Chapter 33: Healing

After the fun of entering the Palace compound, we arrived at a courtyard and dismounted.

We were then shown through umpteen dozen hallways and rooms, each gaudier than the last, to get to a waiting room. As we walked, I wondered if the King was related to Higgins. He had the same horrible taste in decorations.

John and Tony left us in a little alcove to wait. We settled in, as I didn’t expect to be received in any hurry. I was glad we’d had something to eat before we were interrupted. I did expect to be kept waiting longer, but the clock in my head said it was only one-tenth of an hour.

Tony popped his head around a huge door and signalled to us. As we entered he announced, “Lord High Mage Bull Horn and Lady Rose Zooid.” I frowned at him, but he looked away.

Rose and I marched down the aisle with Albi and Reilly following. It was a large square room with huge windows down one side. About thirty overdressed people milled around on both sides of the carpeted aisle. Some very ugly statues were in each corner, and at least five guards stood along each wall.

A monstrosity of a gold painted chair sat at the end of the aisle. It was set about 2m from the back wall. It was huge and covered in ornate scrollwork that didn’t seem to have rhyme or reason. Two gilded stools for want of a better description sat on either side of the chair. Three stools were occupied by women, and the fourth was empty.

In the chair sat the King. I was shocked when I gazed upon him. I couldn’t decide what shocked me most. The fact he was ill or the fact he was so obese. I had never met a fat mage or a sick mage. If you’re burning magic regularly, it can be hard to keep weight on.

If your items are working correctly, you shouldn’t be ill. I looked carefully at his aura. He wasn’t a well man, and his items were the darkest I have come across. I had thought Lady Di’s items dark, but his were painful for me to observe.

As we got closer, I glanced to my right and stopped. Silver was wrapped in chains. Dazzle and Hail looked like they didn’t get off too lightly either. They were scruffy, battered and bruised. Even poor Captain Pain was shackled like Dazzle and Hail. All three of them looked angry and defiant. I’d not thought of Tomas as a fighter, but he was as mad as my boys were.

I turned and kept walking. I must have gotten a little too close as the King wiggled and two guards went to step forward, so I stopped. I looked at the King and waited. An overdressed man near the dais cleared his throat.

I knew I was supposed to bow and greet the King. I did neither. I waited. He fidgeted and finally blurted out, “How dare you, bring androids to my city. They are dangerous when left unattended. This one injured five of my guards.”

“Only five?” I asked drolly.

“You will empty your ship and leave this city immediately,” he bellowed at me.

“I can hardly leave immediately and empty my ship. The two actions are not synonymous,” I said languidly.

“What?” he shrieked.

“My ship will take at least a day to empty. So I can’t leave immediately. So the orders conflict,” I said more slowly as if I was explaining something to a person who had difficulty understand me.

He made some unintelligible noises then spat out, “Just do as I have commanded.”

“I also can’t leave without my crew. You have my Captain and his two first offices in chains and also the Captain of my grain ship,” I informed him.

“You can have the three humans. They will be delivered to you upon your departure. However the ship that Captain Pain owned has been confiscated by the crown for none payment of debt,” he said smugly.

“What about Second Mate Silver?” I asked.

“It will be dismantled since it is obviously deranged. You will also hand over the android beside you and the other five from the ship before you leave,” he said sounding surer of himself since I wasn’t arguing.

“I don’t bring any androids here,” I said.

“Yes, Sir Smithers mentioned you would try that garbage on me. I know an android when I see one, boy,” he sneered.

“Apparently not,” I answered. “May I know on what grounds your guards attacked my people?”

“They had an android with them. Androids are forbidden to be unaccompanied by a mage. It is also forbidden to bring them here,” he said.

“Strange that Queen Mary didn’t mention that law. I would have thought she would have told me since she welcomed the zooids into her home. Also, Professor Iran Inkle who travelled here on my ship didn’t mention it, considering he studies History and the Laws here,” I said.

“I don’t care, if I say it’s forbidden, then it is,” he spat.

“Did you guards ask my people if any of them were a mage?”

“What do you mean?” he asked more warily.

“Exactly as I asked. I’m sure First Mate Dazzle would have been more than happy to show them his Novices Ring. If they had bothered to ask him,” I commented.

One of the guards stepped forward and looked at Dazzle’s hand. He tugged at the ring and Dazzle silently told it to appear. The guard stepped back quickly dropping Dazzles hand, making him chuckle in the process.

“As I said. They didn’t bother, did they? They just jumped my people and arrested them with no cause. It is a fine way to treat visitors to Weston. I wonder how many other important visitors witnessed the unwarranted arrest of my people.”

“Silver’s job on dry land is to protect her Captain, how did you expect her to react when he is attacked? I’m surprised it took only five of your people to subdue her. I must revisit her unarmed training.”

Inspector Rexel stepped out of the crowd and walked up to Dazzle. He also inspected the ring. He winked at Dazzle and stepped over beside me. “King Tylor, The first mate of the Mercy, has a two gem ring of exceptional quality. It has Physics and Psychic disciplines.”

“The mages you currently use to control your androids only have one gem rings. Therefore, if Lord Horn’s zooids are deemed androids by the Crown, then the android known as Silver was accompanied at the time of arrest. Her actions under the circumstances would be deemed acceptable.”

“Garbage! My androids won’t attack anyone no matter what order I give,” he hissed in anger.

“True,” I said. “My androids won’t attack anyone either. However, the people I have with me who look similar to androids will protect my crew to the best of their abilities if they believe they have been threatened. That’s what friends do.”

“What about the other androids, they have been seen without a mage? That is against the law,” he shot back at me.

Rexel intervened again, “Your Majesty I don’t know what you have been told, but that is not true. Rose here, from the accounts I have heard and witnessed, has not left Lord Horn’s side. The androids on the ship have not left that ship without the other two gem mage, Tom Wind, being with them.”

“As to your law, I also checked this law in the courthouse when I became aware of the fact Lord Horn had androids, as the Crown calls these people, with him. However, I can’t seem to locate the law you speak off.”

“The only references to androids in the Lord Wizard’s laws are that they are to be left to do the jobs as assigned unless the ruling High Mage, Wizard or City Controller deems otherwise.”

“Well I am the ruling High Mage, and I deem otherwise,” he growled at Rexel.

Rexel shook his head, “No King Tylor, you are not. You may be the King as far as the modern history of this city stands and a mage. But you are not a High Mage. The wall clearly states the designation of gems and number of items assigned to the different classes of magic users. To start with you do not have a complete set.”

“No one has complete sets anymore,” he scoffed.

Rexel looked at me, “Would you like to demonstrate Lord High Mage Horn?”

I pulled my wand from my side. That caused a lot of gasps. I was unaware that I was of a very tiny number of mages, on the whole of Amity at the time, to even own a wand. I then made my items visible. I also held up both of my hands.

“The ring on my left is my Herd Ring and has four gems. The other items belong to the set of ring, medallion, diadem and wand. The set has four gems and the magical crystals of course.” I left them visible long enough for the King to see them and then hid them again.

Rexel said to the very pale King, “To my knowledge, he is the only High Mage on this continent at this moment. Even Lord Hugo and his guild in Trenton aren’t High Mages in this regard. I don’t know of any on Orient or even Federation. I can’t say for Saran or Palatine.”

“They call Lord Horn the King of two Cities and Green Island because he is the High Mage of Horn City and Ochre City. They are the cities where the zooids come from. He even has Controllers for both his cities. From what I understand, he resurrected them both.”

This caused a lot of mumming in the crowd. I hoped Rexel didn’t overdo his defence of my people and me.

“So,” Rexel continued. “The zooids are his people or if you prefer, his property, and he has every right to have them with him when he travels. That is the privilege of a High Mage, and neither you nor even Queen Mary has the right to say otherwise. It is in our laws.”

“So what you are saying is that I have to let him do as he wants in my city?” the King retorted angrily.

“Yes. You can’t really stop him anyway. Lord Horn, free your people,” Rexel said. I waved my wand at the shackles and chains, and they broke apart and fell to my crew’s feet. The people in the room gasped, but I ignored them.

Silver hurried over, and Rose hugged her and tutted the scrapes and tears in her lovely silver overalls. I hugged Captain Hail and Dazzle and dropped healing spells on each as I did. I turned and placed a hand on Tomas and healed him too.

I looked at Silver next, “You little scrapper, Silver. Look at the state of you. I can’t have my girls looking like that in public.” I said with a smile. I touched her on the head with my wand. Her soft silvery skin gleamed again, and the dirt and tears disappeared from her overalls.

I guessed the people in the room hadn’t seen what a real mage could do for some time. They all seemed rather astonished at me fixing Silver and healing my people. I gathered my people behind me and turned back to the King.

“King Tylor, I didn’t come here to upset your rule. I was on a simple trade mission. I may not be happy with the state of your magical items, or how you rule, but this isn’t my country. As long as you don’t do anything that I believe is unethical for a mage to do, while I am here you can keep the items. Although, they won’t bring you any happiness.”

“I didn’t intend to stop at Lime Island, I was coming here. However, a storm forced my ship to seek land. I was pleased with my dealings with the people of Lime Island. If you don’t wish my people or me to come back here, then I will simply trade with them.”

“They told me that your cattle also contracted the disease that theirs did. You didn’t get it from them. It came from the cattle and bad feed that came from Federation. I also told Queen Mary these facts. We also had this disease come to my island the same way. It is treatable and actually quite easy to control.”

“I could have easily sold all of the livestock and produce on my ship in Inis City. But we kept half as I was under the impression it would be appreciated here. Captain Hail was even going to make a quick trip back to Ochre City to bring back more, so both cities had extra supplies for the second month of winter and into spring.”

“We heard upon our arrival that the storm we were trying to avoid had caused some devastation and damaged one of your stores of wheat. Captain Pain had agreed to take his ship and fill it for you at my expense, as one nation helping out a friend nation in need.”

“If you wish to spurn my gestures of friendship, I will bow now, and you will never see me or my ships again. Be warned, I can be a good friend to have, but I make a nasty enemy. I may be a High Mage, but I am also a Bull. I will defend what is mine, and I stand up for others who are being mistreated.”

“The decision is yours, King Tylor,” I finished.

He looked at me intensely for several moments. He shook his head ruefully, “My son said not to piss you off and not to underestimate your age or ability. It appears I don’t take my sons advice very well. He was correct about you on all accounts.”

After a thoughtful pause, he told me, “I knew your grandfather, you know?”

“No, I was unaware my grandfather had ever come here,” I said.

“He didn’t. We met in Federation many, many years ago. He was a young go-getter like you. But he didn’t have your integrity, and he was more reckless. He was also more ruthless than you seem to be. Were you truly going to give me a shipload of wheat?”

“Yes. I had thought to sell it to you for a low price. But as we were waiting to see you, several of your people were in a side room. They were very worried about how the city would get through the winter. They were arguing about if the stores kept for the poor should be sold to the general public or not.”

“When I took control of Horn City, I made it a mission to reduce the number of poor people. I made housing more affordable so they had more money to buy food and so they could have decent shelter. I started several projects to provide jobs.”

“It was interesting to learn that for every job I provided it seemed to create two jobs in some other industry. More people being able to buy food created a shop assistants job. They could afford clothes, so someone had to make them and sell them. They had homes, so someone needed to fix things for them.”

“It was interesting too, that even with the androids and zooids fixing things and cleaning and repairing roads the people started helping them. They took more pride in how their business and their homes looked. They started creating new jobs by themselves.”

“So I thought that if I can help you people by providing some of the things they needed, then I would do what I could. If the wheat meant the poor didn’t starve, then your medical people wouldn’t be overrun with sick people.”

“It would reduce diseases during winter, so people with jobs didn’t get sick and affect the businesses they worked for. It is a cause and effect situation. So I considered it was worth me doing it,” I explained to him.

The King shook his head in wonderment, and I looked around realising it was very quiet in the room as everyone was listening to me babble on. I felt kind of awkward, as I was telling these people things that they should already know.

I turned to Rexel when he said, “That’s how you do it isn’t it? That’s why the people I spoke to who saw you in Lime Island spoke so highly of you. They told me you went to all those farms, healed their animals and didn’t accept a penny for it. Is it true you gave away Devin Shire?”

“What?” said the King surprised.

“Well, technically, it was Trixi who gave it to her sister due to their laws. It solved a lot of problems. I didn’t need it or want it, and neither did Trixi. Rexi did so her love could marry her. Personally, I think they will do a good job of running it. And I get my bauxite, so it was a win, win solution.”

“So who did Rexi marry?” the King asked me.

“Lord Barton’s son, Henry. Poor sot had been love with Rexi for ages,” I said.

“The Lots Shire has a new Lord also, your Majesty,” Albi added.

“How did that happen?” the King asked with astonishment.

“Lord Ewan tried to have Princess Barbara kidnapped to force Trixi to marry him. Bron intervened, and the short of it was that he took Ewan’s magical ring from him for behaving as a bad mage. Then the Queen sent him packing. The new Lord Owen Lots is engaged to my sister, Elise,” Albi told the King.

“Shit just happens around you doesn’t Lord Horn?” the King chuckled. “So that only leaves one daughter for Mary to marry off.”

“Maybe not, I think I have a solution for Foxi. She is coming back to Green Island with us. She is on the ship with Trixi and my sister Sandy. That reminds me. Rose would you call Trixi and tell her we are all safe and tell Sandy she doesn’t have to kill me for getting Reilly into trouble.”

“Wait a moment, Reilly’s wife Sandy is your sister? But she comes from here not Green Island doesn’t she?” The King said.

“Correct, she was born here. We have the same father. I didn’t even know I had a sister here. So it was worth coming here just to find out that I did. She was also in trouble with her pregnancy, but she and my niece are fine now,” I said and smiled at him.

Lady Lin who sat by herself on the King’s left said, “Can you see what is wrong with me. I’ve been bleeding.”

I guessed she was about half way through her term. She was pretty and about the same age of Foxi. I could see she had the tell-tale Orient heritage. She was not very tall and was on the voluptuous side. I looked at the King, “May I?”

He looked at his youngest wife in concern. I didn’t think he knew she was having problems. He nodded at me. So I bowed my head and walked up to Lin. I gently placed my hand on her tummy, and a moment later, she gasped. “All fixed,” I said gently to her. “You had a tear. Try not to do things that are overly physical, and you should be fine.”

I stepped over to the ladies on the Kings right. I looked at the oldest woman, Teresa. She would be of similar age to Edith, I decided. She had the distinct Genteli looks. She had been handsome. Now she looked haggard and gaunt.

I could see pain hidden in her eyes. I looked at her with my question, and she nodded. I placed my hand on her forehead, so the ring touched her. “Dear me, you poor woman, how have you weathered the pain?” I tutted and healed her twisted bowel and her damaged womb. “There, you might be able to keep something down now.”

I stepped to the next, and she smiled at me. She was of an age between the other two women and of similar build and origins to the youngest. I touched her forehead and then shifted my hand to her tummy.

“Interesting, I have seen this before. When a calf has a short birth cord, and they fall, they can rip the placenta from the wall of the womb and damage it. The cow can no longer grow a new calf. Even if she does fall pregnant, she will lose it very early in the term. Two or three miscarriages?” I asked her.

“Three,” she said softly.

“I’m so sorry Anika. I have fixed you as good as new. I suggest you don’t use the same midwife or doctor if you do fall pregnant again,” I told her.

I looked at the King and stepped close to him so only he could hear me. “Stop being so rough on your wives. They had other problems that are caused by rough sex and beatings. Treat them with a bit more respect. My bulls treat their cattle better than you do your wives.”

“You are not a good King or a good mage. I suggest you have a long hard think about your actions and their repercussions. If you removed some of the negative people from around you and listen to people like your son, your life would be a lot happier.”

“Not all shifters are bad people like my grandfather was. I took care of him, and I will remove you if you continue abusing people and don’t follow your own laws. Do I make myself clear?” I said tightly. I locked my eyes with him when he went to bluster.

“Do we have an understand King Tylor?” I said more loudly as I stepped back from him. I didn’t remove my eyes from him, and I was certain he understood me very well. He had both fear and hatred in his eyes. I knew we would butt heads again.

“Thank you, for receiving my people and me. Reilly has indicated that we should be able to auction off my produce and livestock in three days. One thing, I have snufflers aboard my ship. They are all healthy and have a high tolerance to diseases.”

“May I sell them or is there some law that prevents their sale?” I asked the King. Before he could answer, a voice said, “Excuse me, your Majesty, if I may. I shall answer for you as your Law Councillor.”

“I checked that law for you, Lord Bron, as you requested,” Professor Inkle said as he turned towards me. “No, there is no law prohibiting the sale of any livestock as long as a Crown approved Vet like Vet Olsen has inspected them and an inspector like Inspector Rexel agrees.”

“If we make a law and the Law Wall agrees it fair and just, it appears on the wall and in the book. If it doesn’t appear there, it can’t become law until it does. No such law is on the wall. I had several colleagues check the wall with me when I arrived here.”

Three other men, who had moved closer to the Iran and us, all nodded at the King and then to me to confirm that what the Professor said was true. Iran then added, “I also checked the android law, and it does read as Inspector Rexel quoted.”

“However, High Mage or not, it also says that your android looking people are exempt as they arrived with a foreign dignitary and they are protected with your status as is your family and your ship’s crew since it is your ship.”