The look on Captain Draves’ face when he saw Tumlus was priceless. Ok, so really, there wasn't that much change in his expression, and had I taken a picture, very few people would be able to tell he was surprised at all. But for those of us who knew him, it was quite obvious.

  However, I got the reaction I was looking for from Emily. The look on her face was priceless. But it wasn't from the fact that Tumlus was Rabiss. She had never met a Rabiss, so she had no idea what they looked like. The shock came from the dark olive skin tone and unique facial features of the Rabiss. They had a smoother face, and their noses and eyes were slightly wider, with more prominent cheekbones than the Falmoren.

  I didn’t bother telling her what race he was. I didn’t want to freak her out. I just said, “This is Tumlus. He is a glassmaker from the south.”

  I actually didn't have to worry about anyone in the manor freaking out about a Rabiss being here. None of the people in the manor had ever seen anyone from a different country except the guards who had participated in the last fight with the Rabiss on the coast. Well, I suppose the Karr were technically from a different country, but I didn't really count them. The people in my Barony had lived in Bicman their whole life, and this was their first time meeting someone from “the south.” I understood logically that this made sense; people who lived their whole lives within a fifty-kilometer radius would not be familiar with what people from other countries looked like, but it was still weird.

  So Tumlus was from "the South," and although people stared, nobody looked at him with disgust or fear. He was slowly coming out of his shell as he realized that nobody was going to reject him for who he was. It probably helped that I treated him well.

  I took some time to visit with Jacklyn again. I explained the decimal system. She didn't understand it, so she asked if she could gather some of her best math students to have me show them.

  Half a bell later, Emily, Jacklyn, and a group of five other people from Bicmn gathered in the great hall, and I began to explain decimals and the place system. I was no math teacher, so I doubt I did it very well, but after about a bell, a couple of them started to understand what I wanted. I let the others go, and I focused on practicing with the two students who understood and Jacklyn. She was still having difficulty, but as the head educator, she would have to learn. I told her she could hire these two to help her instruct it, but she had to learn it as well.

  We practiced into the evening and ended up burning through two candles. However, I was satisfied with the progress we had made, especially with the young man Detrick. Although he was only twelve, he grasped the concept twice as fast as everyone else. I was very excited to find my first math nerd. Everyone else had burned out, but he was soaking up the lesson like a sponge.

  When I got back from the cove, I would have to spend more time with the boy. I wasn't great at math, but compared to what was taught here. Of course, it could have just been here in Bicman or even Falmoren in general. Just because no one here knew what a square root was didn't mean they didn't have it. The Egyptians certainly did. I remember watching a short two-minute Reel on the Pyramids and how much math would have been involved.

  The next morning, I rose before dawn so that I could get everything done before we left. And it was cold. A front had moved in during the night, and the wind whipped hard throughout the night; it still wasn't cold enough to dip below freezing, but I put on some thick socks before I put my feet down on the cold floor. The cool weather lingered as we prepared to move out. The party included the captain, Benjamin, Tumlus, Emily, and me. Then there were all the guards that were now following me everywhere.

  When I told Emily she was coming with me, she was excited but asked me why.

  "For two reasons. One, because we are building the new paper workshop there, and two, because I can't let you out of my sight without you getting yourself into trouble. You are like Daphne in Scobby-Doo or April O'Neil in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, I guess you did manage to not need rescuing in the end. The feminists and other such movements would be proud of you for not needing male assistance to get out of trouble so far. I am still keeping an eye on you, though. I don't need you to become a stereotype or start the damsel in distress trend. If that happens once you become popular, I would have to start adding more of that trope into my stories." I said with a smirk.

  "You're rambling again," she said.

  "I did it just for you, my lady. I know you missed it."

  This got a laugh out of her.

  We arrived in Melnon around the second bell past dawn due to the better roads. The first person I talked to was Richard, the headman. I got some information about the various projects, but the one he was most excited to share was their breakthrough on the rail system. Because they had figured out how to make the rail curve at better angles, they now extend it all the way down to Melnon.

  "So the rail now makes it all the way down now?" I asked in surprise.

  "The copper mine rail does. We still have to run tracks for the coal and lime. It comes straight down to the rock crusher. Oh, and we added a break to a cart and made it all the way down without a mule on one run."

  "I hope nobody got hurt?" I could just imagine some crazy miners trying to race a cart down a mountain.

  "Surprisingly, no. Some flat parts slowed it down a bit, and one of the young men who attempted it had to hop out and push at one point, but the two men who did it said it was very exciting. They got going quite fast at some points."

  "So, if I am imagining this correctly, they hopped in a cart and road it all the way down. How fast were they going?

  "They estimated they were going three times faster than the normal time it takes to get down. But that was because they were trying not to go too fast."

  Dang, I totally want to try that, but I have to be the count and be the responsible one. I am going to have to invent padded helmets.

  "I am not going to tell you how to run things, but remember you are responsible for those men. Heavier loads will travel faster and will not break as easily. It may help speed up the rate at which we can get materials back to Melnon faster, but it isn't worth people's lives. The fact that they are on wooden rails that can break and throw them is also a problem. No heavy loads for now."

  "I will let them know.”

  After examining all the new equipment, I was both thoroughly impressed and somewhat disappointed. This rock crusher turned out to not be at all like I had wanted. It was just another trip hammer with a slightly different design. I tried not to show my confusion about why they didn't use my design and instead asked how it was working out.

  Richard beamed with pride. "It is amazing, my lord. I know it is not the design you gave us, but after the trip hammer was built, someone got the bright idea to try and crush the rocks with it. It worked, and since the design was simpler, we were able to build it quickly. We still intend to build your rock crusher, but this one is keeping up with the demand, and we have been able to move most of the workers to the mine."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "It looks good, and if it works, that's great. We will save the rock crusher for another time. The trip hammer is quite impressive. I hope it is as effective with the copper and iron as it is with crushing the ore."

  "Your invention is going to change the world," He said with childlike glee. "We are producing plates to be inserted into the cloth armor, and we are doing it at an unbelievable speed. I do not doubt that we will have enough metal to equip 400 soldiers with armor and weapons by spring. With the forge being built in the fort, even your serfs are going to be able to afford metal products."

  "Good, because we are going to be exporting goods as well if we can produce enough."

  We will need the new people up here to start producing even more. I didn't want to fund the barony solely based on the profits from my books and paintings. Textiles, finished and raw metals, as well as glass would be my primary sources of income.

  It was a good thing we had all these extra people because even though our new equipment allowed us to produce a lot of grains, we would also be producing a lot of cash crops. Namely, cotton, flax, and pootba.

  We spent lunch with Richard and his family and then traveled up the trail to the road leading to the cove. And it was now an actual road. The work crews had done an amazing job widening and smoothing out the trail. They had also been straightening it. Our horses were able to move quickly down the road without the fear of breaking a leg.

  We came upon a clearing with a campsite available right as it became time for our evening meal. We quickly set up our tents and got a large fire going. It was cooler up here near the mountains, and the wind was only partially blocked by the trees. It made the night uncomfortable, and nobody slept especially well.

  That just meant that we rose early so that we could get to the fort as soon as possible. As we traveled, the company was mostly silent, so I decided to start up a conversation with Tumlus.

  "I know I have asked you before, but tell me about your homeland again. I would like to see if I could find a way to trade with them."

  "I do not remember much, but I do remember my father always complaining that the soil was no good. I remember that we had a lot of goats there. So maybe it was just not good for crops. We lived near the coast, and there was always plenty of fish. I sometimes can even remember the smell of the whale carcasses as they were cut up."

  "What about your culture? Did you have any special holidays or traditions?"

  He thought for a moment, and then, wistfully, he said, "I remember the teachings of my mother. Every month, we would visit the Temple of Malitouma and sing hymns."

  "Tell me about Malitouma," I asked curiously. "Do all Rabiss believe in him?"

  "I do not wish to offend you, my lord."

  Emily, who was eavesdropping, gave a snort and almost laughed.

  Tumlus looked at her in confusion, so Emily decided to explain herself. "I don't know if I have ever seen Amos offended."

  "Not true. I was deeply offended when you thought I wanted to chop off your finger."

  "No, you weren't. And besides, you said you wanted my fingernail. What was I supposed to think? You phrased it that way so that I would think you actually wanted my fingernail."

  "I specifically said borrow. You just overreacted." I said with mock hurt.

  She turned to Tumlus, "If someone asked you to borrow your fingernail, what would you think."

  Tumlus was stunned as he looked between us. His mouth opened and closed a few times but said nothing.

  Then she turned to Benjamin. "Benjamin, what do you say?"

  He was silent for a moment and then said, "I would prefer not to involve myself in this quarrel."

  "Coward," She muttered.

  "I don't see what you are complaining about. Your fingernail is the basis for an entire system of measurement that will spread across the globe."

  "You are just saying that because you know I am right." She said firmly.

  I laughed, "I think we got sidetracked. We will shelve this argument for now, and regardless of the debate of whether or not Lady Paper overreacted to my simple request, she is correct that I will not be offended."

  Emily grumbled something but did not continue her assault.

  "If you ask it of me, I will tell you, my lord," Tumlus said. "Lord Malitouma is the Creator of all things. In the beginning, they were the gods, but Malitouma was the greatest of them all. With his many hands, he shaped the heavens and the earth. When he was done, the other gods looked at his creation with envy. They tricked the great Malitouma and cut off his many hands, which helped shape the world. The hands fell to Marth and became people. Now Malitouma cannot work his miracles on Marth unless he uses people as his hands."

  "How many hands does he have?" Emily asked curiously.

  "As many as there are people in the world, feelings in our hearts, and ideas in our heads." Tumlus declared.

  "So, is everyone a hand of Malitouma?" I asked.

  "I… I think he can use anyone in his hands, but not all are. I prayed every day since I became a captive that Malitouma would send me one of his hands. I prayed for the hand of wrath to smite my enemies, the hand of justice or mercy to free me or to make me the hand of wisdom so that I might find a way to escape."

  After a long pause, Emily smiled and said, "So which hand is Lord Amos?"

  If I had been walking, I would have stumbled in shock. "Emily, that's rude."

  "It's not rude. He prayed, and you came. Or did I not get the story right?" she said obstinately.

  Tumlus put his head down as if he were embarrassed. In a barely audible voice, he said, "He is the hand of hope." He may have been embarrassed to say it out loud, but he said it without the hint of doubt that what he said was true.

  Now, I was embarrassed. Chosen, Descended, and now a Hand of Malitouma. At least it seemed like there were a lot of hands, and anyone could be one. Anyone who carries out the will of Malitouma. Tumlus wouldn't worship me. I was just a helping hand.

  Emily suddenly became very interested in learning more about these hands and started asking Tumulus questions. I, however, made my way up to Draves to prevent further embarrassment. She was totally going to use this against me.

  I decided then and there to never get into a religious discussion with people I had helped.

  By noon, we came across a road crew that was working to expand the road. We stopped for a moment, and I took time to speak with the foreman. Then afterward, I spoke with a few of the men, thanking them for their efforts and complimenting them on their dedication towards the County of North Cove. I emphasized how the road they built would someday become a major thoroughfare for trade between the coast and the rest of Bicman.

  Some men looked like they didn't care, but the majority puffed out their chests in pride. I wonder if being complimented by a Count was something they would tell their grandchildren in the future.

  After we passed the men, the road narrowed again, but it was still better than the original trail I had taken. We reached the fort as the sun was just dipping below the trees to the west. It was on a large shelf on the mountainside. When I say large, I do mean large. The Palasaid was not huge, but there was enough room for it to hold a city the size of Vaspar. Behind the palisade was the river that fed the marshes and swamps in the lowland. They had redirected some of the water into a canal where two overshot water wheels and water wheels were in place. After the water passed through the waterwheels, it fed into the fort, where it was used for drinking.

  A soldier came out to greet us. Unlike the BDF uniform that was Black in color, this one was a light grey. Draves had explained that The soldiers of Pine Ridge had a different uniform to identify them. After bowing and welcoming us, he turned to Draves. "General Draves, we found more evidence of people in the mountains. This time, the scouts said that the campsite was not more than a couple of days old when they found it, and they brought this back." He held out a broken piece of pottery with patterns on it."

  "Hmm, do you think they are spies from another barony?"

  "I don't think so," he said, shaking his head. "Look at the bowl. It is primitive, and the artwork is unlike anything I have seen before, "

  "May I see it?" I asked.

  Draves handed it over to me.

  After turning it over in my hands for a bit and feeling the surface, I said, "The carving is primitive, but that does not mean the people who made it are. This could just be traditional artwork. Actually, these patterns are not decoration. That is writing."

  "Writing?" the soldier said in surprise. "My Lord, what language is it?"

  "I am not one hundred percent sure, but I think it is the language of the Karr. This symbol here is the 'sa' sound in Karr, and this one here is 'duh.' I am not sure about the rest. I had them explain their language to me on my first visit to their village. I don't know it all though. I have never found the time to learn their language."

  "So you don't know what it says?" The soldier said.

  "It probably says something like, 'This bowl is my property, so keep your grubby hands off,'" I said with a grin. "Do we have anyone here from Karr?"

  "No, but there are some that are helping in Fort Cove."

  "Excellent, we will bring this with us when we leave."

  Emily had been listening and asked the question that most people here were probably wondering. "Why are the people of Karr living in the mountains?"

  "I actually have an idea about that," I said. "The Karr came from across the sea over one hundred years ago. They say they were fleeing giants that had attacked them from the north. Their ships were poorly built, and many of them were lost at sea. I think the current pushed some of the ships further down our coast. They ended up on the other side of the mountain range and are now exploring deeper in, just as we are. The only question now is, are they friendly, and why did they come over the mountains now?"

  Patreon