by P. S. Power
Still, he switched to Vagish. After all, it was good to get the practice.
“That’s right. I’m from Noram and Erath here is from the fleets that come from space. Have you heard of that?”
The girl nodded instantly.
“We have heard of this! We welcome you, what service may we provide to you, great one?”
The bow went to Erath, who did it back.
“Erath. The Ysidril count no one as greater than another.” The words were in Vagish that was nearly as good as what Will had used himself. The accent was a bit odd, but part of that was the difference in mouth shapes. Having heard the lady in front of him, he tried to get his words to be closer to that, as they went on.
The woman smiled, which was a darling thing. She looked a bit different than people from Noram might, but it was a nice thing really. Everyone was smaller, like commoners from back home. They were more bold however. Not one of these people was hiding themselves behind the others for instance.
“I’m Mage Jin.”
That got him to raise his hand then, to get everyone’s attention.
“Will Baker. Is Tor Baker around? It looks like we got here very early. He might not be awake yet.”
That got one of the men to the side to pull a handheld, then tap on it for a bit. Finally, a tired voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Great Brother. Two strangers have come from the dislocation chamber. One is of the special people, from the void. The other says he is Will Baker. He does not look much like you. Pale however, with that sickly pallor that you wear. Should we make excuses for you to not see them? They seem to be understanding that you need sleep. Probably due to how sickly you seem most of the time.”
Then the man chuckled a bit. It was clearly supposed to be humor, not an insult. Tor, who Will couldn’t see at all, just groaned a bit.
“Eh. Bring them in? Can they stay for breakfast? We should be polite, if possible. Erath is a diplomat. Willum… Well, I probably have to grovel and crawl around for him.”
That got him to speak.
“No time for any of that. Right now Erath needs more of the transport huts. I’m going to ask Taman about that later, but I have a class with Doris in a few minutes. How many of those do you need for the fleets?” He glanced at the four-armed figure, who bounced a bit. Clearly thinking.
“Would it be possible to have twelve hundred more? That won’t allow perfect coverage, but I kind of stinted the Forten in the first wave of things. There have been complaints.”
Tor appeared on the screen, rubbing at his sleepy seeming face. He wasn’t old at all, but probably looked younger than he was by over ten years. If they’d met on the street, Will would have guessed him to be nineteen or twenty. Even being as tall as he was. The man was at least in his thirties. The stories from school went back that far anyway.
“I… Can do that. The design is simple enough really. Can I deliver those in a few days? Call it a week?”
Erath seemed happy with that.
“That would be good, thank you for your efforts. I can be contacted to come and retrieve them?”
Thinking of time issues, Willum bobbed himself, to show Erath that he was considering things of his own. The child seemed to find it funny.
“Or… I’m putting together a bit of a tour. With Count and Countess Ward? Soam, Harmony and the new fleets, if I can set that up? It would be as easy to take those along with me. One of my jobs is taking packages and messages around. Which I need to check in with Count Lairdgren for in a bit. Sorry, got sidetracked there. Anyway, if you have those ready, I can move them. Though…” He glanced at Erath.
After a moment of silence, he went on.
“Erath was thinking about trying to learn building. Is that possible? From the sound of it none of the Ysidril have even thought of doing things that way.”
Tor blinked, then slapped at his front. Nothing seemed to happen, except that he looked more alert after a few moments. Then he nodded.
“You know, I’ve been wondering that myself. Would you like to try that, Erath? It isn’t that hard, and I can show you what to do before the test, so you won’t be going in blind or anything? It would probably mean coming here each day for lessons, since I think you can actually do it.”
The tiny being bowed.
“May I attempt such? I can contact my parents now, so they understand where I am and that I haven’t stolen a space craft again. Not that I had before, but people didn’t seem to be impressed with my finding the lost home world.” The face wasn’t repentant. At least from what it seemed like.
Tor nodded then.
“It was though. Very much so. Not that you should escape punishment for it. After all, from what I heard you did it in secret not thinking Dareg would aid you. That was a mistake. You might have had to wait for him to make you a ship, but he would have done it.”
That got an honest sounding voice to come out then.
“I know. He said as much to me. I can do this now, or should I return at a better time for you? It is your sleep cycle?”
“The end of it. We can do this now? I’ll come to you. Five minutes?”
That meant standing there, since going in wasn’t an option it seemed. Past that, even with a shield on, Will wasn’t leaving the child with strangers. Not even nice seeming ones. Not completely. Tor was family, and reasonable if he didn’t decide that Erath, or Will, needed to be ended. That was his experience of the man anyway. So he stood there as well, until his tall pale uncle came out, dressed in robes like the other mages. He loomed over them all.
“Hello! I have a template room set up inside. The test will only take about six hours. Maybe less than that. We should get in touch with your parents first though, to make certain they agree to it. It isn’t dangerous at all. You’ll just make a simple light, from a template, which is the easiest way of doing it. I can take you home after that?”
The words got him to roll his eyes, or at least start to. Will spoke instead.
“No. When Erath is finished, I’ll come and make certain everything is all right. I can spare a few minutes for my friend, after all.”
Instead of acting like he was being rude, which he was, both Erath and Tor nodded toward him. His uncle was the one that spoke.
“We can do that. Oh… You mentioned a trip? Would you have room for Alyssa on that? She keeps meaning to travel around a bit, but everyone is always so busy. The Wards… Well, there are worse people to travel with. She gets along with Maria better than I do. My failing, not hers. It’s a long story, which ultimately shows me as being petty and less enlightened than I’d like, but the short version is that I should try to be kinder toward the Countess. I can’t get away. Also, it’s all right if the plans are set, or if they don’t want her to attend with them. We don’t want to force ourselves in.”
He seemed uncertain of things. That meant Willum had to work out the correct thing to do. It couldn’t hurt to make friends with a wizard after all. His aunt, as well, but that didn't instantly mean she’d help him out in a pinch. Making a connection there was probably a good long term plan.
“Let me ask and see? I need to get with Neesa on that as well… I’ll do that now. Instead of the meditation that I’m supposed to be doing. I’ll have to make up for that tonight.” Still, he waited for Erath to get with his mother, who spoke to him in a language that sounded to be mostly hisses. Erath smiled when he disconnected however.
“She is pleased that I will be given this opportunity to serve. Also that the Earth people are taking such pains to see to my safety and comfort. Though I do think she assumed that Willum Baker is actually Darian of Earth.” That got an open mouthed laugh. It was silent, but the feeling poured off the child. “That is what Dareg Canton is often called there. I explained that Dare is copper square and that you are green and brown shrubbery. I don’t know if she believed me however.”
That was very cute sounding, even in Vagish. Still Will touched the emblem he was wearing.
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“Pine tree. Shrubs are smaller and grow under trees. I’ll take you to see some, soon? If you have time, between your mage lessons here. Good luck on that. I think you’ll do really well.” Will had no clue if that was true or not, but Tor nodded, seeming to think it might have merit.
“That’s true. Most intelligent people really can learn to build. Let me walk you through it? You need to start by clearing your mind. Then you find the pattern you want to impress on something and hold the idea over the object until it becomes part of it. The trick is doing all of it without thinking in words. If you can manage that part, the rest isn’t hard at all.”
It was interesting to hear all of that, but Will decided to go, since he had other things to see to at the moment. The first was done as he moved back toward the transport hut. That was getting a hold of Neesa. Hopefully Erath being awake would mean that the Ambassador was as well.
Her face came into being almost instantly, after the last sigil was pressed.
“Hello. I am Neesa, of the Ysidril.” She seemed to be trying to make out who he was using his face, which wasn’t going to help her out at all. It had changed on her.
So he moved the device in order to catch his emblem.
“Willum Baker, of Earth. Pine tree emblem. We met a few days ago? At Thomson Residence. You were with Dareg Canton?”
“Ah! Green and brown shrubbery. I do recall you. You… Seem slightly different. It is probably my poor memory for human faces. Forgive me not understanding it was you immediately.”
He laughed a bit.
“Pine tree. Seriously, both you and Erath. Anyway, you’re invited to come on a trip with Count and Countess Ward next week? So far it’s going to Soam, Harmony and then your fleet, if I can set that up? Possibly some other people will be coming along as well. I’d invite Erath, but it seems like they’re about to be pretty busy. We just stopped by Vagus, to get Tor Baker the wizard to make more of the transport booths. He agreed. Also, Erath is undergoing the first testing to see if they… Sorry, that’s rude of me. I wasn’t able to tell if Erath is a boy or girl. Or something different. Child. I got that much.”
There was a nod then. A very human one, if a little forced seeming.
“Ye. Ye hasn’t selected a sex yet. That won’t happen for two or three years still, your time. Now, as for a trip. That sounds like a good plan. Would it be allowable to set in to other locations? Especially on Earth? We have beings here who wish to meet with the Tellerand, in particular? I have been to Noram, several times now. You say that Erath has traveled to the place of Vagus? How was ye’s welcome there? Dareg said he didn’t think there would be an issue.”
He got to smile then as he neared the transport hut.
“That went well actually. Ye already speaks the language here, which really helped, I think. No one seemed bothered by the fact that they only had two arms, instead of four. Even though it is a bit humbling, once you see it’s possible. Don’t worry, though. I’m sure all of that will fade when everyone catches on to the idea that you’re nearly twice as intelligent as we are. More than that.”
Interestingly, the alien lady went very still suddenly.
“We… Try to hide that from the others. Is that common knowledge there?”
She sounded serious about it, so Will snorted and shook his head.
“No. It isn’t a real worry either. You want to add Tellerand? How about Afrak? I might even have some contacts that could get us in there. The people seem nice. I met the Queen from there the other day. Bumie? She was at the meal.”
That got a head shake, until he described her.
“Very dark skin, small… Orange hair and eyes?”
“Oh! Yes, the mother of Princess Abbey? Red hair, blue eyes. I do recall her, now. May I bring some botanists with me? We have a program that is set to start, but I am regularly asked to allow travel. I haven’t wanted to annoy Dareg or the others however, with extra burdens. As I’m doing with you, now...”
That got him to blink, feeling pressed suddenly. Though it wasn’t that big of an issue.
“On the trip? No. Not unless they want to relax with the Wards. Instead, let’s set up a visit for them, so that they can look at plants? That is what botanist means, right?” He’d only heard the word a few times in his life after all.
Instead of seeming to think he was slow, Neesa bobbed in place.
“That would be wonderful. We have not wanted to risk frightening people there, or they would have used the new system to travel already. Many have been waiting due to that. Even the Forten.”
“Ah… Let me check out what’s allowed that way? Can I get back with you later? I don’t know when you sleep.”
That got all four eyes to blink at once time. They shifted color as he noticed them, from a bright orange to a lovely pink.
“Ysidril do not have that talent. It would be to your schedule that way?”
He smiled then.
“I don’t sleep either. I was changed the other day so I don’t have to. Instead I have extra lessons now. Trust me, it makes me miss wood working. Baking, too! Good then, I can call you up at all hours, ask you about your day and suggest we date? I mentioned that to Erath for you and ye laughed at me. As if my lack of the proper number of arms and eyes would be too silly for you to consider.” The words were playful, which the woman actually seemed to understand.
“That is truth. We try not to mention it to the people here. They mean well. As for communicating, that would work. We are going into sixth cycle now… Of the eleven a day is divided into. Can you have that established by… say tenth cycle?”
It took a bit of internal math, some guess work and a bit of padding to get an answer.
“Ummm… More like third cycle tomorrow? I know that everyone in charge will love to see your friends visit, but I need to run things past people first, find guides and so on. They’ll need shields as well. Just in case anyone misunderstands who they are. It shouldn’t happen, but violence is one of the fall back measures of my people. We try to hold that in, but if someone is scared enough by something new, it could still take place.”
That got a slow nod.
“That is a lot to ask of one I have not known. Is this all right? Perhaps Dare could be requested to…”
Will shrugged.
“Good idea. I’ll get with him on it as well. Split things up a little.” Not that he knew he was allowed to just contact the fellow.
Neesa seemed to find that pleasant, from her expression.
“This is all for the good. I would be pleased to attend the voyage if allowable? We tend to move slowly, the people of the fleets. It is not a bad thing, always, but some grow eager to learn of your people. Until we next speak?”
“Until then. Bye.”
The screen went dark, so Will used the hut to get to Lairdgren. It was a bit early there, for his needs. From the sun it was before five even, which gave him a full hour before he was supposed to meet with Doris and the others. He’d planned to use the time to get with Count Lairdgren in case anyone had packages or letters to be taken around. If it was a lot, then he might well find himself having to reschedule some things.
Taman really seemed to want him to spend a lot of time in meditation, after all. As he walked, Will made a point of finding Count Wards name on his handheld. Which meant interrupting him at a party. The man didn’t seem upset to see him there.
“Your hair is different. The eyes as well. Is there an emergency?”
“Not at all, Count Ward.”
“Marvin, please.”
“Marvin. Ambassador Neesa wishes to add some different locations to the voyage next week. Also, can some friends of hers visit you there soon? More to the point, is it safe for them to visit your plant life? Possibly tomorrow or the next day?”
“Certainly! How exciting. We could, perhaps, host up to twelve of her people? I’ll take them around myself. I can hire a fast craft or two for the day. Splendid plan.”
That was good to hear. Af
ter all, if they had a giant Count with them, they’d be fine.
“Thanks. I’ll pass that along. Oh, also, are you on good enough terms with Alyssa Baker to have her go along on the trip? She didn’t ask herself. Tor did for her. She seems to want to get out, but not do it alone.” It was tempting to hold his breath then, but the giant smiled suddenly.
“A charming woman. I’m certain that Maria would love to have her along. Myself as well. Thank you for doing all of this for us. We just met, but I feel like we’ve been friends for a long time. If I were a bit more cynical I’d have to ask why you were plying us with so many special gifts and honors…”
Will thought about that for a moment, trying to work out what that might mean. That it meant something was simply clear. What, he wasn’t savvy enough in how nobles thought to get.
“Well, it isn’t as dark as all that. I’m trying to win your favor for personal reasons. Both of you. Not everyone would have been so understanding, or helpful, earlier. My aunt set me a rather silly assignment. I mean, I get the idea, but most wouldn’t. For you both to aid me was… Telling. In a good way.”
The words were vague, but got the good looking dark skinned man to nod along.
“Truly? Well, Maria will be glad to hear that. I know that I am. We were thinking that you might be trying to establish your own power over us. After all, Maria suggests a simple trip and you deliver us wonders from places most couldn’t even imagine? That, well, it does show a person of certain means, even to suggest such a thing.”
He nodded, then took a deep breath, whispering to the man.
“Is it too much? I can pull back a bit, if it is. Just to be clear, the plan is for me to get in good with both of you, without any alternative motives. Not at present. Then, everyone would say that, wouldn’t they?”
The other man shook his head a bit.
“Only the most clever. I’ll see to preparing for those visitors. Tomorrow?”
“That would be good for the first bit. I’ll see about other places as well. Some of them wish to meet the Tellerand. I know the language, but almost nothing about them as a people.”
