He leaned toward her, which made half the people smirk and half raise their eyebrows. What did they think he was going to do, jump up and hump her leg at the table? The idea would be amusing, but since he didn't want to be castrated, Tor spoke instead, his words equally low.
“Physically I'm fine. A little shaken mentally, but only when I'm not working. Tired, but when am I not? You?” It came out automatically, someone asked how you were, you asked back. He expected her to say fine, or that she was well, but instead she whispered “later”, as if it were a subject too delicate for the table. It made Tor uneasy. What would have the Queen reluctant to speak of it at table? It couldn't be good.
No business was covered during the meal, but the second it was over and the dishes cleared, drinks were poured and the work began. Tor made himself both relax and stifle a yawn at the same time. He was a bit tired, but five hours sleep was more than he often got. The events of the last few days were weighing on him, but that was probably normal. Every other time he'd nearly been killed he was tired after too. Sometimes for months, like when he'd been poisoned.
The King gave a seated bow, getting one back from Tor, even though no one else did it. Oops. Rich just mumbled “honored” and started speaking then to the room.
“We have a few issues to discuss here, if everyone is ready? Good. First, with the holiday upon us the palace is about to be full to over brimming and we suddenly have thirty-six guests we hadn't expected from county Ward. I won't put them out, not after their ordeal, but things are going to be tight space wise, any suggestions?” Richard looked at everyone including him so he raised his hand a little, like in school. The King smiled and it even looked real.
“Tor, you have something?”
“I have some room and they're all invited to come stay with me, if they want.” It sounded oddly shy.
The King and Queen both looked at him with the same polite look that they always gave him when they wondered if he could handle something, and really thought the bumpkin just couldn't. Well, they'd be right this time, except he had friends to help him. Collette and Petra at least. They needed some servants, for cooking and light cleaning. The house mainly did that, making the beds and cleaning the tubs and toilets, but unless people wanted to eat out all the time they needed someone for that. Several if more people might be coming to visit too.
Ursala smiled and let her face go a bit dreamy.
“Ohhh yes. It's incredible in there. Easily as nice as here. Nicer in some ways, hot showers and baths for instance, in all the rooms. Every room is cool all the time, unless you want it warmer. Magic lights all over and decorated to a level I wish my own house was. They shouldn't feel slighted by it at all once they see it…”
That caught the Queen’s attention especially.
“How many do you have room for?” She gave him a look that made him suspicious. It wasn't one of her normal ones, and she wasn't being playful either. It was, he guessed, her strategic look.
“Well, a hundred rooms at the moment. Less with the Ward people. We can add more, I think another two or three levels worth without stressing the limits of the thing, possibly more. We may want to trigger the Falcons for boat races and water show, Sorry, off topic… I need some staff. How do you hire people like that? I have gold for it, I just don't know who to ask.” His voice started to sound plaintive and young, but he relaxed it in time to leave it sounding nearly like it always did. Just a little out of his depth.
Yep, normal.
The Queen waved.
“Not a problem, we can move some people around and hire the relatives. Palace servants seem to have a never ending supply of friends and relatives looking for a good position. We can tell them about it tonight. I'll set Quavel to it. Just have them arrive and start working?”
Tor suggested it go through Petra or Collette, since he didn't want to mess anything up. Collette by preference, but she was running the ice manufactory, so may not have the time.
An older man a few places down the table on the far side focused on him intently, with a large grin.
“Oh! I've been using that myself. Dead handy having ice that available, and so cheaply. You might want to put up another one if it can be done for the festivals. Demand will go up then, especially if the price can be lowered just a bit. Not trying for cheaper ice, but it's true.” Tor could see the basic idea, it was good advice.
“I can do that. Today probably. I have another six of them ready to go. I'll get with Collette on it. Please let me know if you have any more ideas sir, I'm far from the best when it comes to finances. I mean what's best for people and all that. I can pay my rent and bills, but past that…” It was true. It wasn't that he was stupid, he hoped not at least, but trading a device that he made, and could sell for fifty gold, for a loaf of bread still seemed like a fair bargain. Almost, anyway. It took about the same work time, so it was even, wasn't it? No one else seemed to think so though.
“Certainly. Indeed, I'd love to talk to you about the subject if you ever have time…” The man gave him a serious look, but the King chuckled at him.
“Tor, Johanson is our finance Counselor. The best I've ever seen at making a coin. Not bad at spending them either.” The tone wasn't even dry or teasing. Real admiration flowed into the words instead.
The man spread his hands on the table, the move told Tor that he didn't want the King to say more on the topic, and that he was originally from the same part of the world Tor had come from. The King stopped, but if he got it or not wasn't clear.
Johanson spoke with authority then, but still seemed genuinely happy. Possibly at the idea of cheaper ice.
“Festivals are important to the economy of the Capital. People spend money, which allows the poorest a chance to make some as well. If you give money away, or even bread, people eventually suffer. Mentally and economically. If you give them valuable work, they can buy not just a loaf of bread, but enough to keep themselves and a family fed.”
It sounded off topic to everyone else probably but Tor nodded.
“Exactly. I know it's better to do things that way, but how do I use my golds to help make jobs? I mean a few small ones, making and selling ice or selling some stuff I made, but what else? I keep drawing a blank on it myself.”
Johanson let his brow furrow and rested his elbow on the table getting a smirk from Rolph, but it didn't bother Tor. If the man needed to break a few social rules to think, who was he to tell him to stop, and possibly ruin whatever he came up with?
“Well… There's a military manufactory using something called “focus stone” that has wide potential civilian applications. I caught a bit of a demonstration at the ice festival. We're holding that annually aren't we? Brilliant concept and we should add a few more celebrations and large parties, some shows and such too, keep morale up once the heavy fighting starts. Everyone’s forgetting we're at war, because no one’s dying yet. Add a patriotic flare and people will respond right now, then it won’t be as big a shock when the damage starts.” The man looked down.
“Train of thought, sorry, where was I? Focus stone. Amazing stuff. Low overhead. Hard to get hold of the devices to generate it though, but grab up a few hundred and start businesses all over the kingdom making… well almost everything. Ship it by air and sea. You and your friends have the local market in making ice, but what about delivery? People will pay to have it at their home or shop and that's more jobs. Plus, one city, even the Capital, is only one city. There are probably several hundred in the kingdom that could support such things. A few thousand jobs if you're creative about it, more if you aren't too worried about your own share of the profits. Food too. We have enough, but it's in the wrong places. New shipping outfit from Duke Morgan and his folk, but they could expand and keep even rural areas fed all winter.”