Duty

by P. S. Power

  That part hurt, though not enough to stop him or force him to heal. The people, some of them guards or fighters, were just consumed with the need to fight. Even if he was only trying to help them do it better. Thankfully, people only struck him. He was, more or less, used to that kind of thing. At least the part where people tried to do things like that to him. Normally nothing landed, since he wore his shield all the time. It was the law, back home. The air could go out at any time, so you made sure you could breathe.

  Even drunks and floor sweepers did it. Even the suicidal ones.

  So assault wasn’t really that common for him. The issue of the moment was that these people thrashed at him, but didn't mean him harm. Some of them were so tired that he couldn’t see them as a real threat, even after half a dozen or more managing to score decent blows against him. He could heal, later.

  Beating him didn’t get them out of taking their medicine or drinking the water, while Farlo showed them how to fight fires with her magical tools. Those were a hundred times faster than shovels were. They seemed easier to use as well, since you just turned them on and pointed at the blaze. You had to wait for the fire to go out, but they hit a zone about ten feet across each time, and cooled the earth so that things didn't rekindle easily. It happened, but it did with the shovels as well, so people were ready for it.

  It was dark out, with lights being produced by every seventh or eighth person. Albert didn’t have anything like that, though Ancient Ross did, the woman simply handing him a tiny amulet that looked like a coin on a thread. It shone like the sun, making it hard to look at, while lighting up the world for everyone who was near them.

  Leaving most of them blind after he walked away, and taking what night vision he had as well. Still, no one hit him, so glowing like that must have left him seeming more important or at least official enough not to mistake for an enemy in the heat of battle.

  He didn’t rest, until the fire was subdued, the next day. By that time he was nearly ready to fall over, even with extra accella in his system. Even Farlo took some when it was handed to her, which got everyone else in the area to do the same thing. He was sore, tired and burned in more than one place when they finally got back to the camp that he’d set up. A thing which was in use already. People, men and women, were in the beds he’d put in, with four extra floors having been added, since most people there couldn’t force themselves to go all the way home to sleep. Some did, which was, apparently, fine.

  A few even picked at food. Albert didn’t, even though it had been a few days for him. Gary did though, having several wraps in front of him, that had been outside on the table all night. They were fine though, most likely. Next to him, looking cleaner than before, was the other very tall man.

  The Count, no doubt.

  Gary was clean as well, which got Farlo to laugh a bit. Then to nudge Albert’s arm.

  “Right. We get to be clean again. Someone set up a shower out here. We’ll be back in a bit.” She waved at the two men, who both ate. The older one nodded, not saying anything.

  Albert looked at the spigot set up, out in the open as it was. The woman, tall and curvy enough to be interesting, tapped at her chest, making her clothing vanish. She had burns in a few places, he noticed. She also had a healing amulet, so had probably worked out the same thing he had. She glanced where he was looking, then did it back in return when he, feeling uneasy about things, did the same. Her examination was a bit closer than his own.

  Nodding, she moved under the water, producing soap, using an amulet around her neck. It just made a bar of the stuff, out of magic. He didn’t have anything like that, but wasn’t too surprised when she passed her’s over to him. The soap, not the amulet. Like the plates and cups, it would stay in existence until the device was turned off or it got about a hundred feet from the small stone the magic was on.

  He scrubbed then, gingerly in a few places, not wanting to pass out just at that time. That meant the burns had to stay, until it was time for him to leave. First, before he did that, he needed to get in touch with some people. He’d forgotten to talk to Dareg again. Someone had tried to call for him, several times over the evening, but never when he had the luxury of answering.

  There was a feature on the handhelds that would take a message for you, if you set it up beforehand. He’d never bothered to do that, himself. It wasn’t as if people tried to call him when he was busy, most of the time. Those that did, well, he probably didn’t want to talk to them, anyway.

  A few people were owed a return connection though, now that he had time.

  Farlo reached over and placed her hand on his arm, shocking him into opening his eyes.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. You just stopped moving for a few minutes. Not that I don’t get it. The only thing keeping me in motion are those drugs you gave me. Good idea, by the way. We would have had people dying out there without them. Then, we would have finished all this days ago if someone had merely bothered to talk to me first. I love my father, but… well, that doesn’t mean I like him all the time.”

  He nodded, not really feeling all that exhausted, himself.

  “I understand. It’s the same with my parents. Of course, with them it’s because I moved to the Moon and haven’t settled down at all. Which… You know, suicidal drunks don’t make great parents, and that’s kind of the most important thing to them. My producing grandchildren.” He nearly played the admission off as a joke, then didn't bother. He wasn’t going to fall down, but he was too tired to lie about it any longer.

  The Ancient next to him simply nodded.

  “Well, in part it’s the same for me. Not the suicidal part, or the alcoholic. My parents aren’t pleased that I ran off and became immortal, taking over my own land as its Ancient instead of having several adorable grandchildren for them to dote on.” The water turned off then, from her spigot. As she stepped back the woman did something, which caused her to suddenly be dry, water simply pouring off of her.

  She waited for him to stand under a cool air vent, instead of sharing her trick with him. When he was dressed again, in his standard brown outfit, Farlo waved at the table where her father and brother still sat, eating grimly.

  “Let’s go and finish this then? We have plans to make, no doubt. Things always happen right after major events like this. Almost like magic.”

  She smiled then, as if she were being playful.

  Albert just wanted a drink. To celebrate his foray into being useful for a short period of time.

  Chapter three

  Covered with burns or not, uncomfortable or not, it seemed that Albert was going to be punished for his good deeds. At least that was how he was taking having to sit with three giants at an outdoor table, instead of finding a place to sleep, or better, something to drink that wasn’t just sweetened sugar water. Not that the emergency was really over yet.

  There were hundreds of people inside the magical house that he was responsible for. Even if it was tempting to just leave, he was responsible for all the magics that were being used, too. Losing them wouldn’t be a great plan. Really, as far as that went, he was more worried about the things he’d gotten from the High Servant Depot than Harmony. The owner, or at least clerk, there, Trice, didn’t seem all that concerned with him bringing anything back to her. Martha the High Servant had been. Which made sense, given the different locations they were dealing with. Harmony didn’t sell magic. You were supposed to return labor in exchange for what you used. It didn’t really work out, since magic was so powerful. Second City had the same rule and everyone accepted him cleaning up puke as being more than an equal exchange. Even if it didn’t actually add anything of value to the world.

  Still, if he got the magic back and could return it, then he wouldn’t have to move to Harmony for twenty years to pay off the debt he owed them.

  The High Servants just didn’t have as much that way, so it was huge for them to trust him, an unknown drunkard, with that much wealth. That had to be returned and proba
bly the next day, if not sooner. As soon as he could get into their office with all the gear. So far it looked like it was all there, at least.

  Sighing, he stood up and dug out the food device that Queen Tiera had given Baron Havar for them to use for the duration of the emergency. The woman had lent him eight of the things, expecting some of them to simply be stolen. He wasn’t letting that happen, he decided, which meant that he had to stay with the thing, constantly. When it was up, he made some more sandwiches, though only twenty of them, and produced cans of water, more sweet drinks and just to see if it would work, several bottles of wine. That would have to be tested, of course.

  Which he couldn’t do himself. Not if he wasn’t going to wake up with all the magic gone and him enslaved to Harmony for the rest of his life. The idea left him feeling more than a little sour. Still, he was going to be awake for a while, unless he used the healing amulet. To that end he went to his floating pallet box and freed up another set of pills. He even had more of the vitamins, just because they were there and in a shape that left him feeling comforted.

  Gary, who got up to take one of the fresh sandwiches for himself and another for his sister and father each, stared at him as he did it.

  “Pain medication? You have a healing amulet… Or was it lost?” There was a delicate tone to the words, as if he feared theft of such a thing from his own people. Or from the look, possibly his father. No such glance went to Farlo, interestingly enough.

  Smiling, after taking the pills dry, Albert shook his head.

  “Nothing like that. The healing amulet makes the accella wear off. The other things as well. Not that I shouldn’t have healed up just then. Stupid of me… Well, anyway, I have to stay awake to run the food device here.” He didn't go into how having it stolen would be a huge problem for him. That should have been obvious.

  Conserina Ross, the Ancient of Afrak, smiled at him, a bit tiredly.

  “Good, you can sit with us as we make the calls then. It’s a pain, but we have people to thank for their efforts in aiding our people.”

  The bigger giant, the older one, made a soft huffing sound. It was just as exhausted sounding as the woman had going on. Then he ate part of his sandwich, holding it by the white carry paper, to keep his grubby hands off of it. Even after showering, those had dirt and black soot on them. All of them had that going on.

  When he spoke, after swallowing a bite, the man sounded considering, rather than upset at having to do more work.

  “I still recall when saying thank you meant going to far off places in your own person. Now we just tap a few sigils and bow into our hands a few times. This is a lot easier. You kids just don’t know how good you have it. Of course, you generally got at least a year to give your thanks, back then. Now people expect faster service that way. I know I always do, at least.” There was no hint of laughter or even a grim smile in the words. He just meant what he was saying.

  Farlo went first, waving at the men to get going on that, even if all of them were eating. Rolling his eyes a bit, if covertly, Albert got his own handheld out and tapped sigils until he had the right name brought up. Then he waited, or got ready too.

  The screen popped to life instantly again, the good-looking tall man, his dark hair tidy and face far too chipper given the day the rest of them were having, smiled up at him.

  “Albert! I tried to get in touch with you earlier. A few times. Are you all right? I can be there in a few minutes. At least to the transport box we set up, if that isn’t inside the fire again?”

  The Count winced at the words, as if they were a rebuke, instead of Canton just suggesting that he’d have to fly in again, if that were the case. They didn't control the fire, after all. That very fact was why it was an emergency, after all.

  “Hey, Dare. We’re good here, now. Almost everyone is sleeping off their exhaustion. This is just the part where we call around and thank the people that helped us.” He bowed then, to his own palm, feeling a bit dizzy while doing it. That happened when you were up for too long on the right drugs.

  There was a bob back, with a smile.

  “It wasn’t a big issue. I shouldn’t have run off to a meeting like that, really. It was an emergency… That’s life though, isn’t it? Everything is an emergency and we can’t tell how bad they are until we get into place. So, what’s next? Do you need my help with anything?”

  He actually thought for a moment, then was able to shrug and shake his head no.

  “Not at the moment, unless you want to test some wine for me? I made it before realizing that I can’t get drunk yet. I’ve got to stay up and watch things here, until everyone is up and around again. I do need to know what your people want done with the transport magic. I can bring that back to you?” That sounded better than stating that he didn’t trust them all. Then, he didn’t know them, so it was really fair. Just not the kind of thing you said to people about their friends and family.

  The other man just nodded.

  “Understood. Keep in touch, every few days or so? Keep the box with you, in case you have another emergency. You know how to change the name on it. Oh! You should get in touch with Johan, if you have the energy left for that? He’s called me two times, since he couldn’t get in contact with you either. He was impressed that you did anything at all, by the way. Calling up some random stranger and asking for help doesn’t normally work, for some reason.”

  Albert tilted his head then, smiling a little. Feeling comfortable with the man, if not the others there with him.

  “I tried it twice in the last day and it worked both times! I should call up the Wizard Tor and ask him for some gold or special magics, just to see if it will work.” He grinned then, actually meaning it. Then he let himself sober. “Not that the debt there doesn’t already go the other way around. I just don’t have anything he might need, I’m certain.”

  There was a negligent wave from Dare then.

  “Meh. Helping people like this is enough for him. You live on the Moon, so don’t need anything like gold, anyway. I’ll mention it to him when we speak next, so that he knows Albert was thinking of him.”

  The words were so serious sounding that Al couldn’t help but laugh. It was nearly perfect delivery that way.

  “I can invite him to the club some time? You and your people too, of course, Dare. You’ll have to come some night when I’m not working, so that I can stand there and awkwardly stammer at whatever lovely lady you bring with you. On the good side, I can actually dance. I know all the modern styles, working there as I do. We have classes on that, on occasion, which I tend to go to, being that’s where I keep most of my drugs.” The banter wasn’t witty, though it was pretty close to true.

  The best drugs really were there. Jeffery didn't keep much that way at home. Probably to prevent an overdose on his part, Albert knew. They hadn’t spoken about how he felt, but it had to be clear to the man that he wasn’t doing all that well, in certain ways.

  From his palm, Dareg bowed again, slightly. He got one in return, since Albert was in Noram and old habits died slowly, if at all.

  “That sounds good. I can bring a few people with me? The wife and kids? My girlfriend as well.”

  Albert tilted his head then, nodding as he did it, which was uncomfortable.

  “I don’t know that I’d bring little ones to a place like that. No one will hurt them, but…” It was hard to describe, but his life wasn’t one that good children should be subjected to.

  Farlo, listening in shamelessly, covered a laugh.

  “They’re old enough. Don’t worry over that, Albert. Oh, hi Dareg! Al called me in to use my superior fire fighting magics. A thing that should have been done earlier.” The glare there, which wasn’t that hard, went toward her father.

  Recalling what Comp had told him, that he might be needed to run interference between the two, he stood and bowed toward her, going low. The handheld flopping around enough to be disorienting for poor Dare.

  “My fault, Ancient. Forgive m
e?” It wasn’t his responsibility at all or hadn’t been at that time, not knowing to do it. Now he did. “If it happens again, I’ll get in touch with you first thing. I promise. For any fire. Anywhere. You’re good with that, right?” It was probably out of reasonable polite range, saying things that way to someone as important as the woman in front of him.

  She let her eyebrows go up, but nodded and seemed serious.

  “I’ll have a kit next to the door, ready to go at all times, just in case. It’s why I did all that work in the first place, coming up with everything for it.” She still glared, though this time Gary got to share in it, for some reason.

  Albert cleared his throat, not having been released, meaning he was still bent in half, in his apology. To do that right he needed to at least tear up and possible crawl on the ground for a while, naming all of his personal faults that might relate to having neglected his duty to her. A thing which didn't exist at all. Not outside the duty of care that existed for all people, at any rate.

  On the good side, he had all the emotional and mental issues needed to seem genuine, if it was required of him.

  Instead she waved him up, getting what he was doing, most likely. At least she smiled at him then, as if they were in on things together.

  “Anyway, Dareg, I’ll be back on with you in a few minutes, I think. Father and my brother will need to get in touch with you. We should let Albert chat with Johan first though, so he won’t worry.”

  There wasn’t much of a pause then, the man just seeming to agree without moving much at all that Al could see.

  “Talk to you in a few then. I meant what I said Albert. If you don’t call often enough, I’ll be in touch with you. Talk later?”

  That sounded like a plan, if a slightly strange one.