Chapter 7

"What happened here?"

"We had some unwelcome visitors. I shot all six but I ended up killing too many. Do you recognise anybody here?"

The men looked but none of them bothered to answer. "We should take them to the watch."

"They will stay here until the morning. We may save a few." I left unsaid that we were going to question them.

The men stayed to watch us but soon we had to start up a small generator to power the lights and replenish the batteries. I took the slave girl icon to the one that looked to be dying and touched his head. He should have come around in twenty minutes but he didn't. In an hour he died and I touched the next most likely person to inhabit a grave. This one didn't respond either and died near dawn.

The other two looked healthy enough. We dug out the slugs from both of them and did what else we could for them. With death a commodity we knew we were going to deal with, we had studied not just how to hand it out but to also relieve trauma. This, I guess, was our graduation examination.

Mantoya Slako came after the watch changed. He only brought a few men so I assume this was a friendly call.

"Hello, Hugh. What happened here?"

"Six men tried to rob us. More were waiting in the courtyard of our landlord but I couldn't see them well. I shot the six but I was rushed and botched the job. Four died when I just wanted to wound."

He looked at me as if I were lying and said, "I was told that there was no noise, only a flame from your weapon."

"I have a suppressor that makes the gun only whisper."

"You did this all yourself?"

"My ladies were waiting and I had them lay on the ground with their weapons if more came. They didn't fire a shot. I might mention that your men took a long time coming here. One had to have been looking this way when I was shooting to see the flames. Perhaps somebody got paid to not see something. It's also possible that this person may die soon if it's believed that he may talk."

"One of my men reported a strange red light. Do you know what it is?"

"Wait here please."

I went inside and got a dollar store laser and handed it to Mantoya. He was used to opening this sort of thing by now. I showed him how to install the batteries then aimed the light at the wall of the truck that was under the tarp.

"This is magic, I know."

"This is a device that produces a special type of light. Do not shine it into the eyes of anybody. It is not strong but it may blind. Keep it."

"Thank you, Hugh. You give me such gifts that even our king would desire. Was this what caused the light?"

"No, my pistol has something like that under the barrel. The beam of light goes straight. Instead of using sights, the light is adjusted to where the bullets go. What is in range of my gun is hit but it only works in dark places or at night."

"Amazing."

"Mantoya, do you recognise anybody?"

"I have seen nearly all of them. They are part of a thieves guild. There may be trouble now."

"Yes, there may be if I have to go after them. I think I could clean up your city for you but I'm afraid there would be some damage."

"I'll warn them. What about the two that live?"

I lied when I said, "By the laws of my land, they are my slaves now. I can execute them or not. I may ransom them back to the guild if they're willing to pay."

"How much do you demand?"

"How much is a slightly damaged male slave that may be a competent thief worth on the block?"

"Since you want gold, I will say about two hundred flass each. You may get more if you release the bodies too."

This was gristly. The locals didn't mind putting heads on a pike but I didn't like that. "They can have the bodies. I'm keeping all the weapons."

Somebody later came from the city with a wagon and picked up the bodies. The driver and an assistant looked at the two survivors but said nothing. They looked at my ladies and our weapons very closely. I seemed to get a double dose of looks.

Later in the day, another convoy of wagons approached. At the front of the procession was a nice carriage. Around it were eight well armed men. The carriage opened and a well dressed and overweight man emerged.

He inspected our trucks and visible equipment then said, "You have two of my men."

"You are more polite than those from the Church but you need to try a bit harder. My name is Hugh Driscott."

"I'm sorry. My name is Artlam Crytar. I forget that you're a stranger to this city."

"Well, hello, Artlam. I found your boys playing a dangerous game with weapons. I think they came here to do me harm. This means that somebody wants me dead for some slight they may have thought they received from me, or perhaps they were here to kill me so they could get my copper."

"I think you're right."

"Good, that's out of the way. Did you come to trade?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

There was a few orders given and the first wagon came over. It was full of gold, copper, bronze, and silver artwork. There were also some paintings and marble statuary.

"What do you think?"

"The copper and bronze would be too expensive when I can get so many more pieces that are just as beautiful that are made out of cheaper metals. The marble looks good and we can talk about it later if you don't mind."

He just nodded his head.

There were a lot of fine furniture pieces and I said, "This time I have little room for them. When I come again, I would like to bring some larger vehicles."

"Larger?"

"Yes. We're in a hostile area and these vehicles are made for war."

"A cannon would put a hole through your vehicle."

"That may be true, but I can shoot further than the cannons you spoke of. When I come next time, I'll be even better prepared."

We looked at the next wagon. It contained books. These I wanted if for no other reason than to store away. I desperately wanted books on magic but I dare not ask any questions on this subject. I searched the titles of the books but none were on this topic. "Books are cheap in my land. A machine makes thousands of beautiful books each hour. They are neat and orderly but these are handmade. They have more life in them than my books but I cannot transport them. Your country has lots to teach me and books will do that. Most of the books here are on religion. Could you find me books on medicine or any of the sciences?"

"I will do that for you."

"I move fast. I don't want people to know where or when I go so I will have to stay alone this time."

Another wagon had guns, swords and knives but they didn't interest me. The one after had clothing. I was ready to discount it when I decided to finger the material. The first was made of something like silk but it felt much more supple. I looked close but I could not see that well. Other pieces were made of a plant material and they too looked great. They had some good weavers and some great plants to work with.

The next wagon had five girls in it. None looked older than twelve and the youngest looked eight. They were all naked and posed for me. I turned to Artlam and said, "They are beautiful but I already have too many girls to take care of, even if they take care of me as well."

The last wagon had boys in the same state of dress. Here the oldest was eighteen or so. The rest were younger at 12, two at 8, perhaps a 7 and then an infant of 3 or 4.

The males didn't really turn me on though they posed as if they loved sex. Most were too young to have those feelings, anyway.

"I may have a use for the boys." Artlam had a smile and I added, "If you notice, I have some girls. I would rather have some boys so the girls' interests are focussed somewhere beside me."

I still got the smile so he figured I was still going to fuck the boys. He said, "Young male slaves are a rare commodity. There are many older ones that are acquired during a war but the young have to be bought. This shipment is worth at least ninety drak's."

That was almost a kilogram of copper. It was also an exorbitant price in this world. "Let's go to the first wagon and we can weigh what you have."

There was a lot of art here and I was careful when it was handled. I gave a figure for what it was worth and Artlam agreed. I had thrown in some extra because some pieces were of exceptional beauty. We dickered for the paintings, the tapestries and the rugs. Here I checked the type of fibres and how tightly they were woven. The marble was good too, but I really had nothing to go by. When it looked like I didn't really want it, Artlam sold it cheaply.

When I showed Artlam our books on anatomy with clear pages showing organs he knew about some of our books. I showed him a novel so he would see how the type was very precise and easy to read though the characters were strange.

The slave girls were brought by just in case I changed my mind. I could not save this world by buying slaves but when I thought of the boys I had to change that thought.

The girls left and I had to give them a second look. That damned Artlam caught me looking and smiled.

The last wagon came and the smile had not left Artlam's face.

I looked at the boys, they looked just as piteous as the girls. They were all probably well used but so were the girls.

Jonna said to me, "What do you want the boys for. You have us. You even get an extra hole to use."

"I was thinking of having them be friends with Ronnas, Andis and Caiti. My girls trained very well and maybe we could use the boys."

"That may be a good idea. What is that man's offer?"

"A kilo of copper."

"Offer twelve drak's only."

I said to Artlam, "Please send the cart away and we will talk as if discussing other business."

"As you wish."

When the cart left I said, "People want to kill me or rob me and I have to chose who I can trust and how much."

"I am much the same."

I did as Jonna suggested about buying the boys. All the girls came over now to see the new meat but they spent time at the other wagons as well. If I went to another city I could get boys for less and this was mentioned. I got them for seventeen.

"What do you want done with them now?"

"Let's conclude our business first."

"That's always a wise option."

Artlam was paid in full, then I brought out a Saturday night Special. It was worth a lot more than what even a kilo of copper cost. I loaded the small revolver with five shells and then aimed at a piece of firewood. Everybody was frightened by the noise. Artlam was offered to fire a shot and he did. The damage to the wood and the amount of penetration was evident.

I showed Artlam the spent cartridges and he saw instantly what they were made from. The remainder of the bullets were put back in the box with the two spent shells.

Artlam stared at the gun and it was now my turn to smile.

He said, "What do you want for this weapon?"

"I need to talk around the subject for a moment if you please. We both know that this weapon is very valuable. You can fire five shots very quickly to save your life. The weapon is small and can be easily concealed. You are hampered by having only a few shells."

When I paused, he said, "That's all very true. They are powerful, but not as much as a rifle or even a good pistol."

"That's true. Now for the cost. I am now the proud owner of six boys. I am a merchant and trader and I can't take time to watch children as they should be watched. I want all of the children educated. I want them well fed and clothed. They need to have a foster mother or two look out for them and show them love. Young boys are not really eager for sex unless it's a condition of their master. The same may be said for the girls."

While Artlam digested this I said, "I'll give you the pistol and the box of shells and in return you will treat five of the boys as if they were your cousins that have fallen on hard times. You will provide for them in all ways. You will also give them a small allowance each twelve days so they may buy something small."

"Five? Which one do you keep?"

"The young man may work with me or he may be a hindrance. I want somebody that is bright but will follow orders."

"You are asking me to keep the remainder safe, treat them like my family and keep them out of the trade. What if they seek the bed of a man?"

"You'll make sure this doesn't happen."

"How long will this agreement last?"

"It has to last until the boys become men, but in actual fact it will be a year or so. I have to set up a home for us. While I trade I need to have the knowledge that my they are safe."

Artlam said, "I will do as you ask, Hugh. I'm actually amazed that you would spend that much copper to raise five children who you have never seen before."

"My society is soft and I guess I am too." In a second I added, "I made a contract when I came here. The children are important enough to me to make another."

"I'll sign this contract if it only covers what we said."

We went over to my truck and I invited Artlam in. He was the first to enter. He did pause at the door to look at the thickness of the steel. I fired up the scanner printer while I tried to make a legal document. I basically said that Artlam had to adopt the kids and treat them the way I wanted. We even put in the amount of education, their governess, and their allowance. The document was copied and printed.

Both documents were signed and dated. Artlam was amazed at everything here. Not only was it the bright light of the scanner but the fact that a perfect copy came out. There was a DVD travelogue of Earth showing on the screen. I had to fire up the generator after a while because Artlam spent a few hours watching what my world was like.

At the end he said. "Your cities are gigantic. I see no walls around them. The buildings are as high as mountains. I see many vehicles racing all over and some are longer than the one we are in. Your country is an amazing place. I would like to visit it one day."

"Your world is amazing too, but I can only see it a piece at a time. I can't even go into the city safely."

Artlam was invited to eat with us. He sipped wine with me but his eyes were everywhere trying to learn all he could. He tasted stew cooked in a large pressure cooker. Our bread was fresh. We had canned peaches for dessert.

While the remnants of the meal were being cleaned up, we talked about politics and the Church. Individual names were mentioned and he saw that I wrote these facts down. He became more informative now and put in points that I should have asked.

When we stepped out of the truck, Artlam said, "What about the fate of my men?"

"You can take them if you have a wagon. We did our best to keep them alive."

"You are not charging me?"

"The contract we signed has many ways for you to cheat me. It was just a way to cover the major points. It shows that I have to trust you and as such I don't feel right about gaining a ransom."

"I understand you more."

A cart came and the two wounded men were put into it. Artlam went out of sight and in a moment a young man now dressed appropriately came back.

Artlam and I shook hands and we parted.

Galdem, our new guest, was not sure of his duties but I was sure that Artlam had already given him some. I said, "I'm not going to have sex with you." I saw that he looked pissed off about this.

"You are not going to have sex with any of the girls until I give my permission."

He nodded at this more readily and I wondered if he actually liked men better. He may not have had much of a chance to find out about women.

The motion detectors were turned back on and we went to bed. The girls took this opportunity to show our guest how they treated me. I dug a bit deeper and saw that the girls wanted me to know I was well satisfied and didn't need anybody else.

The next day, the girls attacked poor Galdem as if he were a gazelle and they were a pride of lionesses. They cleaned him and dressed him as if he were an infant. I was sure that he got fondled but I saw none of that.

More people came and I let slip that I was leaving tomorrow. Within an hour, the roads were packed. I was not doing all the business. Jonna did much of it while I did the talking about my supposed country and the people in it.

Around noon, a messenger brought a hand made copy of the contract we made. The wording was the same but now the five girls were added into the same contract.

When I went to hand it back, the man said, "No, Milord. This is your copy. My Master only seemed to grumble about educating females."

"Thank your master for me and say that my females are educated and can do what few men could do."

"I will convey your words, Milord."

When the wagons stopped coming we found the poor coming with their meagre amounts of gold and silver. I felt bad about taking their gold even though they were really gaining because I gave a good rate and I gave pure copper.

I received another messenger and this one was from Mantoya. He wanted to know about my demonstration and I gave my reply. Mantoya already knew where and how to set up the armour.

We had another uneventful night which I was happy to get. We had packed all the gold and silver art. This had to be done with care because the trucks were going over rough roads. We were almost full, too. I had figured we would get a metric tonne of precious metals from a city this large but it was four times that. There was no way we could go to another city to trade for more.

The demonstration was set up outside of town. I was courteous to our landlord and he acted nicer now that there were witnesses. Mantoya rode with us instead of riding with his men. Even though the trucks were heavily laden, they still rode well. After a bit of fright, the man relaxed in his seat.

Mantoya said, "I have taken your advice and started a school. We have made some of the wire but everything is going so slow."

"What you are doing took a great many years in my country. The devices in my culture are usually very intricate. It takes twenty or more years just to learn one part."

"When would the student find time to practice what they learned?"

"Children start at age five and go to school five days out of seven. You can have it eleven out of twelve but a half day each. The other half day is about doing what they were taught or to do some sports."

"Where would I get all the tutors?"

"You have money. They will come."

"I do not have that much money. I have many obligations and many more now."

Now it was my turn to be quiet. "If you started a university, I would help you get it organised. I would also make available extra funds so that poor but bright students can attend. I also require that girls go to school on an equal footing if they qualify."

"Females?"

"The majority of your population is female. I see this from the outside. The males want to keep the women down. They restrict the access of information so the women are kept ignorant. There will be opposition by the Church. I feel that if the Church can't convince you to do what they want, they will find an enemy that wants what you have. They will attack, loot, and destroy."