Duty

by P. S. Power

  “See, the very first thing anyone does is tell me that I stink.” He sniffed then, under an arm, which wasn’t ripe, thankfully. A bit musky though. “Which is correct. I’ll slip off and clean up, if that isn’t too rude? Then be right back. We should get people out here to take things away and then make up… Pretty much everything that you’ll allow us to, Ancient Tiera.” He tilted his head then. “Ancient Baker? I’m not up on what to call you, really. Any of you. Is it Princess Karina? Ancient Karina? Ancient of Mars? Sweetums?” He was being honest and probably too forthright.

  The cute red head, who was in a nice dress that day, that sparkled green in the night, smiled at him.

  “Kari? At least if I change into a different outfit. We all should, if people are coming out. We’re too tall, otherwise, as a group. We can pass ourselves off as volunteers or hired workers, if we look plain enough, I think.” That was correct, of course.

  That Albert wasn’t hurting his neck from looking up was a wonder. Tamu was the shortest of them and she was the same size that he was. Almost exactly. The rest were bigger, with Dareg towering at least a head higher than any of the rest.

  As he turned to get cleaned up in his little place, everyone shifted into brown clothing, to match what he had on. That was a relief, since it meant he wasn’t going to have to think about what to put on, in a few minutes. A thorough but rapid shower, hard brushing with the mint flavored paste and a clothing change later he was back outside, with damp hair.

  Havar and Tiera were running the Maker, with Dareg directing dirt into the hopper almost constantly, so they had working material. That left himself, along with Kari and Tamu to start setting things on the tables, into boxes that had been made of wood for the purpose.

  They managed about half an hour of work before people came outside to see what was going on. At first people just stood there, looking at the device making things. No one tried to grab the provisions. No one even asked if the things were for them, or for sale. After most of the town was standing there, Albert waved to Enid.

  “Everyone, this is Enid Weaver. Enid, we have Ruel Havar and Tiera Baker on the magical device there. A Maker. It’s dangerous to have here, since even one of these could destroy the economy, if misused. If anyone tried to do that, we’re all expected to fight to the death to protect it. It’s part of the deal allowing it to be used for us, so keep that in mind if you see anyone suspicious.”

  He stopped since Tamu nudged him, her warm shoulder against his.

  “Tiera Havar, now. They got married about two years ago.”

  He pretended to care, opening his eyes a bit at the news.

  “Congratulations! So Ruel and Tiera Havar. Kari and Dareg Canton, and this woman is Tamu Baker.” He mock glared at the woman, who smiled at the use of the name. He wasn’t certain it was the correct one at all. “Wait… you aren’t married yet, are you?”

  She leaned into him a bit, as if he were suggesting they fix that, if she wasn’t.

  “Why, no, I’m not…”

  He chuckled then, since it had been a long time since a woman had done the flirty teasing thing with him. At least a year.

  “We can find someone for that, I bet! Not me, since I’m almost certain that I’m engaged to Comp already. At least I was talking to her mother about getting her a body in the next month or so. Dating, at any rate? Once you start talking about a girl’s body to her mother, you pretty much have to expect things to go a certain way. So, Taman will be by any time now for my beating, I’m sure.” Albert figured that most of the people there wouldn’t get that one.

  Enid didn’t seem to, looking hesitant at the banter. Almost as if she felt lost or small, amongst the giants that stood there. It was how he felt, even as his mouth ran on its own. He was used to working with people. Apparently, that made a difference as to how he acted, even without relaxation juice to lubricate things.

  There was a happy clapping from Tamu.

  “How fun! I’ve been telling Comp for a long time that it’s worth it. Having a body and the ability to move things like this. I mean, here I am able to help and everything, due to that. Still, you two aren’t married yet. That means I just send the go between, right?” She pretended to be innocent as she said the words.

  A thing that he couldn’t exactly see any reason against it for her part. For him, there were many. He didn't list them off though, since she was playing about the idea, in the moment.

  “That is how it’s done. Anyway, Enid, we need a list of what’s going to be needed, while we have Tiera here. She came all the way from Harmony on the Moon just for us, which is pretty special. Her husband came as well.” He didn't mention Karina or Dareg, since they weren’t the ones with the magic that they desperately needed.

  The rest of the night was taken up with manufacturing things. He got to take a turn for a while running the device, which wasn’t hard to do, once he practiced a bit. A little, when he had to work from description on what was wanted. Sandy’s father wanted to replace her rag doll, for instance, which had to look a very specific way. The girl was asleep by that time, so she wasn’t there to tell him if he got close enough or not. It took seven tries to get it right. In the end he was almost certain that the little girl wouldn’t be fooled at all.

  Which wasn’t the point. Sandy knew the doll was gone. This was just a replacement. The other kids there got toys, with the few older boys and girls getting tools of various types, to help with the jobs they were apprenticed to. That meant, after people went to sleep, that Albert took more accella and kept working, planning to do that until Tiera told him she was taking her device away.

  Most of what he made were tools. He knew what was needed for wagons, so had those out first, and was roughly comfortable with what would be useful for a black smith. Coopers needed special knives though and he knew that. What he didn't have was a clue as to what the things were supposed to be like. Still, he tried until daylight came, with Karina Cordes, the Ancient of Mars, both keeping the hopper full of dirt and taking over when his ideas of what might be needed ran out. The others worked the entire time, as well, setting things to the side in boxes.

  It wasn’t going to be enough. Hopefully it was a start.

  At the end he bowed to Tiera, then the others in turn.

  “Thank you. All of you. Now… I think that I have to get into work. My actual job, I mean. Which… People will need breakfast here and I can’t leave things unattended.” He worried for a moment, but Dareg just waved at him.

  “Eight hours? I’ll hold here and do that. You’ll be back after that? It looks like it will be a few more days before the place is rebuilt, from what’s been done so far.”

  He nodded, looking up at the man. The Prince. His friend, clearly.

  “I will. Kari, you can be here in the morning tomorrow, so I can go to work again? That doesn’t leave a lot of time for sleep, but I’ll live. I’ve gone without before.” For days on end. Normally just because of the drugs he was on. It had been a while though, he had to admit. There was generally no reason not to sleep, whenever he got tired. Until that moment.

  Interestingly, even though he was being a jester, or attempting it, the red-haired woman laughed, then bowed.

  “Tomorrow morning, at this time. Got it. I’ll be here, to relieve you. Unless another emergency comes up. In which case, we’ll deal, like always.”

  That got nods from almost everyone there, with the others following him to the transport box. Not Dare, who actually started to make food for the people there. Hopefully he wasn’t doing the wrong thing, letting the man work like that. It felt wrong on a certain level. As if it were his job to do, that he was getting out of. By going to do his regular work.

  Which was ridiculous.

  For the first time in his adult life, he was busy though. He had things to see to. Too much for a moment, even. It was heartening, he had to admit. After years of feeling a little bit like he should just die and get it over with, so that he wouldn’t be a burden on everyone e
lse in the world, Albert was nearly useful. For the moment.

  He was also nearly late, having to hurry from the spaceport, where the transportation hub was in Second City, across several miles to the club. People were up and awake at that time of day, as well, so it was harder to navigate. As it was, he managed to get inside five minutes early, a bit out of breath, having dashed the last twenty feet on foot or so, instead of using his Tor-shoes.

  Both Jeffery and Serro were on that night, the woman seeing him first, as he got inside.

  “Albert! I wasn’t expecting you to make it. Not that I have anyone on to replace you, so, good. Did the thing go well? The emergency in, um, Rose?”

  “County Ross. They lost a small town there, so I’ve been helping as I can with the relief effort. The Noram military is rebuilding the place, so I’ve been helping them make food and get some things in from other places. A friend of mine took over for me, so I can be here for my shift.” He sounded a bit hyper, he knew.

  Jeffery walked from behind the bar, smiling.

  “So, the things I brought in helped a bit?” He got that his roommate was on accella, naturally. It was his job to be able to tell that sort of thing.

  The report on that one was good though, at least.

  “It probably saved a lot of lives, to be honest. Just keeping people going for a bit longer did it. Oh, I have the healing amulet you lent me, Serro. I need to get one of my own before I go back. A lot of people were burned, in Smiton. This fixed that, so great call on your part.”

  Digging into his pocket he got the tile with Tor Baker’s shadow on it in glowing green, and handed it to the woman. Who hugged him. It wasn’t a close thing, really. Just what a friend might do. It was still nice enough.

  She smiled as she took it.

  “You didn’t drink anything?” She could see he wasn’t drunk at the moment, given where she worked. A healing amulet would have covered for him that way, of course. That and a shower.

  “Not a drop in three days. Even if I do want some. Lots of accella though, so, you know, it’s not like I’m being boring or anything. There was just so much to do. There still is and will be for a few days, at least. Remind me to get that healing amulet, before I go back?” Otherwise he was going to forget, he didn’t doubt. Then he’d end up on fire and have to suffer until someone bailed him out.

  A thing that wasn’t going to work if he was the one that was supposed to be doing the bailing on that kind of thing. That anyone in the world, in any world, would be counting on him, Albert the drunkard, to rescue them was foolish on their part. Not that he wouldn’t try. Now at least.

  His roomie slapped him on the arm, the manager of the place hugging him again, gently. Then they had to get to work, since soon enough people would be coming. He had to work fast to get a full sweep and mop done, with time for the dance floor to dry before the first people came in for the evening. The garish costumes seemed nice, actually.

  For once he even bothered to change, making his clothing a festive green silk, that glittered a bit, even if the cut was pretty similar to loose trousers and a simple tunic style top. The shoes matched as well, but were just the boots that the amulet made all the time if you simply turned the thing on.

  They had a live band in that night, so he made a point of getting them drinks. Nothing that would interfere with their playing, except for the drummer, who asked for a beer between sets. They didn't get paid, and it was only one beer, so it would probably be all right.

  They were decent, if not truly good. At least not in any style that he liked. He sort of enjoyed Austran things, where these men all seemed to be from Noram. There was a lot more use of string instruments and the vocals tended toward simple, rather than complex harmonies with back-up singers.

  Still, it was nice and he only had to clean up puke four times, which was far from a record. At the end of the night he needed to leave a bit early, which everyone seemed fine with.

  “My friend, Dare, he said he’d watch things for eight hours. I have many borrowed magics on site there that I’ll be in vast trouble if anything goes wrong with, so I need to hurry back.”

  Serro nodded at that.

  “Oh, go and get another healing amulet? You asked me to remind you of that.”

  Which he’d truly forgotten about already.

  “Thanks! I’ll be back tonight. I should run…” It was abrupt of him, but he meant it. The woman just slapped him on the arm. Not hard enough to turn his shield on. “Go. The magic shop in the fifth hall should be opening about now. They always open first thing.”

  That was useful, since the only one he knew about, on the main level, wouldn’t be open until close to eight in the morning. It was about four. Thankfully the place wasn’t too hard to find, since he really was in a hurry. When he went in the man there waved at him, then yawned. He was tall enough to be a noble in Noram. His hair was light brown, and his face reminded Al of Dareg, just a bit. It was too smooth and felt almost as if it were designed.

  “Good morning. Sorry there, about the yawning at you like that. What can I help you with today?”

  Albert looked around the store, which wasn’t one, really. Not in any sense that a man or woman of Noram or Austra might understand. It was filled with colorful items, some that glowed and a few that hummed softly in the background. Others had sigils on them that moved on the surface of metal or stone, even. The place wasn’t big or impressive in particular, either. It was probably ten paces across, with a door that moved into the back, behind the counter the man in front of him occupied. Magic tended to be fairly small, so this place was filled with more than enough variety to be confusing.

  The place looked correct, for a sales site. Except that no prices were listed and, given how they did things there, no one would be taking down what he got from the place at all. They, everyone, who got a magical item from such a store was required to pay for it, through work. Only there was no checking on that. He could have carried half the amulets in the place out with him that day and the tall fellow would do nothing more than help get him a box or bag to carry it with.

  The only problem with that was the idea that society couldn’t work that way. People needed to do their part, even if the amount of work they did was incredibly small, compared to other cities and worlds.

  Instead of letting himself be impressed by the incredible marvels around him, Albert made himself nod. Once. Efficiently.

  “Um, I need a healing amulet?” He felt awkward about asking, as if he didn't have a real need for such a thing. It meant he shrugged, looked away and explained himself. “I’m helping out, on Earth. There was a fire in County Ross, in Noram? I had one I was using, but it belongs to The Eternal here, so I gave it back.”

  Without missing a beat, the other man did two things. The first, moving no more than ten feet, was coming around the white stone counter and going directly to a small, rather boring, rack of the things. Already on hemp strings, the tiles all having holes in them to they could be worn. The next thing, as the man turned and passed the plain white tile with a glowing shadow on it, over, he spoke.

  His voice relaxed.

  “Gah. Ross gets hit that way occasionally, so it isn’t that unexpected. Is it out, yet?”

  He took the smooth amulet and put it on, almost as if he were being sly about it, making it harder to take back. Hidden under his plain brown shirt, as it was.

  “It is, thankfully. The men and women there battled it, even as it seemed to grow on its own, then Ancient Ross, from Afrak, came and used magics to stop it for good. That was a few days ago. They lost a town to it. Smiton. It’s not a big place. The King of Noram sent focus stone builders from the military to rebuild, so I’ve been staying on to make sure they have food and some other things. A lot of people have helped. I was the only one with a healing amulet, which paid off, but things could still happen.” He was tired, so didn’t explain all of it. The counter man there probably wouldn’t care, truth be told.

  Still, the fellow w
as polite about it. Even kind, really.

  “Do you need more than this? I know that we aren’t supposed to dump magic into other systems, to prevent them collapsing, but for an emergency…”

  Thinking for a moment, he shrugged.

  “Honestly? We’re doing pretty well there, for the time being. They lost five people in the fire, which is horrible, but the people there have temporary housing that the Wizard Tor lent them, and the High Servants sent in large food units. For day to day they have food from some Tiera food units. She, Queen Tiera, came in with her husband and made things for them, themselves. In their own person. So that people would have what they needed.” He teared up a bit thinking about it.

  Which was odd and probably weak of him. Even if he was smiling while it happened. Instead of mocking him for being soft, or looking away so that he didn’t see as a single tear fell down his face, the other man there just grinned.

  “Ah! Good then. Well, if you need anything for your work, let me know? We can afford to lend some things out, if we’re careful. Which you and your people seem to know already. Still, you found us here. Are you one of the High Servants?” There was a puzzled expression on the tall man’s face, as he asked about that part of things.

  Albert took a deep breath and shook his head, since he didn't really have any official reason to be doing what he was, even if everyone had been pretty kind about it.

  “I work at The Eternal. Here in the seventh hallway? Mainly sweeping and cleaning up. You know, when people can’t hold their drink or drugs? None of the High Servants were available to help, so their Commander, Johan, asked if I’d see to it. That’s all.”

  There was a nod then, across the counter from him.

  “Really? That’s wild then. Oh, I’m Guide. I have the shop here, of course.”

  “Albert Benoist, in case it comes up. Albert, in the Terry system, if you need me for anything.” That sounded like he was suggesting the man ask him out sometime. Which wasn’t the meaning he had behind it.