Asking for Help and Buying Books

Chapter 27: Asking for Help and Buying Books

The three freight wagons soon arrived at Villa 35 in Dawnlight Academy's Golden Instructor Residential District. Lorist found the front door open, with a wicker trash basket outside. Keli must have arrived early and started cleaning. Rather than get in her way, he directed the three drivers to unload the books, shelves, and other belongings into the two wooden outbuildings intended for stables.

He gave each driver three small silver coins and sent them off delighted and full of thanks. Then he looked at the mountains of books piled in the two rooms and smiled ruefully. Sorting them would take days. Most of the extra money he had earned over the past few years had gone toward books. Without realizing it, he had amassed more than a thousand—enough for a small library.

These weren't printed books like those from his previous life. Galintea had no writing paper, so every book was made from parchment or animal hide and copied by a hired scribe. Books were expensive and heavy. Each of the three volumes of The Fall of the Gods that Lorist had bought weighed over five pounds. Back then, eager to learn about the legendary era of the Magic Civilization, he had winced as he paid three Gold Fudes for the set.

The villa had a small study upstairs, though it was nowhere near as large as the room at the eldest miss's place. Lorist planned to sort his books and move those on history, geography, customs, and natural knowledge upstairs. Two large shelves in a corner of the living room should hold the rest—the myths, legends, novels, and poetry. In the future, he would have to pay closer attention when buying books so he didn't purchase duplicates again. Unscrupulous merchants kept changing titles and protagonists' names, slapping on new covers, and selling old books as new. Lorist had fallen for it repeatedly, only discovering the truth when he got home and started reading.

He greeted Keli, who was scrubbing the furniture, then carried a few books upstairs. On his way to the study, he saw that the master bedroom door was open. A fat man lay on the bed, snoring.

Damn it. New house, new bed, and I haven't even slept in it yet. This fat bastard beat me to it. Lorist strode over and kicked him. The man sat up, eyes bleary with sleep, and stared into space for a long moment before coming to his senses. "What's wrong with you, Little Locke? Why'd you kick me?"

"Ask yourself what you're doing," Lorist said. "Sleeping at my place in broad daylight. Is the Enforcement Department that short on work?"

Only then did Fatty Shi realize he was lying on Lorist's new bed. He gave an awkward grin. "I'm exhausted. The academy's been like a marketplace these past few days, and I've been run off my feet. I came to find you, saw the bed, and thought I'd try it out. Next thing I knew, I was asleep."

"What did you want me for?" Lorist asked.

"The Swordsmanship Club, of course. Brother, you've got to help me. The Enforcement Department can't keep this up. Two patrol teams were so tired last night they fell asleep on the road. We thought something had happened and sent everyone out in a panic, only to find both teams sleeping like logs. You think I'd have been sleeping so soundly this morning otherwise?"

"What does that have to do with the Swordsmanship Club?" Lorist asked, puzzled. "And how can I help?"

Fatty Shi sighed. "Brother, have you forgotten the idea you gave me? It's only been six months. While you were training in the Ruins Archipelago, I was running around begging everyone who'd listen. I finally got the academy leadership to approve the students' Swordsmanship Club and agree that its elite members could serve as Enforcement Department reserves. I'm desperate for manpower. You're the club's new president, so hurry up, get it running, and send me some help."

Oh, right. Lorist scratched his head sheepishly. Six months ago, he and Fatty Shi had shared a drink. Fatty Shi had been drowning his sorrows and cursing the academy leadership for being a pack of misers. They refused to authorize more Enforcement Department staff, leaving it with barely eighty people responsible for discipline, security, and patrols. His repeated requests for more personnel had all been rejected.

Fatty Shi had complained that the academy had more than five thousand students, yet fewer than one enforcement officer for every fifty of them. If trouble broke out, his people would barely be able to protect themselves, let alone keep order. Then they would see how the academy leadership cleaned up the mess.

Lorist had told him to be more flexible. Hadn't the students recently tried to establish a Swordsmanship Club? The academy had rejected their application because it would have to provide a venue and funding and assume liability for injuries. The students had made a fuss, and word was they were recruiting supporters again. Academy regulations said that if more than a tenth of all students applied to establish a club for a recreational interest, the academy had to approve it and provide assistance.

Lorist had suggested that Fatty Shi speak with the academy. If the students insisted on forming the club, the academy would eventually have to give in. Why not get ahead of them and place it under the Enforcement Department's authority? Then its elite members could serve as reserves, handling routine duties like daytime shifts and night patrols. That would effectively increase his manpower.

Fatty Shi had been delighted. Slapping the table, he had praised Lorist for thinking faster than anyone else. In no time at all, he had come up with a brilliant plan. Fatty Shi had set about securing approval for the club, while Lorist had gone off to the Ruins Archipelago.

Lorist hadn't expected an offhand suggestion to give Fatty Shi so much work. To win over the academy leadership, Fatty Shi had rewritten most of the application. Under the revised plan, the club president would be appointed by the academy rather than elected by the students, effectively handing the academy control. Of course, the members would still have to accept whoever the academy appointed. That left only one candidate: Lorist.

Oh, that's right. I'm the Swordsmanship Club president. Lorist finally remembered what that damned old Dean Levens had told him before he left yesterday. He seemed to have asked Lorist to finish the club's rules and submit them, too. Damn it, how am I supposed to do all that myself?

Lorist spread his hands. "Fatty, it's not that I won't help. I only got off the ship the day before yesterday, and yesterday I went to the eldest miss's place to move my things. I'm in no mood to deal with the Swordsmanship Club right now. I've just moved into a new home, so I need a few days to get settled. Then I have to rest up for the academy duels. Where am I supposed to find the time? You'll have to hang on a while longer."

Fatty Shi looked ready to cry. "Brother, you can't do this to me. A few more days and I'll be a wreck. I can't take it, especially since the academy posted that duel notice. Our workload's multiplied several times over. There've been nearly a hundred clashes between visitors and students. Everyone in the Enforcement Department is dog-tired. You can't just stand by and watch me die..."

"Serves you right. Who told you to make me president? Besides, you looked pretty enthusiastic putting up that duel notice. Work yourself to death for all I care."

Fatty Shi finally understood why Lorist was angry. He gave himself a light slap. "My fault. I didn't think about how you'd feel. But you've got to understand my position, too. If anyone else became president, the academy wouldn't agree, and the students wouldn't accept it. You're the only one who can keep them from arguing until next year. I recommended you because I wanted to settle this quickly. And you can't blame me for the duel notice. I couldn't refuse. That damned old man is craftier than a fox. If he put his mind to it, he could easily find some little mistake I'd made and teach me a lesson. I wanted to help you, but I had no choice."

It wasn't that Lorist refused to help. He was trying to work out how to keep the job from swallowing all his time. "Stop looking so miserable. Let me think..."

Fatty Shi's expression changed at once. "Sure, sure. Take your time. Just come up with something that'll get me through this." He picked up a book and began fanning Lorist eagerly. "Whatever you need, just say the word. I can give you people, money... Well, not money."

After a moment, Lorist said, "Have Telman help me. He's steady and clearheaded. I'll appoint him executive vice president and put him in charge of the club's administration. Write this down. Have him establish an executive committee first. Put Yuri and Steve on it, then choose three more people yourself. That gives us the first five seats. Aren't there seven students leading the campaign? Give them seats too, plus three more for them to fill. That makes fifteen committee members, or seventeen people in all with Telman and me."

"Tell them I'll appoint this first committee. In three years, all club members will vote in an election. The twelve candidates with the most votes will join the committee, while the president will appoint the other three members and the executive vice president. From now on, the committee will propose and handle the club's affairs, while the executive vice president supervises them and manages day-to-day operations. Send someone to tell them they're on the committee, then put them in a room together and have them draft the club's rules. To keep them from dragging things out, post guards outside. Nobody leaves until they're done."

"Tell Telman he's only there to coordinate, not to take part in the debate. Let the fifteen of them argue it out. If you have any requirements, tell our people beforehand so they can raise them with the student leaders. Once they've drafted the rules, tell them each committee member can recommend five elite members. Have them submit the names immediately. You can choose fifty to serve as Enforcement Department reserves."

"And since the academy now controls the Swordsmanship Club, it must provide staff positions, a budget, and allowances. The president, executive vice president, and fifteen committee members each get an office allowance of three Gold Fudes a month. The club's administrative office gets twelve staff positions, filled from its membership, with a living allowance of one gold coin per person each month. The office gets a monthly administrative budget of ten gold coins and answers to the executive vice president. Elite members serving as Enforcement Department reserves get a living allowance of one gold coin a month. Any other benefits are awarded by the department according to performance."

"Also, probationary members pay one small silver coin a month, full members pay one large silver coin a year, and elite members pay nothing. Probationary members can train, spar, and receive swordsmanship instruction at the club. Full members can join mercenary jobs and adventures under the leadership of elite members. They turn over five percent of their earnings to the club and divide the rest among themselves. Those dues and earnings fund club activities and annual awards for outstanding members."

"That's about it. Did you get all that down? Find the people and get them talking. Have them discuss my proposals too. When they're finished, let me look over the rules. If they're fine, submit them. Do that today, and you'll have fifty reserves tomorrow." Lorist's long speech came to an end.

"Tsk, tsk." Fatty Shi stared admiringly at the parchment he had covered in notes. "Little Locke, how does your brain work? You came up with a whole organizational plan in no time. I spent three days trying to figure out how to set up the club and assign everyone, and got nowhere. Your plan's better. We'll do it your way."

"How has the academy scheduled the duels?" Lorist asked.

"Nothing's settled yet. Our academy proposed that each of the other academies select twenty silver-ranked instructors. Starting next month, even-numbered days would be academy duel days. The academies would draw lots to decide the order, then come here one at a time to challenge us until every match was done. Silver-ranked instructors who weren't selected could register on their own for duels on odd-numbered days, which would be open challenge days. We're waiting for the other academies to reply," Fatty Shi said after a moment's thought.

"Damn it. Academy duels on even-numbered days, open challenges on odd-numbered days. Didn't anyone think to give me a day off? Do they think I'm made of iron?"

"Well, haha, Locke, this new house of yours is lovely. Beautiful surroundings. I'm jealous. The academy really does look after its Gold Instructors." Fatty Shi hurriedly changed the subject.

"Jealous? Lose some weight and work hard for another couple of years. Reach Gold rank and you can have a house like this too." Lorist delivered the lecture with a straight face.

Fatty Shi had no answer. You're only Black Iron rank yourself, and you're lecturing me? The nerve...

As they headed downstairs together, Lorist said, "El may come looking for you in the next couple of days."

"What for?"

"He wants a piece of the action. He said he'd give you ten percent." Lorist explained El's plan to run a betting pool.

"Excellent. I'm all for it. We brothers do the hard work while that damned old dean counts gold coins behind our backs. I've had enough of that. Say no more—I'll work with El and make sure it's done right." The prospect of making money put a spring in Fatty Shi's step.

As they headed toward the door, Fatty Shi said, flattered, "No need to see me out, Locke. We're brothers; you don't have to stand on ceremony. I can find my own way. Stay here..."

"I'm not seeing you out, you idiot. The books I brought over are in the outbuilding. I'm going to sort them."

Intrigued, Fatty Shi followed Lorist into the wooden building. At the sight of books covering the floor, he sighed. "Little Locke, so this is where all your money went. That's quite a collection. What if we got a room at the academy and opened a book-rental shop? Bet we'd make plenty."

Lorist shook his head. "With that many people handling them, the books would be ruined. These are my personal collection. I'm not renting them out."

"What a shame, with so many books. How about lending me a few?"

"I don't lend books to anyone, especially people who never return what they borrow," Lorist said.

"Then I can buy a few, can't I?" Fatty Shi snapped. The brat wouldn't even give him that much consideration over a few books?

"You have time to read?" Lorist gave him a skeptical look.

Fatty Shi blushed. "What if I want to use them as a pillow?"

"Fine, fine. Pick what you want from that pile."

It held about a hundred books Lorist had bought more than once.

Fatty Shi rummaged through it for a long time before pulling out seven hefty volumes. "These seven. How much?"

"Why do I get the feeling you don't actually want to read them? You've got something else in mind, haven't you?" Lorist asked.

"Well, the bookshelf in my office is looking pretty empty. Put these on it and I'll look a bit more cultured." Fatty Shi readily admitted his purpose.

Lorist shook his head, glanced over the books, and named a fair price. "Three gold coins and eight large silver coins. No haggling. I'm practically giving them away as it is. Try to bargain and the deal's off."

Fatty Shi knew it was fair. The books would cost at least seven gold coins elsewhere. "All right. You're being straightforward, so I will too. Deal."

He rummaged through his clothes and pockets, then counted coins into Lorist's outstretched hand. "One, two, three... seven, eight." Eight large silver coins. "I've paid the bulk of it. Let's forget the little matter of those three gold coins. See you, brother."

Clutching the books, Fatty Shi made a remarkably quick escape...

Lorist stared after him, dumbfounded...