Antonio ran down and jumped from the car and a few men gathered to speak to him. At the same time, I explained about the car and answered questions.
Antonio said, “Joshua, there are no women here who need me today. We can be on our way when you are ready.”
With that, we said goodbye to the village and went on to Meadows. The drive was ten miles and took us under twenty minutes after we passed the edge of the village. Antonio’s performance there was the same as before, and we left without passengers again. The next stop was Rockshale, three miles away, and the drive took under ten minutes.
At Rockshale, a very small village, we were joined by the woman that Antonio had spoken of. And then, another woman approached, accompanied by a man. And two small children.
The man spoke quietly to Antonio for a minute and then said a word to the woman, and then left very quickly, as if he might be ashamed for bringing the woman and her children to us.
Antonio smiled at the woman and said, “My dear, this is for the best I think. Come with me and we will see if you can be happier. I am certain that you can.”
I said, “Antonio, if this is all of them, let’s get in the car and be on our way. It will be easier to talk if we are in a more private setting.”
I helped the women step into the vehicle and then lifted the children and pulled the door closed behind me.
I said, mostly addressing the children, “Now, before we go, let me tell you about what we are doing. They say that I am a wizard. You can call me Joshua. I am so happy to meet you. What are your names and how old are you?”
The woman, their mother said, “Sir, the girl is five and the boy is eight.”
I looked at her and then it dawned on me that they might be shy about their names, since culturally, names were given by husbands and changed with each change of household. It was a mistake on my part to ask in the way that I had.
I said, “Well, but so that we can play friends, what can I call you? What name do you like or what did you go by recently? We are going to be spending the day together, so we should have some kind of names.”
The woman said, “Sir, if you are making an arrangement for us to work for you, call us what you like.”
I said, “No, you will have a very happy arrangement, but with another fine man, not with me. I am a friend and want to know you better, but you will be in a different house.”
Antonio said, “That is true for both of you. I travel in the coach of my friend, the wizard called Joshua, and he helps me with my work today, but you will find good homes, I assure you. Now, my friend is a champion of widows and orphans and plays the most wonderful games that you can imagine.”
The women and children were still hesitant to suggest what I should call them, so I offered, “OK. Then here’s what we will do. I will call this little fairy ‘Daisy Princess’ because she is as beautiful as one, and I will call this fine fellow, ‘Prince Rupert’. What do you think of that? Daisy Princess, are you hungry? I brought some lunch. Oh, look out the window at how fast we’re going!”
The children and the women all looked out the window and gasped, but seemed excited.
I said, “And I will call this fine woman, ‘Queen Mother’, because her children are a prince and princess, and this other lady, ‘Happy’ something, because she is going to be so happy. Daisy Princess, what should our Happy one be called? Look at her and tell me what kind of a happy thing you see.”
The girl grinned and said, “Happy Owl.”
I said, “Owl? Why an owl? Because her eyes are so big and beautiful?”
The girl nodded and said, “And Momma can be Queen Happy Booby!”
I feigned shock and said, “Happy Booby?” and the girl giggled.
She said, “I mean, Happy Queen Daisy. I am Happy Princess Daisy and she is Happy Queen Daisy!”
I said, “That sounds good to me. And what about you, Prince Rupert McFish Happy of the Kingdom of Unicorn Bears? What should we call you?”
The boy laughed and said, “I think that Your Royal Majesty Prince McFish Happy will be fine.”
I said, “It’s a little long.”
He said, “No, I think it’s fine.”
I said, “But, a bit long.”
He laughed and said, “No, I think not.”
I said, “Well…it’s fine, as long as we don’t need you in a hurry. And what if Queen Happy Daisy needs to call you for supper? Oh Your Royal Majesty Prince Rupert McFish Happy, King of the Unicorn Bears, come home for dinner!”
The mother smiled and said, “He has a point. It might be a bit long.”
I said, “Well, if your mother thinks so, then we better shorten it. Always do what your mother tells you. I will call you ‘Boy’…no, that’s too short now. I will call you Prince Rupert for now. Oh, look where we are! The village of Eastbridge. That didn’t take long.”
As we pulled into the square of the village, Antonio exited the car and made his speech while the rest of us stayed in the car and I opened the lunch to give some to the children.
The one called Happy Owl asked, “Master, this is very strange and I must assume that something very strange has befallen us, but you make it a wonderful game. What is going to happen to us?”
I smiled and said, “Antonio has said that he has a new house in Bonvale. The old school for women is closed and the new school will be at his property. Because of certain changes, and happy occurrences, some good men from Bonvale have begun to ask Antonio to find them women who could be happy with a new arrangement. Antonio said that he thought that the first place to look was in Rockshale. And here you are.”
The mother said, “But sir, you treat my children very kindly, but there are three of us and it is difficult for us to find a home even for little while.”
I said, “Oh, but I have two different friends, and both of them have asked Antonio specifically to find them a widow with children to bring into their house to make them happier men. One of these men has a daughter with no mother and he wonders if he can find a woman and children to make them a true family. He has said that he would consider two women and four children. He is a builder and has a good business and a good living. My other friend has just taken a widow as his bedmate and she has a son and is so happy with the man that she has asked him to find another to join them in their house. They run a very fine cafe. You see, the villagers at Bonvale have a special heart for the fatherless and the clothier gives the widowed mothers their dresses at no cost. And the cobbler does the same. We also have a kind of school where the little princess Daisy can learn to make pies and cookies and to knit and crochet with retired women who care for she and her friends. I know that it sounds fantastic, but look at the car we ride in. You can believe me, can’t you? And there are men who will take boys fishing and give them jobs to match their skills and stature. Even if you don’t find a good man, but I am convinced that you will, you will find a home in our village, if you want to stay there. The choice will be yours though. No one will force you.”
Antonio came back to the car and climbed in and said, “Well, that seems to be it for today. We are at the east bridge already. If the women and children are fine, I would take the extra time and finish the loop if you are not ready to return to Bonvale.”
I said, “It will only take a little more time to go along the north side of the river. And, if I remember, there are only three villages on that side. It will take us about two hours, but we will stretch our legs and play and eat cookies along the way.”
The boy said, “I like you, Mr. Wizard.”
I said, “Well, I am very glad to hear it because I like you too. Queen mother, how long have you been widowed?”
Antonio grabbed my arm and looked sternly at me and shook his head.
I said quickly, “Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask. I have spent most of my life in a different country, and I forget myself and what I should and shouldn’t say. Please forgive me! I won’t ask stupid questions.”
The woman smiled shy
ly and said, “Sir, if you will, forgive me if I slip and call you master when you have not asked us into your house. There is something about you that compels me to honor you.”
I smiled and said, “Ah, I don’t know what it could be. But anyway, I’m sorry for my offense. It was unintentional.”
The boy said, “My father was eaten by a bear.”
I smiled and said seriously, “That is a hard thing, isn’t it. I’m very sorry.”
The mother said, “Sir,” but I interrupted.
I said, “Oh please, call me Joshua.”
She said, “OK, if you prefer it. My son is telling the truth. His father was hunting with friends and they were attacked by a bear. It killed two of them and injured the third and fourth. It was three years ago. One of those men took us in for a year and I nursed him to health, but after the year was over, we went with the Merchant.”
Antonio said, “And now you will come to Bonvale and we will find a home for you. Either at my school, or with Bart or Jonah, or with another man. Young man, what do you think of all of this? Oh, look, we are crossing the river!”
The little girl crowded to the window and said, “It’s a long way down.”
The boy said, “Sir, you may call me Prince Rupert McFish-Happy. The wizard has said that it is my true name.”
Antonio smiled and said, “And you may call me Antonio. All of my friends do.”
The boy smiled and said, “I think that you should find a very good man for my mother. She is a queen in exile and awaits a prince.”
Antonio said, “I understand that very well, I assure you. I think that you and I should meet the men that have asked for her and see which of them is worthy.”
The boy said, “The price must be a thousand coins or we will not accept him.”
The mother said quickly, “Be quiet. This man is helping us. We will go where we can.”
Antonio said, “Ah, but I agree with Prince Rupert McFish-Happy. A thousand coins and no less. Not for a queen like your mother. But, let me ask you. What should we do if the man is a prince in exile and has not been able to claim his treasure because it is guarded by monsters and he needs help to take it? Should we turn him away? Even though he is a very good prince?”
The boy frowned and said, “Well, if he is a true prince, and if he is pure of heart and a good hunter, like my father was, and if he will be kind to my sister…then perhaps we should accept him even if he does not have a thousand coins.”
The mother again said, “Son, be more respectful. We will go where we are sent.”
Antonio said, “My dear, the boy is a man after my own heart. I swear that the world is changing and you will not go to a man out of convenience. We will find a prince or nothing. Before, it was impossible for you to stay with me indefinitely, but now I have a large house and plenty of work, and if we find no prince, you may stay with my house and never need leave it. It will be your decision. But the men who have asked me to…wait, we are at Stevespont. Joshua, do you want to come with me? Because of your history here? Oh, a large crowd is gathering.”
I said, “Yeah, I better speak to them.”
Chapter 25 - The Return Loop
Antonio and I opened the door to the car and stepped out onto the ground. We were in the middle of the village, at the square, and it only took a few moments for a good crowd to gather. They had seen my vehicle before, when I had my encounter with Irene, and they knew that when I appeared like this that there was a reason to come and see what would happen.
Abram, the magistrate, walked quickly and I greeted him warmly.
I said, “Abram, it’s good to see you again. My business today is pleasant and should cause you no reason for concern. Is everything well with you?” He assured me that it was and I continued, addressing the crowd, saying, “Friends, when I was in your village before, I admit that there was a bit of unpleasantness. I assure you that today, I hope that we have happy news and nothing else. It’s not a big thing, but I have come with our friend Antonio, The Merchant of Women. We are visiting all of the eight villages today and I will let him make his announcements himself. It is good to see all of you again, and thank you for dealing with the unfortunate matters related to the woman Irene.”
I encouraged Antonio to stand on the roof of the car once again, and he started his speech.
He called out, “Friends, you all know me. I am Antonio, the Merchant of Women. It is not my normal time for being in your lovely village, but today, I come to make an announcement, not to hold an event. But while I am here, if there are women who need to go with me, please have them come now and I will speak to them in a moment. Friends, after more years than I can remember of doing things the same way, it’s time for a change. The first is that I have purchased my own house for the first time, and though you have perhaps the loveliest village on the river, and it would be a joy to settle with you, I have chosen Bonvale for my new base of operations. You have been host to the school for women for centuries and I am grateful to you, setting all injustices brought about by Irene aside. But now that she is gone, there is still a need to have a place for the young girls to learn, and from now on, it will be in Bonvale at my property. And let me promise you, it will be a very different kind of place. I won’t go into details now, but only to say that from now on it will be taught by very gracious and kind women who will treat the daughters of our villages very well.
And, because I have women of my own now and no longer live the nomad life, my events will be held in Bonvale two times per month. If a man needs a woman for his house, he should travel to Bonvale and be there on those days to meet them and make an arrangement. And I will make the loop twice per month and collect any women who need to come with me and keep them safe on the trip to my home. One special case will be that I am finding that widows and their children are very much desired in Bonvale and if they want to come there, they may find a good arrangement more easily than in the past days.”
I jumped onto the car beside Antonio at this point and whispered to him for a moment. When we were done, I stepped down again.
Antonio continued, “And to make it easy on you, the dates of the events and a description of what women may be expected will be posted in the square here. A poster will be left for you and you may hang it where you think it will do you the most good. This way, you will know if something interesting to you might be at the event and you can wait until a later date if it is not.
But if you do come, we have a very fine cafe and a nice inn, and a friendly market. I will be here for only a few minutes today, but come and speak to me if you have something that I should know or if you have a question. Thank you so much for your time and your hospitality.”
He jumped down from the car and several people came to speak with him. I went and had a short talk with Abram. I explained to him that announcements would be left in the square at night and that we would appreciate it if he would have someone to post them when they arrived. I didn’t explain that the paper would be delivered by a robotic raccoon.
When I thought we were ready to go, I asked Antonio if he was done, but he asked that we wait another minute. I stood with him at the side of the car and a short time later, a woman approach and Antonio ushered her into the car. When we were all inside, we headed west again toward Skamanus, about twenty two miles away.
When introductions had been done, the woman told her story.
She said, “Sir, thank you for taking me with you. I am a recent widow and have need of a place to stay until you can find me a new arrangement.”
Antonio said, “Of course, my dear. I am sorry for your loss. Joshua, as you know, we do not ask questions in this case. She is welcome and we feel grief for her situation.”
The woman said, “I was called Hella. I know of Joshua, and I don’t mind telling my story. I trust you both and therefore the women with you. I would not trouble the children though.”
Antonio said gently, “Where is your dead husband now, if it’s OK to speak of it?”
Hella said, “He is in East bridge. He did not mistreat me, but he took a new bedmate a season ago, and he favored her and turned against me. I won’t speak especially ill of him or the woman, but I think that his life will be worse now that it was.”
The mother said to her, “And yours will be better. It must have been very difficult. One does not become a widow lightly.”
Hella answered, “No ma’am. I would not have done it if I thought that I could avoid it. There was another man or two who knew me and would have let me stay with them, but it would not be right to go to another in the same village. It would have been shameful.”
Antonio said, “It would indeed. You did the right thing. We will find you a good home. My advice is that you do not take a new bedmate quickly. Give yourself time to heal. We will have you at my home, or if an arrangement seems good, you can go to another home to work and get to know the family and see if you are happy. Isn’t this something? Three fine women and two children and all going to find happiness in Bonvale. What a wonderful day.”
I smiled and said, “And what do you think now, Princess Daisy?”
The little girl giggled and said, “I think that I will wake up soon, but I hope not.”
I said, “Oh, you think that you are dreaming?”
She said, “And I think that we should have some cake.”
I said, “I don’t have cake here, but we can find something if you are hungry.”
She said, “I’m not hungry. But Hella is sad and she should have cake.”
Antonio said, “And she will. When we get to Bonvale, we will all have pie and cookies. Um, Joshua, can you make arrangements with the women at my house for our guests? Can you do that with the magic you explained to me?”
I smiled and whispered very quietly to Viola that we would be bringing three more women and two young children to Antonio’s and would be there in two to three hours or so.
The next villages, Skamanus and Riverhood, were handled much like the previous ones, but no new passengers joined us. After we left Riverhood, we crossed the west bridge and headed for Bonvale. Along the way, we let everyone stretch their legs at each stop. When we got to Bonvale, we went to the cafe and had pie and something to drink. It was late afternoon when we were done visiting.
The Watchman Page 24