Chapter 6
Implementing the changes to the cart he and Durae had figured out in the tavern only took Blaze an hour.
While he was finishing that, everyone else completed what little work they had waiting for them.
Every morning they’d been in Everend Market before this one, at least two jobs had pulled up.
Not a single one had rolled past, and Mack, who often nabbed customers impatiently waiting at other stalls, was treating the shop like their personal playground.
The group of them was so bored that they’d even cleaned their shop area.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, the eight of them and Mack were left staring at one another with nothing to do.
Blaze itched to head out from the market area and back to their house on the Glaesflod, but he didn’t want to abandon the others.
They were the reason he’d made a decent chunk of coin, and a few had even loaned him a couple gold. He owed them.
“All right, I’m calling it,” Kidd announced. “We’re closing shop for the day.”
“We could have a whole slew of carriages any minute now,” Shaina said. “Or carts.”
Mack, who was balancing on the edge of a wheel, declared, “You won’t. Even my pa’s place is closed for the day.”
“Gods almighty, the brothels are closed?” Greyun complained. “Is it going to be like this for the next two weeks?”
“People will need to tune up their conveyances before they get rolling on the road at the end of market time. We’ve already seen stiff business. Never you fear, we will see it again!” Kidd said.
“But what about brothels?” Greyun asked.
Shania punched him in the arm. “You haven’t been to one!”
“I was planning on it!”
Blaze slipped out of the main work area and over to where his tools were while the others descended into chatter and decided whether or not Greyun actually intended to visit a pleasure house.
A free day meant he’d have more time to work on his engine, but the lack of paid work meant he’d have to keep a closer eye on his coin.
He nearly had everything he needed, but one misstep with a component and finishing in time would be out of the question.
Kidd poked his head around the cart blocking Blaze’s area from the rest of the shop. “What are you doing?”
“Heading back to my ship.”
“Why?”
“You said we were off for the day.”
Kidd put his hands together like he was pleading with the gods over something, then took a deep breath. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s a very pretty nobleman who left your boat in a hurry this morning, yes?”
The others had been ribbing Blaze all morning about Durae. He hadn’t been surprised; Durae had been loud. The thought of him naked in the moonlight brought a flush to Blaze’s cheeks. Pretty was too simple a word for the beauty that Durae possessed.
Not knowing where Kidd’s question was going, Blaze said slowly, “There was.”
“And what will said pretty nobleman be doing today?” Kidd asked.
“He mentioned going to the opening ceremony and the party after.”
“Which is open to all and has drinking, dancing, and general merrymaking,” Kidd said like he was explaining that a wheel was a circle.
“Point?” Blaze said.
“Dear gods, you’re thick sometimes.” Kidd motioned at the satchel Blaze had in his hands. “Put the tools down and come with us to the party.”
“All of Everend will be celebrating. Exactly how am I supposed to know where he’ll be? Besides—” Blaze motioned at his clothes, which had stains and tears from the long journey. “—if you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly the sort his kind marries, and I’m not dressed for it.”
“We can find you something to wear. And who cares about marriage? Have fun!”
“I’ll meet him at the Emberleigh dance the day after tomorrow.” Blaze lifted his satchel onto his shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to hurt his prospects.”
“Told ya!” came Mack’s voice. “They’re both fools!”
Blaze checked under the closest carriage, but the rascal was on top of it. Glaring up, he demanded, “What do you mean ‘they’re both fools’?”
Mack flipped off the carriage and landed beside Kidd. They made a grabby-hand motion at him. Begrudgingly, Kidd handed over a silver piece. With a huge grin, Mack took it. “Don’t you know the basic definition of words? Thought you were the brainy one of this group.”
“Hey,” Kidd said.
“You’re the smart one. It’s different.”
Kidd seemed to think about that for a second, then made a noise of agreement.
“If the two of you are done needling me, I’d like to go,” Blaze said.
“You can win all the Innovation Awards on the continent and not walk away with an investor,” Kidd said.
When Blaze frowned at him, Kidd made a dismissive gesture.
“Of course winning helps. But what if you don’t win?
What if someone’s got an amazing—I don’t know, oven for gods’ sakes—and that sweeps everything?
Then you’ll be left standing on the deck of your wonderful little boat with no prospects.
Don’t make that face. Prospects aren’t just for noble bloods.
You have them, too. And your ship is a fine plan.
I want it to work. But you know how it is.
If a wheel gets stuck in a hole, leverage gets you out faster than brute force.
Getting to know people here can be that leverage! ”
“I bet you’ll find that noble, too,” Mack said.
Kidd had a solid argument that Blaze had difficulty poking a hole in.
After all, everyone at the university who had had their projects funded had either known someone very well in the faculty, or they had met someone with enough gold who could see their vision.
Blaze had spent his time in books and research and hadn’t navigated any of the social scenes because it hadn’t seemed important.
He’d lacked the skills needed to convince strangers on his road home.
If he ignored the unknown opportunities at the events of the market, then he would be committing the same folly.
When an experiment doesn’t work, you don’t repeat the exact same things over and over.
You change a variable. Blaze sighed and looked to Mack.
“Is that a bet because you’re the most troublesome elfling within a hundred miles, or do you know something? ”
“All the parties start at the Marketplace Pavilion. If he’s not there, I bet you two silvers that he’s checking out the knickknacks for a present for you,” Mack said.
“We spent one night together,” Blaze replied.
Mack’s bright grin had to have been a gift from the Trickster themselves. “Want to wager three silvers?”
“Only a fool gambles against an elfling raised on the Glaesflod.”
“Hey! I’ve made a few bets with them,” Kidd said.
“And how many times have they won?” Blaze asked.
Kidd scowled as he thought it through. “Every time.”
“Come on, there’s a chance I’ll be wrong this once!” Mack declared.
Kidd eyed them warily. Then he shifted his focus to Blaze. “Come with us to the party?”
“I should clean up. And my clothes are a wreck.”
“I got a cousin with a booth over by one of the apothecaries. We could borrow some stuff,” Kidd said.
“Why haven’t you brought them up before?” Blaze asked.
Kidd winked. “Because I don’t like everyone enough to say, ‘Hey, my cousin said we could borrow clothes so long as we promote his work while we do.’ I’ll get everyone else on their way, and we can leave in ten.”
“All right.” Blaze took his satchel off and found a clean cloth and a bucket. He turned to head toward the spigot but jumped.
Mack had been standing practically on top of him. A manic deviousness was in their eyes. They whispered, “If the others stop wagering with me ’cause you logic them out of gambling, I’ll drill so many tiny holes in the bottom of your ship, it’ll sink when you go through a cloud.”
Before Blaze could process that threat, Mack was grinning and racing after Kidd.
Note for the future: do not fuck with the local elflings’ income sources.
He pushed away unsettling thoughts and started thinking about adding enchantment to protect against damage to the hull.
If he modified the ones already laid to repel insects, it wouldn’t take long to implement and would boost the overall appeal of the craft since it ought to deflect other kinds of incidental damage done in the air.
But first, he had a party to attend. And maybe an elf to find.