Noble Solutions

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “Gladly, but the release whistle—?”

  “I’ll do it before I leave tonight.”

  “Thank you. Giving them less to nitpick about will be good.”

  “The guard has been enforcing the rule about carriages being stopped in front of shops. It’s cutting into all of us,” Eva said.

  “Less for us,” Joseph said, “but even we’ve been getting harassed.”

  “Fucking Lomar...” Sean grumbled.

  Tabitha came in and handed off their drinks before leaving again.

  “Now, onto other news,” Fredrick grinned. “The chandleries are seeing sense. I’ll be solidifying deals with them in the next few days. Italice found a relative who can Shape sand, and Ryan has a nephew who can do the same as he can to make the other part of the lightbulbs. Hob Callon is going to help with Metal Shaping, too, which means we’ll be able to make even more.”

  “Nice,” Sean grinned. “Glad they came around and we won’t be breaking them so easily. The others farther out will have real trouble, but we should offer them the chance to join in when they see the light.”

  Sam snorted at his pun. “That was terrible.”

  “Unintentional, but funny,” Sean grinned.

  “Once I have things in place, we can let Madam Archlet see what we have made. If she spoke to the chandleries in Westpoint for us, it would be better,” Mageeyes said.

  “Agreed,” Fredrick said.

  “Excuse me?” Pura asked, landing on the table in front of Mageeyes. “Ma’am, there is a smith here asking to speak with MacDougal.”

  “Name?” Sean asked.

  “Oliver Heingerd,” Pura replied.

  “He was the one leading the other smiths,” Joseph snorted. “Coming hat in hand now?”

  Sean looked puzzled for a moment. “Wait, he’s also Angusson’s brother-in-law. Maybe there’s another reason. Have Tabitha bring him, please.”

  Pura looked at Mageeyes, who nodded. “Right away,” they said before they flew off.

  Silence filled the room until Tabitha knocked and ushered Heingerd in. She shut the door behind him, not wanting to be there.

  Heingerd froze, seeing everyone watching him. “I was hoping to speak to MacDougal.”

  “Then speak,” Sean said bluntly.

  Grimacing, Heingerd stood up straighter. “Fine. I came to apologize. For my words when we first met, and for my actions after that.”

  Sean nodded, but didn’t reply.

  “And…” Heingerd started, pausing for a few seconds before speaking again, “and for saving my sister’s life. I heard of the attack on her and, more than that, I think you saved her life a second time. She’s not sickly anymore like Mom was. Rumor is that you can heal, and she got better after you gave her a hair clip. Angus is so loyal to you it beggars my imagination, and that would explain it.”

  Sean didn’t speak and Heingerd grimaced again. “When I heard about the attack on her, I called the other smiths to a meeting.” He took a deep breath. “That might have saved our lives. I told them I was done backing Denmur and Carver, that they had attacked my family. We agreed to back away from Denmur the same night he died. It’s the only reason none of us were there.” He looked at Flamehair and shivered. “I am glad that we weren’t...”

  “That’s right. None of them were there,” Knox said suddenly. “I didn’t think about it before.”

  “Becca’s eldest is my helper and is going to be my apprentice, but we’re failing. That hurts the family, and it was following Denmur that started all of it. I came on behalf of all the other smiths. Please forgive us.”

  Sean could see the effort it took this proud man to bend and ask for forgiveness. “Eve,” Sean said, looking at Eve Blackhand, “ask them again. If they vow to stay out of our way, let the restriction drop.”

  “As you ask, MacDougal,” Eve said. “They wanted us to do this to you, though.”

  “We didn’t,” Heingerd said. “Denmur did that. We didn’t speak up, which was wrong. It wasn’t until days later that we saw how the same thing could be done to us.”

  “I forgive you,” Sean said softly, “for Angus, Rebecca, and their children. You know she is expecting again?”

  “I went to speak with them before coming here,” Heingerd said stiffly. “She told me she would never speak to me again if I couldn’t see you for the man you are.” Pain filled his eyes when he said that. “Please, MacDougal... don’t take my family from me.”

  “I never would. I saved them repeatedly, instead,” Sean said. “Go on. Eve or her family will be by to see you all. And Heingerd, I never hated you. I’d hoped to be friends. I doubt that will ever happen, but for your family, I will ignore you unless you make me take notice.”

  “Thank you,” Heingerd said, bowing his head before leaving the room.

  “Well, that beats all,” Joseph said. “I’ve never seen him bend. Heingerd was called ‘Ironskull’ for a reason.”

  “Sean changes everything,” Sam said simply.

  “Fredrick,” Sean said, “when we begin lightbulb production, there’s something I’d like to offer— one bulb per wisp.”

  Fredrick nodded. “Yes, I thought you might. It’ll come from your part of the profits, but I’ll make sure it is known.”

  “I’ll hand my wisp over for free,” Giralt said.

  “No,” Sean said, patting Giralt’s shoulder. “I’ll bring you one next time I come over. I’m almost done making them for my house.”

  “Very well,” Giralt said.

  “All of us will be getting them for cost, which is next to nothing,” Fredrick said quickly before anyone could speak up, “but slowly, so we can make sure the supply will be there.”

  “I’m going to take one with me when I visit Lady Sharpeyes,” Sean said. “I’m going to need her help to do what she wants, and I want her to owe me, not the other way around.”

  Mageeyes shook her head. “Sean, there is no need. Let it be the association that gives her one. If you manage to remove him, she will owe you regardless. She is acutely aware of that.”

  Sean met her eyes, then bowed her head. “Sure.” He suddenly recalled something else he hadn’t mentioned to anyone in the room. “Uh, Charie, we should talk about cleaning runes.”

  Flamehair’s eyebrows went up. “When are you free?”

  “Can you just follow me home?” Sean asked. “It’ll be easy to show you, and it won’t take long.”

  “Okay.” She obviously was trying to figure it out and was intrigued.

  “I have a rune I’ll patent and give to you and you alone, not your family,” Sean told her.

  Flamehair’s eyes went wide. “If you do that and it’s like your other inventions…”

  Mageeyes began to laugh. “Oh my. Your family chastised you just a little while ago. If he hands you something like that…”

  The table laughed at how Sean could flip an entire noble family on its head. Sean smiled along with them, already thinking of how he could leverage another noble family to help him.

  “I should get going,” Sean said, standing up. “Charie, it’ll be a moment for me to alter the truck, but I’ll be ready when the carriages are, I bet.”

  “Well, let us not waste time,” Flamehair grinned.

  “Sean, will you explain it to us tomorrow?” Joseph asked.

  “Sure, but the easy answer is a rune that ashes the waste so there isn’t a need for the fire mage to go around. They’d just have to recharge the runes, instead.”

  Flamehair’s gasp was audible in the shocked silence. “Oh... That would turn my family completely upside down.”

  “And you’d have the power to use it as you see fit,” Sean said.

  “So much money,” MacLenn sighed. “A fortune could be made on those.”

  “And Charie will control that,” Sean smiled. “For those of you who want one for your homes, I’m sure Charie can arrange for them easily.”

  “Sean,” Flamehair said softly, “you will have everything I c
an give you. I would have anyway, but now… the debt is large. And no, I will not accept your normal response.”

  “I’ll ask for help in time, I’m sure,” Sean said, “but it’ll still be less than you will accept.”

  “Then the debt will remain and we will continue to pay it back,” Flamehair said.

  “Augustus, let’s go fix the whistle so those assholes can’t harass you anymore,” Sean said.

  “Yeah,” MacLenn said, a little shocked at what Sean was doing.

  Chapter Eight

  Quinna was already opening the back gate when Sean stepped outside. “Morning, Augustus,” Sean waved as he opened the double doors to his workshop. “Pull her on in, and we’ll get this done quickly.”

  Augustus MacLenn tensed slightly when he pulled the release, but relaxed when the vehicle again failed to whistle. “That is much better. Thank you, Sean.”

  “Just the puff of steam, now,” Sean said, leaving the doors open so the extra water had more space to disperse. “All of them will do that going forward. We’ll need to take the truck over to the new workshop so the people working on them can see a finished product.”

  “I’ll gladly bring it by for a bit,” MacLenn replied. “How long do you think it will take them?”

  “A day or two, maybe? With them able to see the completed one, it should be easier for them. I’ll also be there to explain how to do it all that first time.”

  “What are you planning on doing today?”

  “A few things. First, I’m going to enclose the back,” Sean said.

  “Hmm... going to turn it into a cold truck?”

  “Yes and no,” Sean grinned. “I’m going to turn it into a multipurpose truck, one that you can switch as you want. I’ll also add other little quality of life improvements.”

  MacLenn pulled off his raincoat and set it aside. “Can I help?”

  “As long as you’re good with lifting things.”

  ~*~*~

  It was two hours later when Sean finally stepped back. “Done.”

  MacLenn, Quinna, and Quilla looked at the new truck— all three had been needed to hold some of the plates in place to make it easier for Sean.

  “Okay, will you explain what you did?” MacLenn asked.

  “Well, the lights on the front are called headlights,” Sean said, opening the driver’s door to point to a toggle. “That’ll turn them on or off. It’ll make driving at night easier.”

  “Okay. What about the two lights in the back?”

  “Taillights. They trigger when you apply the brakes,” Sean said, pushing down on the pedal and lighting up the orange lights in the back. “It’ll warn anyone behind you that you’re slowing down.”

  “I’d think the truck slowing would do that,” MacLenn chuckled.

  “It’s a safety feature,” Sean shrugged. “Jump on into the passenger side and I’ll go over the other switches with you.”

  The two men got in and Sean walked him through the other things he’d added.

  “All of this...” MacLenn sighed. “These will be highly sought after.”

  “Comfort while traveling is always good,” Sean chuckled as he turned off the heating rune for the cab of the truck. “The cooling one will be nice in the summer, too. Just remember that it takes two people to turn the bed rune on or off.”

  “Yes, to prevent it from being accidentally done,” MacLenn nodded. “The fold-out ramp will make heavy loading easier, too.”

  “Yeah, it will,” Sean said.

  “This is easily worth twice as much as the first iteration would have been.”

  “Tell Fredrick. You and he can work out the prices,” Sean said. “This one is all yours, though. Proof of concept for the rest.”

  “You don’t care about the money at all, do you?”

  “Not my thing,” Sean said, getting out of the truck. “It’s useful, but I’m not greedy.”

  “It’s not greed. It’s just wanting to make sure your family is always secure,” MacLenn said.

  “Pretty sure we’ll be fine on the money front,” Sean chuckled.

  “The cleaning rune,” MacLenn said slowly. “Can I see it?”

  “Sure,” Sean said. “Pull this out, first. I want to lock up, as I have things to do.”

  ~*~*~

  Sean stepped out of the carriage once Helga told him it was clear.

  Arliat frowned at the guards coming toward them. “Sir, I’ll just circle the block until you’re ready.”

  Sean gave the guards a long look, then nodded. “We’ll send a Fairy for you when we’re getting ready to go.”

  “Yes, sir,” Arliat replied.

  “Helga, let’s go,” Sean said, motioning to the door.

  Entering the crafter hall, Sean was surprised to see so many people conducting business. He noticed that everyone quickly looked away from him after glancing at the door. Lips pursed, Sean wondered about how busy it was.

  “MacDougal, can I help you?” Jenny asked from her spot behind the desk.

  “New rune,” Sean said, very aware of the people listening in.

  “Of course. Please follow me.”

  Jenny led them to Agatha’s office, knocked, and then opened the door. “Miss, MacDougal to see you.”

  “MacDougal,” Agatha said, standing up. “Please come in. That’s all, Jenny.”

  “Yes, miss,” Jenny said, shutting the door behind her.

  “Thank you,” Agatha said, her emotions making her voice tight. “Thank you for avenging Jackson.”

  “It’s not over, but you’re welcome,” Sean said.

  “Not over?” Agatha asked in shock. “But Denmur—!”

  “Carver,” Sean interrupted her. “He was the one pulling the strings at the end. Slimy bastard was using Denmur’s name to do what he wanted.”

  Agatha’s lips thinned and she nodded. “You’ll deal with him, right?”

  “I plan on it,” Sean said, “but I really do have a rune to register.”

  “Right,” Agatha exhaled. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I understand. How did Fredrick take you telling him?”

  Agatha sniffled. “He took it well.” Her hands shook and tears leaked out as she closed her eyes. “Jackson’s wife knew. She’s invited me over to talk. It… he… was going to add me to his family.”

  Sean felt a rush of anger, but he quashed it. “I’m sorry. Carver will pay.”

  Agatha wiped at her face. “Thank you, from Marna and me. Can I tell her?”

  “Sure. Carver has to already know that I’ll be coming for him.”

  Agatha gave him a weak smile. “Yes. He’d be an idiot if he didn’t know. Now, you said you had a new rune?”

  ~*~*~

  “She was surprised,” Helga said as they climbed out of the carriage at home.

  “She likely saw it as Augustus does,” Sean said. “There’s a potential for a lot of money from that rune.”

  “She understood more when you said who you were sharing it with.”

  “I’m sure Jackson told her who’s in the association with us. She was more shocked that I wasn’t sharing it with the association.”

  “Ah, because you did with all the other runes?”

  “Most of them. A few are just with Fredrick and Eva, though,” Sean replied.

  “I’m ready,” Aria said, coming out of the house. “You know that bringing them into the city is going to be harder than it was last time?”

  “If they want it to be,” Sean said. “I have a plan for that, if Schin is amenable.”

  “I’m sure he’ll agree to most anything you ask,” Aria laughed, “considering what you gave him.”

  Wings appeared behind Sean, pure white and glowing with the radiant energy that made them. Sean looked back at them. “Do they seem brighter to you?”

  “Yes,” Aria nodded, then summoned her own wings. “It’s not a far flight…” Helga stared at her, and Aria looked at her questioningly. “What?”

  “Your wings,” H
elga said in a shocked tone.

  Aria looked back and her breath caught. Her wings had changed in coloration— they were now golden brown at the roots, but had faded to pure white at the tips.

  “Were they like that the other day?” Sean asked, though he figured he knew the answer.