Julina continues to go round and round in several ways

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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 © 2013 - 2020 Julia Phillips. All rights reserved.

It uses some of the associated characters and situations that arise from the world called ‘Anmar’ created by Penny Lane, whose stories
are also copyright © 2010 - 2020 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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“Just one question?” I cheekily asked Epp in reply, my eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh that’s better! That’s more like the Julina of old. You have been a little … down, recently. The way you sent Surtree and Davvy away was almost brusque. It surprised me, I must say.”

“I am aware of it,” I replied, sobering up instantly. “And I regretted my actions almost as soon as I had done them, but ’twas too late by then to apologise for they had already departed. I intend to do so as soon as I catch up with them once again.”

“Maker! It doesn’t take much to set you back, does it?”

I puzzled at that remark for just a little while before I realised that her statement had simply killed the mischievous spark in my eyes.

“I’m sorry! I just have this huge decision to make and I really don’t know what to do. You, of all people, know this full well. I struggle constantly with balancing the sides of the question. To and fro, I go – to and fro, to and fro!”

“As it happens, I think you DO know what to do, but you remain unsure as to whether ’tis wise or not.”

I looked at her sharply.

“So,” she continued, “my question. Also not a simple one, I fully understand. Here it is. What makes you want to stay up here in Blackstone, or at least in ‘Blackstone County’ as I understand they refer to all Her Highness’ lands nowadays, just to differentiate ’twixt town and country? The wider world downvalley beckons with an excellent opportunity.”

Actually an even more excellent opportunity than you already know, dear Epp! Assisting at the highest levels is a possibility I cannot speak about.

“Do you fondly imagine that I don’t know all that? I have tossed and turned it over so often now. I deem I can reduce my answer to a few words: Family, friends, businesses, familiarity, security, accustomedness. I suppose, in one way, I can also add investments to that list.”

“But you were SO tempted, were you not, to just run after them? I could tell. It took a great effort of will to keep yourself rooted to that spot for so long.”

“Oh Epp! They have ideas! Huge ideas. They have plans! Huge plans. They do such different things! They SEE such different things! In comparison, we are so limited here. Yes, the town is growing. Yes, we now have players for entertainment. And sports. Yes, we are educating people. Yes, there is much more to do now than there used to be. But all that is still so much less than I can see through the door that has been opened just a crack.

“I spent a while with Senidet but now I want, maybe even need, to speak with her in more depth about the changes she has experienced and things that happen downvalley and so on. At the time she was here, it never even crossed my mind that I might, just possibly might, one day be like her and get all the way down to the capital. What a wasted opportunity I have had – to gain intimate information from someone I have known for a lot of my life.

“I need information. I need to know so much more before I could feel secure in making my decision.”

“I see,” she said, thoughtfully. Then she brightened her tone. “But for now, we should get back to the town and continue with our tasks for today. And you have two apologies to make.”

I suddenly felt bad for having kept her away from her plans for the morning and I started to stutter an apology to that effect. She surprised me by grabbing me to her and hugging me fiercely.

“You are very special to me, you know, young Julina.”

We linked arms and headed along the Dam Road towards the Market Place once more, chatting about everyday things as we went. I realised that Epp was deliberately giving my all-consuming question a wide berth, trying to make sure I kept it all the way to the back of my head.

… … …

“… manage to get in all the supporting columns around the area to be cut out. And we should be able to get a narrow temporary staircase over there where you indicated, completed before the rains that is. However, no matter whatever happens, by the end of this day, the building will be watertight.”

“Thank you, Master Simman, well done.”

Epp and I had walked back to the Market Place whereupon I had squealed in consternation. For the double doors to my mansion were propped wide open and some men were just finishing building a wooden ramp from inside down to the surface of the road. I thought immediately that someone was stealing something, or Gobitoo’s wagon was being stolen or something like that, so Epp and I rushed over to see what was happening.

As it transpired, nothing of the sort was taking place. But a lot of equipment was being removed. The doorman tipped his hat to Epp and I as we rushed in and a grinning Master Simman came over to us, obviously very pleased with himself.

“Mistress Julina, Mistress Megrozen, what a pleasant surprise. We have, I deem, about a quarter of a bell before this door area shall be thronged with busy workers, so you have timed your visit perfectly.”

I looked around and could see the Gobitoo market stall/wagon pushed over to one side, against the west wall. All around the rest of the ground floor were dotted sturdy handcarts, most partially laden with ropes and blocks and toolboxes and the like. I cocked an enquiring eyebrow at Simman.

“Well we have just two or three panels left to insert upstairs at the south-east corner, so most of the workers can be freed, since we agreed that there is no rush to complete the interior. So they shall go down to the Community Hall and start already with the changes to bring it back as to how ’twas designed. We do have some spare wooden beams left over, ordered on the assumption that there would be many more rooms to be created. With those, I estimate, we should manage to get in all the supporting columns around the area to be cut out. And we should be able to get a narrow temporary staircase over there where you indicated. However, no matter whatever happens, by the end of this day, the building will be watertight.”

“Thank you, Master Simman, well done.”

We chatted on about what would be done and he mentioned something else which fascinated me.

“We had a meeting, we project managers, last evening with the Steward. The Prince was also present, but as an observer mostly. Anyway, your man Pyor was also present, with the other rail man, Master Ryteet, and between them, Pyor, Ryteet and the Prince, they told us some things that had not been plain to us all beforehand.

“The curves on the railroad, and ’tis obvious there MUST be some curves, cannot be tight ones. They have to be far more gentle than the curves in the road. So they had stockpiled a series of curved wooden … beams if you like, but they are TOO curved for their purpose on the railroad. However, they are in fact almost perfectly curved for OUR purposes. So they are to be sent over this morning. They shall be positioned on columns to support round the edge of the wide ‘light well’ you want, just as soon as we have finally defined exactly where.”

I surprised both he and Epp by saying: “Shall we do that now then?”

“Er… sure. Fine. Have we the time?”

“’Twill be less than five minutes, I deem! I have definitely decided on how to arrange it all whilst still keeping all the options open.”

“’Minutes’, did you say? What are ‘minutes’?”

“Oh! Errrm… lengths of time … think of them as moments, near enough.” I replied as I walked over to one of the least occupied handcarts, taking out some paper and a reedlet as I went. I spread the paper on the handcart, using it as a table.

It didn’t take me long to align my thoughts, as they were so deeply etched into my head. “Now this building has a unique shape. This is the west wall here, quite long as you can see. This is the north wall, only really just long enough to fit in the admittedly very wide double doors and the door posts and so on. Just a little bare wall either side.” I sketched them in rapidly, a neat square junction of walls at the north-west corner, with the north being at the top of my diagram. I repeated the drawing, without the doors of course, to show the upper floor layout separately. They both nodded their understanding.

“Now I shall move to the south wall, which is mostly windows and doors, allowing a great deal of light in. But ’tis a curved wall, like so...

“Before we move onto the final wall, I want to point out that this south wall is almost, but not quite, flat here where it joins to the west wall, the curve only really coming into play at about this point here.”

I jabbed the point of my reedlet at the appropriate point on my diagram then looked up at each of them, an eyebrow raised, silently asking them to agree with my statement. They both nodded.

“Now observe that point and how far ’tis from the west wall. I think you’ll both agree that it is almost identical a length as that of the entire north wall?”

Again, they both nodded.

“So we can call that a sort of rectangle really, if we draw a light line down from the edge of the north wall to the point on the south wall.” I sensed them nodding this time, as I was busy drawing such a light line on the diagram for both the ground floor and the upper one. “Now, with one exception, everything in that rectangle, on both the top and bottom floors, is going to be a part of my private quarters. The exception being that we must have an entrance hallway inside the double doors here on the ground floor.”

They both gasped, (But they later explained that the gasps were produced by the simplicity of it all, rather than the size or anything else.)

“Before we go into the full details of how my private quarters shall be laid out, please allow me to first address the ground floor layout along the east wall. I shall do that by mentioning the park and the south wall first. Now we all know that there are just a few steps up from the ground level in the park to the ground floor level of the building. In fine weather, those long, long steps will no doubt serve also as seating for the younger and more agile amongst us, but we shall also require seating for others less sprightly.

“I have agreed that there shall be a smallish shop where park visitors can purchase light refreshments, so that shall be situated here in the extreme south-east corner. It makes sense therefore that there shall be a fully-equipped kitchen next to the shop, that the pastries and pies and so forth, maybe even peetzers, can be taken most easily into the shop for sale.

“So this big area here ...” I jabbed my reedlet again onto the paper, “… shall be tables and seats for those not wishing to sit outside for whatever reason.

“As we all know, women have a disadvantage over men when it comes to requiring toilet facilities, so we shall have a women-only toilet facility next to that kitchen, to make the running of pipes most simple. So there shall be three rooms, if you will, along the east wall from the south-east corner.”

I sketched a large ‘rectangle’ (remember the south wall is actually curved!) using the east wall as one side of it, then I drew two straight lines to break the rectangle into three separate entities, the northernmost one being smaller than the others, the middle one being the largest, the kitchen.

“I shall come back to that kitchen in a few moments, but now I want to go up to the first floor above ground level. I shall now start dealing with my private quarters. Here, above the double doors and the hallway below, I shall have my office. From there I shall be able to observe the Market Place, the Shuttle Shed, the Frolicsome Frayen and so on. The west wall windows will also give me a glimpse of the town down from the Market Place. Access to this office shall be from the floor formed around the head of the main staircase, which shall have to be here. I’ll try to remember to come back to that. And there shall be a small door from the office, probably over here against the west wall, allowing me to access my private quarters from there. Or for me to reach the office from my private quarters.

“Now, how shall I want my quarters laid out? That too is simple! This shall be my bedchamber, with a closet to hang my clothes in and for me to prepare myself. And this here, against the southern wall, shall be my sitting room with its peaceful views across the Park and the lower end of Main Street. However, I shall require a private staircase to go down to the ground floor level, so we shall place that here, against my private inner wall, and have a small corridor joining the bedchamber, the staircase and the sitting room.

“This shall then take us down ...” Here I switched the reedlet to the diagram of the other floor. “… to my private bathroom and toilet facilities, a kitchenette – I don’t need a full kitchen when there is already one close by but across on the other side of the building – and a private dining room. This entire area shall be walled off from the rest of the building, as shall be the upper level, but down here the walls shall be pierced by a door here alongside the west wall leading from the hallway into my bathroom, and by a door down here allowing me access to my dining room from the room across which is the kitchen up against the east wall. Again, upstairs, the entirety shall be walled off from the rest of the building, the walls being pierced by merely two doors – one into my office and one into my sitting room, which shall be above my dining room.

“So what else shall be upstairs, outside of my private area? Well that rather depends on whether or not the Consociation shall be up here, or downvalley. If the Consociation is up here, then we shall require at least two extra cooking stations, tables and chairs and all the rest that shall be required in a schoolroom. There should also be a staircase to give access to the more fully equipped kitchen downstairs. The area of this schoolroom will need to be kept from being accessed by just anyone, so there should be a door. If we are to have this ‘well’ as you called it to allow extra light down to the ground floor hallway, then the balcony that surrounds it would act as a natural barrier. So the access door could be here, just along the east wall from the staircase down to the kitchen.

“Ta da! We have now, at last, defined where the balcony should be.”

I quickly drew in a rough circle on the plan of the upper floor, and straightened up, proud of myself; particularly when I saw the shocked amazement on both their faces.

“Maker!” breathed Epp. “You make it so simple, and yet so obvious … so logical.”

“I concur,” said Simman. “But what if you do not have your cooking school here?”

“Then, if the Consociation is NOT up here, then this space could maybe converted to offices for rent, or temporary sleeping quarters, or some other income-generating ideas. This alternative use is exactly why the staircase up from the downstairs kitchen is against the wall and not inside like the one in my private area. This area I shall call, for the present instance, the public area. You may do as you like effectively there, always remembering please, indeed always making sure, that my private accommodation is not accessed by anyone else.”

“May I keep these sketches you have made?”

“Of course, Simman. You are the one most involved after all.”

“I shall have them drawn up more accurately and send you a copy of the ones we shall use.”

“That would be most kind, I thank you.”

I felt that this was a triumph in its small way. Both my colleagues had heartily approved of what I had thought and produced.

(I received that working copy of my scribbles a little later in the day, when an urchin brought it to me as I worked in the Salon.)

Here is a copy of that copy; the original drawing I have redrawn since that original was, by the time I put these chronicles together, more than a little frail.

But even though I had had that minor triumph, I was still less confident than I appeared. For that same old, mean old, nagging old question was still ever present.

Shall the Consociation be up or down the valley?

… … …

“… so I am very sorry to have been so brusque. I did not mean to hurt you.”

“Julina, we do actually understand. You are under great pressure at the moment and it causes you great stress.” Davvy was the spokeswoman for the two of them, Surtree just nodding his agreement, half-hidden behind her left shoulder.

I felt tears spring to my eyes and I cuffed them away with the back of my hand. I got all gruff as I said: “We have work to do!” I pretended not to see their sidelong glances at each other, accompanied by grins.

But I only worked a few minutes after that, maybe a quarter of an hour, because I needed to speak with Gyth as soon as the urchin arrived with the copy of the drawing. When I had explained what it was, everyone crowded round to see it and I had to chivvy them back to work. I did wonder to myself though if I left it a little longer just so they could congratulate me on my vision. I didn’t do that consciously of course, but I did wonder about it later, and felt a bit guilty.

“This is excellent, Julina – as far as it goes that is. I like particularly the allowance for light from above coming down to the ground floor level. A clever thought that. However my dear, this arrangement of rooms I deem inadequate. Yes, it might be fine for yourself, but you are far from being a ‘loner’ person. You will have visitors sometimes and the local hostelries, handy though they might be, are a little inhospitable to invited guests.

“I deem also, that, just like Senidet, you yourself will, sooner or later, be employing a maidservant. You will need to provide somewhere for her to sleep – unless you are a lot crueller than any of us believe. Maybe your guest or guests will bring with them a maidservant. So we – you – need a few more rooms.

“Now you are using a lot of space with this corridor here ...” it was her turn to be jabbing the diagram with a reedlet, “… and I don’t deem it necessary. To get from your bedchamber to your sitting room shall be a mere few paces, so if we change the dressing room like so … “ a few quick strokes, “… then we can make the bedchamber a more regular shape, so, and shorten this corridor you have drawn in.”

We discussed it rapidly but I realised very quickly that dear Gyth was right. Then she added in something else that neither Simman nor I (nor Epp) had noticed.

Where I had drawn the rough circle for the light well, I had not superimposed that over the ground floor. And when she did that, it became immediately obvious that the light well would be blocked by the area I had marked down for the toilet and also by part of the kitchen.

Gyth and I then bandied about something that seemed like a million possibilities as to how to include all the new requirements. We tried to change the rooms around; for example, should we add a servant’s room downstairs rather than upstairs? What about the guest room, up or down, left or right? We felt we had a need to define ALL the rooms, upstairs and down, before we could then address the ‘light well problem’.

Finally, we came to a conclusion. We added on, to the first floor up, a guest room and servants quarters which roughly doubled the width of my private area at the south end. We made the extra width at the south wall into the guest bedchamber, to give them a pleasing view, and then we added servants quarters above that on the diagram, to the north, so that my area bulged out at the head of the staircase there and ran down to the south wall, a sort of narrower bit where the servants were to be, and then a wider bit for the guests - which also had the advantage of their being positioned at some remove from my end, to afford us both more privacy. Both Gyth and myself were firm in our belief that the sitting room should stay where it was, the double aspect being an important feature of it, in our eyes. Giggle: and for our eyes!

Instead of a full circle for the light well, we settled finally upon a sort of elongated quarter circle, using the walls of the added rooms for the straight edges.

Here is what we ended up with, again I have had to redraw it with more modern techniques; I did find the original when I was putting together these tales - however, it was torn and tattered, stained and faded. I deem only I could have reproduced it, for it was to all others illegible.

Of course, we needed to send it up to Simman as soon as possible, so Surtree was sent a’running. He returned about twenty minutes later, grinning. “Don’t women ever make up their minds?” he reported as being a quote from Simman.

“But,” said Surtree as he continued, “Master Simman did agree that ’twas an improvement. Even if you have squeezed out almost double the area on the upstairs level by the windows overlooking the Park. He reckons, by the way, that the curved beams he got from the railroaders will more than cover the new edge to be balconied - as well as the bit up at the roof level when they eventually open up there for the windows to be positioned. He might straighten one or two of the edges, just a little he says. This would make the upper level floor laying considerably easier.”

By this time, Gyth and I had returned to the hecticity of the kitchens, so all of my friends and colleagues heard this exchange. And insisted upon seeing the new layout, and then they required explanations of the changes and so it went on.

Eventually, I sighed theatrically: “Are we ever going to be able to provide food for our diners this night?”

They just laughed at me, my employees! Simply no respect, none whatsoever! A sudden twinge told me how sad I would be if I ever left them.

My introspective mood shot back into me. And a tear or two gathered in the corners of my eyes. Would The Question never give me rest, just for a few bells?

… … ...

“… and then the Countess said that the Royal Party were trying to be back in Palarand City itself in time for the Harvest Festival, which is on the …?” I half turned and looked questioningly at Davvy, who was riding just backward of the level of me and Sookie.

“The Harvest Festival is on the 7th of Choth this year, exactly one week after the longest day.”

“Thank you.” I turned back to Sookie. “See Sookie why I need Davvy to help me with all the little details? Anyway, she – the Countess that is – said she was very little looking forward to travelling the length of the Palar valley in what is nearly the hottest time of the year. The Royal Party apparently have a deadline to be in Dekarran by the 4th of Choth at the latest, giving them then only two days to cross the Sirrel and make it to the City for the Festival.”

“Maker! What are they doing on the way down? We are not even into Lemilat yet! And the longest day is the last day of Lemilat. That’s exactly a month away from today! Are they all walking there or something?”

“No Sookie ... er… Mistress Sukhana … excuse me. I believe from informa… Why are you grinning like that?”

“Pomma! You owe me a loaf of bread.” Sookie pulled up slightly so that Pomma could come up next to her. I saw then what Davvy had already seen; Sookie had a sort of triumphant grin on her face. And Pomma was knowingly grinning back at her.

“What?” said Davvy and I at the same time. Kelly and Kords were just a few seconds later, hardly surprising since they were bringing up the rear. But not too far back that they could not hear the chatter from us ahead of them.

In response, Sookie fixed Davvy with her eyes. She then asked what seemed to be a very strange question: “How long have you been with Julina now, Davabet?”

Davvy wasn’t the only one to be taken aback - but then she sort of jerked as she ‘switched on’ to the question. I could actually SEE her brain engage.

She worked her lips as she started counting on her fingers.

We all kept quiet while she calculated.

Twice.

I found myself also calculating it. I agreed with her when she said: “Eighteen days, Mistress.”

“And you came on a ride with us on the 4th day, did you not? We all marvelled at your abilities after such a short time, I recall.”

“That is so!”

“So that ride was two weeks ago – fourteen days – I deem.”

We all went silent, even Davvy. The obvious question hung heavily in the air. We all, except Pomma, stared at Sookie.

“And on that ride, I made a wager that you would not keep addressing us all with our formal titles for as long as you said you would - ‘at least until the end of the year’ were your words. You just called me Sookie. A mere two weeks after you said you wouldn’t be able to do so.”

We all laughed at Davvy’s bright red face as she sat astride her beast with her eyes firmly closed.

I suddenly, though, had a fear that she would dash off - after all, most of her life had been a series of people laughing at her and then of her fleeing from such behaviour.

I reached out a hand which she gripped ferociously hard even as her back straightened and she breathed deeply.

Not too long after that, she sort of sighed, but ’twas so faint, I wasn’t even sure that I had actually heard it.

The laughter began to peter out, some of the others beginning to look a little worried too. And looking a little guilty.

Then Davvy’s eyes opened again and I could see in them a spark of mischief. Relief flooded through me, far quicker than the blood supply to my hand, which she had now, thankfully, released!

Adopting exactly the right tone, the one used by maids when they doubted their mistress’ instructions were actually very wise, she intoned: “As you say, Mistress.”

There was a small profound silence before we all burst into laughter.

Which gaiety lasted for about 15 seconds, until Sookie asked: “So are you going to do it then, ’Lina?”

And I was swung back into my funk. Do I? Or don’t I?

… … …

“… almost more than we can cope with.”

“Mistress Palma! I had no idea that the bunkhouse was so popular,” exclaimed Sookie. “I knew, of course, that we have many more wagons in Town than reside at mine, but quite so many, I declare I am astounded.”

As indeed were we all. I had a possible solution, though, one that I kept still in my mind as I needed to think it through more - as well as talk with others about it. Nevertheless, I knew immediately I could help slightly in the short term.

“Mistress, I deem that at the moment, we have just one wender that works in the dark hours, bringing back drivers from Town to here at the midnight hour?”

“Hour?”

“Sorry! I meant bell. Hour is simply another measure of time that you will not yet have learnt about. Along with minute and second. And I have no real time to explain it all right now!”

“I see,” she said doubtfully. “Yes, Mistress Julina, that is correct. It is a great boon to us, that wender. And with the lanterns placed at each corner of the bridge, and with a Beam lantern, the late-night driver reports almost no difficulties. We hang a lantern on either side of the road here, so the driver can see when he gets off line. And ‘tis easy for him or his colleague to get down here at dusk, to pick up the wagoneers for their carousing in the Town of an evening. But in a way, that is all a problem, because it means we have so many more overnighters.”

“But you nevertheless have sufficient coin nowadays to have commissioned an extension to the premises here? I know that Master Simman has the waterproofing of that new partly-built building over there on his priority list of tasks to be completed before the rains.”

“Indeed that is so, Mistress Julina. But our bunks are overflowing of a night, so as to speak. We have mattresses now on the floor here in the so-called dining room. There are lines of men waiting to use the latrines at the most ‘popular’ times. We are beginning to have to turn business away.

“And, as I said, we do not have the capacity to produce sufficient bread for all those hungry wagoneers before they go off with the dawn, let alone the meats, cheeses and confections. We are too few, my man and I, even with some help from the youngsters, to provide what I deem to be an adequate service. We are getting an increasing amount of grumbles about it, and I confess our nerves are shredding somewhat.”

“Very well, then. I have a temporary and short-term solution for the bread particularly, and maybe some of the foodstuffs. I may even have a longer term solution for most of what ails here - but, for that, I need discussions with other people. Let me state now that when we ...” I waved my hand to include the others. “... get back to Town, I will put in place a scheme whereby the wender that descends with the wagoneers at midnight, brings you also some loaves. Maybe some other foodstuffs too. As for the longer-term solution, then I shall return in a day or so, when I have had a chance to discuss with others my so far only half-thought of idea. We, you and I that is, can then discuss my scheme along with how we shall arrange payment for the supplied provisions.”

I turned to look at Kelly and spoke with my eyes, even as I said to Davvy: “I must needs remember all that, don’t let me forget, please.”

Kelly took my meaning, thought briefly and then nodded her agreement. Davvy nodded too, as she scribbled with her reedlet on a pad of paper she had extracted from her bag and trapped under her right thigh.

So the Salon would now be baking a few loaves ready for a midnight delivery down here. As for the rest, I needed to speak to Epp, Em, and Master Schild, amongst others.

“Thank you Mistress Julina. I confess I already feel a little easier.”

But I didn’t.

Here was another tie to my home town. Should I sunder that as well?

… … ...

“Is that three? I really believe it is three!”

I was pulled out of my introspection by the wondering tone in Pomma’s voice. Today, we were riding the normal circuit the other way round. We had left the Claw, followed the road down to the Bunkhouse and then turned sharp right up Loop Road towards the bridges and on towards the Artisan’s Area.

I looked around to see what Pomma was on about when Sookie said: “Indeed it is. ’Pon my word, I don’t believe I have ever seen that before. Two certainly, four once or twice. But three, now that’s a new one!”

“Hmmm?” I murmured as I tried to catch up on this conversation.

“Ahead of us, on the road, ‘Lina,” explained Davvy. “There is one of your wagons there, but with the Tranidor colours. And it is being pulled by three dranakh.”

“Ah! Yes. Now I’m with you all.”

“About time,” said Sookie pointedly. This of course got the desired result of me blushing deeply, much to the amusement of all the others.

I suppose it was natural that we all threw various theories around as we sped up slightly to overtake the strangely-drawn wagon ahead of us. None of those theories proved to be right. But the sight of one leading dranakh followed by two side-to-side was so very unusual that we could not stop chattering about it.

Then came the arguments about how we were going to be able to satisfy our curiosity. Finally ...

“Your wagon, ’Lina, you ask!”

I bowed, metaphorically, to the inevitable; I would have to be the spokeswoman when we got closer.

We came up on the vehicle, still labouring up the slight slope despite the increased pulling power. I drew slightly ahead of my colleagues and called out: “Good morrow, driver! Whither bound?”

His head jerked round for he had not looked behind himself yet. I suspect he was unpleasantly surprised by the interruption to his musings. His eyes widened even further as he saw six females all a’riding.

“Mistresses!” he stammered. “Good morrow!” He faded back into silence again, his eyes darting everywhere it seemed. Not the least to our chest areas!

“You must have a heavy load here, for three dranakh to be required?”

He dragged his eyes up to my face. “Aye. ’Tis something for something called the railroad. I have been eight days hauling this up here now. It were a real effort just to struggle up that blasted steep bit. We had to unload half my lot and do it in two goes. And of course, the Prince, what was up ’ere I gather, chose that exact time to try to descend the slope with his huge caravan. Handsome fella, ain’t he? I dare say he were a bit put out at ’aving to wait fer the likes of me, but he were kind enough to wish us well. He were most polite, I have ter say. My, but there were a lot of them in that caravan.”

“Ahah! So you are to find Master Ryteet or Master Pyor, I deem?” I said dragging the conversation back to roughly where I wanted it.

He looked a little surprised at that. “Aye, Mistress, that be right. One or t’other, I been told.” His eyes dropped once more to my chest. “An’ someone called Mistress Julina what owns half the company I works fer.”

I signalled quickly with my hand for my companions to remain quiet. I didn’t want to get into a Blackstone Wagons discussion sitting here in the middle of the road, even if the weather was most pleasant and certainly not in any way off-putting. And not with him staring at my chest mostly, but darting glances at the others’.

“I expect you shall find one or both of the men you seek behind the green curtains right at the head of the valley. Just follow this road for a mark or three.”

Eyes up again! “Thank ’ee. That’s what they told me too, down at the Bunkhouse I slept in last night. Better than the forest for a bed like so many nights what I’ve ’ad on this trip.”

I think we were all surprised at that, for he truly did not make many marks progress in a day, it would appear.

“So, if you are going to the railroaders, what have you there in your wagon’s belly and so thoroughly covered?”

Eyes down! I felt an urge to cross my arms in front of me. “Apparently, them lot up here are ’sperimenting with how to do something tricky with the rails what are fer this railroad thingy. They been desperate for some real rails and some bright spark decided that ’twould be better to have samples shorter than what they will be in reality. And after seeing the difficulties they was ’aving with them normal length rails down at the steep bit on the road up here, the bit where I met our Prince, then I s’pose I can understand that.”

“So what, exactly, have you aboard today?”

Eyes up! “Ah, Mistress. I have eight quarter curves and eight quarter straights. I ’spect I’ll be bringing more next week too. Time to get back ’ome will be so much easier. Prolly just three days ’cos I expec’ I’ll be empty. Then a couple days of rest, much needed I’m sure.” Eyes down again. “And then do such a slow trip all over again.”

“Thank you for the information. We will pass on our way now and probably see you a little later.”

He looked a bit puzzled at that, but waved back as we all cheerily waved to him. I think, though, he was back into his musings before we were even out of earshot. His eyes hadn’t raised again, mind you. Maybe his musings were something we women didn’t want to consider too closely.

I was looking forward to his surprise when he discovered who his boss was. The others all giggled at the way I had kept him off the subject of meeting that person.

“You don’t seem too surprised at what he is carrying. I confess to being somewhat surprised myself. What good would rails be that are only a quarter the size of real ones?”

“Ah, Kords! Let me explain ...” I paused briefly to gather my thoughts.

And then I tried to tell to the others what I knew about the railroad workings. I started, but I was almost immediately interrupted - interrupted before I had even completed my first sentence.

“Why do you look quite so pleased, young Mistress?” asked Sookie.

“Ah! That driver mentioned some ‘bright spark’ you may recall? Someone who had an idea to send stuff like that up here.”

“Indeed.”

“Well that ‘bright spark’ was me!” Davvy nodded her head in agreement as she cast her mind back to that day. “’Twas my idea that they ship shortened rails up here.”

“How come that then?”

“If you have just a little more patience, I will be able to explain. But these constant interruptions ...” I rolled my eyes and tutted loudly as I flung my hair back. And stuck my chest out.

Again, we all laughed.

And I launched at last into my fuller explanation.

… … …

“And you might yet move away from all this?” asked Pomma. “Your voice is so full of excitement when you speak of all that is happening up here. Would you really be able to settle for a life downvalley? Not able to be a part of all this?”

And boom! My mood suddenly took another dive.

I could not blame them in the slightest, for they needed to know. And I was oathbound not to reveal all that might happen to me down there. But Pomma was very right. I was involved in so much up here, it would, I deemed, be an almost impossible task to willingly just walk away – or ride, I also silently thought to myself. There were just so many unknowns.

We were by that time sitting under the shade of the awning at the Tree, under strict instructions from Paivi not to interfere as she and Frowka bustled about, setting up for the anticipated lunch-time rush. We had decided to stop for a quick drink of water, and also for a short delay so I could complete my descriptions of the railroad developments – as I understood them anyway. That recent business with Countess Merizel had shaken me to my core, for it proved that I sometimes did not understand all that had been said to me. Up to then, I had been so certain of myself, but now I found I was tempted to question everything.

Until, that is, The Question reawoke in my head. And pushed all other questions aside.

I sighed.

“What is the matter, ’Lina?”

“Do I? Don’t I?”

… … …

“The Prince has departed. This is the second day since. Is there, or are there, anything or things that any of us miss now they are gone?”

That was an interesting question; one that caught me up, so to speak. I nodded my thanks to Pomma, who smiled back at me. We both appreciated that I had now something else to think about.

And then I had to think quite hard because there was something that had been nagging me on this very subject.

And then it hit me.

No-one else was quite ready to speak, so I decided to start.

“There is something,” I began somewhat hesitantly. “I was tempted to use my limited knowledge of the subject with that wretched Gobitoo, but then decided not to as I was not advanced enough to know how to finish it off properly. At first, I had thought it some sort of gimmicky thing for us females, something to just play at, so I took it not so very seriously.”

I ignored the puzzled looks on their faces, as I knew that I was going to make it all clear in the very next sentence.

“But now I find I am disappointed not to have further opportunities to learn more of that martial arts hand-to-hand combat stuff. With the female guards now gone, there is no-one to teach us more. Unless any of the ‘Rangers’ as I believe they have now been dubbed, are capable of doing it.”

“That’s a good one, Julina. I find that now you have mentioned it, I must thoroughly concur,” said Pomma to nods all around. Even from those who had not even attended as much – or as little, really - as I had.

And then the others opened up with their own thoughts. Some of which I found very interesting, and all of which I found very telling about each person’s persona.

I think the general feeling that was common to us all, particularly those who lived through the Trogan era, was that we felt somehow less … secure, that was it, secure ... now the Royals had gone. Less reassured. Now that all the soldiery had departed, we were no longer certain that we were fully safe.

Thoughts of those who had tried to cheat their way to the ownership of what is now Julina Park, thoughts of the sort of creatures like Gobitoo and Konna, those sort of thoughts whizzed through my head and I found myself wondering if Fedren, Suril and the three others they had in their troop were going to be an adequate civilian form of protection.

Some of that feeling regarding the military however was alleviated when Sookie informed us that there had been a quite steady influx of lads who had volunteered for the local guard unit. (I confess I had to go and check afterwards with both Em and Surtree, who both confirmed her story by the way) but we were all surprised when Sookie told us that there were now 23 recruits being trained up at the barracks. No wonder then that the buildings there were high on the priority list!

Sookie also mentioned that Fedren had three extra recruits too, making eight in all, not to mention the informal relationships with other such ‘bands’ down in Bezlet and Brayview.

All this was surprisingly warming news, at least to myself.

… … …

There is little else to report from the rest of that ride as we passed across the head of the valley, briefly poked our heads round the green curtains to warn them of the impending delivery of shorter rails, watched briefly the hecticity of loading coal wagons (from a distance, we wanted not to have too dirty clothing!) and marvelled at the now-completed temporary shelter for the healers, a task that was surprising to us all when regarding the speed of completion.

The foundations for the new building were in full swing – they actually looked completed to me, particularly as there was a workman painting lines where the walls were going to be along the west side, Main Street side.

As arranged earlier, Surtree was waiting on the corner, idly watching the girls passing by I noticed, but not with any obvious intent. I was fairly sure that he and Kissa were a quite solid ‘item’ – but I was also aware of how fickle young people’s feelings could be.

I sent him off to do a few errands, arranging meetings for later or on the morrow and so on, some of which intrigued my colleagues.

“You want to meet Master Schild? Do you have some scheme or schemes in mind?”

I found some of my old twinkle returned as I replied: “When have you ever known me not to have some scheme in mind, Kords?”

“True,” she intoned sadly. “Very true.”

As expected, we all laughed again.

… … …

And so it was that I returned to the Salon with Kelly and Kords after seeing to the animals and giving them treats and so on. We took our leave of Sookie and walked up Main Street, saying goodbye to Pomma when we reached Em’s. With little or indeed no hesitation, we launched ourselves into the work waiting for us in the kitchens.

Kelly and I remembered to make some dough for baking a few loaves later. And we explained the need to do this each night from now on. I only just remembered to send Surtree with a message to the driver of tonight’s return wender, that he should come and pick it up on his way past.

I was called away some bell or so later, when Master Schild kindly dropped in. I hadn’t been expecting him to be quite so prompt, I must confess. Nor so well prepared. He brought with him all my details and shocked me once again with how much coin I apparently had in my ledger. The Wender payments were steadily mounting up. And this was not being done slowly.

About five or more moments into our discussion, there was a quiet knock on the door followed by Surtree’s head poking round the edge of it as it swung a little way open.

“If it pleases, Mistress Julina, Mistress Megrozen is with me. She wanted to see you. Shall I leave her for a while in th...”

“No, no. This would in fact be a very good time for her to come in here.”

I couldn’t help but grin at the enquiring and surprised way that Master Schild raised a single eyebrow. Surtree’s head disappeared and the door clicked shut behind him.

Again, there came a knock on the door. Less timid this one than Surtree’s had been. “Julina? Am I to join you? Did young Surtree get that right?”

“Indeed, Mistress Megrozen, I have need of you in here as it happens. You know Master Schild, of course?”

“Just so! My pleasure, Master.”

“Justly reciprocated, Mistress.”

They both then turned expectantly to me.

“Master Schild informs me that we are now beginning to gain some little coin from Meglina in Tranidor and our ledgers are swelling slowly.”

They both nodded.

“I want to change that! I want to spend some more money on Meglina.”

I laughed at the swift passages of minor shock that raced across their faces.

“Now, just downvalley, the Bunkhouse is running into difficulties. The family that run it, Master Junker and Mistress Palma, run also the Fish Farm. They are being overwhelmed by the demand at the moment for beds in the bunkhouse, and they are conscious that they are not dealing properly with all aspects of their work, including the fish. Now ’tis not so cold of a night at this time of year, so what I propose is as follows ...”

… … …

After the business discussions about the Bunkhouse, Epp and I then went over each of the establishments we had and what our plans were for them, short and long term.

Epp wanted strongly to return to Tranidor, feeling as she did that she had been away from there for far too long. I agreed to travel down with her as far as Bezlet, just to see what was happening there, and to help with some other tasks. With both principals present, certain decisions, should they prove necessary, could be made swiftly and communicated to all involved far more easily. And Shemel could come up to Bezlet and travel with her, saving him having to come all the way up here.

Also Davvy’s parents, Talbet and Dilligas, had now packed all their things and were ready to move down there, so we could have discussions on the way. Not bad for a mere eight or so days after their first job offer.

And we could make the introductions of the newcomers to those already there. There were so many advantages with this plan!

So we decided that we would all go to Bezlet on the morrow, do what we could there, then Davvy and I would return up here, while Epp went on with her husband to Tranidor.

… … ...

The work in the Salon that night was hectic, but yet routine. And the Coin Pot was added to most generously by our customers. Kelly and I used the time when we were waiting for the last clients to go to bake the bread for the Bunkhouse. The smell got to the customer’s noses, and they wanted to stay for a little longer, hoping to cadge some of the fresh and warm bread.

“No, Masters, I regret we require this bread for another purpose.”

They turned away with disappointment writ large across their faces.

I ran over the day in my mind – a ride, work in the Salon, some business decisions. Nothing too strenuous, if you think about it.

But still I went to my bed tired.

The Question was wearing me down.

Do I? Don’t… zzzzzzzzzzzzz

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