Envoy to Earth

by P. S. Power

  "All right there? Do you need help?" She smiled broadly, seeing that he wasn't bleeding, he guessed, and he shook his head, making himself seem as friendly as he could.

  "Nope. Just checking in. Um... Gerent Lairdgren. I'm going to and from Earth, so if you have any letters to go, just give them to me on the next trip? We can just have people drop those here, until we get a message service together?" He was being playful, since the lady, who seemed to be about fifty actually sparkled at him a bit. Or not really, that being a thing that the magical clothing could allow for, but her eyes danced and gleamed charmingly. Not much like a guard at all. There were no stern looks, or patting of the weapon on her side, for instance.

  Instead of barking at him that she had a real job, or suggesting he take himself away, she nodded.

  "Good plan that. We'll spread the word. When do you think you'll be back? There are always people looking for work here. Give me five days and I'll get you a whole crew for it." She nodded at him as if trying to convince him that she, random guard number one, as far as he was concerned, was the exact person to be in charge of that sort of thing.

  It was amazing luck, finding her then, if that was the case. He'd half expected people to try and duck out of it, to be honest. If you weren't going to be paid for the effort, then delivering messages or sorting them for that purpose, probably wasn't that rewarding.

  "Sounds good. Five days then? I'll just check back here to see what you have going?"

  "Right then! This is fun. I'm Sandy Millis. I work here three days a week, but I'll be here at about this time in five days? Or, you can call me? The new handhelds aren't too bad." She pulled hers out, to show what she meant. It was just ones like what he'd been giving out, so he smiled.

  "Sandy Millis? Good, I'll be in touch then! That will probably work better anyway. Thanks, by the way. I didn't know how to get that part done. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get things passed out once I get to each land. Um... Right now Tellerand might be hard to manage. I mean, I'll try, but we haven't opened that up yet. If anyone from there can help with that, they should find Terry Baker and see what he has planned. He's their new immortal. Just assigned to that today, in fact."

  There was a low and slow whistle as the lady shook her head.

  "They have a new Revered One? That's good. After Brown died... Well, Austra hasn't had anyone, have we? Things are hard back home, and without our leader... It's part of why I moved here. I couldn't even keep my family fed back there. When do we get a Revered One to see to us? Or... Do we?"

  Gerent shrugged.

  "Timon Baker. Again, just officially assigned a few hours ago. By me, in fact. It's real though, and he's taken on the job. None of them can get back there for a long time though, so if you have ideas, or can help with anything, get with him on that? Or for any of the other lands, really. Just tell them that Gerent sent you and it should be fine. If not, or if they can't see you and you hear of someone with a good idea, then just get with me directly, day or night."

  "I'll... do that... sir." she looked at him funny for a while then glanced at the door, at first he figured that she was telling him to leave and let her get to work, which was probably fair, but when he glanced at the space it was filled with a large, bald, muscular man that had a single scar on his right cheek. Kolb. He looked intimidating and like someone was about to die. For half a second or so.

  He raised a hand in greeting, and smiled warmly enough, considering they'd only met once or twice. It changed everything about him in an instant.

  "There you are. I think that Princess Veronica is looking for you? She's in the back of the wine shop. This way." The man patted him on the shoulder to move him along, and spoke gently as he passed. "How are things going? I noticed that a lot of responsibility has been dumped on you suddenly? Are you certain you want to take it all on?"

  Gerent had to stop and think about that for a bit, and that meant moving to the side so they weren't blocking the door to the guard area. Not that anyone else was coming and going, just that it was rude and if there was an emergency he wouldn't want them to be in the way. Kolb apparently agreed with him and didn't seem confused by it when he stepped to the side, into a little yellow square on the floor. It took a few seconds for him to understand that it was one of the places where people were supposed to go and stay while begging for work, or for forgiveness. There was no one in it at the time, but he moved out with a sidestep anyway, just so no one would get confused.

  "I... Really, it's only temporary, you know? I'll play messenger for a while, but I think I'm dumping work on everyone else pretty well so far, don't you? Oh, speaking of that, I have something for you, too, if you don't mind?"

  "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem suspicious or anything.

  "Yeah. Get with Patty, um, Ducharina Baker, and ask about it. In private? She doesn't know that I'm sending you along, but she'll work it out. We shouldn't talk about it here." Even someone like him knew that much.

  The man got it too and merely started walking again, since there was a job to do. He didn't accept or decline, but that was fine. Gerent was having fun, anyway. He was saying things that were basically nonsense and people kept doing it. It made for an interesting day.

  It took a bit to get everyone to the ship, but only about half an hour, since they could call everyone directly. The slowest person was Ambassador Eto, since she wanted to stay with Tor. Her land's new Great One. The problem there wasn't that Tor didn't want her around, or even had a problem with it, or that she had to fly right back to Vagus to make things happen, since they really did have some time that way, but rather that she didn't know how to ask if it was all right with anyone.

  Gerent however, was in some kind of strange category in her mind. Not a Great Brother, and not a mage, but clearly someone useful. A person that the others had all taken direction from. So the Ambassador let him know what she wanted, and he simply asked Tor, who was right there with Eto listening to her say the words, if that worked for him.

  "Just for a few days however. We'll need to get her back to her people soon. You have things to set up. You know, that new class of mages for you to train? You should get with Timon too, since Austra should give that a try. They haven't yet, have they?" They did things using technology and had a long tradition of not even believing in magic, so that made sense, when he broke it down.

  Tor took the communications device from Eto's hand and stared at him.

  "A class of Mages?" He didn't really glare, but there was a clear sense that he wanted more information.

  "Or, more like a school, since we need all the lands in on it. Like we discussed at the meeting? We did talk about that right? Or was that me hiding it from you in fear... Well, whichever. The Mages from Vagus are coming in a few weeks, so we need a real place for them. Eto is here to set that part up. Don't forget everyone else. Afrak too. That's, um, Farlo Ross? I don't know if we can get anyone from Soam, and Tellerand..."

  There was a soft grunt and Tor looked away then.

  "They can't even turn a magical amulet on, much less make them. It's their religious teachings. They block it all out somehow, due to their beliefs. Black built that in, thousands of years ago, not even knowing magic was real. They fear it though, which is why we're having all these problems with them now. Poor Terry." He sounded like he meant the last bit, and then he smiled. "What the heck, right? I'll build something for them and set up a class schedule. We need an official building section anyway, since everything here is based on that. It's a good idea. Still, next time, ask first, will you?"

  "Um..." He nearly apologized, but then grinned and shook his head a little, trying to let his bafflement show. "I am asking. Right now? You said yes, too. Good work. Keep in touch with me on the progress and all that? That way I can tell people on the ground what's happening. So, that's taken care of." Well, except for the part where they hadn't really done more than talk about the idea yet. Still, his part was started, which was a good thing.

>   After that they just had to wait for everyone on the ship. It was, for all that she'd been the one to call for him, Princess Veronica that came in last. She hadn't wanted to leave her little girl. That was sweet, and she wasn't too late, just a few minutes.

  The trip back was uneventful, for all that it was incredibly interesting, working a space jump like he was. They were back above the Capital not twenty minutes later, though he decided to land in front of Tor's Palace, not the King's place. There was just more room there. People were in the way, so he settled very slowly, which took a lot longer than it should have.

  If they had an actual landing place for craft like his, it would have been a lot faster. In Vagus they had a space port. A real one with lights and all. That got him thinking and finally he looked around the front view screen, and shrugged.

  "We could make a real landing area on the north of the city, about three or four miles away. Then just set up regular carriage runs from there into the city. I'm not really certain why no one has done that yet. Probably the lack of ships wanting to come, but if we build it, I bet traffic picks right up here."

  Princess Veronica looked over at him and seemed to think for a moment, before saying anything.

  "This area is owned by the King directly. If you want to do that you'll need to get with him about the idea. I think everyone has just been too busy to do anything like that, to be honest with you. It's a good enough plan. Most of the major cities should probably give that a try. All over the world. Get on that for me, will you?" She smiled at him charmingly, clearly playing with him.

  "Or, and this makes more sense, you should get with Sam Builder and set that kind of thing up for Noram. You're his assistant. Good work, getting a plush job like that, by the way. That's pretty impressive." He meant it, he realized, but the girl didn't say anything, just looking at him like he'd gone insane.

  Dorgal chuckled a little and Misha tilted her own head.

  "I should do that for Austra too then?"

  "I don't know... that makes sense to me, but really, that's probably your job to consider things like that, don't you think? You should get with Prime Minister Foley and work out who you need to contact about all that. You might want to mention the part about them having a new Revered One, too. Officially now, that is. I think that will go over pretty well there. In fact you might want to do that now. We can head that way as soon as Princess Veronica is safely back home. I'll run you back first, if you like Princess?"

  Her and the man out in the hallway, who was her guard, but no one that Gerent knew. That wasn't amazing, since he hadn't asked.

  As they drove through the city, the man sitting inside the Tim-craft with them, since it was basically a shield and escape vehicle all in one, he did that, getting the man to answer, blandly.

  "Elrice, Prince Gerent." There was no stopping in the scanning of the world around them, not even for a moment. Gerent did the same thing, until they got to the gate of the Palace, where he let the Princess and the muscular looking guard off.

  The girl actually ran around the vehicle, smiling and giggling a bit, and had him open the shield window on that side. When he did, she leaned over and kissed him warmly and for a long time, her hands on his head, lovingly.

  "Thank you so much for the trip, Prince Gerent. I hope we can do it again sometime?"

  He might not be a real noble, knowing all the tricks and trappings of their world, but he knew how to run a con. That this one was just a precaution didn't mean he could afford not to do his best, did it?

  "Any time you want. In fact I'd just keep you with me now, if I didn't have to run off and see to other things. I'll be back tomorrow, early? To talk to your father?" He meant about the mess with the old Count Rodriguez, but the girl looked flattered for some reason.

  "Oh? You mean about my space port idea? You really like it?"

  It was her idea now? He nodded.

  "It's brilliant, in fact. We should see about doing it as soon as possible."

  She promised to ask about it, and kissed him again. She was good at it, he decided. It didn't even look too wrong, since she was about sixteen and he looked only a year or two older than that anymore.

  Then, being very careful and still watchful, since Elrice had left him feeling a bit lazy that way, he went back to his craft and managed to spend the rest of the day making trips all over the place. Austra, Afrak and Vagus, to let those people know what was going on. Not Tellerand or Soam, because they were just too hard for him to manage yet.

  In the end, as twilight fell, he didn't know where to go anymore. He could head back to Tor's he knew, but there was nothing for him there except a bed, which he had right there on the ship. They needed a full complement of water and some sand or dirt, to use for making food, but that was easy enough to come by.

  In the end he parked the craft off the ocean near Warden, so that his crew could actually get out and stretch their legs a bit. It was just turning to evening by that time, but the ship was pretty safe, hovering a few hundred feet over the water. Instead of spending gold in the city, they all ate there, but everyone went with him, when they left, except the new people. Kimi was left in charge, while the others slept. They'd been invited, but the Tellerand woman, Monnette, suggested that she needed to catch-up on her prayers, and Deng, the Vagus man just muttered sleep, and walked away.

  That meant he had Wallace, Erid, Misha and Dorgal with him, as they strolled through the rather gaily appointed city. There were plants everywhere, and a soft breeze that came from over the ocean. Yes, it had been beaten down, but there were signs that the place was healing already. It wasn't until they got to the center of town, following Misha, that he realized they were going to end up on Count Ward's doorstep. The man was friendly, but given that he was trying to hide things from him, about his own sister, Gerent kind of wondered if it would have been the better part of wisdom to avoid the place. Not that he was going to get a choice in the matter, since they were noticed right off, even as they walked past in the distance.

  By Countess Ward, who waved to them from the front table, which was set up on a raised stoop made of white stone.

  Misha grunted a bit, and looked at the others, her short blue hair just visible in the light outside the torches that provided it for the people at the party.

  "Well, this will be comfortable. Family though, so I have to check in, if I'm here. Let's see if she kicks me out again this time?" There was no sense that this was a joke, and looking around, he noticed that everyone was changing clothing. Wallace went into a nice purple and blue velvet outfit, the fabric seeming to flow as he closed his eyes. Erid did something similar, but his suit was white and had gold trim that looked like metal, since that was the sign of a High Servant. Dorgal presented himself in rust red and black and Misha matched her outfit to her hair, and sighing, made a daringly short skirt, heeled sandals and a skimpy top that made it look like she had breasts.

  Gerent looked at them all, closed his own eyes and ended up in a rather nice, but standard, dark green outfit. Then he thought about things and stared a bit.

  "I didn't know you all had magical clothing."

  He looked at his First Mate, but Wallace was the one that explained.

  "Yeah, they have a magical item shop in Harmony. You can just walk in and take things, if you need them. Almost everyone there had magical clothing. I got my own communications device too. The girl in the shop insisted. I tried to tell her it was too expensive, but she practically made me take it. I swear. It wasn't theft..." He looked slightly awkward about it all, but Erid nodded.

  "That's the way it's done there. As long as you aren't hoarding anything you can have as much as you want or need. Most people stopped being greedy about it when they realized there was enough of everything. The first days were hectic though. Now it's almost just like a real shop. I've seen regular people forgo luxury items just because they know they don't really need them. Not everyone does, but a lot more than you'd think do."

  Misha, look
ed down at her outfit, and nodded.

  "This should be good enough for them. It..." She stopped and then started walking, making a funny sound, and lightening her voice, which was more womanly than normal. "Ward doesn't care at all that I dress like a man, and really, I don't think his family does either. Maria... She thinks that I'm just doing it to be different or get attention. Not that she minds, but it's like she assumes I'm being pretentious all the time. It's annoying. So girl clothing for the night. I hope none of you mind?" It was a strange thing to say, but Dorgal handled that one for them.

  Pretty well too. It was a mature and reasoned answer at least, which was better than the stammering that Gerent felt like doing.

  "As long as it isn't bothering you too much, we don't mind. If it gets to be too much for you, we'll all leave. We're a team."

  Gerent nodded, to show that he agreed, and moved to the front of the group. He'd named himself ship's Captain and if that was the case, he had to act like it, even in the face of nobles. He must have looked grim, because Maria and her husband both stood, and everyone else looked at them from the side of their eyes, as if expecting trouble. Not that he did things like that. Mainly.

  When they were in front of the table, ten feet away, he bowed, going decently low. Everyone else did it too, so at least he had company. At least the ones in his group. That marked them as all being with him, he thought.

  Count Ward bowed, as did his wife, and the Dowager Ward, who was next to them. They went pretty low, considering it was their county. Almost matching him, he noticed. That was very respectful of them.

  Count Ward stood first, so they all did, and then spoke, his low bass voice rumbling a little in the air, carrying to everyone.

  "Prince Gerent. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

  For a moment nothing came to mind really. Gerent had picked to come in near Warden because it had simply been the closest place in Noram when he was coming back from Afrak. He could have gone to Printer just as easily, but hadn't, mainly because Petra was there. They were supposed to be married soon, but he didn't want to be too clingy. There had to be a balancing point to their relationship, he figured. Some amount of time and attention that was the correct value, instead of too much or little. More would be better than not enough, for him, but he wondered how she'd feel about it? It was hard, but he had to assume that she didn't really want him around all the time. Not yet. After all, they didn't really know each other. If it weren't so important to her class of people, she probably wouldn't have even spent time with him, much less asked if they could get married after that short of a time.