Milsy has an unexpected meeting with the Royal Astronomer and receives an unusual request. A chance meeting in the corridor causes her to consider her future. Later in the laboratory Milsy and Tarvan begin to dismantle the provided clock, discovering that the Clockmakers' Guild have not made their task easy.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

12 - Mechanisms and Arrangements

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) 2016 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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Bursila emerged from her closet to find Milsy staring moodily out of the big bedroom window.

"Good morning, Mistress."

Milsy turned, her expression uncertain.

"Do you think that he is serious, Bursila? Am I reading something into his actions that is not there? I do not know the way a man's mind functions, it is not like ours at all."

Bursila joined her charge at the window. "Mistress, I am certain that Tarvan's demonstration of his affection for you was honestly given. It is true that you must needs tread your chosen path carefully but I deem that Master Tarvan conceals no ill intent for you, only the natural desire of a man for a woman for whom he has respect." The maid regarded Milsy carefully. "Have you slept well, Mistress? I trust you have not spent your night wondering whether you may trust your guildsman."

"What?" Milsy was still distracted. "Oh, no, Bursila. I slept well, thank you, but since waking I have thought of nothing but... that kiss."

"As well you might, Mistress. Shall I pull the rope for water?"

"As you wish, Bursila." Milsy sighed. "Why do men have to make life so complicated?"

"I doubt not that many men consider that women make their lives complicated, Mistress, not the other way round," Bursila observed. "They are mostly simple creatures, after all, and they see the world as a simple place. We know it is not so, do we not?"

"It seemed simple enough to me when I worked in the castle kitchens! Do this, do that, do what you are told. I know differently now. Let's get ourselves dressed, Bursila. I wonder if we'll be able to have a look at that clock this morning?"

"I could not say, Mistress, but perhaps it will give you an opportunity to wear your new dress this morning."

Milsy brightened. "Indeed! At least I would be prepared for any task that Tarvan may require today."

The first knock at the door after their breakfast things had been cleared was Tord.

"Mistress, there is a footman here. He requests the presence of yourself... not the Baroness, as it were, but you, to attend a meeting with Master Tarvan and Master Parrel in a room in the front of the palace."

"Oh. Is this a normal occurrence? I can go, of course, but I need to know if I am going to cause any problems."

"It is quite normal, Mistress. At the front of the palace are rooms set aside for meetings with those from the city and from beyond. Even the King and Queen use them for such meetings."

Milsy considered. "If I may have a moment or two, then, I will come. No doubt you will provide an escort?"

"No doubt, Mistress."

The footman stared at Milsy when she appeared in the corridor and stared again when two of the guardsmen joined Milsy and Bursila as they walked through the corridors. Their route led them to the very front of the palace complex to a meeting room with a window that overlooked the front yard. Inside, Tarvan and Parrel were accompanied by a man wearing a black robe that billowed as he moved.

Parrel bowed to Milsy. "Mistress, please join us. If I may introduce Master Gerdas, presently acting head of the Society of Questors but here today in his own capacity as Palarand's Royal Astronomer. Our subject this morning is clocks, about which you have an interest."

"Me? Well, aye, that is true, but... should you not be speaking to those of the Clockmakers' Guild? I am but a lowly Journeywoman who has barely begun to understand her craft."

Parrel smiled at Gerdas. "Did I not tell you she was modest? Yet within that pretty head lies a brain that discovered the workings of the Great Clock merely by observing it for a bell." He turned to Milsy. "There are considerations of a political nature which mean that I may not consult the clockmakers at this time, Milsy. With your help, I intend to provide them with such an argument they will not be able to deny us. Master Gerdas has his own reasons for desiring our help and he is here today to explain all to you."

To Milsy Gerdas looked old but there was nothing wrong with his intellect, judging by the spark of interest in his eyes. He was balding and was probably the tallest man she had seen. She knew roughly what a Questor was but his title meant little.

She curtseyed. "Master Gerdas. Master Parrel speaks the truth but I do not consider myself an expert on the subject of clocks. If you would pardon me, I do not know what it is you do."

"Why, Mistress, I study the skies above, especially when it is dark. Apart from the natural curiosity I have in such matters it is necessary to determine the exact timings of the various moons, planets and stars so that our days, weeks, months and years may be correctly named and numbered. If we did not do so, then the names and numberings would drift with the years and none would know when anything had happened."

Milsy frowned. A day was a day, surely?

"I do not understand, Master. Surely the days just follow one another? If you could explain a little more?"

"Surely, Mistress. I am not surprised that you do not understand, since very few do. If I may give a recent example."

Gerdas then explained that the orbits of the various heavenly bodies didn't take exact numbers of days or even bells but were inconvenient fractions which built up errors over time. His job, and that of many other astronomers scattered about Alaesia, was to determine the exact discrepancies and then agree on adjustments to keep the common dating arrangements sensible. This year, for example, at Midwinter's Night there would be an extra day inserted to account for leftover time in the orbit of Kalikan.

"If I may add, Mistress, this will ensure that your Calls will still occur on the day of month that you are used to. If we did not do this, all would gradually change from time to time. You would still be governed by Kalikan but the dates would move from year to year."

"Oh, I see."

It had never occurred to Milsy that the length of time that Kalikan went round was not an exact number of days but after consideration she realized that it would be extremely unlikely for that to happen. Adjustments would always be required from time to time.

"Master," she continued, "what you require is an accurate clock to measure these differences, is that so? Do not the Clockmakers provide such for you?"

"It is so, Mistress, but my problem is greater than that. If I may demonstrate on the blackboard. Do you understand the Garian numbers?"

"I have been shown them, Master Gerdas, but I have not made much use of them as yet. If you could proceed slowly."

Gerdas explained how the current system of plotting planet and star positions was complex and unwieldy while the system which Lady Garia had told him about, which was used on Earth, seemed to be so much more efficient. On corresponding with a number of his associates in other countries they had all decided to switch to the Earth system at the same time as standardizing on the Garian numbers.

Milsy frowned. This sounded familiar. Hadn't somebody mentioned something recently about sixty minutes in an hour and sixty seconds in a minute?

"You need to make a clock that divides up the day in the same way," she said. "That's what all this is about, isn't it?"

Gerdas beamed. "Parrel, she is every part as clever as you said she was. Mistress, you have it exactly. We wondered if you could design such a clock."

"Me?" Milsy was astonished. "I cannot do such a thing! Master Parrel, tell him! Though I am named Journeywoman I have yet no skills at metalwork at all."

Parrel smiled. "We would not expect you to make such a clock, Milsy. The word that Gerdas used was design. Tarvan has told me of your ideas for the clock you requested from the Clockmakers and I deem you have more knowledge of such matters than anyone outside that guild. If you would think about how such a clock may be made that would satisfy Gerdas, we will build it for him."

"Then..." Milsy was still bewildered. "You expect much of me, Master Parrel. I will do as you ask but I must needs take time to understand what I am doing. I will need to inspect the clock we have requested before I may attempt what you ask."

"That is what we anticipated, Milsy. Your clock awaits you in the laboratory and you may begin your investigations as soon as we have finished here."

"As you wish, Master Parrel." She turned to Gerdas. "Master, I must needs know exactly what it is you require from your clock. You must tell me of your craft that I may better understand how you measure the movements in the skies."

"Of course, Mistress. If I may invite you to join me one night when I observe the sky, you would learn as much as there is to tell."

"Observe the sky? How do you do that?"

"It needs but a high place where the surrounding buildings do not obscure parts of the sky, Mistress. In addition it should be a place which is not in the line of smoke from chimneys. Naturally, we may not do anything about clouds but the rest can be managed. I reside in such a place some five marks from the palace, to the west." He thought. "I have used one of the towers in the palace to observe the stars, Mistress, on that occasion Lady Garia accompanied us, as did the King. If you feel unable to come to my residence perhaps we may make some arrangement here."

"It's a thought, Master Gerdas, but I don't think anyone would object to me coming to your residence." She raised an eyebrow at Parrel and received a nod in return. "If I may ask for some details about what you would prefer from your new clock."

"Ah, well, Mistress, the first thing is the bells. Every clock in Palarand presently tells the time of day by chiming bells, as you well know. It requires each of us to understand the bell sequences so that we may know what time it is." He waved a hand. "No great difficulty, any child soon learns the sounds as they grow, I deem. However, that means that we may only know which bell it is and any smaller division must be made using sand-droppers. Such methods are not really precise enough to mark the positions of planets and stars during the night."

Milsy frowned. "I see your problem, Master Gerdas. You line up a star against a marker, I am guessing, and you would like to know the exact time that happens."

"Just so, Mistress! Now all in this room have seen the watch which Lady Garia brought from Earth with her. That device does not chime but shows the time on what she calls a dial. Even tiny divisions of the day or night may thus be identified easily."

"Oh, of course! But cannot we simply put a dial on one of the clocks which the clockmakers produce? I'm sure that would be less difficult than designing a whole new set of wheels and cogs."

"As you say, Mistress, but that brings me to the second problem. As you also know, our bells begin at the moment of dawn and chime throughout the day. When we reach sunset the bells are reset to chime through the night. Unfortunately sunrise and sunset occur at different times every day of the year and I must needs make some complicated adjustments to my measurements to allow for this. The use of the Garian numbers has eased my task but were I to use a clock made in the fashion of Lady Garia's watch I would not need to make any adjustment at all."

"I believe I understand, Master Gerdas. Lady Garia's watch does not concern itself with sunrise or sunset but with noon and midnight only, which never vary. What you ask is for something made in the fashion of the watch but numbering an Anmar day instead of that of Earth."

Gerdas beamed at her. "You understand perfectly, Mistress! Parrel, you are right, your young lady is a treasure who you are right to adopt."

"As you say, Gerdas," Parrel agreed. "But it was the Queen who discovered Milsy, not I. Our guild was merely fortunate enough to be available when help was required, and we will take our responsibility seriously. I doubt not that between us we can devise some clock which will be suitable for your purposes." He considered for a moment. "It would be more than one clock, would it not? You would desire your colleagues in other lands to make use of the same principles of measurement, I deem."

"A small number only, Parrel, and all made to the same design, of course. That way we would know that all our measurements would be made the same way."

Tarvan ventured, "Or all might contain the same error, Master Gerdas."

"True, but then we can apply a standard correction, can we not?" He beamed at Milsy again. "Not that I expect there to be many errors, of course."

"Then we are settled," Parrel said. "We will work as fast as we may but of course there are other demands on the time of all of us, I deem. We will keep you informed of progress or delay."

"That is all I would expect from the guilds of Palarand, Parrel." He rose and bowed. "If I may be excused, I have a meeting with Guildmaster Hurdin concerning a special lens he is grinding for me. I am expected for lunch at the Guildhall of the Glassmakers today."

"Of course. We are building the framework for the new telescope in which that lens will be fitted. If I may show you out?"

* * *

As Milsy and Tarvan walked through the corridors they were mostly silent with their thoughts but eventually she had had enough.

"Tarvan, this is all too much! Three weeks ago I was just a kitchen worker and today I am being asked to design clocks! Clocks, I would mention, which are unlike normal Palarand clocks but of an advanced design, to be used by all the astronomers of Alaesia! This is almost like some kind of dream... or nightmare!"

"Let me ask you just one question," Tarvan responded. "Do you think that you could actually design such as clock as they request? Honestly, now."

"Well, of course!" she said without thinking. "The existing design already has a wheel that turns once a day, we merely have to..." Her eyes narrowed. "That was sneaky, Tarvan! You're trying to appeal to my curiosity. You know how much trouble I have had adapting to everything that has happened to me since I left Dekarran, I just don't need any more to think about."

"But you are adapting, Milsy. Master Parrel obviously thinks you are capable of all that he asks and I must agree. Do not worry, we will not ask you to do more than you can bear and we will be sure to take very good care of you while you are doing it."

She stopped in the corridor and turned to him, annoyed. "Do you mean that? Are you perhaps just treating me like some prize dranakh that you wish to get the most out of? Is that all I mean to you?"

The two guardsmen looked at Bursila who merely shrugged. They then turned their attentions to each end of the corridor, ignoring the conversation happening between them but still within sound of it. Bursila stood back, knowing that young people had to find their own way through their inevitable emotional conflicts.

"Milsy," Tarvan said, getting down on one knee and placing his right hand over his heart. "I would do no such thing as that! On my honor as a Guildsman of Palarand, I swear to you that I, and the guild I represent, have only your best interests in mind. We would not consider you as merely a beast of burden, to be used as we saw fit. Master Parrel sees what the Queen saw, a person whose many talents were barely noticed in the kitchens where she worked and he wants to correct that injustice. Myself... I want to help you be the best that you can. Maybe I also have a personal interest but I would never let that interfere with what I saw as my duty."

Milsy was embarrassed. "Rise, Tarvan, please. This isn't the best place to be having such a discussion as this. Let us go to the Questor's quarters where we can talk about this in private."

Tarvan stood and the five carried on in an awkward silence. This lasted just two more intersections before they almost collided with four guards coming around the corner. Milsy gasped since two of them were women. All four automatically saluted Milsy.

"My Lady! We have not seen you in -" The older of the two women paused as she took a good look at Milsy, suddenly realizing that the latter was not whom she had assumed. "A thousand apologies! You are not who I thought you to be!"

Milsy gave them a reassuring smile. "That has happened to me a lot since I arrived at the palace. I am told that I greatly resemble Lady Garia, which of course is true. I am Milsy and I work for the Baroness. I did not know that there were women in the Palace Guard."

"Aye, we are by way of experiment to see if it is possible for a woman to manage some of the same duties as a guardsman. Where the Baroness shows us the way we must needs try and follow. I am Danisa and this is Heldra, two of the four who have so far given the King our oath." Danisa gave Milsy a quick glance, noticing the sash. "You are of Blackstone, then? It seems her household is growing."

"Aye, I am the first, it seems, and I will soon become a journeywoman in Master Tarvan's guild. What of yourself? Can you use that sword?"

"Aye, of course, else I would not wear it! We are equal to many of the men in our sword work and Heldra can even hit a target with a longbow." One of the men with Danisa shifted and she thumped her chest again. "If you would excuse us, we must resume our duties." She nodded respectfully. "Mistress."

Milsy watched as the four walked away. "Lady Garia inspires women even to become warriors!" she murmured.

"Aye," Tarvan agreed. "Though it was inevitable once they saw her in action on the mat. Danisa is larger than many of His Majesty's men and stronger, having worked in the kitchens all her life."

"I knew some like that in Dekarran, though I doubt any would trust them with a sword."

Their route led them to the other door to the laboratory and the five entered, Milsy finding herself beside the furnace.

"Do you want us to get everything going as usual?"

"Leave that for now," Tarvan replied. "Come and look at the clock."

On one of the benches stood a tall rectangular case of carved wood, with fretwork cutouts on every side at top and bottom. There was nothing to indicate that it was a device of any kind, though when Milsy walked round the other side the upper part had a window of two panes of glass each about two thumbs by four. Through the glass could be seen an intricately decorated sheet of brass with cutouts making a number of toothed wheels partly visible.

"That's it?"

"Indeed. If you look below the glass, on the left side, you will find a small lever which opens the front."

The lever was almost invisible and was presumably designed not to detract from the richly decorated and inlaid panel. She slid the tab down and the front hinged open.

"That's beautiful! Look at the amount of work that has gone into producing this engraving. It seems a pity to pull such a piece of art apart."

"From a smith's point of view, all that is merely extra work, Milsy. None of that decoration will have any effect on the functioning of the clock but will add to the healthy profit the Clockmakers would have extracted from Lord Tafren." He gestured. "It also makes the clock a piece of furniture suitable to be set in Lord Tafren's main hall, to be admired by his friends, family and guests. Most of our existing clocks, of course, are like the Great Clock of the palace, to be heard but never seen. These small clocks are something new."

"As you say. But, still, the time may only be learned when the bells are struck. This is only a box of wood where I am guessing that an Earth clock would have some kind of circular disk on it to show the time, which would be known whenever someone looked at it."

Tarvan nodded. "That is true, and that is what Master Gerdas requires. However, for our part, our first task is to learn how to take this clock apart and put it together again."

"But how?" Milsy examined what she could see of the mechanism. "How do you get the brass parts out of the box?"

"Go round the other side," Tarvan told her. "You should find another door on the other side."

Milsy did so and discovered another latch. "Oh aye!" Inside was a large hand-crank, three tiny ones and a winged winder on the inside face of the mechanism. "What are these for?"

"I'm guessing that the big crank is for winding the largest weight that keeps the clock going," Tarvan said after a moment's examination. "The little ones are probably for the bell weights and that thing," he pointed to the winged winder, "is for adjusting the time somehow. More than that I'll leave to our clock expert to discover."

"Clock expert?"

Tarvan smiled. "You, of course."

"Me? This device is completely different than that huge iron contraption in the tower! I'll have to begin again to try and find out how it works, Tarvan."

"I would wager that it is almost exactly the same, Milsy, apart from the size and what the parts are made of. The numbers are important, do you see. Every clock must needs strike the bells at the same time and that means that they must count the same way. Thus, I would expect the wheels within to have the same number of teeth as any other clock. The only difference is that the pendulum in this one is so small so ticks quicker."

"How do we get it out, then? Oh, are those... screws? That is what you called them before, I remember."

"Aye. I must stop the clock and lay it down... there. Now, watch what I do."

Tarvan first removed the rear door and then undid a number of screws on each side of the brass frame. His attempt to lift the frame out proved unsuccessful, however.

"There must be some other screws. Can you see any?"

"Aye, look there." Milsy pointed. "See? At the top of the front."

"Good. I expected them to have something concealed, to prevent tampering." He grinned at Milsy. "I would, if I were making such a thing as this."

They found four more screws, two only accessible by turning the clock over and removing the front door. Once these were taken out and carefully placed on the bench, Tarvan lifted out the mechanism. Both craned over it to examine it closely.

"What a beautiful piece of work! Metalsmiths are such marvelous artists, I deem."

"Maybe, but I doubt I would have the patience to file each and every one of those teeth, Milsy. I did enjoy building the steam engine, though. That was more suitable for one of my abilities."

"Do you expect me to make anything like this?" She gestured to the mechanism.

"No, we told you before. If it proves in time that you can make such things as this then I doubt any would object. Until then you may provide us with reasons and instructions such that others may make what you envisage."

That reminded Milsy of their argument in the corridor and she stood up, annoyance plain on her face.

"You did it again! We were supposed to be having an important discussion when we arrived here and you have distracted me."

Tarvan raised one eyebrow. "I distracted you? Or mayhap the clock distracted you."

"Humph. You knew I would see that the moment we walked into the laboratory! Is that why we entered that end instead of the other? No," she answered her own question, "I cannot accuse you of that, for we came from the front of the palace. Still, there are matters which must be settled between us before we go much further. Bursila?"

"Mistress?"

"Pel, if you would. Tarvan and I will be in the sitting room."

Bursila hesitated, then nodded. Leaving Milsy alone with Tarvan was technically against custom but she knew that nothing untoward was likely to happen.

"As you wish, Mistress."

Standing facing one another in the old Questor's sitting room, Milsy felt the fire go out of her attitude. The last thing she wanted to do was to argue with Tarvan because that might produce the wrong result.

"I doubt not that you are doing the best that you may as a Guildsman, Tarvan," she began. "I have asked to join your guild and I will take whatever instruction you would give me, you know that. It is a more personal matter that must be decided today. I know what I desire and I think I know what you would desire but the time has come to make matters plain between us."

"And what is it that you would desire, Mistress?"

"An understanding between you and me, I deem. There is little that may be arranged officially until Garia returns but I would know where I stand. What say you?"

"Ah, Milsy, if you but knew. I was tranced the moment I first saw you, when I thought you an imposter come to take the place of the Guildmistress. Of course, I now know that to be both true and false, but I would still have you as my life partner, if I may. Nothing I have seen or heard since then has changed my first impression of you."

A warm feeling washed over Milsy as Tarvan made this declaration. She felt herself grow giddy.

"Last night," she murmured, "you did something that came as a complete surprise, so much so that I did not fully appreciate it. Would you do that again, that I might be aware of what you do?"

They faced one another and he took each of her hands into his. His head bent down to meet hers and this time the kiss was much more powerful. She let go and wrapped her arms around his neck, to reach his lips more easily. In turn his arms went around her waist. When they were done she leaned her head against his chest.

"My knees feel funny," she whispered.

"Aye, parts of me feel strange, too." He gently pushed them apart. "Now that we have answered your question, we should sit so as not to alarm Bursila."

"As you say."

They deliberately chose facing chairs though they could have chosen to sit side by side on the settee.

"This is but a start," Tarvan said.

"Aye."

"There is much we have to learn about each other before our arrangement becomes official. I know little of your past and I deem you know less of mine. Have you parents, who must needs approve what we propose?"

Milsy shook her head. "I never knew who my father was. My mother... is dead. She worked in the castle kitchens." She shook her head. "I do not know who would approve any marriage of mine." There, she had said the word. "Mayhap the Queen, now that we reside under her roof."

"You are sworn to Lady Garia, are you not?"

Milsy shook her head uncertainly. "I do not know, Tarvan. My position and status here is peculiar, as you must realize."

"As you say." Tarvan considered. "A puzzle to be solved another time, I deem. In any event we may do nothing until the Guildmistress returns from the north." He smiled. "For now, we have a clock to investigate. Later, we may talk about each other."

They made small talk until Bursila returned with a tray of steaming drinks. As she set them down she asked, "Mistress, have your questions been answered?"

"Aye, Bursila, and to our complete satisfaction. Tarvan and I have decided on an arrangement, though we must needs wait until Lady Garia returns before we would make it official."

"You have my congratulations, Mistress, and if I may offer the same to Master Tarvan."

"Thank you, Bursila."

"Thank you, Bursila," Tarvan echoed, adding, "We will not abuse your trust in your charge."

* * *

"But if we just unscrew the top all the wheels will fall out. How will we know which one goes where?"

Tarvan carefully turned the clock over and peered through the cutouts in the brass back plate.

"Look! There are marks on each wheel. Some are turned so that it is difficult to see them but each one has some kind of mark. If you would fetch some paper from the study, we can make a note of the marks and that will tell us where each wheel should go."

"But the marks are only visible from the back and the wheels must be placed from the front," Milsy objected. "The clock must somehow be turned over during the refitting of the wheels."

Tarvan shrugged. "Doubtless some kind of trick by the Clockmakers' Guild to preserve their secrets. If we describe the wheels on a piece of paper, we may reverse the paper when we fit the wheels from the front."

"Of course. Paper is such useful stuff, isn't it?" She saw Tarvan's expression. "What's the matter?"

"It is still a problem. If we fit the wheels from the front, something has to hold them in place as we fit the front plate. If they are not held, the shafts will not go in the holes."

Milsy thought about what would happen when the plate was removed and then what would have to be done to replace it.

"I have an answer, why not use paper? Once you have taken the front plate off, prick through the holes into a sheet of paper and then use that to hold all in place as you put the plate back," she explained. "Since paper bends, you may place each wheel in without disturbing any others."

"But... how do we then remove the paper? Will it not get in the way?"

"Just tear it out once the front plate is screwed down. It means a fresh piece of paper each time but we have plenty. We can write the marks on the same paper."

Tarvan looked at Milsy with admiration. "See, that is what I like about you. A fresh viewpoint and the answer comes immediately. I would never have thought of doing it that way!"

"I doubt the Clockmakers do it that way either, Tarvan. Our way is easier, I deem." They grinned at each other. "I'll fetch some paper from the study."

* * *

Milsy opened the entrance door and beckoned to the guardsman standing in front of it.

"Stonald, if you could find us a footman. Since Lady Garia is not presently in the palace," they shared a grin, "we have decided that we would have our lunch here to avoid having to go back to her chambers. We'll need to change our lunch instructions."

"Of course, Mistress. Um, does that mean that you will not be joining Her Majesty for your afternoon nap?"

Milsy had forgotten about that. "Ah, no, that would not be wise, would it? We will eat here," she decided, "and then I will go back for my nap, returning here afterwards. Obviously your duty stations will be changed, perhaps you should also get a message to Tord."

Stonald thumped a salute. "As you command, Mistress."

* * *

"I noticed you did not eat next door, dear."

"No, Ma'am, we are dismantling the clock which arrived yesterday and we did not want to break our concentration, so Tarvan, Bursila and I ate in the Questor's sitting room."

"Is the work to your liking? Are you learning new things?"

"I am, Ma'am. The new miniature clocks are very complicated but are really only the same as the Great Clock of the palace made smaller. We have learned much about the making of clocks and I have learned much about the use of numbers. It has been very satisfying, Ma'am."

"That's good, dear. I was sure that you would feel happier with something interesting to stretch your imagination."

"It's funny, Ma'am. I never thought that I could do any of this when I worked in the kitchens. It would never have occurred to me."

"You cannot try something if you do not know it is there to try, dear. Now, what about your young man? Is he to your liking?"

Milsy blushed. "Ma'am, he is. We would like to make an arrangement if we deem each other suitable."

"I thought that might be the case. I have seen how you look at each other. You both have my best wishes, dear."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

* * *

Milsy looked at the sheet of paper in her hand. It was a plan of the front of the clock with the position of every wheel, support post and axle marked, together with all the symbols they had found on the wheels.

"These markings are peculiar, Tarvan. Do you think there is any logic to the way they are made?"

"Logic? I don't know, Milsy. Maybe it is just a historical thing, perhaps they have been using those markings for years and years."

"They are like a kind of numbering system, I deem. Not like the Garian numbers, nor like the ones we normally use. Look. If this is the first wheel that the escapement turns, then..."

Tarvan leaned over to look.

"Ah! Aye, you could be right, Milsy. The order of lines... ah! If you turn the markings upside down, then it becomes clear. Look!"

It wasn't like anything either had seen before but it was an organized system of numbers, with angular lines that could be scratched on the brass of the wheels.

"I'll write these out on another sheet," Milsy suggested. "This could be a useful thing to know, and this other piece of paper will be destroyed when we put the clock back together again. What must we do before then? Try to find a way to fit a solenoid in there?"

"No, Milsy. The first thing we must do is to put the clock back together again. Only then can we be sure that we will be able to cope with any changes we make."

"So... we put it together again, and then we take it apart again?"

Tarvan grinned. "Aye. Welcome to the world of the guildsman, Milsy. Once we have restored the clock we must make sure it will work properly before we can think of changing anything. It is only by careful work that we reduce the number of errors that may occur as we progress."

Milsy considered this. "As you say. Do you plan on returning the clock to the box?"

"I don't think so. It will just make it more difficult to make any changes we desire. Remember how much adjustment we had to make to get that first pendulum working? Tomorrow I will construct a simple frame of brass rods to hold it, but for tonight it will have to go back in the box."

"Then let us begin. It should not take us all afternoon."

The hardest part turned out to be the mechanism which determined which bells were to be struck, the parts of which were very fiddly. There were two identical sets, one for night and the other for day. For some reason this duplication irritated Milsy, as she knew that it wasn't necessary. There was no chance, of course, of setting the clock to the correct time but that was not essential. Finally the whole thing was temporarily pushed back into the ornate wooden box and the pendulum attached.

"It works!"

"Of course it does. We made certain that we wrote down every detail of the workings and we reassembled it properly. Now we must leave it to run overnight."

"The weights are all wound? How will we know if it is keeping time?"

"You saw me wind the weights, though I do not know if they are wound correctly. As for the time, doubtless we will discover how clocks are normally adjusted."

"If we had a dial we would know immediately."

"As you say. The reasons why we should include a dial become more insistent all the time."

Milsy straightened, discovering that her back had stiffened. She began rubbing to ease the stiffness.

"Do we know what the time is? Bursila?"

"I believe it is a quarter before the ninth bell, Mistress."

"And the evening meal is when? About the first bell of night?"

"As you say, Mistress. You have about a bell and a half before we eat."

"Then I think I wish to be excused, Tarvan. There is a hot bath tub waiting for me, I deem. I have gotten stiff standing here all day."

"It is a hazard that those of us who work at a bench face daily, Milsy. If I may be permitted to join you for your meal?"

"Of course, Tarvan. The food is already ordered and assumes your presence."

"Then I will see you later." He shook his head. "It becomes more difficult by the day to maintain that the Guildmistress resides within the palace, I deem. She is never seen leaving or returning and never visits the training halls where she was always to be found. Doubtless some see you as you pass and wonder if you are she but I do not think this deceit can continue much longer."

"As you say. I will be both relieved and saddened when it comes to an end, Tarvan. Relieved that I may then live my own life but sad that I could do no more for His Majesty." She had a thought. "When we met Master Gerdas this morning, he did not seem surprised to see me. Almost everyone who sees me as I pass, especially since I went to the Salon, thinks me to be Lady Garia whether I pretend or not. Does he already know, and how?"

"You were discussed at the council meeting last night. Several of the members already know about the substitution and it was thought best to inform the others."

"Ah, I see."

"You have become interesting to the council on your own, Milsy. Most are curious to see what you may achieve in time."

"Stop it, Tarvan! I don't need all this expectation. I'm just doing what I can for the King and that's all."

"And that is all the King asks, Milsy."

Tarvan bowed and Milsy turned and walked out of the laboratory.

* * *

Tarvan examined the bone he had been picking clean with his teeth, finding no meat left on it. He placed it back on his plate and leaned back, satisfied.

"Another excellent meal, I deem. I cannot complain about the quality of the King's kitchen at all."

"You were telling me that the Halls of the Guilds produce good meals, too."

"Aye, I did, and they do. But most of those meals are for special occasions, usually with cooks brought in from outside to oversee the cooking."

"Is there no Guild of cooks, then?"

"An interesting idea, Milsy, but there is no such Guild. Since everyone must needs cook, to provide their daily meal, there would be no benefit by making the cooking of food a matter for guildsmen."

"But... is there no training for cooks, then? No means of passing experience, methods and recipes?"

"Not that I know of." He looked at her keenly. "Is this something you wish to pursue?"

"Me? I don't think so, I barely have time to do what is asked of me as it is! I am just seeking information, that is all. I did work in a kitchen, after all. I do not know much about the way that the guild system or the city works at all, Tarvan. I barely understand the palace or the castle."

"Then perhaps we should speak of such matters this evening. I am a city man, I may tell you what I know. But first, you must disappear while the trays are collected."

"Not so this evening. Lady Garia is dining somewhere in the city tonight, I deem. In her chambers there are only her retainer Milsy, her maid Bursila and a guildsman who just happened to be nearby."

Tarvan grinned. "Then let Bursila pull the rope while we make ourselves comfortable on the settee. I shall tell you of my home, my past and the city I call my own."