A Roll of the Die - 1. Inception
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 86: Day 112
"Good morning, my Lord Count," Filip the architect said when he arrived not long after Matthias had finished eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Filip," Matthias replied.
"I have a design I believe meets your needs, uses the plumbing and cooling techniques, and could be expanded in the future. It is primarily stone construction and features two observation towers, each with both interior and exterior doors. The footprint leaves about six paces between the building and the walls, and the drainage system will flow to what you called a leach field, away from both the underground and aboveground streams, as you specified."
"That sounds perfect. When could construction begin?"
"The stonemasons can begin excavating and laying the foundation stones seven days from today. The stone will be hauled from the quarry on the road from Fulham to Langford."
"Very good. Jorah will provide payments as discussed and will oversee construction if I am away. I expect to return from Southham before the stonemasons begin their work."
Matthias signed the agreement the architect had drawn up, they shook hands, and the architect departed. Captain Michael presented himself at the door to the library a few minutes later.
"My Lord, I have a request," Michael said.
"Speak it, please, Captain."
"Sierra and I wish to marry. Neither of us is interested in a priest performing the ceremony. As you are our Lord, would you officiate and record the marriage?"
"Of course! I depart for Southham in the morning. Shall we plan for the day following the Royal Tournament?"
"Thank you, my Lord."
"Is Lisette aware?"
"That I was seeing Sierra, yes, she was," Michael replied. "But not that we intend to marry. I had hoped she would have returned by now, as I prefer to tell her directly."
"Then I will say nothing when I see her tomorrow."
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After speaking with the Bailiff and the Captain of the City Guard, Tristan and Lisette had identified a total of six of the names, with two others being possibly identified.
"I think the fact that there are six merchants on the list who are either based in Southham or regularly visit here, and two who might be First Mates on sailing ships, is strong evidence to confirm our belief Alton was a very high-ranking member of the Black Crows."
"Yes, it is," Lisette replied, "but it's entirely possible it's a smuggling operation designed to avoid taxes and duties unrelated to his work with the Black Crows."
Tristan considered, then nodded. "That is possible, then perhaps he was simply the leader of the local cell. Both might be true, and if I had to say which, I would say they are linked, and we should set out to prove that."
"Should we?" Lisette asked skeptically. "Isn't it better if they are simply petty criminals who are evading their obligation to pay duties and taxes? I believe Matthias would suggest they be arrested and charged with smuggling and tax evasion, forced to pay a large fine, and serve a short term of imprisonment. A man charged with smuggling and tax evasion is much more likely to give us the names of his confederates in exchange for lower fines and shorter imprisonment than a man charged with High Treason for being a Black Crow and who faces the gallows, with little hope of reprieve."
"A reasonable suggestion," Tristan said. "Present it to Matthias, and we'll see what he thinks. I suspect he will agree with you."
"As do I."
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Philip and James from the Millers Guild arrived for the evening meal at the agreed-upon hour, and the meal was served shortly thereafter.
"My Lady wife informs me you had concerns about my new mill," Matthias said.
"Yes, my Lord," Philip said.
"Please speak freely," Matthias offered. "I wish to hear your unvarnished opinions so I may properly address any concerns."
"Thank you, my Lord," Philip replied. "As I am sure Your Lordship knows, when all sides agreed to the Peace of King Henry, the Realm was in crisis, and there was widespread hunger. Some millers took advantage of the chaos and began producing low-quality flour, charging more than triple the usual price, or both.
"To rectify that, King Henry granted a Royal Charter to the millers, granting them the right to form the Guild, with the goal of ensuring quality flour was produced, farmers were charged a uniform price for grinding grain, and the price of flour was consistent across the Realm. That ensured a stable supply of high-quality flour, which in turn ensured that bread was in sufficient supply, thereby protecting both the bakers and the people.
"Every mill in Newtown is operated by a member of the Millers Guild, except yours, my Lord. Your mill threatens the stability of the market and therefore puts the entire Realm at risk. Farmers around Fulham are demanding lower prices for milling, or, if they sell their grain to the miller, higher prices per bushel. Bakers in Fulham are demanding lower prices for flour. At the moment, it only affects Fulham, but it will spread, especially if the new mills are constructed and not operated by members of the Guild."
Matthias waited a few seconds before he replied to ensure Philip was finished and to formulate an answer.
"I understand your concerns," Matthias said, "but I must point out that Lords have the right to mill all grain from their lands, and the Royal Charter granted to the Millers Guild did not abrogate that right."
"Of course, my Lord," Philip replied. "I was not denying your right to mill grain that is rightfully yours to mill. What is different is that all the other Lords who mill grain honor the standard pricing structure established by the Guild, and grind only grain from their own lands.
"If reports are accurate, you are offering to grind any grain, no matter where it is grown, at substantially lower cost, and offering excess flour, or flour from grain you have purchased outright, for sale at prices lower than the price set by the Guild. This is already beginning to disrupt the orderly market that developed after the formation of the Guild."
"The prices I have set allow for a reasonable profit and benefit both my people and the bakers," Matthias replied. "I believe my Lady wife offered priority to construct new mills."
"To build new mills when our current mills are operating well is cost-prohibitive, not to mention the requirement for wind, which limits locations to outside the city walls, in places with sufficient breezes every day. That would mean acquiring land and possibly requiring the building of roads, in addition to the cost of building the mill. And that does not include whatever fee you will charge."
"There is no license fee if the Newtown Mill Company builds the mills. The license fee is only for the right to build a windmill with labor and materials you provide. I do make a modest profit building the mills, but given their efficiency, the mill easily pays for itself in two years, even with the lower prices. After that, the additional profit from efficiency goes into your pocket."
"But my Lord, surely the Realm cannot afford to replace every mill," Philip protested. "Not to mention, there are places with insufficient wind."
Matthias nodded. "Just as there are places where sawmills cannot be built because there is insufficient running water."
"I agree that is true," Philip said. "But all existing mills are operated according to Guild standards, and that upholds the price structure necessary to sustain a stable market. We ensure a consistent price and sufficient supply, even in the most distant parts of the Realm. I am not sure your price structure is sustainable, nor do I think it is beneficial to the farmers and bakers."
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