by Zack Finley
We slipped into the street without raising any cautions. Our clothing was different enough from what we saw around us that Argon decided we needed some new clothes.
We stepped into one of the clothing stores on the main route. In a short time for Argon, we had several sets of new clothing for both of us. Argon had chosen her store well. The proprietor was out, and the young man handling the counter failed to notice anything odd about the cloth in our old clothing. We were out of the store before the store owner returned from his break.
“The cloth is fundamentally different on the east coast than it is on the west,” Argon sent. “For most, our clothes look odd, but they don’t know why. A clothier would be able to pinpoint the difference, and it might raise some concerns.”
We spotted the Rithra mage guild but didn’t investigate. Our goal was the market. It was even larger than the one in Zoas. There were several mages in the mix of market goers which came as a relief after the situation in Xter. Argon headed straight for the booksellers. I decided to walk around and see if there were any surprises.
Only one farming supply stall was still open, several others were shuttered around it. The farming stall offered crates of odd fruits and vegetables for sale as well as farm supplies. They offered samples of their wares, and I tasted their produce. Those around me seemed to think they had something special and people were buying smaller quantities to take home.
The level of bargaining, of offers and counter-offers was deafening. It made me turn down my mind-reading app. Many in the crowd came to the market to satisfy some deep-seated need to haggle. It didn’t seem to matter what they bought, it was the joy of the deal. One would think the sellers would be jaded, but they were the happiest group, rewarding the good hagglers with the best deals.
This reinforced one of my concerns. We needed a market at the Keep. Probably not a daily market but perhaps a weekly one where a seamstress could offer to mend torn clothes in exchange for a farmer’s help with an indoor plant. While I respected Tobron and Argon’s view of currency, I still thought we needed something to allow members of the Duchy to pay for small luxuries. Watching those around me made that a certainty.
Markets, whether on the east or west coasts, had a sameness to them. They were laid out differently, the colors, sounds, and smells varied but they all supplied the day-to-day needs of your typical Jaloan. Food stalls, liquor stalls, lingerie stalls, clothing, and tapestry stalls, weapons and armor stalls, furniture and bedding, brothels, barbers, manicurists, and of course books. Each market was different, yet the same. Until I spotted the gizmo stall as I was taking a shortcut on my way to join Argon at the booksellers. The stall had metal wind-up toys on display, plus some well-crafted metal spheres interacting with magnets.
A young man, named Klid, was the only person at the stall. He seemed much more interested in whatever he was crafting than in selling something. He was not a vendor who enjoyed sales. His mind was a clutter of projects large and small. He was trained as a blacksmith but branched out on his own. He enjoyed molding the heated metal into shapes but wanted more. Everything he owned was in the stall.
I wanted him for the Duchy and called Argon to meet him. While he had ignored me, the arrival of an attractive female caused him to stand up and ask if we had any questions.
Argon drew Klid out and by the time she asked him if he’d be willing to join the Duchy we knew he would agree.
Klid’s stall was really a person-powered cart with his tools mounted securely in place. The cloth top kept sun and rain off. All he needed to leave was to wrap his mechanical men in protective cloth and store them in a special compartment. The cart could also be pulled by a basas, but he couldn’t afford one.
Argon and I followed Klid to the edge of the market and had him pull his cart out of the main flow of traffic. Argon swirled us with the invisibility spell. When we were sure no one was watching us, we ‘ported Klid and his entire cart to the main gate of the Keep.
Klid reacted badly to the teleport. He had never traveled that way before. He hadn’t imagined we could move him and his cart in one transit.
Argon had been a bit vague about the location of the Duchy, and Klid hadn’t really been curious about it, either. Now Klid seemed in full panic mode.
I’d had enough. “Klid,” I roared. “We can take you back to Rithra just as quickly as we came. You certainly weren’t going to be able to drag your cart here. We could have just brought you, but you seemed attached to your cart.”
I think this was the first time Klid even noticed me, after all, I wasn’t an attractive female. “Now, everything we told you is true. Do you want to stay or should we take you back? Decide pretty quickly because I’m hungry.”
Klid was hungry, too. Ravenous really.
“I’m pretty hungry, too,” came Klid’s remark. “I’m sorry I lost it. It just seemed impossible to be in the market one second and here the next. I didn’t even know you were mages.”
“We are mages,” I agreed. “Let’s get something to eat.” We left his cart inside the gate and ‘ported to the dining hall. It was moderately full, and we got in line for lunch.
Argon tended Klid, answering questions and soothing his anxieties.
“Tobron do we have a blacksmith shop being built?” I sent.
“I don’t think so, they are still working with their portable gear.” Tobron sent back. “Clive intends to put it near the new armorer buildings, but he wants that finalized first. The blacksmiths haven’t been pushing, so that seemed okay.”
“We need to site the blacksmith shop and put our new tinker next to them. I have great plans for his work,” I added.
“Steve, this is Clive. Tobron says we need a tinkering shop? What the hell is that?” sent Clive.
“Right now, it can just be a building to house a cart. But we will be expanding it and expect the blacksmith shop to grow as well,” I sent.
“Okay, I’ll meet you there with your tinker when you are ready. We’ll be working in the armorer’s shop,” Clive sent.
We got our food. Klid took seconds in nearly everything. We steered him toward a small empty table. Klid was making sure none of his food escaped. He must have been on short rations for a while.
Inoa settled in between Klid and me. “I see you have been recruiting,” she said, winking at me.
“Inoa meet Klid, he is a tinker. Klid this is one of our partners, Inoa,” Argon introduced them.
I doubted Inoa would find anything problematic with Klid. He seemed completely involved in his work.
I judged that correctly, in no time Inoa gave Klid the oath of fealty. She suggested we get him fitted for a mind shield before letting him leave the Keep.
Klid divided his attention between the food on his plate and Inoa. Argon took pity on him after Inoa left. We let him finish his food without bothering him further.
Argon couldn’t see what I saw in him, but she was willing to help get him settled. She saw mechanical toys. I saw gears and future steam engines. Klid thought differently than the blacksmiths I’d met, and I hoped to nurture that way of thinking. If we could meld magic with mechanics, we might see electricity, steam-powered barges and ships, and maybe a maneuverable lighter-than-air craft in the Duchy’s future.
I sent a message to the com hub to have them hitch a basas to Klid’s cart and meet us at the armorer’s building.
“Gera, meet me at the armorers’ new quarters,” I sent.
“In about 24 minutes, sir,” Gera sent. I looked at the assignment sheet and noticed he had about 20 minutes left on his com hub duties. Jord was already putting our young mages through their paces. He was scheduled with Clive’s crew later in the afternoon. Having him tend Klid would fit right in.
Argon took Klid to meet with the Keep HQ headmistress to get his livery ordered and assign quarters. I hadn’t realized we had such a position, but it made sense. Argon told them both Klid needed to be back in the dining hall to meet me in 20 minutes. The headmistress dragged Klid
with her to his new quarters.
“Dors will get him set up right,” Argon told me. “I’ll leave you to your tinker. I have a meeting with Jord about Findot.” Argon had been very pleased when Jord took responsibility for Findot, her difficult apprentice. Now that Jord was getting on with his other duties, Findot was back.
I hoped Jord had knocked a few rough edges off of Findot, but Argon didn’t look hopeful. She kissed me goodbye and ‘ported up to our room to put on livery and armor. I wondered what that said about the meeting with Findot. Argon expected to be back in time to meet our first batch of rural Klee villagers arriving at the Keep docks later this afternoon.
That explained why Inoa was at the Keep HQ and I suspected Dors would be quite busy in a few more minutes. This group included several families with younglings. They came with all their household goods so a lot of people would be busy getting them settled. I knew Clive and Loma were working on a design for an elevator, but it wouldn’t be ready in time to help this group. With force magic always in short supply they were aiming for reliable and cheap to operate. Loma had her appliance group working on it and other innovative possibilities in their spare time.
I updated the partner information about Rithra, including a market ‘port location, while I waited for Klid to get settled in his rooms. I suspected Marfo would visit Rithra soon to compare prices with the other locations. I also posted the Xter information, with a caution to avoid the place.
Dors had Klid back to me right on time. From Klid’s look, it was all Dors doing. I thanked her for taking care of Klid and wished her the best with the new group of recruits coming in later today.
“Your grace, we are ready to welcome them. I’ve had to warn our younglings to let the new group get settled before descending upon them,” said Dors who nodded politely to me. Her voice hardened as she glared at Klid. “Young man you should pay close attention to what your grace tells you.”
Klid looked sheepish and eventually nodded in reply when Dors was not going to let it go without some acknowledgment from him.
“You didn’t give Dors a hard time, did you?” I asked once she walked away.
“Not on purpose, I’ve just never seen so many magic appliances. I want to know how they work. Dors didn’t understand, she just wanted to show me my rooms and get me measured for clothes,” Klid said resentfully.
“We can certainly provide you with a host of appliances to take apart, though I’m told some can be dangerous if you aren’t careful. Are you ready to help design your new workshop?”
That dragged his attention away from his grievances and we ‘ported to a space just outside the armorer’s building where Gera was waiting. I introduced the two and could tell that Gera was surprised Klid’s mind was open. I was glad to see Klid’s cart had been delivered as I had requested. Klid was all over it, seemingly concerned that it had been pilfered or something similar.
Once assured all was the same with his cart, we went into the armorers’ workshop to meet Clive. They’d made a lot of progress but wouldn’t set forge, anvils, and other specialty equipment until it arrived by ship in a few days. Jorvik and his main apprentice had already been out and blessed the layout. Clive’s crew were now adding the residential wing. They were just roughing it in as Jorvik had agreed to start out with his whole group living in the Keep HQ.
“Is all this for me?” asked Klid.
The wonder in his voice made me smile. “No Klid, this is going to be the main workshop for our armorer and his apprentices. We need to build you a spot next door. Your workshop will be between the blacksmiths and the armorers.”
Clive joined us and led us out the way we came in.
“You need a building to house this cart?” asked Clive.
“To start,” I answered. Clive grumbled, but his crew put up a sturdy building with plenty of windows, lights, a place for a small bathroom appliance and large double doors quite quickly.
Klid looked stunned at the brisk level of activity. I was pleased Gera pitched in with Clive’s crew. When they were done, Clive moved next door and started on the blacksmiths’ workshop.
Shortly after Clive left, a basas cart arrived with a small bathroom appliance in the cart. The driver backed the cart up and dropped off the appliance only a few feet from its final resting spot.
I told Gera to build or requisition Klid whatever he needed to get his workshop set up. I warned Gera he might need to find some low-end appliances and help Klid take them apart—with the help of one of Loma’s appliance people. I told Gera to be alert for ways magic could help Klid fabricate things and to walk him to dinner when the dinner bell rang. At this point, I wasn’t sure Klid could even find the Keep HQ by himself.
I couldn’t help the feeling of promise a few mechanical toys brought.
◆◆◆
Chapter 11
I was feeling out of sorts, again, as I walked back to the Keep HQ. Everyone around me had assignments and were keeping quite busy. I wondered if this was what generals’ felt after giving the orders. I was worried if I thought up a lot more for my troops to do, they’d go tilt. We had a lot of moving parts.
The great economic summit hadn’t panned out, but it was still a good idea. I just wasn’t the right one to make it happen. We needed to decide as a Duchy the best way to move the economy forward, hopefully helping the region move forward as well.
We needed to explore more of the east coast. I suspected some of the smaller cities inland of Zoas and Bara would be a treasure trove of goods, especially if we could transport them with dirigibles. I was told the natural wind patterns blew from west to east across the spine half the year. They blew from east to west the next half. Most of the rains came in the half year where the winds came off the ocean. When the winds blew from the east, transporting materials by dirigible back to the Keep would be easier. Of course, building dirigibles was a giant leap from mechanical toys.
We needed more intel on Ylee and Kavil. We also needed to neutralize the pirates and wipe out the slavers. I was tired of hearing we weren’t strong enough, to me that just meant we didn’t know enough to assure victory. We didn’t need a huge army to do recon. It seemed the right focus for Argon and me. We needed a small ship to sneak us close enough to the suspected site for us to infiltrate. A pair of basas wouldn’t hurt, although I’d hate to abandon them if we had to leave in a hurry.
Argon suspected the slavers were still raiding Ylee and Kavil whenever they got low on anything. With no ships going north of Augun, she was expecting them to turn their attention to our area in the near term. Perhaps we should go pirate hunting first. We could pick up some intel that way and get rid of a hazard to our shipping business in one step.
That seemed the right next step. As long as pirates had ships, the scum could raid. Without ships, the slavers would be stuck in their port. I was still unclear about where slaves ended up. The pirate hive located between Kavil and Ylee was a known waypoint, not the final destination. Omba was the only place we found that had slaves actually living there. There had to be a destination for the slaves gathered up from all over Jaloa. We just didn’t know where that was. I was about to declare war on the slavers. Just what generals do when they have time on their hands.
I checked that Capt. Malek was due back from Losan in a few days. That would set the timing for our next move. I announced this plan to my partners. To say they were caught by surprise would be charitable. No one said we couldn’t do it, they just weren’t anticipating the change in plans.
“Should l plan to bring the Malan back early?” Capt. Malek sent immediately.
“No, but we will need your help training the guard to take over another ship. Can your first mate handle the trip to Losan?” I sent back.
“Of course. I’ll make arrangements,” with that Capt. Malek signed off.
Cleon was right behind, “I suspect you will need a Duchy Guard contingent, plus some mage support.”
“You are quite right,” I sent. “Malek is coming back
to help train us.”
“Good, we will need his help,” Cleon sent. I detected a definite whiff of irritation coming from Cleon.
I felt quite pleased with myself. Over the years I had had plenty of brass toss a crazy idea into my life. I’d always imagined they did it just to see their troops scramble like ants. Now the shoe was on the other foot, I suspected I had it at least partly right.
It was good to be king.
To avoid letting my august position go to my head, I jogged down to visit our farm community. I was hoping Maude was happy with her new digs. I suspected if she wasn’t happy, someone would have already let me know.
Maude’s new house had plenty of windows. In fact, it was more window than wall. There just wasn’t any glass in the windows. Or doors in the doorways. Until we opened the force dome over the Keep, this probably wasn’t a problem.
I didn’t see Maude, but Perga spotted me.
Crews were hauling dirt to cover the stone walls of the house and on to its roof.
“Perga, what is going on with the house?” I asked.
“Her grace is bringing back her precious jewels. We are trying to get ready for them,” said Perga.
I asked if they needed any conjured soil and he reacted as if I’d physically assaulted him. “Oh no sir, not for her precious jewels, that would be a heresy.”
I noticed Jestn hauling a cart filled with soil along with the rest of the crew.
“How is Jestn working out?” I asked.
“Maude has taken him under her tutelage,” Perga said, acting anxious to get back to hauling dirt.
I released him, and he ran back to the house. The floor of Maude’s new home was packed dirt. Although it was still only hours since it was built, moss and vines were climbing up its exterior walls.
I was relieved the workers were teasing and joking with one another normally. I had half expected to find them mesmerized as they built a shrine to the goddess Maude. I stopped Jestn to see what jobs Maude had him doing in addition to hauling carts of dirt. He’d worked with Clive this morning to set up more irrigation networks for the farmers. Jord gave him a pass in the com hub, allowing him to concentrate on his plant and animal magic instead of human mind magic. He was much happier than when I was training him the day before. Since his interest in animals and plants was genuine, I saw no reason to interfere. I released him to scurry back to hauling dirt.