New Markets:
Date: 2021-08-22T18:00:00+00:00

New Markets

A World Wright Inc Venture

Vlad ben Avorham

Copyright © 2021 Vlad ben Avorham

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America

Treaties and Alliances

Eli Davidson had been the commander of an ill fated experimental extra dimensional 'air craft' for lack of a better term.  The science was so new, they hadn't even managed to propery assign terms for all of the equipment at the time of the misshap that landed he and his crew in an alternate universe.  Stranded on a remote island in what to all one's senses appeared to be the Medeteranian.  The local villagers at least all spoke Greek, of the ancient variety, and even the larger cultures seemed to be based on city states, hopalite armies, and trireme navies.  It really was the damnedest thing.  The Greeks weren't the only culture that seemed mostly taken intact from from nearly four thousand years ago.  He had met up with a group claiming to be from the Israelite tribe of Dan.  Captives of a group of Assyrians, they and two other tribes whom he had yet to meet, turned the tables on their captors a couple of generations later and are an independent if homeless and wandering people.  The similarities to the fate of his own tribe of Judah from his own history was erie. What's more, he had every reason to believe them.  Their traditions and their customs, while unique, were familiar and too recognizable.  Strangers trying to absorb the benefits of Jewish life and culture without actually embracing the Jew himself, gave you things like Christianity or Islam...  hints of shadows, but obviously alien....  What this tribe of Dan posessed, it was the genuine article, even if different in many ways from the Judaism of his world.

Even with all the similarities, this was not Earth.  The stars were off for one, as was the land masses, if the crude maps were to be believed at all.  Most obvious of all though, magic seemed to be real here.  Yeah, real honest to goodness fireballs and lightening bolts magic.  His current crisis stemmed from his recent peace negotiations with the Mer-elf King.  Even saying it in his own head, he sounded crazy, still he was about to sit two of his crew members down and explain to them that while he is aware that they have been married for just over a year, and have a new born son, if they want the peace treaty and to avoid all out war between the island and the elves under the sea...   They need to open that marriage up, and he's going to need to marry the mer-elf princess.

Eli's head hurt.  If someone were trying to sell this to Hollywood they would laugh the poor bastard out of the town, how the hell did he get stuck having to actually try to sell this with a straight face?  If Georgia had been a local girl, then no problem, monogamy wasn't even a thing here.  These people left before the Romans got around to making it a thing.  Oh but of course she wasn't a local girl, she was that most sticky of all mixes... A New England liberal, who had grown steadily more conservative the longer she was married to her fairly religious Baptist husband.  Eli wasn't sure which was going to make this harder, the years of feminist poison she had injested that would see it as an affront to her equality, or the still tender and new religious tendencies...  No zeal like that of a convert after all.   Convincing her that the only reason her new religion insisted on monogamy was because of Roman inheritance laws... yeah good luck with that... history be damned.

Time to get his game face on, he was fast approaching the group of islanders and mer-elves who were milling about waiting to hear news of the treaty.  He and the king jointly announced that they were taking a break for two days, while both sides worked out some details but that things were progressing smoothly.

Waving every one else on their way, Eli called out, "Marcus, Georgia!  Can you two hang back.  We kinda need to talk."

* * *

Georgia may have been born at night but it wasn't last night.  Something was up, and it wasn't good.  Eli was never hesitant.  If he needed to cut off your leg, he just told you.  He didn't want to, you knew he didn't want to, but you never had to guess at what was going to happen.  This... This was something new.

At first she was just confused.  None of this lead up information Eli was giving seemed like it could possibly be relevant.  Then he finally got to the point. Marcus couldn't get married, he was already married! To HER damn it!  Marcus won't even consider this... wait Marcus!  How could he?  He wasn't saying yes, but he didn't flat out reject him either.  Did part of him want this damn mermaid princess?  Pain in her heart hardened into anger, he better not be taking this seriously.  This had better all be an act so that he can make Eli think he considered it.  Damn it if Eli thinks it so damn important, Eli should marry the home wrecking little bitch!  He's got eight wives already and they don't seem to mind, what's one more?

Look at him, that bastard Eli won't even look at me!  Trying to take away my son's father!  How could he even suggest such a thing?  Didn't these mer-elves lose the war?  Why should we sacrifice anything to meet their demands?  Why should she?  She wasn't the one who decided to pick this fight in the first place!  It was these damn men!  Fucking mer-elf men who had to be king of the sea and attack anything that sailed when they determined it shouldn't!  Fucking arrogant Eli, couldn't wait for spring when they didn't attack.  No he had to prove they couldn't stop HIM!  It was her Marcus who had to fight them off when they had come swarming up out of the sea trying to over run their home while Eli had run off playing big shot business man on the mainland.  It was her Marcus who had to deliver Eli's ultimatum.  This whole truce and treaty had been Eli's bright idea in the first place!  Now here again it was her Marcus that Eli wanted to steal away from her and her son just to seal his deal with the fucking fish king.  Well sorry Charlie, you can't have him.  Georgia imagined putting the mer-king in a little tuna can and sealing it up.  Then considered putting Eli in one right beside him just for good measure.

She realized that she hadn't been listening to them.  It didn't matter.  This was rediculous.  She stood up.  "This is pointless.  Marcus can't get married to her, he's already married to me, and that's that.  Tell this 'king' he'll just have to deal with it, or I'll drop bombs on him my damn self." and she stormed out of the building.

Marcus, jumped up and took off after her.  "Georgia!  Honey wait!... Honey... Hey..."  He finally caught her and spun her arround.  She couldn't help it, she had tears in her eyes and she couldn't see anything.  She was so angry she couldn't even say anything.  She had waited for so long on earth, and had grown old, and just accepted that she would be alone forever.  Then the time ripple or what ever that had rolled back the clock for all of them, had made her young again.  She had a second chance!  She took a risk with Marcus, and it had been the happiest year and a half she had ever known.  Now THIS?!?!  It just wasn't fair!  She deserved to be happy too damn it!

He was hugging her.  Usually that made everything better, but now she could only wonder if this might be for the last time.  Would she lose him over this?  Would he pick her or the princess?  All she knew is if he picked that damn fish bitch, she hoped that she gave him real crabs and that they pinched it off!

* * *

Ries found Eli sitting with one of the Israelites by the fire.  He did not know this man, but judging by his continual presence around Eli, Ries would assume he was Kalev's back up, filling in until Kalev returned after giving his initial report to his tribal elders.  Neither man looked happy.  Cautiously Ries picked himself a seat beside the fire, but said nothing by way of greeting, not wanting to disturb what was obviously  deep thought.

The man shook his head and grumbled to Eli, "I still don't understand why you cannot simply order this done.  It is for the good of all of the people and one woman's foolish selfishness should not be able to stop it."

Eli sighed, "For them it is religious, as well as peronal respect.  It was originally intended just to keep wealth from being diluted in the privilaged classes, but it took pretty draconian measures to get it accepted.  Eventually their religion adopted it.  Re-defined adultry to include it.  Would you suggest a man whore out his wife for peace?"

"Of couse not!  That is different!"

Eli chuckled, "Of course it is, but they don't see it that way.  It has become a taboo in their tribe to have more than one wife.   Marcus will struggle with it, but for just his own sake, he would do it.  Georgia, she may never accept it.  Which means Marcus must choose peace for his people, or his wife.  That will make it hard for him."

"But... SHE is the one forcing the choice, yet SHE is the one acting like she is the victim?  How can he not see this?  How can EVERYONE not see this?"

Eli's smile was sad, "Custom blinds people.  Once you view your custom as correct, you view any violation of it as the problem.  No matter if it is you clinging to that custom that is the source of your pain.  People are people."

Ries quietly  asked, "I must have missed something... is there something I can do to help?"

Eli looked up at Ries and shook his head, "Just another case of women from my world and their particular ideal about marriage..."

Ries felt the blood drain from his face, he remembered all too well his own brush with the unreasoning self righteous certitude that wrecked everything in it's path in the single minded persuit of complete ownership of one's husband.  He winced inwardly, the pain in the spot that he carefully chose not to poke at too often twinged once again.

Eli went on to explain the situation.  Ries felt even more dejected.  His situation was bad enough, yet no one died.  This...  too many would die.  Even if most of them would end up being the mer-elves, it was still wrong and unnecessary.  As he quietly left the fire he wondered for the first time since throwing in with Eli's people if it had been a mistake.  The enormity of this evil that seemed certain to happen, just left him cold inside.

He needed to be home.  He couldn't help these people.  Drawing in his power Magus Ries focused, and drawing out the symbols called out in pain as his body contorted, and changed shape.  Soon a sleek raven was winging it's way toward his home.  To the comfort of Demetria and Melitta, and away from these alien people with their strange ideas that they were so willing to see others hurt and killed for.

* * *

With the wind in her hair, Demetria loved this time with her husband.  One of the perks of being the wife of a Magus, was he could shape shift into a horse and while no longer unique on the island as it has once been, it was still very rare.  After seeing detailed pictures of what Sam had called a quarter horse.  Specifically an Arabian race horse, she found that riding had gotten even more exciting.  Unfortunately, this morning she was in such a hurry, and was so outraged by her husband's news of last night, that she barely even noticed the normal thrill of watching the countryside flash past in a near blur.

She had to make it to the festival ground in time to talk some sense into that selfish girl before she let those foolish notions of hers put everything in danger.  Damn woman, she had a son, didn't she see that having half mer-elf kin would only make his position in the world stronger?  Royalty at that!  It was bad enough when she stood by and tried to show respect for that other crazy lady's foolishness and the storm it drove through their lives, but this...  this was about war or peace.  Not just peace but alliance!  Foolish little girl!  How could she not understand what mer-elf allies would mean for the people of the island if they wanted to give up fishing and actually start shipping things?  They could transport things on the seas when no one else could.  It meant that finally these empovrished people could see true prosperity, and she would have them fighting a war instead where they would be out numbered?  She realized that Eli's plan would doom the mer-elves, but it didn't mean it would save the islanders, didn't she?  Including her own son?

****

The sun was high in the sky as she finally slid from Ries' back.  She didn't take the time to wait for him to change back to his human form, she knew he would understand.  Storming into the little building that World Wright Incorporated used as their main office at the Festival grounds until the rest of the building was complete she spotted her target.  Eyes puffy and red rimmed, she had obviously spent the last day and a half indulging in plenty of self pity and emotional wallowing.   'Good!' Demetria thought, she should have gotten it out of her system, she better have because damn it, it stops now.

Eli looked up as the door swung open and he saw Ries wife come boldly in.  Her eyes on fire and her body language said that she was definately on a mission.  Eli felt both of his eyebrows rise in surprise when she calmly but firmly ordered, "Clear the room, EVERYBODY OUT!  Georgia and I have something to discuss."  He wasn't used to these traditionally raised Greek women ordering men about, playfully around meal times, sure, but this?  Oh this was all new...  Hell he half wanted to stay to see the show, but considering he was fairly certain that Demetria was on the side of not having a war, he decided that used to being given orders or not, it was time for him to go.  He filed right out, shooing the last straggler out the door in front of him.  Then with only the trace of a grin sat down with his back to the door, just to be sure that they had their privacy.

What happened next could be fairly easily guessed at by those near by.  While no one could hear clearly, even the thick brick walls harsh bellows and their correspoinding heart broken wails could be heard.  This went on for nearly an hour until finally the door started to push open. Eli scrambled out of the way.  The parting words he could hear clearly.  "I stood by while that other crazy lady took off to become some old bitter crone because she couldn't get what she thought she was entitled to.  You are my friend, I won't let that happen to you.  You have a husband and a son who need and love you.  They are entitled to having you in their lives.  If they aren't yours because of all of this, you didn't lose them, you threw them away!  You owe it to you son to give him a world with peace in it, and a father who doesn't die in a war that doesn't need to be fought!  If you find later that you absoultely cannot live with it, THEN leave.  Acting like a foolish child now, is going to do nothing but get a lot of people killed.  Time to grow up, and give your husband and son the support that THEY are ENTITLED to."   As the door closed behind her she told Eli, "Send in Marcus.  She'll do it now.  She doesn't know it yet, but she will.  Oh and you, you better make this worth it for all who have sacrificed for it!"

Eli watched her go.  She was normally so mild.  She actually was quite beautiful when she was angry, he thought.  He knew admiring another man's wife was not good, but there was nothing more in it than admireation, espeically if she was right about Georgia.  He took off to find Marcus.

Magic Machines

Dorien looked at the Festival grounds and found himself in awe at the changes.  What had once been a simple open field, now was dotted with a dozen odd shaped huts.   They sprung up in the space of just a week too.  Sapplings cut from the woodlands, staked to the ground and then bent to form a frame, almost like a basket that was upside down.  Tall grass was mown down with the new harvesting machines and tied in bundles to the frame.  Then  the whole thing just coated with mud and then a layer of the refined heavy oils from the tar.   As quick as that the new commers went from living in make shift tents to crued but livable huts.  If he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't have believed it.

Today he was here to watch a new magic machine that Magus Ries had made for the construction team lead by Anjun Gupta.  It seems that this new machine was supposed to make digging easier.  Dorien didn't know what you did to make digging easy, but then before he saw the harvesting machine, or the washing machine, he couldn't have imagined those either.  Eli had told him that Magus Ries was working on five "basic machines" that he said would be the main muscles to allow Anjun to make their construction team become as productive as the farmers had become.  This digging machine would be the first one completed and tested today.  According to Eli's promises, if it worked as they planned building the islands road system like the wanted would suddenly get a lot easier and faster.

He heard a murmuring at the far end of the field and went to check it out.  Sure enough the crowd had gathered  as the wagon pulled up.  One set of men set to unhitching the horses while another group began to unload a large device in the back of the wagon.  It was almost as large as the harvesting machine but it had a much smaller wheel at the front of the device just behind the horses.  This long wheel, had many blades attached to disks that stood out from the cental hub, behind this was a long sloaping ramp that a shute off to the side.  Even seeing it Dorien couldn't quite figure out how this was supposed to help.

He didn't have to wait long though.  After twenty minutes of minor adjustments Anju took the horse drawn machine over to where the new building was already staked out and ready for the digging to get started.  using the machine seemed to be a two man operation. One led and calmed the horses while the other directed the shute.  The shute which Dorien could now see had loose earth, sand and small rocks moving up it from the digging wheel below, and flying through the air to land in a pile several feet away.   It took many passes, but without looking too tiring for either the men or the horse team, they soon had dug away all of the soil, leaving only the bare rock below.  Anju seemed especially pleased as the stone they undovered was of a type that he said they had been looking for on the island.  A lime stone.  He said it meant that they could build a quarry in another area and soon have all the concrete that they could ever want.    Dorien was simply amazed. The old chief could now believe that they might indeed that the first floor done in time to be used as a banquet all for the Royal wedding that had everyone on the island loosing their minds.  It was supposed to happen in just three weeks.  He shook his head, these people truly were miracle workers...

* * *

Sam threw the project across the room in frustration.  "It's USELESS!"  The sages gasped with shock and then indignation.  His casual destruction represented nearly three days work!  They didn't care if he was ben Yehuda and supposedly some sort of genusis, this was intollerable!

Josh just sighed and rolled his eyes.  In a very condesending voice tone he began, "Ok, lets start from the beginning, twenty two millimeters.  It must be twenty two millimeters or it doesn't work, not some of them, all of them. Until you can get the concept of doing it right, just geting it done, doesn't matter.  Maybe this just can't be done, maybe magic just can't do precision."  He shrugged.

One of the sages had had it with these two.  They couldn't even shave and they were daring to lecture them about this!  What the hell could these two know about anyting much less magic?  He was just drawing in his power to teach the imputant young fool a lesson when Eli walked in.

Eli saw at a glance what was happening.  The smashed machineparts, the bloodtrail from Sam's busted knuckle on the wall, the most even tempred of the sages drawing in his magic about shatter Josh's rather over inflated sense of importance... hopefully by simply turning him into a frog raner than setting him on fire with a fireball.  "Excuse me gentlemen."  All eyes angrily turned on him and then the entire room exploded with accusations and counter accusationcn.  For a moment he let them vent.   Emotion was us useful for motivating people but at the moment it was likely to get one of them hurt, and considering that the Roth brothers liked their explosives and incendiaries, these sages might be biting off more than they could chew.  "Enough!"  He had forty years to practice his 'drill sargent' voice, and he was pretty good at it, if he did say so himself.  Fortunately he didn't need to, the results spoke for themselves, all the squabbling, bickering, children had realized that they had been caught, and were now looking suitable embarassed by their actions.  "Why are very expensive parts in pieces?"  He asked in his calm, 'someone needs to have an explaination voice'.  "Better yet, why do I find that my top researcher cannot manage to speak in a civil tone?"  The calm was still there but a little less so now, "Is it that you've already completed your work load and are just breaking things and yelling at each other to celebrate and blow off a little steam?  Should I let all the people counting on us know that their problems are all solved now, and we have time to bicker like old women?"...  He looked back and forth between them... "Nooo?  Really?  Then maybe someone wants to take a crack at explaining the problem in a constructive way, so we can FIX it!"  That certainly  wasn't calm... He fixed them with 'the stare', his children always hated it, but it got results.  Children or pilots, it always seemed to work, and surprise surprise, arrogant eggheads came down off their high horse as well... or at least a little ways.

Josh started, "We can't get the tolerances right..."

Sam cut him off, "We've been over it a dozen times, they know the limits, they just don't seem to care.  They argue, they make excuses, they don't seem to think it's important!"

Eli glared at him, but Sam wasn't backing down... then finally he shrugged, "Ok maybe they can't do it."

Eli turned to the sages gathered around, "Is that it?  Is it beyond your ability?" He asked flat, and only mildly accusatory and challenging.

"The symbols must be drawn precisely..." began one.

The other cut him off, "...and in the space allowed, sometimes it can be done but not consistantly."

Josh cut in, "But it has to be in that space allotment."

Sam added in a frustrated tone, "Every time, or the whole thing is useless trash!"

Eli saw that this was going to get out of hand quick, "ENOUGH!".   Once they had all been cowed back in to sullen but listening mode, "You've got to be kidding me right?  THIS has been the problem all along and you're all still just doing it 'over and over' screwing the pooch each time?"  At the phrase screwing the  pooch the sages looked very confused, but Sam and Josh just looked pissed.

Sam popped off, "Ok so what are you going to do about it?  The space is what it is, that can't change.  Physics is  physics flyboy!"

Eli started to get irritated but then remembered they were all just too close to the problem, and besides it would be a good chance to let some air out of Sam's ego which was always a good practice from time to time.  "Sit down egghead and take notes. This flyboy is going to take you to school.  There are two solutions, and we're just going to do both of them.  That way we're sure we get the problem nailed, and because I'm sure we'll need one or both of them in the future and this way I don't have to come back and do your jobs for you again."   He turned to the sages, "Your first job is to draw me a detailed picture of what each line of the symbol looks like.  I know you can't stamp it in whole.   I ask Ries about that already, but he and I learned that you can stamp in one leg of it at a time.  Each line is exactly the same each time everytime.  If we make the punches small enough, you'll be able to fit them all on there.   Also Ries says that he has something that can make something that enlarges items temporarly.  We make the area bigger, we mark it, then when it goes back to normal.... tiny little symbols, right in the right places.  If we use it when we make the punch, then when it shrinks.. as long as the cuts were clean and don't warp..."

Sam and Josh chimed in together, "instant nanotech, brilliant!"

Eli looked at them and shrugged, "Makes sense, so long as our magic experts don't see a flaw in my plan..."  He looked to the sages who were looking between each other.

One spoke up, "Goyiesh runes can't be cut whole...  No reason ours can't.  It will still take as long to empower them mind you, but making the mark in one step, shouldn't effect the mark itself in any way."  Seeing the others all nodding, Eli let out a war whoop that had them all scattering and looking for cover.  However seeing the near manic laughter and the most undignified of dances he was doing simply left them starring in an open mouthed mix of perplex emotions ranging from mild amuse ment all the way through to shock at the display of total lack of dignity.

The Roths had lopsided grins warring with the looks of confusion.  Finally Sam just asked  with a chuckle, "Ok boss, out with it.  I haven't seen anyone that happy since Josh learned Greece didn't have any age of consent laws."  The last word was almost intelligable around the 'oomph' sound as his brother's elbow connected firmly into his ribs.

Even through his elation Eli had to fight the urge to sigh, but at least the idiot had the sense to tease his brother in English.  As he got control of his own emotions he just shook his head at them and said, "Brothers" to the sages by way of explaination.  Two of the three looked back with understanding eyes.  "If they can really be put in as whole symbols, do you know what that means is possible?" He asked rhetorically.  "Sam, Josh, think of the old antique electric typewriters.  The ones that had the huge ball with all of the letters on it.  Where the ball would roll to the right letter when the key was struck, and it would strike the metal stamp against the inked ribbon to imprint the paper underneath.  Imagine such a device out of case hardend tool steel, 'magiced up', to be even harder and sharper running on the same kind of punch card system as that Jaquard loom you guys have almost got running..." he trailed off as he saw their eyes light up.  As Sam and Josh started to whoop and do an odd war dance... Eli turned to the very confused sages who had followed none of this and went in search of chalk and a clean slate, this was going to take pictures...

* * *

Pheobe was worried.  They were almost out of wool again.  Since they had gotten the improved spinning wheels, they spun all the wool they had in a tenth of the time it took with the old wheels.  She wasn't so worried that the other ladies would feel left out, honestly the spinning really should be farmed out at this point.  By now each of them had 'side projects' or what had started as side projects that were quickly growing into real businesses.  Many of them were even needing to consider bringing on people to assist them.  She had to stiffle a giggle, Elena had even budgeted into their household for two nursemaids to help with the babies as soon as she heard that ultra fertile Hermia was expecting AGAIN and so soon after twins!

No it wasn't their personal fortunes that bothered her, they were already doing better than she had ever dreamed.  She had started to study some of the notes that Elena had finished with.  She had read about capital expenditures and leaving capital equipment idol and how that was wasteful. Pheobe was many things in her life but lazy or wasteful wasn't among them.  She wasn't sure what she could do.  Especially as soon as the automated looms and the Jacquard loom came online, there just wouldn't be enough thread to supply them.  There weren't enough sheep on the whole island.  As it was, nearly everyone sold them their wool and just bought the yarn, even more so now that they could get it dyed already too.  Especially with so many pretty colors.  Who would have ever thought you could get that from that nasty tar?

Pheobe decided that she needed to talk to Elena first, and then probably to Eli.  Now that there were weekly trips to Xi, she was pretty sure she needed to go.  Before that though, she had one more idea, it was crazy but it would only take a couple of days to find out not a couple of weeks.  She could even take Bema with her, it might be fun to have the two of them go on a little adventure together.

Slain Orc

Raj was tight on coin this month.  Oh Kip's tables had been paying as well as ever, and the World Wright wing of the Slain Orc was reserved as usual, but other business had been down.  That, and he had been spending bronze like water buying up the four city block that formed this section of the alien quarter.  It gave him all the property from the block the Orc occupied all the way up to the walls seperating it from the rest of the city, on both sides of the street.

He had made this investment after Eli's man Anju had surveyed the place covertly and confided in him that Eli had big plans.  If he wanted to be a part of them, he should start investing now.  If he made it easy for Eli, Eli would make sure his pockets were filled with coin.  He and his whole family in the other cities too.  Raj had already seen the way the man took a street rat and his sister, and turned them into prosperous business owners.  Honestly they brought in more money paying their cut to him, than the tavern did before he started holding his dice games.  If Eli had big plans Raj had big dreams too, he just didn't have deep pockets at the moment.

Of his extended family only his cousin Vi had really listened.  Oh the others all promised their assistance to any friend of his.  Only Vi asked him to see his books.  Only Vi took the time to play for a night at the dice tables.  Only Vi was buying property.  So while Anju had gone back to where ever they all disapear to, when John stopped in with his lovely wives for a little fun at the tables and a quick check in.  It was only to "Uncle Vi" in Ephenia, that Raj strongly suggested a visit.

* * *

Kip was counting the night's take from the tables.  It was late and he was tired.  Money like this was beyond his imaginings.   While it wasn't all his, he had expenses and winners had to be paid so fairly decent reserves had to be kept, but even so, this was real money.  Dina could have a real dowery.  Hell he could afford a real bride price if that's what he wanted, or he might just buy a slave girl and call it a day.  To be honest he wasn't sure if he really had time for a family.  Of course there was time for all of that later, he  wasn't even twenty yet.  If he kept this up, he could maybe buy citizenship in one of the cities, or maybe even a seat on one of their councils...

He was still lost in thought day dreaming, so he didn't notice the five men wearing crude boiled leather armor lashed haphazardly over their tunics, and carrying  heavy bronze axes.  Two of the men backed the door man into a corner while the other three shouted at Kip, "We'll be taking back our money now!"

Kip wasn't a fighter, but he also wasn't the kind to just give over a small fortune, so he did what came natural to a man like himself.  He ran.  Like a scalded rabbit.  Through the back offices door, and back into the section rented out by World Wright Inc.  'Damn it,' he thought to himself, 'everyone is gone except John's wives doing some interviews and little Dina in her workshop.'    He wasn't about to take armed men in on any of them, but as he cut down the hall, he knew he would pass both of their doors. 'No help for it, at least the men will be focused on me.'  He didn't dare to look back he could hear their feet pounding.  He rounded the corner and the hall in front of him was filled with men.  "lemme through!" he screamed his voice sounding high and girlish even in his own ears as fear robbed him of any dignity or pretense at bravado.  "they're tryin' ta' rob meee." he wailed as he dove into the hastily opening space between the startled men.

He wasn't far on the other side of the crowd when he heard a huge crash and a loud camotion behind him.  Caution warring with a need to know his situation he slowed long enough for a glance over his shoulder.  The three men who were chasing him were in a heap on the ground, tangled with two other men, while four more wrested their weapons from them and beat them into submission.  The two young women came out into the hall way carrying some long wood and metal bar that was smoking from one end and had a long spear point at the other.  The damn thing looked bigger than either of them, especially the smaller of the two, but the way they were clutching it, it seemed they thought it would save them.  He could hear the little one swearing like a sailor, and for one so tiny and innocent in appearance it was quite shocking.  Finally the intent of her question sank in and he found his voice.   "They were gonna rob me!"  Then he remembered like being hit in the head with a hammer, "Axel!  The doorman! Two more had him cornered when I ran."

The men who had pulled the three off looked to each other, but a voice from the floor of one of the two struggling to their feet said, "Go, we've got these three.  They'll cause no trouble now it seems."  and in a flash the four were off.

The smaller of the two women turned on the two men still lounging against the wall who had offered no assisstance.  "So much excitement.  You're here for the interview as well?"  As they nodded, she asked. "May I get your names please."  She looked back to the taller one as each said his name, "Did you get that?"

The taller fair haired woman nodded, "Oh yeah, they're black balled.  They'll never work for our company in any capacity.  Hey if you want to go check on the others, I'll make sure we find these two here something once they've got these assholes tied up, and we'll find something for the other four when they get back.  If nothing else, I think someone might be needing to hire a few guards."   She smiled at Kip.

Kip was winded, his adrenaline was flushing out of his system, his legs felt like rubber, but that smile was probably one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.  Such calm grace in the face of all of this.   Where did John find such women?  The local girls certainly weren't like that...

* * *

Dina fidgited with the wet mask covering her nose and mouth.  Eli, Anju, and even John, and he's even younger than she is, had all insisted that she had to wear it when working.  They said little slivers of glass from the grinding she was doing, if they got into her lungs would make her really sick.  Eli had said they would cut up the inside of her lungs until she would drown in her own blood.  Dina things that was just an adult trying to scare her into doing what he said, but it probably was because it would maker her sick, and while Eli scared Dina a little bit, just becuase he was sooo intense all the time, she also really trusted him.  John seemed to like him too and she really liked John.  She knew he was just a kid and it was stupid for her, being almost grown up and all to think, you know, him just being a kid and all, but he was so smart.  He was already married too, and his wives were smart too.  They could even read.  They tried to tell her that they couldn't read just two summers ago when they med John but Dina found that too hard to believe.  It isn't that she thought that they would lie to her, but wasn't reading something that was hard, and like, you had to go to a school for it or something?

She was lucky, she didn't have to learn to read.  Since Eli had taught her how to make the dice and bought this wheel for her.  Kip said that they had already paid him back for the wheel and so now, she just could make new dice and it was almost like she could just make coins out of nothing.  It was better than magic in a lot of ways.   Magic meant you had to be smart, and you had to always be learning new things, and they said it took a lot of money to alway buy the things to learn new magics.  As long as someone would sell her lumps of glass, and someone wanted to play dice, she could make money.

Even better since John had taken the time before went off on his last trip to teach her how to make the glass into the pretty jewels, oh she knew that they weren't real jewels but they were actually prettier.  If she could afford some real jewels, maybe she would try it and see if it would work on them too.  How much did a real jewel cost she wondered?  She'd only ever seen them on the necks of noble women.  She sort of wished she didn't have to give this one she was working on to Helena, but she had promised John.  It was the price for teaching her.  A tiera he called it, for Syria, which was already done, and this one for Helena.   Maybe if she asked Kip, she bet she made enough money to afford some of the wire. Maybe not the silver like these, but maybe bronze, or even copper...  Some of the green glass, on the copper wire tiera... it might make her pretty too.  Maybe not smart enough to be his wife, but... maybe she could get a kiss.  That shouldn't be asking too much.  Unless he only liked smart girls...  she couldn't help but panic a little, if she had to learn to read just so he would find her interesting...   She made up her mind, she liked the tiera, she would start with that and see if it was enough.  If not maybe she would talk to Helena.  She wasn't as scary as Syria, which was odd because she was bigger.  Not that she was that big, she wasn't any taller that Dina herself and probably only two or three years older, but...  but Syria, Dina didn't know what it was exactly, but even though she had always been nice to Dina, Dina knew that girl was dangerous if you made her mad. She could just see it.

* * *

John shuffled around in the little cart.  The tiny girl next to him was making pitiful whimpering sounds in her sleep. She had been like this for two days, and John was at the end of his rope not knowing what to do for her.  He cursed his tiny body.  The child was only nine, he should be able to pick her up and comfort her.  It was just that since that damn de-aging accident or what ever it was, he was no bigger than a seven year old.   She was actually three inches taller than he was and out weighed him by a good ten pounds, and the poor little thing was barely  more than skin and bones.

The trip had been a success for the most part.  Despite the crazy government sytem or maybe because of it, John wasn't really sure how much the stability government brought was a help and how much the obstruction that it brought was just a hinderence.   Either way, Uncle Vi's set up was enough of a spring board to work from that they shouldn't have to have too much blood on their hands.

Anyway he was on his way back with this child and her family.  They had expressed so much concern for him traveling alone.  Yet when the bandits ambushed them, it was every adult in the wagon, except the wagon driver, who as luck would have had just leaned forward to see to the horses who were cut down in the first volly of arrows.  They had really not been expecting John's return fire with his pistols.  Or the knives he carried hidden about himself to be so plentiful, nor thrown so accurately.  The pile of the dead stunned the wagon driver as well.  Who had fallen under John's intense questioning, given his miraculous timing, but after much questioning, that John judged would have caused even many professional soldiers to fold like a cheap suit, John decided that he really was just one lucky bastard, and let him drive them the rest of the way back to Xi.  Even let him keep most of the bandit's meger possessions as well.  Only the passengers possessions had he demanded be turned over to the authrourities in the next town.   Never again would he make that mistake.  The simply took them in exchange for proper disposal of the bodies.  Leaving little Di with nothing more than a small leather wrist band from her father, and a small bone hair comb from her mother as keep sakes, and a large clay jar with their ashes.

John had considered letting his pistols express his displeasure once more, but Di had been so distressed when ever he had tried to leave the room even to relieve himself, that in the end he just decided that her comfort was more important.  He did remember the name of the little hamlet though, should the town elders of Stins ever find themselves dependent upon his mercy, they may well find it sorely lacking.

He found himself in a dark mood as the wagon pulled up beind the Slain Orc.  Gently nudging Di awake, he wondered if Syria or Helena would have any better idea of how to help her than he did.  They always seemed so much better with the peoplely problems than he was.

Progress, I think

Talking to Elena about the problem had been enlightening.  Seems that wool wasn't the only thing that they were running out of.  There were a lot of, she said Eli called them bottle necks.  Pheobe was a little jealous that Eli talked about these parts of his plans with Elena and not with her, but she knew it was because of the job Elena did in the family.   If she asked him about it, he would talk to her about it too,  but with all the demands on his time, they got so little time together as it was...  She looked down at the little sleeping face riding in the sling on her chest, 'and praises to who ever came up with that idea' she thought again for like the thousandth time, then remembering her train of thought.  So many demands on his time, and well you deserve some time with your daddy too, don't you.  She smiled, and it would be nice for you to have a little brother or sister some day... It's not like I'm like Hermia who gets pregnant when he kisses her at breakfast.  She giggled, then quickly stiffled it and looked around.  The others in the wagon had noticed but seemed to assume she was just playing with the baby.   Riding the wagon back and forth on a regular schedule sure was a lot nicer than taking all day to walk, even if the bumps in this road were giving her a sore back side.

With the once a week boat trips to Xi now as well, it was like the island was a whole different place.  When she was a girl, she only ever left the village to go to the Festival grounds for the spring and fall Festivals, and those were the highlights of the year.  Now she was riding in a wagon, half way across the island, with with her daughter.  Slave to in fact perhaps, though he would deny it, wife to in all ways that actually matter, the wealthiest most influencal man on the island, even at his young age.  Going to meet with a genuine princess.  No appointment, but with every expectation that she will make the time, while planning for her wedding that was less that two weeks away, to meet with me. Lil ol' me.

****

Getting to talk to the princess was a bit more difficult than Pheobe had imagined.  It wasn't the princess that was the problem, it was Hypatia.  She was the chief wedding coordinator, and this close to the wedding, she was near to having a break down herself. Pheobe understood, and despite Hypatia being Hypatia, the woman wasn't wrong, this wasn't a good time, but it was important.  "I don't care.  I know you're both busy.  This is bigger.  Yes BIGGER than the wedding.  This is about after the wedding."

Hypatia's face drew down into a thoughtful frown, "I think that they do it just like we do, don't they?"

Pheobe couldn't help it, she burst out into giggles and exclaimed, "Hypatia!" in exasperation!  The sudden outburst disturbed little Bema who let out with a shrieked laugh to be sure she wasn't left out.

Hypatia realizing now that wasn't what Pheobe meant only looked a little embarassed, "Well they do! Don't they?  Or if not, that's Marcus's problem!  I hear Georgia is hoping that they have pincers like lobsters down there and " she made a pinching gesture with her fingers before both girls disolved into giggles.

"Stop!  That's not nice!  Crazy or not, her customs are her customs, and she didn't ask for this and neither did he."  At least this time Hypatia had the decency to at least pretend to be embarassed.  "Besides this is about prosperity for all of the island's people and her's.  That is what this whole marriage this is being forced on everyone is about, so I say it is important.  No.  Before you ask, I talked to Elena and she agrees, but Eli is talking with the Sages and I won't interrupt him, and as Eli puts it, Marcus is "keeping tropical storm Georgia from becoming Hurricane Georgia" so he's too busy to interrupt too.  I'm making this decision, and you're going to let me."

"Tropical storm..." Hypatia started confused.

Pheobe rolled her eyes, "Where they come from, they name their bad storms after women.  Eli says there is sound reason for this.  A tropical storm takes the roof off your barn, a hurricane takes your whole barn and often as not your house with it."

Hypatia frowned.  "No wonder they left.  Why ever would they allow themselves to be put in that situation?"

Pheobe sighed, "Eli tried to explain it to me.  The way their system is set up now, custom which for most dictatest their morality, is tied to this one to one pair bond.  Including their legal system.  So that it sort of has it's own weight of history.  He says it started back when some rich guys wanted to limit how many ways they had to break up an inheritance.  They wanted to focus it all to the children of only one woman, so that the money and power would stay concentrated rather than become diluted.  They never actually limited themselves to one woman, they just called the other children, 'illegitimate' and ignored them.  This group, Romans they were called, I guess never made it over to this world so didn't bring it here, but all that power concentrated worked.  They took over the religon that grew powerful.  I guess it uses the same holy books  or at least some of them that Eli's people use but they value their customs over what is written in the books.  The irony being the one who they say started their religion was one of Eli's people who was mad at his own people for valuing their customs over the writings, oh hell it's all too confusing.  Eli says it all happened a long time ago and a lot of people have been killing each other over it afterward because of it, and if he lived with it all and couldn't explain it any better I can't explain it to you now!"  She realized she was getting frustrated. She didn't understand that other world.  She wasn't sure that she wanted to.  More importantly they were wasting time.  "Besides the time it would take me to explain it to you, I could be talking to her.  Talking to you like this doesn't get my work done, or yours, or hers!   She's got to eat right?  Break for lunch, I'm starving, after lunch, I'll be on my way and you can go back to what ever you've got left to do."

Hypatia blew out her lips, "Does she eat?  The woman never stops eating!  She'll be the size of a house."  She was complaining but Pheobe could tell she was agreeing as she was heading back toward the Princess and had the look of resignation on her face.

Pheobe chuckled slightly, "She just hasn't adjusted to life on land.  She doesn't know that she isn't going to have to swim for sixteen hours every day.  Besides, maybe Marcus likes them rounder, some men do..."

Hypatia didn't look convinced, "I'm just glad that they hold their ceremony in the nude and I don't have to worry about dress fittings.  Almost, ALMOST, made the chaos THAT caused worth it."

Pheobe stiffled her giggles because they were now getting close enough for the Princess to hear what was said.  Hypatia introduced them as they approached.  Pheobe watched the young woman's eyes involuntarily go wide with fear at the mention of Eli's name.  She looked warily at Pheobe as if expecting her to be a venomous serpent.  Pheobe simply smiled, tried to remain informal choosing a fractional polite nod in place of a bow and spoke as slowly and clearly as she could without being condesending.

To her surprise Whysh's Greek was broken but fully understandable.  "I also am honored to me you, wife of the great War Chief Eli."  She managed to speak his name with only a barely detectable quiver in her voice.

Sensing the upper hand, Pheobe decided to take it, then use it to put the young woman at ease.  She thought, the girl is probably the age of my mother or grandmother, yet in experience and maturity she is not far from where I was only two short years ago.  Pretty thing too, though she couldn't tell if it was despite or because of the slight blue tinge to her skin that gave her an exotic look.  "Please, because of our positions here on the Island, and with in our husbands company, we will end up working with each other often, probably for the rest of our lives, or the rest of mine at least, I guess."  She said with a smile.  "Let's not be so formal.  If possible, it would even be good if we should become friends.  It is along those lines that I've come to see you today, despite how busy I know you must be.  Hypatia tells me that it is time for a lunch break?"  she looked to Hypatia, for the agreed upon nod.  "Perhaps we can have lunch together and I can discuss with you an few ideas that my help both of our peoples?"

* * *

Whysh didn't like this one little bit.  This woman was being very nice, but Whysh wasn't fooled.  She had grown up in her father's court.  This smiliing woman was one of Eli's wives.  That meant she sought his advantage at the expense of her future husband, she was a rival for power at best, at worst she was a deadly enemy.   Still she saw no way around this meeting.  She wished it wasn't so damn hot, it was bad enough she was essentially alone behind enemy lines, working in a language she only barely understood, with people who had such strange customs, and on dry land, but why couldn't these people just swim north to cooler waters like her people did each year?  Why must they stay always in this insufferable heat?  She pushed these thoughts away, the woman was sitting down now.  'Always with that damn smile, like she thinks I am some child to be fooled by such things?' she thought.  Atleast the food here was plentiful and she had to admit amazing...  She yanked her concentration back to the woman who had started speaking.

'...to come and meet with you.  Now that our futures will be connected, I realized that we can help each other, but to do that, we have to know what the other person wants, needs, and finds useful.  So can I start by asking you what is it that your people need?"

Whysh's face was a careful mask of neutrality, though her mind raced with accusations, 'we need your husband to stop planning to wipe us all out for starters.' but she knew she couldn't say that, so she gave the answer she thought the woman wanted to hear, the safe answer.  "Safety.  We need to be able to raise our children without your terrible new magic weapons killing them.  We only attacked in the past because of our alliance with our cousins the elves of the land.  They may have lost their war and been forced to retreat to the remote wilds or surrender to live as conquered subjugated peoples, but we had never needed to do this... until now."

Pheobe was frustrated with this answer, for one it didn't help, and for the second, she didn't really buy it, not yet.  She knew that she was being told what this girl thought she wanted to hear.  She, and many of her people figured that they were just biding their time, until they could figure out a counter measure for the weapon.  They didn't realize that Eli had four thousand years of knowledge to draw from, they couldn't hope to out think him.  In a way, if she could get them to see the benefits of working together instead of trying to fight, she would actually be saving both their people's a whole lot of pain and misery.  "It is good that you want peace.  That isn't what I meant though.   I'm talking about something a bit more tangible.  For instance, I think, we may have a use for sea weed.  At least for certain kinds.  I'd like to have your people gather some of it up for us."

Whysh's eyes narrowed, ah here it is, she was already starting to make demands for tribute.  Worthless seaweed today to get them to agree, then she would make slaves of her people before it was over.  "My father didn't mention the payment of any tribute in the peace agreement, only hostages."  She interrupted the woman, her voice as stern as she could make it, though being here alone it was hard to keep the natural fear she felt from making it shake.

Pheobe shook her head, "That's why I asked what you want or need, I wasn't talking about tribute, but trade.  An exchange.  Your people collect up this seaweed for our people, and our people give them something they find valuable in return for the effort of collecting it."

Whysh was confused, but she couldn't let her guard down this easy.  Maybe she didn't understand this Greek woman's words, after all her own betrothed had agreed to their marriage and not realized it using this wretched language.  "You give us things for seaweed?  Seaweed is everywhere, it is worthless why would you do that?  You won the war, if you really want it, why not just demand it?"  Whysh watched the woman intently.

Pheobe felt like she was a sheep being inspected before a purchase, or a fish in the market suspected of being caught three days before, still this was exactly the kind of question she needed the girl to be asking so as calmly as she could she said, "You will find that my husband, and his people are different than what you expect."  She smiled seeing the look of scorn that the princess couldn't quite keep from her face.  "Time will prove me right on that one.  Until then, seaweed is worthless to you.  I THINK it might have value to us.  I'll need a bunch of different kinds to find out.  Then I'll need people who can tell at a glance one kind from another, knows where to collect each kind, and are motivated to bring me as much of it as they can find.  To do that, your people are the best choice, but if I don't know what they want, I don't know what will make them not just willing to go find me what I want, but happy and excited to do it."  She shrugged... "Here on the land, grass is everywhere too.  IF you cut that grass, then dry it out, then rake it up into big piles, a farmer who needs that hay to feed his sheep through the winter, will give you some cheese, or wool, or maybe even some meat for doing all that work to get his hay ready.  People are happy to do that for what the farmer gives them.  What do your people want?  What would make them happy to do all that work, so that they could have?"

Whysh, was a bit stunned.  This wasn't really how her people operated.  Theirs was what Eli's people would call a hunter/gatherer culture, yet what this woman proposed wasn't slavery.  There was no shame in it.  It was like the giving of gifts that her people did all the time.  Only she guessed if you really wanted a gift from someone that you didn't really like and who didn't really like you, agreeing to exchange the gifts...  "Food!  You have so much food!  I sometimes miss things that we ate, but so much of what you have is so good too!"

Pheobe couldn't help but laugh, "Ok that's a start."  Her laughter had gotten her daughter's attention and she started to fuss.   Bema was mostly on solid foods now but after eating she often wanted to nurse, comfort if nothing else.  Pheobe wasn't sure this was the time or the place but then decided she didn't care, if they were going to make this work, they were just going to have to learn to live with the things of life.  She didn't even stop her conversation as she slid Bema over into her lap and adjusted her into feeding position.  "Help me with what foods you think would travel well, and we can compare it to what we have, and that is a good start.  What other things because seaweed is just a start.  I hope that in working together your people can grow very prosperous while helping us to do the same, so that by the time Bema here is having children, no one will even be thinking about who won or lost wars, it will be hard for people to think of how we could have ever had reason to fight in the first place."

Whysh looked at her suspiciously, but she couldn't help but think that this girl believed it.  They started to slowly go over the list of things each side could think of that the other had.  The value of each, and how much of each for how much of the other, neither knew, and that question bothered them both, but Princess Whysh knew she now had enough that she could send a messenger to her father.  Pheobe agreed that she would talk to Elena and probably Eli soon about this.   They had come up with, seaweed, foods or maybe wax coated preserved foods, enchanted metal tools that won't rust,pearls, sunken artifacts, wreck salvage,fire starters, for trips on shore, sponges, and access to surface markets for mer-elf products.

Pheobe blinked, it was a much bigger list than she expected but she was happy.  Lunch had gone on a bit long and Hypatia was pacing just outside of a polite distance, but Pheobe wanted to call this a success.  "My husband is big on learning and education.  It is why I learned to read, because I knew it would make him happy, and it has.  Some of the things I have read have taught me about some of these things, but there is still much more that he knows and I don't.  This is a good start though.  I think your husband will be happy with this too."

Whysh blushed, the blueish tint to her skin going very deep, "I seek to be a dutiful wife."  She still wasn't sure she could trust this woman.  Though, if she wasn't lying, this would still do a lot of good for her people.  Her father would be pleased.

For better or worse

Di startled awake!  Oh, it was ok, she realized.  He was there.  As long as John was there, it would be ok.  He didn't look like much she had to admit if she were forced to be honest.  She was actually bigger than he was.  Still he had to be one of the most powerful magi in the world or something.  He said it wasn't magic, but she didn't care what it was, he was terrifying, to everything in the world but her.  He had take care of her like an adult would, even though she was sure she was older than he was.  Her mo-mo-mom... she couldn't hardly even force herself to think about her parents yet, but they had been worried for him.  So small and traveling alone.  They hadn't even gotten to see him avenge them, but she had.  Like Zeus himself, thunder roared and the bandits went down.  Their arrows bounced right off of his small chest.

She was pulled out of the memory as he was getting down out of the wagon and holding a hand out to help her down.  Even with everything he always helped her.  How could someone so dangerous be so nice?  Or was it how could someone so nice be so dangerous?  She heard men coming out of the inn.  She shrank back by the wagon, but the seemed to know John.  They seemed to be, friends?  Maybe they worked for him?  That must be it, they are taking all of the stuff.  Without thinking she just followed John into the inn.  It was a busy place and loud, but they didn't stay in the noisy main room.  John led her through the place like he knew it well.  When they stopped outside of a door, he knocked and she heard him say, "Honey I'm home."

The door flew open and a very excited beautifuly blonde woman grabbed John and pulled him from her grasp.  Feeling the panic rise she heard her voice cry out in terror but she didn't realize it was her doing it.  The blonde woman jumpped back, and was joined by a smaller very beautiful dark skinned girl with large dark eyes, that got even wider when she saw Di's tear streaked face, and saw her clutching at John's legs as if in terror of being torn from him.

John was trying to get disentangled from both Helena and Di enough to get turned around to comfort Di.  He knew once Helena understood what was going on, she would completely understand, but for now everything was chaos and Syria had just shown up looking every bit as confused and confounded by the situation.  Finally he was able to kneel by Di.  He tried to keep his voice soothing, actually just like Eli had taught him about working with horses, "Shh... it's ok.  Remember I told you about my wives?  This is Helena, and this is Syria.  Shh its ok, they aren't mad, they were just happy to see me, they didn't mean to scare you."

From over his shoulder he just heard Syria say, "Uh, John?"

Holding Di tight and taking a deep breath now that her sobs seemed to mostly be under control.  "Lovlies, this is Di.  We were traveling together.  On the way back," he shook his head and met their eyes, once he saw both of their eyes widen in understanding of what was being left unsaid, he continued.  "So not having anyone to travel with the rest of her trip, she's been keeping me company.  Protecting me to make sure I got back to you safe."

That was all she could take, Di actually choked out a laugh at the thought of her protecting him.  She looked up at the two large women.   He said he was married, but he was just a kid like her so she really didn't know what to expect, but he's married.  They must think she's a complete baby for acting like this just because they wanted to hug their husband after not seeing him for so long.  She was embarassed, but she couldn't force herself to let go.  She just hung her head and through her sniffles she said, "I'm sorry."  She couldn't stop it, she started crying again.

Seeing John at a loss for what to do next, Helena took pity on him and knelt by the girl.  "Hey, you gotta stop that or I'm gonna cry too.  Then I'll look all blotchy and ugly and John will make me sleep in the hallway."

Again she didn't want to laugh but it was so rediculous she couldn't help it, "nuh uh, he never made me, and I cry all the time.  I'm so ugly!" she wailed the last.

John rolled his eyes, 'where the hell did that come from?  With all the other shit the kid's going through?' he thought but then he saw Syria's small knowing sympathetic smile, and he just shook his head, 'women are nuts!  Every last one of them.  Good thing for the human race that they're also so damn addictive too.' he thought.

Helena took the child's hands in hers, "so let's go over here to the wash pan, and cleanup.   We can both be pretty and not risk the hallway."  she said with a wink.  It took a bit of prying but she was able to get Di over to the washstand and Helena was doing an amazing job of keeping her calm, and getting her the first real bath she had had in at least three days that John knew of.  Once they got  a room for Di, John was looking forward to Helena and Syria helping him with just such a bath.  Taking care of the girl had been pretty all consuming.

Syria did pull him in tight and give him a deep lingering kiss, "I'm so glad you're home safe."

John felt all of the tension drain out of him.  His knees wanted to buckle, but Syria supported him.  "That bad?" she asked.  He just grunted, as she unbuckled the armor.  He let out a long sigh as the weight came off of him,   He turned to pile it on the floor, but Syria lifted it up and took it away for him.

"Oh that feels good.  I haven't been out of armor for three damnn days.  Even as light weight and flexible as that shit is, you don't really sleep in armor.  At best you just kinda nap.  Tonight though..."

Helena was surprised, "Didn't you stay at inns along the way?  Why didn't you get out of your armor?"

John shrugged, "Di was scared.  She wouldn't sleep in her own room, so since she was staying with me... it only seemed right to stay fully dressed.  The armor is part of the clothes so..."  He looked a bit helpless  He looked at her, "Tonight, you have to start sleeping in your own room..." That started the tears up and the hyperventelating panic...  John cut her off, "Look it's not proper.  Besides, I've not seen my  wives in three weeks!"

Di cut him off, "I know!  I'm not stupid!  I did have pa-pa-parents for 9 years!  Our house only had one room.  Sure when I was little it sometimes scared me when mommy made the noises, but she explained to me that it really didn't hurt often.  She said only when daddy wanted to do it like the Kerr soldiers did with their trainees."

John was spluttering, "You!  You're nine!  How do you know about such things!"

Di looked at him like he was crazy, "I told you, I'm not stupid.  Everyone knows about that!  Anyway, she said that it wasn't often and it was part of a wife's duties.  Mommy said most of the noises were actually happy, kinda like when Daddy used to throw me up in the air.  It would scare me, and I would squeal out lout, but like mommy said it was a good kind of scared."

John wasn't sure what to say.  This was way to casual and frank of a discussion for the crowd for his comfort. What made it worse, is that the women all seemed to be bonding over this!

Helene said, "Your mommy was a very wise woman.  I wish I could have met her."

Syria nodded her agreement, adding, "John is the very best kind of good kind of scary."

Di answer her with eyes and voice as cold as the grave, "I know, I saw!"

* * *

Dina had felt a little pang of jealousy at seeing the new addition to John's circle.  At first she thought that maybe he had wanted a wife closer to his own age.  Then noticing how traumatized the girl was, she thought maybe she was a slave.  Except that he didn't treat her as a slave.  The confusion didn't get any less, though the jealousy did for some reason, when she saw the little bed of blankets made up at the foot of the main bed in their room when she was delivering the finished tiaras.  John's praise for her work had made her practially giddy.

She really didn't understand being jealous of Di.  Especially the physical part.  She knew he had two very beautiful wives, and it didn't really bother her.  She also knew that she didn't really want sex with John, at least not yet.  She really wasn't sure that she was ready, and to be honest, he still needed to grow up.  She wondered if he even had hair there yet.  Even with all of that, she couldn't deny that she cherrished every moment he spent with her.  She loved to hear him talk, even when she couldn't understand what he was talking about.  He was just so smart!  The whole thing was crazy, and it was making her a little crazy.

Then she got the invitation!  Syria stopped in her shop to tell her how much she loved the tiara.   Even if it was admiring her own handiwork, Dina had to say, those light amber gems, glittering against Syria's dark hair, looked amazing.  They were just talking and giggling abut how jealous the other women would be, and just like that Syria asked if she wanted to join them at the Royal Wedding!  She couldn't help it, she squealed!  Then she invited her dress shopping!    She knew Kip wasn't going to like any part of this, but he was just going to have to learn to live with it.

She was going to get to spend the day shopping with Helena and Syria, ok and Di.  Then travel outside of Xi for the first time EVER!  Go to a ROYAL wedding!  Her!  Little orphan girl who a few months ago didn't know if she could afford to even eat.  Best of all, John would get to see her in this new dress, and her own tiara.  She sighed.  Then practically skipped off to wash of the stink and the glass dust.  Wouldn't do to go shopping in those nice dress stores looking like she had been grinding dice all morning now would it?

* * *

Moshe had been pacing.  When he had set up this whole thing it was supposed to be a few reliable witnesses to verify for his tribal elders the veracity of Eli's claims.  He looked with apprehension at the large camel hair tent set up just off of the beach where they were anchored.    While they didn't have enough elders from all three tribes to make a binding and unchallengable decision here today, they did have enough that if they just chose to dismiss these witnesses as too fanciful, getting enough of them assymbled to overrule a ruling here could take years.  Had he known his elders would do this...  Well he would have assigned a few of the witness positions more carefully.

This, this was just not how things were normally done!  Why had everyone ignored protocol and jumpped on this before assyembling a complete briefing with all of the unimpeachable hard evidence?  Most irregular!  Moshe was about to turn to pace back in the direction he had just come, when he saw a very haggared looking Kalev leave the elders tent after four hours of rigorous testimoney.  "Kalev!  You've looked better!"

Kalev snorted, "They were, um... thorough.  They asked abotu everything.  Before you ask, I don't know. Their faces were giving nothing away.  I would say that they didn't believe me, but the questions were too specific for them to have not been taking the others very seriously."

****

It was late evening before word got to them.  The decision had been made.  The response was simple.  "It is our brother Yehuda.  What else would we do but render every support?"  Moshe knew it would still be two more days while runners were sent and fierce competition would begin over who would be sent along, but his heart was a lot lighter now.  They would be going, and barring anything unforseen, they should arrive in time for the royal wedding.  Then was Eli in for a surprise.  Moshe couldn't help but smile.  Sometimes things just seemed to work out.

All the scattered pieces

Eli was at the drafting table.  They had tons of paper, but with the 'magic printer' finally up and running, he was unwilling to spare even a scrap until they had gotten at a minimum the 'essentials' coppied over.  Sam had done some quick calculations, even once they got enough printers made up to have one for each of their machines, and that alone would take over a month, assuming they stopped other projects, which they couldn't do, it would still take them just over a year and a half to print out everything.  That was only printing the information, not binding the books, or shelving them.  Not to mention finding a place to shelve all of them, indexing all of them, etc.  They had used the translate feature of the computer software to put most of it into Greek.  Saving the English texts only in situations where having the original test might be criminal to let the original work perish, either for clairity or historic reasons.

So he found himself scratching at a thin layer of wax and pitch, spread over a large baked clay tablet, trying to properly design some very basic boost pumps for moving water through a heat exchanger.  It was not going well.  Oh this mix was better than trying it with chalk and slate.  He had set a sweaty fore arm on the board and wiped out half a days work with that mess.  Still it was a lot like working a particularly difficult crossword puzzle in pen.  To make matters worse, his plan to move the coolent around by thermocyphoning, just wasn't going to work.  Just too much cappilary friction in the pipes.  He was busy trying to think of a way to overcome this limitation without having to resort to mechanical pumps.  Their pump technology just wasn't good enough not to end up having it spend  way too much time  trying to repair it.

Eli just couldn't figure out how to make it work without a pump, and he was really starting to get frustrated with it when there was a knock at the door.  He looked up and there was Pheobe and she had Elena with her.    Eli got just a bit worried.   Usually they wouldn't bother him at work so something must be wrong, "What's happened?" he asked worriedly.

Pheobe shook her head and hurriedly said, "no, not like that.  At least I don't think so.  I actually think this may have worked out..."

Elena cut in, "We didn't want to bother you with it, but now..."

Pheobe was nodding, "Yeah, I checked to Elena to be sure I wasn't just being crazy, and when she said it sounded good, well we didn't want to bother you while you were working with the sages, and what with the wagons running to the Festival grounds now on a normal schedual, I wouldn't even have to be gone over night.." Eli started to feel uneasy.  It wasn't that he didn't trust his wives but they were putting way more explaining on this one than normal.  What ever it was that they had been up to, they thought that they may have gone too far are were afraid that he would be upset that they were only coming to him now after things had gotten out of hand.  His concerns must have shown on his face because Pheobe started talking even faster, "... and after all it was only two women talking over lunch, you see..."

Eli couldn't take it anymore, "Ladies, I'm not mad.  I just am starting to get concerned why you haven't just told me what's going on."  He thought he did a fairly good job of keeping his voice steady despite the growing feeling of dread that was building.

Pheobe took a deep breath and said it all in a rush, "I had a meeting with Princess Whysh.  I think we might have gotten a start on a good trade deal but... well we both ran to the limits of what we could do.  I came back and talked to Elena first, and I would have talked to you about it last night but you had to meet with Cleodora's family, and so I just couldn't put it off anymore."

Eli smiled, "That's great!  I've been wanting start up trade with the mer-elves but I've been busy.  Besides everything I can think of, scouts for the navy, or helping with better maps, that kind of thing, all has military applications and I think King Typhon will not see it as a good trade, and will resist.  So I have to ask, what do you and the Princess want to trade?"

Pheobe and Elena, took the time to break it all down for him.  Their studies from his books, not wanting the spinning wheels to be idle, needing fiber, thinking of sea weed as a substitute ofr flax or hemp.  Eli was grinning widely at this point, but told them to contine.  They explained that the mer-elves didn't really understand trade as such, but once Whysh caught on, she came up with several other areas of trade.    By the time they were done Ely was grinning like a mad man.  He yelled for one of the servants, who arrived moments later, "I need you to send a runner to the Roth's for me.  I need at least one of them here ASAP, if they can at all spare the time, it's worth it for both of them to come."  The servant just nodded and was off to send the messages.  Eli hugged them both, "You two are a treasure!  Absolutely brilliant!  Seaweed, huh, why didn't I think of that.  I don't remember the details, but I know that they used some sort of seaweed to make clothes back home.  I bet the Roth boys know something about it or at least can point us in the right direction."  He hugged them again, then looked down at his tangled mess of half finished drawings.  Soon as he figured something out, he would draw it all over fresh, but until then he needed to make sense of the mess.

Elena was looking at his drawings while he was talking.  She couldn't help but think that they looked like lungs made from metal.  That was silling of course, metal lungs couldn't easily expand and contract for breating.  She laughed at the silly thought. Eli heard her laugh and turned to see what she found funny and he said with mock hurt in his voice, "Hey my drawings aren't that bad".  Elena shook her head and told him what she had been imagining.  Eli choked.  How could he be such an idiot?  Damn but his women were smart!  He had been thinking like an Earth engineer, not making the most of his access to magic.  If he made flexible air resivoirs like lungs, probably have to be out of tar and wax impregnated leather, suspended in the fluid resivoir, he could then just create the air in the lungs to force inflate them, displacing the fluid, and pumping it through the heat exchangers, and then the force of the fluid under gravity, would expell the air out of the 'lungs' across the radiator, and into the air.  It wasn't exactly, no moving parts, but it wasn't a traditional pump to wear out either.  This was pure inspiration.  He was telling the girls what they had done, and all but dancing around the room when the Roth brothers arrived.  He could hear them coming down the hall, because as usual they were in mid argument with each other as they approached.

"Seaweed?" Josh said with a thoughtful look.  "Sure, I guess.  I mean they were more looking at it to make bioplastics with than for their fibers, but fiber reinforcement might help with it being brittle, especially if we were to cook up a little glycerine to go with it."

Sam grunted, "You've just been looking for an excuse to make dynomite for months now.  Still if you did add a little glycerine to the polymers, and also carbonized say five percent of of them as well..."  He trailed off doing some quick math in his head.

Josh beat him to it, "Yeah, the natural carbon nanotubes that would form would add strenght, and the polymers would glue it together, while the glycerine, would grant some elastisity...  Even if it wasn't as good as nylon, if it could only be used for say rough tarps or cheap sails or..."

It was Eli's turn to cut him off, "Or news paper, or scratch paper for designing machines..." he said pointing to his drafting table with disgust.

Sam nodded in agreement having suffered from the lack of paper himself and then with a real grimace said, "or adding cattail fluff and make toilet paper.  Miss that even more than potato chips..."

At the mention of the missing potatoes all three men cringed nearly as bad as at the missing toilet paper.  Josh shrugged, "You know the only reason we haven't tried to do more is we just don't have the time, but if they got this far on their own... they're smart enough to take it further.  Maybe give them a small budget, and a place to work, and get them a bit of help.  One or two of those 'alchemists' from the mainland might not be all bad, if you could get them to take orders.  damn fools..." He spat the last two words with unrestrained disgust.

Eli grinned at the brothers, "Ok, I've kept you two long enough.  See if you can dig up anything you have as far as seaweed for the girls when you get some time.  I think I've been neglecting the development of those closest to me for too long."  With a wave, he shooed the bickering brothers back to their lab, grinning as they picked up their old argument as they left.  Turning back to his wives, "Family meeting tonight.  Give the others a heads up.  If you want to take on more, I think I know how I can help you to do it.  For now, get out of here, thanks to you two convincing me that I know nothing about engineering, I have to completely redesign my machine now to make it up to your high standards."  He winked at them to be sure that they knew he was teasing and was actually very proud of them.

Elena and Pheobe actually skipped out of his study and down the hall.  The timidity of earlier had evaporated, leaving two giddy teenagers, high on praise, with their minds bursting with big dreams.

* * *

Teppo was still staring open mouthed.  The men swarmed the building working sure, but that wasn't what was causing it to rise so rapidly.  Even the twenty, what could now be called semi skilled brick layers, and ten iron workers, could never hope to have worked such a marvel if it had not been for the unbelievable magic machines that were running along side them.  The thing called a 'cement mixer' seemed to churn out that miraculous liquid stone in batches large enough to supply five men about four times every hour, which seemed to be just about as fast as the men laying the bricks could use it up.  Of course the bricks!  Bah, it was the damnedest thing!  Totally untrained slaves would unload them from a wagon and on to what they called a "Conveyor".   It was an enchanted plank more than twenty paces long, and the bricks once loaded on one end, would simply slide, of their own accord mind you, straight up to the other end where a bricklayer was waiting to add the liquid stone like glue and put it in it's place.  No sooner had he put one down, than his companion had another ready to go and was laying it's made right next to it.

The men setting the huge iron beams were no less efficient.  They didn't use a conveyor.  Instead they had a large pole, with an off set beam of it's own set way atop it. With a relatively complext set of ropes and pullies they could raise a lower incredibly heavy loads as well move them forward and back across the surface of the ground.   In such a way as this, they could position beams that were four times the height of a man, and weight more than five times that of a normal man, sinking them in place accurately and with ease.   Then simply hold it there still and secure while the workers used other tools to fuse it to the beames that were already part of the structure.

The end result was that by the wedding date, they would have far more than the first story complete and the whole structure was almost of one piece when they are done.  As if it were as imutable as the mountains.

Rumors

Afraxia ran across the open boluvard to the hosiers botique across the way.  Slowing herself back to a stately and graceful glide, no matter how urgent a rumor, it would not do to have people see you in a rush.  It could give the completely wrong impression.  Seeing Mistress Dianna with people she recognized as longstanding and well paying customers she found Alexia inspecting the fine weave of the imported cotton hose, and  decided she would have to do.  Afraxia quickly motioned her to the  back of the shop and in a harsh, barely contined whisper asked, "Have you heard about a Royal Wedding?"

Alexia looked at her as if she had lost her mind, "Royal wedding?  Who's?   When?   Not possible, can't have a modern bridal party without hoziery.  Who else would a royal party trust?  Unless it wasn't in Xi?  Did they say if they were traveling?"  Alexia didn't bother to ask how she knew that there was a royal wedding, in their circles they all lived on gossip and rumor.  A customer had visited one of their shops, as long as that customer was of the right quality, or at least they spent enough to be, then word spread like wild fire.    Judging by the sheer anxiety in Afraxia's manner over this particular rumor, the amount of coin that floated in the wake of this particular rumor must have been extraordinary.  She eyed Afrexia closely, "When Mistresss Dianna is free, I will pass this along. If we hear more, I'll be certain to share."

****

After talking to Mistress Dianna, Alexia decided it was time for her to take her break.  She headed up the street to the Elysium Bakers, they were the premiere confectioners in the city.  Can't have a wedding without sweets, and the baker's son was a bit sweet on her, so if he knew anything she could pry it out of him, right along with an extra tart....  however after a disapointing few minutes of flirting and not getting what she wanted.

"... what do you  mean that there is a wedding but you don't know anything about it?"  She asked exaperated.

He shrugged and looked confused, "t'was a whole gaggle o'women in here, girls really.  ordered a bunch o'sweets.  talked about this royal wedding.  Some princess marrying a merchant of all things... and that they were going next week.  They had enough body guards, and and porters carrying their shopping that you might think they were the princess's party themselves, but I'd never seen any of them.  Didn't recognize a one...  Not even by family."  He just shook his head and threw up his hands.

After Alexia left his father teased him, "Will her father be approaching me with a dowery offer anytime soon?"

Petre's face reddened, he only wished, but he couldn't say so to his father without ridicule, so instead he sighed.   "She was just asking about the  Royal wedding that everyone is talking about."

His father's brows drew down in a confused frown, "There isn't a Royal wedding.  I have recieved no order."

Again Petre sighed, "That is what I told her father, but there has to be one somewhere.  I saw the women shopping for it myself.  Even truly besotted noble husbands do not let their wives spend money THAT freely unless there really is an event to attend."

"Hmm... Keep an eye on the shop for a while.  I must go check on our wine order." he told Petre as he took off his flour covered apron, and headed toward the door muttering quietly to himself.

* * *

Cadmus made it home from the palace a little later than usual this afternoon.  As the king's minister of commerce he had been dealing with the on going parchment shortage.  Some of the alternatives the more rual provinces had resorted to for sending in their reports were down right exotic.  It was enough to make his head pound.

The greeting he recieved from his two wives and five daughters was such to make him long to return to the merely excruciating tedium of his work at the palace.  "What are you talking about?  Royal wedding?  Impossible!  There can't be a Royal wedding, much less in a week or I would know about it.  No of course I didn't get an invitation!  How could I get an invitation to a wedding that isn't happening?  I don't care what your hair dresser, or your seamstress, nor your perfumer, said!  I work in the palace!  Royal weddings are not small affairs.  Once simply could not happen and I not have heard about it.  Now what is for dinner, or have the household staff also been more worried about some fantasy wedding than making food?"

****

The following morning Cadmus returned to the Palace having given no further thought to ficticious royal wedding nonsense certain that it was the last that he had heard of it.  However, several of the other ministers were gathered in the hall outside of their offices conversing in what Cadmus thought could best be described as a confused flock of seagulls!  As he got closer he could make out the topic of conversation.  The minister of the treasury was saying, "...excatly what I told her!  No royal weddings can happen unless I see requests for the funds!  Even with this crazy parchment shortage, they would come in carved in stone, or scrawled on a sea shell or something!  Still she refused to believe me!"

The Minister of  Agriculture was shaking his head sympathetically, "I know, had the same problem with my daughter.  She said she couldn't get an appointment with her hair dresser because of this rumor.  The women of the city had booked up all the time all week long.  What is the word of an official Minister of His Majesty, against that of a hairdresser to a woman." he snorted.

Cadmus couldn't believe what he was hearing.  This was just completely getting out of control.

* * *

Seeing a rare moment to have a chat with John when no one else was demanding his time, Raj picked up a plate of sliced beef from the kitchen, and went out to join him at one of the tables in the public room.  Taking advantage of the quiet of the late morning John had been enjoying some of the traditional Greek mountain tee brewed with mint.  Seeing Raj approach, John almost made a run for it.  It wsn't that he didn't like the gnome, it was more that he was really enjoying having a couple of minutes of solitude.  As Raj approached, he asked John with a grin, "So have you heard about the royal wedding?"

John let out a groan, "Don't remind me.  It's all I ever hear about these days."

Raj laughed, "It's all anyone is talking about these days which is what is even funnier.  Ever since your women folk did their full frontal assult on the high end shops up on Guild Hall Row.  The half of the town just knows that a royal wedding is happening this week, while the other half is damning them all for complete fools saying that if it were happening you'd know all about it.  They don't hold them in secret after all, don't you know?"  Raj was enjoying the situation a little too much John thought.

His laughter was infectious though.  "To think it all almost ended in disaster because of one arrogant merchant.  Judged my girls ability to buy by what they happened to be wearing..."  he shook his head chuckling.

Raj was nodding, "Oh yes!  I heard the whole story, with I believe you call them 'sound effects'."  his eyes were practically aglow now.  "I must say, enlisting young Miss Larissa turned the whole adventure around for them.  You know, as human women go...."

John rolled his eyes, "I'll let her know you're interested.  I need more women in my life like I need an extra hole in my head.  Especially if they go on many more spending sprees like that one... OUCH!"  John was just about to do some general purpose complaining when it hit him. This was the social event of the season and the city elites weren't invited, hadn't been consulted, and... he genuinely began to grin at this point.  You couldn't describe it as a 'wolfish' grin, for while wolves would certainly have recognized it, wolves weren't by nature gleefully cruel creatures.  Raj had noticed the change in his companion as well and raised both eyebrows inquizatively.  "...and just like the fat girl who couldn't get a prom date, come Monday morning they need to be made to see exactly what all they missed!"  he finished the thought aloud.

At Raj's look of total incomprehension, John started to laugh wildly.  "Raj, we have got one of the most audatious building projects in history getting ready to kick off soon.  We have multiple product lines that will be introduced, all of which will be objected to by the guilds because they will be so much better than what is currently made that many of the guild owned businesses will not be in business or at least not the same business this time next year because of it.  We need something that gets people talking about us.  Something that lets the common people know a little something about us, before the storm that is coming, starts to be seen.   THIS, is the PERFECT thing in a lot of ways.  It is something that the common people are normally shut out of but the elites take for granted that they will be a part of, but this time everyone knows that they all want to go, but haven't been invited.  I have to get with Eli, to figure out how we're going to use this!   This is a PR coup!"  John jumped up, grabbed a couple of the roast beef slices off the plate with a free hand and turned to dash toward the door heading back to the World Wright wing of rooms.  Over his shoulder he called, "Thanks Raj!  I'll make sure you get your share of the goodies out of this, what ever they turn out to be!"  Still confused, Raj listened to his manical laughter fade as he ran further down the hall.  He was such a strange boy, but Raj never doubted for a moment that what ever 'his share' meant, the coins would probably take two men to be able to carry.  It almost always did with these people, and that suited Raj just fine.  The rest of his family were idiots... well except for Vi...

The Nature of Fusion

'Three days to go', he thought to himself looking at the area these Island people had began calling Festival City.  The enormous, to his eyes, building that was under construction along the far edge of open meadow was nearly half complete, but would not be done before it was to host what he groom's party called 'the reception' but they assured him it wouldn't be the eye sore it was now with everything torn up around it.  Even at only thirty five feet tall, it was still one of the largest structures that King Typhon had seen built by human hands, at least that was still standing.  Oh certainly there were vast cities under the waves that boasted buildings that would likely have been as tall or perhaps even taller but they were all in ruins.  Besides, many believed them to belong to the common ancestor of his people and the land elves, and not mankind.  Of course the truth of this was lost in time and no one knew for certain, as it was believed that those ruins were from before even the great flood.

Typhon realized that he had been letting his mind wander and hadn't been paying attention to the meeting that was going on around him and forced himself to refocus. "...so like I was telling you, the first three floors will be usable, as well as the kitches, so long as you can get the ovens enchanted in time and moved in."  Anju was saying.

Eli nodded thoughtfully, as Ries jumped in at this point, "The magical part of the ovens is already enchanted and has been for almost a week."  He looked to Eli, "That water wheel of yours, and Evita's insights, have made enchantment possible on a scale I would never have dreamed of."  He cleared his throat.  "Is she coming to the wedding?  Will I need to make my excuses?"

Eli shook his head.  "I expect she'll make it, though she has been withdrawn lately.  No, you certainly do not need to make any excuses or efforts to alter your plans over this.  Her issues are her own.  If you can behave like an adult about the whole thing, then the least she can do is try to as well."

Ries still looked a little befuddled, "I never meant.... I really didn't know..."

A long sigh from Marcus cut him off.  Marcus's deep voice just rumbled in to this mix softly, "We know.  It was just hard on her."  From the tone of his voice, everyone could tell it wasn't just Evita that he was thinking of, but no one wanted to bring up the elephant in the room.  He smiled softly, "I was raised that way, my first gut reactions lay along those lines, for Georgia's sake, I would never have chosen another path for my life.  That doesn't mean I haven't come to understand the flaws in the old world's logic.  Doesn't mean I don't see flaws in the way things are done here either."  The big man shook his head slowly, "If any of you breathe a word of what I am about to say, we'll have problems, cause I won't have it said that I ever took relationship advice from Josh Roth of all people."  That set up a chuckle from all those gathered except King Typhon who was only watching the big man intently.  "Men from our home, love the local girls.  For good reason, we don't really get it because of all of the propaganda to the contrary but back home, we're the one's who really get the raw deal.   The local girls, really love the guys from back home.  We're caring without being soft or weak.  We do things without even thinking about it that local guys wouldn't dream of doing, because we've been on the raw end of the deal for generations.  Still no one who's ever seen us in a fight would ever call us soft or weak.  Take Anju here, he's probably the least combat ready among us, nothing personal..."

Anju smiled, "No... no... it's just true.  Never was much of a fighter."

Marcus smiled at him, "But, also never a coward, nor weak.  When the that war ship attacked a couple of years back, Anju was one of the first people into the frey.  No weapons, no armor, no fear!  He was pulling out the wounded and organizing the civilians to send supplies to those who were doing the fighting."  Then he let out with a harsh laugh, "Let's not forget the weakest looking among us... anyone who saw John jump down off of that boat looking like a demon child covered in blood and swearing like a sailor, angry because he just had to kill more than one hundred men by himself, because he thought that they would be slaves to free not free sailors to fight.  The boy was barely over three feet tall!  Who would call him weak?  Or Soft!"  He scoffed at the thought.  "So, it is this mix, those who've seen what it is like to have the society slanted against you, being over joyed to find that it isn't.  This makes for a powerful combination.  The opposite direction..." he shrugged.  "Obviously we've got fewer examples so perhaps it isn't fair to make the comparison, but not to call special attention to Ries and Evita's plight, and my recent difficulties with Georgia over..." he spread his hands, and looked a bit helpless.  "It wasn't what we planned.  It wasn't ideal.  It is something we should face together, not have drive us apart.  I don't know if her ego will allow for that though."

King Typhon looked at him, "I am sorry that this has caused you difficulty.  My daughter is a good girl.  If what you say is true, she will see it as well and she will become for you what you need.  Perhaps compensating in some ways for any loss this brings you."  Marcus just stared at him, not trusting his ability to respond.

Eli stepped in, "King Typhon, it doesn't exactly work like that.  People are individuals, one can't be exchanged for another.  We understand what you are trying to say and we agree that your daughter will become a valuable member of our family, she has already began an amazing project with one of my wives, but understanding the difference between valuing her, and 'compensation for the loss' of another wife, is one of the differences that Marcus was talking about.  Your daughter probably won't understand at first either, or as with my wives, be afraid to believe it, but once they know it to be true and real, THAT is when the true magic happens."  Eli let him think about it for a few minutes... then casually almost off handedly said, "A similar thing happens between allies, once they allow themselves to see enough of the truth to accept it."  Then back to Anju, "So I have the air conditioning unit built as well, are the ducts built in already?"

Anju replied, "Yeah just like we discussed, fully integrated with the brick so need to do anything more than hook it in.  Same goes for the plumbing, the holding tank....

* * *

Not for the first time Moshe had wished he had access to one of Eli's radios.  Bringing a floatilli of this size to what Kalev assures him is a small island.  An island that is already packed with people for a wedding sealing the treaty with the mer-elf nation if all went according to plan.  He couldn't help but believe that thirty two ships decending on the island without warning was bound to cause alarm, but no one would listen.  He tried to convince them that more than two thousand people making landfall from all three tribes including the delegation from the tribal elder's council would strain the island's abilit to house them all but again no one thought it an issue.  They had "brought tents and since we had ships we could said to cities for supplies if they were needed." It was the only answer he was given.

Suddenly it occured to him that perhaps it was a blessing to not have the radio.   If he were to warn young Eli of exactly what a circus this whole endevor had become, what sensable young man wouldn't flee.  Ok maybe knowing that four of the ships were packed solely with eligable young women and their shomeriem, or maybe they would be wise enough to know the vast trouble that alone represented and would flee.  When the elders heard that three men of the tribe of Yehuda had arrived and had no wives except what they had to take from among the goyiem, they let it be know that such was a disgrace, and we shouldn't let our brothers suffer so.  Every mother with ambitions for her daughter joined the near blood bath to get their girl a place on one of those three ships.  Moshe was not looking forward to the chaos that this would bring.  Kalev, irrassable as he could be would only grin every time the subject was brought up, and would say he was looking forward to seeing how Eli managed the situation.  Moshe thought that Kalev had a certain sadistic streak in him.  Still Moshe had made certain that he was on deck with Kalev as they neared the island.  He wanted them able to greet the fast attack craft of the island's navy to avoid any missunderstandings.  Hearing Kalev's shouted greeting, Moshe hurried to his side, realizing that he had been justified in his concerns.

He heaved a sigh of relief as they recieved a friendly wave from the captain of one of the two craft.  One pealed off at a truly impressive speed for even such a small craft, but the other took position in front of their fleet, and matching speed with them, set to lead them in.

* * *

"Mr. Eli!  Mr. Eli!" the boy wearing the radio room's messenger service patch on his tunic was running toward him, with his arms flailing and calling his name at the top of his lungs.  Eli froze and his heart sunk.  No one would interrupt him while meeting with Typhon unless something had gone really wrong.  The boy finally got close enough where he could talk, and wouldn't have to shout.  Through his gasps, he gave his report, "Message came in over the radio.  The bene Yirael are back Mr. Eli.  They said more boats than they could count.  The message said they should be in the harbor in about two hours."

Eli groaned, "Looks like we're out of time fellas. Anju, you've laid your last brick.  Wrap it up, and get the clean up underway.  We're going to need those rooms.  Oh, and the temporary houses," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder indicating the ones dotting the festival grounds, "we're probably going to need more.  See if you can figure out a way to save on material, we might need a few of them.  Also lets put them out along the road back toward our place, might as well put them somewhere we won't have to tear 'em back down later if we don't need to...."  At Anju's nod, he then turned to the messenger, "radio Sapphira back at my house, let her know what's going on.  Tell her we may have guests for a bit."

Marcus sighed, "I'm kinda needing to get back anyway.  Anything more you need from me on this one?"

Eli snorted, "Yeah, don't be late for your big day.  Give my best to Georgia, when you think she can stomach hearing it from me."

Marcus just nodded.  He didn't laugh, and they all knew that wasn't a good sign.  Ries wanted to go with Eli, he wanted to talk shop with any sages they brought with them but he knew he needed to get to work.  If they were going to have this place ready to go... "Ok, then you'd better get going, it's still a couple of hour ride over that way, and I should get ready for when the plants need a boost.  No way to get power from the water wheel here."

That comment made Eli frown for a second.  Ries was right, that was limiting.  He didn't have time to dwell on it though, he turned to Thphon, "I'll probably not see you before the big day.  Is there anything that you need?"

The mer-king shook his head, "No, you are keeping your end of the agreement admirably.  I will return to my people after saying good night to my daughter.  I will see you in three days."  With a firm nod toward Eli the King strode off.  As Eli went hurrying for a horse he thought to himself, I'm going to have to get him to teach me how to move like that.  I always seem to be running everywhere I go.

* * *

Kalev was looking awfully smug, Eli thought.  He had known this was coming for the better part of a week and had been anticipating my reaction.  I can't believe that I'm giving him everything he wanted like this but I just wanted to reconnect, I never really expected that they would demand that Sam, Josh, and I rebuild the whole tribe of Judah on this world.  It was crazy!  He never thought of himself as a 'patriarch' but in two hundred years if the elders got their way, that's how his decendents would see him.  It had taken a bit of fast talking to get the elders to accept his existing wives as 'converts' to the tribe, his children with them were no problem in the eyes of the elders, for generations in this world taking war brides from among the nations and raising up children in the tribe had been an accepted way of growing the tribe but the mothers had always been viewed as not quite part of the family.  Eli wouldn't accept this, but in order to get the elders agree, Eli had to agree to choose one bride from each of the tribes so that they were bound by blood as well.  He managed to not have Sam and Josh locked into the same agreement, but if they wanted Agatha and Chloe to be recognized as wives by the other tribes rather than pilegeshiem, then they had to accept the agreement too, but at least they would have the choice.  He wondered which they would choose.  They weren't more than nominally Jewish in the first place really.  More secular than observant, and while the ladies were from this world and weren't likely to hold earth's monogamy or die mindset, would they really want everything that came along with conversion.  Especially in this world where it brought real and present dangers and persicutions with it?  They were always a threat, even on Earth, never more than a couple of generations removed from memory, but here...  He hadn't been able to even rent a room in the 'good part of town' in the nearest city on the mainland.  Would they want to take that on?

What were his wives going to say?  He knew that they would support him and would make the most of it.  Down deep though, he already felt like he wasn't spending as much time with each of them and the children as he wanted to.   As things kicked off over the next few months with the expansion, that might only get worse.  Adding more women into the mix...  Still it brought with it full cooperation of the three tribes.  That was more than just economic support.  That was actual honest to goodness troops. He glanced back over his shoulder at the twenty men mounted on the oddest looking beasts he had ever seen.  His personal guard.  Ten men from Gad and ten from Naphtali.  Their mounts, re'em they called them, were beasts that they discovered here and not the biblical unicorn, but Eli could not help but be shocked by the appearance.  It was goat like, though the two horns that grew from its forehead entertwined becoming one, and the creature was massive resembling in mass and shape the American bison, as much as a goat, though it retained the goat's proclivity for climbing.   A kosher animal, it provided for the tribes who kept them meat, milk, and a fine wool.  They also appeared to be excellent mounts and pack animals.  Had Eli not been actively trying to develop a mechanized alternative to muscle power, this animal would have been so much better of an option than the horse, that for it alone he would have be giddy to accept cooperation with the other tribes.

Dan wasn't to be left out.  He had ten sailors as well. They were left back with Leon, learning how to operate the new sail design on the fast attack craft.   That wasn't where Eli thought he would eventually assign them but it was good to have them familiar with it all the same.  His thoughts were interrupted as the house drew into sight and gasps were heard from the liason officers from Gad and Naphtali.  Eli glanced to the side, Kalev still wore that smug smirk.  "You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself."  Eli muttered to him.

Kalev glanced at his two counterparts, and said loud enough to be certain that they heard, "Oh it is nothing Elder, I just heard a sound that reminded me that I am soon to collect on a certain wager I made on the ship earlier."

Eli didn't have to turn around to know that both men had sour expressions.  He wasn't sure what they were wagering on but he assumed that one or both of them had believed Kalev to be boasting about something he had said to them.  It wasn't any of his business, this was between them.  He was sure over time, they would all be able to work together like he and Kalev had learned to do, until then if it amused Kalev, meh... why not.  "Well as we are almost there and since your family was not able to join you this time, I will let you show your counterparts around.  Get them to the kitchens and get them fed.  Maybe to the mikvah later...  Unfortunately I still have duties that will require my attention.  I will send for you as soon as I am able in the morning."

"As you wish Elder..." Kalev said and barely restrained another smirk as he heard Eli's teeth grind, but the wagon was close enough that Eli lept from the moving wagon hitting the ground with only a slight skip in his step yelling orders to the trailing cavalry unit as he went.

No Going Back

Typhon conducted the actual ceremony of the exchanging of the vows himself.  On the beach, in the water to their waist, so that they were half in the water and half out, the couple gave their vows with an odd mix of traditions.  They were both as naked as the day they were born, as was mer-elf custom, much to Marcus's consternation.  In concession to his desire for modesty, and the need for witnesses, only Typhon and Eli stood with them between the two giant coral covered statues of a man and a woman holding a great coral dome.   Marcus had to admit, it was as elegant as any flower arrangement of any wedding he had ever been to.  All the other guests were kept back a very respectable distance.  The vows were short and simple, each pledging support and provision, children and companionship until their respective deities called them to their final rest.

Upon completion of the vows, Eli who had been carrying the all important cloaks, provided the couple with enough covering for  modesty's sake and they came out of the surf to greet their well wishers.  The mer-elves came up out of the sea in mass behind them and everyone made their way to the World Wright headquarters building where the couple snuck off to get dressed for the party that soon kicked off and lasted until the early hours of the morning.  Everyone was in attendance, well everyone except Evita, who had sent a letter back with John stating that she had already left the area, not to try to find her, and of course Georgia, who had asked that she simply be left alone for the day.  It was agreed, though there was a plot hatched amongst the various wives to be certain she was only given one day to wallow in self pity.  More than that they deemed unhealthy.

Eli tried to  keep business to a minimum.  He spent the time dancing with his wives, making sure that his very zealous guards were sticking to the agreed upon schedule and that each of them were only taking two hour shifts so that they too could enjoy the party.  They had objected but Eli had put his foot down on this.  Rejoicing with the bride and the groom was a mitzvah and he wouldn't have impious men in his personal guard!  None of the young men were fooled by this excuse, but his concern for their happiness was not seen as a small thing by them.   The rest of his time, he spent trying to dodge the seemingly endless stream of 'casual' meetings with hopeful young ladies, all of whom were just at the farthest acceptable distance from their appointed shomeriem at that moment.  The only thing that made it only slightly more amusing than frustrating was seeing that his plight was shared by Sam and Josh as well, and both of those men had a positively hunted expression on their face.  That and of course his wives were finding the whole train wreck to be very entertaining.

Eli wasn't the only one who found himself oddly flumuxed by the fairer sex.  John thought he had things figured out when it came to the women in his life.  He had them all put in neat little categories, and for the most part he was happy with that, but today things went all topsy turvy on him.  He didn't know if it was just women reacting to weddings or being away from their normal routines, but his first shock of the morning was little Di.  She was so pretty all dressed up. It really did make her look more grown up, so he thought he would be nice and compliment her.  After all, didn't all kids like it when you didn't treat them like a kid but treated them like people?  Helena told him later that Di had been asking her and Syria about flirting, so he supposed she just figured he was a safe target to practice on, but she was just still too little to even play like that.  He really wished Syria, and Helena wouldn't encourage her.  He had barely recovered from that shock, when they met up with Larissa.  She had always seemed rather plain to him, but wow, she could clean up when she wanted to, and flirty as hell!  He knew she didn't really mean it, after all he could see himself, he wasn't delusional, ten years from now... whole other story, but come on.  He had needed to sneak off with Syria for a few minutes after she got done teasing him.  Then just before they were ready to go to the beach, Dina makes her entrance.  Syria and Helena had always said that they thought she had a little crush on him, and he figured that they were just teasing him, but after this morning, he must be some kind of idiot becuse he was kind of hoping that there might be something to it.   She wasn't over the top like Larissa, or slightly clumsy but too cute like Di.  She just was normal, but not... she just came in, took his breath, put it in her pocket and walked away with it to see if he would follow, and damn it, he almost did.  What the hell is wrong with me?  What as gotten in to these girls?

Even Anju found himself dodging an unusual admirer.  Uncle Raj, had brought a young cousin of his as a reward to her for some favor she did him, and for what ever reason, the young gnome decided to persue Anju.  Hypatia seeing his panicked reaction, even started to help the girl.

* * *

Marcus carried her over the threshold of the little bungalo on the beach that would serve them for their honeymoon retreat for the next two weeks.  Whysh shyly made her excuses about needing to get ready and  went into the wash room. They may not have had full plumbing yet, but he was sure that anything she might need would have been put there for her.  Hypathia was good about organizing things.

Left in the main room for the moment he was left with his own thoughts.  His last night with Georgia had been stressful, emotional, and while he wasn't angry with her, he wasn't as confident of their future as he wished he could be.  As he believed he should be.  He pushed that all away.  It wasn't fair to bring that into this place at this time.  Marcus took a deep  breath, and went to his knees, and silently he prayed.  He thanked his Creator for his life.  For the many wonderful blessings that he has in it.  For the beautiful wife that he left behind and for their healthy happy son.  For the beautiful wife that he was about to take.  For happy healthy children with her.  For the chance to one day find a way to heal the wounds that this necessity had caused, and make them all one happy family again.  He heard the door open behind him.  He hesitated, but finished his conversation, if she were going to be a part of his life, she would need to understand this part of his life as well.  He prayed for the wisdom to be a good husband to this woman.  To teach and guide her, even though they shared so little in common.  With that he concluded and he stood and turned, and took in her beauty.   This had not been his choice, but it was done now, and he would see to it that it was done right.  He gently reached for her, and slowed even more as she stiffened, but then as he continued slowly, and confidently, she too began to relax and respond.  There was no hurry he thought, this would happen tonight, but he had all night to make sure that she wasn't scared or hurt or scarred because of it. She was his wife now, bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, from now until the day I die, you are mine to protect and care for, and tonight I start to show you that.

* * *

Oh, you've done it now girl, Whysh thought to herself as her new husband lead her down the beach to the little house that would be where they stayed for the first little time of their marriage.  It was a human custom, a honeymoon they called it. Like using houses at all, it was all so foreign to her.  As they were walking along she couldn't help thinking about how big he was.  She knew that humans were usually a few inches taller than mer-elves and usually more stocky as well, but even among humans, this man was a giant!  If she displeased him... that didn't really bear thinking about.  His rights as her husband, meant that there would be no changing her mind, no calling the guards.  She had been so brave she thought when she agreed to do this for her people, foolish little girl!  You've never been with a man, any man, much less this monster.

She barely contained her panic when he grabbed her up off of her feet.  At the last moment she remembered Hypatia saying that this was a custom of theirs.  When he set her down, she saw a chance for a moment to gather her courage and said she needed to get ready for him.  He didn't object and she had to clench her hands into fists to maintain enough control to walk into the room and not run.   She closed the door and found she was breathing so hard she was in real danger of losing it.  'Stop this!' she hissed at herself lower than a whisper.  'This day was always going to come.  Now that its here there is nothing to do but embrace it.'  she wished for the thousandth time that her mother were still alive, 'mom would have known what to say.' she thought.  She knew mom would tell her she was a woman now, or soon would be, and it was time to act like a woman and think of her family, and of her people.  It would hurt, but not as bad as when she gave him babies.  She thought to herself, 'Just don't cry out.  Don't let him think your people are weak.  This is the one YOU picked!  He didn't want this.  This is causing him problems already, so go out there do your duty and don't be an aditional problem for him.  If you displease him, he can beat you, and no one will say he was wrong to do it.  Enough foolishness!  Go to him, it is time, your making him wait is only going to make things worse.'  She took a deep breath and quickly threw her clothes off, splashed cold water on her face so it wouldn't show her fear quite as much, and with shaking legs barely able to support her, she opened the door.

He was kneeling with his back to her. She wasn't sure what he was doing but she was afraid to say anything.  If this was one of his rituals and she disrespected it...  after what seemed like forever but what was probably only fifty heart beats, even as fast as her heart was beating now he stood up and turned around.  He looked at her, and she forced herself not to cover up, or run and cower.  He looked at all of her, like he could see right through her.  Could he tell how frightened she was?  Was he offended?  Did he enjoy it?  Did her weakness disgust him, or did it make him feel powerful?  He was reaching toward her.  That animal part of her brain, the part that said sharks want you for food, was yammering in the back of her mind like a deranged sea otter.  When his hand touched her arm it was like an electric eel had shocked the water, she wanted to pull back but her whole body froze.  Then he did the oddest thing, he slowed down. He began with soft comforting caresses.  How could hands that big be that gentle?  She had often wondered that about her father's hands, but he made her father look like a boy by comparison.  Despite the deranged sea otter not giving up his tirade, she felt herself slowly starting to relax.  Then he did it, he moved his hands down her back and cupped her bottom, and she tensed starting to run.  Only for a split second, harshly she reminded herself that too was his now, this was his right.  She forced herself to relax, but to her surprise he went no further, at least not until she had completely relaxed.  She actually started to feel the warm tingles that she usually only did when no one else was around, and she blushed as she realized his hands were moving there!  Then she thought, 'well yeah dummy, what did you think tonight was about?' but he wasn't just doing it and going to sleep.  It was like he knew her secrets.  He was.... oh he knew and he was...

* * *

Whysh opened one eye.  The sun was already high in the sky.  She looked over seing the large shoulder and chest covering half of her filed of vision.  She thought about last night and she blushed.  That was not what she had expected.  She realized that she couldn't stay in bed any longer, nature called, and besides she was starving.  She wondered if she could get up without waking him...

She smiled, he must be tired.  He barely even moved as she got out of bed.  She was still a little sore, but it was a good kind of sore, kind of like sore muscles after a particularly long swim.  They hurt but they remind you of accomplishment too.  She slipped out the front door and just ran directly into the ocean.  The ocean welcomed her and soothed her, yet it too was different today.  She couldn't tell you how if you asked, but things were just... different.  She swam out to the small coral reef just beyond the breakers, and soon found exactly what she was looking for.  She was a married woman now, her man would want food when he woke up.  It was their custom to cook this food, and she hadn't ever done that, but for him, she would figure it out.  How hard can it be?

* * *

Marcus was in a forest, it was a beautiful place.  Maybe northern California he thought to himself as he looked around.  The view was just fantastic, but then he got worried, trouble he smelled smoke!  The forest fire came raging in fast, he tried to out run it but soon the smoke was all around.  He started to cough, and he woke up, and realized he really was coughing.  He looked around and smoke was billowing from the stove top. A naked blue skinned mer-elf was hopping back and forth trying to turn six whole crabs that she had just sitting on the open flames.   Trying to turn them with her fingers.  The sight was so entertaining he considered sitting there and just watching the show, but fear that she would burn herself, or perhaps the bungalo to the ground, motivated him to get up, hobble across the room.  Grab some tongs from under the counter with one hand, and a small copper pot with the other tossing the half burnt crabs into the copper pot.  Laughing so hard the entire time that he didn't notice the tears of frustration building just below the surface of the still frantic girl.  Once he had saved what could be from the flames, he dumped a half a piture of water in on top and put them back on the stove top.

He turned to look at her and the smile instantly faded, she was a blubbering wreck.  "I wanted to cook for you..." she wailed.  "I ruined it..."  He almost started laughing again but knew that would only make her feel worse.  Instead he grabbed her by the waist and swept her up and sat her on the counter.

"Yeah, you were bad." he said trying to keep the smile from his face but not quite succeeding, "Gonna have to teach you a lesson."  He held up the tongs,  "Fire burns your fingers silly, THATS, WHY, YOU, USE,  TONGS." he teased, punctuating each word with a nip at her with the tongs.  Starting at spots he had noticed last night were particularly ticklish, and moving to ever more interesting locations.

Some time later as he was recovering in bed he started to smell something, and realized that the crabs had started to boild dry.  Laughing, he yelled for her to grab them.  Catching her in time to tell her about pot holders.     It took it a minute to cool enough to handle, but soon enough they were sharing half burnt crab right out of the pot.  Marcus finally leaned back and grinned at her with a smug self satisfied look, "Not bad, I say half burned crab, still qualifies for breakfast in bed."

Can we get a breather now?

Everyone seemed to heave a small sigh of relief as the majority of the mer-elves returned to the sea.  Pheobe had made a few useful contacts and after describing what she had in mind with them, and especially after more than a few of them had sampled food available at the wedding, she had promises of supplies if she would see to it they had a few of the new delights that they were quickly learning to treasure.

John decide to stay on the island for a week. Spend some time with Syria and Helena and to show the place to Di.  Di had simply marveled at the half completed headquarters building, he couldn't wait to let her see movies.  He had been tempted just to use the cellphone that he used for pictures of the wedding, but decided that since they had rigged up the small movie theator using the projector from the Heads Up Display in the wreck, it would be worth the wait to have her experience it right.

Uncle Raj and his cousin had to go back but Hypatia had managed to talk Anju into taking her back for shopping.  It would allow him to survey the site once more,  time was running short if he was going to be able to build before it became too cold for concrete to set.  Dina was almost in tears with indecision.

It was Di who finally calmed her down.  She reminded her of her deal with Typhon.   Kip, who had stayed behind did not know that the deal was already made.  If she told him that she stayed behind to seal that deal, all would be forgiven.  King Typhon was willing to pay in pearls and judging by the way he was talking about them like marbles, he wasn't planning to be stingy.

John was going back in two days anyway, after he printed the wedding announcement.  Eli had authorized twenty five copies, and John needed time to get them written up so that they sounded like they were supposed to and get the pictures attached to it.  She could ride back with John and they could be back just a week or two after that, no reason to be worried at all.

No one commented any further on Evita's note. It wasn't like they agreed not to talk about it, just no one mentioned her any longer.

* * *

Using his liason officers, Eli sent out word for any sages that were available to gather out at the World Wright estates, there was a new and truly revolutionary invention about to be unleashed upon the world.  Ries had arrived as well, he wasn't going to miss the chance to talk to this many sages at once.   They had been avoiding him, Eli had tried to explain, but while Ries coud sympathise, he couldn't understand.  While they may trust Ries eventually, they couldn't trust who Ries may decide to mistakenly put his faith in, and then the narrow advantage that theyhold, that gives them the chance to keep their people alive.  With any luck, Josh thought, he was about to tip the scales so massively that it wasn't going to be a problem anymore, or at least not for generations.

Eli held up his hands for silence, and the speculating buzz died off.  "Thank you.  What you're about to see here today is a steam engine.  In many ways it formed the basis for much of our power base in the world I came from.  This is a design that was theorized there by a man by the name of Nichola Tessla.  It couldn't be built to work the way it should in our world, because to make it large enough to get the most work out of it, no material was strong enough, it would shake apart.  The gentlman I'm about to introduce you to, worked with our local magi for the theory, and eventually with the sages of the tribe of Dan, to use a magical solution to overcome this.  What you will see today, assuming nothing goes wrong,"  a nervous chuckle went up from the crowd, "is the dawning of a whole new era.  It is my pleasure to introduce to you my college Yahoshua ben Ya'achov ben Yehuda."  With that Eli stepped away and let Josh have his moment in the sun.

Josh realized right off the bat that his Hebrew wasn't up to the task.  Sam tried to help, after he introduced him.  They both lapsed into Greek several times.  They could tell they were floundering and when he looked at Eli he wanted to crawl under the podium and hide.  He and Sam had both memoriezed their Torah portions phonetically to get through their bar mitzvahs.  Outside of the high holy days and even then only once in a while neither of them had even been to synagogue regularly for decades.  His trips to Israel were infrequent, and there everyone spoke English, so their Hebrew was lousy once you got past common pleasantries.  This was now becoming embarassingly obvious, and he needed to do something, so he just said to Sam in a harsh whisper, "spike the boiler with a  little extra juice, build pressure fast, we're dying up here!" and he pointed to the improvised gauge on the in flow pipe, and then opened the valve when the pressure was high enough... nothing happened.  He started to panic, but at last he realized that while the runes were all charged up, no one had activated them.  Shaking his head he said so, and this brought a chuckle from the sages.  Small mistakes like this were familar to all of them from their own various projects, and while these young men were not making a good impression, they would not hold this against them.

One of the sages who had worked on the project came forward and activated the runes.  There were no visable changes but as he stepped away and Josh released the pressure again, a loud whine was heard as the bearings began to spin up.  The levetation spells were working but the instability of overcoming momentum still meant that everything was shaking like it meant to fly apart at any moment and then almost as suddenly as it started the noise started to die down.  It was never what you would call quiet, but soon it was only a moderately loud hum.

He thought about explaining the power take off unit, then nearly laughed at the thought of doing it with his Hebrew.  Instead he hooked in the power hammer that Eli had cobbled together for just this demo, once the hammer started rapidly striking with obvious dramatic force, everyone gasped.  Josh called forward the sage who had activated the first axel and asked him to go over the enchanting process.

The sage smiled, and did one better than that.  Drawing on the power generated by the first engine, he was now able to fully charge up a new axel in only one hour.  The shock and the incredulity of the crowd was obvous to all, and Sam couldn't stop grinning.  Eli wasn't done yet though.  With the new engine built, he attached it to the PTO from the current machine and ran a special hardened double walled leather hose that had been built for this purpose to the other, and used it not as a steam engine but as a pump instead.  An extremely hi power centrifugial pump, that sent the water out the other side not into a leather hose, but a thick walled steel pipe that tapered in diameter to a fine nozzzle diameter the thickness of two of a man's fingers.  As the high pressure stream of water jetted out over the intervening distance, it impacted the hillside at the desired spot and turf, and topsoil exploded from the surface.  Soon the hard clay and loose rock beneath was also being erroded away, running in a thin often lumpy slurry down hill where other sages had activated conveyors set up as 'banks' to guide the stream to a waiting temporary resivoir.

Beside him Eli could hear Arvel Truestone swear softly under his breath.  Eli grinned.  He had brought the dwarf out to witness this today because he had visions of selling just this sort of set up as a mining machine, and who better than the dwarves to market it to.

As the water began to collect in the resivoir the opperators moved the in take from the spring to the resivoir to recycle the water, and soon they had reduced a sizable section of the hill side to the bare rock face underneath.  Joshua, held up his hands to quiet the excited murmering and vented the steam so that the sound of the engine slowly wound down.  "What you've seen here is just a couple of applications.  This next, is truely an experiment so please bear with us, as I am not sure what the results will be. What you see is they are attaching a grit hopper to the water stream.  This should cause the water to push these small pieces of sand into the rock face at a high rate of speed.  It is my ope that this will provide a reasonable cuttting speed.  This however is by no means assured  I ask that you keep an open mind as we try this new thing..."  Josh pointed to Sam and soon the machine was rooaring to life once more.  Soon the stream was impacting upon the rock.  Progress was slow but there ws progress.  Oh a whim, one of the sages drew in some power and tried the runic commands weaken and rock//mud/earth, and like magic, if you'll parden the expression, the hard stone melted before the powerful jet. Soon they were left with a large section of the hill side cut away.  What had taken Marcus and dozens of men a whole summer to accomplish, these machines had done in little over an hour.   Josh looked to Eli who just smiled and nodded.

Josh shut everything back down.  "Gentlemen, as you can see, we now have a lection cut away and ready to build on.  This will become the new guard barraks for the estate, you can see the basic design at your convenience anytime you like, our animal barns tested the tenchnique.  At this time, this concludes our demonstration.  Please feel free to stick around, lunch will be served over by the main house.  Talk, ask questions, talk to ANYONE you see here.  Even the household staff, use machines and equipment that I am certain you will find interesting, and it is nearly impossible to know what will spark the next great idea.  Before you leave, any who are interested in helping with machine development, leave your contact information with my wife Chloe, and more private conversations can be had about specific research projects, and ideas can be discussed as time permits.  Thank you all for coming."

With that he ducked out of the spot light, and the crowd erupted.  What had they just seen?  They had heard about using mechanical energy to cast, but did he really empower that device permenantly right before their eyes?  Yes the boy's Hebrew is attrocious, but did you see the way that cut through that hill side?  Not to mention that hammer?  Exactly, there has to be a way to use that!  Crushing rock maybe?

As Eli approached Josh and Sam the two men found that they were actually hoping for his approval and it surprised them.  They had always been rebels and thrived on thumbing their nose at 'the man' but here, it was different, here their accomplishments meant something.... something real.  It wasn't just all about bragging rights anymore.

* * *

Elena had sent him a message at lunch that he had an important meeting that he couldn't miss that evening at the bath house.  It was a bit of an odd location but with so many people seeing it  for the first time, they may be wanting to go over technical specifications or... he rounded the corner and was surprised to see several of his personal guard had already taken up position outside the door.  They greeted him with their traditional salute, and after he acknowledged it they exchanged knowing nods with the two who just had started discretely following him around all day.  They were inobtrusive, but it was a little hard getting used to, but he also didn't want to offend them.  They took this position very seriously.   They were especially excited after the rank and file learned that he had taken their commaders to see Arvel.  A meeting between their commanders and the boss's private dwarven smith, where the commanders talked about more exotic armor designs than they had ever seen...  One of the things Eli had prioritiezed getting a hard copy of was his decades old mirrored copy of the ArmorArchive.com's whole site.  More than a thousan years worth of armor design innovations from dozens of regions on Earth had not only the little Dwarf drooling with excitment, but also his guard commanders.

Eli walked into the bath, and was surprised.  The 'meeting', was all of his wives, and children, already playing in the water, just waiting for him.  They had snack foods laid out, bottles of wine and some of the rot gut that the Roth's still insisted on calling whiskey as well.  Seeing the look on his face, it was Sapphira who answered him.  "You need this m'love.  You're working so hard and it needs to be done, honestly we all are, but like we read in one of your books, we took a vote!"  She smiled broadly, and he was struck again by how wonderful it was to be young.  "WE WON! so you get a few hours of rest.  You can go back to working too hard in the morning."

Eli chuckled, "I take it the guards are in on it?"

Elena nodded, "First ones to subvert when planning a coup.  Read that in one of your books too!"  Her eyes positively sparkled.   Then her face turned serious for a minute, "Do you know that most of them had to leave their own women behind with their families to come and do this?"

Eli blinked,  "Oh hell no!  We'll fix that quick fast and in a hurry."

The girls all giggled.  They always knew when something had surprised him, or angered him, or struck him as particularly funny, because he wouldn't just lapse back into his native English but they could hear what he called 'Texan' which they took to be a particular dialect that he used.  To them it was something uniquely him, so they especially enjoyed it.

Hermia rubbed her belly that was just starting to show again, "I also checked on how housing was coming for..." she floundered for the right word for a moment and then with a teasing grin said, "all of your hopefuls."  This brought an eye roll from Eli and a chorous of giggles from the others.  "You'll be happy to know, nearly everyone has a cabin now.  Plumbing won't be a thing for a few weeks still but water wagons make their rounds.  Despite what we would now consider primitive conditions, many of the girls I've been told had assumed that they had been accepted and that these temporary cabins were you fulfilling the ketuvah requirements."  At Eli's exasperated look, she shook her head at him.  "Two years ago, I woudn't have been any different.  None of us would have been.  Without you..."  her voice cracked and trailed off.  The other girls hugging on her.

Eli wasn't sure what to say, it should have felt good to be praised but did such wonderful young girls have to set the bar so fucking low.  These thoughts were running through his mind and eventually he sighed and just yelled "Damn it!" in frustration.  When he looked back down he saw shocked faces all around and some of the children had started to cry and he felt like a complete ass.  "No... oh.... oh no girls.  not you... you girls are absoultely wonderful." he said picking up one of the little ones and kissing them, trying to bounce them a little to get them to stop cring..."Shh... mean ol' daddy... didn't think... just makes loud noises and scares everyone... shh... it's ok..."  he cooed at the child.  Once things had returned to some symblence of calm, he sighed slightly again.  "I wish I could marry all of them, if their lives really are that bad.  If that would improve it for them. I can't, though.  It isn't fair to you, I don't get to spend enough time with you as it is.  You've got to trick me into thinking I'm going to a meeting just to spend some family time, what kinda ass hole is that?"  He waved away their protests, "Point is, it wouldn't be fair to them either, they deserve a man who can be a husband to them and a father to their children, not just a pay check and maybe a bed warmer once a year or so.  That was the problem for David and Solomon.  Yeah, the world I came from was sick, and Evita, and to a lesser extent Georgia were both poisoned by it and poisoned every relationship they had because of it, but anything can be abused, and I fear I may already be too far, and adding more..  This needs to happen for the political ties, but once chosen, those girls are real people just like you and me, and they deserve love and care and attention, and someone to hold them when they're scared.  I know you girls do that for each ohter a lot, and believe me when I tell you I am greatful, because I don't think poor Marcus is going to get that, but at the end of the day, it's my job, and if I'm not doing it..."  He felt his shoulders sag... "Just like those poor girls shouldn't have to set the bar so low that they confuse supplying a one room shack with fulfilling a ketuvah, you shouldn't have to accept seeking comfort from each other if you really need me."

Tris spoke up.  This kind of surprised everyone, as Tris was always quiet and reserved.  Of Eli's wives, many of whom had not had it easy before meeting him, everyone suspected that Tris may have had it the worst.  She rarely spoke above a whisper, and laughing fits and giggles, were usually just shy smiles.  So when she spoke up loud enoug to overide all other conversaton, everyone was stunned into silence.  "We seek comfort in each other because other wise you would get nothing else done.  The world isn't a nice place... it has made us fearful, and needy, we seek comfort when often we should be strong and give it..."  she looked almost ready to cry..."but when we need you,, really really NEED YOU, YOU and not other come charging in where Ajax, Achilles, and Heracles would tremble in fear as if you had all of the armies of heavan and hell at your command, even if you stand completely alone.  So do not worry that you can't comfort me everytime I fear I may be growing fat, I have Hermia for that, every time she gets a bit rounder my fear subsides, I KNOW that when I need you, for the first time in my life, I will have nothing to fear."  Eli was stunned into silence.   He knew that he loved his girls, and he knew that he had made their lives better, but hearing from them how much better, his mind had a difficult time processing  it.  The gap between commong bronze age reality, and the world he had come from, and for the most part was recreating at least the admirable parts here, was too great a gulf to be grasped without a bit of maddening dispair.

Xi

Larissa charged Hypatia a nominal fee, she did have to make a living after all, though she told Hypatia she was giving her a huge discount so that Hypatia would tell any who asked the much larger number and not harm her future earning prospects, but the money she made wasn't the real payment.  Larissa's real payment was the advertising.  At the hair dresser's, and the seamstress's shop, and the hosiery shop, and yes even the little pastry bakery where they stopped for lunch, Hypatia gossiped with the local women about Princess Whysh's wedding.  Larissa had even had the foresight to snag a few of the center pieces of mer-elf crafted shells etc. that were on the tables at the reception.   Hypatia made 'gifts' of these to all the 'right' women she met.  Each time struggling to part with one, as if giving up a treasured memonto.

How had Hypatia gotten an invitation you ask?  Oh she was the wife of Anju Gupta of course.  Who's he?  Oh, you don't know?  I suppose they haven't done any projects in Xi yet so that can be forgiven.  He is the Regional Vice President of World Wright Incorporated, he's the one in charge of their construction division.   What do they construct?  Oh, everything really.  They've done whole village construction to house more than two thousand people.  Simple houses really, but the challenge was it needed to all be done in  a week.  Miles and miles of roads, and of course there is the World Wright Inc's own headquarters building, two hundred and fifty thousand square feet of offices and guest appartments comlete with hot and cold running water and air conditioning.  Oh air condiitoning, yes... I've noticed that you don't have it here, absolutly miserable in the summer heat.  Air conditioning lets you make the air inside the building feel like a nice autum day even in the hottest part of summer.  I know, it's wonderful.   Install it on an existing home?  Maybe, but you would have to ask my husband or the company's CEO about it....

On and on the conversations went like that from shop to shop.  Hypatia never missed a chance to talk up Lariss either, which was shocking to Larissa but she was certainly greatful...'yes I hired Lariss here because this is my first time in Xi and she wouldknow where to go for all the best things!"  Larissa nearly choked when Hypatia gave out the figure for her hire, she had upped the already inflated number Larissa gave her by anohter 10%.

By the end of the their little shopping trip, Larissa had booked two new appointments booked,   Hypatia had several formal invitations for social events and probably most important to the big picture Hypatia thought, Anju had many invitations as well.  There were just too many who wanted to here about these  acomplishments from him directly.  Hypatia was purosely vague as to when and if they were available to accept any of these invitations, her husband was a busy man and only in town for a short while, evaluating a confidential project.  No she really could say no more.  It would be unthinkable, such things were completely protected by confidentiality agreements.  What were those?   What kind of business practices did they engage in here?  She had been told that Xi was a refined city despite its apparent lack of Air conditioning and seemingly limited, yet still quite quaint and charming selection of boutiques and shops struggling to provide a few basic necessities.  Why she hadn't even seen any "Jaquard" fabric...  Oh really... she will just have to bring a few things with her the next time she visits....

* * *

So it was when John and family arrived, Anju was happy to depart.  Hypatia's little shopping trip had stired up quite the buzz.  He had been dodging unscheduled meetings, from 'interested parties' for two days.  It wasn't that he was adverse to making business contacts, quite the opposite, but in their radio meeting the night after she returned from her adventure it was decided to leave them all wanting.  Nothing makes people want something more than not being able to have it.  Besides, Anju really had been busy those days taking ground core samples.  Now that their excavating abilities had dramatically improved, plans had changed to source much of the material for the building on sight, so understanding the local geology became even more important than before.  The local dwarven prospectors that he had contracted for the mining core samples didn't understand why he wanted sample cores from inside the city but he paid well and they didn't ask too many questions.

John went straight to work.  He was going to approach Raj about finding attractive young women who would like to make money other than having to sell their body, but decided to try another of his contacts instead.  Larissa was surprised to see John.  Her end of town was not his normal haunt.  "So couldn't live without me and had to come by for a visit?"

John rolled his eyes.  Larissa was cute, after seeing how she cleaned up at the wedding there was no denying that.  Now that her image was her business, he noticed she also took care to project that successful look more often as well, but he really had enough women headaches for now.  In a few years he was sure hormones would problably push him into much more rash decisions on that front, he remembered that from before, but for now while his mind was still doing the majority of his thinking for him he was happy with his life, and too busy to complicate it further.  "Larissa, knock it off."   John tossed a couple of brass coins on the table between them.  "I'm here as a paying client.  I need what we called Anchorwomen back home.  These were pretty girls, that guys liked to look at so they would sort of attract the attention, and then they would tell the news to the crowd that they attracted.  I figure to cover the areas of town that I want to cover... "  he hesitated recalculating it again just to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, "I'll need a total of seven but since one of those places is the alien quarter, I'll handle that one.   So from you, six.  Think you can find me six pretty girls who can either read, or remember what is read to them well enough that they can tell the same story over and over say ten times a day?"

Larissa looked at him and thought for a moment... "You want girls becuse you want them to attract attention?"

"Yeah, what else grabs a man's attention faster than well..." he gestured toward her chest and then lewdly grinned at her and oggled obviously.  He figured that only fair turn about for her earlier teasing.

Larissa giggled again, not the least bit offended or shy, John was disapointed, he never was going to figure out what made women tick.  "Honey, I think you've made a mistake.  In the alien quarter, or maybe back on your island you might be right... but this is Xi.  Here you're the one that will get far more attention than I will.  You want pretty boys, not girls."  John couldn't stop the wince, and of course this sent her into even more giggles.  "I've noticed that about your people. For you it's not just not a preference, it is something...um... almost taboo.  Only Anju seems to find it normal, but maybe that's because he shares the preference."

"What!"  John spat, his eyes bulging.  "Anju?  Nah... Hypatia.."

Larissa chuckled, "Hypatia nothing...  Helena is fair, and Syria is dark, yet as a wise man you like both and I am only envious.  I think Anju is the same.  I've lived among it my whole life, to me, he acts normal.   The rest of you are odd... It's an intriguing kind of odd, that makes me wonder if there is something to it... but from my way of seeing the world it is still odd to be concerned about such things."  She shrugged... "That isn't important though, what is, is for Xi you want pretty boys, and yes I can find them for you.  How soon do you need them?"

John was still trying to wrap his head around Anju, and she thinking that being normal was somehow odd, but he shook himself back to reality.  "Um, Market days, when they tend to push old stock out at a discount is Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, so those are when the most people are out on the streets going about business, so how about that?  Figure the two bronze here for a consulting fee, you hire the staff as well as any replacements, they get paid what?  Four copper a day, and you make them pay you one for finding them the job?  Sound fair?"

"You're really going to pay me three copper a week per boy I find, and pay them nine copper a week just to tell a story nine times during a day?"  she asked like he had lost his mind.  "You know that men working the docks and supporting a family don't make that kind of money?  You sure there isn't any special favors involved?"

John chuckled, "No special favors.  Remember though, you gotta find me people I'll say, boys or girls I don't care, who can get an audience's attention and hold their attention for a quarter of an hour.  They have to tell about the advertiser, the person or company that they are promoting, the news storys that we give them.  If we find that they can't hold an audience, then I will have you replace them, until you find me someone who can do the job.  The pay is large enough to make them really really want to hold that audience.  It's called motivation."  He said with a grin.  "By the way, week two you can buy a slot to advertise your services for one whole day for the low low price of just eighteen copper."  He winked at her.  "Before you ask, yes that is a discount.  Once this gets going businesses will pay more."

She just shook her head laughing, "Get out of here, I've got other pretty boys I need to be talking to."

Expecting the town criers to be supplied on time, John posted up the copies of the article he had written about the wedding.  Including actual wedding photo of the bride and groom.  The fully decorated inside of World Wright's Headquarters main floor that had been used for the reception area, and of course a quote from local business woman "Larissa" who was interviewed as a guest of her clients at the reception.

They were all put up in the early hours before dawn.  John and Raj both were sitting in the office of the Slain Orc wating to see how long it would take for news to reach them.

* * *

Cadmus hadn't had a day this bad in many years.  Heads were going to roll over this one, and while it wasn't likely to be his, any wrong step that drew unwanted attention his way could be dangerous.  His Majesty was in the offices today.  He was waving around the flier that had been the talk of the town all of yesterday.  "Who is this World Wright Incorporated?  Why is it that a daughter of a royal house, even of the wreched mer-elves conceeds to marry one of their...  I don't even know what a 'Regional Vice President' is?  It doesn't sound like he is even the man in charge even!  Aren't we at war with them?  How is that we can't even sail our own seas three months out of the year, but half of my court is clucking like a hen house because this Princess Whysh has what is obviously a lavish royal wedding, it is announced all over my city, yet the only person interviewed is some commoner?!  Damn it people who is the artist that painted these amazing master pieces for something that is just tacked up and left on a wall, and they didn't even sign it!  Left on a damn wall!  It's even on real parchment!  PARCHMENT!  I saw the last report that came in from the Govenor of Venn, it had been scratched on a wooden plank.  A WOODEN PLANK!"  Cadmus feared for his health, His Majesty's face had gone from red to purple, and the vein in the center of his forehead was throbbing.  "What's next a seashell?  SEASHELLS?!"  The king flipped the table over with one hand in a fit of rage.  "I will have answers, or I will have blood until I do!"  and he stormed from the room.

The room was silent.  Threats of this nature were not in the king's nature.  Rages were generally in the king's nature.  They all knew that they needed to find answers, but how?  There was just nothing official to get ahold of.

After hours of fruitless study of public business records, land purchases, and open contracts with Xi, Cadmus decided to go get some lunch from the push cart vendor who always came to the pallace this time of day, sit on the steps and try to enjoy the sunlight.  As he was getting his olives and fish, he noticed an attractive young boy carrying a small case.  Cadmus was no stoic but he also wasn't usually given over to the many casual vices of his class, still the boy really was striking.  'Must be some noble's pet who's wondered off, judging by the tunic that was too short for him by half.' he thought.  Careless of the short tunic the boy climbed up on the case he had been carrying, using it like a stage and in a loud voice called out. "The World and Current Events, Bringing important matters of the world to your attention every day. Today is brought to you by World Wright Incorporated.  World Wright Incorporated is announcing that they will soon be opening shipping office in many major cities.  Due to their recent EXCLUSIVE peace treaty with the Orca Kingdom of the Mer-Elves, they will now be able to offer reliable shipping every month of the year.  Look for offices opening in your city soon.  In related news Princess Whysh of the Orca Kingdom was married to Regional Vice President of World Wright Incorporated Marcus Godfreed in a private ceremony last week.  Reports are that the couple is taking two weeks to celebrate their nuptuals before returning to his duties at the company.   We here at World and Current Events would like to wish the happy couple a prosperous and fruitful union.  In other news do to the ongoing parchment shortage, there has been research into a new medium for writing.  The researchers are calling it paper.  While paper at this time is an inferior product to parchment, it is showing much promise and as it is likely to be less expensive to produce, it will likely be a more affordable solution going forward.  Also in the news..."

Cadmus nearly had a stroke.  He had been searching for answers all day, and here this youth shows up and just starts telling anyone who will listen?  Leaving his food unfinished on the ground he moved to catch the boy before he could leave.

High Level Meetings

Eli sat in the small dark windowless building that they had converted over into their 'movie theator'.  It was one of the few places where he could hook up a tablet to assist in his presentation.  He had also had sages working over time to get another air conditioner ready for this meeting.  Food was stocked, guards posted, his and place for those of the other elders.  This meeting was not going to be one for public consumption.  He couldn't help feeling a bit nervous, but this was going to be a make or break move for them.   By the end of the meeting he would either have all the support he would need, or he would be back to almost square one, on personel problems.  Eli rose from his chair as Moshe showed the others in, then politely took his leave.  Eli like Moshe, trusted him more than most, but this was going to be above his pay grade.

The four men greeted him warmly.  He had only met them briefly a few times before.  Tribal elders of each of the three tribes, Adriel ben Moshe ben Dan, Duriel ben Yoseph ben Naphtali, and Efrayim ben Nun ben Gad.  Also sitting in was Yermiyahu ben Aviel ben Gad a very senior officer of the Arbeh and he was one the very few of those men  who reported directly to the elder coundil of Yisrael.  After these most brisk and abreviated of greetings, Eli got down to business.  "Gentlemen, when Moshe approached me to become one of the Arbeh and I refused, to say he was unhappy is to speak of wading across the oceans."  He let the chuckles die down, "At the time I told him that I could do him far more good with my company, free to work outside of handlers and managers," he smirked at Ephriam, "No matter how wise or open minded they may be... At that time however, I was not in a place where I was willing to share more than the tiniest sliver of my plans with him at that time, and even now outside of this room, I dare not share much more.  Of my own people, only John and Marcus will have as much of the plan as you do.  Others may have more details, but it will only be because they need it for their particular area.  Where I come from this is called Operational Security.  What one does not NEED to know, one shouldn't, because it can't be learned from you by accident or coercion if you don't know to tell.  First we start with a bit of Jewish history, it will of necessity be abbreviated, a technology report, also necessirly abbreviated, a list of our current working technologies, not as abbreviated unfortunately, and then the birds eye view of what I want to do with it, and what I need each of you for, as well as at least the broad strokes of what's in it for you."  seeing nods all around, he tossed up the first video clip and smiled to himself at their reaction.  By the time he had completed the history and technology sections of his talk he stopped the projector, and brought the lights up.  "I think you'll need a few minutes to process that.  We've also been at this for almost two hours now, I'm certain nature calls loud enough that soon some must answer we might as well not keep mother nature waiting.

Eli was carefully judging the reactions of the men to the information.  He was especially surprised by their reaction to the holocaust and the pogroms telling.  They were more surprised and affected by the diasporah and by the Babylonian captivity than by the holocaust or the pogroms or even the inquizition, because in their minds these were natural consequesnces of losing and subjugation.  They had been feeling a similar boot on their neck even after winning against the Asyrian's who had taken their grandparents into captivity, or he should say after their grand parents grand parent's grand parent's won the fight, how much more could you expect if you lost?  Eli shuddered, bronze age ethics were harsh, and untilitarian.  Even so, he saw them grasping the concepts of the Enlightenment.  Even if they did not fully embrace them, and maybe with good reason Eli reluctantly realized now that he was able to stand outside of the group think and look at it more rationally.  Still they could see good aspects, and were willing to try on some of those aspects in their minds to see if they fit.  For tribal elders, this flexbility of mind and custom was actually amazing.

After he got them all back in and seated, he grinned, "OK fellas, lecture time is over.  Now we get to the part you've all been waiting for.  What do I want out of you, and more importantly, what is in it for you?  In a word, a lot.  Hear me out with an open mind before making any decisions, this is world changing stuff.  Makes the little steam engine demonstration you saw look tame.  These choices determine who builds steam engines, who gets to use them and what they get used for, at least metaphorically speaking.  When I say one tribe for one job, I mean I think that tribe best suited to the job, but there should be cross over.  If for no other reason than having what we used to call 'subject matter experts' in what the other tribes business is.  Some one in your tribe, you can go to and say 'this tribe is demanding this, why?' and they can tell you why it is important to them, because they understand that business.  It keeps you from accidentally hurting each other and creating infighting that I really really just don't need."

"So my next immediate projects are to open casinos in each of the major city states, in their alien quarters."  He clicked on the projector showing casinos of Las Vegas circa 2030 where he came from complete with all the sizzle.  "I intend for them to be such exotic shiny pleasure palaces that rich and poor will forget class distinctions to be admitted."  Looking over at Efrayim he grinned, "I think you can probably see some advantages to having a sharp pair of ears in such a place.  Especially if there is one in every major city.  Of course, all of that information needs to not only be collected but also shared, so of course there will be a public radio room, offering to send messages between these casinos to then be sent on by runner, for a price of course.  Again, I'm certain if the radio operators were to be hired from the ranks of the Arbeh, one could see the value of such a thing as well.  Yehuda has also traditionally dealt in the realm of finance, later I will send you information on how this works, but needless to say, money being leant out at these casinos, where the radio can send funds transfer requests between them allowing money to be deposited for a shipment in one city, and retrieved upon delivery in another, all confirmed by a radio message..."  Adriel of Dan joined Efrayim in the salivating in excitement camp.  Eli smiled and turned to him, "Adriel I don't suppose a few of your sailors might like to crew cargo vessels, now that our arragnement with the mer-elves makes us the ONLY vessels who can trade year round?"  The laughter around the room wasn't subtle.  "I'll expect special rate considerations when shipping our own cargo of course, we will soon be ramping up magic machine production.  Not to mention a whole host of other new materials as well as... " he waved his hand "details it's going to be big."

"Ok,"  He took a deep breath, "Obviously with the increased magic capability of the sages, new magical weapons and armor can be produced.  This is still an expense."  He held up his hand to forestall protests.  "Not saying that it is one not worth every dime of investment as you'll see... Just stating the obvious that it is an expense.  To offset this expense, I would like to form what in my world was known as a Private Military Company, or PMC for short.   Here I believe you call them Mercinaries but that has a whole different picture in your mind than what it does in mine.  Yehuda learned from long hard experience that if ever a king owed you too much money, it was easier for him to kill you or run you off and seize what you have than to pay you, yet it was also very dangerous to refuse to lend them money.  In my world we were scattered enough and there was enough of a power difference between us and our neighbors that they could deny us the right of arms.  So unarmed, often maligned, we were easy prey for such shake down rackets.  The situation in this world is somewhat different.   No you cannot beat the collective asymbled power of the nations, yet armed with the weapons my company can build, you can be enough of an elite force to tip any war between nations... for a price.  This price will ofcourse weaken them, and strengthen us, all while contributing too real world experience to make certain that we have a body of trained warriors, always armed and skilled, to see to it that bene Yisrael never need go through, what bene Yisrael did in the world I left."  Grunts of approval went around the room.  It wasn't quick or easy agreement but the reasoning was sound in their opinion.  Eli figured if they could see how his personal troops were kitted out when that got completed it would likely seal the deal.

"Now for the non-commercial projects.  These are things that cost money, and bring long term gains, rather than short term profits.  Exploration.  Dan working with Naphtali most likely and maybe escorting some dwarven geo survey teams or elven bio survey teams if we can arrange it, we need to send out medium sized vessels unhindered by family or cargo concerns, who  sole purpose is to find new lands, and catalogue their mineral and plant resources.  If possible, we set up other vessels designed to land colonies.  No need to be in camps that run any time an army too large is gathered against you.  You can have a real city.  With real battlements and fortifications and the ability to grow numerous and prosperous, but it all starts with finding these places, and finding something there that you can trade with the rest of the world.  Eventually connecting them all by radio.  We can also start putting copies of the library in each one as time permits.  In the early years the information in it will need to be secret, it gives us too large of an advantage to just give away.  In my children's time or at least by the time they have grand children, it will all mostly be known generally and we will need to have learned beyond it if we want to stay ahead of things.  Then it would be good for people to understand how this all came about."

"For that to happen, research must happen.  I'm going to need access to sages.  Not just sages, but men of learning and wisdom.   Remember everything I have built before coming here.... everything you saw in the pictures and videos earlier was built by men who knew nothing of magic... don't dicount the wise men who can't use  magic, or the clever craftsman, I need them all.  I wish to establish a research acadmey where specific question can be looked into, and more than that, prize money bounty offered for other answers.  Things it may not make sense to spend money on directly but if someone has an idea, or just likes a challenge, you give them motivation to see it through."

Eli wiped his face.  "We've been at this for a bit now.  I think you can all see that this means large amounts of money.  Honestly what ever number you are thinking of, it is bigger, these things all feed on each other and have the effect of growing an economy.  We can handle how that happens another time but you see what I'm talking about.  What I want.  After expenses."

"Six percent for research budget."

"Twenty Percent for refit/reequip/upgrade budget."

"Twenty Percent for Exploration and Colonization efforts."

"Four Percent old age/retirement/dependent care of combat/exploraton team members"

"By my calculations, that still leaves fifty percent of the proffits for what our government used to call, 'discretionary spending'.   Any companies that you form to be subsideraries of World Wright Incorporated, and benefit from being treated as part of the family when it comes to access to materials tech and general know how, must follow the above rules.  Outside of that, don't give away family secrets and run your companies pretty much as you see fit.  Who's ready to go into business?"  Eli held his breath.

Adriel nodded, "This is good.  Marcus said something that he said was a saying from your world.  It made me laugh at the time because there was so much truth to it.  The devil is in the details.  Yes, assuming we can beat the devil out of it, another phrase he used that I found amusing, this is good."

Eli sighed with satisfaction seeing the nods all around the table.

Ask me for anything but Time

When Larissa found John she was in a panic.  John thought his Greek was pretty good but she was talking so fast, and she wasn't completing her sentences.  "Whoa...   Slow down!  Take a deep breath!"  He motioned for Syria to come join them.  "Who have they arrested?" he asked her again slowly.

Syria reached out and took her hand and just gave her an encouraging nod, "Well, I don't think that they actually arrested him, arrested him, after all he didn't do anything wrong, but they used the Palace guard and took him off the street.  That was four hours ago, and I just found out about it.  The kid I sent around to make sure that the boys who took the money were actually doing what they said that they would do, made a check of all of the others, then when he missed the second show, he asked around and learned that the guard had taken him.  By the time he found me, and I got here..." she trailed off.

John frowned, then looked up at one of the men that had stopped the thief and been hired on as a guard, "Calchas, how would you like a big promotion?  It's dangerous as all hell but if it works out, you'll have a new life as a business owner rather than a guard?"

Calchas eyed him warily, "What would I have to do?"

John grinned, "You would own a subsidiary business of World Wright technologies called 'World and Current Events'  you sell advertising to companies, don't worry for a while we'll be doing all the buying if there are any openings, pay Miss Larissa here to hire boys to go out and read the news of the day along with the company that paid you's message.  For now it is only in Xi, but before the end of two years, I want at least ten boys squawking the news we give them on street corners in each of the five major city states.  It will be a big job.  Your first test though, will be to go try to get your reporter out of lock up.  They might just arrest you too.  I won't just abandon you but it could be pretty hard on you before I can get you back out if they do.  What I hope will happen, is that I can help you sell them on the idea of what you are doing, so they think you're just a clever fellow trying to make a living, and decide to leave you to it figuring that they will learn more from you by letting you work than by shutting you down.  It is a risk.   Volunteer only, but if you come out of this the right way, in five years you could be a wealthy and in many ways important man.  What do you say?"  John just looked at him, no pressure one way or the other.

Calchas, thought that this idea was crazy.  He was making good money for a man in his position as John's guard, but it would still be many years before he had any hope of 'being his own man' even at this rate.  If things went wrong, it could be all over, but if they didn't...   As John's guard things could go wrong at any time, but this was different, but then so was the pay out.  "You really think you can teach me what I need to know fast enough?"

John nodded, "If I didn't think you had any chance of making this work, I wouldn't send you in there.  I think you can probably get through this with only one or maybe two nights being locked up, then released.  They will want to try to intimidate you, but if you don't crack under the pressure, they will turn you lose to see if they can figure out where your information comes from by following you.  That means you can't come back here.  I'll make arrangements to get you the information you need.  I'll have a contract drawn up for you with all the details in it, but this will become your new assignment, and it will pay scaling with how big it grows, meaning the more work you put into the bigger your pay out will be, plus with us backing you..." John shrugged.   "The hard part is the next four or five days."

"What was the proverb you said the other day, 'he who dares, wins'?"  John just grinned and nodded.  Calchas sighed and nodded, "Then I dare!  I am ready, teach me what I need to know."

* * *

Calchas was nervous standing alone outside of the palace.  The look on the guard's face when he explained why he was there was one of incredulous disbelief,  but he didn't ignore what he was told.  The half hour wait while messengers ran through the halls of the palace trying to find someone who would know what to do, was the longest wait of Calchas' life.  Finally when a well dressed if disheveled man approached, he knew the waiting was over.  The man had a confused and apprehensive look on his face, but by his dress he was too important to casually come out to greet visitors to the palace.  The man said with a no nonsense tone, "I am Cadmus, the Minister of Commerce for the City of Xi.  Am I to uderstand that you are the one responsible for the young man we took in earlier for questioning?"

Calchas nodded, "I am Calchas, I run the "World and Current Events" news service.  I came to find out why one of my reporters was being questioned at the palace.  A rocky start for the boy's first day on the job."

The finely dressed man blinked.  Surprised to hear the situation framed in such a way and questions turned back on himself.  "You, Calchas you say, come with me."

Calchas nodded, "Certainly your honor, happy to help sort things out.  You don't mind if I send a message back letting them know that I am not being arrested and am only going in to do an interview with you?"

Cadmus blinked again, normally this level of presumption would be an outrage but honestly it had been such an overwhelming day already he just sort of asked the question that came to mind... "What?  Why?"

"Oh, well if they were to misunderstand and think I were being arrested, it might get reported that way.  Then our news service would look foolish for getting it wrong, and your political rivals might try to use it to insinueate unsavory reasons as to why the boy and I were arrested seeing as we've committed no crime.  It saves all manner of unpleasantness for everyone to make sure the true facts are known.  You've been so civil, I wouldn't want anyone to use a misunderstanding to spread lies about this.  It won't take but a moment.  I have a messenger waiting."  He indicated a boy standing a half a block away, an easy head start to get away should the guards be called on him as well.

Cadmus actually smiled.  Clever, he didn't know what good the man thought it would do him, but he'd play along.  "Oh certainly. Can't have a missunderstanding."

Calchas signaled for the boy, soon as the boy got close enough he called out, "They've agreed to an interview.  I'll have the report ready for our next show!"  Then he waved and turned back to Cadmus, "I want to thank you.  You'll actually be our first interview with a government official here in Xi.  I'm certain that the citizen of Xi will be excited to hear the wonderful ideas you have for their future."

Cadmus was simply stunned by the man's casual demeanor.   He was polite, pleasant, seemingly unaware of being under any suspicion, yet he couldn't possibly be.  He delivered his veiled threat of public exposure, when he had to know that it had no teeth... and acted as if he had been acting solely out of consideration for the government.  This was either the work of a mad man, or a very clever one.  If the first then there was nothing really to be concered with, if the second...  If the second, then he knew something he was confident that the rest of us didn't and that made him too dangerous to casually dispose of.

Once in the conference room that they would use for this interrogation, Cadmus checked for the signal that the hidden observers were in place.  Then he began to ask his questions.  Unfortunately each question only cause more to arrise, and the man had the infurriating habit of answering a qustion with a question.  The answers he did give all seemed to be reasonable.  The service he was offering, though novel, did have merit, after all had he not learned something from it already.  He with held where he got his information, saying that if he told who was telling him things, no one would tell them things anymore, and Cadmus couldn't argue the logic in that one.

After an hour and a half of steady questions, questions that untimately answered very little satifactorily.  Still when he excused himself, he found His majesty was standing with the other ministers.   His face had an amused twist to it. "I should make him a magistrate."  He said with a smile that wasn't actually pleasant. "I can't tell if he knows enough to be helpful and is playing dumb, or if like the boy, if actually knows nothing and is the tool of another.   That along is masterful.  Cut him loose, give him back his reporter.  Have him watched.  If he is more than what he seems, learn of it.  Oh and when this World Wright Incorporated registers their rental agreement, which for any decent office space in the city, surely they will, notify me.  Do not obstruct them nor delay them, being able to ship all year round is too valuable a thing to risk it if this all turns out to actually be innocent."  The king frowned as if unable to make himself believe it to all be innocent.   Then he walked away with out another word said.

* * *

Taking the new hammer from Ries, he struck it against the thick steel bar.  It set his teeth on edge.  Instead of the normal clear clean ring, there was the dull thud as if he had hit wet clay.  Looking down, Arvel saw that the metal had rippled, if he had hit it a little harder, it might have even splashed.  His eyes widened, "Tha's not natural!"

Ries laughed, "Exactly, that's why they call it MAGIC!"

Arvel gave him a hard look.  "I thought the induction forge that Eli made was going to take some getting used to..."

Ries laughe again, "Oh from what Eli says about advanced metalurgy as he calls it, you'll still need to use that for what he calls 'tempering' and 'heat treating'?"  Seeing Arvel nod knowingly, Ries just shrugged, and continued.  "This just helps you to move the metal around faster for rough shaping especially on thicker pieces.  That cold chisel over there is enchanted the same way, cut right through even the hardest metals, but don't hit it with this hammer. A good way to ruin a good set of tools."  Arvel made a disgusted noise and Ries swallowed his amusement.  Best not to entertain himself too much at the dwarf's expense, as he was certainly a fine craftsman and Ries knew that sooner or later he would be needing his help for projects of his own.

Arvel had already become quite the collector of tools.  Before the Magus started helping out, Sam Roth had already traded him plans for an automated hammer and a screw press, and all he had wanted in return were a few dozen nails for a rush job.  Arvel never did find out what project the man had been working on, but he showed up with these chalk drawing on a slate, and they were the damnedest of ideas.  Arvel wished he had more time to work with these new machines, he was sure there were dozens of better ways to do things if he only had the time to try it out.  Twenty suits of this new armor though, was no small order.  He snapped his attention back to Ries, the man wasn't done, he was pulling out some damn cauldron looking contraption on wheels.

"In side of here all the metal will become like puddy.  Actually anything you put in will, except living things, so your hands are safe but don't try to stir it with a stick.  It'll stay workable for only about a minute once you take it out, and then it's back to being what ever it was before.  So, lets say you had a bunch of scraps from a job.  You toss them all in the pot.  Reach in mash them up together, throw it out on the table and roll it out.  If you can get it flat before it hardens back up, you got new material to work with from your scraps."

"Talver's Beard!"  Arvel exclaimed.  Then he got a thought, "If I dipped a rope in it like dipping a wick into wax?"

Ries shook his head, "The rope would just get soft and mix in with the metal and your metal would have impurities in it."  He thought for a second, "BUT, if you layed the rope out on that table over there, then brought the metal out and worked it into the rope before it hardened back up... I still think you would probably have a mess but it would be more like what you were thinking."

Arvel shook his head, "I've got so many ideas... there's just not enough hours in the day now."

Ries did laugh loudly now,"Welcome to my world my friend, welcome to my world.  If I had more time, there are even more tools I would gladly make for you, but I too have projects that must get done first.  Speaking of which, I need to get back to it."

Arvel extended his hand to shake the Magus's hand, "You have my gratitude for this.  If I can return the favor, just ask."

Ries sighed, "I fear I will take you up on that offer soon.  What for I do not yet know, but the ideas for new things come faster than I can make them happen."

Construction

Anju looked at the World Wright Incorporated Head Quarters building with pride.  It was finally complete.  Just over fourteen months earlier than the deadline too, for all the nay sayers, he thought.  A smile tugged at his lips.  Windows had turned out to be his biggest problem, and while he had ended up settling for stained glass, clear glass requiring minerals that they had not had time to access yet, it gave the building character.  He was afraid that Eli was going to add to the design at the last minute.  While working on the window problem, they kept having trouble with the glass cracking as it cooled.  Large sheets were going to be impossible.  Then Ries struck on a brilliant plan. He made a magical device to work the glass cold.  Oh you still needed the heat to make the glass, but you could even quench it in water just like steel.  Throw all the little pieces into his magic pot, smash it all into one moldable lump.  Toss it up on to a polished stone slab table and roll it flat before it hardened back solid.  There was no time to dally over it, but with six people on the job a pot full of glass could be on the table and rolled into an inch thick smooth surface three feet by ten feet in under a minute.   Then just polish out any inperfections that may remain.  While it wasn't completely transparent it was sort of see through more or less and it let in the light very well.

Some eager beaver on his crew got the bright idea to try it with raw sand.  It didn't make glass but it did make sandstone.  Which of course gave others the idea to try it with some local lava flow from a near by island.  Soon they found that using much the same proceedure they could make flag stones and cladding stones from just about any rock almost as easily.  At that point, Anju was concerned that Eli would want the thing clad in marble or granite.  Luckily Eli was in a hurry as well but he did tell Anju to figure on it for the casino job.  It wasn't that it actually took that much more time to put it on the building, espcially when one accounted for the time saved by not needing to do any decorative brick work, but he had limited crew and making the slabs did take up time.

All in all though it was a fine looking building.  Even had limited electricity, now if only they could  figure out wifi, he thought with a sigh.

* * *

Eli was having a rare morning of training with the sages.  They were impressed with his progress, it was difficult for one to learn in his advanced years, typically training for this started when a boy was no more than twelve.  By their estimation Eli was at least twenty.  Eli knew he was actually tripple that.  Still he was frustrated.  He could feel the power there, just beneath the surface, he could even get a hold on it usually, but as soon as he would try to manipulate it, it just slipped through his hands.  It reminded him a lot of those stupid new fangled game controlers the kids all said were 'better'.  Sure they supposedly had more functions but if you couldn't get them to work when you needed them to work, then what good were they?  At least now, he thought, he had been taught the right tools for accessing the power.  It was different from what Ries had been showing him.  This was harder, but he could see how it was also subtler as well.  He would just keep at it, he figured, until sometime before he hit sixty again, he might figure it out.

Adriel hated to interupt.  He knew that this was important, but so was what had just been found.  Eli had decisions to make, and for now at least, he was the only one in a position to make them.  "Eli, I would not interrupt your studies..."

Eli snorted... "If you want to call my bumbling that..."

Adriel looked to the sages, they all shook their heads subtly indicating that it wasn't that bad and he was relieved.  "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.  Something has come up.  I think a priority change needs to happen, but only you can say for certain."

Eli gave a nod to the sages thanking them for their instruction and their patience, and led Adriel off to where they could talk more privately.  "What's up?"

"On the mainland, on the continent to the south, in a very remote spot, so I don't think it likely to be notice or contested... there was found a very rich vein of iron ore.  Almost on the surface and only five miles or so from the coast.  It is in the teritory of the kingdom of Leung Shu.  It is an insular and xenophobic society and if, I should say when discovered, they will no doubt attack.  Their population is emense by all estimates, there is no way to hold them off, it will need to be abandoned when the time comes.  However with your mining tools, we could strip perhaps hundreds of tones of high grade iron from that vein."  He looked at Eli intently.

Eli rubbed his face..."It would mean delaying at least parts of the casino project for months."

Adriel gave him a sad smile, "It could mean paying for the casino project."

Eli nodded in agreement.  "Give me the day to think on it, if we can do it, we should.  I just want to make sure we can do it, not get the mining crew killed, and not  leave behind any tools that could give away the secret of how we did it."

That latter had not really occured to Adriel.  He was so used to thinking that Eli's ideas were so far above everyone that no one could possible duplicate it.  However, if they had the machines in hand and only needed to try to copy them... that might make it a lot easier.  "I understand." was all he said.   "I will leave you to it."

As he was leaving Eli called out, "Adriel!"  When the man turned, "Thank you for bringing this to me.  I want it too, I just need to think it through."  Adriel smiled and nodded and then he was gone.  Muttering to himself, Eli went to the nursury... crawling on the floor with his children was as good a place to think as any and maybe it did them some good as well, though at this age it was hard to tell, no matter what the head shrinkers from his own world said.  Either way, it did him good, reminded him why he put himself through all of this in the first place.

****

It came to him while playing with blocks.  He didn't need to use bricks.  If they got the iron, the whole thing sat on limestone, limestone that they were going to tunnel all through anyway and need to dispose of tons of rock, why not run it through a crusher, oven, and make concrete.   He had been focused on pumping the concrete to do poured walls but with the conveyors, he didn't need pumps.  They could move concrete aggrigate and all right up and dump it down the form and around the iron frame.  With a kiss on the baby's forehead, he handed his son back to the nanny, he needed to talk to Anju...

****

Well, Adriel thought, no one likes it.  I don't even like it.  Way too much invested in this one project, yet he saw the logic and reason in it.  Six weeks of insanity had led them to this.  She wasn't a pretty vessel, not by a long strech, but there was no question it was a marvel.  Fully contined floating steel mill.  I he hadn't seen it floating, he wouldn't have believed that it could.  It had no sails it was all driven by the steam engines of which it had six.  Four which were detachable and powered by fire spells and could be used to operate mining equipment.  Two of which were powered by ten thousand pounds of refined naptha, these drove the ships engines and could serve the sages as a source for magical casting energy.  Adriel didn't understand exactly how it worked, but if the machine was powered by magic, energy couldn't be drawn from it for casting.   It was only when powered from a natural fuel source that it would work, it seemed a frustrating limitation, but Eli had just accepted the situation and adapted to it.  For one so young, his leadersip abilities were amazing.  So as long as the ship didn't sink in a storm, or get run off before her hold was filled, this, along with being the costliest single shipping venture of all time, would also be the most proffitable.   Adriel silently sent up his prayers as the massive vessel smoothly sailed away.

* * *

Eli had all three elders complaining the whole way to the dock.  He and Anju were headed to Xi, but the Elders weren't pleased because he was leaving.  In their minds, he shouldn't be leaving while there were nearly a hundred and fifty young women waiting for him to select his brides from.  Had he spoke to them?  What all of them?  They of course countered with 'Any of them?'  Saying he had, would be true and also completely dishonest.  Their shomeriem had been throwing them at him at every opportunity, but he couldn't even remember even one of their names.  There were plenty of times in his life when he had wished for this, no be honest, he had never dreamed something like this was even possible, but if you had asked him, he would have been all for it.  He was an idiot.  He just didn't have time.  He was so tired lately as well, between keeping on top of all the various fires that pop up, and studying with the sages, and the engineering work that only he had the training for, by the time he did get time with his wives... he was afraid he may have disapointed Elena last night.  His "A" game just wasn't in the cards.

Arvel was already on board, as was Kalev, his sailors, three guards from Gad, and three from Naphtali.  What happend to the days when  he could travel light?  With the Elders looking on in disaproval, Eli gave the order to cast off.  Twenty minutes off shore and he noticed that he had picked up a mer-elf escort as well.  He really wished they wouldn't, he didn't want to take the chance that they would have to tangle with the Xi navy if they were stopped for any reason.  It was no use trying to convince them of that though.  Typhon had given his orders and they would obey.

****

Getting his whole enterogue from the dock to the Slain Orc had been a challenge of logistics.  Fortunately Raj and John hadn't been idle in the weeks that they had been on the mainland, and such logistics had already been planned for.  Enough equipment was soon inside the Orc to begin the first stages of material processing.  Disguising the noise for the first six hours was going to be the hardest, after that, being under ground should suffice.  He looked up from the pile of reports that John had dumped in his lap upon arrival.  He was almost sorry that the girls had figured out paper so easily.  He wasn't really but days like today it felt like it.  The door opened and it was Arvel and Raj, with them were a small cluster of older dwarves and gnomes.  Eli noticed there was also a very familiar younger female gnome, who must have had to call in some serious favors just to sit in on this meeting to Anju.  Eli wasn't sure how the biology would work on that one, seemed pretty dangerous for a gnome girl, but honestly he had too many of his own problems to worry about that.  He stood as the clan representatives came into the room.  "I want to thank you for coming, and appologize all of the need for secrecy and security measures but I think once you've heard me out, you'll understand."

One of the gnomes said, "Young Razjan here has made some pretty wild claims..."

A gnarled old dwarf cut him off, "Aye, thought the same m'self til' Arvel shewn me some of these new fancy tools he's been usin'.  Still big claims, but you don' make tools lac' tha' fer mak'in' a horse shoo, nae doo ya?"  The old gnome looked angry, not used to being cut off, or maybe that was just his face.  With non human races sometimes Eli had trouble telling.

"Please have a seat."  Eli gestured to the table in front of him where chairs of appropiate hights had been placed up on platforms to allow all to sit at the table with basic dignity.  He noticed that they each eyed the arrangement first in surprise and then acceptance as just general courtesy.  Once they had taken their seats, he flipped open the folder where he had prepared plans for the casino, photos of the Headquarters building, and the basic plan for the underground.  As he was bringing his presentation to a close, he looked up at them, "I read about a community like this in a book from my homeland."  He didn't tell them it was a kid's role playing game.  "I understand that while your people have not lived like this for thousands of years, before the wars between the races, this was the common if not the prefered arrangement.  To have your own communities again, part of everyone else but yet comfortably your own, is this something you would want to have again?"

The old gnome who had been doing all of the talking spoke up again, "You say our communities, yet in the same breath you said that we would rent from you..."

The dwarf interrupted again, "Yeah! Af'er we do all th' diggin' an' buildin' ta boot!"  Eli could tell it was definately irritation in the look the gnome shot at the dwarf this time.  The lust in their eyes for his proposal a moment ago put the lie to their arguments now.  Eli realized that they were just so used to getting the raw end of every deal for the last several thousand years, they couldn't beleve a good one when it came along.  He just chuckled softly, "You're doing the digging alright, on land we're leasing from Raj here, thousand year lease, with tools we supply, building factories that we will supply the tools for, paying you both to dig them out and the work you do in those factories, better wages once you figure in the better living conditions and the LOWER rent than what you have now.  Are you really disputing that this is a good deal?  Or is it that you just really don't want to live like this?"

The dwarf looked at those with him, as did the gnomes, well except for the one making goo goo eyes at Anju.  Then they looked at each other.  Finally the old gnome looked hard at Eli, "You really can do this?"

Eli grinned broadly, "Oh yeah.  They might try to stop me, but I don't think they will figure it out until too late.  That's kinda what I want you and the dwarves tucked safely away out of sight and protected.  Better they don't realize that we're all working on the same goal, at least until the goal is already done."

The old gnome squinted at Raj, "Are you sure he's not part gnome?"

That drew a small chuckle from around the room.  Nothing was decided that day.  Nor would it be final before Eli left.  That didn't mean it wasn't a done deal.  Details would get hammered out over the next two weeks while word quietly went out for workers in surrounding villages.  Those villages would slowly empty of their dwarves and gnomes, as would Xi's surface dwelling gnomes and dwarves as space became available below ground.  By the time his iron arrived and demoliton of the surface buildings began, tons of concrete should be processed and waiting below the surface in large caverns that will become the factories  as they are emptied out.

Grateful for a productive visit, Eli was happy to be going home, grumpy Elders waiting and all.

Ties of Blood, Faith, Respect, eventually Love

Hypatia was doing her best to stay quiet and hide, the show was riviting but she really wished she could see it from a safer distance.  Marcus and Ries had been called up to work on a project at the guano mines with Sam and Josh.  John, Anju, and Eli were all still away in Xi.  Elena had decided that they needed a 'girls night in' she called it.  Said that Eli said that his wife in the old world would sometimes take a night to go out with her friends, he didn't know what happened on 'girls night' and laughing he said he didn't want to.  All the men were away and except for Syria and Helena all the wives were here, so 'Girls Night In' was happening!  No Excuses!  Even Demetria and Melitta had traveled in for it.  It was also the first time that Georgia and Whysh were in the same room, on opposite sides of the room and Georgia looked angry and bitter, while Whysh just looked like she wanted to hide worse than Hypatia.

The whole thing had started off rocky and it really hadn't gotten any better.  At first everyone tried to avoid the whole Georgia and Whysh situation, but that was impossible. Hypatia, along with everyone else there she bet, expected Demetria to give a lecture to the two of them, but what shocked them all was that it was little quiet Melitta who dropped the bomb shell.  Without mentioning them, she tore in on the homeland of Anju's people.  She said she couldn't imagine a wife who would tear her husband apart over jealousy and insecurity.  As the gasp went around the room, she charged on as if she hadn't noticed, and started sharpening her ax she was grinding against Evita.  Hypatia didn't think that was what she meant, but it gave decent cover.  She talked about how Evita had said where they come from men would leave their wives and find new ones.  That too caused a gasp.  Then she asked the crowd, "I'm not married to any of them, but I can't see any of them like that!  You know them better than me, can you imagine how horrid a woman would have to be, before any of those men would abandon her?  I mean Ries is a good man, and I have no complaints about our family, but even he has become a better man since being arround Eli and the others."

Each of the women murmered quietly their agreement with the idea, none  of them wanting to say anything too loud as Georgia still looked like she was ready to bite through her  own teeth.  No one wanted to hurt Georgia, but no one really disagreed with Melitta either.  Of course that led to Aggatha and Chloe talking about Sam and Josh complaining about trying to sort through all of the Israelite hopefuls.  Georgia looked like she was going to have a stroke.  Chloe lamented, "they're both so...well them.  They don't do well with people.  They are actually incredibly thoughtful and sweet once you know what they are thinking when they do the crazy things that they do."  Aggatha was giggling very hard and nodding.  Everyone else was looking doubtful.  "It's just that they don't think like other people.  So normal people are thinking 'that was a rude thing to say' but if you drill down through all of his defenses and MAKE him get flustered and just blurt out what he was thinking when he said it, you find out it was often something like 'I can't  lie to her.' or 'she's too smart to believe anything but the truth' or 'if I tell her about it like this, she'll fix it and then no one can ever laugh at her about it.'  she sighed.

Aggatha nodded, "Every time!  Can't get a straight answer out of him for anything, but when you finally do... something so sappy it just melts your heart, even if you wanted to strangle him in his sleep a moment ago."  That even forced a snort and chuckle out of Georgia.  She didn't let it last long though.

Tris spoke up, again shocker to everyone, "Eli was worried too.  A lot of the women thought that they were the one's when they were given the temporary houses.  It met their expecations for what they would have as a new bride for a home.  I can remember when I would have thought the same thing."  There was a general rumble of agreement from many in the room.  Hypatia felt sorry for them.  She noticed Georgia, Whysh, Demetria, and Melitta all looked a bit scandalized too.  "Many were disapointed to find out that the houses were only temporary."

Elena spoke up, "Eli was also frustrated with the chaperones.  He said it was hard to ask important questions, the girls can't really be honest.  If they aren't picked and they say something shocking to their chaperone... that can affect the rest of their lives."

Chloe got all excited, "Tell me about it!  Drove Josh crazy!"

Demetria shrugged, "Why don't you choose for them?  No need for chaperones if it's all women.  You know him better than anyone, honestly better than he does.   Men always have a picture of themselves that is prettier in places and uglier in others than is real, by now ladies, you've seen those places for real... why don't you pick?"

There was stunned silence.  The wives of those who were facing this problem all looked at each other.  "Could we?"  Aggatha asked.

Chloe gave her an 'are you stupid look' "Like we don't already make most of the decisions for them because they are always so head deep in their own thoughts..."  Aggatha snickerd but didn't deny it.

Sapphira asked another serious question, "Demetria, can Ries make us something so we can see if any of the women have the ability to learn magic?  It was something Eli mentioned to me once in passing..."

Demetria's eye brows rose, "Huh, I don't know.  If he can, you'll have it!"

The "party" continued on long into the night.  Hypatia had always assumed Anju would marry again, but after all of this time, he seemed to have no interest.  She was beginning to enjoy having him all to herself.  She thought Georgia was being an unreasonable bitch, but unlike the others, she knew herself, if she could get by with being an unreasonable bitch too, she knew that she would.

* * *

Elena sought out the Elders.  They were quite unused to being approached by the wives of other elders, but in the presence of both sets of guards and with five of Eli's other wives also acting as shomeriem, as well as it being a relatively open and public venue, they agreed to meet with her.   It wasn't the first time that they had spoken with her, they were on what would be considered quite friendly terms considering the positions they held. It was just that with Eli away, and given that everyone had political enemies... the less they gave the wicked to work with...

Elena's proposition for them however, did take them a bit by surprise.  It wasn't that it was dishonest in any way, it was just unconventional.  They weren't proposing to make the selection for their husband per se, only to help with the vetting process.  Get it to a managable number of choices...  It all sounded so... reasonable.  Yet seemed so wrong to them.  They had been indecisive until the one named Tris had spoken up.  None of them had spoken with her before and when she spke this time, she was soft spoken and modest, and the men coldn't help but be moved by her humility.  When she asked them if they had not selected good husbands for their daughters, they had all said that they had, but that it wasn't the same.  Tris had agreed that it wasn't, and that they were not selecting Eli's wives, only women of character whom he should look at first.  Selected for him, by those who knew him as Adom knew Chava, and loved him.  When they asked her how she knew of Adom and Chava, she replied that Eli had been teaching them on Shabbot, and just like that the ruling of the Elders was sent to shomeriem.

So when the first fifty women appeared just before sunset on Friday night, there was much excitement.  For many of these girls it was the first time that they had truly be out away from home and away from the watchful eye of authourity.  Elena welcomed them.  Sapphira, Chloe, Aggatha, and Pheobe devided them up into groups and took them on a tour.  The house, the businesses, the nursury, the gardens, and even a quick run through the workshops which had all been closed down as the sunset drew near.  Most of the girls just gawked in awe.  Some asked how questions, and the ladies mentally put them one list.  Others asked why questions, and mentally those went on another list.  Only one girl made suggestions, good ones... she went on a list all her own.

Next came the oath swearing ceremony.  This was Pheobe's own idea.  As the most intimidating of the group, it was she who laid out the situation to the young women.  "You are now each going to be asked to take an oath.  You may refues of course, you will be sent to a private guest area for the rest of the time, then returned back to your quarters and never contacted again.  Or you may choose to be bound by it.  This oath is to keep all that you learn here about members of the tribe of Yehuda, and each other in your private thoughts alone and take them with you to the grave.  Should you violate this oath, we will find out who did it.  We have sages.  Or if you think that your sages would not give you up, remember we also have goyish Magi in our employ.  Secrets will be shared this evening.  You are wanting to become part of our families, you should know what you're getting in to, and so should we.  It's just us girls here tonight, all cards on the table.  All secrets safe, because if they are not... you have MY promise, I will spare no expense to see a terrible justice comes to the oath breaker, that is MY oath."  She made eye contact with each of them.  Elena wanted to smile at their reactions, but she couldn't, Pheobe actually spooked her more than a little bit too.  Mostly because she knew Pheobe meant every word.  Pheobe then asked, "Is there anyone who does not wish to be bound by the oath?"

Not a single woman refused.  It was a revealing evening.  Tris found herself a bit scandalized that Chloe and Aggatha seemed to consider themselves married to both brothers.  While in public they made the show of the normal distinctions, in private there were none.  She wasn't sure how something like that would work.  Especially now that they might be adding in more wives.  She wasn't alone in finding this very strange, though to her surprise more than one of the women seemed to find this exciting.  She supposed since they were brothers anyway, who fathered the child was less important, after all anyone that one father would be related to too closely for the child to marry, the other father would be as well, still it was a shocking arrangement to her mind.

As the sun rose Sunday morning and the first fifty women went on their way and the week's new routine started again.  The ladies all compared notes.  They found that between them, they all had five names in common.  With only seven of the first fifty selected at all by any of them.  They agreed that their men would probably be happy with and eventually grow to love any of them, but it was these five that were exceptional.  Though only two of them made the little indicator that Ries had enchanted glow, indicating that they had at least some potential to learn magic even if traditionally they would never be allowed to learn.  Tris was excited to see that one of those was the girl who made suggestions on the tour.

* * *

Anju was working with the gnomish and dwarven civil engineers planning out the order in which they would excavate the passages, where they would move the spoil, and generally how they would go about conducting a monumental construction project, without letting word get out that it was going on until they were ready.   The gnomes and the dwarves bickered constantly.  Anju understood each position, and depending upon the job, the gnome's love of intricacy and subtle balance of forces, and complex machinery was the right option, other times it was the dwarves simple practicality, durability, over engineering, and megolithic tendencies that were the right answer, and  Anju thought, if only he had a bit more of Eli's engineering knowlege to help guide them, a mix of the two would be the ideal, but without knowing more engineering himself, it was hard to suggest to each how they could compliment each other.  Through out this process though, without realizing it, Anju was building real trust with both sides.  His general construction knowledge, and site management experience was shifting the way the two races formed their arguments.  He noticed that inside of two weeks the personal attacks and snide digs against the stylistic choices of the other had changed from barbs with a real edge to good natured complaining that was common between respected professionals.

Through out this time, he had first one, then two near constant companions.  Anju was first amused, then sensed that this was more than two young women amusing themselves flirting with him.  Zindra Silverreach was Raj's relation somehow, and had been at the wedding.  He had thought her actions then were just a game.  Especially as Hypatia played along and they seemed to be having great fun with it, he was fine with it as well.  She was pretty, gnomes were more or less just little people, but Anju didn't think she could be serious as... well biology would seem to be against the idea.  She was just too tiny, oh sure physically it would work and judging from the size queen porn that existed in the world he came from he could even see her attraction on that level, for even an average man would seem huge, but it couldn't be worth risking her life for it!  A human baby, even a half human baby if such were even possible, would surely be fatal for a gnomish woman.

Then there was the second shadow he had picked up, Gama Flintsplitter.  Daugter of the wealthy (at least for the impoverished dwarven peoples) and influencial Flintsplitter clan, she should have likely been promised from birth to another powerful dwarven clan chief's son to bind their clans together.  Why then was she spending all of this time with him and treating Zindra like a rival?  Was it just because she thought Zindra's interest was genuine?  She didn't seem that type.  While biologically, humans and dwarves were a much less risky proposition, dwarven women... uh... Dwarves had different beauty standards than humans.  Gama was a fine specimen of darven womenhood, at four foot eight inches tall, she was tall for a dwarven woman, weighing in at a stout hundred and seventy five pounds of hard muscle she would have made any eastern block women's olympic team look dainty.  Her sandy blonde hair was always worn in a pair of utilitarian braids, as was the fine down of her beard.

Considering Anju's tastes, this wasn't the deal beaker for him that it would be for most men, but still he wasn't about to admit to his private perversions, nor was he happy with anyone thinking that he only spent time with her for wealth, as laughable as that is when compared with his, or her influence which is not a laughable matter.  It wasn't that Anju had a problem with political marriages, in fact deep down unlike most of his other American counterparts he supported the idea.   Anju was still a product of his Indian heritage, and not so far removed from the Indian sub continent as he had thought.  Anju had always thought of himself as thoroughly Americanized, but looking at himself now, his proclivities, his choices, his feelings about what he wanted in life...  While heavily American influenced, he finally admitted, if only to himself, he was Indian, and sooner or later he would need to come to terms with what that meant here.   In a place where so far as he knew, there was no India.

It was in the middle of struggling with these things with in himself, and struggling to keep the peace between the gnomes and the dwarves that the local elders of both races approached him with a counter proposal to the one Eli had presented them with.  Or not so much a counter proposal, as a take it or leave it, make or break, amendment to the deal.  The dwarves didn't trust Raj holding the deed, even with a thousand year lease.  They understood that Eli couldn't, but Anju can.  If Anju will buy the property from Raj, terms to be worked out, leased the same as before, and Anju were to take as wife Gana and Zindra, then all peoples would share in the ownership, and in their united family all could be as one.

Anju was stunned.  This was not what he had been expecting to be focusing his time on, yet they were all adamant the project would go no further with their peoples jointly involved with out this trusted tie.  In a private meeting, with just the two young women and their fathers, the old men told Anju straight out that they were forging a royal line, and that he would be the flux to meld it together.  His other assets were of no concern to them, but the lands he would aquire that would become home for gnomes and dwarves, should pass to which ever of his gnomish or dwarvish wives child weds into the family of the others bloodline.  This will continue to be braided for the thousand year lease that World Wright holds over the property.  In the end, when the lease ends and it passes to this future heir, that person will truly be all three of their progeny, and will truly be the future built by them all.  He will be the king of all the people forged from all the peoples.

Anju longing for belonging, and while feeling a vital part of building the world through World Wright's actions, finally saw a way to customize a very special piece of the world himself. He decided he would take it.  He wasn't a financial wizard, back on Earth he had always had people for that, but he would do this.  Just, he explained to them not as flux, but as a binding matrix.  Flux does it's job and eventually flows out of the mix.  If my family is to be in, then I am in all the way, this becomes a three braided rope or I am not in.

The two older men were surprised, humans ruled the world, why would he seek to join his human family's future to theirs?  However when he insisted that it was the only way, they accepted.  The only thing left for them to do to seal the deal was to convince him that carrying his child wasn't a death sentence for either of the women.  The elders smiled, they assured him there were old magics from when human's first came to this world, that had been used many times safely.  This at least would not be a problem.

Much to the excitement of Gama and Zindra, there were two marriages, two weeks apart.  Hypatia attended, however, she was not pleased with non human elements being added to their family.  While nothing was said to anyone other than Anju, to Anju her views on the matter were made most clear.

Height of Summer

The "traveling salesman" slipped into Xi with five magic air conditioners.   Larissa made the introductions for him to business owners that she knew from her early days working in the boutique shops of Guild Hall Row.  Each owner had the same amazed reaction, each owner had the same spluttering gasping reaction to the price, "I could buy a new building for that!" to which always came the same reply, "It would still be just as hot.  It still would't have your customers looking for reasons to linger and spend more rather than go back outside into the oppressive heat." and finally the same reaction when a very modest interest rate was offered on a loan against their business as collateral , with very reasonable annual or mothly payment options depending on how their business's cash flow functioned.

One day, five meetings each just over an hour long, five magic air conditioners sold.  Larissa's commission was more than she made last year.  The sum World Wright Incorporated put on their balance sheet, when finally reported to one Cadmus, Minister of Commerce approximately a week later, sent him into near fits of appoplexy.  No wonder his wife said she paid two bronze drachma just to get inside.  Who ever heard of paying to get into a taylors shop, even if women do think their dress makers are near divinities, this is too much.  As if it weren't bad enough, he had to hear the news boy shouting all about how wonderful it was.

He bet if he checked into it, he would find it wasn't the company that sold it at all either...  He was ready to steam.  No it would be someone who bought them somewhere and sold them here.  If the company were here, then they would have had to pay tax to bring them into the city, but if some pedler puts them on the back of a wagon and slips them past a gate guard who doesn't know what they are...  Then of course sells it, and on credit no less, but of course the pedler didn't front the money... noooo now there is a reputable company holding the note as well so it must be paid.

Cadmus was miserable.  His wife and he were fighting over the two drachma.  It was hot, but he refused to pay to use the buildings with the air conditioner.  They had let the news man go but had followed him for weeks and found nothing.  The news man advertised paper, and soon small merchants in little towns outside of town get ship loads of the stuff shows up days later to take care of the parchment shortatge.  Now you can buy enough paper for a small book, for a single silver drachma.  It might not be so bad if he just knew who they were, but as it is, no one can say.

* * *

Eli had talked the sages into studying with him in his forge.  He grimaced at it's condition, many of it's unique specialty tools had gone with Arvel to Xi. Still that wasn't the point. For him the point was to be able to focus drawing in the energy and releasing it with the hammer blows.  The sages told him this was foolishness and we confused as to why he would do such a thing, but Eli explained that it was an attempt to use the energy a different way.  to put it into the hammer blow the same way you would a stylus or a knife cut when doing a rune drawing or carving.  He knew that was the way the goiyem did it and that we willed it into existence using the creator's language but if they would just humor him for a bit, he had something that was nagging at the corners of his mind but the idea wouldn't quite form, and he hoped this would help.

Shrugging, men who's hands were far more used to holding quills and ink wells were now soot black as they held glowing steel in tongs and sent waves of their power down to the piece in pulses in time with the hammer falls.  Waiting for the heats, Eli found he was humming "Ha Tikvah", and the nagging feeling that something important was lurking in his mind, just beneath consious thought was strong in him.

What ever it was, like what ever their success or failure with this experimental incantation would have been, was lost and it's fragments scattered when the messenger marged in to the workshop.  "They're back!  They're back!"

Eli resisted the urge to send the hammer flying at the boy.  The young man was wearing the official radio room badge, 'damn,' Eli thought, 'that's why the guards didn't stop him.  Tearing in here like that, it was obviusly an official message.'  Gathering the presence of mind to not shout at the boy who was only doing his job, "Who's back boy?  Is that how you were taught to give a report?!"  Ok, not shout at him too much.  He had insisted they be taught and use military protocols for radio traffic.  Doubtless they would be handling critical news during stressful times, and that was the best way, tried and tested, to maintain discipline and efficency when the whole world was going to hell around you.  That much he would hold the boy to account for.

The boy snapped to attention.  "No Sir Elder Eli!  No excuse Sir!"

Eli shook his head, and just growled, "Ok, ok, so tell me son, what is it?"

"Sir, Operation Iron Bell has returned.  It is a success Sir!  Message says hold is eighty percent filled with high grade steel  bar stock.  All equipment retrieved and accounted for.  Only one casualty, Sir.  A full report is being forwarded to you here via currior and should arrive within four hours.  They await your reply.  Would you like me to send one now, or signal that you will respond after reviewing the report Sir?"

'Damn,' Eli thought, 'we lost one.' He looked up at the messenger and grimly shook his head, "I'll send my reply later."  He waved the boy off. Then thinking on it called out for him, "Just a moment! Do me a favor if you would? Get me the name of the young man we lost. I wish to include him in my evening prayers, and have something prepared for his family."

Turning back to the piece of steel glowing now white hot in the forge, Eli hammered and shaped it into the six pointed star of David.  Honestly, he knew it was probably never used by David, and as a symbol didn't have the same meaning to the tribes he had met here.  To him... he had seen it flying proudly on the flag of Israel.  He had seen it draped across the caskets of heroes.  Once formed and polished, he engraved deep into the metal, "May his example light our way" then handed it to the sages.  "Enchant it agians tarnish or decay, enchant it to continually give off light.  I'll have it sent to his father or his eldest son, 'on behalf of a greatful people'.  See Elena for any expense you incurr doing this when you drop off the finished project to her."  He sighed.  "Sorry gentlemen, I don't think I'm any good for study at the moment."  He wandered off.

By rights eighty percent was a victory.  Forty percent of that cargo hold would easily have broken even on the venture, at fifty it would have paid for the delay of the casino, at eighty he should be throwing a party.  He just never was good at casualties under his command.  That trinket he sent, woudn't provide for that man's family.  Eli determined after reading the report, he would make an effort to do right by the man's family if they would let him.

* * *

While Anju was steadily finding his future with the gnomes and the dwarves.  John too had been busy.  He had taken to prompting Larissa's business development as well as Calchas.  They ended up being surprisingly complimentary in many ways.  Larissa would work as a go between for the various non human factions or low status business owners that the Guild Halls normally would suppress, and the front line retail stores.  It wasn't her advertised business model but as a side line it picked her up quite a substancial sum.  For instance Eli's wives were slowly turning daily operations of their various enterprises over to local women on the island, freeing them up for new projects that Eli had planned.  These local women however did not have the ability to reach off the island through Eli's contacts the way his wives did, but through Larissa's help, when custom dyed woolen yarn would come over on one of the fishing boats turned small time cargo hauler, Larissa would meet with her Guild Hall Row merchant contacts and for a small commission, it would usually all be sold before it even made it to the dock.   Of course once the merchant had it on hand, Larissa would suggest that if they used her name with Calchas, they might get a special deal on advertising the fact that they had this new item through his news boys.  This boosted her reputation as a valuable contact to know, and his sales.  Before long John noticed that there was more than business between them.  At the right word from John, Larissa also started to push Dina's glass beads and the surprising number of high quality pearls she seemed to have a regular supply of.  John soon noticed that Syria, Helena, and Dina had become nearly inseperable.  When he made a joke about it, Di just looked at him like he was stupid.

So rather than try to figure out what those four were up to, he decided to focus his attention back on the alchemest hall.  After assuring the rattled professor that he wasn't angry that progress on finding a solution had been slow, he spent some time just gossiping about the students.  Which ones weren't living up to their potential.  Who had gambling debts?  Who's money all went to the local brothels or taverns?  By the way, had he tried using this new solvent, called whiskey?  No?  They were selling it as a beverage believe it or not.  One tavern owner even going so far as to call it the distilled essence of Dionysus!  Sure, I'll have some sent by for you, if you can tell me which student knows his craft, AND needs coin bad enough to consider regular employment instead of holding out for a patron to fund his reasearch?  Thank you ever so much...

Word came in over the radio that operation iron bell was a success.  John would need to get the political operation in motion, because at the end of this month they were going to come out into the open.  Anju had given the green light, and that was when he told John about his up coming weddings.  John congratulated him, still in a bit of shock.  Zindra he got, she was hot, if tiny, then it struck him, maybe Syria was part gnome?  Gama on the other hand... the beard was just too weird.  Larissa's comment about Anju's tastes came back to him... John shook his head, damn it, he didn't want to know.  He didn't really care, but he didn't need the mental picture that came unbidden when the subject came up.

Larissa couldn't help him with the political set, but he knew where he could find out what he needed to know.  After explaining to Syria and Helena, with his face burning red that it was for work and not because of anything they weren't providing... Helena was the first to get where he was going with this, "M'love, if you want to go to a brothel you don't need to ask, or justify your reasons to us." she said with only a little giggle.

Syria gave a sigh, "No, men do it all the time... though if you're just wanting something exciting, Dina won't take much 'convincing'" the emphysis she put on convincing sent Helena into another round of giggles.

"What Dina?  Really?" John was surprised, Dina was to the age where she wanted to start looking at getting married and he was considered too young for that by most standards.  Now that she had the money to be an attractive prospect for even wealthy merchants and some lesser nobles she could have her pick.  Their combined giggles made him realize that his taking this seriously was not the image he needed to be protraying to get across his message.  "That's not the point!  I'm not... I don't need anyone but you two.  You're everything to me, I love you."  There that should reassure them, he thought as he continued, "but I need to know things about legislators and they can't just go to common brothels, it would be seen as too common.  The temple of Eros on the other hand... and lets face it a pretty girl sucks out a man's secrets as fast as well... she sucks out everything else.." like your self respect if you continue this conversation with them, "so IF I can hold on to my secrets long enough, and maybe pay her for theirs..."  he shrugged.

Helena looked at him, not suspiciously just evaluating, then she looked at Syria, who nodded.  Helena sighed, "I don't believe it, but I think we both believe you.  Since that is your plan, and you aren't just looking for a little excitement, you should take one of us with you."  Syria nodded.  "It will help keep your 'secrets' in place for one thing." she said with a smirk. "For another, she'll tend to trust one of us more than she will you.  In places like that she won't trust us much either, but what men do to her," she shook her head, "she'll never trust you from one meeting."  Syria just nodded knowingly.

Price, Principles, and Power

Aspasia shivered. It wasn't cold, not in late August, not in the middle of the heat of the day.  For the thirtieth time since she came into this little store room less than ten minutes ago, she asked herself if she had gone mad.  She was trusting that boy, child really, and his slave woman.  That's what she had to be, even if she didn't act it.  Though at her age, controling a boy like that wouldn't be too hard if she had any experience with men at all.  She shuddered as the memory of some of her experiences threatened to pay her a visit.  If he didn't show up soon, she would be missed.  They wouldn't accuse her of running at least, only hiding here in the store room.  She thought about the week of serving in the pits of ectasy she would have to endure if she were caught.  What a name to use for that hell...  supposed ectasy, was the mindless drooling oblivion that took days to recover from of being thrown like a piece of meat to the serve the lusts of the frenzied masses at the height of general ceremony.  The one given for the common public.  The one always packed with followers willing to offer their tiny coin to attend the ceremony,  even the dockside brothels had more dignity.  There was a reason it was used for the final initiation rituals and for 'remedial lessons' when 'one's devotion was lacking'.

She was just about to flee from the small room and run back to her place and pray that she hadn't been missed when the rock of the floor seemed to just melt away opening up to a small hole and a familiar face.  The boy had come himself?!  He had not even sent his guards to fetch her?  Was he mad?  If they found him, did he not know what fate would befall him before he was allowed to die?

He has the nerve to smile?  He must be mad.  She doesn't wait though, if they catch her now it will be for trying to escape and the pit will seem a relief.  Scrambling past him, he takes a moment and arranges a grain sack over the hole he has made. It won't fool anyone for long, but at least anyone looking into the room from the door, might not notice.  At least if he's crazy, he's smart about it, she thought as she crawled out ahead of him through the short tunnel that only seemed to go about an hundred and fifty feet or so before she carefully poked her head out and squinted at the bright sunlight at the far end of the alley.   At the end of the alley was a sedan chair with the curtains drawn back obvously waiting.  "Go!" he hissed.  She went.  They clambored in and the sedan chair began to move.  He tossed clothes to her. "Here change and quick."  She hurriedly did as he commanded.  She had barely had time to fasten the belt in place when he took her hand.  She almost flinched away instinctively but his grip was stronger than it looked for one his size and age. "This way and don't make a noise."

They were out of the sedan chair, as it continued to move down a busy crowded street, and into another narrow alley between buildings.  They walked slowly down the alley way, him holding her hand.  In a voice piched barely above a whisper, "Look normal, don't run. Move when I do.  I will signal you with my hand."  She felt his grip tighten and loosen twice in rapid succession.  They casually walked down the street.  He gave her the signal and turned into a building.  It seemed to be appartments of some sort.  Once inside, a small dark woman she had not met before let them into a cheap apartment with no furniture.  She kissed the boy passionately.  This was not the woman he was with when he came to visit her the first time, this was not the one he said was his wife.

Once the woman released him, she looked at Aspasia, "come with me"  she went over to a corner where there were several bowls of harsh smelling liquid.  "Take off those clothes, and leave them.  New clothes will be brought."  Aspasia only hesitated for a moment, this woman she did not believe was his slave, not for even a moment.  What had she gotten herself into?  Once her clothes were off, the woman put on calf skin gloves then put her hands into the thick liquid and dumped it on to her head.

Aspasia cried out in shock but the woman hissed, "Quiet!  Do you want to get caught?"  She rubbed the nasty stuff all in her hair, almost like she was washing it.  "Stop squirming or your face will show the dye and this will all be for nothing!"  The woman brought her face level with Aspasia's and looked her in the eyes, "I thought you were not worth the risk.  Helena and John said that I did not see what it was like, and John said that he had given his word, so here we are in the middle of the day risking everything that we have worked for, for you.  I don't hate you, I'm not mad at you, I even hope that if we all get out of this safe that we shall be friends, but I swear to you by all that I hold dear, that if you cause anyone I care about to come to harm beause of this foolishness, nothing they did to you will be anything like what I will."

John, who had been watching from near the door, called back in a low voice, "Syria!  Take it easy, she's scared to death."

Syria frowned and just low enough that Aspasia could hear, "She's not scared enough to act right."  Then louder, "Come on girl, let's wash that dye out and get you into some clothes no one has seen you in yet."

Aspasia could hear John in the other room over the water the woman Syria he had called her, what kind of name was that anyway?  Sounded like it might be Persian?  She pushed that out of her mind as she heard John talking with some men. He as saying, "So you ditched the sedan chair?"

A deep male voice answered, "Right boss, just like we discussed. Hidden but not so good that they can't find it, and we covered it good with salt and ash just like the Sages said."

'Sages' she thought, they could contact and consult the bene Yisrael's sages and actually get answers from them?  That was no small thing.  Who are these people?  For the first time she got the chance to actually watch how the boy moved.  He was in charge, that was not in question. The grown men moved around him, they defered to him, not just lip service either.  His movments were smooth and sure too, they were not the normal jerky movements of youth.  She looked closely at his ears and feet, no not a halfling either.  He was a boy, just a very unusual boy.

Almost as if he caught her studying him, he turned to the woman still standing beside her, "M'love, how long before her hair is dry enough for you to go out?"

Syria shrugged, "Still need to fix her face and put on the jewelry.   Say twenty minutes or so in this heat?"

John nodded with a serious look, "Ok, I'm going to go scout ahead of you.  If we've drawn any attention, I'll focus it on me, and make them wish that they had minded their own damn business."  he added with a savage grin that actually almost convinced Aspasia if the face that it was on hadn't looked like it should be stealing sweets instead.  "Be careful and stick to the plan.  If you get in to trouble..."

Syria nodded, "Fire the flare and Helena sends in the cavalry."  She said the last word in English and this confused Aspasia.  After the boy ducked out and they were left alone with the men, the woman turned to her.  "Let's get your face disguised too, and get you somewhere safe.  I meant what I said, if you prove me wrong and we get out of this without you getting my husband or myself killed, or these brave men protecting us, I would like to be your friend.  It's just right now, I need you to focus on getting us all out of here safe."

Husband?  So young, and already two wives, and so much older than he?  Not that she should doubt his abilities, so far he was just incredible.  All of this for some legislator's secrets...  what in the world were these peole up to?  Not that she cared, these bastards deserved anything that they got.  Careful not to move until the woman was finished applying the maroon paste to her lips, she finally asked, "What is 'cavalry'?"

Syria smirked, "You met his other wife, the one who came with him?  Well she has the wolf clan of beast men ready to riot at the signal.  If all goes well then no need, but if not...  where my husband is from, sending in the cavalry is a way to say sending in help.  A rampaging wolf clan, seemed like the right level of help.  Not cheap if we need to do it, but cheaper than new hides, I've grown rather attached to mine, and his."

Aspasia thought about people who would arrange a full scale beastman riot just to give the city something else to worry about and all she could say was "Oh, OH!"

They walked right past the search parties.  The alarm had definately gone up, but as two wealthy women, with body guard escort, they weren't even looked at twice.  As neither of them were even close to the description of the missing girl, why would they.  Once safely in the alien quarter, in the most amazing under ground rooms, she gladly told him everything she knew about all of them.  Legislators, ministers, members of the royal family, prominant guild hall members, everything.  From which ones couldn't preform, to which ones she needed to go see those who healed the diseases right after, to financial corruption she had learned about.    When she was done, John only grinned, then kissed her chastely on the forehead, and thanked her, then asked her to do it one more time for a man named Kalev.  Who in turn also listened to it all, asked many questions, things she hadn't even thought were important but he seemed to be very happy as he wrote them all down.

After that, a young girl of maybe nine or ten came in.  She took her to a small apartment.  "This is your room for now.  John's really busy, I don't even get to see him as much as I want to so, don't expect that you will either."  Aspasia wasn't sure whethere the girl was explaining the situation or trying to warn her off, but before she could figure it out, the girl continued.  "My name is Di, short for Dianna, I'm supposed to help you settle in.  Answer questions and help you get a feel for things until you decide what you want to do."

The girl then showed her the bathing room, with running water both hot and cold, and a magical chamber pot that emptied itself.  She was told for now to stay in her room, Di would come for her when it was dinner time.  She was offered a book, but since she could not read, her options were limited.  She didn't care.  She felt safe here.  She was still in the bath when Di came again for dinner.  No matter how many times she washed she didn't seem to ever be able to actually feel clean.

* * *

Moshe ben Moshe arrived the following day.  Thus began John's crash course in politics of the day.  What was taboo.  What was considered scandal in an era where slavery was common and pedophilia and homosexuality were as common as sand on the beach.  Soon enough though, armed with Aspasia's information, they had a hit list of legislators that would at least get him in the door, however since his age would work against them, John selected one of the new, up and coming 'speach writers' as they called them.  A precursor to a lawyer.  However, John described what a lawyer was, how the system worked, and offered to hire him as his lawyer.  Exlaining that soon, with what they were doing it would be a whole new field, and he would be pioneering it.  At first he looked at the boy as if he were indulging a child, ok a wealthy child who could afford his fee.  However once he met Anju, saw the deeds to the properties.  Saw the building plans, heard what was planned for the businesses in that building, and then shown an actual photograph, granted he was just very impressed by the skill of the artist, of the World Wright Incorporated Headquarters building, the amused attitude faded and he seriously began to listen.  Once he heard the information that they had learned, he gave a low whistle and sighned the contract to become their lawyer right then.

They then formed a political action committee, only they called it a fraternal organization, and endowed it with two percent of the shares in the casion.  This two percent was earmarked for political contributions.  In this way monty wasn't coming direclty from World Wright Incorporated, though those controling the fraternal organization were all also regional vice presidents of the company.  However in a land where nepetism wasn't illegal and even considered part of the system, money laundering wasn't difficult or complex.  By the time Ely was ready to land with the first iron bars, the majority of the government would be benefitting from the continued prosperity of World Wright Incorporated.

John's instincts proved accrute.  Not only did these creatures fold like a cheap suit, in their greed, they failed to ask important questions.  Unfortunatly John was just as sure that one day, he would have to use that fact as well.

World Wright Incorporated is coming to town.

Eli was surprised to find that he actually was excited to be leaving the island this time.  He had agreed to the selections his wives had made, he met the women but to be honest there wasn't time or the ability to get to know who they were, besides Elena had chosen the other seven, and Elena hershelf had been more of an accident than design.  The women here, they actually tried to be good wives and put the good of the family ahead of everything else in their lives, unless a man was a complete ass, or to Eli's mind no man at all, it was hard for him to imagine a marriage that wouldn't work out eventually.  They had selected five not three, which at first he objected to, but again they were looking to the good of the family and unlike him, they HAD gotten to know these women.  If they thought it could be made to work, why should he be the one to cause trouble.  They seemed to think that they NEEDED each of them in their family, he didn't understand fully what their plan was but if he had followed his plan with Elena...  His life now would be a hollow shell compared to what it is.  He loved Debbie still, and felt the loss of having her left behind on Earth, but looking back on his life there, and comparing it to here, there was no comparison.  Sure he spent more time with Debbie, and his children there, but in many ways he was probably more cut off from both than he was his wives and children here who he spent much less time with, on a minunte by minute accounting scale, but who when he was with them, he was with them, without a lot of the other baggage and distractions that always seemed a part of the deal on Earth.  Maybe it was the 'modern lifestyle', or maybe it was how society had been constructed or evolved depending on the tin foil content of your hat or any of a dozen other factors, including maybe a change in himself, he just knew that he implicitly trusted the women in his life to make his life better not worse, and so he would accept their judgement on this, and get his ass to work trying to make their lives better.  It felt good to finally be bringing so many pieces of this puzzle together.  After this push, there would come a time of consolidating, still growing but growing along a pattern already established so that others could do  much of it for themselves.  Then, yes then, he could spend more time on all the important things that he had been letting slip... at least that's what he told himself.  He was honest enough to understand that he was rationalizing, but like most of us, he still thought it a workable plan.

The scow loaded with all the steel bar needed for the casino, had been topped off with various other trade goods and supplies including Magical Ice Makers, and Magical Oven cores, and the more direct consumer aimed products Magical Lighters and Magical Lamps.  The first bolts of SeaSilk and SeaSilk Brocaide, for now the supply would be tightly controlled and prices would be extreme as a luxury good, but by next year or the year after, supply would be allowed to increase to meet demand.

This old tub looked horribly crude to twenty first century American eyes, but standing on her prow as she powered in to Xi's harbor, made of iron and moving under her own power, larger by three times than any but the largest of the war ships, and still out weighing them several times over, Eli could help but grin thinking of the stir that they were causing on the dock.  The World and Current Events reporters had been anouncing for a week that the World Wright Incorporated company would be arriving in the city of Xi to open offices soon.   The producers of the Magic Air Conditioners and many more magical machines and other exotic products like paper and new fabrics and dyes would arrive by ship flying a blue banner with the white hammer, globe, and anvil logo of the company emblazoned on it.    Eli looked above him, they were making enough speed that even in the calm air the five foot by twelve foot banner was easily recognizable.  It was one of the first patterns he had the Jaquard loom turn out.

They held position in the middle of the harbor.  They were really too big to use the traditional dock.  That didn't really matter though, they had a shallow enough draft that they could belly up almost to shore, and the front of their craft could lower similar to the landing craft on D-Day to allow for easy loading and unloading.  Normally that wouldn't have been possible in a ship this size, but when at sea, when the door was closed, they used a magical wall of force to actually seal it.  The front of the hull was more of a loading ramp than an acutal hull.  Also while flat and would normally be a nightmare in the waves, the force wall was normal bow shaped, and sliced the waves easily.  Eli loved engineering with magic, it just felt like cheating.

Captain Leon was being lowered in a skiff now, also enchanted with shape water along its bottom, alowing it to be self propelled, though at only a modest pace.  The locals should still find it impressive enough.  Once arrangements were made for where they should unload, Eli and his guard of six would head toward the Slain Orc leaving Marcus to coordinate with the dwarven teamsters Anju had arranged to get the steel moved into place.

* * *

Fifteen prominant legislators stood sweating in the heat of the day, they had all been called here by some young noble boy, child really. Normally they would have laughed it off, but he had come bringing the request in the name of a fraternal order that was pledged heavily to their political futures.  Even so there were limits, did these people not know who they were to bring them out here like this?

John just watched these self important windbags stew in the hot sun.  He didn't need to have them here this early, but he had been reading some books on psychology that Sam of all people had had on his tablet.  It had said that phyisical stress was useful in firmly setting mental images and impressions.  He wanted these assholes to get a good look.  The longer they waited the more uncomfortable and more agitated they got.  A couple even made noises about going. John only smiled, "I understand, I'm certain we'll find someone with more stamina to support for your seat this fall.  It will allow you to focus on your health."  He loved it that these bastards had to run for office every year.  It had never been a big deal for them before as most ran completely unopposed year after year.  The money John waved in the water in addition to the new and growing influence of the World and Current Events news service had brought to the equation changed all of that.  No one left.

Then it happened.  The collective gasp went out through the crowd.  John suppressed a chuckle.  The thing was a garbage scow.  These people would die of heart failure if they saw an aircraft carrier.  Hmm... 'wonder if Eli's thought of that one...' then he shook off the thought.  Out loud he said, "Ah, I see they've made it.  Now you know why you're here.  Let's make our way to the harbor master's office and smooth things out shall we?  Then I can introduce you to some people you'll likely want to know."  He just walked off, not bothering to look back.  They would follow.

He arrived at the harbor master's office only a few minutes before Leon's skiff made it to the warf.  As expected, he hadn't lost a one, even picked up a few semi important hanger ons, who seeing an opportunity jumped on it.  Good for them.  One never knew when they might come in handy.  "Gentlemen, after you."  He said to them, holding open the door.

* * *

Di and Aspasia had actually become quite close over the last few weeks.  Aspasia was having a hard time adjusting to her new life.  She was bored, yes, but she was also afraid to go out much, and was having a hard time relating to people.  At first she saw Di as a bit of a pest, but one day Di told her how she came to live with them.  They found something they shared, trauma, and a little avenging spirit.  At first Aspasia didn't believe her, but she casually mentioned it to Helena, playing it off as Di having her first crush and a little hero worship.   Then Helena told her very seriously about him fighting off a full trireme of grown sailors.  Only a few left, and they were crippled.  She only smiled at Aspasia's wide eyed stare, and told her to ask Syria or Anju, they were both there too.  After that she took Di a lot more seriously.  Her and her 'good kind of scary' made a lot more sense to her now.  It also explained why his guards treated him with the respect that they did.

So when Di showed up all giggles and excitement "Get dressed!  Get dressed!  You'll want to see this!  It'll be fun!" she grudgingly allowed her to drag her along with Helena, Syria, Larissa, Dina, and several others that Aspasia had only met briefly but never really gotten to know and couldn't remember their names.  She figured in a crowd this big she was likely to be safe enough, especially here in the alien quarter and with all the guards and dwarven construction workers and the like that were along with them.  It seemed like quite the crowd.

"Di, what's going on?  What are all these people doing here?" she asked seeing a lot of familiar faces from around and under the Slain Orc all the way down by the docks.

Di grinned and looked every bit a young girl.  All the pain that had made her grow up so fast, had seemed to fall away for the moment.  Aspasia just sighed.  The others with them just smiled at her and seemed almost as excited as Di seemed to be.  The sun felt extra warm today, she supposed it was all the time she had been spending underground lately, it was just comfortable there, it felt safe.  She was just about to suggest going back when suddenly Di shrieked "There!" and she was pointing at the mouth of the harbor.

Aspasia blinked, she had to look again to be sure of what she was seeing.  Hearing the gasp go up from so man around her, she realized that they were seeing it to, so she wasn't going mad.  That ship was massive.  It made the other boats around it look like toys.  It had no sails, and no oars!  Their banner!  She had seen it before, it was all over the place at the Slain Orc.  THESE were the people who saved her?  Ohh whoo... they could do this... no wonder their children didn't hesitate to steal priestess from the temples or kill six bandits at once to protect a little girl or take on a whole trireme full of sailors...

Di was hopping up and down, "See!  See!  Told ya this was going to be fun!  Bet all those snooty people who look down on us, are peeing on themselves right about now."  she said smugly.  "Just wait until the casion is done.  Then they'll really see what splendor is.  You haven't been to the island.  I have.  It used to just be a couple of poor fishing villages.  Hrmph, not any more." she said practically dancing.   "Now they're here and my John has help!  He's not going to be having to do it all by himself anymore!"

Aspasia noticed Syria watching Di with amusment.  She wasn't correcting the girl, or jealous of her claims on John, but rather the look was... maternal was not quite the word, sisterly perhaps... yes that might be the right term, protective and loving, yet closer to equals.   Aspasia did feel a pang of jealousy for that.  Not that she begrudged Di having it she just found herself longing to find something like it for herself.

She was snapped out of her distraction by a sudden noise from the crowd, the large craft was moving again.  Right up to the shore!  The whole front of the boat just fell open and hit the dry ground and men started coming out of it!  They really were here!

* * *

The first reports to the palace were rejected, and the men giving the reports reprimanded for drinking on duty.  However the sheer volume of the reports soon proved out the folly of that first assessment.  At that point the cover up, finger pointing, and blame shifting, had reached epic proportions.  Cadmus, the first to take the reports seriously had been laughed at by his peers, and when he had reported it to His Majesty none the less, had been told he had committed career suicide.  Indeed when His Majesty first heard the report he viewed Cadmus with a skeptical eye.  Cadmus calmly replied, "This is only what was reported to me.  This is however, the same company that brokered peace for themselves with the mer-elves, created the magic airconditioners that you have been wanting for the palace, resolved the parchment shortage by exporting the new 'paper' to us.  When I hear outlandish claims about them, I find it prudent to inform Your Majesty, and then to go check it out."

The look of scorn fell off of the king's face for a moment and a look of deep contemplation.  Then he nodded.  "Agreed.  Outlandish or not, those fellows are not to be under estimated.  Alert my carriage, I ride out to view this supposed marvel."

This was not what l wanted, he thought and furriosly tried to come up with a way out of a full royal procession in the middle of all this chaos.  As such, no one was more surprised than he as the words, "Of couse, we shall go at once" tumled from his lips.

*****

The whole thing was unsettling and unnatural.   Metal floating on water!  Moving without sail or oars!  Yet, there it was.  The whole carriage was stunned.  His Majesty may have said it best though, when he said, "At least the Palace will get airconditioning."   After that nothing was said for the long ride back to the palace as each man was left to process his own thoughts as to what the future held.

Making ourselves at home

Eli grinned as he got his first look at the new set up at the Slain Orc.  Anju and John had really developed a flair for the dramatic, but it was probably just as well.  The chances that they were going to be able to do this without bloodshed were nonexistant but maybe if they set the right tone from the start, they would only have to make a few token examples and could keep the bloodletting to a minimum.   He wanted the city more or less in tactct not a ruined heap, nor did he want to have to govern the damn things day to day operations.  While vitally important at this stage of the game, in the big picture  Xi was insignificant.  He needed this to go smoothly.

His advance team had torn out three sleeping rooms and converted it over to a reasonable imitation of a modern American boardroom.  Well a cross between a boardroom and the throneroom of a Roman Emperor, Eli admitted.  This would be his war room for the next few weeks until more of the actual tower had been completed.  The massive stone table that occupied the center of the room was intricately carved and inlaid with fasceted glass 'gems'.  Between it and the Jaquard tapestry banners that were now being quickly hung on the walls, it shrieked wealth and power in a barbaric sort of way for this day and age.  It wasn't really his personal tastes, but he wasn't designing for him, each person who got cold feet and decided not to do something stupid, was less blood on both sides Eli was responsible for, and Eli could put up with quite a bit a gaudy decorating for that.

Passing through the room he passed through his guard's ready room, their quarters and finally into a damn large suite of rooms that was set aside for him.  "A bit much for just me, don't you think?" he asked one of his guards.

The guard shrugged, "The rest of the family might join you."

Eli made a face conceeding the point, "Only if this goes a lot smoother than I have reason to believe.  I don't think I'll feel safe having them here until the tower is up and the PMC sets up offices in the building.  Have you heard any rumors if they've made any progress settling on a name?"

The young guard only raised an eyebrow, "If you call agreeing not to spill blood to decide progress..."

Eli snorted, "If they were Jews they could just call themselves Maccabeans and have done with it, but I hesitate to put that forward, I wouldn't want them to think I was desmirching their tribe's long history of martial glory."

"Maccabeans?"  The young guard asked curriously.

Eli grinned wickedly, "Oh yeah!  A good story that one.  I've got to get ready, but if you want to hear, I can tell you while I get dressed."  The young guard was eager.  His personal guard were all partisans of Eli, of that there was no doubt, the longer they were with him though, the more it tipped over into near rabbid fanatisism.  Eli didn't encourage this, but with his much greater life experiences, it was hard for these young men not to view him in high reguard.  That he looked out for them as well, seeing to even their small needs...  That just made him a legend.

Eli started getting dressed for the meeting to come, and telling the young guard the Chanukkah story.  His tribes had already been gone for centuries when these events happened so this was all new to him.  This wasn't the cute little story about the oil.  Oh that may have happened, but that isn't the Chanukkah story.  That is the story told because telling the story of Jews successfully throwing off the oppression of the world superpower of the time, and taking their Temple back didn't sit too well with the oppressive Christian monarchs where the Jews lived.  So a story about miraculaous oil, meant fewer synagogues burned, and fewer Jews burned inside them.  The real story of Yehuda Maccabee and his brothers, that was a story that lit fire in the eyes of his young guard.  Eli found that it also put him in an interesting frame of mind to go meet the legislators that John was likely gathering in the boardroom even now.

Eli finished dressing.   For meetings this time, he had decided to wear traditional Israelite clothing, and they had spared no expense for this.  Fine wools and the new Seasilk, all of it with tasteful, he could only go full clown suit so much, but richly dyed patterns fresh off of the Jaquard loom.  "Well do I pass inspection?"

The young guard, solomnly nodded. "Like Shalomo haMalek himself."

Eli snorted, "Let's hope I can do half as well."  As he marched determinedly toward the door.

* * *

John led the stunned gaggle of legislators through the dock area to the gates of the alien quarter. At which point the protests began, "We can't go in there without an armed guard!  Do you have any idea what you are doing child?  Those people, some of them are literally animals!"  That last was said as their escort, the alpha of the wolf clan of the beastmen arrived.  Walking up behind the one speaking.

John calmly shook his head and condesendingly said, as if reminding a small child that there was no boogie man, "Gentlmen, have I not told you, you enjoy the patronage of the Promethean Brotherhood.  No harm will befall you today, you may walk these streets with more security than in your own gardens."  With a meaningful look at the legislator who had last spoken, he gestured to the new arrival, "Allow me to introduce the Alpha of the Wolf Clan Aerik.  It is he, who will be seeing to general security today."  A strangled gasp and a quickly controled murmer ran through the assembly as they all recognized what passed in the city of Xi for the most notorious of crime bosses.

Aerik, no title, no last name, no need, just Aerik, everyone knew who you meant, gave them all a lazy mildly amused smile, that was only belied by the badly hidden dangerous gleem of hunger that burned in his eyes.  "Perfectly safe, we are not animals after all."  He said without a trace of irony, though those eyes fell directly upon the particularly unfortunate legislator.  "Please, if you will, follow me."

******

John smirked, as he watched the reactions of the legislators to the boardroom they had constructed hidden in the Slain Orc.  The arrival of the Gnome and Dwarf elders to the party had also gotten a reaction, oh quickly controlled, but John was enjoying this.  Then Eli comes out.  Looking like an extra from the Ten Commandments movie that they played every Easter backhome, ok the Las Vegas showing, still no one in the room was left with any doubt what he was, or how much his clothes alone must cost.  John wanted to run in the other room and have a giggle fit.  Fuck! This was better than TV!

Sitting in this lavish "boardroom" he had called it, in the middle of the alien quarter at that, at the table with gnomes and dwarves, as if they were equals, being lectured to by this bene Yisrael... even if his clothes did cost as much, ok more than a good carriage and the team of horses to pull it, didn't sit well with many in the room.  They were being lectured too, there was no doubt about it.  Oh he made all the proper 'thank you for supporting our landing' noises, but he was informing THEM, of what he was going to do in THEIR city.  That THEIR JOB was to just keep up the support.  Make sure no new laws passed designed to cause his company problems.  Everyone was going to benefit, and while that seemed likely true, there was no denying that he was probably going to benefit a lot more.  He didn't WANT to change city government, wasn't that grand of him, like he could... though too many of them feared in their hearts that with the benefits he was talking about bringing for the common man, he probably could.  The raw ARROGANCE of it all just grated on all of their pride, but they were politicians and as such practical men, and pride didn't keep their families coffers filled.  Keeping their positions in the legislature did, and through this Promethius Brotherhood, probably would even more so.  It was just such a bitter pill to swalllow.

Eli figured he had hammered home the important parts enough, so he decided to wrap up his portion of things.  "So gentlemen, again I thank you.  I look forward to the prosparity we will bring together.  As this is likely the last time that we shall meet, it would not do for you to appear to be too cozy with me or my company, are there any questions you have in general, before I turn you over to the various department heads to answer more specific questions?"  Eli looked around but didn't wait long, "No?  Good, then as we are all busy men, I leave you in the competant hands of the various department heads to go over any details and don't forget to pick up your gift packs on the way out.  It's not much, but an assortment of the goods we are bringing in the first round of imports.  That way you have first hand knowledge of them when asked by your constituants."  Just like that, he turned and was back through the door leading to his quarters.

John watched the stunned reaction with more amusement.  These men weren't used to being so abruptly dismissed after recieving their marching orders.  He would have a little soothing of feathers to do later, or more accurately Damon, the young 'speachwriter' turned lawyer that he had hired would.  It would be a good test of the youngman's abilities, and if he lost a few, elections were coming up, it would be time to make some examples, "pour encourager les autres."

* * *

Aerik looked at the young woman in front of him.  Damn, but if she weren't connected to those new strangers, he wouldn't mind trying to add her into the pack.  Human or not she had the soul of a wolf, at least her heart called out for the vengence of one.  "So let me get this straight, you don't know which Guild Hall ordered it.  You need me to find that out for you?"

Syria wasn't in the mood for games, and she knew this man wasn't stupid.  "The contract is simple.  The goons that did it must be made an example of.  No one can be willing to take a job to rough up World and Current Events reporters in the future, certainly not as a way to get at us for running advertisements with them.  Not after you get done with them, but they must live.  They have to live be seen, to be the reminder, to be the constant examle.  IF you can find out what guild ordered it, and get proof.  Then there is a bag of pearls three times that size, to do the same to the Guild Master who ordered it.  I was told your Wolf Clan was reliable.  If the job is too difficult, I understand that the Bear Clan also takes jobs like this."

Damn, her eyes just sprarkled and smouldered at the same time when she was angry, he smiled.  "Hey now, no need to be insulting.  I like working with your people.  You pay prompt, show reasonable respect... usually when you're not bringing up the Bear Clan, but I'll allow that you might have been unnecessairly provoked."  Again the hint of a smile struggled to break out.  "I'll look into it.  We should be able to get the ground level thugs.  Those above them often work through cut outs, that makes it harder.  Three bags works if it's just the normal cut outs, but five if I tell you that they hid deep.  Deal?"

Syria blinked, she just realized he had been flirting with her!  She didn't know if she was angry that he showed disrespect to John, or flattered that the alpha valued her enough to risk John's jealousy.  John wasn't the jealous type but this asshole didn't know that, and jealous or not if he felt it was a threat to her, she'd have new wolf skin booties for winter.  "Deal, only one condition."

Aerik blinked, "Oh?"

Syria leaned forward so only he could hear her, "IF there are any situations, that you think make this more than a simple business transaction, take it up with my husband."  She said the last in a flat all but threatening tone.

Aerik broke out into a wide grin, one couldn't classify it as anything but open admiration, "Absolutely!  I must pay him every compliment on his absolute amazing good fortune."  Damn but she had to be part wolf!  Not flustered nor shy, she met him with open challenge!  He would persue her no further, but damn he did envy that boy.

As Syria left she felt her cheeks flush.  She knew John was afraid, that at her size, should she become pregnant it would be dangerous, but she had grown over the last two years.  Damn it, he was going to have to get over his fear!  That fucking wolf shouldn't have been able to get to her like this.  Not after being with him for two years.

* * *

By the middle of the second week, the steel frame was in place, all twelve stories, and covering four city blocks.  It  had gone up right over the existing buildings.  The tennets of the buildings still had two months left on their lease, but had been offered generous sums to leave early.  Only one was being a bit of a hold out but Eli was confident when the concrete started pouring in his back door, he would become far more plyable.  If not, he could stay, forver.  Eli had just gotten an invitation from the palace.  It wasn't the kind of thing one could really decline but it also meant putting himself at risk.  Oh he wasn't sure that they COULD hold him if they tried, but they might try, and that would get damn messy quick.  John had suggested the ruse that he was out of town temporarily and would be happy to visit upon his return, but Eli thought that was a show of weakness.  Unfortunately at the moment he was weak, or at least weaker than he would be had this waited just two more weeks.

He suspected that the little incident with the World and Current Events reporter might have sped things up.  It needed to be responded to.  Damn why did it have to be a legislator behind it rather than a guild?  He can't even say he disapproved of how the wolves handled it, though tacking the man's scrotum up on the door of the Temple of Themis, while poetic, certainly caused a news story that didn't need anyone to report it.  He personally couldn't have given the order, it was forbidden in Torah, but since it was done without his knowlege or orders... he couldn't say he thought not in the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth spirit.  Yeah he knew that wasn't what it meant, but it was what it said...

Enough procrastination, he dressed in his full get up, complete with it's many hidden pockets and holsters, and with only one guard for appearances sake set off to the Palace.

*****

Arriving at the Palace the guards were polite, and efficient.  They showed him in to the palace, through the various halls, past what passed in this world for splendour and if Eli were honest, even back home would be considered an amazing collection of art and artifacts.  Then outside of a large set of double doors they stopped.  "Leave your weapons here please."  The guard who led them in instructed.

"No"  Eli replied.

The guard blinked as if Eli's words didn't register.  "M'lord you're not permitted to carry weapons into the throneroom.  Please, they will be here waiting for you when you return."

Eli sighed, "Son, let me make this as easy for you as I can."  Even his Greek taking on a Texas twang suddenly.  "I was invited here as a guest.  I accepted, as a courtesy.  I'm either good enough to see the man as I am, or I'm  going home. Unless of course I'm not a guest, but a prisoner and was brought here under false prestenses.  I understand this isn't a choice you can make, so I'll just wait here, while you go find the one who can make this decision, and then just come on back and let me know how we're playing this.  Just between you and me, that last option gets really ugly for everyone....  Go on now, I'll wait."  Eli just gave him a friendly wave, and turned to study one of the many paintings hanging on the wall.

Several minutes later the guard came back, and behind him were twenty fully armed hopalite warriors.  Eli's guard began to draw his blade, but Eli stopped him.   "Give it a second.  This doesn't have the feel of an ambush.  Look," he nodded. "See, he's trying to head off misunderstanding already."

He was indeed, the guards eyes got wide as he saw the bodyguard go for his weapon and he felt his heart sink.  Realising what this looked like he rushed forward and threw up his hands. "No...No, they are only here as insurance on our side.  His Majesty has chosen to honor your request.  Please make no sudden moves though, no one wants this to..."

Eli grinned, "become unfriendly?" he finished.  The guard just nodded furriously.  "Well no one here wants that either.  Just take it easy on my boy here, just like you boys, it's his job to keep ME breathing.  Well, and to be honest, he's used to having a might more back up to do it, but I didn't want to look like we were invading."

The young guard just blinked as he let that perspective sink in, "uh, yeah..."  The two guards on the door looked a little green, like perhaps their adrenaline was doing loops in their guts, but they didn't want to show it.  They opended the door as the rest of the guards arrived.  "Could you follow me please?"

"Happily.  Nice place you folks have here.  I might have to find out which artists you work with..."

Closing the door behind them, the door guards looked at each other.  Neither said a word, neither had to...  No one was that calm facing down that many men, those two hadn't expected to lose even against more than twenty men and they knew it.

****

The king was sitting up on his throne, they were announced, and Eli swagered in as if he were inspecting the place.  In place of a bow, he did give a slight incline of his head a few inches.  Those behind the king stiffened,  but the king himself only let a ghost of a smiile play on his lips.  "Welcome Eli ben Dovid ben Yehuda."

"Thank you, Your Majesty is most kind.  I'd like to explain our little missunderstanding at the door just now before we go any further, I think it might help us to understand each other better."

The king's brow creased a bit, he allowed the man to keep his weapons in violation of all protocol, bringing it up now was in poor taste.  He said it was to help them understand eachother though, and he certainly did want to understand this man, "Very well...." He agreed letting the curiosity come through obviously in his voice.

Eli smiled, "Excellent.  What we have here is a cultureal difference.  I can understand where from your perspective my actions may be views as distrustful, or perhaps ingracious as a guest.  I want it known that neither of those is the case.  Where I am from, there is an old maxim that has stood the test of time, "Somone only wants to disarm you, when they plan to do something for which they think you will justly turn your arms upon them.'  In my culture, to even ask a man to disarm, it equal to declaring ill  intent toward him.  I understand that this was not your intention, so I took no offense when your guard naively and innocently made this request.  I point this out, so that in the future, should either of us think we have cause to be offended by the other, it is my feverent hope, that we may honestly discuss it.  Perhaps it is simply a cultural difference, and as Your Majesty has so graciously made a concession to allow me to keep my custom, perhaps in the future I may extend him a similar coutesy."

The king's face had a truly contemplative look, "I confess, I had never before considered our request in this light, but upon consideraton, I can also find little fault in the wisdom of your people's maxim." Eli grinned broadly.  The King actually chuckled.  "Yes as you say, cultural differences...  "

The meeting with the king wasn't long.  For all of the set up, it lasted not more than fifteen minutes.  As he left however, he was handed a note affixed with the royal seal.  A most enjoyable conversation.  A longer one is due in the future, perhaps in a less formal setting.  When is your grand opening, I enjoy a good game of dice.

Settling In

The story of the unwise legislator was the gossip of the city for nearly a week.  However soon after concrete started flowing and filling in the steel skeleton of the World Wright Casino, and the scow returned with large vats of heavy tars ready to be mixed with sand and grit.  The first asphalt paved roads were from the docks up to the Casino. Of course, new road material, new building material that allowed for huge construction and needed comletely different skill sets from what the construction laborer's guild provided, caused friction.   Then riots.  Well very short riots.  This time, beastmen from the Fox tribe in Casino Security uniforms swarmed out of the building carrying light repeating crossbows.  The bots were not barbs and in truth only were using sharpend shell points.  They weren't designed to be fatal.  Two rioters still died, but far more found the withering rate of fire of these crossbows too much to endure and the riot broke with minimal damage to the company, either personel or property.

That evening while having dinner in their homes, the heads of the three most inflencial Guild Masters of the Construction Worker's guild simply exploded.  Oh there was a distant sound kind of like thunder, and half a heart beat later a hole appeared in the front of their face, while the back of their head painted the walls.  Instantly all of the riots stopped.

* * *

Soon, Eli thought to himself as he looked up at the tower.  He and John would be going back to the island this week for Harvest festival with the family, and this time, he would  be moving them here with him.  He had promised the Elders he would hod his weddings in the new tower.  One every three weeks.  Wedding, two weeks with the newst wife to settle in, then a week playing catch up with all the others, then repeat.  Big official weddings in the Tower as well, with plenty of games played with who gets the invites.  He really was sickened by that aspect of it, but supposedly it was the girls idea.  Even the new ones are in on this he was told in the reports.  He'd been away for almost a month now, he bet if he didn't make it back soon some of the kids would be walking before he did and he really didn't want to miss the first steps.  He hoped the girls could adjust to life in the city.  After the island, Xi was going to seem so strange.  Visiting was one thing living here for a year or maybe two... that was something diferent.

He wondered if after that he would have people who could handle the business side of things.  Would he be able to focus on being a husband and a father?  Focus on his own studies for that point?  He knew that Marcus had some ideas, maybe let him take the reigns for a bit?   Just as he started to stand up to go back inside for the enening radio report, he was smashed to the ground.  What in the hell is going on?  He thought struggling to stand back up but he could hear the guard in his ear yelling "Stay down, sniper.  We're getting him!"

When he finally was able to regain his feet, three arrows were sticking out of the wooden table where they had been sitting.    Eli sighed, They were going to need to make a few more examples before he brought his family over... a few more examples and soon!

About The Author

Vlad ben Avorham

I started to write books because I wasn't finding what I wanted to read. I like books that make me think, that inspire me to fill out the world with what could be done there. Tomorrowverse is a series of novels and short stories to explore the technological innovations that are preparing to throw us into an unknown and in many cases unknowable future.

Much like Star Trek did for generations of young viewers, I hope Tomorrowverse can give a positive vision of what can be, even as times seem dark. We stand at a pivotal moment in time, where we can enter a future of unparalleled success and prosperity or go down the dystopian nightmares of Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World.

It is my fervent hope, that if people have the time to think about what kind of world they want to build, we can reclaim our future from those who would censor, and silence, and eventually eradicate true diversity of thought, and diversity of world view. If I can in some small way help present the choices for a brighter future, then I will have done what I can to bring about a brighter world.

More importantly in the short term though, is for you to enjoy, think about, and join in the magic.

World Wright Inc.

World Wright Incorporated

Crash landing in an alternate reality with no hope of rescue, a research team of eight highly educated and accomplished but woefully ill equipped scientists find themselves struggling to carve out a new home in a harsh new world. In this bronze age meets fantasy world of city states and magic, will these early twenty first century explorers be able to survive without all of their customary tools and technology to rely on? Will they be able to build a future for themselves that is worth living or will life prove to be like much of history, brutish, painful, and short?

Expansion: A World Wright Inc. Venture

With their island home now more or less established, our multiverse castaways now turn their attention to the mainland. The need to expand their markets, and better understand their new world brings new and unprecedented challenges, dangers and opportunities. How will they cope in the wider world? Will the find themselves over matched by the might and splendor of the centuries old and established centers of wealth, power, and culture of the regions ruling city states? Or will they find eager trading partners and welcoming markets for their exotic and revolutionary products and ideas?