Emily, the tent city at the ruined town of Black Falls

Asgotl banking steeply woke me up. I looked down on a ruined town as dawn broke over the Blue Mountains to the east. If Black Falls had been a community in Idaho or Montana, I would have guessed its size was around 20,000. Of course, that would be off since I didn't have a feel for the population of Cosm settlements when compared to Coyn ones. The numbers would be much less since Cosm take up more room.

Black Falls was utterly destroyed. It reminded me of photos of post-WWII Berlin or Vienna. I could see paths growing in the rubble as people started to clear the wreckage. To the north of the remains of the city were hundreds of tents laid out in a regular grid. I spotted Imstay's big pavilion in the middle of the tent city.

The most amazing thing I noticed was Ud. What in the world was Ud doing here? When Asgotl said Ud showed up, I thought he was trying to pull my leg with one of his silly attempts to fool me again. He never succeeded. I thought he was joking, but there she was, larger than life, which is how Ud always looked to me. She was bigger than most big houses.

I used our hand signals to make it clear to Asgotl I wanted to go straight to Ud. He landed on a segment of the ruined wall within shouting distance to Ud. It looked like she was inspecting the ruined wall.

* Emily! * Her greeting was loaded with pleasure as she carefully closed the distance. A fuzzy pedipalp pushed my hood off and mussed my hair.

"W...elladay, Ud," I smiled. "It's a joy to see you. W...what are you doing here?"

* Galt and Sassoo asked me to come and help with Black Falls. Never before have any of the old original shrines been attacked and destroyed. Sassoo requested I build a new shrine for him, for certain considerations, of course. *

"What does someone like you bargain for?" I had no idea what a spider monster might desire.

* More visitors to starve off my boredom. That's the biggest source of unhappiness in my life. *

"What did Galt want?"

* He wanted me to stop Aylem. I told him it would be better if you stopped her. He said he would look into getting you here. The gods don't like intervening this closely, but I see that they managed to get you here. Did they speak with you directly or through a dream? *

"Three of them manifested inside the Crystal Shrine to coerce me into coming," I remarked."

"Seriously?" Asgotl interjected, sounding surprised. "Which three?"

"Tiki, Galt, and Mugash," I replied.

* I believe you will know how to keep Aylem in Foskos without intervention from me. That will be best. *

"I see," that statement surprised me. "Changing the subject, can you build something like a shrine?"

* Since I arrived, Skalta Lord, Katsa Lord, and Imstay King offered me 4,000 cattle to lay the foundations of a new city. I can build pilings for buildings, caseins for bridges, permanent foundations, footings, load-bearing walls, columns, and light-weight domes---all very quickly. I told you I was good with engineering. I can even do road ballast and pavement, water mains and drains, and canals and weirs. I was just looking at how the old townsite and thinking of what I might want to replace it with. *

"How fast is very quickly, Ud?"

* Probably around a half a rotation, once I make up my mind on the design. I need to plan for growth, after all, though Cosm are not fast reproducers. I don't worry too much about Coyn spaces since they can be stacked on multiple-level buildings without the structural problems that Cosm introduce with their much heavier bodies. *

"Ud, can you leave room in your plan for two different kinds of drains? Lisaykos has been looking into upgrading Aybhas for running water and she needs to install a second drain system to do that. So she's planning on digging up the streets to install it. I'm thinking that running water is going to catch on in Foskos, so maybe you want to leave room for a second drain system here so the rebuilt Black Falls can avoid digging up the streets. All it will take is a little advance planning on your part. I suppose I should talk to w...whoever the Lord is that controls this city and the folks from the shrine."

* You have your thinking face on, Emily. There's something I need to talk about first before you run off on a thought spree about water systems. You have a weakness that you can't resist an interesting engineering problem, but today you need to do other things, Emily. *

"Oh right, the situation with Jane," I used her English name in case someone might overhear me. "Galt and Tiki didn't tell me much. They just said I should be here to fix Jane." I grimaced. "W...where is she?"

* Sleeping. She went to bed at the three-quarter night bell after healing non-stop since she arrived. She performed a feat of virtuoso healing never attempted before. I estimate she will wake up close to midday. Your friend Kamagishi thinks whatever will happen will be soon after the midday meal. *

"Kamagishi's here?" That surprised me. It also indicated that there was more to the problem of containing Aylem today than I could see on the surface. I stopped and considered the importance of Aylem for the gods. Did they really expect her to conquer the known world? I didn't think about it often, but when I did, I had problems wrapping my mind around it. Wars of conquest were problematic too, but that wasn't my department to worry over. Still, I didn't like war, especially after Tom died in Vietnam. It was still painful for me even though it was now a lifetime ago. But it was undeniable that the gods had a huge investment in Aylem they wanted to protect.

I needed to chat with Kamagishi and see what she had to say about an Aylem meltdown today. What a bother. Regardless, first I needed a hot cup of sweet tea and something cheesy and eggy in my stomach. I should have grabbed the rest of the rolls that Foyuna had under stasis before I left the Shrine of Tiki. Oh well.

"Ud, I need to find Kamagishi and something to eat," I said. "I'll be back when I can to chat about w...water systems and city planning. This could be fun. I've never played with city planning before."

* I will consider your suggestion for double drains. I'm not going anywhere and I think you'll be able to find me when you want to come and play engineering with me. *

I could feel her amusement in that statement since Ud did not exactly fade into the background anywhere she went.

"Hey, blubber brain, how close can you get me to food and Kamagishi?"

"Food is easy," he said, peering across the tents. "I just need to find Imstay, because to find him is to find Usruldes who will feed you. And Usruldes will know where Kamagishi is likely sleeping at the moment since she hadn't arrived yet before I left for the Crystal Shrine. Hang on tight, little Grandma, and let's take a flyover of the tents to find the royal pavilion."

He leapt into flight from off the wall and soon he was climbing fast and steep, like the daredevil idiot he is. Up, up, up we went until I started to freeze, even wrapped in my warm-weather flying cloak. Then he pulled the stall, kicked the tail over, and pointed his beak at the ground. I remembered to wrap the neck strap around my forearms so I could stay leaning forward while we gained velocity and buzzed the camp. A couple of mounted cavalry patrolling the perimeter of the camp reacted to our dive but we were going so fast, they never had a chance to intercept us. We went speeding just over the tops of the banner poles, both of us screaming in joy as we shocked the waking camp. It was such fun.

We were greeted by the welcome sight of Lisaykos staring daggers of disapproval at us as we sedately landed in the cleared area at the royal encampment. I could hear that reprobate king, Imstay, laughing his amusement. Before Lisaykos could reach us, Garki ran over.

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"Do you need help down, Great One?" he offered. "I believe that my life would be in peril if I do not carry you to the eating table, Great One, because the Blessed Lisaykos made it clear that she would practice evisceration as a lesson for healer trainees on anyone who permitted you to walk around the camp when you arrived."

"You have such an interesting turn of phrase, young man," Lisaykos said after she had silently walked up behind him and was now doing her competent best to loom.

Garki did not even blink, "thank you, Great One." He turned and made a bowing obeisance. "I am gratified you have noticed my modest efforts at improving my erudition. If you will now excuse me, I need to make sure the Blessed Emily does not walk a single step into the eating tent lest I be eviscerated as an educational exercise."

"Carry on, young man," she was smiling with her eyes. I got the impression that this was not the first exchange between the two of them. "I see you brought your divine, Emily. What are the bulges in the divine case?"

"Clean underwear and stockings," I said. Lisaykos shook her head and laughed.

She started to unstrap my divine in its gig bag. I undid the straps that kept me in the saddle and then held out my arms so Garki could grab me.

"Wow, you don't weigh anything at all," he bounced me in his arms.

"Can you make sure the Asgotl gets w...water and something to eat, Garki? He'll be hanging out here all morning."

"Going somewhere?" Lisaykos asked, one eyebrow working its way up to her hairline.

"Just keeping my options open in case I need to chase a very overgrown somebody in flight." I yawned without meaning to. "I could use some hot sweet tea and something to eat."

"I'll get a wrangler to feed the greedy Asgotl, don't worry," Garki said, waiting to hear the expected protest from the teasable griffin, which Asgotl delivered promptly at volume. He's so reliable.

I should have expected a chair piled with cushions for me at the table because one was waiting for me. A grinning Imstay was sitting across the table and Kamagishi was next to him. Garki got me settled and then produced a plate with hot and fresh bacon, egg, onion, and cheese rolls made by Emoskos the baker. The beaker of hot sweet tea followed immediately.

"This is a different tea," I swallowed some. "It's good. I like the smoky flavor."

"We are low on everything," Garki apologized. "I borrowed that off Lord Usruldes because the supply for the royal pavilion has been depleted with all the visitors and guests we've had. You're on my tea list. So is the Queen. Everyone else is getting beer, cider, or perry."

"Got plenty of honey?" I asked.

"Yes," Garki pointed to a big crock on the bottom of the camp-portable sideboard.

"Got vinegar?"

"Of course we do," Kamagishi sniffed. "It's one of biggest exports for places like Truvos and Pinisla and the Surdos River Valley, where the mixed-tree forest is full of fruit trees."

"I meant in the encampment," I began savoring the first of my rolls. They were addictive and I was addicted.

"Yes, I have vinegar, Great One," Garki looked in his supplies stashed in the traveling sideboard. "Perry vinegar, apricot vinegar, and plum vinegar."

"Use the perry vinegar, Garki," I told him. "Go out and collect some of that fresh mint that's growing everyw...where like a w...weed."

"That's because it is a weed," Lisaykos rolled her eyes. "It gets everywhere and will take over a garden in minutes if you're not careful."

"Here's w...hat I'd like you to do, Garki: use one part vinegar, two parts water, and four parts honey. Boil the w...water and add the honey to dissolve it. Add the vinegar and as much mint as you can stuff in the pot and still keep it a pourable liquid. Then drop the heat to keep the w...water at a simmer. You can do two things with this. You can let it cool naturally or you can slow cook it down to make a syrup, w...which you can store in a cool place.

"The first concoction you can serve as soon as it's cool, but you can't cool it down by magic or the mint w...won't have time to steep its flavor. The second, the syrup, you can use to make the drink up by just adding w...water it is since it's a concentrate.

"Do you have time to make a batch? Then we w...won't have to be stuck with just beer or tea on a day like today w...which will be hot in the afternoon. Served cold, it's a great hot weather drink."

"I can try that," he looked intrigued.

"That sounds like a drink that the Lizard People of Chem make," Usruldes said, walking into the pavilion.

"I'm surprised there isn't something like this in the beverage choices of Foskos," I needed to stop talking soon so I could finish my first roll. "There's a shared premise behind all drinks like this, w...which is a balance of sw...eet and sour. I call this drink with light fruit vinegar and specifically spearmint, peppermint, or mint by name of sekanjabin; but you can play w...with the basic principle and make all kinds of interesting drinks.

"For the sour, you have sour w...wines, many different kinds of vinegar, your verjus varieties, and the sour juices of things like citrons and lemons. Your sweet can be any source of sugar like the many flavors of honey, sugar itself, and the sugary tree syrups like birch, hickory, or sugar maple. For flavorings...w...well, you can play around with all sorts of volatile herbs like the mint family, ginger, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cassia, or different citrus zests."

They were all giving me that gobsmacked look again, everyone but Garki who had his tablet out and was taking notes.

Usruldes started to laugh, "how long have you been in camp, and what's verjus?"

"Verjus is the juice of unripened fruit, usually grapes or crab apples. I've been here since the sun broke the h...horizon," I replied, knowing where he was going with this. "You can avoid completing that thought, beast. I already know how this ends."

"You do?" he blinked, amused.

"Yes, you w...ere about to say," I did my best imitation of a low-pitched voice, "'you did it again, Emily, and you haven't even been here for a w...whole bell yet.'" Then they all laughed, right on cue.

Garki was already setting up a tray table with a pot, some honey, and vinegar. He really was an interesting kid.

It was time to get down to the business of the day and also to test a theory I had. It would be possible with Kamagishi here as my experimental subject. The first order of business was to finish eating this roll before it got completely cold. I got halfway through the second roll before I started on the next agenda item.

"Kamagishi, tell me everything about w...why you're here w...with specifics on how the precognition has taken shape and changed with time," I took another bite.

"Yesterday morning I woke up early with this terrible feeling that something traumatic was about to happen to the Queen," she began.

I held up a finger because I wanted to swallow before I questioned her. It didn't help that the bread in the rolls was nice and chewy, just the way I like it. "I note your interesting w...word choice,"

"What?"

"You said traumatic, not dangerous or life-threatening or fatal or injurious. You said traumatic. Can y...you explain?" I wanted to get a good idea of what might happen.

"The original looked like something happened, she panicked and she fled," Kamagishi explained. "It felt like another running-away event where we would have to find her and bring her back. With Impotu invading us, that could be bad."

"Huh. W...hat direction did she go?"

"That matters?"

"Of course, it matters, Kamagishi. If I know w...hat direction she may go, I can have Ud w...waiting to try and stop her in case she decides to flee."

There are days when I think these folks could use a basic course in project planning and management.

"East. Yes, east, into the mountains. The thing is, it's changed a few times since then. For example, sometime after the half-night bell last night, the flight aspect got less certain. It's been getting more uncertain since then. Then, when you arrived a little while ago, the flight aspect went away."

"Just by my being here?"

"Yes."

"Huh." I pondered my options. It was time to test a hypothesis.

"Just your sitting there thinking about this right now is changing things. I can feel it change, second by second. This is really creepy." Kamagishi shivered.

"Alright, I think I'm getting it now. W...here is Aylem sleeping?"

"Three pavilions over," Imstay said. "I didn't want to have anyone to disturb her sleep. She worked a miracle yesterday and deserves her rest."

"No one is w...watching her tent or her?" I asked.

"No, why?" Imstay looked confused. "This is the royal encampment. It's close to being as secure as the palace."

"Are you an idiot?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Might I remind you who I am?" Imstay flushed with anger and glared at me.

"Yes, y...you are the King and I'm the person who got dragged out of a sound sleep by three, count them, three gods last night," I snapped. "One stayed w...ith me all evening until Asgotl arrived just after the half-night bell. Every Cosm in the shrine spent the entire time in a state of terror. I think at the moment, being given the task of containing Aylem by three gods trumps you as the King. Do you w...w...ish to test this? Remember that the variable y...you w...will be testing is w...whether the gods are displeased w...with your actions."

His glare readjusted itself into a look of concern. "Three gods? Why are these things happening? Why us and why now?"

I was glad he forgot to be angry at me.

"Because the gods w...want to change something fundamental in how Cosm society w...works," I told him with a bit of sympathy. "That's how I understand it." As king, he would bear a lot of the civil unrest that would probably erupt. "All of your lives are about to become more difficult. Mine even more so."

(Continued in installment 96)