Princess Rescue Inc (115 page)

He
shook his head and looked over his shoulder to her briefly. “Printers like we
have aren't designed to make signatures. That's the part of a book. They print
a single page. The printing press is a bit better for now, it'll let the
archivists have a clean medium to express what they're saying... and it'll give
the people who are trying to read the books an easier more sensible way to read
them.”

“And
it'll make printing faster,” Zara said smiling.

“Exactly,”
he nodded and waved.

Zara
did the same from her window. Deidra leaned over to wave as well. Ryans
couldn't help but appreciate the view and the smell. She had a nice sweet perfume
on, not cloying, just a light touch. She glanced at him as she leaned back in
her seat. A lurking smile promised more later. He felt his lingering resentment
began to ebb.

“Here
my lady,” a footman said. He was outside and on top of the carriage. He opened
the top panel. The back opened up to expose them all. Ryans looked around and
smiled.

“Nice.
Another Max innovation I bet,” he said. He looked at the canvas' folding
armatures. “Unless this is something you've had?” He turned to Zara who shook
her head. She too was intrigued with the folding design.

“Later
you two,” Deidra murmured, exasperated. She waved to the cheering crowd.

Ryans
noted a pair of hands moving behind the crowd at waist level. “I hope the
sheriff and his bailiffs are on top of that,” he said.

“On
what?” Zara asked.

“Classic
case of distraction,” he said pulling out his phone and making a call. “Perry
can you get with the sheriff and let him know there are pickpocket teams
working the crowd?” he said.

“That's
sorta hard to do since I'm riding behind you,” Perry answered dryly. Ryans
looked over his shoulder to see the hummer coming up behind him. Some of the
other vehicles were there behind it. “Great.”

Zara
gasped a little. He looked over to see an altercation. A bailiff was hauling
off a young man while another went around handing back purses. “Ah, never mind,
looks like he's got it under control,” he smiled and hung up.

“The
sheriff knew?” Deidra asked smiling.

“Apparently.
Either that or someone tipped him off. It's a common trick thieves use. It's
used in magic shows as well. Get the attention of the crowd looking elsewhere
and while they're entertained, clean them out.” He noted a dark look on the
face of a juggler who was watching the pickpockets being arrested one by one.
He went back to juggling after a moment.

“It's
a carny trick too. I wouldn't be surprised if the thieves had an arrangement
with the entertainers or at least follow them around,” he said. He tried not to
glare at the juggler as they passed.

“I
see,” Deidra said trying hard not to look grim. She waved again then bent over
and pulled out three bags. She handed one each to her companions. “I almost
forgot.”

Ryans
opened his as he caught the sight of Zara and Deidra flinging hand full’s of
glittering objects into the crowd. “Candy?” he asked.

“And
penz,” Deidra said, looking at him then tossing another handful. He nodded and
did the same. The crowd lunged forward, snapping up the gifts.

“Just
how long is this parade?” he asked.

“To
the fairgrounds,” Zara answered, looking at him then back to the crowd.

“To
the fairgrounds?” he asked surprised. He felt a sinking sensation. They had
used the fairgrounds for training during the war effort. The general had used
it at least; the gaijin had used the boot camp lands.

“Yes,
we've got the harvest fair of course silly,” Zara answered. Deidra puckered her
lips then smiled a little.

“And
just when were you going to tell me?” he demanded.

“Later
dear,” Deidra said. “Now shut up, behave, smile, and wave,” she ordered. She
tossed another handful out his side. He rumbled a sigh as Zara giggled. As
Deidra went back to her seat she paused and murmured in his ear. “I'll make it
up to you later. If you've got the energy.” She gave him a kiss then a lurking
smile promising more and then went back to working the crowd.

  <==={}------------>

“Did
you do it?” Rojer asked, looking around. Yorick shook his head. “Why not?” the
Duke asked, scowling slightly.

“Your
patsy cannot get close to them Dominus. And the mark is not tasting the various
treats here for some reason, though they seem tempted,” Yorick said quietly to
his Dominus.

Rojer
grunted in irritation. This had been something he and Yorick had planned for
over the past several mens. He'd known the fair was coming and it was the
perfect cover for assassination. With luck things would fall nicely his way for
once. Alas it was not to be apparently.

“The
patsy must be used soon Dominus,” Yorick warned. Rojer grunted again. He nodded
slowly. They had taken special care in setting this up. Care because they might
not have another chance like this for some time to come. It had taken a great
deal of effort to find and maneuver the right fall guy into position. Now the
execution remained, he thought with a small inward feral smile.

“If
not here then elsewhere, see to it,” Rojer ordered and then left to rejoin his
family. His wife was busy following the Queen. That left him with his daughter
and young son. “Come on Uther, let us go visit the paddocks,” he said smiling
to Albert and Lieandra. “Let the two lovers have some privacy,” he teased.

“Oh
father,” Lieandra protested softly, blushing furiously. Albert chuckled,
tucking her against his side and gracefully enticing her away with a hand.

  <==={}------------>

They
made their way through the crowds at the fair. Deidra got a sticky treat for
her and Zara, then when she was finished she made a show of licking her sticky
fingers suggestively to Ryans. He smiled a little, fighting certain rising
urges with difficulty. Her lurking smile and suggestive looks wasn't helping
that.

They
cheered at the exhibitions of skill and then watched as Perry took a few
lottery winners on rides with the vehicles. “The money from the lottery is
supposed to go to the local orphanage and the schools,” Zara murmured to them.
Ryans nodded.

“We
don't need it,” he smiled as a family got into a LAV and Scooter rolled his
eyes as he passed them by. The gaijin had their own food in the form of MRE's
but also careful investing and stockpiling of printed parts and paper had
allowed them all a nice nest egg. Wanda had investments in a lot of industries
across the capital. She didn't know it yet but she she was easily a
multimillionaire. He wasn't sure he wanted her to know, he was fairly certain
she wouldn't slack off and quit but she might demand a vacation.

The
crowd oohed as Ginger did a pass with the airplane. She did a few barrel roles
and loop the loops before buzzing the crowd. After a couple more stunts
including flying upside down she settled down and then landed in the center
field. She taxied to a special parking space set up for her. Many spectators
rushed to see it up close but soldiers moved to block them off until roping was
set up around the plane. Ginger got out and talked to the crowd, waving to her
fans and groupies.

She,
like a lot of the gaijin, now had a following. Ginger was a celebrity, but she
spent a lot of time explaining flight and how they were planning on planes to
move things and people, as well as planes to spray crops and target animals.

Balloons
on the edge of the field were going up, then being pulled down by winches and
lines. The people on them were having a ball until one decided to pee on the
crowd below. He was promptly arrested when the balloon landed.

“It's
just missing carny rides,” Perry commented looking around. He smiled at the
group of people being tossed into the air on blankets by the crowd. Zara gave
him a look. “Ferris wheel, roller coaster, that sort of thing,” he explained.

She
frowned and then nodded. “I think Max was talking about it. I think he said
something about maybe something for next spring or next harvest festival.
Either that or the train,” she said and then shrugged.

Perry
laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “He would.” He shook his head walking
off.

Ryans
passed on the jousting and tourney, Zara did as well. They paused to watch a
single race. Zara cheered for Baggins, the
branack
from the royal
stables.

“Go
Baggins!” she whooped, watching and cheering as the small long legged creature
and its tiny rider out ran its competitors.

“I'm
glad he's wearing a helmet. It'd suck to take a fall going at that speed,”
Ryans commented.

“Mother
insisted on it when she lost a jockey when she was my age,” Deidra replied as
an aside. She was throwing her hands in the air and cheering as Baggins crossed
the finish line. “I like the new ones Scooter created though, the padding
inside is much more comfortable,” she said. She patted him on the arm then
kissed his cheek. “I'll be back,” she said. He glanced as she got up and left
then shrugged and turned back to the next race.

  <==={}------------>

Deidra
went alone to the sword fighting ring. She met a servant there and smiled as he
raised a blanket so she could put her armor on in relative privacy. She
surprised many when she entered the ring in her armor. She only had her torso
armor on over her dress. She did a short exhibition match, easily winning
against her opponent. Perry caught the match and called Ryans.

“She
did what?” Ryans demanded, sticking his finger in his other ear to cut down on
the din of the crowd around him.

“Calm
down, she's fine. Ripped her dress and her mother is fuming but she's grinning
like an idiot. The crowd loved it,” Perry said.

Ryans
felt his heartbeat rise in panic and then he closed his eyes, forcing himself
to think about the words. “Did she...”

“She
won. And no, before you ask, her opponent is fine. I'm not sure if he threw the
fight or not. If he's smart he didn't. Pissing her off would be the last thing
anyone would want,” Perry observed.

“He
could have, thinking that losing would have pissed her off even more,” Ryans
mused. He shook himself. It didn't matter now, he thought.

“Maybe,
but I think he didn't,” Perry shrugged. The Queen waved to the crowd as they
turned to leave. Ryans approached and waved. They put their phones away.

“You
okay?” he asked Deidra as she came up to Perry.

“Of
course,” she smiled, still flushed with adrenalin. He sighed and shook his
head.

“The
least thing you could have done was warn me,” he said, trying to keep his tone
light.

“We've
been over this,” her smile turned into a glare.

“Not
just that. This,” he said. He waved to the ring. She grimaced.

“If
you think I put myself in danger you can save it. I already had that lecture,”
she looked at her mother, now angry with both of them. “I don't need
protecting,” she growled.

“Hell
with that, I would have liked to have watched,” Ryans replied. She turned back
surprised. “What you don't think I didn't know you can handle a sword? Hell
I've seen you practice princess, you can handle it.”

Her
face cracked into a smile of delight. She pulled his head down for a thorough
kiss, then gave him another smile of approval as she slowly let go. Some of
their audience was laughing and whistling. He returned the smile.

  <==={}------------>

As
night began to fall he dodged a crowd watching a man on stilts. He paused as
the man used a torch to spit flame. The crowd cheered. “Interesting,” he said
nodding.

“Indeed.
I always wanted to try. Mother had a fit when I told her,” Deidra snickered,
hugging herself to him. He smiled. “So where were you?” she asked.

“Max
needed a break from the machinery exhibit,” he said. He waved toward the tent.
She looked over to it then subtly guided them in that direction.

“What's
there?” she asked.

“Well,
since we're going there, I might as well show you,” he smiled. The gaijin had
known about the autumn harvest festival and had planned for it of course; he
just hadn't planned on the blasted parade. The Queen and her retinue were ahead
of them. She was moving slowly so they easily caught up.

“So
these are some of the machines you've built?” the Queen asked, clearly
intrigued. Max nodded. Zara was positively bouncing in her excitement.

“Yes
your majesty, we’ve been steadily making progress,” he said, voice rough with
fatigue and from speaking all day. He smiled and gave her a slight bow. He
pointed and turned the point into a wave of his hand. “This is a rough booth so
please bear with me.” He walked them through the aisles with his students,
showing them various inventions. The Queen murmured at the toilet exhibit, and
was quite intrigued by the motors.

“Such
wonders,” she said watching her youngest daughter smile. Zara had been given
the last lecture on electricity. Her mother was quite proud of her daughter
even though she didn't understand any of what she had said. Only that it
worked.