TWO

Silk Bindings

In the late morning, Gauge awoke in his bed filled with strangers. He only knew they’d been brightly dressed the night before and proved extremely flexible. The lovely dancer was treating Gauge to some morning delight, waking him with her mouth hard at work. It left her ass free for the burly drummer to practice some rhythmic work before Gauge sent the pair on their way. He groaned, gripped her hair with his gloved hands, and arched his back as the female’s draws quickened in time to her other lover’s furious beat.

It was a glorious way to start the day—Hell, to start the Founding Season. Now the pair would have an unforgettable story to tell, seeing to Gauge’s needs. Jan, the Cathedral’s butler, showed Gauge’s bed fellows out while the Count showered alone. As he washed through his braids, he glimpsed his hands. They were paler than the rest of him from lack of exposure, but it was a necessary precaution.

Gauge gloved his fingers before allowing the servants to dress him for the day. A high collar and hand-sewn slacks might seem overdressed and impractical for the work ahead of him, but there really was no remedy for good taste.

When breakfast came, Gauge took out a vial from his kit and dusted its contents across the eggs and bread.

No reaction.

Then for the juice, he took out a dropper and tested it.

Nothing.

Yes, doing so altered the experience, but Gauge had long become accustomed to the tangy aftertaste coating every meal and every drink save for his private bar in the vault.

Afterward, Gauge slipped into another three-piece suit and sorted through his mail. He took the guest list and seating arrangements seriously. RSVPs were a necessary chore for the Founding Season events, including the ball and opera. One RSVP in particular caught his interest.

It was a white lace envelope with a black card inside. There was no message on it save for Lexia’s gilded seal.

Style.

So few people had it on Winter, and her response left Gauge intrigued as to the sort of woman she’d become. Which brought him to the question—Where would he sit Lexia for the dinner? This late in the preparations there was only one table with an open seat, and he couldn’t wait to see Axis’ reaction.

It was enough to keep Gauge smirking on his way to the Cathedral’s back entrance. There, a team of essential workers joined him on their time off to inspect the conditions in the mines. Each held a clipboard and wore the appropriate safety gear, while Gauge tipped his top hat to them on his way through the black iron door. His shiny spats glinted in what sunlight streaked through the domes, threatening his eyes but for their copper and glass shields. Everything appeared to him through a purple lens.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

The copper mines comprised Gauge’s backyard. He wasn’t subtle about his ownership over them. Well, he wasn’t subtle about anything. Steam lamps featuring Flicker wicks illuminated the cavernous pit perfectly, and, since Dr. Tempest fitted them with a slow-burning fiber, they never seemed to dim. They were the first tick in the box on his team’s checklist. The next were the walkways and railings.

Gauge said, “Test these,” and then he tried to wiggle a rail, much to his team’s horror.

“Sir!”

“Careful!”

He didn’t resist grinning at them as he repeated, “I want to know if any of these have lost their integrity. Check for signs of rust and warping.”

They spread out like insects scouring every inch of the crater while Gauge amused himself by recalling his father’s lessons.

“The Ignis Meteor site was a gift, holding enough copper to finance the future.”

The old man was right, but he hadn’t lived to see how much so.

Gauge strolled down the gangway, touching his gloved fingers along a vein of shiny ore. Fixed beside it were the pickaxe schedules with this spot high on the priority list. It bore Mrs. Tenz signature. Gauge recalled Axis’ outrage from the day before, and it struck Gauge as sentimental. Perhaps, there was cause to check on the woman’s progress, to see how she was settling into her new role as forewoman. Surely it was an improvement over having some lineman sweat all over her day in and day out.

And what about Valve? Why was he allowing such discontent in his factories?

Why, it was almost as if he was intentionally spoiling his son’s inheritance, here on the brink. And as much as Gauge truly enjoyed the young man’s discomfort, it wouldn’t do to see their balance disturbed in any lasting way.

“Sir?”

The team leader joined Gauge on the top floor. “Yes?”

This annual inspection hinged on him employing the best, which was evident by the man’s list of concerns as he said, “There’s some rust and calcium buildup on the bolts on thirty-second sub level at the second intersection…” He carried on for quite some time.

Long enough to see Gauge lean on his cane after standing in one place for so long. When the team leader finished, he said, “Excellent work. You’ll see additional time off in your benefits if you can oversee the improvements before this Founding Season ends and the other employees return.”

“It will be done, sir.”

Gauge nodded. “Dismissed.”

Once the team leader set off to delegate his tasks, Gauge went to turn and nearly winced for the creak of his bones, and he was slow to exit the mine. Curse the malady. But the stiffness was his own fault. He’d fallen behind on his physical therapy again, and this was his price to pay.

Gauge refused to let it sour his mood as he submitted the new seating arrangements to his butler. It was well worth Jan’s eyes doubling in size. He even did a double-take as if to check and make sure Gauge wasn’t joking with him.

The Count of Copper asked, “Is there a problem, Jan?”

The butler blinked his eyes back to their normal size and shook himself out of the shock. “No, sir. I will see to it.”

“Good. Oh, and invite Mrs. Tenz to dinner tonight. I have some business with our new forewoman.”

Jan went off in search of the crew manning the upcoming Founding Ball, while Gauge returned to his conservatory. He looked forward to investigating this business with Flicker’s Factories. Perhaps, he’d even solve it right under Axis’ nose.

Now there was a notion to bring a smile to Gauge’s face.