FREEDOM Legends

by Stephen Arseneault

  Tamia had her appreciation in the chambers, often selecting outfits and dressing her master, whose appearance had somehow improved, according to her friends.

  Kerena served in the kitchen and dining hall, gathering intel on the many guests who visited the palace.

  Back on Polous, Jamus sat with Thelm as his master licked an ice cream cone at a local gaming arena. "Jamus, it has been a wondrous year. You are my good luck charm. My wealth has increased three-fold. I am now the number two master in all of Betuaon."

  "You should be governor, Master. You have the genius. You have the wisdom. You have the love and admiration of your crew and your slaves."

  "Thank you, Jamus. That was very kind. Here, finish this ice cream for me."

  The personal slave was handed a half-eaten cone that was melting and dripping down the sides. Thelm stared until Jamus took a bite and followed with a smile.

  "Perfect. I hope you enjoy that. You have been a good investment."

  "As you have been the most perfect and generous owner, Master."

  "Yes. Yes I have been. Now come, we have games to attend. I'm meeting a new business associate and I'd like your opinion of his offer once our meeting concludes."

  "As master commands."

  Jamus followed Thelm into the local arena, ice cream cone still in his hand. The arena had box seating, much smaller than in the ultimate arenas of Parisser.

  Thelm squirmed to make himself comfortable in the thinly padded chair. "Preposterous. I should like these boxes updated. I am almost embarrassed to be meeting Master Konlith under these conditions."

  "Is Polous not wealthier than Dunika? And aren't the games more entertaining?"

  "Well, yes, I suppose they are. Dunika is a cesspool compared to Polous."

  Master Konlith was standing behind Thelm. "What is that you say about Dunika?"

  Thelm quickly turned. "It is a fine colony. I was just commenting about how I hoped the games there were as entertaining as here."

  "I see. Excellent."

  Thelm gestured toward a chair. "Have a seat. Can I have my slave fetch you an ice cream?"

  Jamus held up the half eaten cone. Konlith pulled back with a scowl.

  Thelm chuckled. "Not a half-eaten cone. A fresh one, mind you."

  "I will pass on the dessert, thank you. I believe this is the first time I have ever seen a slave eating dessert."

  "Master Konlith, this is Jamus, my personal slave. I find his presence both entertaining and uplifting. He's been trained to compliment his master."

  "You are ever wise, Master."

  Thelm grinned. "It's all the rage now, having a personal slave who is trained to compliment. You should add one to your staff."

  "Your shoes are delightful, Master Konlith."

  "Yes. They are. My third wife gave them to me this—why am I having a conversation with a slave?"

  "Ah. The secret is that you don't have to answer. You own them. Just sit back and enjoy the praise."

  "Perhaps I will have to look into this. I certainly get no compliments from my wives or children, even with all I provide them."

  "Yes, family can be quite rude. So what is this deal you are bringing to me today?"

  "I've studied your investment into the tobacco industry in Betuaon. Turgol State has a similar situation where one House has 90 percent of the market share. I thought a partnership with you might allow me to break the stranglehold Master Bannfee has on Turgol."

  "Bannfee? Is he not the number two in Turgol?"

  "He is."

  "And you are number eight?"

  "I am."

  "Do you have the farmlands available to grow the needed product?"

  "I do not. That is why I am coming to you. I have the distribution network where I could place the product in competition with Master Bannfee."

  "Do you think that to be a wise move?"

  "As a producer, no. But as a distributor, all I am doing is delivering the available goods to market. Master Bannfee will not have complaint if I am merely a partner. He cannot deny open competition."

  "No. I suppose he can't. Do you have the data to go with a formal proposal?"

  "I do. It is being delivered to your data hold. Master Thelm, thank you for listening to me today. Your name is making the circles. They are calling you a rising star."

  "They are too kind, Master Konlith. I am but a humble servant to the governor of Betuaon."

  The meeting ended and Konlith departed.

  Thelm turned to face Jamus with a smile on his face. "So? I thought that went quite well. It seems I'm gathering a reputation."

  "How could you not? I'm only surprised that you aren't already the emperor."

  Thelm chuckled. "Oh, please stop. Your praise is becoming predictable and unbelievable. Although..."

  The master planted three fingers on his chin as he looked up toward the ceiling in a daydream.

  "This deal is a good one, Master. I enjoyed the way you manipulated him into only providing the distribution. Perhaps your partner Master Hallik can provide the product while you again work the masterful media campaign?"

  "I believe that to be an excellent solution, Jamus."

  "Your skill at manipulating others is almost shameful, Master."

  "Yes. I suppose it is."

  "Are there other deals to be made that are similar to this one?"

  "I would think so. With my new position as number two, and my rising reputation, those deals may be just waiting for me to reach out and scoop up."

  "You should act while your reputation is spreading, Master. Take advantage of your strengthening position."

  In the aftermath of the Wilcer conspiracy, the House of Thelm was burgeoning with profits. With full control of the cigarette industry in Betuaon State, and with the advent of its spread into Turgol, every master in the eight states within the Talion District was eager to build partnerships with the rising phenom.

  The House of Aurin, however, was anything but pleased with the goings on. Thelm was called in to see the governor.

  "I'm concerned with the success I'm seeing from your businesses, Thelm. Is this another conspiracy?"

  "Conspiracy, Governor? To do what? To make profit? Aren't the deals we have together doing well?"

  "Tepid would be what I call them. Profitable, but barely so. Meanwhile, my other businesses seem to all be losing share. Has word on the street been that I am somehow weak?"

  "I have heard nothing but praise for your continued governance. The people like their governor. You have been fair and kind to all."

  "What I have been is on a losing streak. The gap between your fortune and mine is narrowing. It has already fallen by half. How is it you are profiting while I am in decline?"

  "I don't know how to answer that, Governor. Somehow I have gotten a reputation as a shrewd businessman. I cannot explain it other than to say it is there. Just last week I made a deal to provide and advertise cigarettes for a market in Turgol. I will be using the same plan as I did here, which has been wildly successful."

  Aurin stood, placing his hands on his desk in front of himself as he leaned forward. "You must cut me in on this deal."

  Thelm sat silent for several seconds. "I don't know quite what to say to that, Governor. The distributor is in Turgol. I will be providing media coverage. The cigarettes are to be provided by Master Hallik."

  "Hallik? His farms are already maxed out. He should have told you that already."

  "He did mention that it would be a struggle, but he never said it couldn't be done. You don't currently have tobacco farms, do you?"

  "I have farms. Far more than Hallik. Fully half could be converted in the next month alone."

  "I suppose I could speak with Hallik. He might be willing to pass that production to you, if only to gain favor."

  "Get him on the comm. Now."

  Thelm frowned. "Such a move is highly unusual for business, Governor. Are you certain you want to do this?"

  "I'm certain."

  A
comm was opened. After several minutes of pleading with the current tobacco king of Betuaon, Hallik relented, agreeing to pass the full contract for the supply portion of the deal over to Aurin.

  "You won't regret this, Master Hallik. There will come a time when I happily return this favor."

  "I look forward to that time, Governor."

  The comm closed to a grinning governor and a pleased Thelm.

  Hallik opened a comm to Bersa. "This is perfect."

  "We are losing that business, Master. How is that good for us?"

  "Aurin will replant half his crops in the next month. We then leak intel on this venture to the current tobacco king of Turgol, who will then see to it that this operation is shut down. In turn, we will offer to buy the excess tobacco from Aurin for a tenth of its value, since he won't have a market for it. On our end, we start conversion now of a sizable portion of our fields over to the crops Aurin is scrapping for this, filling the void that will be created. In the end, Aurin will be paying us again to convert those fields back to tobacco. This deal alone may be enough to make Thelm the governor of Betuaon."

  "Most excellent, Master."

  The crops were planted and an ad campaign prepared. As Hallik had planned, the details of the deal were leaked to the governor of Turgol and the deal was nixed.

  Thelm sat at his dinner table enjoying a meal with his personal slave seated across from him.

  Jamus said, "The loss of this deal. Is it bad for you?"

  "Only in the loss of potential future profit. My commitment was minimal at this stage. I only need to scrap plans for an ad blitz. Master Konlith is the same, only needing to scrap plans for the distribution through his network. I still don't understand how Bannfee found out."

  "Master Konlith might not have been as tight-lipped as required. Or perhaps the governor got caught bragging about his great deal."

  "Perhaps. A terrible business practice by the way."

  "Maybe now we know why the governor's fortune has been falling."

  "He won't lose money. I understand Master Hallik is stepping in again with a favor, buying up his tobacco crop. He will be spending hard credits to purchase food products from Hallik as well, until such time as he can get his farms replanted."

  "Sounds like a bad business deal all around."

  Hallik opened a comm to the master directly above him. "Master Thelm, a good day to you. I was disappointed to hear about the collapse of the tobacco deal. I just finished purchasing all the product the governor had at a bargain price. In return, he offered to purchase my entire farm production that I had planted to replace the tobacco. It seems my move was risky, but timely."

  "The governor is quite distressed over this. He said to offer his personal thanks to you for your understanding and your willingness to deal when you didn't have to."

  "Yes, he was thankful directly to me as well. I did want to discuss something with you, Master Thelm. It is about your fortune. Have you done a tally of late?"

  "Not in the last few weeks. Why?"

  Hallik answered, "By my calculations, you are only a single percentage point behind the governor. It's possible you could overtake him in the coming month."

  "What? The governor? That's not realistic. I am well behind and it's not a title I am seeking."

  "Seeking or not, you could be our new governor. The people will be thrilled if that happens. They have wanted a Talion back in the governorship for centuries now. The House of Aurin may be falling from grace while the House of Thelm rises. And, Governor... I mean Master Thelm, who would be more deserving of this title than you? You stopped the conspiracy, and your business dealings have been stellar."

  "Hmm… Governor Thelm. I do like the sound of that."

  "I hope you will remember those partners who have been there with you during your rapid rise. I have profited from association with your greatness. I hope I can continue to be a trusted partner."

  Jamus said, "Strong partners will only help to elevate you, Master."

  Thelm chuckled. "My slave appears to agree with you, Master Hallik. Your humble service will always be appreciated in the House of Thelm."

  Chapter 26

  * * *

  Bersa sat watching the team at Koodesh. Tamia was talking up a storm with Masterette Thock, who had become quite good friends with Thelm. Her fashion sense was receiving accolades from her associates, all because of her new personal slave, Tamia Brown. Her dinner parties were also winning favor with her newest kitchen staff member guiding the other slaves. And her palace was filled with fresh flowers daily, courtesy of her new gardener Martin. Thock was gaining popularity and was elated.

  Dester helped his master into his daywear. "Who is Master Delmis?"

  "Delmis is third in line to the governorship of the Talion District. He is a Leuchen. He can be jolly, like most Leuchens, but also gruff. And if he doesn't like you, he holds that dislike forever. He operates one of the biggest hunting game franchises in the empire, certainly the largest in the district. So please keep your rude remarks only between us. I'd rather not be despised and hated for the rest of my life. Especially by someone so powerful."

  "I will honor my most gracious master's every command. Master Delmis will think you a staunch supporter and ally."

  The Faunic shuttle landed. A private hover-taxi was waiting to collect Master Faunic and his personal slave. A ten-minute ride took the duo up to the top of the Cherid Mountains on Sascelia, landing on a tarmac at a palace belonging to Master Delmis. A short walk saw them escorted inside and Faunic seated on a plush couch, Dester sitting on the floor behind him.

  "Master," Dester said, "remember to talk about your arenas. You own more than a hundred throughout Talion. A partnering agreement would benefit you both. Master Delmis would profit by having his games travel to your arenas. You would benefit by keeping those arenas full. Your idea of such an investment will sell itself. You only need suggest it."

  "As I will. The games of Master Delmis are revered by all in the district. Did you know the catapult idea in the opening of the Ultimate games came directly from his premier league games?"

  Dester frowned. "No, Master, I didn't"

  "His games are quite brutal, and therefore some of the most popular."

  "What sort of games?"

  "He has several of the highest-rated children's games. One of those would be the Human piñatas. A slegg is taken and forced to swallow credit tokens that have a value of anywhere between ten credits and five hundred credits value. The contestant is blindfolded and given an ax. The slegg is hung by their feet and hands, with their belly facing downward. The child walks around swinging the ax until the slegg is found. The credit tokens are electronically controlled and will automatically reduce in value until collected."

  "Collected?"

  "The slegg is split open. The tokens fall to the floor. They are picked up, rinsed off, and deposited in a giant plastic pig—collected. I have to admit, even though I am not into children's games, the frantic behavior of some of the contestants is quite amusing."

  Dester said, "You ever think that maybe you people are all sick and demented?"

  Faunic chuckled. "Please, don't put me in a laughing mood before Delmis even arrives. This is business. I need to be serious."

  "Maybe the two of you could go after each other with axes."

  Faunic laughed. "Please. Stop. That's an order."

  Delmis entered the room in all his Leuchen glory, a floor-length robe hanging from his broad shoulders. A half-dozen pustules on his face looked as though they could pop at any moment. Faunic stood and offered a head bow.

  "Master Delmis, it is an honor to be welcomed by you today."

  "You have five minutes of my time, Master Faunic. What do you have that is such an urgent need?"

  "A business proposition. You control games, many very popular games, and I have over a hundred arenas at my disposal. The proposition is a partnership of sorts. We take some of your games and make them traveling games. They would b
e seen in my arenas on a periodic schedule. I believe advertising would bring profits to us both."

  Delmis gestured to Dester. "You come to talk business and you bring one of those foul things into my home?"

  Faunic turned to look at his newest staff addition. "He's a personal slave. He's encouraged to talk and to give compliments. It's the latest trend in being a master. I know several others who have them as well. They really are quite entertaining."

  "The only entertaining Human is one who is involved in a game. What makes this slave different?"

  Faunic said, "Go on, Dester. Say something funny."

  "Why do you feel you need to be doing business with this hippo?"

  Faunic's eyes filled with terror. "I am so sorry, Master Delmis."

  "Sorry for what? Hippos are adorable creatures, don't you think?"

  "Well... yes. I suppose they are."

  "Suppose, nonsense. They are. I will tell you what, Faunic. I will arrange one such traveling game on a trial basis."

  "That would be fantastic, Master Delmis."

  "Fantastic? You haven't yet heard my terms."

  "Please continue."

  "All profits from this trial will go directly to me. That includes monies from concessions at your arenas and from advertising and sponsorship as well. If those profits are determined to be big enough to share, we will negotiate a larger contract."

  Faunic smiled. "Your terms are most generous, Master."

  "I have one additional demand that will close this deal. You will loan out your personal slave to me for the duration of this initial contract. If he is as entertaining as you say, he will be returned. If not, he goes into my games."

  Faunic returned a look of concern. "Your games? He's a unique servant, Master Delmis. I should want him returned if he cannot win your favor. He has already won mine. I fear I may not be able to find another quite like him."

  "He's a slegg, Faunic. And this is a deal-breaker if you choose to deny me."

  Dester stood. "You don't have to take this from that overgrown, pus-filled fangule, Master."