and placed it on the table for the group to look at.
“This shows the current problem. Seret and Angon are separated by the open sea. We’ve already agreed that shipment by sea is often hazardous. Even where the two countries are close, down here by Burar, the currents are a problem, but there is also the problem of bringing in the cargo, loading it onto the ship, then on the other side, offloading the cargo, then reloading onto transport vehicles. This takes a great deal of time, and the number of vessels is limited. There is no land route because of the stone cliff along the sea at the bottom of the “V” and the steep mountains that effectively block the land in this area. I’m told no one has ever found a route that would be suitable for wagons through this area. It is supposedly difficult enough for a single man on horseback to slip through.”
“How to you expect to change that?” asked the King. “Attempts have been made to build a path along the base of the cliffs before. The currents have always ripped the roadway away within a single season. It is not feasible.”
“The cliffs are made of stone, solid granite that is several hundreds of feet high and extremely thick. Angon has a small army of mages, mages that can carve that rock to their whim. I think a tunnel cut into the rock a hundred feet or more above the sea that runs the length of the cliff could be built. It would be as high as this room, and twenty feet wide. At such a height, it would be safe from the sea even in the worst of weather. A tunnel is what I am used to at home, but if a slot would be easier that might also work. I am a little uncertain about potential structural issues with the slot approach, so if the approach is selected some careful studies will be required by your experts. A wooden barrier could be built along the open edge later. Once this is done, a track would exist t
hat would allow goods to move between the countries regardless of the season, and over a much shorter path. Once the tunnel is done, the installation of track and train wagons would increase the flow of goods significantly.”
“Could this be done?” the King asked Vaen.
“Not every mage has the ability to work rock as Jolan suggests, but it not an unusual talent. There are many tradesmages who can do so, and more could be taught. Someone would have to survey the area, and I suspect a periodic opening to the sea would be useful to vent the stone, but yes, it could be done.”
“At what cost?” asked Sayusta. “This sounds like a project to bankrupt Angon.”
“The cost of the tunnel would not be so great,” answered Vaen. “I cannot speak to the train itself.”
“There would be a significant cost, but the finished line would bring in money in a few years to more than make up for the cost. If it weren’t so, my own country would not have been crisscrossed with lines such as these, constructed by companies fighting for the privilege of putting them in. The economic benefits will be there for years, and in the event of war, the ability to rapidly transport goods and men will be invaluable.”
“This will need to be considered,” said the King “I would like to review it with the Council of Nobles. They would be asked to contribute funds to the treasury to help pay for an effort that sounds so far reaching. I would also need to get experts to estimate the costs, and some of our engineers to confirm your estimates about the feasibility of converting ship’s steam engines to a land based vehicle.”
Jolan nodded in understanding. “I admit there are many details I do not know, however, this is something that will change the Settled Lands forever if it can be done. The economic gains will be beyond anything you can imagine.”
The King’s senior aide walked in just then and handed King Otar a note. As he read it his jaw clenched angrily, and he tossed the crumpled paper onto the table.
“Prince Mojol has disobeyed my orders and has ridden off to the mountains of Kimlelm where they expect Ale’ald to attack. It is the same general area where there have been disturbances in the past months. With the loss of the ship and the portable telegraph stations, there is little contact with the area.”
Chapter 75
“What’s the name of this place again?”
Asari, Jolan and Rifod were in Jolan’s room looking at the map he had so painstakingly recreated from the small photos on the iPhone.
“Ygooro,” Rifod said.
“Sounds like the old tongue,” observed Asari while still looking at the careful sketch.
“It is. It’s one of the lost cities. It appears that Jolan has found where it used to be.”
“I think it’s still there,” Jolan responded softly. Something tells me it is still there somewhere.”
“It isn’t,” insisted Rifod. “I told you I went through there a couple of summers back. Just before coming here several of my friends and I made a trip all the way down the coast, from Simor to the mountains. On the way back we cut across country to slip through the mountains and then on to Cobalo. There’s nothing out that way but desert.”
“You weren’t looking for a city. You could have passed a few miles to one side and never have noticed. It could be all or partially buried.”
“Dragons but you’re stubborn,” Rifod said frustrated. They’d had this same discussions several times.
Asari grinned at the interchange. He knew Jolan far better than Rifod and had already realized that Jolan was going to go there.
“When?” asked Asari. Might as well get the discussion started.
“It’ll take a couple of months traveling each way. Winter’s too close now to be setting off on a trip like that. As much as I hate to wait, it’ll have to be sometime next spring.”
“The Council doesn’t really like their students to go wandering off whenever they get the urge,” cautioned Rifod.
“I’ve got a bit more leeway than most. Besides, I think I’m topping off. I’m not sure how much more I’ve got to gain by staying put. If they aren’t happy, I guess they can just not let me come back.”
Even Jolan’s friends here often forgot that his motivation for being at the College was different than their own. He would like to become a mage, but that was secondary. He wanted to find a way to kill Cheurt, and he wanted to find a way home. He was no longer sure of the priorities there, since going home was likely to give him a better shot at finding a solution to the wizard problem.
Asari had still been studying the map while Jolan and Rifod argued.
“Why is this building circled?”
“Another of those odd feelings. Something tickled in my brain every time I passed over it while I was drawing the map. Whatever I sense is out there, that’s where I’d bet we’ll find it.”
Rifod just shook his head at Jolan’s stubbornness, and Asari grinned again. Jolan was amazed at how quickly Asari had been accepted into the group. He knew it was all due to Shyar’s efforts.
The morning after Asari had returned Jolan had awakened in Shyar’s bed, his arms wrapped around a body that was even more amazing than he’d dreamed. They had made love frantically, then hurriedly, and later slowly and passionately. Jolan had fallen asleep totally spent, and woke to find Shyar holding him close and looking down on him as his head rested on her breasts.
“We’ve got to help Asari become one of the group,” she’d said. Not the first words he’d expected after their first night of passion.
“Well, the first step is to get him a room here with the rest of us. Without that, it’ll fall back into the same routine.”
“I’ll talk to Dibon about that this morning,” Jolan said. “I think now I’ve got enough pull we can work something out. If not, then I’ll be moving out.”
“Me too,” she said giving him a bit of a squeeze.
“They would panic at the thought of losing their only level seven.”
“I’m not.”
“Not yet. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Assuming that’s taken care of, how do we get him to be at ease with the others?”
They’d decided that a welcoming party or some fancy get-together wasn’t the right approach. It would bring attention to the fact he was outside and being invited in. Instead Shyar suggested that the various members select times when Jolan and Asari were together to “drop in” singly, with the pretext of some problem or aspect of the on-going projects. It was a subtle way he could get to know each of them without feeling pressured in a group environment.
“That still leaves the issue of what he’s going to do. We all have classes or tasks. If Asari sits around all day, it won’t take too long before he starts feeling unnecessary again.”
“I’ve thought about that,” Shyar said. “Buris needs an assistant. He’s got too much to do, and if this new idea of yours gets approved it’ll only get worse. Asari could fill that hole for him. Asari already knows all the secrets, and he won’t have any conflicts on his time. I think getting the two of them together right away is a good idea.”
Jolan wasn’t sure. Asari didn’t like it when people were trying to do him favors.
“What pretext. Buris will want to look him over, and if he isn’t interested that could be uncomfortable for Asari.”
“What were you and he working on when I got involved?”
“Building a rifle. We already have one.”
“Asari hasn’t seen one. I’ll bet he will want one. How about we go see Buris and have him give one to Asari. Before offering him a job, Buris might suggest a little project. Buris has suspected it would be possible to make one of the rifles a lot more accurate with a bit of tuning. Asari will want that also, given what you’ve told me he wants to do. They would make a good team. If they click, it would be natural for them to continue on together.”
It had worked out exactly as they had hoped. Asari had taken to the new rifle immediately, and was amazed at how well it performed. Everyday for the
next week Asari had headed down to the lab to work on improving the accuracy of the weapon, and by the end of the week had come back with groups that were half the size of anything Jolan had seen from the rifle previously. Jolan knew that Buris and he had bonded when Asari showed Jolan a handful of special cartridges. The copperclad bullets gleamed in the light of the glow bulbs.
“Where did you get those?”
“Buris and I made ‘em,” Asari said proudly. “He had a bit of copper locked away down there, and when I mentioned one day that all this rifle needed were some cuprum projectiles and we’d have a real wizard buster, he said we should make some. We also modified the butt stock so that I can store three of the loaded cartridges underneath a small cover. Oh. He wants me to work on some of the other projects with him. I assume that’s okay?”
Meetings with the other members of the group were spread out over several weeks, but one-by-one he met them all, and because he was happy with his current status, he was open to their friendship. Before long he was one of the group, even though he wasn’t a mage.
“Before you two start arguing again, what about the question I asked you last night?” Asari asked. “That’s what I came here for in the first place.”
“I don’t think we can make the kind you saw in that movie, but a low-tech version should be possible.”
Asari had come to Jolan with something he’d seen on one of the movies on the iPhone back before he’d run the batteries dry. It had been a war movie, and one of the weapons he’d remembered had been grenades. He’d wanted to know how they worked and what might be involved in making them.
“Look, here’s a rough sketch,” Jolan said, pulling out a piece of paper from under the map. “The head is a simple piece of cast metal. We can make it so there are cuts on the outside, making it predisposed to separate into lots of fragments. Then we fill it with black powder. It’ll take a lot to be effective. It’s too bad we can’t make some of the better powders. We run a fuse, and I know Buris has some simple fuse materials, down the center of the handle that will be made from wood. We design it so you simply release a safety catch, pull on the head to pop a primer cap and start the fuse, and then throw it and duck.”