Tor sighed, because he knew this probably didn't have anything to do with him at all, just anger at all she'd lost. Her arm, her comfort zone at school, her reputation and, just possibly, him. If she'd ever really cared about that. She'd said she loved him and meant it though, crazily enough. This didn't seem like it to him. Then Trice never did do anything the normal way. Too easy and predictable probably.
Tor opened his mouth to speak but Petra beat him to it again, and of course, said things that Tor never would have.
“Patricia… I didn't have sex with Tor, not today, because he has a meeting with Collette this evening and doesn't want to dishonor her by coming fresh from another woman’s bed, which is a bit old fashioned, but sweet, don't you think? And she's a Baronetta so you know he isn't getting silly about rank.” The large girl put her arm around Tor protectively, or tried too, her hand hovering over him like normal.
“Besides, we talked about you and you're definitely on his short list. He just doesn't know if you want to or not, so he's been hesitant to ask. Still, Collette has actual work stuff to do with him tonight and I do to, as soon as that's done. Then, if you're really interested, I suggest you get in line fast, because in case you haven't noticed, women aren't exactly in short supply around here, but people giving away free magical devices are. Plus, Tor is very good looking, pale and exotic. If he just yelled out that he was looking to meet ladies, they'd come just for that, don't you think?” Her voice never went mean but Trice glared at her, stamped her right foot hard on the stone once and stormed off.
Not knowing what to do he started to follow her but Petra moved in front of him and tilted her head a little to the right, shaking it.
“No Tor, don’t. She was trying to be bitchy because she's feeling down on herself. If you let that work for her now she'll just keep doing it. If you want to keep her as a friend, you have to stand up for yourself. She isn't allowed to push you around and you don't deserve that kind of thing. If she'd done it in private, maybe you could have comforted her about things, but going after you at a party? Classic manipulative bitch move. Now you're supposed to run to her and make her feel better, but if you do, that proves you're weak, and while she'd like it today, in a month or two you'll have no value to her at all. Women don't really like emotionally soft men. They think they do, but in the end they really want a protector, not a slave.”
That made Tor blink. He'd… never considered anything like that at all.
So, taking her advice, even though he was still worried about his other friend, he went and got something to eat. Mainly fish tonight, but cooked, thank goodness, with a strange starchy vegetable that was covered with sugar burnt to a kind of caramel. Everyone else acted like it was fantastic, but Tor didn't get it at all. Still, people seemed happy and danced a lot. Instead of dancing, Tor decided to just go back to his little house and wait for Collette, who was still busy with some pretty good looking guys.
Well, if she forgot, Tor could just work on the controls for various kinds of clothing, right? In the end, after about an hour of waiting and working out how to do it, it hit home that even a house could use feedback like that. It could be used to add rooms, doors, hallways to join various areas as well as add multiple levels. It couldn't dig in, so no basement or cellar, but still… He could even let people pick the outer and inner colors. Or add and subtract furniture… It was massively more complex than what he had already, but if he did the work carefully and in a deep enough state, could he have it all in a day? It would take that risky work state again, but mastery didn't come with a promise of safety, did it?
Thinking back to school he couldn't remember anyone ever telling him that.
Hard work, sacrifice, sobriety, and dedication. That had all been mentioned in class, but no talk of safety in particular. Not for the builder. Tor rubbed his head, the long black hair getting in the way. Nope, risk was a part of life. He'd try it. Tor would be careful and plan first, but if he didn't try then he wouldn't know if it was possible.
When Collette did show, about two hours later, she came walking in with Martya, who carried a plain tan wooden box, the flimsy looking kind people sold fruit in. Smiling the dark skinned woman, shorter by a good four inches than the Baronetta moved to the table and took a seat easily, his blond friend did the same with a grin. Well, this was unexpected, wasn't it?
“Time to divvy up sir! Shall I count or…” The look she had was one that spoke of people not trusting her as a rule in business, probably because she was a whore. Well, Tor wasn't like that, he smiled and gestured to her to go ahead.
Tor wondered about that, feeling naughty for a bit. If you couldn't trust someone with gold, why the hell would you put your manhood that close to their teeth? The piles of coins, mainly silver and gold, with a few coppers thrown in, were sorted first by kind. There were twenty gold coins, but turned out to be nearly fifty gold worth of silver and two silver in coppers. Seventy gold wasn't bad for a day’s work.
Then, not making eye contact she started to divide the coins, taking fifteen percent of them for herself, leaving him the rest. Her head hung slightly and she winced when he spoke, even though his voice was gentle and calm.
“That's not the split I had in mind, Martya. Here, let me show you, it's easier than explaining. It's different…” He split the pile three ways, but the first pile held half the coins, the next two were evenly divided. The woman smiled and licked her lips.
“I get twenty five percent? But… Who gets the other bit?” She pointed at the other pile of twenty five percent and glanced at Collette. It seemed meaningful to him.
Heh.
Tor shook his head again.
“No, you get fifty percent of the daily take. I get the first twenty-five percent, and the last is to help out other people in the area, mainly to get on their feet if they need it, or start new businesses. Kids just starting out, or people that have a good idea. Or in case people lose a house or business. Whatever you think sounds like it might work. I may have some new devices, or even old ones, that people can use for that, like a fleet of the new fishing boats or, I don't know what else, some basic tools? Cutters or the like? This money is to help out other people though. If you really need it, just use the money, but get with me first if you can. If you want a palace, it may be cheaper to buy the land and then get me to help with construction for instance. Or… at least I may know people, you know? That kind of thing. I'm not going to be here most the time, so the whole thing is on your honor.” Tor jumped up and got her a shield, a good one, but not the best kind, remembering his promise to himself to keep those so that people hunting him didn't have easy access for testing. That had been what Smythe had done, he was sure. Gotten his own shield and then tried different things until he found a gap.
Never again.
“This way you won't be easily jumped or attacked. I should be in and out here for a while though. Just keep my share for me? If you spend it all, expect me to come begging for food at your door if I'm ever broke.” Tor raised his eyebrows playfully and grinned. He meant it though. The whole begging for scraps at her door thing.
The woman looked shocked and repeated everything he said verbatim, sounding a bit doubtful. He smiled and nodded with her though and by the time she finished she was smiling too. Then he warned her about shields and how they only worked if you used them. And really, if she got so drunk that she lost consciousness and left her shield off to drink, those guys would probably get her, and she'd wake up with a sore behind, since they seemed to have been just waiting for her to make a mistake before. Possibly other women as well, but Tor couldn't hand out shields to all the women of Ward. Not with a war on. They were needed elsewhere for now.