Chapter 28

For the third day in a row, I was going to go out into the city and explore... again. I felt I needed to find the good and bad neighborhoods. I felt that I needed to see how my people lived.

Yesterday, I had spent the day at the docks. It was a bustling place. The dock area was divided into sections. Cargo vessels were assigned to one section, fishing boats were assigned to another area. Commercial sailing vessels were fewer, but had a place with privately owned ships.

Finally, the Landkur navy had a large section all to itself. Rude cranes were erected. They were powered by trained oxen. They walked, and reversed, in a circle. A multi-pulley 'block and tackle' was used to make the rope on the crane go up or down. It was just simple gears and pullies, really. But it worked. This was how cargo ships were loaded and unloaded. It was cumbersome, and mistakes were not uncommon. However, shippers were aware of the situation, and provided packaging that was appropriate. Truly fragile shipments were clearly labled, and were always either 'hand carried', or were handled by special teams.

After a cargo was unloaded, it was sent to a warehouse for storage, until it could be dispersed to where it was supposed to go. Most of the warehouses were individually owned by the ship's merchant owner. Another solution, was that several merchants pooled their money and bought a warehouse, or had one built.

A whole host of boys had jobs as 'runners'. Their only purpose was to go to establishments, businesses, inns, and a host of other places. These runners were very knowledgeable of the physical make-up of the city. That was what had brought me here to the warehouse district, today.

I wanted a guide. Who better, than one of these boys who ran their legs off, with messages that a cargo or shipment had arrived? I had already ruled out the cadets that were here for the Navy. I could have had one of them, easily. But I wanted someone who could blend in with everyday folk.

Also, the boy whom I hired, was going to be well paid. The Navy took care of a cadet's needs.

No, I wanted a youngster who would work for ME. I was going to over-pay him, shamelessly.

I was walking toward the runner's portion of warehouse row, when I heard a commotion. Curious, I walked around a corner, and was confronted by two large boys giving a smaller boy a beating.

I looked again. Correction! They were giving a girl a beating! I decided to find out what this was about.

"That will be enough," I said to the boys holding the girl.

They looked at me. The biggest boy glared at me.

"This is none of your concern. This girl has stolen from us," the boy said.

"I did not! I worked for my money, same as you," the girl said in a shrill voice.

"You stole from us, by working here! Everyone knows this is for boys, only!" the older boy said, slapping the girl.

"You hit her just one more time," I said in a nasty tone, "and I promise you, you will regret it," I finished.

The boy actually sneered at me.

"'Twas the run-master who told us to settle her, and you don't want to interfere with him. Now YOU begone, or it will go hard for you. The run-master has ways of dealing with dandies like you," the boy finished, turning his attention back to the girl.

I took a couple steps, and pulled the girl away from the boys. I put her behind me.

"Don't you boys have anything better to do than beat on girls? Isn't there a helpless old granny you could be picking on?" I asked them, with a sneer in my voice.

The older boy reddened. He didn't like what I had said to him. Good. I didn't like what I had seen. He put his fingers to his mouth, and three piercing whistles were produced.

"I never could do that," I said admiringly.

While I could whistle a tune by puckering up, I never did learn that finger in your mouth trick.

I started walking back towards the main gate to the docks, with the girl in tow. A man stepped out of the door of a building, and blocked my path.

"Master, this man stopped us from lessoning that girl. He as much as said we hurt old grannies," the boy said indignantly.

"You two go inside and wait. I will handle this," the man told the two boys.

While he was telling the two boys to go, I took a moment to study him. His clothes, while rough, were clean and serviceable. He was a bit shorter than me. He had sandy colored hair and a thin sharp nose. His eyes were blue.

"Sir, while you might think you have helped here, you have actually interfered. She presented herself as a boy, and took a job from a boy. For over a week, now, she has done this. She has to learn her place," the guy said in a tone of voice that suggested I should understand this.

"Well, I object to seeing big boys beating on little girls. I will not permit this type of behavior. I will stop it when I see it. Further, I came here in search of hiring a youngster to show me the city. I will hire this one," I said.

"Really? You want to hire me?" the girl squeaked.

"You can't hire her. You can only hire a boy," beak-nose said to me.

"Actually, you seem to have fired this girl. Since I am now dealing with a free agent, you have no say," I told him.

I fished a silver piece out of my pocket, and handed it to her. Her eyes widened to enormous pools of green.

I know, it was a very large over-payment, but I wanted to piss off this run-master.

"I will also buy your meals while you guide me. When our business is done, I will pay you another silver," I told the girl.

The run-master was shaking his head.

"You are not allowed to hire her. All who work as runners here, go through me. If you wish to hire a boy, I will let you have one of mine, but you cannot hire that girl," he said with a tone of finality.

"Strange. I am sure I just did," I said, pulling on the girls arm to get her started.

The man moved in front of me again. I stopped. I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"I told you. You cannot hire her," he said again.

"And I told you, that you have no say in who I hire. I came to hire a boy, but I did not like what I found. I found two much older and bigger boys roughing up a girl. That is not behavior I approve of.

"Now, you say she no longer works for you. Fine. She now works for me, and who I hire is none of YOUR business," I finished.

"All is my business in this place, when it deals with hiring runners. Guides are the same. None may be hired in this shipyard without my say so," he said and gestured.

Suddenly the girl and I were surrounded by several young men. They were thugs, by the look of them. The girl gasped and clung to me.

"I will warn you one time, only. Do... not... screw... with... me. I am not in the mood," I said a bit darkly.

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P I and Magic — Book 1

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