Susan said, “OK. Brown pants, dark green vests, and a brown coat. But under the vest, a light black blouse. It will be more comfortable.”
Viola said, “Good. And it will be possible to hide better in the dark if necessary.”
Susan said, “Paul, find three pair of trousers that fit Joshua. We will hem them to the correct length. The same size will be fine, but we will taper the waist a bit for the girls, to fit their waists. I will find the vests. Joshua’s may be worn unaltered, but for the girls, we will taper them as well.”
Viola said, “And, we will create a shape to the bust that creates a space for their breasts.”
Susan stopped in her tracks and turned back to Viola and Viola explained, “I have an idea for how it would be done. Have them try them on, and I will show you what I have in mind.”
Paul went to find pants, Susan looked for appropriate vests, and Viola chose shirts. She said to me, “You will wear the skin suit, so the shirt is unnecessary, but it will look less conspicuous in the village. Otherwise, your suit might be seen and draw attention to you.”
A few minutes later, we were all together again and Paul told me to go try on my pants while Susan and Viola helped the girls.
Viola stopped us and said, “No. They are in training and have taken a vow not to be separated even for an instant. Not even for a short time like this. It’s a custom of treasure hunting and preparation.” Viola had a knack for making up customs to explain all of our eccentricities on the spot. She continued, “They will all need to go behind the curtain together.”
Paul said, “Oh, OK. If that’s how it’s done,” and the three of us went to the changing area and stripped off our clothes and pulled on the garments chosen for us.
When we came out again, Paul looked at me and said that no alterations were necessary, except to hem the pants. He suggested that we would need belts and said that he would go to the cobbler’s to find both belts and boots while Susan and Viola addressed the needs of the twins. I knew that we might wear our own shoes and belts, from the inventory at Havenrest, but for the village, it made sense to wear something made in the village.
Susan and Viola took pieces of chalk and started making marks for alterations to the pants and vests that the twins wore. Viola showed Susan how she thought that the vest could be tailored to the girls busts in a very simple way that Susan approved of. I was concerned that the design was more feminine than anything worn by the women of Bonvale, but both Susan and Viola said that it didn’t matter and that no one would be shocked or think it immodest in any way. In fact, both of them thought that they might try modifying a few dresses in the same way and see how they were accepted.
In the end, the alterations were simple: a seam up each side of the hips, a hem at each leg, and two long curved seams for the vests. The women then went to find coats, but after trying a few on, Viola decided that she didn’t like the outfit as much with a coat and said that we wouldn’t need them.
Paul came back with three pair of boots that came to mid-calf, and three leather belts for us to try. The boots fit fine, and Paul marked the length of the belts, saying that he would take them and have them cut to size before the clothes were delivered.
The three of us went and changed back into the clothes that we came in. Susan was convinced that the alterations would be done in a few hours and told us that we could check back with her about noon if we wanted to.
When it came time to pay for the items, Viola surprised me by saying, “As for payment, I can pay you now, or if you like, you can become partners in the expedition and hope for a greater reward.”
Paul smiled and said, “Oh? What do you propose?”
Viola said, “These are provisions. If you want to share the risk that the hunt is successful, you provide the clothing at no cost, and you share in any treasure that is found. If things go well, you will have a portion. If it does not go well, we will hope for a profit the next time.”
Paul laughed and said, “Viola, when it comes to money, you are a rascal, like our dear Raven is when it comes to play. You say that you will pay me for what I would gladly give you for nothing, but tell me to spin a wheel if I want to take a chance. But we know that I can’t lose, because you rig the game by making every spot on the wheel a winning number. And I’m certain that if I say that I will take the few coins, that you will force me to take some riches anyway.”
Susan said, “Paul, don’t be unkind.”
Viola laughed and said, “No, he knows me well. I would do exactly what he says. I have seen my master turn the world over often enough and I would learn the craft if I can. So Father, do you spin my wheel or not?”
Paul said, “Of course I do! Susan, what will we do with our portion of the treasure? I would buy a unicorn like Flossy with mine.”
Susan said, “I have no wants. If you can buy a unicorn, do it.”
I laughed and said, “Paul, is that really what you want? A little unicorn? As a pet for your house?”
Paul looked happy as he said, “I would. It’s impossible, but I think that she is the most magical thing and I would be a happy fool to have one like her.”
I said, “Clarice, I have a question. Can Paul have a little unicorn, like Flossy?”
I listened for a moment and then said to Paul, “Paul, you only have to ask. You will have one if you’re serious. No, you’ll have one anyway, and if you decide that you no longer want it, send it back to Goldenwood. But…”
Paul interrupted and said, “Then I have my treasure already. But, I will know that it has happened when I see it. I know that Flossy is real, but I still don’t truly believe it.”
I smiled and said, “Susan, do you know what a sewing machine is?”
Susan said, “I have heard that there were such things, long ago.”
I said, “I would like to have Ellie show you one. I want to know what you will think of it. But, what fantastic thing would you like to see? If we went mountain climbing, as you say, what would you want to see?”
Susan was thoughtful for a moment and then said, “Tea, an Airplane, a Dolphin, and a Palm Tree.”
I said, “Oh! Well, I’ll see what we can do about that. Can you come to the cafe with us when we leave here though? I have business there and I would like your help for just a moment. Paul, can you manage if I take her away for just a little while?”
Susan said, “I have to alter your clothing if you want it by noon.”
I said, “We can wait a bit longer. Come to the cafe.”
Paul said, “Susan, if a wizard says to go to the cafe, go to the cafe. I will start on the clothing, and Tanya will be here soon. Go along and see what will happen.”
A minute later, we were walking toward the cafe. I asked Viola, “Did you go and see the collector, Tobias?”
She said, “I did. Yesterday morning. He believes that he can find a buyer for a hundred dollar bill. I offered him fifteen percent as usual. He says that he might get between one hundred and one hundred forty thousand coins for it. Of course, he might have to trade several times to break the denomination into smaller pieces, but a single buyer was possible. I asked Clarice about our inventory of paper money and she told me that we have a large supply of all amounts and that smaller bills could be sold instead. Tobias said that there are not many buyers, and he cannot move a large number of bills. We discussed it at length, and finally decided that we should accompany him and try to sell the hundred dollar bill. Transporting a hundred thousand coins is more than he is comfortable with and he wants us to go with him for protection. He will make at least fifteen hundred coins from the sale for himself. It is over two years wages. He suggests that if we travel with him, that we bring several items, in case we’re fortunate enough to find buyers for more than the one. Overall, he has hopes that we might sell half a million coins worth of items. There’s no guarantee. We will arrange the trip when you like, or I can go and ask him to scale back to a smaller transaction.”
I said, “That’s an intere
sting idea. We could take a car and go for a rip with him and make him rich in the process.”
Viola said, He refuses to take more than fifteen hundred for himself for a single trip. He says that he could never use so much money and he would not feel right about it. I told him that if things went well on the first trip, that we might plan on two trips per year, if buyers can be found. He said that instead, we should make it known that we have merchandise and that buyers should come to Bonvale when they are ready to buy something. Does this interfere with your plan for a treasure hunting expedition? I didn’t know about that when I spoke to Tobias yesterday.”
I said, “No, I don’t think that it does. I think that the trip with Tobias should happen first. We will discuss it with Clarice, but how soon do you think that he will be willing to leave, if we decide to go?”
Viola said, “He was very excited about the trip, more for the possibility of traveling with you than the money that he will make, and suggested that he would leave tomorrow if you wanted to.”
I said, “Well, let’s talk to Clarice. How far is the place that we would go to?”
She said, “Based on how long he said that it takes him to go there by ox cart, I think that it is about three hundred and fifty miles.”
We arrived at the cafe, and based on what Clarice had overheard of my conversation with Susan, our table was set with six chairs and a hot and cold drink for each seat. We all sat down and I said to Susan, “Try the drink. Either hot or cold. Try both,” and I smiled and took a sip of mine.
Susan laughed and said, “Did you bring me here just for a drink of water? Well, let me see what it is.”
Susan took a sip of the hot drink and looked puzzled.
I said, “Susan, it’s as much like tea as we can make it. I have had tea, and this is what it tastes like. It has been sweetened with honey. It’s drunk both hot and cold. After you have a taste for it, you might try it without the honey. What do you think?”
She took another sip and said, “It’s very unusual. Bitter and sweet at the same time. I like it very much. It’s more complicated than juice or wine or water.”
I said, “You asked for tea. Here it is. The airplane, dolphin, and palm tree will take a bit longer.”
Clarice said, “Joshua, Aaron came by to see you. He said that he had already run into trouble hiring men and acquiring the stones for the blocks that you asked him about. I said that I would discuss it with you, but went ahead and told him to hold off on the project for now. I told him that we would find other projects for him if he had time to work on them. It seems that some of the men that he expected to hire have already found work with Bart, the woodworker, and Aaron didn’t want to compete with him for labor. He said that he could do about a third the amount that you had discussed.”
I said, “I actually assumed that you and the minions could find a way to do the work much faster, anyway. I mostly wanted to ensure him of an income for the next few months, especially through the winter.”
She said, “We can. It won’t be a problem.”
We chatted for a bit more, and finished our tea, and Susan headed back to the clothing shop.
Chapter 29 - Planning A Trip
After Susan was gone, Clarice asked about the trip with Tobias.
I said, “I think that it could be good as a kind of practice run, before we go to the city. Do you have any information about where we would be going?”
She said, “Based on the distance, satellite images, and history, I am going to guess that you are headed for what was once Boise, Idaho. Before the cataclysm, Boise was a smallish city, but with a strong economy. It looks like it’s still there, and there are signs of some amount of light at night in the area, indicating a human population. The city was actually closer to the volcano eruptions, but farther from the earthquakes, so it took heavier damage from ash clouds and climate change, but less building damage. It was also much more rural, had more livestock and farming, and therefore more food and a more self-reliant population. It may be that people gravitated there for safety.”
I asked, “How will we get network coverage all the way there so that you will be able to travel safely that far from home?”
She said, “I have been considering that. Our limitation of about three miles between nodes is based on how high we can install the devices and the number of obstructions between them. If we get above the tree line, we can extend the range, with a few modifications, to maybe twenty, or even thirty miles. I’m thinking that we might use tethered balloons.”
I said, “I know that you can make the trip without a network, but I don’t want to take the chance.”
She said, “Sweetie, if something happens to me, Brenda or the nymphs, or even the minions will make me a new body and I’ll be fine. The only danger is that something would happen to keep you from getting back to the house in one piece. The cars have their own artificial intelligence, and a fail-safe that will make them come home in case of emergency. They will do everything that they can to make sure that everyone is on-board before they rush home. We still have enough GPS satellites working for navigation. But, all that being said, I still want to try the balloon idea. There’s no air traffic to worry about, and we can make them very strong, and we could cover the road between here and there with maybe twelve to fourteen nodes. The terrain to the east is much flatter and barren in several places and travel might be easier. I suspect that part of the time, we might make a hundred miles an hour.”
I said, “What if we take two vehicles? One leaves a day early and installs network nodes along the way. It will take longer to do that than to drive straight through. The next day, Viola and Tobias and someone else, maybe Paul or Antonio, follows in a second vehicle? We meet up and go into the town together?”
Clarice said, “That would work. You, the twins, me, and two minions take the first car and a bunch of supplies and scope out the route and install a network. Viola, what do you think of that?’
Viola said, “It sounds fine, but do I need to go? Tobias will negotiate the sales. I don’t think that I would be necessary. I would rather stay at home than travel all day with Tobias and Paul or Antonio.”
Clarice said, “Joshua, there really isn’t a reason that she has to go, is there?”
I said, “Not really. I suppose that there are speakers in the vehicles so that we can talk to whoever is in the other car?”
Clarice said, “There are.”
I said, “Well, I suppose that Tobias is used to traveling by himself, and we will let him decide if he wants company or not. Does he have a woman?”
Viola said, “I don’t know. He has never said.”
I said, “Then maybe he should talk to Antonio and use the long trip to get to know one. OK. That sounds great. Clarice, how long will it take to get ready? To make balloons and such?”
Clarice said, “We have plenty of tethering line in storage. We have balloon fabric and a coating that we can use for sealant. We can have those ready by morning. I will fill them with hydrogen that we make through electrolysis. We can have enough of that in maybe two days.”
I said, “I want a day of downtime tomorrow. In fact, I don’t even want to come to the cafe if I don’t have to. Can we plan the trip for…what day is today?”
Viola said, “Wednesday.”
I said, “Can we plan for Saturday? Will you ask Tobias and see if he wants to bring a companion? Tell him that we will make the trip in one day and come back the next. Ask if there’s an inn for us and find out if you can verify that the town is where we think that it is. Find out what road we follow to get there. Maybe have him draw us a map.”
Viola smiled and said, “I will take care of it. I like this management job. I like it a lot.”
I said, “And for that reason I think that maybe you should come on this trip. You think of things that none of the rest of us would. I’d like you with me. OK, we have a plan. Friday, the twins and Clarice and two minions and I will leave for Boise. We have a second car t
ake Tobias on Saturday, We leave early in the morning, do business Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and then return Sunday night. Tomorrow I take a day off.”
We sat for a few minutes while Viola and Clarice talked about something or other that I was no longer interested in, and I thought for a few moments.
When there was a break in the conversation, I said, “Clarice, what kind of satellite data are you still receiving?”
Clarice said, “Global Positioning. About eight percent of the most recent network seems to be functional. It gives complete coverage of this area, at least. Global Imaging. We are receiving images from a few satellites each day with updated data. I don’t know how many there are in total. Global Communications. There are a bunch of them, but all we are hearing is electronic heartbeats indicating that they are there; no communications of any kind.”
I said, “But can you communicate with them? An up-link? Can you control them at all or relay information through them?”
She said, “I don’t know. I have been focused on ground based communication and receiving ambient data, not trying to use them. That’s why I have to have you when we build new things. I can solve problems a lot of the time if I know what I am shooting for, but I don’t think outside the box very well.”
I said, “Have both you and Brenda spend some time seeing what you can do to actually send data to the satellite systems that you can find. See if you can request stored images to be down loaded, or if you can request data from specific locations. I have no idea what the protocols and commands would look like, and they are probably encrypted, but see what you can find out. See if you can find a way to send data to the communications satellites and if we can use them to receive network data from them, rather than ground based nodes over long distances. Ground based systems will be faster for small amounts of data, but space systems might mean that we don’t have to have balloons and such.”
The Watchman Page 27
