by Guy Antibes
The large master suite surprised him, offsetting the masculine first floor. Wallpaper with the characteristic designs of Sulliana adorned the walls with a floral pattern on a light yellow background. The chairs were light colored wood with lots of curves and the bedspread was flowered in a similar pattern to the wallpaper.
A refuge for Merra, Panix thought, as the coachman called from downstairs.
“It should be all here,” the coachman said. Panix took ten copper Korvannan eagles out of his money pouch in his jacket pocket. “You’ve been great passengers. It was a pleasure to travel with you.” He bowed with his hat in his hands. When he straightened up, Panix held out the tip. “Thank you, sir.”
Panix looked around. He felt relieved to be away from the clutches of the Academy and looked forward to spending the rest of his life with Merra in this house in Pent.
~~~
Panix the Metallurgist
Book Two
Chapter 6
Lorna rode through the crisp autumn air, as the wind ruffled her hair. She was glad to get back to Pent after the three-month vacation with her father. She still struggled getting over the death of her mother the previous winter eventhough her father had intended the vacation to be a bit of diversion for the both of them.
As soon as they returned, he went back to his books to make sure the company hadn’t fallen into ruin during his absence.
She turned around and began to head back to the city. She pursed her lips at the thought of the new man her father hired from the Morven Academy. He certainly showed the most talent of any magician her father had interviewed, and that was what scared her. Would he take the place of the son her father wanted? Her anger grew as she trotted through a village with its stone cottages lining the main road.
What if she wanted to run the factory? The idea had germinated on their trip. Why not her? She was smart enough, except for one thing besides her age; her father wanted a magician to run the factory. He felt the factory couldn’t be as progressive without one. Lorna’s paternal grandmother had possessed some talent and it worked its way into her son, but stopped there. Lorna could have been born before the Awakening, for the absolute lack of magical talent in her veins.
She put that aside for now as she passed the Palace on her way home. She dreamed about going to a state ball. Her father’s steward used to take her dancing in the village fairs when her parents were in Pent and she spent summers in their South Pent summer mansion. She felt her eyes water at the thought. There would be no more carefree summers in South Pent and her father had made it plain, he didn’t want to go back there anytime soon. Her mother had died of a fever in his arms at their country mansion.
What could she do? She looked at the smoke over the houses that came from her father’s metal works. Engineering. She couldn’t learn magic, but she could pick up engineering. Could she register at the University? The term began the previous week.
She’d consult with Harlan Gennoc, the new engineer her father hired in the spring. Harlan had excelled in his studies just as Panix Gavid had. He’d just graduated from Pent University and he could help her decide what to study.
~
The Baltac metal factory spread out more than the Military College and the Academy put together, except the halls weren’t filled with students. They were filled with men and women making and working with metal.
Panix felt proud of his ability to separate ore from small rock samples, but that didn’t prepare him for the scale of Baltac’s operations. To the north, leagues and leagues of mountains ran to the northernmost regions of the continent. The ore came from mines in those mountains. Supplying Dornna with most of its metal brought a great deal of pride to the Pentish population.
Tons of crushed ore moved past Panix on large floaters. The ore had been pre-sorted by magicians at the mines. Steam powered belts lifted the ore up, dumped them on tall piles, and then moved into the vast building that held the smelters. Big steam-powered rams slammed the ore, grinding it into powder. The powder liquefied in large gas-fired vats made of magic-hardened ceramic. The impurities rose to the surface and men skimmed them off with enchanted screens that could withstand the heat. Their actions left pure metal sloshing in the vats.
The forces and energy required for this work exceeded what any magician or group of magicians could do by themselves. However magicians made the gas used to fire the vats by reducing organic matter into a combustible vapor. Merra could probably make gas, but the trade didn’t exactly rank high for desirability.
Magicians put heat resistant coatings on the metal and protected the skimmers. Technology working hand-in-hand with magic, and Baltac Metalworks served as the center for that marriage.
Panix realized that magic didn’t rule the world of Dornna as he once thought because men still dominated civilization, not magic. Magicians had the talent to do some wonderful things, but the Awakening had not created super men, it just added more tools for men to use.
“Do you see how we can use magic in the smelting process?” Baltac asked as they continued their tour.
“It’s too much to take in. I never imagined anything on this scale. I’m used to smaller rocks—samples of things.”
“That’s why you’re doing research. You work on small things and then we scale up. I read a book just the other day on quantity production. We don’t have to worry right now because with all of this new steam technology, I can sell all I make. Murgontia buys huge quantities of brass for their steam cars.”
“I’ve seen a few of them on the streets of Pent. It looks like the city is replacing cobbles with brick to help smooth the roads,” Panix said. The two men moved out of the huge smelting sheds. Panix hadn’t realized how much fresher the air smelled out of the buildings. He looked at all of the pipes and chimneys sticking out of the metal roof belching out fumes. He thanked the paired gods the wind was blowing in the opposite direction.
“The Marquis wanted it done, expecting steam cars to quickly replace horses. Don’t let anybody fool you. Those things aren’t perfected yet. People are killed everyday in steam car explosions. I don’t have to worry here, although all of my steam engines come from Murgontia, we replace all of the pressure tanks with ones with a five times thicker shell than what Murgontia put on them.”
Panix wondered at the world’s progress now that the magic of the Awakening had finally yielded to man-made innovation—a technological awakening of its own.
~
“You’ll like the ball, Merra,” Panix said as he tied a cravat for his new suit of clothes. He wore a starched linen shirt under a gray coat with a line of shiny brass buttons. His trousers were colored to match the coat and cut off just below the knee. Long black socks and shiny black shoes finished off his outfit.
Merra looked beautiful in a dark blue gown, setting off her light blue eyes and pulled-up golden hair. “I won’t know unless I go.” She gave Panix a nervous smile.
The Marquis of Pent, a good friend of Foald Baltac., had invited them to the ball. In fact, Foald surprised Panix when he admitted that he held a noble title.
They arrived in a carriage, looking around at the gaslight lanterns spraying light all over the front of the Palace. Merra and Panix walked up the steps and felt like intruders as lords and ladies and the cream of Pent society walked along with them.
“Panix Gavid of Baltac Metalworks and his wife, Merra.”
He winced as their names were called out amidst all of the titles. But as he looked around he realized that no one paid any attention since the ball had already begun. Panix and Merra were not accomplished dancers but they hoped their attempts were not noticed in the full ballroom. They had had enough dancing after an hour. They had to be the youngest couple in the room and the most humble.
“Are you thirsty?” Panix said as he guided Merra to a table arrayed with goblets filled with wine. He took a couple of glasses, giving one to Merra. Panix tasted one and thought he needed to understand why people liked wine. Wine was never
something students at the Military College drank and there didn’t seem to be much time to relax at the Academy. “Do you like it?” He looked at Merra as she took a sip and then drank most of it.
“I think you are supposed to just sip it,” he said, smiling as he found he liked what he drank.
Foald Baltac came by and grabbed Panix. “I hope you don’t mind, Merra. There are some people I want Panix to meet. We won’t be gone long.”
“That’s all right. I’ll just have another goblet of this wine.” She smiled as she took another healthy drink from her new cup.
Foald surprised Panix by introducing him to the Marquis and Marquessa of Pent. “Marquis, Marquessa, I’d like to introduce Panix Gavid. He is my new magician in the research section. He is a certified master in mining and metallurgy.”
“Yes,” the Marquis said. “Foald has mentioned your talent. We hope that your time with us is well spent. We need good magical talent in Pent.”
“Indeed we do,” the Marquessa said. A sense of nobility radiated more from that woman than any other female Panix had ever met. Tall and possessing a commanding presence, she outshone her husband. Panix thought this woman must be a power behind her husband’s throne. “We would be delighted for you and your wife to dine with us some time in the near future.”
Panix bowed. “We would be honored, your grace.”
Foald took Panix by the elbow and led him away. “They are wonderful people. In Pent, the nobility is a close group. We aren’t that big of a country.” As they walked away from the couple, Foald glanced back at the Marquessa.
Panix noticed the look and tried to find Merra. “Who is that man talking to my wife?” he said when he found her talking to an older man.
Foald’s face darkened as he recognized him. “That is Baston Blox, our new foreign minister and I don’t trust him at all. He and I have had our difficulties when he was the undersecretary for commerce. We won’t be long, then you can rescue your wife.”
After a few more introductions, Foald released Panix. He hurried over to Merra who still spoke to Blox.
“Panix, this is Baston Blox, who has just been installed as the Foreign Minister of Pent.” Panix noticed a slurring in his wife’s speech.
“Your wife tells me you are Foald’s latest magician.” Baston bowed to Panix, who returned in kind.
“She’s right. We are new to both Pent and to Baltac Metalworks.” Panix did not like how Merra swayed. It was time to take her home.
“Our evening has come to a close. If you will excuse us, Lord Blox.” Panix took Merra by the arm and the pair left the ballroom.
“Why are we leaving?” Merra said as she half walked-half stumbled on the way out the door.
“It seems we have had too much to drink. You of wine and me of politics.” Panix thought back to Blox and felt the man wasn’t too bothered to be talking to an inebriated woman. That was not noble of him and he just hoped that not too many noticed Merra’s state.
“I want to go back inside. Baston is such a charming man.” She struggled with Panix, but he prevailed. He ignored her request as they started to descend from the front door to their carriage. He didn’t want her to fall down the Palace Steps.
~
Panix woke with daylight beginning to leak through the curtains in their bedroom. No one worked on restday at the metalworks except for the furnace men who made sure that vats were kept hot. He looked over at his slumbering wife, her golden hair cascading over her pillow.
He couldn’t get the vision of her drunkenness out of his mind. Could he be the problem? He rose and threw on a dressing gown and made his way down the stairs to the rooms below. The stairway was dark so he put out his hand, making an airlight. At the bottom of the stairway he sat on one of the treads.
Maybe she needed to do something and a horticultural job might be the solution. He nodded to himself thinking that would take care of the problem.
Panix fixed enough breakfast for both of them. By the time he finished his own, Merra entered their kitchen holding her head.
“My head hurts. I drank too much last night.” She sat down.
“I’ve got breakfast ready.” Panix was at the sink, pumping water into a wash pan. He looked at it and the water began to steam.
“Don’t talk to me about food. Why did you drag me out of the ball? I was so embarrassed and in front of the Foreign Minister.” Her hair hung over her face.
“You said you drank too much last night. You were swaying and your speech was slurred. I decided to end our evening.” Panix took a cup and made something to help her condition. He wasn’t totally unfamiliar with what to do with a hangover. “Here, drink all of this.”
She drained his remedy. “I’m sorry. You’re right, as usual.” Her compliment wasn’t really a compliment, more of a reprimand. “Perhaps I can use a little food.”
Panix gave her a half smile, although she still hadn’t raised her head. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you do some horticultural magic here in Pent? I’m sure you can make beautiful flowers grow in one of the greenhouses here in the capital.”
Merra raised her head. “I am not a servant and I am not a tradeswoman.” She rose and ran upstairs.
Panix stood with a plate of food in his hand. He set it down and absently put her food in his mouth, thinking that he’d have to come up with another idea.
~
Shards of sunlight thrust through skylights in the Baltac Metalworks machine shop. Wisps of smoke and steam brightened up the room as the sun hit the vapors. Panix stood at the door looking at the technology Baltac used for his mining and manufacturing.
“Can I help you? You’re Panix Gavid, right?” A young man, about Panix’s age, stuck out his hand. Panix nodded and shook it. “I saw you walking through here with Baltac. I’m Harlan Gennoc, the engineering assistant to the works manager. Like a tour?”
A spark of interest resulted in a little smile on Panix’s face. “I’d like that. I know the talent side of the business, but I’ve never paid much attention to the machines.”
“We can take care of that. What do you want to see first? Want to know a bit about steam technology? We just got a new steam engine from Murgontia. I can show you the latest developments.”
Panix wouldn’t know the latest developments from the earliest developments, but soon Harlan had Panix repeating the basic parts of a steam engine.
Over the intervening weeks, Panix learned a great deal about technology and about Harlan. He let Harlan learn quite a bit about his situation as well.
“It’s a bit boring for my wife living in the house by herself, while I’m stuck here. The house Foald rents to us is great, but Merra is lonely sitting at home all by herself,” Panix said one day as he helped Harlan with adjusting a new ore conveyor system.
“Then make a life somewhere outside of Pent City. It’s real nice over by the Gerellian border and since it’s a little lower in altitude the area is probably more like Korvanna. Build a little summer place. Baltac pays you enough.”
“A different environment. A place of our own…” Panix stopped talking and thought Harlan’s idea might be just the thing.
~
Lorna now spent most of her time at the University to learn theory and worked with Harlan Gennoc as he taught her the practical side of engineering.
“You’ve done a great job picking up the mathematics,” Harlan said as he went through her calculations.
They sat together on stools looking over her papers on a workbench. Lorna found she learned more theory when she sat next to Harlan correcting her homework.
“But I’m having trouble with the chemistry. I have a hard time learning the elements.” She let the sun shine through the window and onto her face. The yellow light of the setting sun felt just right on her face.
“Panix Gavid. We should get him involved. He knows chemistry better than I do. I began teaching him the basics about the same time you started at the University six months ago.”
Lorna
clamped her lips tight. Panix Gavid, her father’s golden boy. If it wasn’t for him, she… Not true. She would have to learn all of this regardless. Panix Gavid still represented a threat, a rival to her goal of running the family business. That’s what she thought of Baltac’s Metalworks. A family business that her father should hand down to her.
Panix walked in just as she began to turn back to her work.
“Speaking of Panix…” Harlan said.
“Any time this afternoon before I head home for some tube bending practice?” Panix’s voice always irritated her for some reason.
Lorna kept her head down as she heard him come closer.
“Lorna?” Panix said. She irritated him speaking her name.
“Mr. Gavid.”
“Surely, you can call me Panix.” He smiled and looked slimy and insincere. How could her father have hired this man?
“Panix.” She gave him a curt nod. “I suppose we are finished tonight, Harlan?”
Harlan shrugged. “If you are. First, Panix do you think you could go over the theory of elements with Lorna? You’re better at it than I am and can even extract some pure material for her.”
Panix blinked. Certainly he disliked her and would reject Harlan’s offer.
“Of course. I didn’t know you were taking classes at the University. I’d be happy to help.”
Sure he would. More kissing up to her father through her, most likely. “I’ll let you know… Panix.” It almost hurt her to say his name. She couldn’t let her guard down in front of her rival, but she really did need to learn elements better.
“Why don’t we have a little session on the basics right now?”
“If you insist,” Lorna said. She had to take a deep breath and try to stay calm. This was so painful.
“Here. See these two bottles? They weigh about the same, don’t they?”
She had to nod and remain polite.
Panix concentrated over the two bottles and put a stopper in one bottle and then in the other. “I’ve put pure oxygen in this one and pure hydrogen in this one. Same density.”