“Oh! Yes, these would be lovely for my parents, but how much? I can have funds sent if it’s more than I have on hand… This is definitely worth whatever is asked.”
Sara started asking questions of Tor her voice serious and low, Dean Hardgrove listened as well, his head nodding along with what she said. “Tor, how long did these take to make, the original template I mean?”
It was a leading question of course, because she obviously knew the answer. She'd been on Tor watch duty more than once he'd been told and had done some things to care for him that made him blush when he thought of it, so it wasn't anything casual. She knew and just nodded when he said eleven days out loud.
“And you nearly died making them, why did it take so long?” Her voice was curious and everyone had moved in to listen, actually gathering around the table. He tried to keep his explanation short and simple, explaining that it was just a complex subject, so the field took a lot of time to build in order to be comprehensive. That was all really.
After about five minutes of this Sara shrugged and turned to the man.
“About two thousand gold. Each. That price is the one for friends here. I wouldn’t expect it to last once they go into manufacturing.”
The man didn't even blink. No one else did either, not even the Dean. Two thousand gold? That seemed high. High enough that Tor felt uneasy holding on to the one in his pocket for a second, before realizing that the price didn't really apply to him. Or the man in front of him come to that. Not if his family was going up against Ward. That guy… annoyed Tor. The whole getting Ursala pregnant thing still rankled a little when he thought about it, and then his trying to sleep with Varley hot on the heels of that… Sure, the Count wasn't exactly bright, but Maria should have coached him not to go after the Princess just then, shouldn't she? Not that he felt any great love for Maria either, but… Well, he wasn't going to hold what she'd done at fourteen against her forever. Maybe she'd fixed herself already even? People could change, if they tried.
The man started to speak about arranging the funds, catching Sara's attention and a few of the other students, for some reason. Tor shook his head, and took the last bite of the fish dish, making an effort not to scrape the delicious sauce up with the side of the silver fork. Real silver too. Everything here was nicer than what they had at the other school. Probably because that one housed the rabble, fighters, scholarship kids and… The Prince. At least one full Count too.
That made sense though. A lot of royals had their kids over there too. Was that too keep them from getting too full of themselves? Heh. The idea that some of the nobles where that smart impressed him suddenly.
“Oh, those are gifts… For your parents and you. Really, let me know if you need anything else. I won't let my friends be harmed. Not if it’s within my ability to stop.” He couldn't explain why, not in public, because that would have compromised Ursala, and Tor wouldn't do that, which could have made things difficult to explain if a small gasp hadn't gone up around the room. That distracted everyone nicely.
Leaning in to him Trice grinned and spoke so close to his ear that it had to look like she was kissing it. “Oooohh. Now you've done it. Almost everyone wants one of those, and here you are just giving them away!” Her chuckle sounded warm enough, not like she was angry or anything. Was being poisoned really that big of a fear with the rich types?
Well, he'd seen firsthand how everyone at various court functions had reacted when he ate out of turn. At the time he'd kind of thought that was just about his breaking protocol, but if it was really that big of a problem… Well, if it was, he'd take living as a village baker. No one had ever tried to poison anyone in Two Bends.
In his lifetime, two people had been knifed, and one of them died. Both those were the same fight, but that was all as far as serious violence even. For the most part people just discussed things if they had a problem, or got Tom the Mayor to settle it. Looking at the empty plate in front of him he noticed how nice it was. Fine china, not earthenware like he was used to at home or even the other dining hall. Oh well, if he broke one of those plates he could at least afford to pay for it, this thing in front of him would be costly if dropped.
Looking around at the eager faces he made up his mind.
“Alright,” his voice was soft, but everyone suddenly quieted down to listen as if it was important or something. “I need to rest for a bit and get caught up on my actual school work, so I don't get kicked out. So far they've been really nice about everything, but Kolb's going to have my behind if I don't get back to regular practice and so will Karen. Also I can't keep pushing the Dean like this, not going to classes for weeks at a time… everyone gets that, right?”
Behind him the Dean chuckled, but didn't comment. Hopefully that meant he hadn't decided to kick him out already. It sounded like a friendly laugh at least. Tor tried to smile at the man over his shoulder a bit, encouraging him to stay friendly. Patricia chuckled a little as well and squeezed his shoulder again.
“But after that I'll start making batches up for everyone here.”
The crowd smiled a little, everyone seeming, if not excited then at least pleased. Good, he didn't want anyone to feel left out or anything, even if he didn't know them personally.
“Sara, would you start a list? I think… First come first serve? Um, not to seem greedy or anything, but this is only for the students and… the faculty here.” He looked around and noticed the servants as well, one or two looked disappointed. “Well… anyone that works here at the school. But it would be too much work to make one for every extended family member, you know? So, one apiece, at least for the free ones? I'll send the template off to Debri after that, or, I don't know, maybe make some up for regular sale, since, you know, the shields and flying gear are taking up most of the manufacturing set up there right now. Is that OK? If anyone has a pressing need back home, please talk to Sara about it and I'll make sure things are taken care of faster those people.”
Trice went white, probably realizing that they could have sold a huge amount of those even at the school or to peoples parents at least. That or she worried that he'd work himself too hard, which was kind of her if that was the worry. He squeezed her hand a little, since it hadn't left his shoulder. He looked at her with small smile then the Dean as an afterthought.
“Don't worry. These will come slow and are only copies; I won't push myself too hard or anything. Or miss classes for it.” It got the girl to nod at him at least, even if she didn't look exactly convinced yet.
The Dean told him that this section had about thirty students in all, but that the total for the whole school was about three hundred, if the offer wasn't just for the special school students. Then nearly a hundred instructors and staff. So four hundred of the devices in all? Tor could do that. Really, it should only take him about a month, even going slow, since the template passed fields so easily, but he didn't mention that out loud. After all, when Karen got done with him, he may not be able to do anything for the rest of the month.
At the thought he sighed and stood.
“Right. Now though, I have to go and take a beating from a combat giant. It's deserved, for missing all the lessons I have, but that won't make it hurt any less.” He looked downcast on purpose and shook his head mournfully.
Everyone in the room laughed and more than a few patted him on the back on the way out. Yeah, he could see some of them commiserating with him on that score. They were mainly smaller people too, compared to the shield bashers that they had to practice with sometimes. Sara stayed to make up that list and managed to get the Dean to sit beside her, which should keep everyone polite enough.
When he walked out Trice looked back wistfully.
“God, I should have grabbed that list first! Oh well, I can wait a few weeks or months even. Right now no one’s probably trying to poison me personally.”
He made a face at her and snorted.
“Right, like you, Rolph and Sara aren't getting yours before dinner? Tovey too. I kept the ones for you in my room. For that matter I need to send some off to everyone’s families as well. Um… well, you aren't mad at me though are you? I know that this is a lot of gold to just give away, but…”
She grabbed his shoulders and kissed him just as they reached the commons. It was a good kiss, one that lasted long enough that someone passing by, another student even, coughed loudly, which made them both laugh.
“You're kidding, right? From childhood on every noble is taught to worry about being poisoned, to follow protocol and actually examine our food for anything that might hurt us. Extra grittiness, a strange flavor or color, anything.” She made eye contact; the blue of her eyes looked clear today, almost crystalline somehow. Like some of the gems on the walls of the palace.
“When you ate the fish with white sauce off the testing table… that really won them over. It showed how confident you were in what you'd made. I thought a couple of people were going to pass out from fright
