Chapter 6

“This is a nice place,” I said, as I walked through the empty item shop. “I think I can work with this.”

“Great!” said Claude. “Do you need some furniture or can you make your own?”

“I can’t replicate wood,” I said. “And I think wood would look the most natural in here.”

“Okay, I’ll get Tanna on that right away.” Claude turned towards the door. “In the meantime, work with what you have and try and figure out how this shop will operate.” She left the shop.

It was just me in there, and I felt the nice feeling one gets when standing in the middle of a new house. I needed to start with a sign. Eventually I wanted to use neon, but without any reliable source of electricity I would have to put that project on hold.

I found a piece of wood that was meant to board up the shop’s windows, which we had removed. Using my alchemy power, I created a gilded lettering that read “Shop of Wonders.” Underneath it, for those who couldn’t read—which I assumed was a large portion of the population—I put a treasure chest. After hanging the sign up, I stepped back and looked at it.

Great!

My first project would be trying to get the word out that this shop existed. For that, I needed fliers. For those, I would need a printing press. I would probably have to make the fliers understandable to the illiterate, but that would be a bridge to cross when I got there.

My first job would be to try and replicate the press. I knew virtually nothing about how it was constructed, but I had the general impression, and any problems could be worked out in construction.

First, I needed a wine press. Claude had left me with a considerable sum of money to use on my own. While Tanna was out securing shelves and cabinets, I would secure a wine press. I could create the movable type and ink myself. I would also need some paper. Hopefully someone already knew how to make that stuff here. If not, I would have to contract someone and teach them how to make the stuff.

I left the shop and locked up, putting the key in my pocket. I had with me about three hundred cris, which I hoped was enough to buy a wine press.

The first place to go would be the merchants’ guild. They would obviously know where I could get what I was looking for.

I wonder if I can explain to them what, exactly, it does? I thought. Will they understand?

I wound my way through the streets until I came to the ornate Guild Hall. After taking a moment to ready myself, I pushed the doors open.

I entered a large room with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and lots of wood-banister walkways. Various well-dressed people were going about their business.

A doorman approached me. “Yes?” he said.

I handed him my guild card—the one that Tanna had provided me. “I’m here to buy some equipment for my shop,” I said.

“Very well,” said the doorman. “I will lead you to our procurement division.” He turned around, implying that I follow him.

We entered a hallway underneath a grand staircase and came to a small back room filled with stacks of parchment. A man with an aging complexion and grey hair turned to greet me.

“Ah, yes, the Guardians’ shop owner,” he said, tapping his hands on his desk. “It was just yesterday that Lady Tanna came in here requesting a shop permit. What are you here for?” He smiled, though I could tell it was empty.

“I need a wine press,” I said.

“Wine?” said the merchant. He shook his head. “I don’t think you’re licensed to produce any kind of alcohol.”

“I’m not going to use it to produce any wine,” I said. “I’ll be using it to create a new kind of art.”

“A new kind of art?” said the merchant. He seemed to think for a minute. “I don’t understand what kind of new art would require a wine press.”

“I can show you a sample of what I will be producing after I get the press,” I said.

“Very well,” said the merchant. “As long as you do not use it to produce wine or any other spirits, you may procure one.” He wrote something down on some parchment. “My name is Harold,” he said. “I’ll be your liaison between you and the merchant suppliers. I look forward to a profitable relationship.” He offered me the parchment.

I took it.

“When can I expect the press?” I said.

“Tomorrow by the latest,” said Harold. “We will have it delivered directly to the shop. Do you wish to hire help to set it up? I heard that the Guardians are also rounding up shelves and furniture for your store. You may need a bit of extra manpower.”

“How much will it cost?” I asked.

“About five cris per person per day,” said Harold. “We have a deep pool of people looking for day labor.”

“Okay, bring me four workers when the wine press and furniture arrive.”

“Done,” said Harold. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes,” I said. “How much of this population can read?”

“Read?” said Harold. “Not many, I presume. Do you know how to read and write?”

“I do,” I said. “I also know how to do numbers.” I paused. I’m going to have to teach these people algebra, I thought. That will be fun.

“We could use you to handle paperwork,” said Harold. “Our pay is very competitive.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I already have my hands full working with this shop.”

“If you ever do need some extra work, come by,” said Harold. He took a rubber stamp and stamped a few documents. “The wine press will arrive by tomorrow before the tenth bell chime.”

“Thank you very much,” I said. I turned around and left the room. The hallway outside was deserted. I decided to do a bit of exploring.

I went to the right. The hallway stretched on for some time, with doors on both sides. I reached a single entrance at the end of the hall.

Without knocking, I entered. On the other side was an auditorium, filled with empty seats, with a stage at the bottom. I took in the whole scene for a moment, and then walked down to the stage. The place was lit by a sky window that covered the roof. Ash-stained sconces showed where torches had been lit.

“This looks like a college classroom,” I said.

The doors opened. I spun around in surprise. A lanky man with long, tangled hair stood in the doorway.

“Greetings,” he said. “I see you have found your way into the chambers of the Royal Society. May I help you?”

Royal society, I thought. This must be their meeting of scientists. “I’m just looking around,” I said.

“This place is not off limits,” said the man. He sat down in one seat at the auditorium’s back. “But I wonder how you managed to get here through the maze that is the Guild Hall.”

“It was relatively easy,” I said. I hope I don’t get lost on the way back, I thought.

“We are going to be hosting a meeting here in about half a bell chime,” said the man. “Do you wish to listen?”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I have some work to do with my shop. I just bought a wine press.”

“Well, you can come here any time you wish to enrich yourself,” said the man. “My name is Moray. We’re hosting another meeting two days from now at noon. How about you come over then?”

“If I’m not to busy, I will,” I said.

Moray smiled. “Very well,” he said. “Give me your name and I’ll put you on the invited guest list.”

“Markus,” I said.

Moray leaned on the seat in front of him. “I’ll be seeing you around. Do you need help finding your way out?”

“I think I can handle it on my own,” I said. I began walking towards the door I had entered from.

“I’ll be seeing you in a couple of days,” said Moray, as I left the auditorium.

Through retracing my steps, I did manage to find my way back to the Guild Hall’s entrance. Upon stepping outside, I was greeted by the smell of something good cooking. I followed the scent until I came to a large open market where dozens of people were cooking street food. I had a considerable amount of money left, so I walked up to the nearest vendor.

They were selling what looked like a hybrid between a fish and a bird.

“What’s this?” I said, pointing to the cooked animal.

“Whatcha, you don’t kno’ about breen?” said the shopkeeper, a fat, rotund woman.

“Breen?” I said. “Is it any good?”

“Of course it is, lad!” said the shopkeeper. “Why don’t you try it?” She took a piece of the meat on a skewer and handed it to me. “Since you’re such a handsome young man I’ll be givin’ this to you for free.”

I took the skewer and ate the meat. It was delicious, a little like catfish, a little like orange chicken from that Chinese Panda chain. “Delicious!” I said. “I’ll take two more of those skewers!”

“One cris,” said the shopkeeper.

“Thanks,” I said, handing over the cris and taking the meat.

I went on my way through the market, observing the various things for sale.

The bells chimed noon, echoing through the city. I needed to get back to my shop to deal with the delivery of the wine press.

When I got back, I found Tanna, Claude, and Drex unloading furniture from a horse drawn carriage. Just as I waved to them, another carriage arrived carrying my wine press.

Claude looked at the wine press and then gave me a funny expression. “What’s that for?” she said.

“A new kind of art,” I said, walking up to the press and inspecting it. “You’re going to love it.”

“Art?” said Claude. “From a printing press?”

“You’ll see!” I said. “This will probably bring in a bunch of money, too. Just wait!”

“I trust your technological judgement,” said Claude. She tapped a line of shelves. “Come on, are you going to help us?”

The four hired hands that I had requested climbed out of the carriage carrying the wine press. One of them was a cat person—the first I had seen so far.

With their help, we unpacked all the furniture and shelves, and with a lot of effort got the wine press into the back room. When everything was arranged, I surveyed my shop, and then paid the laborers their wage.

“How’s the starsilver mine going?” I asked.

“At least a hundred people have staked claims,” said Claude. “And we’ve sold land to most of them. This is going to be a great financial venture for us.”

“Which we were expecting,” said Tanna. “I think that we should still be cautious. We don’t know how this is going to turn out in the long run.”

“Being wary is good,” said Drex. He turned to me. “Do you think you’re ready to start doing what you’re here for?”

“Helping individual people with their problems?” I said.

“No,” said Drex. “That is one thing you’ll be doing. What we really want you to do is use your knowledge of your old world to improve people’s lives.”

“You want me to be a researcher and teacher,” I said.

“Yes,” said Drex. “And an item shop is the best way that you can distribute your inventions and creations. Like the wine press. I have no idea what you’re trying to do with it, but I’m sure it will change the world.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll be on it.”

***