Envoy to Earth (5 page)

She clapped, but it wasn't a very
happy thing at all. Dismal, in fact.

It took a bit over an hour to
take off from the Capital and fly to Warden, all the way on the Eastern Ocean
side of the land. He'd been there before, so Gerent both knew the way, and what
to expect. Or so he thought. When they got there it was still light out, which
had him staring in horror.

It was gone. Or, to be more fair,
about a quarter of the buildings had been taken down in the city itself. The
coastline was different too. There were fires in the streets, if little ones
that signified people cooking dinner, rather than the place burning down.

"What happened here? The
attacks?" The giant waves had hit the Western coast though. All around the
world, in all the different lands. The Other Ancients had used giant bombs to
change the world, trying to kill them all. To alter the environment, and
climate. Even the days were full minutes longer after they were finished, so it
wasn't some truly minor thing, but this looked fresh.

Collette looked out at the damage
as they hovered, and shrugged.

"There was a storm about a
month ago. A huge one. It pretty much did this to Printer too and about half of
this to County Baker. Tens of thousands died in it. Maria and Marvin are fine.
They hid the people around them in their palace, but the poor and those in the
low areas of the city suffered a lot. Holly Printer lost part her castle. It
half collapsed. She was gone at the time, luckily for her."

That explained the less than
thrilled demeanor when it came to visiting then.

Gerent stared for a bit longer,
not knowing what to do. How could he help anyone here, or even raise their
spirits? Nodding he took them down steadily, landing on the ruined front area
of the dirty and damaged giant building. The Ward Palace. It didn't have a wall
or anything, which was a sign of how open they were with their people. That was
the idea. Right now it looked like that might have helped them a lot. Whatever
the storm that had done this was like, it was clear that the vegetation had
survived it better than the human structures.

Landing, he got out slowly,
taking a deep breath. He had to make a door appear in the side of the craft for
Boxy, so he could follow them out, but Collette managed on her own.

"Right. Well, we need to go
and see to our friends then." He said grimly. That wasn't a thing he
really knew how to do. Most of his life he'd been around people, but very few
of them had been friends. Business partners, a few compatriots, once or twice
there had been those that he imagined himself close to, but the idea of people
that he was supposed to be there for in hard times was a new concept.

The pretty woman next to him
nodded, and led toward the door. He took the craft down behind him, because it
was in the way, and frankly looked too out of place, just sitting there. Green
and perfect, clean and sharp. It didn't match the ruined world around them. The
downed buildings off in the distance, or the scent of smoky fires. The air was
heavy with damp, and warm this time of year, but that didn't help a lot. It
just meant that people wanting to cook their night time meal would have to
fight to do it. Everything here was hard to burn. Sodden and wet, all the time.

At the door they had to wait for
someone to come, even after Collette knocked firmly. There was no bell left.
Before, the last time he'd been there, there had been, with a bell cord that
hung within inches of the ground. That was so that anyone, commoner or highest
noble, could easily reach out and summon the people of this place, at need. The
hook at the top had been pulled out of the overhanging wood. Ripped with great
force, if the splintered remains were any indication.

Instead of the middle aged man
that normally came to see to people, they were greeted by a pretty dark haired
woman. At first he thought it was his adopted sister, Tamerlane, but after a
few seconds he got the difference. This woman wasn't her, but the local baker
and magic shop owner. Debbie Smalls. A friend of Tor's.

Gerent bowed to her, going lower
than was probably needed for a merchant. She was a family friend, after all.
That muddled things. She went deeper than he did, which had Collette grinning,
understanding things before he picked up on it. Then she stepped in, to give
the lady a hug. Gerent winced, knowing that he should have gone for that. The
woman was pretty enough, and well known to him from his last trip.

"Debbie! Gerent and I came
to speak with Maria and Marvin. Have you taken over here?" It was an
offhand comment, but Gerent noticed that the woman didn't say no, exactly, just
looking down instead.

"I'm helping out, for now. A
lot of the workers and help here lost family in the storm, and were given time
to see to things. I don't have anyone. Not on this side of the world,
so..."

He knew that story, having been
told by Tor, who'd been there for part of it. Her brother Darren had murdered
women in the Capital. Including Collette and Maria's sister, Ginger. Their
mother Carol had threatened Debbie over it, in her rage, so the Wards had taken
her in, to protect Debbie from harm. The woman had gone mad in her grief, but
recovered later, after Tiera beat her for a while.

No, it wasn't a good tale, or a
sensible one, but that taming of Baroness Coltress had been a thing that he,
Gerent, had been there for. Much of it in fact. The woman herself had stayed
with him for almost a month, while it happened, before she was considered ready
to return to her regular life. Then he'd run off, and hadn't even tried to
check on her, shirking that duty all together.

Worse, he hadn't even thought
about it, until he saw Debbie again, standing there in the Ward Palace, playing
servant so that others could see to their losses.

They were led toward the back of
the house, which was normal, but not to the cool room, which was just a sitting
space with a cooling plate on the wall. Instead they were lead to a more formal
looking area that had heavier furniture, and seemed more designed for dignitaries
and fine people. Not family or close friends. It was occupied already, with
many tall individuals, most of them being ones that Gerent didn't recognize at
all.

He got a few of them, at least.
Maria, who was a lot like Collette, being blonde and pretty. Her husband the
Count, who was a true giant, being nearly nine feet tall, with skin that was as
dark as Gerent's own. Carol Coltress was there as well, and the Dowager Ward,
who was recognizable only because she sat next to her daughter, Petra. She was
next to a rather stern looking woman that had a cool handsomeness to her. Lean
and pale, but not exactly a true vision of loveliness.

Gerent had seen rooms like this
before, both in structure and containing as many attractive women. Any meeting
in Two Bends for instance, or a Baker family gathering. In fact, it was hard to
tell who was the best looking person in the room. Not the strange tall woman,
or the slightly shorter dark man. After a bit he started bowing, just assuming
he was in good company. The fine kind that meant he better go low and stay that
way, until told otherwise.

When in doubt, the rule was for
little people like him to grovel.

Marvin Ward, the Count, stood and
bowed back.

"Welcome! We didn't know to
expect more guests. Please, come join us. Collette, so lovely to see you, and
you brought a new friend? I..." Marvin Ward bowed low, which was out of
place, but meant something since it was done toward Gerent alone. As Count he
didn't really have to do much of that, not in his own County. So he was trying
to cover for something. Given the rest of the reactions that he'd been getting
over the last day, Ger had an actual idea what was going on. So he bowed back,
and then smiled.

"I grew a bit, since we last
met. Gerent Lairdgren?"

Everyone in the room stared, but
Petra jumped up and hugged him, understanding it all instantly.

"Hah! Well, there goes
you're too little to fight excuse, doesn't it? You must be seven and a half
feet tall already! If you had darker eyes I'd think you were my own
brother." She didn't let go of him quickly, treating him like that kind of
family member already. So he returned the move, not wanting to seem rude. She
was well put together, and sturdy, rather than lithe, but it was still fun,
holding her like that.

The next bit was strange, since
Marvin moved in and took a turn too. Not for as long and with more happy back
pounding.

"Countier Lairdgren!
Wonderful. I have to admit I was at a loss for a few moments there. Do you need
to eat?" It was a sudden turn, but all the other tall people were nodding,
understanding the idea. He'd been doing all right, but fast growth meant eating
more than normal. A giant like the Count had probably needed to consume vast
quantities of food for a decade to reach the size he was, for instance. He
was
hungry, but Gerent shook his head, then gestured to Boxy.

"I brought some gifts, from
my garden? Some vegetables. Melons too?" It was clear that no one there
was starving, but they weren't introduced either. It was a noble thing, then.
Or a secret one. He was either supposed to know who they were, or risk
insulting them.

Hardly fair, since he didn't know
anyone at all, really. He bowed to the other tall people, and Petra, being that
she was polite and clearly a wonderful person, actually pointed out who the
others were.

"Everyone, in case you
missed it, this is Countier Gerent Lairdgren. Off line, which is why he isn't
short like the rest. Adopted by the old Count. Also the hero that ended the
last war. By
himself
. We can go into that later, if anyone needs to know
about it." She let herself go somber on the last words, and then bowed
toward him a bit. "It's a bit of a shock that you haven't been knighted
for that. I think you have your three marks of valor, already."

She turned toward the others,
going in order of rank, it seemed.

"This lovely lady is
Countess Holly Printer. Next to her is Baron Michael Eager. His lands are in
Printer County, north of here. They're both here to plot against the King,
while pretending they're good citizens merely seeking aid for their
people." She wasn't smiling about that, and the Baron looked scandalized,
and ready to fight, though Countess Printer just gave the woman a dark and
slightly disgruntled look.

"Thanks Pet. Introduce the
man as a killer, and
then
suggest that Eager and I are traitors? Kind of
you. The fact is that we
could
use the help and King Richard hasn't been
doing much for anyone for a while. I know that things are spread thin, but he
could part with some food stores. He has control of all the new food devices.
That isn't exactly going to endear him to the people taking up against him, if
no one else can get food." She didn't exactly glare at Petra, but she did
make solid eye contact.

Baron Eager sank down, then stood
again, and tossed off a bow at Gerent and eyed Collette for a moment.

"Sorry, I forgot myself
there. Manners are needed in such times. I agree with Countess Printer however.
We have come to seek what mutual aid we may take, and offer. I don't suppose
that County Lairdgren might have something to offer as to that end? Food would
be the most pressing thing, but wood for building materials, or..." It was
clear he didn't know at all.

Gerent looked at the man, who was
at least in his late forties, and smaller than he was by almost a foot.
Stockier, and like he'd been thinking, none of these people had missed many
meals. Then, the rich and powerful starved last, as a rule, didn't they?

"I don't know about that.
I've been gone, planting the Wildlands, for the last half a year. There
is
a new shipment of food devices and some other things to come soon. Collette and
I are going to Harmony tomorrow to get them. Queen Tiera and the others there
are providing them. I don't know if they're to all go to the King or not. I
don't think so, since she spoke about distribution. I think I'm supposed to be
in charge of that, but I won't have the particulars for a bit." He was
faking a royal accent. Much like he used to for his street performances. It was
far from perfect, but given that it varied from place to place, it was close
enough for these people not to feel too mocked.

Then, he was downplaying it a
little too. Softening the joke. Given his new growth, it just seemed real,
rather than like a midget pretending to be one of the mighty. No one laughed at
him at least. The entire room got quiet, and everyone stared at him. It was a
bit disconcerting, to be honest. He felt a sudden urge to scurry out of the
room, ducking his head and thinking of good places to hide.

Petra smiled at him, and then
hugged him again.

"Well, put me down for one
of those new Tiera made units? I'm getting sick of apples three times a day. I
should send a note along with you for Timon. One for Tor, too. I know them
better than the Queen. Which is an oversight on my part, but who knew
that
was going to happen, right? I should have gotten her into bed that one time,
but no, I took the high road..." She was being funny, Gerent thought. At
least she wore a big smile.

Baron Eager sighed however.

"Well, if any of those could
be steered to this side of the land, I'll pay handsomely. I should work up a
bribe for her. A gift, I mean, of course. What does the Queen of the Moon
need?" The man looked over at the still standing Gerent, but took his own
place, on the dark colored leather sofa along the far wall, near Countess
Printer.

Collette took his hand and found
a seat for both of them, on the other side, not waiting to be asked to sit. She
was, after all, family. Maria looked at the floor, which was polished wood, and
then smiled at him sweetly.