Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

Bokuboy

I came back and went inside my new workshop with my things and Gary watched as I showed him my trick for making more ingredients. I warned him that it only worked for certain ones, because the properties they had could be copied easily. When I showed him that I could use the normal measure of ingredients for one stewing pot and could make it into ten times as much, he was stunned.

“It's one of the secrets of the number ten potion.” I whispered. “I actually discovered it by mistake when I almost attached my hand to my workbench at home after spilling some.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

“I was told it was glue and it took me years to find out that it actually merges things together.” I said. “It's really dangerous if you're not careful with it.”

“But... I've touched...”

I chuckled. “Once it's set, it's set. It can't activate again. The only time you need to be really careful is when you use too much or you're filling in a huge area.”

Gary nodded and watched me make all twelve large stew pots of number ten potion. It went surprisingly quick, since I had been doing it for years, and I used my gland extract from one of the water skins that I had taken from home. I infused each pot with my magic when it was ready and that definitely got Gary's attention. He couldn't deny that I really was performing magic then.

Thanks to something Gary called a funnel, that I treated with a bit of normal waterproofing potion, we added eight of the large stew pots of potion into the walls. The roof was next and he asked me if we had to cover the spots we poured them in.

I shook my head. “It'll all be solid wood in half an hour. I just have to make it waterproof after that, which means I need to make up some.” I pat my bandoleer. “I'm pretty much out.”

“You'll be going back to cut up some wood after that, I suppose.” Gary said.

“I'll treat the roof and the walls first, divide the rest up into potion bottles, then do another batch of number ten potion.” I said and he widened his eyes. “As long as it stays on the heat, it won't activate.”

Gary nodded. “I get it. As soon as it starts to cool, never touch it.”

“Don't touch it when it's hot, either. You'll burn your hands.” I said and he laughed.

“I learned that a long time ago, kid.” Gary said. “Is there anything you need from me?”

“I need my own hand cart. I'll be making lots of potion and need water and to carry the planks. I need to take back the one outside.”

“You can't make it yourself?” Gary asked, surprised.

“I've only made that one bigger.”

“So, I can teach you some things.” Gary said with a smile.

“I don't know a lot besides what I know.” I said and he laughed again.

“Let me know when you head out to cut more wood and I'll show you how to make a cart from scratch.” Gary said.

I nodded and he left my building. I made up a waterproofing potion and quickly applied it to the roof and the outside of the walls, since they were now dry, and went back inside to make another twelve batches of number ten potion. I used up one water skin of my extract and squeezed out my gland into the empty water skin. I tied it to my waist and would fill it again during the next day.

I infused the pots of potion and then left the building. I sealed it up with both magic and potion, so that no one but me could get in, and went inside the maintenance building to see Gary. It took him an hour to show me that something couldn't just be melded together and have them work. They had moving parts and needed to not be attached.

Building a cart with a mixture of doing it normally and doing it with number ten potion, sure was neat to see. Even Gary was impressed with how quickly we had done it and it was twice as strong as the other one and a third the size larger. It even had four wheels, which meant that I didn't have to worry about balancing it. I could probably fill the whole thing with an entire stack of fifty logs after I cut them up, which meant a lot less running around for me.

“Thanks Gary.” I said. He had even made the handle swing up, so that I didn't have to worry about trying to step into it. “This is great!”

“It's not just great, it's goddamn spectacular.” Gary said with a laugh. “We need to stop by the CO's office and show her.”

I pulled the handle down and pushed the cart while Gary and my guard walked on either side of the thing. To say that Sandra was impressed, was an understatement. She ordered two more that would be made for horses. Gary told her that he expected her to do that, once he saw how well it had come out. He handed her a list of things he needed to buy and she handed it right to me.

“I believe you know what to do with this and I'll give you another voucher for the purser.” Sandra said with a smile. “Wait until tomorrow morning before you head to town. It's getting late and you and I have a lesson to get to.”

“I need to take the old cart back to the village dock.” I said.

“And eat.” Gary said. “I don't think I've seen you eat all day.”

“The mess is over that way.” My guard said.

“I have my own food that I need to eat.” I said.

“Go and get it and come to my office.” Sandra said and Gary and my guard stared at her. “I know it's not normal for a private to eat with a captain.” She said to them. “However, I'm going to be his teacher for the next week and I suspect we'll be eating a lot together.”

“As long as you're clear with him about it.” Gary said. “Don't be giving him a false impression of what a CO does.”

Sandra nodded. “I'll make it perfectly clear that I am doing this in my capacity as a member of the royal family and not the CO, for both the meals and the lessons.” She looked at me. “Make your delivery, grab your food, and come see me.”

“Ma'am.” I said and saluted with the petrified hand, then I turned the cart around easily and brought it over to the maintenance building and dropped it off. I took the old one and ran with it, now that it was empty. My guard couldn't keep up with me and I waved at the guards at the gate. They laughed as I zoomed by them and down the road.

I didn't run as hard as I could, mainly because I didn't want to sweat too much in my new uniform. I dropped the cart off at the dock and started running back.

“DAVID!” A woman's voice yelled out to me.

I came to a stop and turned to look at her waving to me. “Mrs. Hansen.” I said and walked over to her. “Gloria still has it.”

Mrs. Hansen chuckled. “Not only does she still have it, she's been charging a silver coin once a week to walk by people's houses every day.”

“What for?” I asked.

Mrs. Hansen looked slightly surprised for a moment and then she smiled sweetly. “She's scaring all the creepy crawlies away for them.”

It was my turn to look surprised.

“I know! She's such a smart girl.” Mrs. Hansen said and walked through her living room that still looked like a store room because of all the baking supplies. “It was something that Diane had mentioned when we went to the store and a few things crawled away. She gave Gloria a silver coin for helping and now she walks all over town for everyone.” She ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a large bag and came back over to me.

“What's this?” I asked and took the bag from her.

“It's two batches of my sugar bread that's already cut up into squares.” Mrs. Hansen said. “Thank you very much for all these baking supplies. I'm... I'm just... so grateful...” She reached up and wiped the budding tears in her eyes. “I also... talked to Marge. She told me...” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you for not killing her.”

“She wanted me to.” I said.

“I know she did.” Mrs. Hansen said. “She's been wallowing in guilt for years over you and wanted an easy way out.”

“Only Hope tried looking for me.” I said and she nodded.

“She still is, actually.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I'm sure she has her reasons, just like you would have reasons to not see her.” Mrs. Hansen said and looked deep into my eyes.

_______________

You have a choice to make. It will change your status with the Hansen and the Addams families.

A) Ignore her. B) Agree. C) Disagree. D) Shrug. E) Leave. F) Choose two.

I'm not sure I'm ready to see her again so soon, so I'll choose D and E.

_______________

I shrugged and didn't say anything. Mrs. Hansen had a nice wide smile and she stepped forward and gave me a hug. She held it for several seconds and then let me go.

“I'll let her know.”

I raised my eyebrows and she chuckled.

“That you didn't say no.” Mrs. Hansen said and waved at the road. “I believe you need to go. Someone from the garrison is coming this way.”

“He's my guard and he's really slow.” I said and she laughed.

“Goodbye, David.” Mrs. Hansen said.

“Goodbye.” I said and she slowly closed her door. I turned away from her door and started to jog. My guard turned around and started running the other way. I easily passed him and went back to the garrison. I went to my building and retrieved some of the smoked meat I had and went back to the CO's office. I saw my guard come through the gate and waved to him, then went inside the main building.

What followed was a weird meal and it was something that I had never experienced before. I had to ask what courses were if they weren't directions, and a few other things. Sandra explained everything and she acted a lot different from when she was a healer and the CO. She seemed stronger, more confident, and more sure of herself.

When I asked what the difference was, she said that it was a different kind of commanding respect than a CO would ask for. I didn't understand, and our learning lesson started before we even finished eating. I was introduced to the ruling class, the nobility, the class system, and the different tiers of lords, ladies, counts, barons, and a whole bunch of different things.

I also learned about serfs, slaves, retainers, commoners, the working class, and even more things that dealt with the people that lived in the regions that were ruled by those nobles. I also learned how they were normally treated and how much Sandra hated it. Slavery was the worst in her opinion and until that was abolished, she couldn't do anything about changing any other aspect of society.

It was a passion of hers. It was a crusade, or so she claimed. I asked what that meant and she explained. It was to lead or be a part of an energetic and organized campaign concerning a social, political, or religious issue. She said it applied to what she wanted, then she explained that it could also mean that it was an expedition by devout people to discover a holy land.

I was surprised that the second definition was almost like what I wanted. I wanted to just live my life in the marsh and not have to deal with everything else. Things were so simple there and I only needed to make potions, eat, and live. That was it.

I thought about what I was doing now and realized what Sandra had done. She had given me the same setup and that's all I would be doing all week. Making potions, eating, and living. I waited until she stopped talking before I reached over and took her hand.

“Thank you.” I said and bent over and kissed her hand, as royal protocol demanded.

“D-David, what... what was that for?” Sandra asked and her face went a little red.

“For making it easier for me to be here.” I said and let her hand go.

“That... well, I...” Sandra took a breath and let it out. “I'm trying my best, even if I did mess things up.”

I didn't bother asking about Roy and she didn't offer. We ate the rest of the meal in silence and then she went back to teaching me about things.