Book 2: Chapter 45
I think we should buy a carriage, Garrett declared, causing Ryn to squint at him.
They were currently in a carriage that was heading toward the western side of the city. They were still north of the river, but as they got closer to their destination, they saw more and more guards out the windows.
Carriages are really expensive.
Sure, but we keep needing to hire one.
But who would drive it?
Im sure we could find someone.
What about horses? Would we keep them at the inn? We dont have a barn or stable, and they eat a lot of food. Plus, theyre big and they twitch, which is scary.
Are you afraid of horses?
Arent you? They could eat you in one bite. And have you seen their teeth? Massive.
Ryn, you have faced all sorts of monsters and dangerous situations.
And? I cant be afraid of horses? The two have nothing to do with each other. Anyway, I dont think it's a good idea and Obe agrees with me.
Turning to look at Obe, Garrett raised his eyebrows and was met with a stoic look.
That doesnt look like an affirmative, Garrett said.
It is. Ive known him longer than you have, and I know it is, Ryn shot back. Plus, at our last meeting we talked about making sure we are being frugal. What did you call it? Financial stewards?
Stewardship, Obe said, his eyes lighting up. The correct management of resources to gain the maximum impact from their use.
Yeah, stewardship. We dont have money for that.
Ryn, Im the one who does the finances for the Family.
Hey, is that the place you wanted to see? Obe asked, gesturing out the window.
Looking past him, Garrett nodded, his eyes raking over the modest mansion that stood on the corner. It was three stories tall, and a six foot, wrought iron fence stood around it, fencing in the small yard. In the back there was a modest looking garden with a bubbling fountain. The front of the mansion was surprisingly understated, with three marble steps flanked by carved creatures that looked sort of like lions leading up to a simple wooden door with a brass knocker. Counting the windows, Garrett did his best to estimate the size of the floors and realized that the entire thing was probably smaller than his inn.
Ooh, thats a big bite, Ryn said, twitching aside the curtain to glance at it.
What do you mean?
Youre casing it, right? You have a good eye, because places like that are sure to be packed with top notch goods. Even the cutlery is going to be a step above most silver. Did you know that the majority of the silver that nobles use is really just silver plated? These people probably have real silver.
How can you tell? Obe asked as the mansion disappeared behind them.
The gate, the carvings out front. The fact that someone dusted the outside of the windowsills. Thats a tightly run ship, with no inch of give. People who live like that have a high requirement for the things around them, which means the finest of everything. And fine things sell better. But thats only half of the story. When everything runs like a well oiled machine, a single cog out of place becomes highly visible, so if anything goes missing, they know immediately. And people who live in houses like that normally have the money to hire the best dogs.
Listening quietly, Garrett nodded.
That is the home of Markus Parrow, of Parrows Fine Goods. Our competitor, and the person who just tried to have me killed in prison.
Gold Glow Whiskey, the bartender said, getting a bottle down from the top shelf and pouring a finger into a glass. Courtesy of the boss.
Your boss has good taste.
Smiling, the bartender put the bottle back and left the room. A minute later he came back and gestured for Markus to follow him. Garrett was sitting in the office, an account book open in front of him, when Markus came in.
Thank you, Patrick, Garrett said, waving to the bartender. It's nice to see you again, Mr. Parrow. To what do I owe this visit?
Searching Garretts face, Markus looked relieved as he took the chair that Garrett had gestured to.
I really just stopped by to see how you were, and if there was anything I could do to help. I know that your recent situation is probably embarrassing to talk about, but losing money due to downtime is even worse.
Raising his eyebrows, Garrett gave Markus a skeptical look.
You know that we are competitors, right?
I do, Markus said with a chuckle. But I also know that merchants like us must present a unified front against the city guard. The merchants guild has taken special interest in this case, and though you are not a member of the guild yet, I believe it is only a matter of time. In light of that, Id be happy to offer half of my plant to you for your use if you want to get your production back up quickly. From what I understand, the guards were ruthless and damaged many of Carraways machines.
It's true, Garrett sighed, the factory is probably not going to be operable for another three weeks at least. Maybe five.
Then come use my plant, Markus said with an expansive wave. Like I said, we merchants must stick together. It wont be free, of course, but Ill rent it to you at cost. You can even bring your own workers if you want. If its too far, Ill lend you mine. Whatever you want to do.
Considering it quietly, Garrett finally nodded.
Its a very generous offer, Mr. Parrow.
Call me Markus, Mr. Parrow sounds so stiff.
Thank you, Markus. Let me talk to Carraway and get back to you. It sounds like a good option. Do you have an idea of what you would charge for the use of the plant?
For almost an hour, Markus and Garrett chatted about the plant and its location, workforce, and capacity. Eventually, however, the conversation veered into amusing tales of the nobility and Garrett laughed quite a bit. Markus was a charming conversationalist, and had a quick, dry wit. When he finally stood up forty-five minutes into his visit, Garrett seemed reluctant to let him go, and accompanied him all the way to the door, promising to come to visit the plant the following day with Carraway. After he was out of sight, Garrett turned around and saw everyone in the inn staring at him. Amused, he held up his thumb and they all erupted into cheers.
You think he bought it? Ryn asked, standing up from one of the tables.
I think its a start, Garrett replied. The trick will be keeping it up. But hes given us a golden opportunity without realizing it.
What do you mean?
He wants to lend us his factory at cost, so that we can get our soap production back up and running.
You mean so he can steal our process, Ryn snorted. I hope you didnt agree.
Oh, I did. Ill go visit it tomorrow.
But thats the same as handing him our method for making soap, Ryn said, her forehead furrowing in anger. Why would you oh wait.
Precisely, Garrett said, with a smile. Come, let's have a conversation.
When Ryn finally left the office, night was falling. After a quiet dinner in his office, Garrett went to his room and climbed into bed. His days and nights had been exhausting recently, but he felt like things were on the right track. Many of his actions seemed to have little to no short term impact, but he didnt mind that. He was building his place in this world slowly but surely, one petal at a time. He had the power to create explosive growth, but he knew what over-fertilizing a plant would do. To develop strong roots, a plant needed time, and the same was true for this strange family of his.
And a family it was. Sure, it was bound together by eerie parasitic dream flowers with a penchant for overriding the will of their host, but what family didnt have its quirks? Chuckling to himself, Garrett closed his eyes and entered the dream, appearing on the Dreamers Throne. For a few minutes he just sat there, his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth that the throne provided. He had stopped wondering why he had ended up with this mysterious artifact, and just accepted that it was as much a part of his life as the strange, fog covered dream that lay outside of his door.
Even though he wasnt focusing on it, he could feel the connections he had with the flowers that were spread out around the inn, filling the territory claimed by the Klein Family. There were even flowers beyond that, looking like an ever growing constellation in his mind. Down below the earth the team under Viper worked hard to move goods through the passages, bringing in food and other supplies from Port Reverie to be sold in the city. To the north, he could see the beacon that was the meat processing plant, busy as ever, even in the middle of the night, as they worked to keep everyone fed. All around him, there were members of the Family going about their lives, doing their best in this dangerous and difficult world, unaware of his hidden hand supporting them.
