The seemingly tireless dinos permitted Cale, Dee and Ulrik to make good time, but they ate only a quick, cold lunch before resuming their journey. Ulrik rode up alongside Cale. "Well, Lord Cale," he asked, "Do you miss your flitter yet?"
Cale shook his head, "Not me, Lord Ulrik. But I suspect those 'honored' by riding in a wagon or cart would be willing to beg for one, by now."
They reached King's Town shortly after noon, several hours ahead of the main procession. An escort of four guardsmen met them at the city gate, and walked them briskly to the palace.
Cale almost failed to recognize King Karel. This man was well over six feet tall, tanned, and well-muscled. The white hair that now looked premature was the only clue that this was, indeed, the thin, bent old man who'd had to be lifted onto his throne a few months earlier.
King Karol greeted them soberly and formally, as though he'd never met them before, and neither Cale's nor Dee's manners betrayed any prior familiarity.
Cale announced the imminent arrival of a powerful lord from the stars, who had urgent business with the famous King Karel.
Karel nodded his crowned head from his throne. "We will be glad to meet men from the stars." He turned to the courtier on his right, and directed him to prepare for a dozen kings, who would arrive within hours, and would be King Karel's guests for a tenday. The man bowed low and backed away wordlessly, but he could not conceal his distressed look.
Then Karel invited the "noble ambassadors" to his apartment for "discussions of great import." Once in the apartment, Karel winked as he reported that he'd had reports of spies, and invited them into his sleeping chamber.
The chamber was as changed as Karel. A large window, swung wide, replaced the grim stone wall. Sunlight streamed in and lit the room. The large canopied bed was still there, but now the straw in the mattress was fresh and sweet, and the sheets and comforter were clean.
Karel grinned. "You were as good as your word, healer," he said to Dee. "And We are as good as Ours. You were right. There is good in fresh air and clean sheets and clothing."
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Our subjects think We regained Our health at the cost of Our senses. We now bathe weekly, all over, and insist on fresh clothing when We do. And Our health continues to improve. We owe you Our life."
Dee tried to curtsy in the cumbersome robes, but managed only a clumsy bow. She smiled. "I am delighted to see your Majesty so well. We barely recognized your Majesty." Cale nodded agreement.
They chatted for a few moments, and then discussed the deal they were to negotiate while they awaited the arrival of the star men's procession.
Cale was surprised by the warm feelings aroused in him by King Karel. He was impressed with the King, and liked him. Finally he frowned. "Majesty," he said, "I feel I must warn you. You call these people 'star lords,' and they have capabilities far beyond your own. But always remember, they are not 'lords,' they are not angels, they are not devils. They are just people, with knowledge long forgotten on Jumbo. Your people believe in magic, and will be impressed by what we can do, and the riches we have. But for the sake of your people, remember that we are only human. I judge most of these people to be honest and good. But I do not know them well. There are certain to be those that are selfish, those that are dishonest, and those who will lie and cheat."
King Karel smiled. "We thank you for your timely reminder, Sire Cale. Particularly in light of the display we will be putting on for the people, We will need to keep reminding Ourselves of that fact, and We will have to continually remind Our negotiators." He smiled. "We suspect there is at least one Star Lord that We can trust."
"Two." Dee put in. "We will not permit your people to be cheated."
The main procession reached King's Town before dark. An escort of a dozen guardsmen, who marched single-file along both sides of the procession, met them at the city gates. The guardsmen in front did their best to wear out their loud-hailers. Belen doubted any of the town's 50,000 residents was unaware of the visitors' arrival.
Cale and Dee awaited them at the main entrance to the castle, and struggled to suppress grins as they escorted a stiffly hobbling group of spacers to the throne room.
King Karel welcomed his visitors with massive and solemn dignity. Belen suppressed a groan as he tried to rise from a low bow; but he was more successful than some of the others.
The delegation had been carefully staged. The Greeners' twenty-person council contained only two females, but Belen had enlisted a volunteer to ensure that his group of twelve now contained four women, including Dee. He was making a point about women and equality among the spacers, and the whispers and titters among the courtiers showed that he was making it well.
Belen's grave urbanity matched King Karel's massive dignity perfectly, and when King Karel invited Belen to his apartment, Cale thought the invitation was genuine, not just diplomacy.
As 'ambassadors', of course, Cale and Dee could not be privy to a discussion between rulers, and they had to wait around with the rest of the delegation. But as 'scouts', they were peppered with questions about things the delegation's members had seen and heard.
Actually, Cale was encouraged. The tone of the questions and comments showed enthusiasm and curiosity, not resentment or disappointment. Granted that except for the female volunteer these were the leaders, all committed, Still, the expressions were animated, and a couple were even trying to engage the courtiers in conversation.
After about two hours, Karel and Belen emerged from the apartment, accompanied by an elderly man, apparently in his late '60's, whom Belen introduced as the King's Councilor. He was the man who would actually negotiate the treaty, talking with Padilla, one of the original three leaders Cale and Dee had met.
Those two went off to begin their deliberations, while King Karel invited Belen and the others to dine.
Dinner was a raucous affair, and a miserable one for the spacers. A large "U" shaped table hosted at least a hundred people. The stone floor was covered with what appeared to be the stalks and leaves of wheat or some similar grain, and bones and chunks of meat were thrown to the dozen dogs circling the table.
Servitors rushed to and fro bringing half-cooked meat or wilted vegetables. Wine and Sour beer flowed freely, and the noise grew steadily louder.
The spacers exchanged meaningful glances, and picked at small, overcooked portions while avoiding the nearly raw meat adjoining it. There was little laughter or gaiety at their end of the table. Rather, they tended to lean over and whisper to their neighbors with nervous looks. The spacers were the only diners with silverware; they'd brought their own. The locals made do with belt knives and hands. The only real butter on the table was at the head, in front of the King. The rest tore off chunks of coarse bread and swiped them through the grease on the plates and serving trays.
As the evening wore on and a number of the guests became drunk or sick, the spacers became increasingly uncomfortable and visibly worried.
Cale decided to take action. "Your Majesty!" he shouted. After several repetitions, King Karel looked up. The noise instantly subsided noticeably. "Your Majesty," he continued in a quieter shout, "I'm afraid our delegation traveled far this day, and are too wearied to enjoy the festivities. I beg your Majesty to permit us to retire."
Karel and Ulrik exchanged amused glances before the King turned to his other side to look at Belen. Belen gave a faint nod, and the King said, "We would not have our friends drunk with weariness; better with drink!" Loud laughter and shouts arose immediately. Under their cover, Karel exchanged meaningful glances with Belen, and then smiled. As the shouts and laughter subsided. King Karel continued, "Our guests have journeyed far; from the very stars! You have Our leave to depart, though We hope Our honored guest will remain."
Belen smiled his professional half-smile, but his response was loud enough to be heard. "Of course, your Majesty. The night is young and the beer is flowing!" He looked at Cale and nodded, and the spacers rose gratefully and fled.
<
br /> King Karel might have renovated his sleeping chamber, but the rest of the bedrooms in the castle remained dark, dank, and insect-infested.
But this time Cale and Dee were prepared. They no longer had to pretend to be traders; now they were "Star Lords." They were expected to have and do magical things, and they had done some shopping on Santiago. They had also briefed the others.
Dee's first act was to have servants sweep the rushes, insects, and dog droppings from the floor. Once it was cleaned to her satisfaction, Cale set up and activated the electronic insect repeller. Dee shuddered as she realized she could actually see the bed's sheet move as its residents reacted to the repeller's effects.
They did not intend to use the rope bed with its rotting straw mattress anyway. Dee threw a package onto the now-clean floor and touched a control, and the package began unpacking itself. In a few moments, it had become a large, comfortable, insect-proof bed.
In the meantime, Cale was extinguishing the smoky and odorous oil lamps on the walls, replacing them with strategically located atomobulbs, and setting up the heating/cooling unit that would maintain a constant temperature. They needed it, since they threw back the heavy draperies and opened the small, high windows to admit as much fresh air as possible.
Camping equipment was not the only shopping they had done on Santiago. Both Cale and Dee now wore tiny wide-angle cameras that broadcast a signal Tess could receive. They were easy to conceal in the garish robes they were wearing on Jumbo, and in conjunction with newly-enhanced implants, they made all of them feel that Tess was truly 'one of the team'.
Tess had always had the ability to tap into any broadcast signal, of course, and when grounded, she used this capability constantly, avidly monitoring everything from tri-vee programming to flitter traffic signal comps. Longevity had its advantages, but there were drawbacks to being bound to a starship's hull for four hundred years.
But this was different. Tess had no difficulty distinguishing between the two signals, of course, and it not only gave her the ability to know what was happening to Cale and Dee, but to actually accompany them, to monitor their surroundings for threats, to offer advice and verbal help, and even just to chat. With the cameras and implants, Tess was really with them. It was a new sensation for her, an exciting one. Of course, she was familiar with the human need for privacy, and she was careful to avoid intruding.
King Karel and Belen were becoming acquainted, and Padilla was busily negotiating every period and comma of the agreement with the King's Councilor, and the rest of the delegation were struggling to adapt to this strange world. But Cale and Dee were bored.
They tried to explore King's Town, but it was no use. Their escort of guardsmen and impressive robes marked them as celebrities, and they could go nowhere without being mobbed by those curious to see the star men, or anxious to sell them something at ridiculous prices.
Finally, Cale sought out Ulrik, to solicit his help in tracking down the one-legged veteran they had befriended on their last visit. They had no doubt he was well known to Ulrik. Before losing his leg, he had been the king's Sergeant of the Guard, and besides, he had tipped off King Karel that the two strangers might be star men.
"Ha!" Ulrik replied, "Nothing easier. His majesty gave him a reward in silver for bringing you to the attention of the palace, and he used it to buy the old Rose inn. He renamed it the Sergeant's Privy. It is very popular with the guardsmen, and is becoming well-known for the strange and unusual drink sometimes available there." His expression sobered. "But it is not the type of place my lady could visit. Nor a star lord, for that matter. Better I have him summoned here."
Cale shook his head. "I didn't intend to wear those silly robes. We still have our clothing from our previous visit. We would visit as a trader and his lady. And we just wish to visit a friend, and perhaps give him some presents, not disrupt his life with a royal summons."
Ulrik frowned. "You call him friend?"
Cale nodded. "I consider him such, as I hope he does me." He suddenly wondered if that term carried special importance and responsibilities on Jumbo. Had he committed them to something? He threw a meaningful glance at Dee.
Too late. "I, too," Dee added. "He helped us considerably on our mission, certainly the act of a friend."
Ulrik's frown faded slowly. "Perhaps it is possible, though it may be difficult to escape your guard escort."
Cale snorted. "Well, we certainly couldn't be inconspicuous leading around a detachment of guardsmen!"
The young man grinned. "True." He shrugged. "We'll try. You mentioned gifts; what will you need to bring?"
"Most are small, but we have one gift that is almost two meters long and one in diameter. We'll need a cart for that one."
Ulrik nodded. "I will try. We will go in the morning."
After breakfast, Dee feigned illness, and Cale escorted her to their room, deftly avoiding the helpfulness of the courtiers and servants. They donned their trader clothing beneath the highly decorated robes, and waited.
In minutes, Ulrik appeared, offering to escort her to a mage or surgeon. The two door guards started to follow, but Cale waved at them with an irritated frown. "Stay here. We're just going to see the King's surgeon. Would you follow us to the privy, as well?"
The guards exchanged confused, doubtful glances, but finally one of them shrugged, and the two resumed their positions at the door. Cale suppressed a smile. Perfect! Anyone seeing them there would assume the spacers were still inside.
Ulrik took them through dark, dank obviously rarely used passages. Finally, he stopped them and told them to remove the robes just before they emerged into a smoky, odorous kitchen, hot from the efforts of the room's three braziers and fireplaces. A few servants glanced at them incuriously as the King's nephew passed through with two traders. Ulrik snatched a still-warm roll from a rack of them, and dodged the spatula swung by a squawking cook. Evidently, this was not an uncommon sight; the other cooks simply smiled and shook their heads.
Ulrik grinned as they emerged into the sunlight. "I had to snatch this," he said, brandishing the roll, "or they wouldn't have believed it was me!"
A small cart awaited them, drawn by what appeared to be a variant of a goat. They walked the cart to the outbuilding in which the spacers' baggage was stored. Naturally, there had been a steady stream of servants fetching items all morning, so the guards didn't lift an eyebrow when Ulrik explained that the star lords had entered into a trade with the traders accompanying him, and he was there to make certain they took only what they had bought.
Though bulky, the mostly tubular object was not particularly heavy, and Cale and Ulrik loaded it easily.
Obviously forewarned, the one-legged man was waiting for them in a small courtyard behind the inn. He wore a stained apron and a broad smile. Cale grinned as he saw that the man's trouser leg disappeared into a leather cup supported by straps attached to his belt, and that he was walking without his crutch. He stumped over to them, hand outstretched. Cale grasped it with an equally wide smile, and Dee greeted the man with a smiling nod that was almost a bow.
"I hear you're making some interesting new drinks," Cale said.
"Ha! Your descriptions lacked important details," the man replied, shaking his head. "Luckily, I have a friend in the Brewer's Guild. He gave me enough information and help to allow me to get started. But you must see!" He stumped off toward a small brick building across the courtyard from the inn. Cale smiled, remembering the man struggling painfully around on his crude crutch.
The building was windowless, but its roof featured several chimneys. Their friend used a large iron key to unlock an even larger padlock, and opened the double door. "I don't know why I bother to lock it," their host told them with a grin. "Half the people in town think I keep a demon captive in here, and force it to produce strange liquors."
A three-foot copper sphere, whose top featured a large copper cap, occupied the center of the small building. A funnel-shaped pipe, tapering from some six inc
hes to less than one, emerged from the side of the cap and connected it to a pipe, which led to the top of an upright wine cask. Another pipe emerged from the top of the cask and led to the top of another, larger cask, emerging near its bottom.
Cale recognized it from the drawings he had made at Tess's direction. The three-foot sphere was a pot still. Fermented fruits, vegetables, or grains, called 'mash', were placed in the sphere, and a low fire was lit beneath it. Since alcohol changed from liquid to vapor at a lower temperature than water, if the heat were maintained just beneath the vaporization temperature of water, the alcohol would rise into the cap, leaving the water behind.
Unfortunately, their friend had no way to control the heat that precisely. This meant that considerable water vapor joined the alcohol vapors in the cap.
The small cask was called a 'doubler.' It was nothing more than an empty cask with a pipe leading into its top, and another leading out of it. By the time the vapors reached the doubler, they had cooled somewhat. The condensing water fell to the bottom of the cask, and the still-vaporous alcohol escaped through the second pipe in its top.
The other, larger cask contained water, with the pipe, formed into a coil, merely running through it. Passing through the cooler water, the alcohol condensed back into a liquid, emerging as a thin trickle from the bottom of the large cask.
"What comes out is pretty strong, but not as strong as your vodka," the one-legged man said, "and the taste depends on the fruits or vegetables in the mash. Brewing leavings can be used as mash, but doesn't taste good. The best I've come up with is made with grapes, like wine." He shook his head. "It cost me a small fortune to have the metal smiths beat that much copper into sheets, and then braze the sheets together into a ball." He shook his head with a frown. "I also had to pay a mage to certify that the ball did not contain an evil spirit." He shook his head. "Ridiculous! I watched as much of the ball's assembly as the metal smiths would permit, and I fill it at least once a week. I know there is no spirit. But it was better than being burned at the stake for necromancy."
The Privateer 2: AN HONEST LIVING Page 14
