by Chris Hechtl
“Bad enough,” the Queen said, clearly shaken by the idea. Her hands shook as she picked up a goblet and took a long gulp. “Bad enough,” she said again sitting back.
“And the one who set the fire?” she asked turning to the captain of the guard.
Maximus scowled. “Gone your majesty, I'm sorry. In the confusion...”
Wanda nodded. She was still a bit sooty. She brushed at her blouse, annoyed that it was covered in soot and had some singe marks. “I didn't get a good look in the hall anyway. If those guards hadn't wandered by when they did though he'd have tried to kill me.”
“Indeed,” the Queen said nodding. “You'll need a guard. And no more working with dangerous substances in the castle. I hereby forbid it.”
Wanda looked a little mulish then sighed. “Yes your majesty. Commuting back and forth to the lab outside of the city is going to be a pain though,” she warned.
“We'll figure it out,” Ryans said shaking his head. “At least it's secure there,” he said and then frowned.
“Or is it?” Perry asked. “I think I'll just step up security,” he said firmly. The Queen and Maximus nodded.
<==={}------------>
“I don't like this,” Deidra said as he rubbed her back and shoulders. He sighed.
“Am I doing something wrong?” he asked. She shook her head.
“Tis this fire,” she said stretching out. She started to roll but he pushed her back down. “Twas no accident. No thing of chance. To have set the fire...”
“Ballsy I admit.”
“Was it a random act I wonder?” she asked, hands gripping the pillow.
“Or a crime of opportunity? Wanda said she goes for meals at odd hours. The door is locked however. For someone to get in they would have had to have a key or the ability to pick a lock.”
“And to have known she was gone. She was fortunate that she lived. Had the bastard approached her with a message or package...?”
“Yeah, that'd be bad,” Ryans said wincing. “You shouldn't talk to strangers,” he murmured, remembering what had happened to Perry.
“Eh?”
“An old thing kids are taught. Don't talk to strangers; don't accept gifts or rides from strangers.”
“Oh.”
“We'll get to the bottom of it.” He slapped her rump. She growled turning. “Eventually,” he chuckled as he smiled at the fire in her eyes.
<==={}------------>
Lieutenant Perry looked over to the Queen, Deidra, and Ryans. The trio was sitting around the fireplace drinking wine. “How'd it go?” Ryans asked looking up.
“About what can be expected,” Perry shrugged.
“Ah. I take it the general isn't happy about the reduced budget and more laid back time line?” Ryans asked. He was surprised the Queen had passed that off on Perry. Apparently she was still playing good cop bad cop with the good lieutenant.
“You could say that,” Perry snorted. “I've introduced him to more advanced gaming though, we've built a table top risk style game for him and his cronies to play with. It should keep them occupied for a while, at least the winter.”
“Good,” Ryans snorted.
“How did the lords go?” Perry asked.
“You could say that politics make strange bedfellows,” Deidra said, idly stroking the stem of her glass with her finger.
Perry gave her a look. “Stole that from him or the history books?” he asked pointing to Ryans.
She smiled. “That and...” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Ah yes, politics is the womb of war...” she said glancing his way.
“Close enough,” Ryans answered. “We've got Duke Emroy and Duke Pyror on our side. Troy is wavering. Rojer is with the war faction, but he also doesn't want to miss out on the mining equipment or the combines for his duchy. Not to mention the vehicles.”
“Ah,” Perry snorted. They want their cake and to be able to eat it too. So you're playing one faction off against another I take it?”
The Queen shrugged. She had gotten used to the blunt manner of speech the gaijin used when they talked now. In some ways it was still disconcerting, in others refreshing. They did have a way of cutting to the heart of a matter quickly. “Something like that. The lords along the rivers and ocean want new ships and equipment now that they know they exist. The smaller border lords want to expand their borders as well,” the Queen said tiredly. “It's all happening at once.”
“Gee, I wonder how that started,” Perry snorted looking in Eugene's direction.
“We did as well,” the Queen said giving Ryans a look. He looked away. Deidra blushed. The Queen turned her eyes on her. “Daughter?” she asked.
“Guilty,” Deidra said raising a hand in surrender. “In truth it neatly deflected lord Pemerson. He has been after dad to expand his barony for years mum. He wishes to be elevated very badly. He has quite a large family and wants his younger sons to each be lords in their own right.”
The Queen pursed her lips in thought and then then nodded. “True. And once he begins to expand it'll keep him away from the capital for periods of time. He'll need to see his new holdings personally after all.”
“Exactly my thoughts,” Deidra said smiling in relief. The lord was a flirt and didn't take no for an answer very well.
“The other border lords as well. They'll be last to get the latest technologies, much to their growing ire. Perhaps this will divert them,” the Queen murmured thoughtfully.
“One can hope,” Perry murmured.
“Yes one can,” the Queen nodded. She sighed. “It is such a bother with all the paperwork... The sheer drudgery of trying to read the different hand writings...” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. She set a paper down on her lap. “I do wish we could get that... I believe you called it a printing press?” she asked looking at Ryans who nodded.
“Yes your majesty. We've actually built a third one now. They're in constant use. Paper is a problem however,” he cautioned.
The Queen nodded. “I see that. In fact that is what this is about.” She tapped the paper with a finely manicured fingernail. “A proposal to cut the forests of Lungore and Emroy down for paper...and of course men with suitable arms drawn from the royal army.” She gave Perry a look. “As guards against bandits and animals. Modern weapons to use against the basilisks.”
“Fat lot of good that would do,” Perry muttered. She gave him a look. “Nothing,” he said shaking his head.
“Indeed,” she replied and nodded, smiling a wintry smile.
“I'd suggest a more... careful harvesting method your majesty. Not all trees are good for making paper after all... Or for other uses. I believe there is even a native grass plant that is better suited for making paper. As far as the trees go, with careful management a plot of land can be harvested every few years indefinitely,” Ryans said looking thoughtful.
“Huh. Lumber jack show?” Perry asked amused.
“Swamp Loggers. Got a problem with that?” Ryans answered with a slight challenging smile.
“Nope, not since I'm from the south,” Perry smiled back. “I got a kick out of that show once or twice myself. I just don't like the idea of going into basilisk territory on foot.”
“Yeah, there's that,” Ryans snorted.
“And think of this... once you get the trees down... hauling them out... on foot,” Perry said.
Deidra paled. She looked at her mother. “I agree with them mother. A basilisk is not to be taken lightly. They may very well defend their homes just as we do, quite fiercely.”
“True,” the Queen nodded. “Do you not have machines that can make this task easier?” she asked looking from Ryans to Perry.
“Ah... well, huh,” Ryans rubbed his chin thinking furiously.
“Cross cut saws, chains saws are out, we don't have the industry up for it, let alone the fuel,” Perry pointed out.
“Ugh. Cross cut saws and axes are for the birds,” Ryans replied.
“Better than what they've got now,�
� Perry reminded him.
“True.”
“They're still stuck with hauling the wood out to the road or river. Drop it in the river and float it down stream,” Perry said, setting aside that part of the issue.
“And go swimming with the predators in the water? Remember those hex croc things?” Ryans asked.
Perry frowned, “you’re such a downer. You're right though,” Perry replied.
“Nah, I just don't want to be on anyone's menu if I can help it.”
Perry snorted. “Spoil sport.”
“Gentlemen...” the Queen sighed.
“What about those big war titan things?” Perry asked. He glanced at the Queen.
“What about them?” Ryans asked, also ignoring the Queen's protest.
“Well, what about using them to tow the wood? Or pick the logs up? I think the people of India do that with Terran elephants,” Perry suggested.
“Kinda tight fit in the forest. Maybe on the edge. Selective logging you mean? Use smaller critters to get the logs to them? Forget the Trikes, they'd just as soon bite you in half over being helpful,” Ryans said, getting on board with the idea. Deidra looked at him. He caught the rich amusement in her gaze.
“Yeah they aren't exactly docile. The titans though, that might work,” Perry nodded. “Mobile palisade for the camp... crap...”
“Yeah,” Ryans snorted. He gave the exasperated women a look, “oh, sorry, brainstorming.”
“We see that,” Deidra replied dryly snorting. She gave her mother an amused but sympathetic look. Her mother returned it after a moment.
“It's a problem I take it?” the Queen finally asked.
“It is a bottleneck until we can get engines out there and people trained to use them. Since we're not using hydrocarbons we've also got a power plant problem. Steam might work, it did in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries on Earth,” Ryans explained. The Queen looked confused. He sighed. “Trust me your majesty, we're still at the build the tools to build the tools to do what we need stage.”
She nodded finally. “Ah.”
“But we can do small things to try to help offset the problem until we can address it fully right?” Deidra asked, hand on his. She locked eyes with him.
“Sure,” he said nervously. He blushed as her fingers stroked the top of his hand. She looked amused, her eyes twinkled. “Whatever you want. We'll do what we can with what we've got.”
“That's what I want to hear,” she purred and then smiled.
Perry snorted. “We can also use the crews to plant new trees to replace the old. And do selective logging, not slash and burn or clear cutting, that's such a waste anyway.”
He gave Deidra and Ryans a look. They were both oblivious. “Earth to... ah hell, never mind.” He nodded to the amused monarch. “I'll see if I can dig up some reading glasses your majesty,” he said, wondering what she'd done with the last pair they'd lent her. She nodded politely. “Good evening,” he said walking out, slapping a glove on his thigh.
<==={}------------>
“So, what are we going to do with the military?” the Duke asked, leaning back in his chair. It was too fine a day to be stuck indoors in long winded discussions, Ryans thought. They had their own source of hot air right there in the room with them.
“Well, I noticed you've got a lot of roman roads,” Perry said smiling to the duchess. Duchess Pyror was a nice woman. Pleasantly plump and not shrewish.
“Yes, the lost legion,” the Duke said nodding.
“Lost legion?” Ryans asked shaking his head.
“A Roman legion that was transported. The vortex came and swallowed them up. The survivors did their best to set up here,” the Duke explained and then waved.
“And to keep them busy and to make trade and transport easier, the roads?” Ryans asked.
“One would assume,” the Duke said nodding.
“So we can do the same. Oh some of our people will go to train others, and some will go to the border regions, and of course we'll keep bases with a fast reaction force, but we can rotate them and keep them busy with engineering projects as well,” Perry said nodding.
“Ah. Keep them busy and honest?” the duchess asked shrewdly.
“Right, and productive. Keep them out and about helping people will also help their image and morale.”
“Good point,” Ryans turned to the Duke and his lady. They both nodded after a moment. He tried not to wince at the idea of dozens of soldiers in what the locals used as taverns. Too many were drinking their pay away already.
“We've got a couple of engineers with us. We can sick them on various projects. Like making a bridge across rivers, or dams, and such.”
“Good, good, I have several in my own duchy in need of repair or replacement,” the Duke said nodding.
His wife nodded. “The North Briar one is a death trap,” she said wrinkling her nose, she gave a delicate shudder. He smiled.
<==={}------------>
Zara smiled as she and the class watched Charlie at work. Charlie had shown them how they make fuel for the vehicles out of wood grain alcohol, lye, and vegetable oil, now she was showing them how they turned one of the side products, something called glycerin into many other useful things.
It was interesting Zara thought. She'd started joining the class by accident, having passed by the open door and hearing a lecture. Now she was fascinated. When the Dominus chamberlain had complained about her lack of commitments she'd sweetly told her in front of her mother that she wanted to educate herself on the new gaijin technology to be able to interpret it to her mother later. The Queen had acquiesced with an amused nod.
“So you see, as a side benefit we can use this for a host of other products. From filling air pressure valves to keep them from being damaged to soap or shampoo.” She hefted a green brick then handed it to Zara. Zara smiled, looking at it.
“This is one of my latest versions; it's got some perfume in it with a little pumice as an aggregate. It's still a little rough on the skin, but it's great for getting stains off skin,” Charlie explained. Zara sniffed and smiled then handed it on.
“My family has been making soap for generations. Are you going to put them out of work like the candle makers?” a boy asked sounding concerned.
“Why?” Charlie asked blinking. “Why would I? For that matter why would they go out of business? There will always be a need for soap, for candles, and for other things. They are still made on Earth too you know,” she smiled encouragingly.
“But the new lights will make the candles and lamps obsolete!” the boy said, giving her an accusing look. Zara frowned.
Charlie shook her head. “No, like I said, not everyone will use the lights. Candles do have their uses. And as for your parents,” she smiled. “Tell them to come to me. I'll show them how I make this soap and we can work together to make it. That way they can make it themselves.”
“You would do that?” the boy asked, startled.
“Of course. Soap is vital to hygiene. Keeping people clean is one of the ways to keep people healthy. If everyone can afford it, then everyone is better off right?” Charlie asked, smiling slightly and cocking her head at him. The lad was clean but he didn't quite smell good. The boy nodded, eyes wide.
“This soap is a lot easier to make than the old fashioned method. Trust me I know,” she wrinkled her nose. She could smell rendered fat on him. “I did that back when I was your age when we went to a farm. We made all sorts of things by hand. Rendering fat down was one my my least favorite jobs,” she said. She grimaced in memory. The boy did too.
“Your parents can purchase the glycerin from us, and get funding from the banks or a favorable lord or lady. Once they have start up capital and get mass production sorted out they'll have a lot of demand,” she smiled. Zara nodded.
She lingered as the class left to talk with Charlie. Charlie glanced at her as she tidied up. “Something I can help you with princess?”
“There has been a lot of
talk about the machines and your technology, how it will change things. Some for the better, some for the worse, I hadn't thought of people losing their livelihood until now.”
Charlie frowned. “In truth, they won’t. At least not over night but if they don't adapt, if they duck their heads and refuse to change then they will see their customers growing fewer and fewer... which will make things tighter and tighter for them. They'll either go up on their prices, or adapt then.”
“Ah,” Zara frowned troubled.
“We can offset that princess. With education, and with getting the technology into their hands and helping them to adapt.”
“So that's why we have the classes? And why you're so helpful?” Zara asked, surprised.
Charlie looked up in surprise and then chuckled softly. “Of course. Look princess, if we ever get regular passage back and forth my people will come over here to sell stuff if they can. People who will set up businesses, and will sell goods and services. But if your people aren't ready they'll quickly become dependent and will owe a lot of money to them.”
“Ah.”
“It's a problem,” Charlie frowned, looking up and shaking her head. “But one for down the road actually. I honestly don't think businesses will pull up roots and come here; the cost of the wormhole alone is astronomical. There are pioneers who will try it though.”
Zara nodded thoughtfully as she left.
<==={}------------>
Kincaid tossed himself into his rack with a slight bounce and sigh. “Damn this weather! Will the rain ever stop?” he grumbled. He felt a drip and looked up to the top bunk. Another drip hit him and he flicked it with a finger. He looked at it then sniffed.
“What the hell? Did you wet the bed Siegfried?” he said getting up. He took the two steps up the ladder and looked over the side and gasped.
“Saaarge!” he said turning. “MEDIC! Coreman! Something! SOMEONE HELP!”
<==={}------------>
Ryans sighed as he looked at the body. “What did this?” he asked turning to Perry then to the natives. The Gunny sniffed.
“Poison?” he asked, looking up from his crouch by the body. The young man was in rigor, his arms clutching out to ward off some unseen enemy. His face was twisted in terror, his mouth and eyes wide open.
