Garia spends a day around the city as the guest of the Guildsmen of Palarand. She sees the rapid strides they have made so far in the production of paper and in printing, and a lunch at the Guildhall produces some inevitable surprises. A surprise also awaits the Queen that evening...

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2011-2012 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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"Do I look all right in this?" Garia asked doubtfully.

She turned, so that the mirror in her dressing room caught a side view. Frowning, she moved the tail of the sash a bit, then moved it back.

"I'm not sure," she added. "Perhaps I'd be better off in the blue gown, the one with the fine gray stripes." She turned to Jenet with a look of appeal in her eyes. "What do you think?"

Jenet gave her a considered look. "Either would be just as suitable, milady. Remember, part of the day you will be hidden under your rain wear, and part of the rest you will be wearing your apron while we tour the print works. I do not think the men are going to be too concerned about your gown, milady."

Garia sighed. "I'm sure you're right, Jenet. I just wanted to make sure they didn't think I wasn't being casual about my clothes. We will be having lunch in front of the combined ranks of the guildsmen, though. I'm sure everyone will be looking at me then."

"As you say, milady. I do not think that you have much to be concerned about even there, though. Most of them will be concentrating on your face and on the words you say."

"Oh, very well, Jenet. I'll stick with this gown." She sighed again. "It's so difficult trying to find out what I'm supposed to do in these situations. Do I need anything else? Is my hair all right? Do we put on our wet weather gear here?"

"We could do, milady, but it is more practical for it to be carried as far as the front porch. There is a robing room for such activities." Jenet gave Garia another thorough inspection. "You look fine, milady. Everything else is being provided by the guilds, so there is less for us to forget."

Jenet collected their wet weather gear from the dressing room and joined Garia in the bedroom.

"How are you going to manage carrying all that?" Garia asked.

"Milady, I do not need to. If you would pull the yellow rope."

A woman servant came to the door, saw what was afoot, and disappeared to return with reinforcements. With the servants carrying the rain wear and Jenet carrying the inevitable bag, the party set off for the front entrance. At the robing room, the servants hung the rain wear on pegs and departed. Robanar appeared in the doorway.

"Ah! There you are, my dear! Are you ready for your day out?"

"I suppose so, Your Majesty," Garia said over a curtsey.

"What troubles you, my dear?"

"It's the first time I'll have been out of the palace to an official function, Sire," she said. "I don't want to disappoint anyone, and I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea either." She turned before the King. "Sire, do you think I look all right?"

Robanar gave her an encouraging smile. "My dear, if anything you look more beautiful as each day passes. I do not think you have cause for concern." His expression changed. "Oh! Of course, you will have an audience entirely of men today, will you not? And you are not used to receiving the gazes of men as women customarily do. My dear, if anything makes you feel uncomfortable today, speak to me and we shall see what may be done. I would not want you to become distressed. Today's meetings are too important to both of us for that."

"Thank you, Sire," Garia replied with only a little relief.

In truth she had only a vague idea of what today consisted of, only that it involved lots of guildsmen. On technical grounds she felt secure, but these would all be mature men who were by definition masters of their several crafts. And she would be entering places where females were normally forbidden.

"Father?" Keren poked his head round the door. "Oh, and Garia! Good. I can hear the carriages coming round from the stables. We'd better get ourselves covered up."

With Keren's appearance Garia's sense of anxiety lessened. She was not yet consciously aware of the fact, but having Robanar or Terys beside her, and especially Keren, made her feel much more confident that she could deal with new situations. She had come to find the palace and it's inhabitants familiar by now, and she felt reasonably secure in her dealings with them. But outside in the city, and in the wider world, that was still a place she had few dealings with, and she was aware that the challenges to be found there were ones she might not be able to handle on her own.

Menservants helped the men put their waterproofs on while Jenet helped Garia, and then Garia helped Jenet. When the four were ready they walked to the porch and looked out at the rain. After seven weeks of continuous rain the outdoors had a somewhat sodden look, and there were unsurprisingly few people or animals in evidence. The rain had lessened over the last week or two, with brief periods when none fell, though the clouds still remained heavy. There had even been a single incidence the previous week when the sun had briefly shone through the windows of the dining hall during breakfast but nobody expected to see much more for at least a week, or so Garia had been told.

The first carriage pulled up as close to the porch as possible, and the four rushed out to it as a waterproofed footman held the door open ready. Normally, they would have traveled in at least two carriages, but Robanar had suggested they share one to "avoid getting too many men and beasts wet". Garia and Jenet sat facing Robanar and Keren, and when their mounted escort was ready the carriage jolted into motion.

"Sire," she asked, "why don't you extend the porch out over the yard a way? That way you'd be able to keep dry getting in the carriage."

Robanar looked startled but replied, "The porch did jut out over the yard, once upon a time, my dear. I don't know that I remember why it still doesn't."

"I think," Keren offered, "it was when the extra row of offices was added to the front of the palace, father. Don't you remember? Grandfather needed more space for the tax people."

Robanar groaned. "Oh, yes, I remember now. I was very young when that happened, to me the palace has always been as we have it today."

"Well, we can't extend it any further, father. There just isn't any more room! There would be no space for carriages or guardsmen."

"The place is too big as it is," Robanar growled. He smiled at Garia. "This is not what Garia wants to hear today, though, is it? We'll leave the rebuilding for another day. Today, my dear, we are going first to a new paper-making workshop outside the city proper, which is why we have a strong guard company around us." He nodded to her. "That's for your benefit, milady. Normally we have but few men around us, there is no danger to any of us from our own people."

"Thank you, Sire. I'm sorry to be such a nuisance."

Robanar waved a dismissive hand. "I'm not sure why Parrel wants us to go all the way out there, but I'm interested to see what the guilds can produce given the chance. Then, following that, we return to the city, to the Guild Hall, for a formal lunch." He looked at Garia's woeful expression. "No, no, my dear! To be invited to a formal lunch hosted by the combined guilds of Palarand can only be a high honor. And an honor that I believe has never been extended before to any woman. Personally I'm not surprised, given the circumstances." He beamed at her, and she rallied a little.

The procession splashed its way through the streets of the capital. There was still surface water over most of the pavement but it seemed as though the drainage was keeping pace with it. The standing water barely covered the rims of the carriage except for the odd puddle. Garia now understood why the sidewalks were so much higher that the cobbled roadway, obviously so that pedestrians could move around without wading. This point also made her realize why the hemlines of women's gowns were the height they were, to avoid getting skirts wet.

Their route took them through areas Garia didn't recognize. It was hard to see much in any case as of necessity the tarpaulins were pulled down to keep the rain out of the carriage, just giving brief glimpses around the edges.

She gave Robanar a wry smile. "I'd like to see some more of the city some time, Sire. It's almost impossible while there's so much rain." She had to shout to be heard over the rain drumming on the carriage roof.

"As you say, Garia," Robanar shouted back. "Once the rains end, you shall tour the city and find out what we have to offer."

The procession went through a gateway in a high stone wall and entered what Garia thought of as 'the suburbs'. The land was lower here, and much was swamp if not completely flooded. The houses stood aloof on short stilts, duck-boards allowing the occupants a drier access to the raised roadway. The houses grew further apart, and she wondered just how far they would be traveling today. Shortly they turned off onto a smaller road and almost immediately again into a large yard. Their carriage headed for a large shed and halted.

"Ready to get out, my dear?"

"Of course, Sire." Garia had remembered the 'first in, last out' rule.

They were hustled into a yawning doorway and stood dripping, adjusting to the dim light.

"If I may take your wet weather gear, Sire."

Men helped them all remove their waxed yellow outer clothing, some looking askance at Garia and Jenet. Their expressions changed to ones of relief and approval as Keren, Garia and Jenet donned the leather aprons which Parrel had presented them with. Then Parrel himself came through the further door and everyone relaxed.

"Welcome, Your Majesty! And to Your Highness, and My Lady as well. Everything is ready for your inspection. With Your Majesty's permission, I have asked that the men continue at their tasks so as not to interrupt production."

"Of course, Master Parrel. We are not here for a formal review, after all. We may try to cause the least disruption possible."

"Then, if you would join us?" Parrel raised an arm to indicate the further doorway.

The building turned out to be a group of linked warehouses and it was full of men and machinery.

"Sire, Highness, Milady, this place was previously used for the storing and processing of fruit. That which was not sold to others was crushed to extract oils, or made into preserves against the winter, or turned into various wines and other beverages. The owner died two years ago and unfortunately his successor did not know how to run the business, so it fell into disrepair. The machines which were here proved just what we needed to turn the place into a factory for making paper. If you will come this way?"

He led the visitors through a shed filled with stacks of wood waiting to be processed. Garia saw that most of it was cut much like firewood, but there were also bundles of kindling and sacks which she supposed held offcuts and the like. The next shed was large and square, and in the center stood a flat, shallow stone basin with a huge stone disk standing upright against one edge. The disk stood higher than any of the men in the room and was about as thick as her entire arm was long. It was fixed on an axle which was supported in some fashion by a post in the center of the basin and on the outside to a harness, pulled by a dranakh. In front of the slowly turning disk, men were placing offcuts of wood while others sluiced buckets of water over the basin. Behind the disk others were brushing the roughly crushed pulp out of the channel the disk had worn in the basin and into buckets to be further processed.

In the corners of the room stood four pairs of mill wheels, each turned by sweating journeymen. The buckets from the big crusher were being tipped into the center hole of these mill wheels, the milky stream issuing out between the stones collected along channels and led off elsewhere.

"As you can see, Sire," Parrel said, his voice raised over the din, "we made good use of the machinery we found in these buildings. The large crushing stone is perfect to reduce wood to a mush that can be further ground in these corner mills." He turned to Garia. "Milady, does this seem anything like you would have expected it to?"

Garia nodded. "It's very clever, Master Parrel. You were fortunate to find this equipment available. I think you're doing a wonderful job."

"Thank you, milady," he said with a bow. "Of course, once we have determined how and where to place the new steam engine, we will be able to relieve the men and beasts of their heavier labors. If you would be so good as to follow me, we can see what is done next."

Another shed held a double row of wooden tanks, with men putting cloth-covered frames into the milky liquid and lifting out layers of pulp which would soon be turned into paper. Each man took his frame through a doorway at the far end, to be replaced by another returning for more. Others were busy emptying buckets of fresh wood pulp into the tanks.

A further room held carpenters busy making frames and covering them with rectangles of silk. In a corner some were repairing a tank and others were building the frame of some substantial device, the nature of which was not immediately apparent. They followed their guide through into another long shed which was filled with presses.

"At the beginning, Sire, we used the original presses which the fruit merchant had crushed his produce with," Parrel explained. "These were not really intended for the kind of use we now make of them and so the design has changed to better permit paper production. In this one room we have ten presses, soon we will install another two. That is probably about as much as the great crushing wheel can feed. There is no room for another such wheel, but before we think about extending this paper factory we will use what we have to learn such lessons as we may."

Robanar looked about him, at the bustle of activity. "I am very impressed, Parrel. You have accomplished much in such a short space of time, and during the rains as well."

"Ah, Sire, we were fortunate to get our hands on this property. Master Tanon heard that it was available and considered it for his own operations. When he came to examine the buildings, and discovered the presses and the great wheel, he immediately thought of us and the production of paper."

Parrel turned to Garia. "Milady, if there's one thing that has proved the value of the council, it is this building. Normally, no guild would consult with any other about a new project, unless their interests overlapped, of course. We would never have considered asking a trader such as Master Tanon, nor, normally, would any merchant have considered use by a guild. That lesson has been firmly learned, as you will discover at our lunch today."

Garia was surprised at first but then understood what Parrel was saying. Paper-making involves a number of different guilds who probably wouldn't normally give each other the time of day. We've gotten carpenters, joiners, masons, weavers and metal workers, not to mention the guys who bring the raw materials and take the paper away. Something like this can't be done any other way. Is this enough to make them change the way they normally work? What about the older guildsmen who aren't going to like what's happening?

"You've done much in a very short space of time, master," she said. "I'm impressed."

"These men," Robanar asked, gesturing at the busy floor around them, "must be costly to your guilds in wages, Parrel. Do you expect this enterprise to support itself, eventually?"

"Sire, it is profitable already," Parrel replied, surprising the King. "We sell every sheet of paper we can possibly make, and the demand is always for more. There are certain initial costs, it is true, but there is no problem running this building, I can assure you of that, Sire. And," he added with a smile, "there is the license fee to consider. Both your treasury and Milady Garia benefit from every sheet sold, Sire."

"We do?" Robanar showed his confusion. "Ah, I must consult with my Master of Revenue when we return. I did not know that there was income from paper-making." A light dawned. "Ah! You have made an agreement with Her Majesty, then."

Parrel smiled. "As you say, Sire. And now, if you would follow me?"

The next room was hot and sticky, and the reason was that this was where the freshly made sheets of paper were hung on long lines to dry. There were simple stoves at one end of the room, creating enough heat to balance off the dampness from outside, with apprentices using hand-held fans to blow the warm air through the room and out the double doors at the far end. In one corner, two smiths sat at small benches, making simple metal clips to hold the sheets on the lines. other men were clipping new sheets to the line or taking down sheets which they considered dry enough.

"We should not remain here long, Sire, just enough to show you how we dry the paper. In the next room we pack it up ready for sale."

Long benches there, with some men trimming sheets to a standard size, and more men carefully stacking the pages and wrapping them for transport.

"Milady, we considered ways of wrapping the paper, so that it would be safe to transport in the rainy weather," Parrel explained. "When we started, some was wrapped in the waxed cloth that we use for our rain wear, but we decided that using the cloth would be too expensive. I remembered that you described waxed paper during a council meeting, and so that has proved to be a better method, though it was hard to produce the paper until we determined the way."

Garia watched as a worker placed a pile of paper in the middle of a waxed sheet, then expertly folded the sheet and held it while a second man ran a warm iron over the seam to seal it.

"We make different sizes and thicknesses of paper in separate batches, Sire. Today, we are making writing paper, as that is what we have the most demand for. We have also experimented with different thicknesses and finishes from time to time. We are particularly interested in milady's comments regarding card and cardboard, and the use of such materials to make bags and boxes, but to achieve the correct thickness and finish will require heavier rollers than we have here presently. Perhaps when we have learned what lessons we may from this place, the next factory will be able to produce a wider range of paper, card and cardboard. This way, Sire."

Parrel moved on and showed the party the storage areas, ending up back at the entrance where they had taken their rain gear off.

"An interesting tour, Parrel," Robanar said. "You have given me much to think about. It seems that Milady Garia's predictions of the numbers of men we will need and the quantities of items and devices we will produce are not as exaggerated as we might at first have believed." He nodded thoughtfully. "We shall speak of these matters the next time you come to the palace, Parrel."

Parrel bowed. "As you command, Sire. And now, perhaps we should consider the next portion of today's activities, Sire. Your carriage will shortly be ready to take you to the Guildhall, and I shall follow in another. I judge that our lunch should be ready by the time we arrive, Sire."

Robanar grunted, but turned to allow one of the journeymen to help him into his rain gear. Another helped Keren while Garia and Jenet assisted each other. A step into the rain, and they were back in their carriage. There was a delay while a second carriage arrived to carry Parrel and some of the other senior guildsmen and then they set off back towards the city.

As before, it was difficult to see outside and too noisy to converse so they just sat and dripped inside the carriage. Soon the procession entered the gate through the old city walls and splashed through the streets, finally turning into a large courtyard. When the door was opened, Garia could see that at least here, the canopy went over the entire carriage so that they might step down dry. The party moved into another big, old wooden building where liveried servants helped them remove their rain gear. Parrel showed the party into a waiting room.

"If you would wait, Sire, I will go and find out if everything is ready."

Parrel returned shortly, accompanied by Hurdin.

"Welcome to the Guild Hall, Your Majesty, Your Highness, My Lady," Hurdin said, bowing deeply. "As present Master of the Hall, and convener of the guildmasters, I am your host today. Sire, if you would follow me?"

Hurdin led Robanar out and along a corridor. Parrel followed, beside Garia and Keren.

"This is a singular honor, milady," Parrel told her. "As far as we are able to determine from our records, you and your maid are the first women ever to be permitted into this building. I will not hide from you that one or two have questioned that decision, but the vote that directed your invitation to this lunch was almost unanimous. You are among friends here, milady."

"Thank you, Master Parrel," Garia said, flushing.

"What's the matter, Garia?" Keren asked her.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for this, Highness. That room is full of very powerful men, and I'm intruding."

"Not so, milady," Parrel said. "There are many waiting who wish to show their appreciation for what you have done for us - and Palarand. And your presence in our Hall is by right, not just because you are a charming young woman." He smiled at her to try and put her at ease.

"What's the matter?" Keren asked again. "In the palace, you quite happily spar with a room full of men, and you easily hold your own at formal dinners these days. What's so different about today?"

"Because it's not the palace, Highness. I feel... uncomfortable somehow." She stopped and spun on her heel. "Jenet, do I look all right?"

Jenet, who had prepared Garia once their outside clothes had been removed, replied, "Milady, nothing has changed since we began these steps. You are well prepared to face your hosts."

"Here, Garia, take my hand, I'll look after you," Keren said, holding his hand out.

She automatically closed hers around his and then jumped, snatching it away again.

Oh, no!

It can't be right, can it? Why him? Why now? This is not supposed to be!

"What did I do?" Keren asked. "Is my hand wet?" He looked at them and rubbed them together.

"It's nothing," she answered shakily. "Just a... never mind."

This is stupid. Nothing's gonna happen, especially not here and now. He's just concerned about you, like anyone would be.

She set herself and reached out for his hand again, clasping it firmly.

This is stupid. We pull each other up every day we practice in the dojo. So why does the touch of his hand have such a different effect on me today?

"Let's go."

Robanar and Hurdin had reached the double doors ahead and had turned, realizing that they were alone. Keren, Garia, Parrel and Jenet caught them up and two liveried servants pulled the big doors open.

The room was the size of the Receiving Room at the palace. Unlike that room, there were floor-length windows along one side. It was lined in wood paneling, but the wood was in places decorated in bright colors. The ceiling had a great painting on it, and the heavily-carved supports were brightly gilded. High-set windows lined the other three sides above lists of eminent guildsmen and a number of paintings. On the floor were set three rows of tables, all richly furnished with tableware of silver, gold and crystal. The men who sat at those tables all stood as their sovereign entered the room. They were as richly dressed as the room, and all wore diagonal sashes with badges of status prominently displayed in silver and gold over brightly colored clothes of satin and velvet. All turned towards the King and bowed low.

Hurdin said in a deep voice that carried through the room, "King Robanar of Palarand attends our hall, accompanied by His Highness Prince Keren together with Lady Garia, Baroness of Blackstone. Show your appreciation for our honored guests!"

The men in the hall all straightened and began applauding. The applause lasted until the party, guided by Hurdin, reached a smaller fourth table set on a platform at one end of the hall. Robanar took his position in front of the largest chair, with Keren on his right and Parrel to Keren's right. Hurdin stood to Robanar's left. Garia stood to Hurdin's left, and to her surprise Jenet was seated next to her.

"Please be seated, Your Majesty."

Everyone sat once Robanar was seated, except for Jenet, who looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Mistress Jenet," Hurdin said to her, "please be seated. In this our own hall we have manservants who will attend us during the meal, and I regret there is yet no place for you to be of help to them. It would not be seeming for you to eat elsewhere on such an occasion as this, so I have decided," he smiled at her, "that if a custom is to be broken, then best it be broken properly. Please seat yourself as an honored guest. Without your assistance, Milady Garia could not have achieved all that she has for us."

Red-faced, Jenet did as she was asked, and immediately the serving staff started to hand out the first course. Garia looked out to see every single face on the three tables watching her. Some of them were interested, some she knew, either by name or by sight, most were unknown to her. At the far end of the center table sat a huge figure no-one in Palarand could mistake, the King's Armorer Haflin. He gave her an encouraging smile, and she began to relax. She had friends in this room, people who would not allow her to be treated badly in a place where women had never before trodden.

She noticed that every place setting had a fork, and those who knew were explaining their operation to those who didn't. This caused several startled glances to be shot in Garia's direction and she tried to keep her face straight as she watched the antics on the other tables. As it was 'only' a lunch the meal was not as elaborate as an evening meal might be, but when the King was being fed the food was of a standard Garia suspected few of these guildsmen bothered with normally. Even so, it was a relatively light meal for which she was grateful, since she would not have any opportunity to have a nap before the afternoon's activities resumed.

The hall servants cleared the final plates, leaving the diners with only their goblets or steins as everyone prepared for the after-dinner speeches. As was only appropriate, Robanar went first.

"Guildsmen of Palarand, I thank you for this delicious lunch." He beamed at his audience. "I must come and dine here more often." There was a theatrical groan from the floor. "We are greatly impressed by what we have seen this morning, and I understand that this afternoon's visit is likely to be just as interesting. I must congratulate all concerned for the effort they have made, especially since we are still hampered by the rains. I'll say little more today, since this is supposed to be an informal lunch, and I am not the center of attention today." His eyes flicked in Garia's direction. "I'll let Master Hurdin take charge of the proceedings."

Robanar sat to applause, and Hurdin stood.

"Sire, do not feel slighted by today's events," he began. "You are always welcome in our hall as you well know, and we appreciate your interest in our activities. Today, however, we welcome another to our hall, a person who no guildsman would ever have believed could have even been permitted through the doors a scant three months ago. Today, we wish to demonstrate that we were in error, that a woman may contribute as much to a guild as a man might, and we have the living proof before us. We welcome Lady Garia, Baroness Blackstone."

There was more applause, and Hurdin had to wait for it to die down before he could continue.

"Since the day that she arrived, she has been eager to share her knowledge amongst us, and we have been astonished by those things she has revealed so far. In three short months she has given us..."

He paused and gestured to the tables, and a voice spoke from the floor, followed by others.

"Paper."

"Printing."

"Canals."

"Semaphore signals."

"Telescopes."

"Forks."

"A new kind of saddle."

"Microscopes."

"Thermometers. Barometers."

"The Garian numbers."

"Lightning rods."

"Steam engines."

"... and float glass," Hurdin finished. "Which we are even now putting into production, and the first building to benefit will of course be the palace."

A shout came from the floor. "Not to mention two new kinds of personal combat," called a deep voice that no-one could fail to recognize.

The head of every guildsman swiveled to regard Haflin, at his place at the end of the center table, before they returned to view the top table again, some of the expressions more thoughtful than before.

Hurdin bowed towards Robanar before turning to Garia. "All of which makes me wonder what is yet to come! Milady, you are a wonder, and the more thoughtful among us have considered, if one young girl is capable of all this, then what might the other women of Palarand be capable of, that we ignore at our peril? That is why we determined on this very public demonstration of your presence here at our hall, milady. Henceforth, if any woman desires admission to any craft or art that the Guilds of Palarand administer, then she shall be considered as worthy as any man might."

He turned to Robanar.

"Sire, we have also determined that the present organization of the Guilds of Palarand will be inadequate for the times to come. As you saw in your passage through the paper works many different crafts must work together, and it seems as true in some of the other projects which Milady Garia has suggested to us. Therefore, with your permission, all the separate guilds of Palarand will merge into one single organization." Robanar nodded assent, and Hurdin continued, "Amazingly, Milady Garia has even provided us a name for the new organization, and we desire to be known, from the first day of the new year, as the Palarand Institute of Engineers."

"I cannot agree to that," Robanar said with a grunt. Hurdin looked astonished until the King added, "You shall be known as The Royal Palarand Institute of Engineers, I believe."

"With great pleasure, Sire."

Hurdin bowed to the King, as every man in the room stood and bowed as well.

"To conclude, Sire," Hurdin said when everyone had sat again, "we wish to honor Milady Garia for the work she has inspired so far, and to assist her in that which is to come. She has made all Palarand look afresh at things we thought we knew and understood, and we are much the better for it."

He beckoned to a servant, who walked forward with a cushion, and the two of them approached Garia's seat at the table. She stood, and another servant pulled her chair away.

"We have already determined that women will henceforth be permitted to join our guilds, and, in the future, the new Institute. We understand that you are too young even to have completed an apprenticeship, milady, and you do not possess the knowledge or experience of a single man in this room in their own craft. Nevertheless, you do possess knowledge far above and beyond anyone here, and we know that you wish only to use that knowledge in the service of Palarand. Therefore, we have almost unanimously determined that you should be offered the honor of becoming the first ever Guildmistress of Palarand, and we hope that you will accept."

Garia had expected something of the sort, but it was still a shock to hear the words spoken. She turned to Hurdin, her eye catching the gold chain of office resting on the cushion.

"Guildmaster, this is very difficult," she stammered. "As you say, I'm so young, and, really, I'm not particularly special back where I came from. It's schooling that allows us to know so much, and I hope that similar schooling in Palarand will become available to all in time. I understand why you want to give me this, and I can only accept with reluctance. I promise to treat the honor you offer me with the respect it, and all your guildsmen, deserves."

Hurdin lifted the chain and carefully placed it round her neck, the heavy gold medallion hanging between her breasts. There was another badge or brooch in the center of the cushion which he pinned carefully to her gown.

"This, milady, is your guarantee of entry to our hall. You should wear it on your shoulder sash whenever you attend our premises. The chain will only normally be worn on ceremonial occasions." He smiled. "Like today, in fact."

He turned to face the body of guildsmen. "History is made this day, guildsmen. Behold, Palarand has it's first ever Guildsmistress."

There was prolonged applause from everyone in the hall, and Garia felt her face beginning to redden. More honors, but more to live up to, as well. As well as becoming a noble, I now also have to learn how to become one of these people.

Garia's seat was returned, and everyone sat down again. Hurdin stayed standing beside her, however.

"There is one final award to be given, before the lunch is concluded and we return to our many tasks. Mistress Jenet, would you stand?"

An astonished Jenet bolted out of her seat and faced Hurdin.

"As you are well aware, mistress," he explained, "very few men in the Valley have their own manservants, in the way that most women are accompanied by their maidservants. In this our hall, we employ our own men to perform those tasks a woman might normally perform, and thus there is presently no custom that can account for your presence here with Milady Garia." He gave Jenet a smile of encouragement. "That must change, however, with the appointment of your mistress as Guildsmistress. Indeed, we expect Milady Garia to be but the first woman to walk these rooms beside us. Therefore, we ask that we may consult you about ways in which our halls may be prepared for the presence of women and their servants. To aid in recognition of your right of entry to our halls, and whenever you accompany your mistress, we award you this badge which will allow you free access at all times."

Jenet looked as nervous as Garia had felt before she entered the hall. She turned to Garia with an unspoken plea on her face.

"Take it, Jenet," she said. "It's a logical step, after all. Like Master Hurdin said at the start, if you're going to break a custom, best do it properly."

The badge which Hurdin pinned on Jenet's dress looked just like that Garia had been given, except Garia's was gold and Jenet's made of silver. She gave him a nervous curtsey, blushing furiously.

Hurdin turned to face the tables of men. "We have one final task to end our meal, guildsmen. I ask you to raise your goblets and drink a toast to the health of your King."

"The King!"

~o~O~o~

"I've gone deaf," Garia said to Keren.

The rain had abruptly ceased hammering on the roof of their carriage and they all blinked at the sudden quiet that resulted. Keren grinned back at her.

"Yes, it was somewhat sudden, wasn't it?"

Robanar added, "These pauses foretell the coming end of the rains, my dear. In two weeks, perhaps, the skies will be clear again and we shall begin a fine, dry fall."

He reached up and pulled a small lever near the roof of the carriage and it slithered to a halt, voices outside calling as the whole procession braked in turn. The carriage rocked as people climbed off and then the door was opened by a waterproof-clad footman.

"Sire?"

"As we are momentarily dry, we desire to view our people as we travel," Robanar said.

"As you command, Sire," the footman replied, and began rolling up the tarpaulins over the unglazed windows.

Others did the same on the other side of the carriage and they soon jolted back into motion, the dripping buildings now clearly visible on both sides. Alert now, Garia took more detailed notice of the architecture as they splashed through the city streets. Building roofs were uniformly covered with green-glazed clay tiles which overhung the half-timbered walls, protecting them from the downpour. On previous outings she had likened the place to a medieval city, but she now realized that the buildings had as much in common with Japanese styles as European ones, no doubt because of the weather patterns. On the raised sidewalks a few people were hurrying about, making the most of the brief pause in the downpour, all looking strange in their identical creamy-yellow waterproofs.

The procession turned into a courtyard which Garia decided was similar to that of Tanon's mansion. Their carriage halted next to the main entrance and everyone quickly climbed out, heading for the robing chamber inside. Once they had removed their rain gear and tidied themselves Parrel appeared and bowed.

"Welcome to the mansion of Palarand's printers, Sire, Highness, Milady. If you would follow me."

He led them through into a long room where scribes bent over tables, copying documents from parchment onto new sheets.

"Here, Sire, is what we have traditionally done when a document requires a copy. As you can see, it takes many men a long time to provide the required copies, and mistakes are nearly always made. For some small time, it will still be necessary to copy documents in this same fashion, but I hope it will not be many years before we may reduce this drudgery to nothing." He smiled at Garia. "We do understand that the art of writing by hand will always be with us, but Milady Garia has shown us that there are other ways of making documents, much quicker and much easier to read. If you would come this way, Sire."

They followed him through the building until they came to a room where a small number of scribes stood before easels, discussing enlarged drawings of letters and numbers. Pitchell was among them, and he came forward and bowed to the party.

"Sire, Highness, Milady, welcome. Here in this room we design the letters which Master Parrel will make into metal for printing. As we have mentioned previously, the design of letters has become an interesting art, and we are still finding our way. It is not like writing with a reed and ink at all. We believe that what we have made so far is clear to all, but as Milady Garia has told us, many styles are possible and we are exploring new ideas all the time."

Parrel led them through to what was once one of the mansion's stables. It was full of presses, with men busily inking, feeding and removing sheets of paper and spinning the spokes that drove the paper firmly into contact with the trays of metal letters below.

"Some samples of our current work, Sire," Parrel said, giving them sheets of paper to pass around. Garia could read a little of what was on them, but much still remained tantalizingly just the wrong side of understandable. One sheet was clearly the tutorial for 'Garian numbers' she had seen before. With a frown, she decided that she would have to ask somebody how that name had come about...

"Presently," Parrel was saying, "we are printing copies of the book that Mistress Margra asked us to make, to send to every healer in Palarand. It will be our first attempt at more than a single page, and has also introduced us to the problem of printing on the reverse of each sheet, not to mention the requirement to add diagrams to some of the pages. We are learning all the time how this process should be organized, Sire. If you would follow me, Sire."

Another large room, and men sawing and filing at benches. At the far end were small furnaces with men pouring from crucibles of molten metal into small molds on the floor. At tables to either side of the door were men making up frames with new letters, carefully lining them up and packing them before inking them to produce samples to check spelling and spacing.

"Here we make the letters and numbers we require, Sire. They are first carved by our best jewelers in brass, then those masters are used to make clay molds. Once the molds are baked the heads of each letter are cast in zinc and the stems in lead. Those men at the benches are carefully cutting the letters so that they are all the exact same length to fit in the frames as you see them doing to our right and left."

Robanar nodded. "Impressive, Parrel. So much achieved in such a short time!"

"Aye, Sire." He grinned. "The rains help keep the men out of mischief, Sire, and keep them concentrated on the work at hand. Besides, now that they all understand what is happening, and what the end result will be, there is plenty of enthusiasm for their new occupations, Sire."

Robanar waved a hand around. "Is this premises suitable for what you do here, Parrel? Shall you find somewhere bigger, as you must for the paper-making enterprise?"

"That is to be decided, Sire. Unlike the production of paper, we do not yet feel the need to expand our operations here. Maybe there will be another choice for us, when such a time comes."

"As you say, Parrel."

Parrel's expression gave a small quirk as he turned to Garia. "I have one final thing to show to milady, if the King agrees."

"Of course, Parrel. Lead on."

He took them back into the house proper, and to a large room which had been turned into a workshop. Another furnace, benches, tools and offcuts of brass everywhere. The three guildsmen inside stood and bowed when the party entered.

"Sire, Highness, Milady, as I previously mentioned, we decided to try and make a device Milady Garia spoke of when she first told us of printing. This is the third prototype of that device. Milady? If you would inspect?"

He gestured to a bench upon which was the last thing Garia had expected to see. A typewriter! It was made from brass sheet, crudely bent and soldered, but recognizable from the simple drawings she had made for them that day. She peered at it gingerly.

"Does it work?"

One of the men came forward. "We think so, milady, but only you would be able to tell us if it functions the way that you would expect a typewriter to do. We tried to follow your explanation as closely as we could, but obviously..."

"I understand. There might have been things I automatically assumed but didn't mention."

"As you say, milady. Would you like to try it?"

There was a sheet of paper already loaded, and it had been used for some tests already that day. The platen was made from a cylinder of turned wood, closely covered with a spiral of fine leather to absorb the shock of the key striking. Garia remembered again that these people didn't yet have something like rubber for such purposes. She leaned over and pressed a key on the recognizable keyboard. Bang! The key thumped against the paper and fell back, the platen moving to the left as it did so. She noticed that the ribbon also shifted in its spool.

She assumed a position in front of the typewriter and began ten-fingered typing, picking keys at random. This was of course a manual keyboard, unlike the computer ones Gary had gotten used to, so it took her a little while to find a rhythm. Of course, she had no understanding of the order of the keys so what she typed made no sense, but that was not the point right now. The engineers watched her with attention and satisfaction.

"You type without looking at the keys, milady. Is that a common practice?"

"Sometimes. If someone can be bothered to train to do it, it makes typing so much quicker. But doing it with one or two fingers is acceptable as well, if you don't need to use a typewriter that much."

She had forgotten to explain the 'return' lever, and she rectified that omission immediately. A short discussion followed, which left Robanar and Keren as merely interested bystanders, as they talked about the design, various features, placement of keys and the like. It was apparent to all that she knew what she was talking about and her words were treated with respect.

Soon it was time to return to the palace and they took their leave of Parrel and Pitchell. It was raining again when they went out to climb into their carriage, and the short journey home had to be taken with the tarpaulins secured down. Once they had taken off their waterproofs in the palace Robing Room they all walked towards the Receiving Room, but were intercepted by Kendar before they had walked very far.

"Sire. A messenger has arrived from Brikant. It seems some survivors of a river craft have been found on the far bend of the Sirrel who may interest you. The messenger awaits in the third meeting room."

"Very well, Kendar." Robanar turned to Keren and Garia. "Go and change, children. I will see you again at dinner."

"Yes, father."

Garia and Keren walked back to their suites, but she had barely time to remove her shoes before a knock came at her door and Merizel rushed in.

"You're back! Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What do you mean, well, what? Tell me all that happened, and I do mean everything!"

Merizel approached Garia and then noticed the badge, which was still pinned to her gown.

"What's this? Maker, it's a Guild badge! Now you have to tell me everything."

"Well, okay, but I have to change for dinner. If you don't mind me doing that while we talk..."

"Of course! Lead the way."

So Garia described her day so far to her eager listener. Since she had to change, the badge was removed and Merizel examined it while they talked.

"I remember seeing one of these a long while ago, back at our home in South Reach. Tomin, our mason, had one and he explained the significance. Hey, wait a moment! This says Guildmistress. Maker, you go straight for the top, don't you? You're really the first ever Guildmistress?"

"I'm the first ever woman they have allowed to walk into the Guildhall at all, Merry. And I had no choice in what they intended to do to me, it had all been decided before we arrived there. Can I see that? It's difficult to look at when it's pinned to your front."

Garia stood and inspected the badge while Jenet laced her into one of her favorite evening gowns. It had a plain circle surrounded by sprigs of leaves and flowers. In an arc across the top was the word 'Palarand', and in a matching arc at the bottom was the word 'Guildmistress'. In the middle of the circle was the single 'Garian' number 1.

"I can figure Palarand and Guildmistress," she said, "but why the number one?"

"Oh, that's easy," Merizel replied. "Every new guildsman gets the next number when they finish their apprenticeship, so it goes up all the time. I think we're up in the eleven thousands by now, I'm not sure, but they've been counting for centuries, you realize. Of course, you being the first woman, they decided to start again at one. So, this really means that women will be able to enter the guilds now? Garia, you're amazing!"

"I don't think much will happen overnight, Merry. As I understand the situation, women will be selected the same way that men currently are, and that means that not many will be chosen to start with. And of course first of all you have to find women who would even think of taking that route to a career."

"Even so, it's a start, isn't it? You're the proof that it's possible, and that will inspire some girls to have a go, see if it doesn't."

"Yes, of course."

Garia still underestimated the example she seemed to be setting among the women of Palarand. She was just a young girl, trying out some different ideas, wasn't she? But already she had noticed one or two of the younger women servants who had opted for shortened haircuts along the style she herself had chosen. Perhaps people noticed more than she thought they did. As she turned to let Jenet set the sash she remembered something else.

"Of course! Jenet also received a badge."

"Really? Oh, I suppose she would have to, to be allowed to accompany you into the Guildhall. May I see, Jenet?"

"If you would like to remove it to have a look, milady. I have to go and change for dinner as well."

Merizel held the badge up to see the detail.

"It's almost exactly the same as yours, Garia. Silver, of course, instead of gold. Palarand across the top, and the number one, but underneath it says Personal Maid." She frowned.

"It's a clear description of what she is, Merry, and the number tells the reader whose servant she is. Master Hurdin, who was the Master of the Hall today, actually asked Jenet if he could consult her how the hall can be adapted to allow women and female servants. Fancy that!"

"I'll say it again, Garia, you're amazing! With one stroke you've changed the whole structure of the Guild system here."

"You don't know the half of it." Garia told her about the coming amalgamation of the guilds into the new Institute. Merizel frowned again.

"But I won't be allowed in, Garia. How can I be your secretary if I can't accompany you into the Guildhall? I don't have a badge."

Garia thought. "I'm sorry, Merry, I can probably get you issued a badge, but if I do it will have to be as one of my servants. Will you mind that?"

"Why should I mind, Garia? I might be a noblewoman, but I am one of your servants, and I'm proud to be. Everyone except the King is somebody else's servant, after all, and the King serves his country, doesn't he? I won't mind at all."

"Then I shall arrange for you - and for Bursila, of course - to have badges as well. Now, let me tell you about what we did in the afternoon while Jenet changes."

~o~O~o~

"You're sure, dear?"

"No, of course not," Robanar said impatiently. "I'm a man, aren't I? We aren't supposed to notice things like that happening. But I did see something, I just don't know what it might mean. You're much better than I am when it comes to... matters of the heart."

"They both know the rules," Terys reflected. "It may be just the circumstances of the day. After all, this is the first time you have all been out together, isn't it?"

"It is. Oh, except for the Harvest Festival, and we all know what happened then."

"I do not need reminding, husband. Very well. Leave it all to me, I will keep a discreet eye on their activities."

"That might be difficult, since they spend most mornings with the guard, and it will only become worse once the weather improves and she begins to ride."

"Ah, yes. That interests me also." Robanar's expression darkened, and Terys smiled sweetly at him. "Husband, I am not about to haul myself onto the back of a frayen, if that is what you are thinking. But I foresee a time in the near future when more women will be tempted to ride as Garia seems able to."

"Leaving me to deal with all the complaints from the menfolk, I suppose."

"There may be less than you might suppose, dear. Just wait and see."

"As you wish, dear."

~o~O~o~

"Well, let's see you in it, then!"

Merizel had accompanied Garia back to her suite at the end of the evening, because she had remembered that Rosilda had delivered her first riding outfit earlier that day. Several outfits had been planned, but this first one was the one she would wear when riding with the guard. Jenet brought the garments out of the dressing room and spread them on the bed.

"If you insist," Garia said. "I never realized just how often women changed their clothes," she grumbled. "When I was a boy, I'd put something on in the morning when I rolled out of bed, and took it off just before I climbed back in that night. Very often, I'd wear the same clothes the next day as well."

"Eew! Really? I suppose I ought not to judge you by our own customs, should I?"

Garia shrugged, then grinned. "Yes and no." Merizel stuck her tongue out. "Our standards of cleanliness are about as good as yours, and the clothes resist dirt a little better, I think. But I probably ought to have changed a bit more often. If I'd been seeing a girl, then I would have wanted to be clean and smell nice whenever I was near her."

"I should hope so! That skirt's turned out a very strange shape, Garia. Did Rosilda make it up correctly?"

Garia laid the skirt out on the carpet, a perfect circle except where it was shaped around the hips and waist.

"Yes, that's exactly what I asked for. Let's see, now. I'll need to put on these first."

The whole outfit had been provided, including boots, gloves and helmet. Jenet helped Garia dress, leaving only the gloves and the helmet on the bed.

"There! What do you think?"

Merizel nodded. "That's very clever, Garia. Was this your idea or Rosilda's?"

"Some of each, I think. It looks perfectly respectable, don't you agree?"

Garia walked into the dressing room and twirled in front of the mirror. She had begun to appreciate the features and curves of the body she now had, and she nodded to herself as she imagined the response her new outfit would have on those who saw it.

There was a knock at the sitting room door, and the Queen came in followed by her two maids.

"Ah! I had heard that your new outfit was ready, dear. I didn't expect you to be trying it on already."

"It wasn't my idea, ma'am. Merizel sort of insisted. Now that I am wearing it, though, what do you think?"

"It looks very proper, dear, and very smart. I can't imagine that anyone is going to complain that too much is visible. Shall you turn round for me?"

Garia complied, and Terys nodded approval. "Dear, what will happen when you are seated on your beast? Remember, there were objections about women riding that concerned that very thing."

"As you say, ma'am."

Garia turned her back on the Queen, put her hands behind her, grasped her skirts firmly and lifted.

"Oh, my!"

There was a twinkle in Terys's eye when Garia turned back to face her. "Let anyone dare attempt to find fault with that, dear! You definitely have everything covered, don't you agree?"

"As you say, ma'am," Garia agreed with a smile.