Seven Words of Power (9 page)

“Thank you, Father,” Alonzo said.

Giorgio finished inspecting Alonzo's cargo and came back to haul Massimo out of the way. Massimo stepped down from the cart and his father climbed up, moving Alonzo aside on the bench seat and sitting beside him.

“Now, Alonzo,” Giorgio said. “What have you learned?”

Massimo’s father always asked his eldest son this question. When Alonzo returned from classes at the earth temple: what you have you learned? When Alonzo went to his first dance: what have you learned? Always it was the same.

“Well, Father, I learned that Petryans are short on potatoes. Alturans need stone, particularly marble. Veznans are in need of Alturan nightlamps, Toraks need drudges, and,” Alonzo said with a laugh, “I missed Ralanast.”

“Missed Ralanast, or missed me?” Giorgio laughed along. “Well done, my son. You passed your test with ease, just like I knew you would. It's not long now, only a month, but when I retire, I know that Giorgio Sarto and Son Trading Merchants will be in good hands.”

Without conscious thought, the words burst out of Massimo’s mouth. “What about me?” he asked. “Will I get a test?”

Giorgio frowned when he turned to Massimo. “No, Massimo. You’ve got too much of your mother in you. You’re brave, I’ll give you that. And you’re a good lad; at least that’s what the priests say. But you don’t have a practical bone in your body. Before I go to Mornhaven I’ll see you placed somewhere – perhaps as a novice priest, or an advocate with the guild. After I’m gone your brother will be too busy to take care of you. Rather than me, it’ll be Alonzo who’ll be away most of the time.”

"I can take care of things here," Massimo said. "I can run things while he's gone."

"No, Massimo." Giorgio shook his head. "It's too much responsibility for you."

Alonzo stepped down from the cart and put his arm around his brother’s shoulders, leaving Giorgio running his eyes over the goods Alonzo had returned with.

“I don’t want to leave,” Massimo said.

“I don’t want you to either,” said Alonzo. “Perhaps when Father’s gone…”

Massimo knew that once his father pushed him into either the temple or the guild, he wouldn’t see his brother anymore. With just a month until his father moved to Mornhaven, Massimo’s time with his brother would soon end.

“Father,” Massimo called out. Giorgio turned. “Give me a chance, please. Give me a challenge like the one you gave Alonzo.”

Giorgio laughed. “You wouldn’t last a minute.”

“Let him try,” Alonzo said.

Massimo’s father looked from one boy to the next. His brow furrowed. “Fine,” Giorgio said. “I’ll give you your chance, boy.”

Dismounting from the wagon, Giorgio took Massimo’s hand and dragged him past the files of wagons, to finally stand beside the small cart they used for trips into town. The drudge was already hooked up in its traces, scratched and worn, motionless until it was next activated.

“
Lunara-siela-tara
,” Giorgio called out.

The symbols on the bones of the construct lit up, and the drudge rose from its inactive state.

“You know how to control this?” Giorgio said.

“Father,” admonished Alonzo, “he’s animated a drudge with me by his side a thousand times.”

“Yes,” Massimo said, suddenly afraid. “I do.”

“Good,” said Massimo’s father. “Wait here.”

Giorgio returned a moment later with a small pouch that jangled as he walked, and a stack of waxed paper. Looking at the stack, Massimo realized it was actually a single piece of paper that had been folded many times.

“Just like your brother, you get an empty cart and twenty-five silver deens. Most important of all, however, is this map.”

“And if I’m more successful than Alonzo?”

Giorgio snorted. “If you’re more successful than Alonzo and you return with more wealth than he, then I’ll tell you what, Massimo, you can stay here and help your brother.”

“I’ll do my best, Father,” Massimo said.

“Off you go, boy. I’ll see you in a month.”

Giorgio strode away with big, ground eating strides.

Alonzo turned to Massimo. “He’s never one to use two words when one will do. Just come back alive. I’ll talk to Father while you’re away… I’ll try to see if he’ll let you stay here with me.”

~

Twenty-five silver deens! Massimo had never had so much money. He thought of all the things he could buy.

Be cautious, he told himself, as he set the drudge into motion with a few spoken words and some touches to the controller tablet. He turned it into the street, and then he was away.

Should he load up with goods here in Ralanast, to take away to foreign customers? No, he decided. Halaran was a land of grains, fruits, cheeses and cured meats. Ralanast, as Halaran’s capital, was a wonderful place to buy foodstuffs. But food didn’t fetch much when it was sold. Instead, Massimo decided to spend his money wisely and fill his cart with magical devices from Loua Louna. He would travel faster empty, load up at his destination, and he would sell the devices on his return.

He pictured them now, an array of glittering objects piled in the bed of the cart, spilling over the sides. Why trade in vegetables when he could trade in timepieces, seekers, oracles, perhaps even prismatic orbs? Massimo would head for Loua Louna, land of the artificers, and he would return to Ralanast a rich man.

Alonzo had cautioned Massimo to spend some of the money hiring guards, but Massimo decided it was an expense he could do without. The more gilden he saved for goods, the more he would have to sell when he returned, and the more he would impress his father.

With a light heart, Massimo spent four of his twenty-five silver deens on the supplies he would need for his journey. He bought a salted side of beef, a round of cheese, and three loafs of rye bread. Deciding he would make faster time if he traveled by night, Massimo bought some candles, pleased at how prudent he was being: an Alturan nightlamp would have been much more expensive. Finally he bought four bottles of dark beer, two skins of red Halrana wine, and a flask of a strong Petryan spirit called firebrand. Massimo had sipped beer a few times and had even tried wine, but he’d never heard of firebrand. The tavern keeper promised him the liquor would keep him awake, enabling him to travel further each day.

As he left Ralanast, sitting proudly atop his drudge-pulled cart, the road opened up in front of him, and soon Massimo was traveling through the farmland on the city's outskirts with a song on his lips and excitement in his blood.

~

Knowing Loua Louna was far to travel if he wanted to return within a month, Massimo kept the drudge moving all through the first night, taking regular sips of wine, reading his map by candlelight.

He wondered at the tavern keeper's words. He'd always thought that beer and wine was supposed to make a man relaxed, not keep him awake. But he
was
a tavern keeper — he would know — and Massimo had seen plenty of men drink until very late at night. With a shrug he had another sip.

The second day was cool and clear, and Massimo settled into a routine. He liked his own company, and with the drudge doing all the work, the beer and wine made for a pleasant journey.

That night he was too tired to stay awake, but decided to sleep in his cart by the side of the road rather than spend money on an inn.

He followed the same routine on the third day, but on the fourth day Massimo woke with a splitting headache. As he got underway again he frowned down at the half-empty wineskin on his lap, and with a curse he threw it onto the side of the road.

The headache was doing a good enough job at keeping him awake.

~

Two more days had passed, and now, looking at his map, Massimo felt pleased at the progress he was making. Loua Louna was still far away, but at this rate he would reach his destination and return inside the month with time to spare.

Massimo again decided to keep traveling throughout the night. As had happened previously, he was completely alone under the stars, his drudge plodding away, all of the other merchants and traders having sought the safety and comfort of an inn.

Massimo wondered how many timepieces he could buy for his twenty-odd silver deens. They were expensive in Ralanast, but surely they would be much more reasonably-priced in the country where they were made? He’d always liked timepieces…

~

Massimo came awake with a start, the cart beginning to veer off the road, heading for what looked like a field. He needed to stay awake.

Massimo suddenly wished he hadn’t thrown out all his wine. Did he have anything else?

Massimo felt around behind him. What was this? Ah, it was the bottle of Petryan firebrand. Surely that would keep him awake.

He opened the bottle and took a swig, like he would have from a bottle of beer.

“Achhh!” Massimo put his hand to his throat in pain. Lord of the Earth, that hurt! It was like drinking liquid fire. He supposed he knew now where the name came from.

Massimo put the bottle of firebrand to the side. He was alert now; there was no doubting that. A warm feeling seeped into his stomach.

As the night wore on, the moon rose, shining pale light on the road, and Massimo again felt great pleasure to be traveling. This was the life, he thought to himself. Just him and the road.

He took another sip of the firebrand, making a soft sound of contentment as he put the bottle away.

A moment later, Massimo started to sing.

He sang a farmers' song about the harvest, opening his mouth and shouting into the night. Massimo had another sip and grinned to himself. Who was there to hear? He launched into a raunchy tavern song about how women were like wheat, and should only be harvested when ripe.

Suddenly Massimo squinted ahead, trying to see in the darkness. Was that a figure ahead? No, it was two silhouettes. There were two men ahead of him, blocking the road.

“Are you lost?” Massimo asked, calling the drudge to a halt. Then he realized he was still fifty paces from the waiting men. “Still some way to go,” he muttered. “How did they get so far away? Perhaps they’ll need the map if they’re lost.”

He got the drudge moving again and then rummaged around until he found the map. Finally Massimo looked around for a candle, otherwise how else would they see?

Massimo held the lit candle out in one hand as his cart approached, but it ruined his night vision and he could no longer see the figures. “Where are you?” Massimo called out. “Are you lost? Do you want a drink?” He took a mouthful of the firebrand and then held the bottle out.

“We’re right here,” a voice growled at Massimo’s feet. “Pull the cart over. It's ours now.”

Massimo saw a thin man in ragged clothing trying to climb up onto the moving cart. Behind him a swordsman waited his turn to jump up. The sword looked big, and the shock of seeing the bared steel hit Massimo like a punch in the chest.

Massimo’s mouth was still full of firebrand as he gasped, but it came out more as an eruption of liquid that sprayed out into the face of the thin brigand.

“Argh!” the thin man screamed, falling down and clawing at his face.

The swordsman came forward, but he was forced to dodge when his companion fell past him. Massimo swung down at the swordsman with whatever it was that was in his hand.

The bottle of firebrand smashed over the swordsman’s head. Glass and liquid flew in all directions, and the swordsman fell down to join his fellow on the side of the road with a cry.

Massimo looked in wonder at the broken bottleneck he still held in his hand. Shocked, he opened his hand to drop the bottleneck but for some reason, both his hands opened. The remnant of the bottle fell, and the lit candle fell with it.

He looked on, horrified, as the candle bounced off the wagon's side and sailed through the air, falling onto the two brigands. Drenched in firebrand, they suddenly howled as their clothing caught fire.

Massimo left them rolling in the grass, each man trying to put out the fire on his friend.

“Sorry about that!” Massimo called over his shoulder.

In the commotion, the drudge had continued plodding along without guidance, pulling closer and closer to the edge of the road. He guided the drudge back toward the middle of the road and continued on, the flames disappearing from view as the road rounded a bend.

~

A week later, Massimo entered the bustling town of Mourie, just across the Louan border. He was pleased to see it was market day — or perhaps every day was market day here. He was also pleased that he hadn’t bought more of that Petryan liquor back in Ralanast.

“Excuse me.” Massimo leaned down from his cart to question a middle-aged woman running a soup stall. “Do you know where I can buy timepieces, seekers, oracles, and prismatic orbs?”

“Further,” the woman said, jerking her chin.

“Thank you,” Massimo said.

He kept his cart moving through the market but it was crowded, making the going difficult. Some people grew angry with him, asking him to take his empty cart elsewhere, and Massimo wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

He asked everyone he passed where he could go to buy Louan devices, but so far he hadn’t made much progress.

“Where can I buy timepieces?” Massimo asked a pretty girl in a blue dress.

“Here to buy, are you?” the girl asked.

“All the way from Ralanast,” Massimo admitted. “It’s my first expedition on my own.”

“Really? I might be able to help you. How much do you want to spend?”

“Perhaps fifteen silver deens,” Massimo said. He remembered some advice Alonzo had given him about never telling people how much you really have.

“Head for the big square, up ahead,” the girl said. “You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you.” Massimo beamed. She waved back at him.

Massimo was pleased at the girl’s response — it seemed he was in the right place after all. He simply had to fill his cart with goods and head for home, and his mission would be a success.

On the side of the road just ahead, two men were arguing, poking each other as they shouted and called each other names. As Massimo’s cart moved through the market he drew close to them, looking on with consternation.