were some early season berries growing on bushes, so he collected some as a snack while he waited. They were a little tart, but still good.
The blackberries were collecting up nicely in the bowl he pulled from his luggage, since he'd made some for his little Not-house. The term hit him suddenly and he liked it, but doubted it would catch on at all. Like how everyone called the Not-flyers “Tor-shoes” even though it made him cringe a little when he heard it. Tor shoes were what he wore on his feet and nothing overly special. Well, except that today the black leather was actually a shield, and he could change the shape and color considerably by imagining what he wanted. They could even glow in different colors of light on demand. But those were Tor-shoes.
The girls had given him a good lead, nearly ten minutes, closer to fifteen, and landed slowly as if they expected him to attack or something. Tor grinned and asked a question that had been bothering him for a bit.
“Collette… how old are you?” He said, his voice not accusing or anything, it was a bit of a rude question normally, but she looked about his age, eighteen or so, but he thought she might have been a bit older than that. Royals looked young.
She winced but told him anyway, her pretty face turning a little red.
“Twenty-two.”
He nodded.
“And you went to Lairdgren? What section were you in, the special school?” It made sense, now that he thought about it, but Petra stayed blank.
“Yes…” She said tightly.
Ah. Well, she knew that he knew and all that, it seemed. Tor decided to take a chance then. Petra was a Ward, but also in the King’s service, if in a more secret capacity than Collette was and that was still pretty darn secret. Enough so that no one had told Tor at least. This intrigue stuff was way too complicated, but it was part of his world now, so he needed to bumble through it as he could.
“I was reading Trice's field back there. It's not… not mind reading or anything, but I can kind of get the idea of what a person’s thinking in a way, a little bit. She wanted me to do that. Someone was watching, I think.” Tor held up his hand and waved it a little.
“Not that what I said wasn't true. I really have been working on making her a new arm like I said. Also, really, she was being a bitch. I just wanted you both to know that I think she was just pretending to that part and didn't really mean it, so that you know how to respond properly in the future.” Grinning he added something else.
“Plus so you know I'm not actually flying around ready to kill people or something. Want some berries?”
The rest of the flight was more relaxed at least, even if Tor spent some time worrying about Trice and leaving her alone there. If there were watchers that she felt she needed to fool like that, to show that they weren't on the same side totally, then they could be a danger to her. She had an updated shield and weapon at least, if she remembered to use them.
Was it the Wards? Maria and Marvin had both apologized, but words didn't have a lot of weight or bulk for royals, he was coming to learn. They could have something in the works, easily. In fact, even if they really meant it and were innocent, they probably did have a plan ready to go. Tor wouldn't have put his life in the hands of someone that had no reason to like him, not without a back-up of some kind, why should they? Just like Holly obviously intended to attack Ward the second they didn't fall into line exactly. It was part of why she got to keep all the devices she'd “borrowed” and why the King put David Derring in as a trainer for her forces. Probably at least.
Was there a book out there called “Pointlessly Complicated Plots” to go with “Manners”? If so he needed to read that one too, didn't he? The most complicated collusion he'd ever been in on was a surprise birthday party for his little sister Tiera four years before. Oddly enough that didn't really seem to prepare him for the world he'd ended up in.
Or did it?
The basics seemed similar, not letting the person that was the objective really know what you were doing, acting sooner, or even later he supposed, than the person expected and getting other people to go along with you in secret. Were there parts to all this plotting that he could learn, a basic frame work, like what he used for the healing device, that everything had in common maybe? He'd have to examine the idea if he ever got a chance. It all seemed silly to him, all the plotting and complicated plans where a simple and honest one would work as well, but if it was the tradition for the nobles, what could they do about it? Now that he was a noble too, he'd just have to learn, that was all.
There was, Collette assured him, an area outside the town where the temporary market was set up for bulk goods just outside the wall, not too far from the river, where they could “camp” for the time being for a modest fee. If they set up, the fee collectors would be out with the guard to get the silver per week rent, which they were allowed to pay for as long as they wanted, though the space was nearly empty this time of year. It was a dry dusty zone without even a well, but the river really wasn't far off, so Tor picked a space out of the flood zone and set up a house and an ice making device before going off to see to his business in town.
Not that he was dragging his feet, trying to put off the uncomfortable visit he had to make.
Nope, definitely not that.
He left the girls to set up the house as they liked and gave them twenty golds to use to set up rent if needed. When he left they were out piling up blocks of ice into a little castle shape. People were coming out to look even before Tor buzzed towards the city using his Not-flyer. Ice festival part two? It made him grin. The idea was great for promotions, and really, it wasn't like it cost them anything to do it. The place could use the cheering up.
It was something that he hadn't quiet admitted to himself before, but Tor really didn't like the Capital much. At first he'd thought it was the heat, but he didn't feel that now, and hadn't felt that way in Printer or Warden, which were as hot and humid too, which should have been even worse. No, it was all the bad things that had happened to him there. Being abandoned to wonder the streets, being attacked by commandos and left blind, the emotional ripping and tearing that always seemed associated with it too. Not really knowing who he could trust. Even Rolph was more suspect than he'd ever imagined at school.
It just made him sad.
What didn't was that, as he floated quickly down the street, having come through the south gate, he could smell a bakery nearby. One that, when he saw it, Tor recognized. Debbie's. He'd worked there for about three days once, before fleeing the city, not knowing if the King and Queen hated him and were spurning him at their gates on purpose or not. They'd claimed it was all an accident, but given the intrigue they went in for, that was suspicious. Could he trust anything they said? Well, he could if he tried to read the truth, or lie, in their words.
It felt low and un-trusting of him, but then… it was.
So at least there was that.
On a whim Tor stopped at the bakery door and went in. He probably didn't look that different, though his clothes had been made green, they reflected a simple silk look that was at once expensive looking and plain enough that no one would think he robbed a young Countier or something.
The woman behind the counter looked up with a smile but clearly didn't recognize him at first. On the wall there was a temperature control plate and the whole interior had been redecorated, with lights all around and Tor noticed, a new door, expanding into the shop next door? Cool! The little shop was growing then. He felt a little better, since last King’s week he'd run off and left her in a bit of a lurch, which wasn't fair of him at all. He'd left her some money and some field devices to make up for it, and sent some later with the lights, but it had left a bad taste in his mouth at the time, even through the rest of the misery he'd felt. That she'd made do… it made things easier.
Tor smiled and poked his head into the space next door, which had an empty glass topped display case for goods and some tables where customers could sit and eat in the cool, several people were busy using it for that at the moment. It was a good idea. Not everyone could afford their own temperature plates, or knew him to get personal ones to wear, but for the price of a roll they could get out of the heat for a while here.
There was a stirring behind him, a rustle of fabric and a scent of vanilla before he turned around.
“The magical Tor devices are all sold sir, but we do have some baked goods…” Her voice was diffident, but Tor smiled when he turned.
Right, so she had a store front for magical devices, but was all out? That could be fixed. He wondered if she'd take the same sales deal that Ethyl and Clark had. Without preamble Tor mentioned it, her face looking shocked as
