Over the next week Lewis studied the maps he had obtained at the library. He had a map showing half a dozen islands, and an old map of Ladzoo. He also had a city issued map that was only a half a year old. He assigned Roquette to dispatch teams to visually inspect the accuracy of the map. He also sent at least one person per day to the market or downtown to discreetly interview people about life in and around Ladzoo.

When Fingers reappeared after her meetings she spent a day attending to the details that kept things running smoothly in her warehouse complex. The next morning she sat down with Lewis to answer his questions and discuss politics, as well as the monetary system in the city.

“The city has a mayor and a city council,” Fingers said. “The bylaws of the city state that the wealthiest individual willing to perform the job shall be Mayor. The same holds true for selecting council members from the various districts, some of which are outside of the city limits. These people usually only serve a couple of years, because it takes them away from running whatever business it was that put them there in the first place. If they want to have a staff while serving they have to pay them personally.”

“I’m surprised anyone would be willing to serve under those conditions,” Lewis said. “I mean, it seems harsh.”

“These are business men, they are mostly men. They know that having a vibrant city is in their best interest,” Fingers answered. “Besides, valuable connections and friendships are forged while they serve. You used the word ‘serve’, most people here serve in one way or another. Life here is better than most places because of it. If someone is starving he can always join a cleanup team and eat for a couple of days. If he does it enough times he stands a good chance of being adopted by a sponsor, who will then help them in whatever way they can. I served for a year in the Mayors complex, and also a year in the hospital before I started my business ten years ago. The people I met in those places have been invaluable.”

Lewis pondered that. “What does the city government do?”

“Let’s see,” Fingers said thoughtfully. “They field the guard units, collect taxes, deal with outsiders, keep track of real property ownership, and print and mint money. It’s not quite that simple, but the city tries to keep its activities to a minimum.”

“You mentioned a hospital,” Lewis said. “Doesn’t the city run that?”

“Not really, they provide a few guards and manage a cleanup crew for the building and grounds,” Fingers told him.

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“What if somebody can’t afford their treatment?” “Lewis asked.

Fingers looked a little tired, but gamely explained. “Most doctors do some charity work, and some employers have deals with doctors to care for their employees. I have such a deal. I could pay more to my employees and probably make more profit, but in the long run I seem to have the healthiest, most satisfied work force around.” Fingers sent her secretary down to bring up some lunch.

Lewis asked. “What about taxes?”

“Simple really, you pay five percent of your cash holdings including paper, coin, gold or silver. It is also five percent for real estate unless it’s been allocated to you within the last two years. Up to then you are exempt. There are several ways to earn tax breaks, such as sponsoring someone for a real estate allocation or starting a business. Each of these actions is worth a reduction of one-half a percent, cumulative up to a two percent reduction.” Fingers became more animated when she was talking about money and finance.

“And people just trot out with assets in their hands for the tax collector to see? How do they know if somebody is being honest?” Lewis asked. “And is there no tax on income?”

Fingers looked a little shocked. “You mean pay the city every time money changes hands? There would be an armed revolt if they tried that. Port Mist has a system like that and my understanding is that those people only keep less than half of what they earn. As for honesty, we did a study when I was at the Mayor’s complex and it seems that about ninety percent of the population is honest about their assets. The incentive to support the efforts to improve the city usually outweighs urges to lie in order to keep a few kolas.”

“What if I wanted to obtain a residence here?” Lewis asked. “How would I go about that?”

Fingers smiled, obviously pleased by this new direction. “You go to the city agency and tell its members the size range you’re looking for. They check the books and assign you an address. You go look at the place and if you accept it, they assess you a percentage of the value. Then they will give you one year to fix it up, and upon approval you get the title.”

Lewis asked Fingers. “What would happen if a person did not approve of an address?”

Fingers chuckled. “No fee is assessed and that person has to wait five months to reapply.”

Lewis winced and Fingers said. “Yeah, most people really need a residence when they apply. That time penalty keeps the city growing in the way they want because few people say no.”

“And what if the city doesn’t approve of your house after a year?” Lewis wanted to know.

“Then you can ask for an extension and they will reassess the same fee and give you five months to finish. If they don’t approve after five months, you leave the house,” she said. “However, if it’s a commercial property you can usually be given two extensions.”

A crash echoed through the building along with a scream. They both jumped to their feet and ran to the window that looked down onto the floor of the warehouse.