“For all intents and purposes you aren't alive, you know that don't you? I don't understand how you manage to move about at all. Healing and repairing the field damage, yes, but… This is bad. You live, so you must get it and it makes sense as to why you aren't just doing everything yourself… Don't. Dying now would be a waste of all you can do in the future.”
Tor laughed. It sounded pretty thin and a little breathy, but it was heartfelt.
“Not my plan at all. Hence letting everyone else do it all. So, if you could ask for me? Please Sir?” He tried to look hopeful, as if that would help. It kind of did, since the instructor told him he'd put the word around and see if anyone was interested at all.
“If not, I may just take a crack at it myself. After all, it is only copy work and if young children can do hundreds of units a day, I should be able to.” He ruffled his white beard, closer cropped now and tidy looking.
“If nothing else I can sneak it into your groups work.” His eyes sparkled.
“Yeah, I had that thought too. I think Lyn Cooper can do it, copy the central devices I mean. The hand-held’s aren't hard to do at all. I'm not sure about the others yet, but they need to be given a chance to see what they can do. All of them have it in them.”
Then almost everyone did, if they wanted it bad enough. Tor didn't add that though.
After he finished everything they all went back to the Capital, since there was all that party planning and nonsense to do. It was nearing dark already, so about six-thirty, maybe later. Trice got them back in good time. Casually she asked how old the next oldest brother in his family was. After Todd
“Terek is fifteen. Then Weasel, who turns twelve in a month. He likes blonds though, I think. Sara in particular.”
That got a smile from Ali and a baffled look from Ursala. Tor sat and just listened when his wife spoke.
“I have, from sources, meaning Countess Thomson, heard that Timon has actually put forth a letter of interest there. Very proper too. Just saying that the invitation is open for his fourteenth birthday, if she's interested and available then. It might be worth it for her to wait. He's younger than her, but has a lot of high powered connections, plus, he's going to be good looking when he's grown, which can't hurt. Tamerlane says that he's wicked smart too. He actually won a place at the Printer academy you know. As in took on over a thousand others in tests to see who got the spot. Otherwise he'd be going off to Lairdgren.”
A surge of pride ran through him for the boy. It was impressive, him winning his own place. Tor would have to make sure that the Countess knew not to let him have a scholarship though. Tor could pay, and more to the point, his brother could, most likely. He didn't want some poor kids spot taken up after all.
Once on the ground it turned out they had to head straight to the palace, with the Wards, since the Queen had decided on a dinner meeting about Postern. Tor wanted a nap, so let the others know they were in charge, in case he just nodded off.
“Not the plan, but I make no promises at all. So, Um, Maria, Ali… You've got this?” They looked at him and smiled, happy enough to be in charge of something.
Count Ward just sat, looking affronted and Ursala grumbled outright.
“What about me? I'm not good enough to be of use?”
Tor wanted to grab his forehead. Eek.
“Um, you're busy with the transportation network. That's going to take everything you've got, and probably a full team as well. The new lift plates and controls should be coming in a few days. Out of Lairdgren.”
“Oh, right.”
Tor stuck his tongue out and laughed a bit, “Now the rest of you, please stop acting like you need me to constantly pat you on the back and show how much I love you, OK. I do, we're all friends, but I'm about done here. I really need to rest and I can't keep running each day if I'm going to get better. So, um, I was wondering, Marvin, Trice, would you two cover for me? Just for a bit? That way I can concentrate on the case with Smythe and make sure Brown and Burks aren't just stringing us along. Plus, I need some other things done… No, you two can do that too. But it has to be done in secret. I mean, if you'd do that? I get that you both have other things to do and I know it's lazy of me-” But he really didn't want to die of exhaustion and while he felt better, not getting rest was taking a toll on how fast he could get back to normal.
“Certainly. I'll need a list of what you'd be doing though.” The giant Count behind him sounded pleasant about it at least.
Trice just landed the craft slowly and gave a lopsided grin that Tor could only see half of.
“OK… we need to be careful though as to what we agree to though Marvin. Tor might just put us to baking for hundreds if we aren't careful. He does that himself every now and again. Gotten me to help too, so, you know, that’s a real thing that might be on the schedule.” She sounded happier though. As if him admitting he needed help touched her, made her feel better?
“No, not this time, but I need Marvin to go to my mother and act as a go between for Sandra. It's a bit of a hard road right now, as great as she is, Ursala is her main competition for it and Todd already put forth that it would be a good idea to send a go between to her. I don't know if that's going to happen now or not, since you kind of declared intent openly already like that, but it still might.”
The tall blond Countess smiled and took a deep breath, “really now? And here I thought I wouldn't stand a chance. Sandra is fascinating. A future Countess and looking to be one of the best builders of her generation already? That's hard to match on paper. Worse, she's sweet. A bit quiet, but notice how that didn't stop her from just speaking up earlier when she wanted something? All is fair though. I think I'll point out the need for a nice bakery in Thorgood. I can even provide land in Valhalla. Right on the main strip too.” She got quiet, thinking then.
Marvin went quiet.
“If that's the task, I'll do my best for the girl. I feel a bit at cross purposes here. I don't want to give affront to Ursala. On the other hand, Tor asked me to work against her cause.”
Oh, well, he had, hadn't he. Ah…
“Sorry. That's true. Hmm… OK, so I'll send in someone else. No problem, though still a lot of other things to do that won't put you on the spot like that. I didn't think. My apologies there.”
Tor made himself walk in, but it was a real chore still. Instead of a long bit of mingling, there was an almost instant arrangement at a table, a square one, so that no one would know where the top was easily. He sat next to Count and Countess Ross, with Ali and Maria on either side of the Queen. That made sense, they were the power group here.
Johanson the finance minister kept smiling like all the gold was going to him and Rolph kept making notes, and double checking figures. The whole plan came together quickly, with no real arguments. The only point that could have been was that the Queen wanted a maskers procession through the town, handing out candies and singing, and wanted a massive indoor eating area with giant bonfires and free food for the masses.
The cost for all of this was so high that both women winced and started making smaller plans. Rolph tapped the paper in front of him, looked at Tor and then Ali. Tor waved at his wife. She was in charge of it, not him. What was the point of having her do it if he was going to second guess her? More to the point, if they had the money in the treasury, he wanted to spend it. It sounded insane, but it would do a lot more in people’s pockets than in a giant vault or whatever.
After a second the Prince nodded. “Alissa, that's well within budget for this festival. Given the requirements, I'd suggest we find at least two more similar events. Maybe something that will take in other cities? Or pick a small town somewhere at random and gift them with a celebration spectacular too?”