Standing Between Earth and Heaven

by Douglas Milewski

  The guard did not smile but he did open the door. This clearly insulted the verwalter, but Maran did not care. She could see what was going on. The verwalter had paid for the position and had gotten greedy.

  Maran set her straight. “You aren’t sharing your take with the guards. That’s rude. Don’t be selfish. If you keep being so stupid, I will be sure to mention you to the Iron Duke. He has a wall of stupid people like you.”

  The verwalker blanched.

  Maran strode into Strikke’s apartment.

  The guard announced her. “Meister Maran, Eighth Rod of the Ironmongers.”

  Strikke sat there with three other women, playing tiles at an iron table. Strikke looked up from her game, smiling at Maran. “Come in, Maran. Where have you been?” The other three tile players looked up briefly, but quickly returned to their gossip.

  “May I have a word with you?” asked Maran.

  The smile faded from Strikke’s face and she sighed. “I can hear your resignation coming. Just say it out loud. These other woman can hear.”

  That took Maran back. Even Strikke could see that coming. “Ma’am, that’s second. I wasn’t even going to resign until Arma got here. She’s a far better cook than I am.”

  “Can she make those hot things? Oh, what do you call those spicy wrapped meat things? Mushroomy shape? Mouth on fire? Oh, never mind. Cookie used to make them.”

  “Columns of Fire. Yes, Arma can make them.”

  “I’d love them at my next party. I invited the Chairman down. He’ll be here next week. I hope she can do that.”

  “My family once cooked for emperors, ma’am, and we will do so again. Have no doubts about Arma. In the meantime, you have work to do.”

  “What work would that be?”

  “As your Eighth Rod, I’ve seen things. After the Red Lady attacked the Steel City, the Duke deployed his men to clean up his city, rescue the people and rebuild. Look outside. What have your Ironmongers done? Nothing. If you are to follow the Iron Duke, you need to do the same as the Iron Duke. There is a devastated city out there. Order all idle hands to work. Rescue the living and rebuild. Make the outer city into a better place.”

  Strikke stared at Maran in blank-eyed amazement, as if Maran had just pointed out something that had been obvious, yet was something that she had never realized before.

  “As the Iron Duke commands,” said Strikke. “Verwalker, send an order to the guild masters. Muster all idle hands. Aid and rescue humans in the disaster area. Spare no equipment, and the law be damned, charge no fees.”

  Strikke turned back to her table where the women were back to playing tiles. “What are you slackers waiting for? When I said all idle hands, I meant all idle hands. Brecher, break out the field hospital and receive the wounded. Zwecke, feed and water the workers. Schnecke, coordinate the cleanup crews. Time for games is over. Move it.”

  At first, the women at the table looked offended, as if Strikke had spoken in absurdities, but then the sheer magnitude of the task before them sank in and they smiled. The thought of overwhelming work makes all dwarven hearts happy. They nearly leapt from their chairs, racing from the rooms, taking off their hats and frocks as they moved.

  When they were alone, Maran turned back to Strikke. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “No,” said Strikke, “Thank you. That was some great moralizing. You would have made Cookie proud.”

  The Digger

  Maran took one last look at her kitchen. This was hers and it was perfect. Every pot gleamed. Every tile shone. All parts of it, down to the equipment arrangement, would make her grandmother proud. She had worked hard and this had become hers. Now she was leaving it. Would Grandmother approve? Would Cookie approve? Did they even matter? If they did not approve, could Maran do anything different?

  Annalise teared up. “I ache you going ashore. I’ll miss you, ma’am.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Annalise. You have been wonderful to me. Arma will be a much better meister to you. She really is a far better cook than I am.”

  “I’ll sing you goodbyes,” said Annalise. “It’s what my people do. Like this.” Annalise knelt down, then sang slow and sad and completely flat.

  I see the shore, I see the strand.My heart it breaks to see the land.I love my ship, my home at sea.And soon my ship will soon miss me.

  Maran smiled. “That’s a pretty little song.”

  “It’ll break your heart, ma’am.”

  “I think I’m ready to leave, but I’m never ready to leave. I just grow roots wherever I am. I’m a weed. But even weeds need to get transplanted. Their roots get too big for their pots.”

  There was a knock on the door. A face poked in. It was Arma. “Maran!”

  “Arma!”

  Arma dropped her large sack, then dashed over. The cousins embraced with great joy.

  “They said you recommended me,” said Arma.

  “Of course I did, I think. You’ll do great. The Kurfurstin will drive you crazy, but you’ll do great.”

  “Of course I’ll do great. I’m the best cook in the family, short of Grandmother.”

  “Yes, and you’ll need that attitude.”

  “Ironmongers, Maran. Why Ironmongers?”

  “A long time ago, we were at the Battle of Knessex. The Ironmongers fought a dragon. They may have killed it, but we’re the one who buried it. It’s time that we remind them who they are dealing with. If you can deal with Grandmother, Kurfurstin Strikke will be no problem. If you need an ally, there’s Burggraf Quema. She runs the place. She’s got her morals straight, but she doesn’t drink. Weird, I know.”

  “Yes, weird. Talking about weird, with that horse sacrifice last week, the coffee started fruiting again. My orders said that I should bring as much coffee as possible. What should I do with it?”

  “Altyn must have asked for it. I bet she’s trying to pay folks their back wages. Coffee is in short supply, so it’s as good as silver on the streets. I’ll take it down to the kitchens as I leave.”

  “Are you going so soon? You’re just throwing me to the wolves? You haven’t even heard any news.”

  “I’m sorry to leave you quickly, but I need to go. We’ll catch up later. I’ll come by to visit, but I really need to help clean up after yesterday’s storm. People are dying out there. Annalise will catch you up on the place. The kitchen’s been in turmoil lately, so there’s really nothing to take over. Just decide what needs deciding. I need to go and bury people.”

  “A digger, Maran? You’re digging? Nobody does that any more.”

  Maran hugged Arma one more time. “I have lots and lots to explain. Sorry to run like this.”

  “Who made you so rude? That’s what you get for living with Ironmongers. And your mother says to write. If you don’t, she’ll mention you to the Ancient One.”

  Getting mentioned to the Ancient One was a threat that all small children faced. When used against adults, it was a mark of impatience and anger.

  “I will, I promise,” replied Maran.

  Maran picked up everything and walked down the hall. Much to Maran’s curiosity, Kepi was there. What was she doing there? Was somebody dying? No, Kepi was just waiting there. She stood and wagged her tail when Maran arrived.

  If Kepi wasn’t waiting for someone to die, what was she doing there? Maybe she was trying to say something in her doggie way? All Kepi could do was find things, and in thinking about that, the obvious occurred to Maran. What hadn’t she found? Kepi could find Imeni.

  Maran knelt down and spoke to the dog.

  “Hi, girl. Can you find Imeni?”

  Kepi bounced, wagging her tail.

  “You can find her? Go on. Show me.”

  Kepi guided Maran to a spot under Altyn’s ruined house. Underneath, she found the desiccated and rat-gnawed bones of Imeni Uul, long ago expired from the snowstorm that had killed her. She still wore the red dress that Strikke had designed.

  “I think the drugs got to her,” said Maran. “She had bad vision
s and crawled here to safety. She died of exposure. The rats did the rest.”

  Maran took off her outer dress, then wiggled under the crooked floor to fetch the bones. Reflexively, she looked about for the Red Snake that Imeni ought to have, but that bag was long ago gnawed through and now empty. It did not even smell of Red Snake.

  That slip in her desire embarrassed Maran. She was glad that no one else saw her relapse so quickly and easily.

  Maran pulled in her outer dress and spread it out. One by one, Maran piled the bones onto it. “Excuse me, if I may,” she said. “I hope that I do not offend you.”

  Once the bones were piled on the dress, she crawled out, pulling the dress behind her.

  Now what? How to proceed? Maran knelt down near the bones. She took the skull into her hands and stared into its empty eye sockets.

  “I don’t know anything about Astrean funerals, so I’ll give you a Loam one. It’s the best that I can do for now. When I get time after cleaning up this place, I’ll get Altyn and Tavan over here, and we’ll have a proper Astrean funeral for you. So, bear with me as I get things going here.”

  Maran went about the garden picking what herbs and vegetables survived the storm, laying them about the bones.

  “Don’t eat the fruits,” Maran said, “these are for your garden. Keep the seeds.” A little twisting of weeds and twigs produced some farm implements. “Here are the tools that you need. They’ll keep you busy. Work is good for worry.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have any books. I figure that you must like them, as Altyn seems to like them. I don’t have any feathers for a pen or anything like that. Sorry. You’ll be stuck in Loam heaven for a while.

  “I doubt that anybody knows how to get to Astrean heaven from Loam heaven. I’ll have to come out there and figure out the way. I don’t know of any Loam who visited Astrean heaven before. I would ask Jack to drive you, but I don’t think his car flies.”

  The skull said nothing in return. Maran took that as a good sign.

  Maran took up her shovel and began digging, laying Imeni Uul to rest.

  Glossary

  Agslavit — Lowest caste of dwarves in Jura City. “Unwanted” dwarves. Loam, Kalt, and Flintlander belong to the Agslavit caste.

  Alliance of the Sun — A group of gods in antiquity who warred against the Oathbreakers. They won, becoming the dominant gods of the land.

  Altyn Tag — Human, Astrean. Former intelligence agent of Kurfurst Svero during the Malachite war.

  Ancient One — See Mother-of-Storms.

  Ammelites — See Sisters of Amelioration.

  Annalise — Human, Demmarian. Scullery maid and assistant to Maran.

  Anobaith — Dragon killed by the Ironmongers in ancient times.

  Arany — Dwarf, Kalt. Horsebreaker vodie in the Ironmonger forge. Among other things, she is a surgeon for both dwarves and horses.

  Arma — Dwarf, Loam. Meister Cook. Maran’s cousin.

  Astrea — Flying city.

  Astrean — Native of Astrea, the flying city. Usually human. Known for their complicated politics.

  Basileus — God, Earth Lord. King of the Earth Lords and Lord of Stone.

  Beitel Vorschlaghammer — Dwarf, Hadean. Ironmonger Steelmaker. Second son of Strikke.

  Black Tiger — A Schan military unit specializing in the assassination of high-ranking enemy officers. Worked for the Malachite Empire early in the Malachite War, but eventually turned against their employers.

  Bloodletter — A recently formed grouping of gods that require human sacrifice. They actively seek to supplant the Alliance of the Sun.

  Burggraf — A high level servant that oversees a dwarven guildhall or facility. The position involves keeping books, managing servants and services, and maintaining buildings. The trade is dominated by Farsund.

  Cantor — Minor clergy, in charge of a choir.

  Canyon Bridge — The bridge that crosses the Eastern Canyon, which is the border between the Malachite Empire and the Great Dwarven Union.

  Cartref — A country west of Jura City.

  Chairman — Elected leader of the Great Dwarven Union.

  Charyastos — Capital of the Dragon Empire.

  Cookie — Dwarf, Loam. A Loam cook who once worked for the Saargi family. Also, a typical nickname given to any Loam cook.

  Crusade of Light — In antiquity, a war between the Alliance of the Sun and the Oathbreakers. The Alliance won.

  Darkwood Dryad — Fey. Dryads serving the Oathbreakers in ancient times. Deadly archers. Legend said that they could shoot arrows through trees.

  Demmaria — A human country in the old Griffon Empire. Conquered by the Feral Nation.

  Demmarian — Human native of Demmaria. Known for their fishing fleets.

  Dragon Empire — Human empire. The central partition of Thule’s empire. Usurped by the Malachites.

  Dread General — God, Oathbreaker. God of Vermin and Famine.

  Earth Lord — Any of the gods of metals or stone. All Earth Lords are cyclopean, having one eye. The Iron Duke is an Earth Lord.

  Ebon Sol — Fey, Darkwood Dryad. Deceased. Works for Tythia.

  Enigmatic Gods — A scholarly classification of unaligned gods. The gods are termed Enigmatic as scholars know relatively little of these gods, their motives, or their goals. Enigmatic gods usually have something to do with running the spirit world.

  Farsund — Dwarves of uncertain or heavily mixed heritage.

  Featherheads — Bird-headed servants of the Red Lady.

  Fera Nea — Once capital of the defunct Griffon Empire. Now occupied by the Feral Nation.

  Feral Nation — A country in the northwest of the old Griffon Empire. They are strange peoples, part human, part animal. The Bloodletter Samael is their god.

  Fey — A diverse race of beings covering elves and dryads, among others.

  Fire Lord — Any of the gods of fire. Their current ruler is Queen Plasm.

  Fleck — Dwarf, Kalt. Protector. Journeyman Horsebreaker.

  Flint — Dwarf, Hadean. Kommissar. Protector for Jasper Saargi.

  Flintlands — Territory to the north and east of the Hadean Mountains.

  Flintlander — Dwarves originating from the Flintlander culture. Also dwarves originating from the Flintlands. Most are hunter/gatherers. Their tribes never recognized the Great Dwarven Union. They trace their origins back to Uma. Flintlanders are of the Agslavit caste.

  Forge of Ten Iron Rods — The Ironmonger steel mill outside of Jura City.

  Forsythe Saargi — Dwarf, Hadean. Deceased. Widow. Kurfurstin Mother. Vodie of considerable power. Second wife of Verum Saargi. Mother of Jasper, Svero, and Strikke.

  Fort Resolute — Human city in the west of the Griffon Empire. Among the oldest known cities.

  Freigraf/Freifrau — A managerial office in a guild.

  Furst(in) — A dwarven guild’s representative to the Slagsmal. The eight oldest guilds are represented by Kurfursts.

  Gamstadt — Dwarf, Hadean. Widower. Lord Protector emeritus of the Ironmongers. Husband to Cookie, a Loam.

  GDU — See Great Dwarven Union.

  Getta — Dwarf, Loam. Deceased. Wife of Oro.

  Glittering Vale — Home of the Valite elves. Destroyed in a conflict between Nomos and the Lord Magma, King of Fire.

  Goteryd Saargi — Dwarf, Randsfjorden. First wife of Verum Saargi. Mother of Quema Saargi. Immigrant from Fort Resolute.

  Great Dwarven Union — The government which ostensibly rules all dwarves. Its capital is Jura City. Many dwarven groups refused to recognize this rulership imposed upon them or have split from the Union since its founding.

  Greis — Dwarf, Kalt. Deceased. Horsebreaker Driver.

  Griffon Empire — Now defunct human empire. The empire was formed from the northwestern partition of Thule’s Empire. The empire tore itself apart in continuous civil wars, and finally collapsed with the capture of Fera Nea by the Feral Nation. Her original capital was Fort Resolute, but was moved to Fera Nea
in antiquity.

  Hadean — Dwarves of the Hadean mountains. The Hadeans founded Jura City and formed the Great Dwarven Union. They hold every high level position in the Union.

  Hag — Female servants of dreadful gods. They bargain with mortals providing either favors or services. They revel in the misery brought to others. Despite their servitude, they provide no loyalty to their masters.

  Hellion — Servants of the Wild Woman.

  Horsebreaker — The dwarven guild that raises, trains, and breeds horses. The trade is dominated by Kalts. Horsebreakers are closely associated with the Ironmongers, as the Iron Duke is the Lord of Horses.

  Imeni Uul — Human, Astrean. Former triad sister of Altyn Tag.

  Imperial God — These are the sponsor gods of the three human empires. Most scholars believe that they are an administrative fiction created by Thule as they do not appear in any histories.

  Iron Duke — God, Earth Lord. God of Iron, Iron Smiths, Horses, and Brute Strength.

  Ironmonger — The dwarven super-guild that governs ironworkers, steelworkers, armorers, steamfitters, etchers, and machinists. They are the lowest ranking of the original guilds. They are represented in the Slagsmal by Kurfurstin Strikke.

  Irontown — In Jura City, the mercantile area surrounding the Forge of Ten Iron Rods.

  Jasper Saargi — Dwarf, Hadean. Kommissar Steingraf. Son of Verum and Forsythe Saargi.

  Jack — Human? Deceased? Dream dweller. Works for the Iron Duke. Drives a fast car called Matilda. Seems to know how to get everywhere and seems to know many different beings.

  Joramy — The prison run by the Kommissars.

  Jura City — The dwarven city state whose authority once extended over all dwarves. The city is carved into a mountain in the Hadean Mountains on the eastern end of the old Griffon Empire.

  Kalt — Dwarves originating from the Kalt Mountains. Many were driven out of their homelands by war and are now refugees in Jura City. They resisted integration into the Union until their homeland collapsed. Most known for their skills in handling, breeding, and modification of animals. Kalts are of the Agslavit caste.