Princess Rescue Inc (103 page)

“And
stone walls. You and me both,” she said shaking her head. “Lamp oil right?”

“Yes
mistress, was it... was it tipped over?” he asked suggestively.

“No,”
she said shaking her head firmly. “I didn't even have anything on. But I think
I know what happened...”

  <==={}------------>

“So
it was no accident?” the Queen asked. She frowned, pacing back and forth in
front of the fire. She was glad this had happened now instead of earlier, but
the timing...

“No
your majesty, we're just lucky she had been working on medical materials for
Doc. If she had still been working on explosives it could have taken half the
castle,” Perry said.

The
Queen paled. She sat abruptly. “That bad?”

“Explosives
aren't something you play with,” Ryans said, shaking his head. He darted a
reproving look at Perry. “But yeah it would have done some damage. But Wanda
always worked in small doses so it would have been bad but not catastrophic.”

“Bad
enough,” the Queen said, clearly shaken by the idea. Her hands shook as she
picked up a goblet and took a long gulp. “Bad enough,” she said again sitting
back.

“And
the one who set the fire?” she asked turning to the captain of the guard.

Maximus
scowled. “Gone your majesty, I'm sorry. In the confusion...”

Wanda
nodded. She was still a bit sooty. She brushed at her blouse, annoyed that it
was covered in soot and had some singe marks. “I didn't get a good look in the
hall anyway. If those guards hadn't wandered by when they did though he'd have
tried to kill me.”

“Indeed,”
the Queen said nodding. “You'll need a guard. And no more working with
dangerous substances in the castle. I hereby forbid it.”

Wanda
looked a little mulish then sighed. “Yes your majesty. Commuting back and forth
to the lab outside of the city is going to be a pain though,” she warned.

“We'll
figure it out,” Ryans said shaking his head. “At least it's secure there,” he
said and then frowned.

“Or
is it?” Perry asked. “I think I'll just step up security,” he said firmly. The
Queen and Maximus nodded.

  <==={}------------>

“I
don't like this,” Deidra said as he rubbed her back and shoulders. He sighed.

“Am
I doing something wrong?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Tis
this fire,” she said stretching out. She started to roll but he pushed her back
down. “Twas no accident. No thing of chance. To have set the fire...”

“Ballsy
I admit.”

“Was
it a random act I wonder?” she asked, hands gripping the pillow.

“Or
a crime of opportunity? Wanda said she goes for meals at odd hours. The door is
locked however. For someone to get in they would have had to have a key or the
ability to pick a lock.”

“And
to have known she was gone. She was fortunate that she lived. Had the bastard
approached her with a message or package...?”

“Yeah,
that'd be bad,” Ryans said wincing. “You shouldn't talk to strangers,” he
murmured, remembering what had happened to Perry.

“Eh?”

“An
old thing kids are taught. Don't talk to strangers; don't accept gifts or rides
from strangers.”

“Oh.”

“We'll
get to the bottom of it.” He slapped her rump. She growled turning.
“Eventually,” he chuckled as he smiled at the fire in her eyes.

  <==={}------------>

Lieutenant
Perry looked over to the Queen, Deidra, and Ryans. The trio was sitting around
the fireplace drinking wine. “How'd it go?” Ryans asked looking up.

“About
what can be expected,” Perry shrugged.

“Ah.
I take it the general isn't happy about the reduced budget and more laid back
time line?” Ryans asked. He was surprised the Queen had passed that off on
Perry. Apparently she was still playing good cop bad cop with the good
lieutenant.

“You
could say that,” Perry snorted. “I've introduced him to more advanced gaming
though, we've built a table top risk style game for him and his cronies to play
with. It should keep them occupied for a while, at least the winter.”

“Good,”
Ryans snorted.

“How
did the lords go?” Perry asked.

“You
could say that politics make strange bedfellows,” Deidra said, idly stroking
the stem of her glass with her finger.

Perry
gave her a look. “Stole that from him or the history books?” he asked pointing
to Ryans.

She
smiled. “That and...” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Ah yes, politics is
the womb of war...” she said glancing his way.

“Close
enough,” Ryans answered. “We've got Duke Emroy and Duke Pyror on our side. Troy
is wavering. Rojer is with the war faction, but he also doesn't want to miss
out on the mining equipment or the combines for his duchy. Not to mention the
vehicles.”

“Ah,”
Perry snorted. They want their cake and to be able to eat it too. So you're
playing one faction off against another I take it?”

The
Queen shrugged. She had gotten used to the blunt manner of speech the gaijin
used when they talked now. In some ways it was still disconcerting, in others
refreshing. They did have a way of cutting to the heart of a matter quickly.
“Something like that. The lords along the rivers and ocean want new ships and
equipment now that they know they exist. The smaller border lords want to
expand their borders as well,” the Queen said tiredly. “It's all happening at
once.”

“Gee,
I wonder how that started,” Perry snorted looking in Eugene's direction.

“We
did as well,” the Queen said giving Ryans a look. He looked away. Deidra
blushed. The Queen turned her eyes on her. “Daughter?” she asked.

“Guilty,”
Deidra said raising a hand in surrender. “In truth it neatly deflected lord
Pemerson. He has been after dad to expand his barony for years mum. He wishes
to be elevated very badly. He has quite a large family and wants his younger
sons to each be lords in their own right.”

The
Queen pursed her lips in thought and then then nodded. “True. And once he
begins to expand it'll keep him away from the capital for periods of time.
He'll need to see his new holdings personally after all.”

“Exactly
my thoughts,” Deidra said smiling in relief. The lord was a flirt and didn't
take no for an answer very well.

“The
other border lords as well. They'll be last to get the latest technologies,
much to their growing ire. Perhaps this will divert them,” the Queen murmured
thoughtfully.

“One
can hope,” Perry murmured.

“Yes
one can,” the Queen nodded. She sighed. “It is such a bother with all the
paperwork... The sheer drudgery of trying to read the different hand
writings...” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. She set a paper down on
her lap. “I do wish we could get that... I believe you called it a printing
press?” she asked looking at Ryans who nodded.

“Yes
your majesty. We've actually built a third one now. They're in constant use.
Paper is a problem however,” he cautioned.

The
Queen nodded. “I see that. In fact that is what this is about.” She tapped the
paper with a finely manicured fingernail. “A proposal to cut the forests of
Lungore and Emroy down for paper...and of course men with suitable arms drawn
from the royal army.” She gave Perry a look. “As guards against bandits and
animals. Modern weapons to use against the basilisks.”

“Fat
lot of good that would do,” Perry muttered. She gave him a look. “Nothing,” he
said shaking his head.

“Indeed,”
she replied and nodded, smiling a wintry smile.

“I'd
suggest a more... careful harvesting method your majesty. Not all trees are
good for making paper after all... Or for other uses. I believe there is even a
native grass plant that is better suited for making paper. As far as the trees
go, with careful management a plot of land can be harvested every few years
indefinitely,” Ryans said looking thoughtful.

“Huh.
Lumber jack show?” Perry asked amused.

“
Swamp
Loggers
. Got a problem with that?” Ryans answered with a slight challenging
smile.

“Nope,
not since I'm from the south,” Perry smiled back. “I got a kick out of that
show once or twice myself. I just don't like the idea of going into
basilisk
territory on foot.”

“Yeah,
there's that,” Ryans snorted.

“And
think of this... once you get the trees down... hauling them out... on foot,”
Perry said.

Deidra
paled. She looked at her mother. “I agree with them mother. A
basilisk
is not to be taken lightly. They may very well defend their homes just as we
do, quite fiercely.”

“True,”
the Queen nodded. “Do you not have machines that can make this task easier?”
she asked looking from Ryans to Perry.

“Ah...
well, huh,” Ryans rubbed his chin thinking furiously.

“Cross
cut saws, chains saws are out, we don't have the industry up for it, let alone
the fuel,” Perry pointed out.

“Ugh.
Cross cut saws and axes are for the birds,” Ryans replied.

“Better
than what they've got now,” Perry reminded him.

“True.”

“They're
still stuck with hauling the wood out to the road or river. Drop it in the
river and float it down stream,” Perry said, setting aside that part of the
issue.

“And
go swimming with the predators in the water? Remember those hex croc things?”
Ryans asked.

Perry
frowned, “you’re such a downer. You're right though,” Perry replied.

“Nah,
I just don't want to be on anyone's menu if I can help it.”

Perry
snorted. “Spoil sport.”

“Gentlemen...”
the Queen sighed.

“What
about those big war titan things?” Perry asked. He glanced at the Queen.

“What
about them?” Ryans asked, also ignoring the Queen's protest.

“Well,
what about using them to tow the wood? Or pick the logs up? I think the people
of India do that with Terran elephants,” Perry suggested.

“Kinda
tight fit in the forest. Maybe on the edge. Selective logging you mean? Use
smaller critters to get the logs to them? Forget the Trikes, they'd just as
soon bite you in half over being helpful,” Ryans said, getting on board with
the idea. Deidra looked at him. He caught the rich amusement in her gaze.

“Yeah
they aren't exactly docile. The titans though, that might work,” Perry nodded.
“Mobile palisade for the camp... crap...”

“Yeah,”
Ryans snorted. He gave the exasperated women a look, “oh, sorry,
brainstorming.”

“We
see that,” Deidra replied dryly snorting. She gave her mother an amused but
sympathetic look. Her mother returned it after a moment.

“It's
a problem I take it?” the Queen finally asked.

“It
is a bottleneck until we can get engines out there and people trained to use
them. Since we're not using hydrocarbons we've also got a power plant problem.
Steam might work, it did in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries
on Earth,” Ryans explained. The Queen looked confused. He sighed. “Trust me
your majesty, we're still at the build the tools to build the tools to do what
we need stage.”

She
nodded finally. “Ah.”

“But
we can do small things to try to help offset the problem until we can address
it fully right?” Deidra asked, hand on his. She locked eyes with him.

“Sure,”
he said nervously. He blushed as her fingers stroked the top of his hand. She
looked amused, her eyes twinkled. “Whatever you want. We'll do what we can with
what we've got.”

“That's
what I want to hear,” she purred and then smiled.

Perry
snorted. “We can also use the crews to plant new trees to replace the old. And
do selective logging, not slash and burn or clear cutting, that's such a waste
anyway.”

He
gave Deidra and Ryans a look. They were both oblivious. “Earth to... ah hell,
never mind.” He nodded to the amused monarch. “I'll see if I can dig up some
reading glasses your majesty,” he said, wondering what she'd done with the last
pair they'd lent her. She nodded politely. “Good evening,” he said walking out,
slapping a glove on his thigh.

  <==={}------------>

“So,
what are we going to do with the military?” the Duke asked, leaning back in his
chair. It was too fine a day to be stuck indoors in long winded discussions,
Ryans thought. They had their own source of hot air right there in the room
with them.

“Well,
I noticed you've got a lot of roman roads,” Perry said smiling to the duchess.
Duchess Pyror was a nice woman. Pleasantly plump and not shrewish.

“Yes,
the lost legion,” the Duke said nodding.

“Lost
legion?” Ryans asked shaking his head.

“A
Roman legion that was transported. The vortex came and swallowed them up. The
survivors did their best to set up here,” the Duke explained and then waved.