Duty

by P. S. Power

  In his hand, Albert heard a voice, which was that of a woman. Looking down, he noticed that she was passably pretty, with smooth tan skin and cornflower blue eyes. Her hair was black and curly, being long, but held back somehow. Her shirt was black, which was all he could see of her outfit. Her eyes and hair reminded him a bit of Serro, for some reason. So did her voice, once she spoke. It was enough that he had to ignore it, in order not to stammer at her instantly.

  “Hello! Harmony Magic Shop, what may I do for you this fine morning?” Her voice was chipper, instead of dire or accusing, which would have also worked, given the hour.

  He nearly couldn’t speak, his voice locking up instead of allowing for that. After a moment that was far too long, he swallowed and did it anyway. People needed actual help, after all. Even if she said no, he was going to need to know that, so he could move to the next thing.

  “Um… There’s a fire in County Ross, in Noram. I was asked to help them with food and some things, on the fighting line, by High Servant Commander Johan? He said that dropping his name might help, so… I manage that pretty well, right? We weren’t really given everything we need, magic wise. I mean, we have enough for bare bones, but we need more. Plates, silver, glasses, pots and pans. A few good food units, so I don’t have to try and cook food for everyone? You can just get Queen Tiera to part with some of those for us, right?” That was a joke, since the woman was the Ancient of the Moon and not the Queen any longer, even if everyone still called her that. It was an official title, but didn’t mean what it used to. Still, she was definitely not someone that could be ordered to do anything.

  She was also a wizard. The one who had invented the food devices and still made the best ones. She’d also created the jump ships. Not the transport boxes though. Some other incredibly powerful being had done that. At least Albert thought so.

  It had probably been mentioned in school, but if so, that knowledge was long gone from his brain. Toasted out in the pleasant glow of alcohol and disuse.

  The lady in his hand smiled at him, her head nodding.

  “Let me… I’ll make up a package. Can you come and get that from here? Give me ten minutes or so?”

  He blinked, since that was a lot less of a fight than he would have figured on having, trying to get things, even from a shop that gave them away for free. He didn’t know the answer, naturally. Dareg moved over toward him and nodded.

  “Hey, Trice! We have transport set up here. Albert here needs to hold his post though, in case of emergency. I’d do it, but believe it or not, I have to get off to a meeting about… Fifteen minutes ago. Can you send someone through with that, do you think? Ross Emergency One is the listing for it.” He looked hopeful, the moving woman who was busily doing something that was shaking the hand held enough that looking at it was disorienting.

  Her face, the part of it that showed, looked just a bit annoyed, suddenly.

  “I’m stuck here alone for an hour and a half… Let me… I’ll try to get someone to do it. Ten minutes. I’ll call if I can’t get anyone. High Servant Albert?” She stopped to look at the device in her hand, asking if that was his calling designation.

  He shook his head.

  “Erm, no. Albert Benoist. That’s just Albert in the Terry system. Just the one name.” He spelled that for her, not getting a chance to explain why he was there at all that day, not being an official or anything like that. She nodded efficiently and cut the communication.

  So, he put the small rectangle of stone, the front glowing in blue letters and symbols, into his right-hand side pocket.

  Dareg stood back, then twitched a bit.

  “I really do have a meeting I need to get to. If you need anything, you can get in touch with me. Try to give me a few hours, if you can? I’ll check in with you when the meeting is over.”

  Albert didn’t know why, but the idea that the younger man would see to him that way left him feeling better. As if at least someone with connections and intelligence was going to be on the job. It was a huge relief, frankly.

  “Thanks. I’ll try to hold things here for a while. I have no clue what I’m doing. You know… I’m just the man that sweeps and cleans up puke at a dance club, not anyone important.”

  The giant man looked at him, his head tilting to the side.

  “That might have been true, a few hours ago. It might be again, tomorrow. Right now, you’re the one with the magic, who’s taken the duty of helping others. That’s pretty decent, as far as being important goes.” The man nodded then. “I literally have to run. Call if you need me!”

  Then he did run, which was impressive to see. The speed of it was the kind of thing that showed something unusual was taking place. Some magic or ability that ordinary people wouldn’t have access to at all. The man actually turned into a streak of light, that was gone into the ship in an instant or two.

  Albert was jaded enough, being from Second City, that he just nodded and turned back to look at what was going on, behind him. The taller giant was still at the food device, making apples as Albert jogged back over.

  “Good job. I can take over here for a while. Do you need to rest or have some water?” That reminded him to make the drinking fountain he’d promised, which he did without waiting. It was just a catch basin that looked to be made of natural stone, that he coaxed the house to make for them, right next to the eating area. Then he asked it to make a drain in the bottom and a spring of water that rose under pressure about eight inches. People would need to bend over to use it, but his friendly giant friend managed it in the moment, if with some kneeling down.

  He was nearly ten feet tall though, so that was about right if anyone else was going to use the thing. Most of the people fighting the fire were no more than six feet tall, after all. When the man had his fill of clean water, he stood straight, a bit of dampness having slopped down the front of his shirt.

  “I need to get back out there. Thank you, Albert. Oh! I’m Gary Ross. Countier Five, Ross. In case you need to get in touch with me, later. How do I do that with you?”

  “Albert. Just that name in the Terry system.” The man yawned then, his eyes looking ready to close on their own. That got him to think for a moment. “Right. You all need something to keep you awake. I can’t make coffee with this device. I asked for a better one to be brought in, but that might not happen. I can get some drugs though. Strong things that are horrible for you, but will really do the job. It could be a bit before I can get anything going that way.” He felt bad then. As if he were failing the people there that had to be about ready to fall over.

  Countier Ross, smiled at him.

  “Get even part of that going and we’ll be making up songs in your honor, sir.” There was a small bow then. The kind used between equals.

  He did it back. Not doing it would be rude on a level that would probably force the man to fight him, unless there was a very good reason for it. That might be less important in the moment, given the fire. It was up to the other person though, not him. Being polite was the best policy. It almost always was.

  “Call me Albert. That or Al.” He was about to add that he wasn’t anyone important, after all when the other man smiled at him.

  “Gary, then. I need to get out there. Even if I’d rather have some food and a nap. I can send people back here to eat, if they get a chance? This is the worst fire I’ve seen in nearly twenty years. Maybe I can task someone with taking food out to the lines? I’ll try to think of something.” Then, slowly, lacking in energy, the man walked away.

  Albert, being who he was, drank some of the water, then stood there for a bit, not certain at all what he needed to be doing. Clearly, he realized, he needed to see to his own habits first and call after some drugs. What he really wanted was to drink his fill of a fine wine, but accella would make more sense at the moment. It wouldn’t leave him feeling that much better, being around people, which wine would.

  Still, he didn’t have to search hard to find the right name on his personal hand h
eld, since all he needed was to find Jeffery’s name, which was the one he called most often, putting it at the top of his personal friends list.

  After several minutes Jeff answered, clearly in bed, with a person in the thing next to him. Like Albert, his roommate enjoyed women, and worked in a place where it was possible to meet that sort of person. Even if his looks were only a little better than average under the makeup he still had on. A disguise amulet, so it didn’t rub off while doing intimate things. The blue and white stripes were still there, from earlier.

  “Al? What’s up?”

  He smiled at the other man and shook his head, since he doubted that the fellow would want to part with his new bed friend just to help out.

  “I need accella. Enough for at least three hundred people. Possibly more than that. The people on the fire line here have been up for over a day. Working the whole time.” He waited for the man to accuse him of just wanting it for himself. Instead he sat up.

  Then added some ideas.

  “Accella for energy… A promean complex too? For stamina and oxygen uptake… There’s a lot of smoke, right? That has to be cutting useable air down.”

  Given it was visible in the background, Albert just nodded, instead of complementing the other man.

  “We have a transport hut here. Ross Emergency One is the destination code for it. Can you get that to us? I can’t leave. Something about manning a post here? It sounded important at the time.”

  That sounded like a bit of a joke, but the woman in the bed sat up. She wasn’t anyone that Albert knew or even recognized from the night before at the club. Her face was nice, without seeming glamourous or special in particular.

  “That sounds important. I should go…”

  Albert shrugged, not wanting to block these others from their fun.

  “Or help carry things? Whatever works for you. Thanks. Both of you.”

  Jeff nodded.

  “I’ll need to make all that up. Some other things as well. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Ross Emergency One?”

  “Right. That’s the name. Thanks.”

  The device went blank, suddenly, then blinked again, as the glowing sky-blue letters, numbers and sigils came back into being. The stone device found its home back in his pocket, with Al making more food, doing his best to select things to place on the table that might be somewhat portable. It was fine, of course, if a little boring to look at.

  He didn't even have what he needed to make sandwiches or food wraps of some sort. Even with a better unit, that would be what he made, of course. His normal diet was fairly limited, as far as portable foods went.

  After a while, there was a loud voice, behind him. From the transport pod. The red box obscured whoever was there from view. They were loud though and there for him. Everyone in the world would have worked that part out.

  “Albert! Albert Benoist! Albert!”

  “Here! By the food unit!” He had to raise his voice in answer, even if the other man wasn’t too far away, physically. When he came around the corner of the device, the fellow actually ran the thirty feet over to him, a floating black case following directly behind him.

  “Delivery from the magic shop on Harmony. Trice asked me to show you what was in here. I’m Havar, by the way. Ruel Havar. She was screaming for help in the hallway, so managed to get my attention.” He smiled at that part, as if it were a grand joke.

  It really was kind of humorous, Al had to allow. Even if it was similar to how he found himself there that day.

  “Thank you, Ruel Havar. What was available? The lady at the shop had to act in the moment. Trice is her name?” He didn’t have high hopes, since he’d sort of dumped the order on the poor woman, instead of letting her know the specifics.

  The large, muscular, man looked at him, then nodded.

  “Right. Patricia. Trice is a nickname. Let’s see what made it into the box here…”

  That, it turned out, was everything he’d asked for and a lot of things that he wouldn’t have even considered. He put the plates, silver, glasses and platters out on one of the tables instantly, then stood back as the other man went over the other devices, not all of them being set up, since they weren’t needed at the moment.

  “The emergency shelters are fire proof and will keep you in clean air. These are portable restrooms, so they can have them on the fighting line. They don’t take water to work… Oh, and here are eight Tiera food units.”

  Albert blinked as the devices were handed over to him. As if they weren’t incredibly rare and hard to come by.

  “She had some of these at her store?” That the woman there would be willing to lend him even one was kind of incredible.

  The man, who looked hard and like he might just be ready to go and punch the fire into submission all on his own, shook his head. His short hair didn't move in the slightest.

  “No. Tiera sent these along. She was right behind me in the hall. More to the point, she sent them to you, directly, to do with as you see fit. Guard them, or you’ll probably not be left with even one by the time this emergency is over. They’re the latest model, too.”

  Albert blushed then, his face feeling as if it might be on fire.

  “How did she even know that it would be useful? That she’d bother…”

  There was a huge lifting of the shoulders from the man. Havar.

  “She’s the Ancient of the Moon, it’s an emergency and you mentioned to Trice that they might be useful. So, you get them, to aid others with.”

  There was more in the box, but the giant fellow didn’t leave when he was done talking, even as Albert started making better food. The Tiera unit was smaller than the other one, and harder to load with dirt, if only a little, due to that factor. When he touched it though, coming up with foods that were portable and hopefully would taste good, they came out looking and smelling perfect. Not like what he was used to at all. Much better, as far as quality went. Those were wrapped sandwiches and flat bread with filling, in paper. They came out that way, with sauces already on them.

  He didn't feel hungry himself, but managed to wave at one of the things.

  “Try that? It needs to be at least good enough for people that have lost their appetites to choke down. Just doing this small bit in the smoke and heat I don’t want to have any, myself. I can’t imagine how the people out there are feeling.”

  Some of them were visible, along the line where the fire was being handled. Most of them worked with shovels, instead of magic. They had some of that, but clearly, not enough for what they were facing. He grimaced, since asking for even more was out of place. Harmony had already come up with tens of millions of golds worth of magics to help the people there.

  Plus, his job wasn’t actually to fight the fire. He was supposed to prop up the fighters there. Feeling like he was going to choke on his own shame, he watched as Havar unwrapped the white carry paper, and took a bite of what had to be a strange mixture of meat and vegetables. After a moment, he nodded.

  “This is good. Not that these new units will make bad food. They can’t. If you were drunk or a small child and couldn’t focus enough to get what you wanted it would still make something for you that was an ideal version of what you wanted. That way little kids can have good cake with all the heavy frosting and decorations instead of just a pile of sweetened goo. Even I can make them work, which is saying something!”

  Albert nodded, smiling.

  “I’m in the same boat that way. I need to make some kind of carry box and then take food and drink around. I… I have drugs coming first. For the people on the line? Things to prop them up.”

  The other man nodded at him then, as if that only made sense.

  “Good plan then, if they work. Take the Tiera units with you when you go, or they’ll walk away. Even out here, in an emergency. Anyway, delivery made, so I need to get back home. I have work. I teach at the Ward Academy. Fighting. Baron Ruel Havar, if you need me.”

  “Albert Benoist. Albert, to get in touch.
” He bowed to the man, going about halfway down, which was polite, without really being subservient in particular. The man nearly matched him, which was nice, considering one of them was a Baron and the other cleaned up the leavings of too much drinking and drugs for a living.

  That, a bow, was enough for the man to feel good about leaving, it seemed.

  Al kept working, making portable foods and stacking more on the table. Then he had to work out how to make drinks that could be taken around to people. The Tiera food device gave him metal cans with liquids in them, which came with clever instructions on the side, in Noram Standard, so that people would know how to use them. He tried one himself, and found it to be some kind of sweet juice. There was no alcohol in it, so he didn’t bother to finish it all, just making more and then, after thinking for a few moments, took the small one-foot square floating chest and made it into a five-foot rectangle with an open top. The drinks were along the left side, with sandwiches and flat bread wraps along the right. There was a bit of room that he filled with oranges, since they were a moist fruit.

  People would need water inside of them, he figured.

  The amulets were still in the box, in a covered portion, with a lid that would lift open. That was above the drinks inside. He left more room at the top, since he would, eventually, have some drugs that could be passed out at the same time. Lovely, lovely substances that did work and made you forget.

  Though the ones coming in wouldn’t be that kind. They were just going to give people energy, or leave them feeling like they had it. That was different, but Jeff was a bartender at The Eternal. That meant he had an understanding of such things that was close to being on the same level as a pharmacist from Austra or an Afrak Chemist.

  When the man came through the red box, holding a large bag that bulged a bit at the side, while not seeming all that heavy, he waved. There was no girl with him, though he didn't seem that upset about having lost her. At least she wasn’t mentioned first when he spoke.