Emily Papermaker

Marcus, what was Marcus doing here? Was he insane?

I took a step back. Closer to my new pulper. There was nowhere to run to. My paper shop only had one exit. And the windows were shuddered tight. No one was supposed to know what we did in here. I was too shocked to scream and worried he might kill me if I did. I finally found my voice and managed to say, “What are you doing here?” My voice was so soft I wasn't even sure he would hear me.

“I came for you. I couldn't leave you in the hands of the monster. He is forcing you to do man's work,” he said as if that made complete sense. Amos was right. He was insane.

“Marcus, you killed your mother," I said. It was all I could think to say.

As he approached me, a manic gleam entered Marcus's eyes. “No, no, that was that evil monster. He made me do it,” he said.

What was he talking about?

“He wasn't even in the barony,” I said, trying to defend Amos.

“No, don’t you see? She twisted her ankle. She couldn't walk. She wouldn't be able to escape the monster. I had to leave her, but If he had caught her, the monster would have tortured her to find out where I had gone. Then he would have killed her anyway.”

I wanted to deny that Amos would do that, but I knew Amos had changed. He regretted how he had not locked up Patricia. The Amos we had now would have sentenced her to death for treason and then felt bad about doing so. But he wouldn't have tortured her.

“Amos would never-”

Marcus palm slapped me across the face. Knocking me to the floor. He had moved so fast I didn't even have time to defend myself. My cheek ached, and tears filled my eyes.

“I came here to rescue you, and you just casually used the name of the monster in front of me. Get up, we're leaving,” he snarled.

My head was ringing, but I was still able to notice the dagger in his hand. I froze, unable to move. Marcus’s hand squeezed my wrist and yanked me to my feet. It was almost dark now, but I could still clearly see the insanity on Marcus’s face.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Alfa walked in carrying a small oil lamp. I was in such shock that all I could think was, Alfa, you idiot, you know that no fire is allowed in the shop.

“Hey Emily, are you still here? Paw told me to check and see if... Hey, who are you?”

I tried to scream a warning, but Marcus’s was too fast. He leaped forward and plunged the knife towards the younger boy's heart. Alfa dodged just in time, and the knife ended up being embedded in his shoulder.

He dropped the lamp and began to scream. Time seemed to slow as I watched the lamp bounce twice before shattering and spilling oil across the floor. The flames quickly spread to where the oil had run underneath a drying rack. The flames licked at the loose paper.

Time sped back up as Alfa's scream brought me back. He was on the floor writhing in pain. Marcus stood over him. I ran to Alfa, covering his body with my own and trying to press down on his wound as I had been told to do.

I thought at any second, I would be yanked off the boy or have a knife plunged into my back. Then, I caught the pungent smell of smoke. My beautiful shop was on fire, and it made me want to cry. But right now, I had to save Alfa. Looking around, I couldn't see Marcus anywhere. He had fled.

Amos

There are some things I never thought I would do in this life. This one was so far out there I hadn't even thought about it. I sat in my carriage with my leg propped up, trying to find a way to speak with a Rabissian slave.

I remember the first time I saw a man from the island country of Rabiss. They had a darker skin tone than those of us from the country of Falmoren. Had I not been trying to keep them from killing me, I would have realized that they had many features similar to Native Americans. However, my first encounter with them had not been as cordial as this one. I remember their screams as they tried to kill or capture me. Hyrum and my soldiers had sacrificed themselves to let me get away.

When I was in Vaspar, there were Rabissian merchants and traders, but I always stayed as far away from them as possible. Logically, I understood that raiders from Rabiss did not make up the majority of the island, but it would take a while for the prejudice to fade.

That being said, Rabiss was not a peaceful place either. Benjamin had limited knowledge about their society, but what he told me confirmed that it would not be an ideal vacation destination. The people were divided into clans. There was constant fighting, and defeating a clan meant they would gather slaves. Some women would become part of their clan, as well as some of their warriors, if they found them worthy. The rest would become slaves. They would be used to working in their fields or being sold to other clans with whom they were not at war. Many of the people would be sold to Hitub or Turabe. In a way, it was part of their population control on the island.

The Kingdom of Falmoren did not buy slaves, so its main exports to us were spices. Its whalers traded whale meat and bones. Apparently, the Rabiss channel was a great place to trap whales.

I asked about whale oil, but Benjamin didn't know, and I wasn't ready to talk to Tom yet. The only reason I knew about whale oil was because I had to read Moby Dick in high school. Part of what the class discussed was what whales were used for in the whaling industry during the 1800s. The blubber was rendered down into oil for candle making and a good lubricant. I don't remember much else.

Now that I have thought about it, should I try to invent whale oil? It was a cheap source of fuel, and the lubricant could have been used if I had ever managed to spur an industrial revolution. The only thing that made me hesitate was that I think humans on Earth had hunted some species to extinction.

On the other hand, if I was fast enough, I could also find a way to use other sources of light, such as electricity or the kerosene lamps we used at scout camp. That would be a huge leap in technology. My goal was to educate my people and point them in the right direction. There had to be people smarter than me around here if they just had the necessary education. Ok, so whale oil was on the table because it would help us to get to the next step. I still didn't know how to make electricity, though, so yeah, it is whale oil until I can get a magnet to spin around metal or vice versa. I can't exactly remember. A magnetic field and something spinning. Why didn't I study electrical engineering? The electricity merit badge was definitely not enough. Well, actually, maybe it was if I had actually paid attention. I'll blame it on the merit badge instructor's inability to teach well. Yeah, we will blame the teacher.

Benjamin said something, and I snapped back to reality.

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."

"I asked. If you have decided what stops we are going to make on the way back?"

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"I would like to stop by and see Lord Cumfrence and Lord Sophis.

"Are you sure he will like your gift?"

"Baron Sophis is a genius. Just because you do not like the game of chess doesn't mean others won't."

Besides, I paid a lot for this to be made so quickly, so he would appreciate it better.

I really wasn't as confident as I tried to seem. "In Vaspar I need to see Fredrick and posible Count Vaspar. I want to remain on good terms with them since I have technically stolen some of his land."

It does make for an awkward relationship. Fortunately, they are his three least profitable baronies with the lowest population."

It was time to address the Rabissian in the room. Tom had his head down, and he looked as tense as a bowstring.

It had been an ordeal getting him into the carriage. First, we gave him some water because he was completely dehydrated. It had to have been at least a couple of days since he had had any food or water, and that is on top of the fact that he didn't look well-fed in the first place. He guzzled down the water and took the small portion of bread we gave him without saying a word.

His father, who I was sure really had no relation to him, had said he was a mute, but he had lied about his face, so I am sure this was a lie, too. His pinky and ring finger were, in fact, fused together, so I guess that was one honest response. What I was really nervous about was whether this boy really knew how to make glass. Fifty gold wasn't a terribly large amount for me at the moment, but I could have spent it on other things. Actually, I had a feeling that now that I was a count, my expenses would skyrocket. I was expecting a huge return on investment from the boy.

"So, is Tom your real name?" I asked, trying to get the conversation started.

Tom said nothing.

"You will answer when his lordship speaks, do you understand," Benjamin said sharply.

The boy nodded.

I wanted to tell Benjamin to lay off, but then again, the boy would need to learn to respect me, or it would be hard to integrate him. Maybe a good cop bad cop was a good idea.

"Can you speak, Tom?" I asked gently.

He nodded.

"Tell me what your real name is."

He whispered something.

"Speak up, boy. His lordship shouldn't have to repeat himself."

"Tumlus," he said, barely audible.

"Well, Tumlus, was Mark really your father?"

He shook his head and then corrected himself.

"No, Master."

The boy's thick accent confirmed my suspicions about why he was not allowed to talk.

"Wait, are you saying he was your master, or are you addressing me as your master?"

Tumlus paused for a moment and then said, "He was my master, and now you are."

"Uh, no. I'm your lord." Then I paused and chuckled. I guess there isn't much difference unless… "Tumlus, are you a slave?"

"Yes, master, uh, lord," he said.

"Care to explain this, Benjamin," I said.

"The man must have traveled south and bought a Rabissian slave."

"Slavery is illegal here."

"It is done, anyways, especially in the borderlands," Benjamin said

"How old were you when you were made a slave?" I asked Tumlus.

"Eleven… my lord."

I sighed. I was pretty sure he didn't want to talk about it. "How did it happen?"

"The Polutus Clan attacked our town. My father was killed, and my mother was taken. They brought me to the mainland, where I was sold to fighters."

"Fighters?"

"I have heard that our military men will sometimes pool their wages to buy a porter from the slave market. People to do all the menial tasks," Benjamin said.

"Laws are a lot more flexible in some noblemen's camps."

Not much different than Earth. The wild west of America was that way.

"I see, so Mark was part of the military. Did he leave after his service was done? And set up a glassmaking shop.

"No, he found my father's neckless," Tumlus said in a sad voice.

"So your father was a glassmaker?"

Tumlus looked up for the first time, and in a proud voice, he said, "He was the glassmaker of Rabiss."

"The glassmaker of Rabiss. Was he the only one?"

This caused Tumlus to become confused. "I don't know. People came to the shop and would ask for the glassmaker of Rabiss."

"Well, we'll come back to that. So he found out you were the son of a glassmaker. What happened next?"

"He fled and took me with him."

"So the man deserted the war as well. I am sure the tale of how he managed to set up a shop is interesting, but we will forgo that part for now. So you taught the man everything your father was teaching you, and he put a bag over your head as a thank you. I suppose he took your neckless as well. Stupid git."

"He broke my neckless when he got mad at me. I saved some beads, but…"

I put my hand over my face and slid it down in exasperation. I sighed. I should have asked if there was anything he needed there. We didn't see anything but a starving kid in a corner of a glass shop and just assumed he had nothing.

"You left the beads in Kimton, didn't you."

He said nothing.

"Benjamin, have the carriage stop."

"My lord?"

"Just do it? Tumlus, where are the beads?"

"Under a loose stone where I was lying."

"Rick, find another soldier to ride with you and go back to Kimton. I need you to retrieve the beads."

"Yes, my lord," he said without hesitation. He hopped out as soon as the carriage came to a stop. I knew it was at least a three-bell ride back to Kimton, so the fact that Rick did it without any argument spoke highly of him.

"You're going to get my beads?" Tumlus asked in total disbelief.

"I am. Something like that should never be separated from you."

The glass beads were probably worthless, but we all kept things that were more precious than their face value. For me, it was a stupid keychain. I had gotten it from a gas station for Nathan's sixteenth birthday. It was one of those cheap plastic ones that lit up. It blinked the name Nathan. I got it because I knew that he would think it was stupid. And he did. But he still used it.

After I had recovered enough to cope with things, I found the keychain. I kept it with me even after the surfboard decal on the back had worn off and the battery had run out on the LCD. I would travel halfway around the world to have something here that belonged to Nathan or my mom, even if it was that stupid plastic keychain.

"Tumlus, I have been interrogating you, and I am sure you are scared and wondering what is going on. So let me tell you what I am planning on doing. We are going to my barony— I mean county. Dang, that is so weird. Anyways, we are going to my home, and I want to hire you to make glass for me. I won't force you to make glass, but I really need you to teach people how to do it. I need to know how to build the glass furnace and the right temperatures. You are not a slave. I will pay you for your work. How does that sound?"

He said nothing for a long time. Then he asked in his quiet voice. "Why didn't you kill me?"

That caught me off guard. I looked back and forth between Tumlus and Benjamin. "Why would I kill you? Do people in Kimton kill Rabissians?"

"Rabissians are not well-liked in Kimton. In fact, in many of the country's inner areas, they are considered pirates and slavers. The only reason I know differently is because of my education. The first time I saw one was in Vaspar when I visited the docks. I only knew what they looked like from the descriptions father gave me."

I always had to remember that these people did not have the advantage of meeting people from other places. Some may never meet anyone outside their country in their entire lives, so of course, there would be strong prejudices.

I turned to Tumlus. "I am assuming that your master told you that people would kill you if they saw you?"

He said nothing. He probably realized that Mark had been lying to him his whole life.

"He wanted to make sure you didn't flee or take off your outfit because what he was doing was illegal. You never have to hide again, Tumlus. I will help you as best I can."

Tears formed in his eyes. Although the kid was close to my age, I still wanted to reach over and comfort him, trying to give him some sort of assurance. It would have been inappropriate, though. I was a count and had to act the part. That would stop me from making sure this kid didn't have a frick'n awesome rest of his life, though.

"Tell me something. What is the method you use to shape glass?" I was really curious. From what I could tell, they did a good job, but it was nothing sophisticated. I wonder if we could do it better or if it would take machines to get good quality.

"We melt the sand, glass crystals, and lime to make glass and then use clay molds."

"That is interesting. I didn't know that you used other things besides sand. What are glass crystals?"

"A powder from Turabe."

Interesting. I wonder if that is what made the glass not clear or if this was something I missed at the Renaissance fair.

I had no clue where Turabe was and was not going to embarrass myself by asking. I would have to ask Draves. I needed a map. I just kept forgetting.

"So we need to get this glass crystal if we are going to make glass?"

"Tree ash works. It was just easier to get large amounts of glass crystals from Turabe."

"Thank you for being so open with me," I said appreciatively.

Tumlus shifted uncomfortably and then said, "It is common knowledge among glassmakers. I would need it if I were to make glass for you."

"But there is something you are not telling us—something you kept hidden from your master," Benjamin said accusingly. When I looked at him, he had a stern face.

Tumlus's face drained of color, and his eyes went wide. I am sure he would have run if we weren't in a moving carriage.

"It's fine, Benjamin. It is probably what made his father the glassmaker of Rabiss. Let him hold on to that. I am hiring him to make a special glass. If he can, then it doesn't matter if he keeps his father's secret. Tell me, Tumlus, have you ever heard of blowing glass through a tube?"