After she left, he felt like crying, but didn’t. He’d been silly to think that any of them liked him after all. Tor was just some kid their son knew from school and while they’d been nice to him, it wasn’t reasonable to expect them to want him to be around, was it? Who was he to even imagine that was possible? Some country hick that didn’t even know all the correct social rules. He hadn’t even known that he’d need an invitation on paper.
Really Tor had never even heard of that before, so even knowing to ask was out of the question.
A light came from outside, through the windows in front. Tor went out to watch the show, looking up in the sky with hundreds of others on the street, most of who clapped or made noises like it was a fireworks display. It wasn’t.
He knew what it would do, of course, he’d built the device, but seeing the huge spinning disc of colored light shift and fade over the Capital made him feel good for a second. It was complex and interesting to look at and made for a decently good show, he thought. Except that it was made by him. After a few minutes a face appeared in it, translucent and glowing still. The face of the King. His face looked strong and regal, holding just a hint of a playful smile, what he’d seen from the King every time there hadn’t been an emergency. Then Connie’s came, looking youthful and radiant. Rolph followed, a little more solid looking than the others, a little more lifelike, because he hadn’t had to work from old memories to build that face at all, just look across the dorm room. Karina looked happy, almost joyful since he’d remembered how she’s seemed when he’d given her something or other and Varley looked about three years older than she actually was. Pretty though. As lovely as her mother at least.
It was probably too gaudy and cheap for them, he found himself thinking, almost wishing they’d just turn it off. Instead they left it running all night long, the order changing after the first time through, the main colors of the wheel shifting from deep purple and gold to blue and green, then fire colors, orange and yellow.
He’d been stupid to give it as a gift, thinking it was the equal of… anything. A basket of rolls would have been as good, better even, because at least the servants could have eaten them. Or the dogs. Did they keep dogs? Probably. They could use them to chase down runty troll peasants like him, if they got too annoying. Now everyone would see how stupid he was. With that thought, he fell asleep.
Kind of.
He woke over and over again, unable to feel comfortable no matter what position he took on the hard pallet. He’d been fine the night before. But now it just didn’t work for him and he kind of ached as he laid waiting for the dawn.
When first light came, finally, he got up knowing he probably looked listless. Tor brushed his teeth, just so they’d be clean, and collected his things up slowly, feeling horrible the whole time. He waited for Debbie to get there, standing out front, so that he wouldn’t leave with the door unlocked. Not that he thought anything bad would happen. Most of the city was asleep still and even the boss came in later than she had been, knowing that would be true. But it just felt rude and right now he didn’t want to do anything that would leave anyone else feeling slighted if he could help it. He asked directions to the nearest gate in the outer wall and she pointed and told him to go up three streets and then follow the road he found on the left until he hit the wall.
“You can’t miss it. I…” She looked down but didn’t say anything.
Right, she had to get to work and here he was leaving her without a chance to find extra help. Still, since he didn’t know what was possibly going on, not for certain, it would be better if he just left, drawing off any attacks so that only he was affected. The walk to the wall took most of the morning, but the guards at the gate didn’t try to stop him, even though they stared at the boxes training after him. Probably wondering if he was smuggling something out of the city. Once outside the gate he reset the cases to fly, using the regular floats and then decided to take off without waiting any longer.
He was hungry, but he didn’t have money with him to speak of, having left the last five golds and two silvers he had under the cash box for Debbie. He hated the idea of leaving her like this after having promised to work with her, good reason or not. Also Tor didn’t want to risk being caught. They may not hurt him, but they might embarrass him in public again. Probably just standing around, pointing and mocking him for sport or something.
It might not be fair of him to think that, but the whole thing kind of felt that way already. Like they were snubbing him, just to make a point about how much less he was than they were. Maybe that was what they were really doing? Just letting the world know how little he actually counted?
The flight was faster going back to the school, since he flew directly there and didn’t bother stopping in Galasia, where they apparently thought he was a tiny evil troll anyway. With a big nose. He landed outside his room in the courtyard, the cobblestones uneven and hard under foot. He nearly tripped on one of them, so he kicked at it a little angrily, which did nothing useful at all. Then, without considering how dangerous it might prove to be, he reactivated the flight rig and the floats on the cases, lifted up slowly and resettled them on the third floor walk way just outside his room. From there he could drag them both in without having to try and get help going up the stairs.
Having nothing else planned for the day, he just sat in his room and waited. Nothing would happen he knew, but what else could he do at all? Work?
That… actually made sense.
There was a need for excavating in Galasia, and even if they did think he was an evil troll, that still had to be done. A few kids getting the wrong idea about him didn’t mean a whole city deserved to be left in a lurch. Also, he kept putting off making that house drier for that lady he’d met at that palace diner. The one that they’d let him go to. Tor didn’t know her name, but he had directions to her house somewhere around his room.
Also, there was an idea he’d been playing around with for a while, one that probably wouldn’t sell at all, but might be kind of nice to have, if just for himself. Tiny beverage coolers and warmers that let you set the temperature of whatever you had in your cup. With a little practice he could work it into the cup itself, so it wouldn’t even need a separate plate or anything. It was pure luxury really, but might be good for traveling, since technically you could cook or chill a one person meal in it, if it was made right.
Tor got some water, went to the restroom and started working without hesitation as soon as he settled on the bed. If nothing else he still had his work, even if no friends were left to him. After two days he had the first half of what would be needed for Galasia. He went to the dining hall for diner, ate as much as he could, and slept till morning. Then he started on the second half.
The first part was easy enough; after all, it was the same basic principle as moving water, right? Sure it took a stronger field, but no one would insist on moving tons of earth per second, so the amount moved could be smaller, about three foot square per second. He tested it by flying out to the weapons range and working in the mostly destroyed field along side of it. In less than an hour he’d built a thick berm wall along the back and side. He made the otherwise flat part tilt a little so that water would run out the back, away from the other part of the range. It wouldn’t do to flood it after all.
The second part was something totally new, and harder because of it.