Terry Pratchett
I had a problem. There was simply not enough time in the day to do all that I wanted and had to do. The four areas Lady Acacia wanted us to focus on alone took up most of our time. I loved magical studies it was still wondrous to me to watch my will become reality in one form or another. The martial training was tougher but I knew it was important having been caught out often enough. So far luck rather than skill had seen me survive and I was keen to change that. Still, it felt like I had a long way to go before that would be the case. The pursuit of the arts was a nice break from the mental aspects of magical studies and the physical aspects of martial training. It was a wonderful way to break up a session by pulling out an instrument to practice or picking up some pens to draw or paint. But it too took up a lot of time. Then there was the governance aspect of our schooling with the Silversea Court. All in all, those four alone accounted for most of our hours each day.
That wasn’t counting the extra-curricular aspects we wanted to achieve such as creating trade products for our growing merchant empire. Salt, pearls, purple, sea silk and the multitude of food products we hoped for all took time to produce. Neither was it counting all the trade skills I hoped to pick up from our cousins, blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, mining, tiling and pottery were all fantastic skills to learn I just didn’t have the time I needed to do all of them. Also, it left little time for me to sing with my mother, sail with my father or hunt with my grandfather. There wasn’t a solution that I could see to the lack of time available. We hadn’t even made it to our other cousins yet and still had to have a go at farming, tanning, glass blowing and all of the other skills they could teach us.
Our timetable as it stood was physical and martial training from the second the sun rose for an hour or two while our cousins arose and arrived on our isle. Then we would make our way to our hidden garden for the Silversea Court / School before lunch. Once they left, we would have our magical training up in the garden in the shade of the Elendil tree followed by our musical practice either up there or at home. Before gathering for dinner to discuss our progress and what we hoped to achieve next.
. . .
“You have a problem. You like to do everything yourself. But you can’t Kai.” Lady Acacia had listened to my complaints, and I had hoped for her to be able to offer me a suitable solution.
“But there is so much I want to learn and so much I can do.” I sighed.
“Focus on your training to be a strong Lord first then take breaks to see what you can pick up. If you spread yourself too thin you will learn nothing well. Moreover, your house will rely on your strength to protect it.” She outlined my options.
“I wish I could just do everything.” I frowned
“There is no rush for you to pick up everything. You will have time to learn the other professions you are interested in later on in life.” She commiserated.
“But it needs to get started now.” I had plans I wanted to put into motion. Plans that I wanted to be started now not next decade.
“Then delegate.” She interrupted.
“But then I won’t be the one doing it.” My argument was circular even to myself.
“Do you have to till the soil, plant the vine, pick the grape, to make the wine? No, you are a Lord, you own the land, you can pay the people you merely need to outline the tasks they have to complete.” A sensitive listener might even think that she was a little exasperated.
She was right. I did not have to do everything myself to make my vision for our home to become a reality but that didn’t stop me from wanting to do so. The system rewarded me so clearly for my every effort it was difficult not to take each task. My skill Parallel process allowed me to use multiple skills simultaneously to make up my HUD, but what I needed was more than that. I needed another me to do everything I wanted to do.
A clone for my magical studies, a clone for my physical training, a clone for the arts, a clone for the governance, and then further clones for sailing, blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, mining, tiling, pottery, farming, and teaching . . . I needed over a dozen clones to do all the tasks I had lined up properly. Unfortunately, the system had yet to grace me with such a skill and I had no idea how to get such a thing.
Parallel process came close but was more akin to playing one line of music with the right hand, one line with the left hand, keeping the beat with my feet and singing over the top. Four different tasks to create one single performance. What I needed to be able to do was continue to train my martial skills under Lady Acacia while simultaneously writing my grimoire, building our merchant empire, growing our garden, and the list went on. Maybe there was a skill, maybe there wasn’t but in the meantime, I was going to have to delegate or give things up. Something I wasn’t quite prepared to do yet.
We needed more money, more workers, and greater efficiency we needed to work smarter not harder to accomplish all we hoped to. The question was how do we do that?
. . .
The next day someone had a surprise visitor, their arrival was not a surprise merely their timing.
“Welcome back Mercurio.” Grandpa Smit was happy to see his partner in crime return. “How was your journey?”
“Both better and worse than the last one.” He replied. “It was better in the fact that I wasn’t hauling anyone who could tell me to go straight here and then back again which meant I could stop to make significantly more profit at each island we visited. Worse in what she requested us to bring for her this time. Remind me never to work with children, tutors or animals again.” He moaned.
“Animals?” asked confused
“Oh, didn’t she inform you of everything she’s ordered? I have a breeding pair of the following animals: horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, geese, ducks, chickens, and pigeons. It is a menagerie of madness I tell you. But one I’m happy to pass on to you at cost no less.” He smiled holding out a list of the prices he had acquired the animals at.
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“At cost?” surprised both by the offer and the animals.
“Yes, these are all for you and your family.” He informed Grandpa Smit. “And I’m not taking them back that’s for sure. It’s going to take the day to clean out the hold and I’m not sure it’s ever going to smell the same.”
“But, what . . .” confused both by the products and the generosity of Mercurio at selling anything at cost.
He was interrupted by the animals being led into his courtyard. The larger ones walked in on their own.
“How . . .” his eyebrows continued to rise as the animals were carted in.
The smaller ones were deposited still in crates. While the larger ones were tied up around the place.
“We winched them up the side of the cliff with blinkers on. Seemed the quickest and safest way to do it. There was no way we were going to get them up the side of the cliff.” He added
“You did?” he said rhetorically.
“Oh and before I forget here are a pair of sea falcons.” He said as he handed over the last crate. “Best hunting bird I could find that would actually live by the sea or on an island like this one.”
“Sea falcons?” Smit asked perplexed.
“Well most nobles hunt, and when I say hunt they will do it from horseback or through falconry. That’s what the horses, dogs and birds of prey are for. The rest . . .” he paused. “who knows? Maybe she just wants a change in your diet other than fish. Mind you she did insist on the particular breeds and I was given a specific list so I’m sure there is more to it than just that.” He elaborated.
Smit shelved the question of the animals to focus on the truly perplexing conundrum. “At cost? You never do anything at cost.”
“Well I’m always happy to help a new noble family establish themselves and I have a vested interest in you continuing to survive. Taxes have been going up in Ponente to help fund the border armies and the Silversea tax staying the same has meant that I can make more of a profit. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that continues and I hope you remember that, Seneschal Silvertongue.” He quipped. Someone had clearly informed him of the new nature and names of the Adals.
“A rising tide raises all boats,” Smit replied obliquely neither promising nor objecting to Mercurio’s suggestion. “But we will remember your contribution.” He murmured looking around at his animal-filled courtyard. “Shall we go meet the head of the house? I think you will be surprised by the growth of his progress.”
. . .
We sat in our grand hall to welcome our merchant. Aleera and I as the official nobles had the two chairs in the centre at the end of the hall. Father stood behind me while Mother stood behind Aleera. Grandfather stood in front of me to the side while Lady Acacia stood in front of Aleera to the side. Together we welcomed Mercurio back to our palace. We had continued to improve the place in his absence when we were afforded the time by Lady Acacia. Mother had woven some more hanging tapestries to bedeck the hall. One for each of the Adal families we had raised. Silvertongue, Silversword, Silverkin, Silverwood, Silverstone, Silverseed, Silversoil, Silverstag, Silverskin and Silverglass. Each family had its own Crest and banner to represent their branch of our house.
“My . . . lord.” Mercurio bowed yet clearly perplexed by my rather early growth spurt. “I hope you are well.”
“Very, thank you,” I replied. Everyone could see that he was confused by my ability to respond and my size.
“You have the deeds?” Aleera jumped into the conversation diverting his attention away from me.
“Yes, my lady. Every coin of profit has been reinvested in purchasing the land of the surrounding islands. The majority of Little Wester and Wester Levante are now yours. However, any further purchasing will be problematic if not prohibitively expensive.” He shifted his attention from me to focus on my sister.
“Why?” she asked sharply.
“Your location is no longer a secret.” His statement was surrounded by silence as we digested the information before he went on to explain, “Both our pursuit of purchasing the surrounding localities as well as our direct trip here with Lady Acacia have meant that other Lords and Ladies suspect if they have not confirmed the location of the Silversea holdings.” He answered. “Even Cadmus has stayed back in Ponente as the Prince and his seneschal believe there is no longer any threat to his wellbeing. That alone suggests that they are aware that others are aware.” He added. "I suspect that the Wester Isle lords or even the Eastern Lords of Ponente will be purchasing land nearby either to stop your expansion or to offer to you in return for political favours or capital."
The silence after he informed us was now directed at our tutor, whose actions had possibly precipitated this.
“It was a necessary risk.” She defended her choice and actions. “Although we will now have to hasten the young noble’s introduction to the people of Wester.” She answered the silent glare of my grandfather. “You have bought and brought everything I requested?” she returned to questioning Mercurio.
“Everything on your first list, most on your second and I have made inquiries about the third.” He answered leaving us in the dark as to what specifically she had been requesting.
“Wonderful, wonderful. We will have to have more private talk to discuss them and I have made some new smaller lists of items we will still require.” She seemed elated that he managed to have brought everything on her first list.
“What exactly did you ask him to bring?” Aleera asked intrigued.
“Animals, my lady,” Mercurio answered for her.
“What animals?” Aleera asked.
“Well, there are horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, geese, ducks, chickens, pigeons and two seafalcons.” he went into detail.
“Why on earth do we need so many different domesticated animals?” Aleera asked what everybody was probably thinking.
“If I cannot take you to the mainland I will bring the mainland here.” Lady Acacia started strongly. “You both need to learn how to ride for both the skills and the experience. It will be expected of both of you when you visit Ponente. If we do not yet have the resources for our own carriage and the prince does not provide one. You can hardly be seen to be walking through the streets. Besides, it was hardly just animals that I requested he purchased.”
“Very well, horses I can understand but the rest,” Aleera responded.
“I have completed an exhaustive list of the trades, skills, products and livestock of Wester Town and found while it is strong in specific fields such as fishing and pearl diving it is also severely lacking in its diversity.” she began to explain.
“Cows?” Mother asked astonished
“You don’t have any.” Lady Acacia rebutted
“We do too.” Aleera butted in.
“Let me rephrase that you have none of worth. These were selected for their quality of milk and meat they are prime specimens worthy of a noble house. The current selection on the island leaves a lot to be desired.” she derided the few specimens we had on our island.
“I assume it is the same for the sheep, goats and pigs, but what about the cats, dogs, poultry and pigeons?” Grandpa Smit asked having entered alongside Mercurio.
“Every lady needs their own cat, every lord needs their own hunting dog or dogs. The poultry has been selected for the fineness of their feathers your pillows leave a lot to be desired. The pigeons are a pet project of mine.”
“You're not going to use them for the pillows too?” he asked.
“No. I hope to improve the communication between the isles and the compass kingdoms our news is woefully out of date. They are homing pigeons which correct me if I’m wrong you also left at each isle on your way here, yes Mercurio.”
“As requested.” He answered.
“Superb, once the pairs have bred, their chicks will be able to find their way back to each isle. Then Mercurio can move them between isles on his trips. We should be able to access news from each isle far faster than Mercurio can currently provide us.” She explained her little project.
"It would have been nice to have been kept abreast of your requests Lady Acacia." Mother softly reprimanded. "How precisely do you plan to introduce our Lord and Lady to the Isle?"
"Bread and games, pearls and performances," she answered swiftly. "It is time for the Silversea family to make itself known."