John shook his head. “These guys had been looking forward to this Festival for a long time, this was their time to shine. We stole their thunder. Yeah it’s probably more than that, but that’s sure enough to get the ball rolling.” he frowned then looked up at Sapphira and saw a complete look of incomprehension in her eyes. “Sorry, not enough time to translate right now. This is information Eli needs.” Just like that, he was off. All four women rushing to catch up. Sure enough, the late lunch had wrapped up, and the guests were being led to the next section of meadow designated for mowing. As the crowd meandered up to the meadow, they became spread out, clustering in small groups of two and three to converse as they went. It was in this way that John was able to get word to Eli, while Chief Dorien was able to warn Elena.
Seeing John occupied, Syria saw an opening to help a new friend. ‘For Magus Ries?’ she wondered. With a nothing ventured nothing gained she captured Evita’s hand in one smooth motion, skipped three steps ahead pulling her stumbling behind to catch up. Before Evita could ask Syria if she had lost her mind, she heard the girl introducing her. She understood nothing but her name, and as she looked up, the name of Magus Ries. She tried to control the startled and then irritated look on her face. After all, she was supposed to be diplomatic. She could be diplomatic. Why was the man grinning at her like an absolute loon? Was he simple or something? She was so going to strangle Syria for this when this was over. For now, she just smiled and tried to keep up her end of the conversation with Syria’s limited English, her only lifeline.
Before long, Eli was in place. Without large speech or fanfare he simply told them what they were about to see, then let the young shepherd boy lead the goats away. The mower crisply turning behind them, throwing grass down behind the machine in heavy orderly rows. There were gasps from those attending. The Village’s two representative began to scream foul play. Eli simply smiled and asked him where. Elena provided him with the Greek words. The accent was rough, but the sentiment was absolutely clear. Magus Ries found he had developed a real fascination with this device. Everyone’s mind was completely blown when Eli let each of the visitors take a turn leading the team of goats.
Evita couldn’t help actually falling into genuine giggling fits at Magus Ries’ antics. He became so overly excited a shepherd had to be sent out to detach the goat team for a time and allow them some space to calm down, away from the excitement. The man had lifted it and examined it from every angle, sometimes a whisper, sometimes a thoughtless mutter, sometimes a shouted exclamation, but always the same phrase, “chorís mageía”. Evita thought it was understandable the first minute, amusing the first ten. When twenty minutes later he had examined the whole machine as closely as he could without a wrench, and was still muttering the phrase, she became concerned, but it wasn’t until she saw the looks of white-faced concern on the other two guests that she suspected this might be more than just one man slipping a gear. “Syria, What’s he saying?” she hissed in a whisper that was really too loud, but everyone was ignoring her.
With a whisper of awe Syria said, “say no magic”
Then too loudly Evita said with too much sarcasm, a little too evident in her voice, “Of course there’s no magic!”
The other observers all looked at her, confused by her tone but not understanding her words. The locals who had a much better grasp of English, including Syria, just stared at her, dumbfounded. Seeing Syria’s look, Evita just sighed and rolled her eyes. She approached Magus Ries carefully and softly put a hand on his shoulder. When his eyes met hers, she just gave him a soft smile and shook her head, “no magic, Choris Mageia” She gave it just a moment before she gave a slight tug to see if he would allow himself to be led away by her. She was glad when he came along unresisting. She motioned for Sapphira to join them as she drew Magus Ries off to the side. Once she had her interpreter in place, she continued slowly and in a calm voice, “When ever I have a difficult problem to consider, I find it helpful to think of something else for a time. Give my mind a rest. Then come back to it. Will you walk with me?” As Sapphira relayed the message, Magus Ries numbly nodded and held out his arm for her to take. Evita only hesitated for a moment. She felt nothing patronizing in the gesture. It was just the unconscious courtesy of a gentleman. She sighed softly, pleasantly surprised at how good that simple courtesy felt.
Leaving Eli to continue showing off his new toy, and making his pitch to the representatives of the town, Evita led Magus Ries to the humble improvised benches and tables of the break area to the side of the forge and workshop area. John, Helena, and Syria had followed along, ducking out just long enough to swing by the main outdoor kitchen area for tea and a plate of ripe olives and figs. After a time, Evita recounted a slightly embellished story about the arrival of Dr. Gupta. Mostly to paint Syria and Helena as even more heroic figures. Both women were blushing furiously. Evita suspected that the story might have been even a bit more exaggerated again in translation by Sapphira’s facial expressions and wildly over acted body language. John was howling with laughter and beaming with pride. Magus Ries was obviously enjoying the story very much, being seized with a fit of laughter so hard at one point that he nearly choked on an olive pit. As he recovered, wiping the tears forming in his eyes, John recounted the story of seeing them on his way to the villages, and the fits of laughter began anew.
Once things settled, John asked him cautiously about the reaction he had experienced in the village during his visit. With a heavy sigh, Magus Ries explained they were a victim of their own success. Their rapid rise in wealth and yes the corresponding shortage of eligible young women, not to mention the raised hopes and expectations of those who remained. He smiled as warmly as possible at the ladies gathered around, had turned many in the town to envy. It was easier to despise excellence than to achieve it. Sad fact of life. He obviously did not share this view, but then his position wasn’t one that could easily be threatened. Though what he saw today certainly called that belief into question...
Once back to that topic, Evita cautiously dipped her toe back into those waters. “How did you know that there was no magic in Eli’s machine?”
Magus Ries’ brow furrowed. Explaining magic to those who couldn’t access it was always difficult. He started by explaining that when magic was accessed; it left a trace. It had surprised him not finding any in any of the metals that came from Eli’s workshop, despite the obviously incredible purity and unknown alloys. Then when he saw a machine without a single rune of power, that could do what that machine could do, it still boggles the mind. Seeing it, he understands the theory of how it works, but to have thought of it much less calculated each necessary piece without any magic? He wouldn’t have believed it possible. He still isn’t sure he believes his eyes.
Evita might not have been able to understand his words directly, but the utter sincerity of their delivery deeply moved her. No man is this good of an actor. He really believed in this magic of his. So she had Sapphira just directly ask him if he could somehow show her more about this magic of his. She ignored John’s wince and waved down Sapphira’s look of panic, and to her surprise, so did Magus Ries. He appeared to be asking for a straight translation with no sugar coating. The sad smile that crossed his face also surprised her. Sapphira translated back for him, “He say he try. People who no magic, no see magic, only see magic do.”
Evita couldn’t help thinking, convenient, but just nodded. Ok buddy, you’re on, she thought as she steeled her expression to neutral interest and motioned for him to proceed. Evita felt her world shift under her. In that moment she understood EXACTLY how Magus Ries felt upon seeing Eli’s simple machine. For she didn’t really see but more experienced in a way that almost seemed like seeing, his fingers reach through a gap that wasn’t there and access a ribbon of energy, he pulled this ribbon of energy, manipulating it into a pattern, and a light sprang up between his fingers that was as bright as a candle flame. She gasped and stammered like a fool. “That’s not a trick! J-J-John I
swear, I can see it! Th-that-that’s Magic, but that’s IMPOSSIBLE!”
The rest of the day, and yes, the rest of that night, passed in a blur in Evita’s mind. At some point, John and his girls had gone their own way. Sapphira had stayed to translate, but had fallen asleep at some time in the early morning hours and been carried up to bed by Eli, who only smiled and figured he’d get the details in due time.
So it was that the observers found Magus Ries and Dr. Evita Young still exploring a new world together when they came looking for him to leave the next morning. Magus Ries groaned inwardly at the thought of an all-day hike after no sleep, but he was quite certain his thoughts would be far too busy to be too miserable. Phoebe, who had taken over translation duties this morning, explained that Magus Ries had to return now, or there might be problems, but they had invited him for midwinter, and he would work on having a surprise for her by then.
Evita watched him go and felt some of the magic that she never knew existed leave the world. That would seem sappy, she thought, except that in this case it was quite literally the exact truth. How could this be? Was she losing her mind? Had the insanity of this place finally made her lose it? She turned and jumped with a start to see Syria standing way too close and smiling at her expectantly. With excitement in her voice bordering on a shriek, she hissed in a barely contained whisper, “For Magus Ries?”
Evita sighed an exasperated sigh and felt all the tension in her body drain away for a moment. She nearly broke down in hysterical laughter. She was over sixty years old; she had multiple Phds she was NOT some teeny bopper with a crush! Even if that idiot grin of his was cute, she thought with a wry shake of her head. “MAYBE, Ries For Evita!” she said with a bit of a smug smirk.
Syria’s eyes boggled for a moment as she wrapped her head around that idea, then just broke down into peals of giggles. Evita decided she didn’t care if she was a mature, sophisticated, educated woman. This simple young girl was a true friend, and Evita needed to start treating her like it. So Evita put dignity on the shelf for just a moment and joined in the giggles.
Winter
Routine
With the guest gone, and villages left with with their own decisions to make, life had started to settle for everyone else. Eli had expressed it probably the best when he said they would have to decide if greed or envy were more powerful. Georgia’s mind had rebelled at the way he put it, but she had to admit it made a kind of sense. Eli was offering them a path to riches like they had never seen before, and he had demonstrated his ability to deliver, if they worked with him, or they could resent his success and resist, and in doing so deny themselves that wealth. She had been there when he had put it just that way to the representatives of both villages. She saw the consideration that clouded the face of both men. She didn’t know what they would choose, but they were both clear on the options.
Soon there after the weather turned colder and wet. Oh, for her it wasn’t too bad, but Marcus, born and raised in the Carolinas, he whined about it. Big, tough Texan Eli grumbled as well, though honestly more about the near constant rain than anything else. Still, with all activity focused more closely around home, they spent mornings in Greek study. They were all getting much better, actually. The locals English was also to the point where hand signals were almost never needed. Even Hypathia. Georgia couldn’t help but chuckle with that girl. She hadn’t made it easy on herself. Eli had called a general meeting of the crew and given everyone the “you’re in or you’re out speech”, offering shares in a joint holding management company “World Wright Incorporated”, with various subsidiary companies as needed that could more or less be their own private concerns if that’s what they wanted so long as the greater objectives were observed, or they could cash out, be granted a lump sum and go their own way. She had pushed for Anju to take his share and “be his own man.” He had laughed at her, offered her two maids employment with him if they wished to stay and told her to stay or leave her choice, but if she stayed it was on his terms. Her life had been hard for many weeks after that, but things seemed to be smoothed out now. At least Georgia thought so. It was always so hard to tell from the outside. Kind of like with the Roths. She was sure that their matches were going to end in disaster. But the four of them are a flock of odd ducks, but they seem to be damn happy odd ducks. She chuckled. Hell, even Evita went around humming and smiling.
Only Eli seemed to be running a bit ragged, but even that was in a good way. Five of his eight were starting to show, and two she had just heard were late for their monthly. That means likely only Phoebe won’t be big as a whale by the time the Spring Festival started just before planting. It meant that while everyone was getting new clothes, most of the women were opting for dresses with easily expandable waistlines. Even Baba Looey and Eeyore had new clothes and boots and were attending classes right along with everyone else.
The spinning wheel count was now up to six, and they stayed busy in shifts most of the day. The vast pile of wool that Elena had traded for was steadily turning into a pile of tradeable yarn. If rumors were to be believed, the Roths were even trying to cook up a Jacquard style loom in that workshop of theirs, but Georgia had little hope for that. Those things were a lot more complicated than they looked at first glance.
She and Evita had even managed to get the olive oil/lanolin soap production up and running, even if in limited runs so far. Georgia giggled. It was one of the few things that she saw Hypatia actually get genuinely excited about.
She fed another load of wood into the clay stove that Anju had constructed. It wasn’t quite central heating, but he said that the Russians used a version in Siberia and from the way it kept this place warm on just a couple loads of sticks, she could believe it. If this is what he taught Hypatia’s brother to make, the man has to be making a killing. She smiled and curled up in the warmth. Marcus was out at the foundry with Eli at the moment, but it would be getting dark soon. She wondered if maybe she should go to the bathhouse. Water might be warm by the time he was done. A long soak together away from everyone else might do them both some good, she thought with a smile as she headed for the door.
The Ride
Baba Looey thought he looked right smart in his new clothes. Coat with tails, Mistress Georgia called it. Said all proper footmen would be wearing them one day. He wasn’t sure what a Footman was, nor why they called him Baba Looey, nor why they always shortened it to just Baba. These strangers were well STRANGE. Still, he couldn’t complain. Sure it was hard at first, but he figured him and Xander, um, Eeyore that is, had that coming. Mr. John gave ‘em both a second chance and Baba wasn’t planning to screw his up. He looked down at the seat beside him. They even trusted him with this fine crossbow. Let him drive this fine sleigh, to go pick up someone as important as Magus Ries and bring him back for the Mid-Winter Banquet. Yeah, food was good, and the place to sleep was warm and dry, not many gigs this good when you got right down to it. Still, he would be happy now that they were pulling back in to home. Seemed like such an excess to build such a nice sleigh when Mr. Sam first started to work on it, for no more than they got snow, but it sure made this trip nice. As he pulled on the reins, bringing his team of goats to a stop in front of the doors of the great hall, he snarled slightly at the muddy ground. Nothing for it, he thought with a sigh as he jumped down, his boots squishing in the mud. They were well made and his feet would stay dry even if he had to slog around in this for hours, but he didn’t look forward to cleaning off all the mud later. He opened the light door to the sleigh’s compact enclosed cabin and felt the warm air from the small clay stove hit his face. That just had to be the way to travel, he thought as he helped Magus Ries down and collected the Magus’s luggage. Eeyore opened the door before he could even knock and welcomed the Magus in taking the luggage. In a low voice Eeyore told him in English, “Miss Syria said for you to see her when the animals are put away, she’s got a hot bowl of stew saved back for you.” Baba hurried to get the team fed and bedded down. Miss Helena and Mi
ss Syria were wonderful cooks and always made sure that there was plenty to eat. He could do with hot food right now. Putting the hay in the rack for the nannys, he couldn’t help noticing how much of it was going bad from the damp. He hoped Mr. Eli could get his “sawmill” whatever that was next summer, like he said, because if it meant real barns right and proper, they sure needed them. This was no way to keep animals.
Was it something I said?
Magus Ries followed the young man up to the “room” that had been prepared for him. A small section of the large open second floor of the great building made of the odd walls, river rock that appeared to have been glued together with clay, yet clay that was hard as stone itself. Absolutely amazing, again no magic! Fascinating! The thin partitions that served as walls made from crude hurdles of split willow gave it a very rustic feel, as did the room’s space furniture, all crafted from simple logs rough hewn to fit. Yet despite their crudity, they were richly covered with thick flokati and quality fleeces. The place was a most unusual melding of these people’s obvious wealth and their haste and expedience. Had they really only been here half a year? The mind boggled with what they had accomplished in only this short amount of time.
World Wright Incorporated (World Wright Inc. Book 1) Page 13