Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  He recorded the musical arrangement into a book of his own and then walked down the steps to the ground floor. Daven exited the Twelfth Hall and walked across the City of Emeth until reaching the Library of Tedorik. Outside, the Verifier Alyona was waiting for Chroniclers to give their reports.

  “Verifier, could you tell me where the Chronicler Gisella is?” Daven asked.

  “I haven’t seen her lately, and she could be traveling anywhere in the world,” Alyona said.

  “I have a question to ask her, regarding a record she made in the Twelfth Hall, nine hundred sixty-eight (968) years ago. My name is Daven. I’ll be in the Sixteenth Hall. If you see Gisella, could you please tell her that I would like to discuss it with her?” Daven asked.

  “As a Verifier, I pay close attention to the details of logic and facts, including who comes and goes. I know who you are, and the music you performed, especially during the time of the tempest. There’s no need for an introduction. However, you need to know that Chroniclers don’t make the records in these halls. They record their observations into their books. The Verifiers assess the confidence of the written accounts and work with the Librarians to transcribe them into the halls,” Alyona said.

  “Please let Gisella know that I want to discuss her observation with her,” Daven said.

  “When I see her, I will,” Alyona said.

  ~~~

  Daven walked across the City of Emeth toward the Sixteenth Hall, wherein land surveys, resources and commerce were recorded. He entered the enormous stone archival building and found – in the foyer – hundreds of merchants negotiating prices of metals, gems and commodities, and signing contracts for trading on the goods and their futures, along with a dozen Chroniclers recording everything in minute detail into their own books.

  He walked past the business proceedings and perused the aisles between the sloped, stone walls. He climbed steps and sought out records indexed by geographic region and time period. Two (2) days of this grueling search – interrupted only by returning to the Scholar’s Hall for rest – were rewarded with nothing of interest.

  A nearly emaciated and sickly-looking middle-aged woman approached Daven and said: “I’m one of the librarians. Can I help you find something?”

  “Yes, I’m looking for a man named Nereus, a woodworker in the Provincial Isles from nine hundred sixty-eight (968) years ago. He sold a custom-built musical instrument – a very expensive violin and bow – and I want to know more about it,” Daven said.

  “Let me help you, Daven,” the sickly-looking woman said.

  “You know my name. Do I know you?” Daven asked.

  “I’m Portia. I know about you, and all that you did to help with music during the tempest, and later to bring down the wall in Baradaxa,” the sickly-looking woman – Portia – said.

  “I’d certainly appreciate your help today,” Daven said.

  “Let me show you where to look,” Portia said. She led Daven through the aisles between the etched stone walls and up to a platform five (5) flights of stairs above the ground.

  “You’ll find the record here,” Portia said.

  “Thank you,” Daven said.

  “I’m here to serve. For now, I’m assigned to this hall,” Portia said. She walked back down to the ground floor and returned to the foyer.

  Daven examined the inscriptions and learned more about the violin. Nereus was directed by the purchaser to craft the body of the instrument entirely of rosewood. The purchaser – a man known as Baron Jenaro – provided the strings. The violin and bow were sold for two billion eight hundred million (2800000000) platinum coins. This large payment included not only the fee for masterful wood crafting but also the cost of purchasing and cultivating a three hundred fifteen (315) acre plot of land on Dexolevino Island to grow the rosewood trees with imported seeds in a matter of two (2) years.

  ~~~

  Gisella walked hand-in-hand with Stafford as they passed through the City of Emeth and headed toward the Library of Tedorik.

  “Emeth has every kind of cuisine, and most of it is quite good or even excellent, but that shellfish platter definitely left something to be desired,” Gisella said.

  “I’ve had much worse…and much better. It was definitely somewhere in the middle. It was cooked properly, but there was nothing to give it flavor,” Stafford said.

  “That’s what I meant. If the food weren’t properly cooked, I don’t think anyone would go there,” Gisella said.

  “I’m used to some barely edible meals. Eating seafood in Waderav is always a gamble. Occasionally, the food is worse than flavorless, and I’ve been sick,” Stafford said.

  “How can that happen? You can afford the best,” Gisella said.

  “That is the best. Money can’t buy quality that isn’t available,” Stafford said.

  “Do you mean the food is that awful in the Port of Oxatrissa?” Gisella asked.

  “Not if it’s caught in the Ursegan or Nabavodel waters, and especially not if it’s imported from the eastern fisheries bordering the Gradaken Ocean. Those are the best, in fact. I’m talking about the river-filth – the fish and shellfish caught from Waderav’s inland river networks and lakes. Sometimes that gets passed off as quality and the chefs in Oxatrissa don’t check their sources. That’s when you can get sick,” Stafford said.

  “I’ve never had food poisoning, but as a Chronicler, I’m protected. What I’m not protected from is a tasteless dish,” Gisella said.

  “What we just ate was mediocre, but filling,” Stafford said.

  “If all I cared about was filling, I’d have a good loaf of rye bread,” Gisella said.

  “I’ll take you somewhere better next time. At least we tried something new and learned from the experience,” Stafford said.

  Gisella recorded the experience in her book and then said: “Duly noted. I do appreciate your taking me out to dinner. I don’t mean to complain or sound ungrateful. I just have to be very detail-oriented. It’s a way of life for a Chronicler, and it’s not something I can turn off, even when I’m trying to relax. I thank you for our time together, and for the meal,” Gisella said.

  “For what I paid, we deserved a better eating experience. I agree with you about that. Still, there’s more that we can do with today, if you’re available,” Stafford said as they approached the Library of Tedorik.

  “Let me turn in my book to the Verifier and perhaps we can,” Gisella said.

  Gisella walked with Stafford until reaching the area outside the Library of Tedorik. She then submitted her book to the Verifier Alyona and said: “Please accept this book of recorded events.”

  Alyona accepted the book and said: “I will assess the confidence of what you’ve written, Chronicler Gisella. Give me a few minutes.” She drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power of calm, rational thought. She read through the pages of Gisella’s book, weighed the written evidence and made several mental calculations. She then wrote on the pages the confidence level she determined for each entry – ranging from zero point four one (0.41) up to zero point eight nine (0.89). Alyona handed a new, blank book to Gisella and said: “Here is your next book. Also, the music instructor – Daven – was looking for you. He said that he would be waiting in the Sixteenth Hall to discuss an observation you made some nine (9) centuries ago.”

  “Is that my next assignment?” Gisella asked.

  “Find out what Daven wants, and take note of what he is researching in that hall. If it seems noteworthy, exercise your discretion as to where to go, in accordance with the Oath,” Alyona said.

  “I’m on my way,” Gisella said. She started walking toward the Sixteenth Hall and then turned to Stafford. “Come with me,” she said.

  ~~~

  Rayner sailed the Sun Lynx northward across the Ursegan Ocean, following the western coast of the continent of Waderav. He held the wheel while Guillermo sat on a bench and watched.

  “Business was good, but only for a
while. Now, it has been poor, or unreliable, in recent days,” Guillermo said.

  “Yeah. We’ve spent more time replacing the gemstones in the sails than loading cargo,” Rayner said.

  “Perhaps we should return to Emeth and find passengers. The great number of travelers should bring in steady profits,” Guillermo said.

  “And you get to hear their stories, right?” Rayner asked.

  “That is certainly a possibility. Yet, you are not getting paid for waiting for customers to arrive. The scant cargo is being sent on larger ships, and very few passengers are awaiting our arrival,” Guillermo said.

  “I think I agree with you. A trip back to Emeth may be the best choice at the moment. We can get the news and find out where the most and best business is,” Rayner said.

  “The sails are in fine shape for the moment. Now would be the time to go, before the salt in the air wears away their cloth even further, requiring more repairs,” Guillermo said.

  Rayner drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions and used the information to chart a course to Emeth. “I’ve got our course,” he said and began sailing the Sun Lynx westward across the Ursegan Ocean.

  “How long will it take?” Guillermo asked.

  “It’s two (2) or three (3) days away…on average,” Rayner asked.

  “I’ve traveled across every ocean. There are very few known islands in this one, and it’s very narrow. Why do you think navigation is so slow...and the duration varies so much?” Guillermo asked.

  “There are lots of theories about that and most of them come down to the time waters themselves. Supposedly, they slow the waves, and change their direction, throwing us backwards, or even off course,” Rayner said.

  “That is a strange thing, because I thought you followed the movements of the suns. Wouldn’t you notice the ship being misdirected?” Guillermo asked.

  “Following the suns points me in the right direction from the starting point, but then I keep going in that direction. If the ocean currents start changing in weird ways, I won’t notice the ship being pushed off course right away. I can try to time the water currents and estimate the speed adjustment at some angle, but I can’t really measure time accurately. Even if I used an hourglass, or a mechanical clock, they can drift over time because they’re not perfect. It only takes a small error to be off by a big distance,” Rayner said.

  “Other oceans have rougher waters. The Nabavodel Ocean – the so-called ‘tiger waters’ – is aptly named. Yet, I’ve never heard a mention of such troubles there,” Guillermo said.

  “Like I said, there are lots of theories. I didn’t say I believed in – or even understood – any of them,” Rayner said.

  “Yet another mystery,” Guillermo said.

  “Life has a lot of them,” Rayner said as he continued steering the Sun Lynx toward Emeth.

  ~~~

  Daven looked for other mentions of Baron Jenaro – including any purchases he made – as well as other work done by Nereus. He found that Jenaro sailed on his own ship, a five hundred fifty-eight (558) foot long frigate with eight (8) pairs of double-masted, pivoting sails known as the Oblique Sprinter. According to the records in this hall, the ship was sailed back to Emeth and then the Chronicler Gisella gave her report.

  “Yes, that’s where I parted ways with Baron Jenaro, as the record indicates,” Gisella said.

  Daven turned around to face both a man and a woman standing behind him. He asked the woman: “You must be the Chronicler Gisella, correct?”

  “Yes. The Verifier Alyona said you were looking for me,” Gisella said.

  “This is the most expensive violin and bow – by far – I’ve ever known about. Two billion eight hundred million (2800000000) platinum coins should – if price is any indicator – purchase an excellent instrument capable of producing rich melodies. In skilled hands, of course,” Daven said.

  “The records are written clearly and accurately in front of you. Why did you want to see me?” Gisella asked.

  “I was in the Twelfth Hall, searching for unusual music, when I found the arrangement of notes that was first performed on this violin. It was transcribed from a record of events you made,” Daven said. He opened his own book and showed it to her.

  Gisella looked at Daven’s notes and said: “If you accurately transcribed this music from that hall, then yes, those would be the notes I made.”

  “My question is this: how well trained is your ear for music?” Daven asked.

  “I’ve studied music appreciation and I know the characteristic sounds of instruments of all classes: percussion, woodwind, string, brass and keyboard. I can also transcribe music with high accuracy and perfect tempo,” Gisella said.

  “Was that true back then, nine hundred sixty-eight (968) years ago?” Daven asked.

  “Yes. I was tutored in music by my father, his second wife, and my older sister when I was eleven (11) years old. While I can’t play these instruments, or sing, I do understand the music I’m listening to and can discern its features,” Gisella said.

  “Thank you. The musical arrangement noted was a transcription of an exceedingly poor performance, assuming the violin and bow were properly constructed, including the strings. Baron Jenaro was a novice playing on a masterfully constructed instrument,” Daven said.

  “This is why you wanted to talk to me?” Gisella asked.

  “There’s more to this story. The body of the violin and its bow were made by a man named Nereus, who was a Gradaken drinker. He also provided the material – rosewood – from a three hundred fifteen (315) acre forest which he cultivated for a period of two (2) years on that land. Baron Jenaro paid him for all of that work and for the material costs. That’s the reason the violin was so expensive. However, the violin strings and the ribbon on the bow were provided by Baron Jenaro, so I have no idea about their quality from reading the record you made,” Daven said.

  “Assuming you correctly transcribed the records from the hall, then that’s the information I gathered at the time. Why is this interesting to you?” Gisella asked.

  “My parents were real estate investors. They purchased arable land in various parts of the world and hired farmers to plant and harvest it. They even bought land in the Provincial Isles, and it looks like it’s some of the same forest land used centuries before in the wood crafting of that violin and bow. That’s one of the last few records I found of their business activity before they disappeared,” Daven said.

  “I still don’t understand your interest in this matter,” Gisella said.

  “I think I do,” the man standing next to her said.

  “You are?” Daven asked.

  “I’m Stafford. I work as a commodities trader in the Port of Oxatrissa, in Waderav. Some of the finest arable land in the world is located in the Provincial Isles. When any of it comes up for auction, the bidding gets fierce. Sometimes, small investors get defrauded, extorted or even murdered. If your parents held title to any acreage there, they may have made powerful enemies,” Stafford said.

  “You want to find your parents or proof of their death?” Gisella asked.

  “Yes. I’m following any signs I can find,” Daven said.

  “I still don’t understand the connection to the violin, the bow, the strings or the ribbon,” Gisella asked.

  “When Baron Jenaro paid the money to Nereus, it was for the instrument only. The title to the forest land remained with Nereus. Why would someone pay that much money for a violin and a bow, when the land was worth a fortune?” Daven asked.

  “That is a question a Chronicler cannot answer. We don’t judge or discern purpose,” Gisella said.

  “That is a very good question, though. The violin and bow can’t be all that valuable, no matter how much skill went into making them. The best rosewood isn’t good for ship building, and there are much more valuable species of trees to plant on land
that fertile,” Stafford said.

  “I need to find out more. I’m going to the Provincial Isles,” Daven said.

  “Under the authority of the Chronicler’s Oath, I will be going with you,” Gisella said.

  “Out of good business sense, I plan on accompanying you,” Stafford said.

  “I’m ready to leave now,” Daven said and he walked down the steps to the ground floor, followed by Gisella and Stafford.

  “We might want to stop at the fountains on the way,” Stafford said.

  “I can’t disagree. We should all refresh ourselves and our water supplies,” Daven said.

  They exited the Sixteenth Hall and headed toward the fountains of Emeth. Daven refilled his vial from the fountain of Pirovalen waters. Gisella replenished her vial with Ursegan waters and Stafford filled his own vial with the Lujladia waters. After this, they boarded a riverboat which took them to the southwestern coast where the ocean ships were waiting.