“So now that you reviewed some of the current situation, are you ready to tell me your plans?” Draves asked.
We had been sitting in my office this morning going over reports. I wanted to look things over before Edward got here. Then, I could sit down and review the operations with him and let him take over. I had brought Draves in as a sounding board. He really had no interest in these types of things and was more interested in what my plans were, but I refused to get ahead of myself.
So much had happened in the last three months, and at the same time, I felt like we had barely accomplished anything. The fields were producing well, and the animals were healthy. The numbers for copper and iron production were steady. The coke was being accumulated since there was no need for it right now until we built a blast furnace. Right now, all we wanted was the fly ash byproduct for concrete. This made me think of something. It was shortly before I died. I didn't read the news much, but my home screen always popped up with the latest news. Someone had found a way to take used coffee grounds, heat them in an oxygen-free environment like we do with coke, and then substitute the sand in concrete with coffee grounds. Apparently, it made it 30% stronger somehow. I miss coffee, but I don't think I could drink enough to replace the sand we used.
The women were out of flax for linen. They had gone through it all fast with the new looms. The mar had just been sheered, so they were starting yarn production. I had previously seen how they made yarn. The material was attached to a wooden stick they called a drop spindle. Then, they spun a piece at the bottom that would twist the yarn. Somewhere among my notes was a drawing of what I thought a spinning wheel looked like. I had no idea how it worked, though, so I was hoping to show the women and see if they could figure it out. I hadn’t done it yet because I wanted to make sure my loom idea worked so they wouldn’t think I was crazy when I showed them a picture of something that I didn’t know anything about.
“Alright, Draves, Now that we have gone over all this stuff, let me tell you what I think. Frankly, we're screwed.” I paused to see if I got a reaction, and I wasn’t surprised when I got none. “OK, not exactly screwed, but we have some big problems. First, someone is still out to get me and Aaron. If I had to make a guess, they were trying to kill Aaron and frame me because otherwise, they would have gone after me. If they had gone after me, though, then everyone would know that it was an outside person.”
“Next, we have no way of making money off of our inventions because there are no guilds or patents. I’m really not too concerned about that because, with our current production numbers, we will be self-sustaining this next year. The problem is if we are successful, people may try to take the barony. Everyone was fine with us as long as we were poor, but success creates envy. All it would take is for the Duke to find out we have a prosperous barony, and Aaron could have it snatched away from him.”
Draves nodded in agreement.
“We could just not improve things to keep the status quo, but I want my people to produce more with less effort. I want them to have time to enjoy life, not just labor all day until they drop from exhaustion. I want them to have time to become educated.”
“It is a nice dream, My Lord, but like you said, it will be taken from us.” Draves frowned.
“True, and I actually want some of it taken from us. Let them think they can take what they want."
"What do you mean?"
I thought for a moment, "Do they have street performers that do magic tricks here?”
“I saw one in the capitol. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Let me show you.” Grabbing a silver penny, I walked around my table, demonstrating the trick my dad used to do of pulling a penny from Draves’s ear.
He was shocked until I showed him how it works. “You see, Captain, all magic is misdirection. I have you focus on one thing while hiding another.”
“You want to hide our wealth?”
“Precisely, they may come and see our plows, carriages, and horseshoes—all the things that they can produce without much effort on their own. We will have to give up concrete because if we start building with it, then those who visit will want to know how it is done. We will lose concrete and coke making. I am not going to have my people live in poverty just so I can hide those things.
“Paper and fine linen, however, require implements they don't have. Once we get a blast furnace up and running, we will have steel as well.”
“They will know it is us when we try and sell it.”
“Not if they don’t realize we are selling it.”
“All shipments are checked before they enter Vaspar.”
“That is why we have shipbuilders,” I grinned. “I want to build a harbor at the bay and then export goods.”
“You are going to pretend we are a foreign entity? “
“Yep.”
My Lord, I see a few problems with this. One, if you travel down the coast, they can just follow us back, and two, we will have to pay an import tax if we do manage to fool them. Also, hasn’t Vaspar seen your paper.”
“OK, let’s address these issues. I am going to continue to sell low-quality paper over land. That is part of the misdirection. People will buy it because they can get it cheap but it won’t replace parchment due to the quality. There were a few batches that I even thought of using as toilet paper. We’ll discuss what that is later. The high-quality paper will be able to compete with parchment, but even though we can sell it for cheaper and make it faster, we won’t. I don’t want it to affect the economy.”
“As far as the import tax goes, paper is so cheap that if we set the better paper at the same price as parchment, it will not even affect our margins.”
When it comes to avoiding discovery, the ships I plan to build can travel faster and further into open waters. We may even skip Vaspar altogether. Heck, we may even find a way to trade with other countries.”
“They will realize that we are from Falmoren.”
“Hmm… I’ll have to think about that. Maybe use the original settlers—those with red and blond hair. I know it has been a hundred years, but I wonder if they have a different language than the one that has been passed down. Captain, I want you to gather some of the older people in this area who are descendants of the original settlers. Set up a time for us to meet in the next few days.”
Draves thought for a moment and then nodded.
“We have to make this work. I need to buy political favors, and I don’t think my paintings will be enough.”
“Ah, I almost forgot about that plan. When is the first person coming to receive their painting?”
“I have Baron Kithmoore coming in three months.”
“He is only a baron, though. Can he give us any support?”
“True, and I don’t even know the first thing about how buying support works. How much it will cost me is another thing. How do I make sure that someone doesn’t chop off my head? I am hoping that when my fame spreads, I can start painting counts and possibly even Duke Kimton. That may make him less likely to kill me.”
“Kimton, is volatile. He may show you favor one day and chop off your head the next. Might even chop off your head so that no one else can get a painting from you.”
“That is dark, Captain. Let’s stay positive. I was also thinking that the money we get from the paintings can be a cover for our prosperity.”
There was a sudden knock at the door. “Captain, let’s think about this for a while and meet again later. We have a lot of work to do first.”
The captain walked to the door and opened it. Standing there was Joshua, the steward of Barim.
“Joshua, it is good to see you. I saw you last night at the lesson but didn’t want to interrupt, and then forgot about it before I left to retire. How are the studies going.”
He sighed, “My Lord, I am a simple farmer. I don’t know that I will ever be able to write or read good.”
“Patience, my friend, that is what it takes. I am not trying to turn you into a scholar, but you will have to stick with it until we can communicate properly via letters and you can keep records. The most valuable things in life are difficult.”
“As you say, My Lord,” He said with a respectful nod.
“Now, how can I help you.”
“I believe I have fulfilled the task you set for me before you left.”
“Really, you found what caused the illnesses?”
“I’m not sure, but I looked for people who had survived the last instances. The illness started with a rash and then vomiting and diarrhea. Most could not tell me much after that, but people called them cursed years.”
“How so?”
“Well, both times it happened, the crops that year were destroyed by too much rain. The fields became flooded.”
“So you think that there may be a correlation between the flooding and the disease?”
“I don’t know, but maybe.”
“Hmm… were people boiling their waters? Maybe the rising marsh level polluted their drinking water.”
“They were all followers of the laws of cleanliness.”
“Yes, but isn’t there a pond or lake there?”
“Yes, My Lord, but-”
“Did they swim in the lake?”
“I would assume so. We certainly do now.”
I had a friend—well, not really a friend, but a kid I knew. I heard he got giardia by drinking lake water.
"What if this was one of the swamp diseases? Perhaps the lake is becoming polluted by rising water levels in the marshes. The disease may be festering in the marsh water and running into the lake. Until we drain the marsh, I want to be careful about the lake water, especially after heavy rains. If you even suspect the water levels are rising in the marsh, you must ban people from going near the lake and have them wash upstream.”
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Thank you for looking into that, Joshua. How are the crops looking?”
This caused Josh to grin, “They are doing extremely well. I wish my father's crops had done half as well as the fields we planted. Even the fields we planted late seem to be doing well.”
“Excellent work, Steward Joshua. I think you will make a fine headman.” I complimented.
“My Lord, Your praise humbles me. Thank you. I will strive to be worthy of your trust.” He said with another bow.
“Do you have anything else to report?”
“No, My Lord.”
“Then, you are dismissed.”
It was about lunchtime, so I walked into the great hall, my two guards trailing behind me. Yeah, that was another thing that had changed. I had to be escorted everywhere. I had a simple meal and then went to go find Emily. Really, it wasn’t difficult. She was on bed rest, after all.
“How are you feeling,” I said as I walked up to the bed. She was reading one of the storybooks I had left behind.
“Bored, but the pain is a little less today. It itches really bad,” she smiled.
“That’s good. Think I remember hearing that broken bones itch when they heal because of nerves being repaired.”
“What is a nerve?”
“Well, one thing they do is to allow us to feel.”
“Hmm… How do you know so much?”
“Where I come from, we had so much knowledge that it took buildings many times larger than this to hold all the books that knowledge was on.”
“And anyone could go to these buildings?” Emily said in surprise.
“Yes.”
“I wish I could live there,” she said wistfully.
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I hope to create buildings where all the knowledge of this world can be gathered. One of the books that will be there will be written by you.”
“Me!? Why me?”
“Who would not want to read a book written by the first papermaker? You will write about the experiments you have tried and what you learned. Do you think you are done making a better paper?”
“I-I thought-”
“Never stop asking, ‘What if?’ What if we could make different-colored paper? One thing I need you to make is extremely soft paper. We have done it before, but it was rough. I need it as soft and smooth as possible. Extremely floppy. If it can absorb a lot of ink, that would be great.
Emily gave me a confused look, “Why?”
I just grinned. “It’s a secret.”
“You can’t have me make something and not tell me what it is for.”
“Sure I can. It is one of the things governments are best at. We'll call it Project X. Don’t worry when it is done. I will let you test it first.” I had no desire to test the first batch of toilet paper. “Also, I need you to make a lot more of the low-quality paper. Stop making the good stuff.”
“Huh? Why would we go back to making that stuff?”
“Because that is what we will be exporting to Vaspar?”
“Wouldn’t we want to sell the better paper?”
“The better paper is just as good as parchment, and we can make a lot more of it for a lower price.”
“Doesn’t that mean people would buy our product first? I thought that is what we wanted.”
“What would happen if we put the parchment makers out of business?”
“They would get angry? And…”
“Not only the parchment makers but also those who sell the skins of the animals to make the parchment. It would affect a lot of people. But if we make cheap paper that is not as good and then sell it for a reasonable price so as not to affect the demand for parchment, then everybody wins. From what I understand, papyrus is imported, so if we make our stuff cheaper than papyrus, we can cut down on the import, and the only people who are unhappy are the people who are not even part of our kingdom.”
“I think I get it, maybe. What do we do with the good paper?”
“For now, we hide it. Then, when we are ready, we sell it to other countries, and then they can try exporting it back to Falmoren at a higher price instead of papyrus.”
“I don’t understand. But what you're saying is that we are going to make both.”
“Not right away. We have visitors. For right now, we are going to pack things up and not produce anything until we can find a secure place where nobody can see what we are up to. No more using paper for classes until some of the people I hired have left, and we make sure others can be trusted.”
“Seriously?” she complained.
I ignored her and continued. "Also, I need you to let everyone know that if any of the newcomers ask about paper, we need to convince them it is very expensive and time consuming to make. You are in charge of making sure everyone tells the same story.”
“But-”
“Oh, with everything I have been doing, I almost forgot to pay you your percentage of what we sold in Vaspar. I promised you and Jacklyn each 10% of the profits. Now, technically, with the cost of making it and the production cost, the profits would be less than this, but we sold all the paper for five silver crowns. That means you made five silver pennies. Don’t let me forget to give those to you.”
The last statement caused Emily’s eyes to go wide and her jaw to drop. Then she whispered to herself, “Five silver. I-I get five silver pennies.”
Then she looked confused: “Lord Amos, what would I do with five silver?”
I smiled, “Why, you and everyone else I am paying in Bicman will be responsible for kick-starting the local economy. I will be giving you coppers and regular pennies instead of silver, of course. I converted a lot of silver into copper pennies. You can buy fabric from the weavers and make better dresses or fruit from Cofi. Buy salt so you can add flavor to your food. Buy your own rocking chair from Mikel. You will be helping me convert Bicman’s barter economy to one based on coinage.”
“Me!”
“Besides my paintings, you have one of the only products that people outside of Bicman will pay for. We cannot bring more coinage into Bicman without you.”
Emily turned white and looked like she was going to pass out.
“Your employees will also need to be paid. A copper a month is good. Technically, since they are all serfs, and I provide their housing, food, and clothing for their labor, they shouldn't get paid, but hey, they deserve it. I will pay them for their work so far, but in the future, the money will come from Jackie and you. Don’t worry. Next time we send paper, it will be a wagon full, so you will have no problem paying them.”
“You want me to make a wagon full of paper?”
“Yep, and at that point, we will be bringing in gold instead of silver.”
“Gold? You can’t be serious.”
“Serious as a heart attack. Of course, we will have to find a way to give you peasent status because there is no way I will be paying for your food, clothing, and housing at that point. You will have to have a very nice house built for you in the village and fill it with all sorts of fine food and clothing.”
“I- I’m going to be…” She burst out into tears.
I knew they were tears of joy, but I couldn’t help but tease her. “Now, Emily,” I said sternly, “Do not try to make me feel guilty for not allowing you to mooch off of my hospitality. I refuse to help those who can help themselves. You are just going to have to grow up and become a peasant.”
She sniffled and then looked up at me with tear-filled eyes and a pout on her face. “You’re teasing me.”
“Just a bit. Now get some rest, and when Jackie comes in, tell her what I want from you and her.”
After I left the room where Emily was, I went back to my study and pulled out some copper coins. Going to the paper room where the children were making paper, I started handing out coins according to how long they had been working. Technically, they were serfs, so the law said I only had to pay for their labor by providing for their basic needs. However, my goal was to have no serfs in the barony within five years. Their reactions to the money were just as good as Emily’s. I wish I could be there when they went home or back to the great hall. I’m sure their parent's faces would be priceless.
I wanted to stay longer and watch the process, but just then, one of my guards stuck his head in the room. “Chuck just brought word that the other people have arrived. The Captain is dividing up the housing, as you requested. Lunch is being served, and then the men will get to work constructing the new homes, My Lord.”
“Thank you,” I said as I walked out of the room. Turning back to the kids, I said, “ Please keep this door shut. Clean up the room and hide the equipment. You have the rest of the day off. Also, you are not to tell any of the new people what you do or brag about the money you make, just like we did with that last visitor. Papermaking is a secret. If someone asks about paper, say it is expensive to make and takes a lot of work for one piece of paper. If you can't avoid talking about it at all.”
I got nods from all the kids and left. Most people I wouldn’t care about because they couldn’t leave and wouldn’t be allowed in the family wing of the manor anyway. I was going to have a guard posted at the entrance to my hall, claiming it was for protection. All these kids in my hall would be suspicious.
“Chuck, good to see you. Please send Edward to my study so that I might discuss the affairs of the Barony with him. Also, Marshandra should show the two freemen to the old steward's quarters. That will be theirs for the duration of their stay.”
“As you wish, My Lord.”
Elizabeth of the Manticole Trading House - three weeks prior
I tried to keep the smile off my face as I prepared to enter my father's study. This news would not make Father happy. Squaring my shoulders, I knocked firmly on the door.
There was a long pause before my father's sharp voice penetrated the door, “Enter.”
His cold eyes met mine as I entered. No words were spoken until I had bowed and looked him in the eyes.
“What is it, child?” he said in his usual brusque tone.
“Father, I have received news from Catherine concerning the House of Bicman. Apparently, the entire family other than Lord Amos and his nephew are dead due to illness.”
I stood patently in front of my father as he stared at me. His eyes bore into mine. I knew better than to squirm under his gaze. I sunk into myself, pretending I was looking at a sculpture rather than my father. He was the greatest merchant in the county, and everyone knew it was because of that gaze. He read people as easily as I might read a scroll.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally said, “Curse that blasted family of Marsh Dwellers. I suppose there is no hope of him keeping the deal I made with his father. It wouldn't be appropriate for a baron to marry someone who is not nobility.”
He said all this as if he was discussing the weather. There was another pregnant pause before he continued. "You will have to go and sign the cancellation. I have no time for these things.”
I couldn't help it. I shuddered at the thought of meeting that horrid man again. I still had nightmares about my last visit. I involuntarily reached up and ran my fingers through my hair.
My father frowned at my nervous tick. I couldn't help it though. It happened every time I thought of Lord Amos.
“Father, when will I leave?”
"I am sending a caravan as far as Vaspar after next year's harvest. You will travel with them and then take a small contingent of men to travel the rest of the way to Bicman.”
I suddenly had an idea. “Father, I would like to ask Sir Murrey's son, Aramis, to escort me.”
“Your lover?” Father said flatly.
I couldn’t help the blush that crept onto my face. Of course he knew.
“Control your emotions, girl. Did you really think I wasn't aware of your dalliances? I ignored them because I knew you would soon have to marry a brute that has probably slept with every woman in his barony.”
A realization hit me then. He said this with no emotion, but he had shown kindness to me by allowing me happiness before my fate was sealed. I didn't even know he knew how to be kind to his children. I knew saying thank you would be pointless, so I said nothing.
“You may take him as an escort. And when you return, we will find you a suitable husband. Do not worry. I have some wealthy merchants with whom I can make ties. They aren't young, but they will be able to provide for you. You will be married as soon as you return.”
I tried not to show my sadness about losing Aramis, but I thought that marriage to anyone would be better than Bicman. I expected to be dismissed, but instead, we stood in awkward silence. He stared straight through me as if I wasn't even there.
Finally, his eyes focused on me, and he said, “I am loath to have this deal fall through without receiving anything as compensation. I will make you a deal. Suppose you are able to get appropriate compensation from Lord Bicman for the termination of the wedding. In that case, I will enter into negotiations with Sir Murrey for your betrothal to his son.”
I was shocked. “Thank you, Father,” I said with a bow.
“As the third son, he is not my first choice, but you are my fifth child, and having a connection to a knight might open doors. Your future is in your hands.”
“How much do you require?”
“As much as you can get, obviously. I will determine if it is enough when you return. You are dismissed.”
As I exited the study, my heart threatened to burst from my chest. I was free of the monster. Now, I had to figure out how to convince him to give me money.
I had been ecstatic at the prospect initially, but as I wandered aimlessly through the house, I realized how hopeless the idea was. We were so below his notice as merchants that he hadn't even bothered to inform us of the fact that the wedding wouldn't happen.
I became angry. Did he expect me to just show up on his eighteenth birthday so I could be humiliated by his rejection? I needed to speak with Aramis and come up with a plan to get the money. Father probably would expect me to get just as much as he would have paid for the dowery, if not more. This wasn’t going to be easy.
I also needed to write a letter and send it by pigeon to Vaspar. They could then get it up to Bicman via courier. My father said my fate was in my own hands, and I would find a way to have Aramis.