Dragon (S)Layers Ch. 33

Volume 4: Dereliction of Duty

Chapter IX: Fun and Games

Taris was a surprisingly shy man for someone as physically attractive as he was- or could have been, anyway. There were certain charms to a young man who could appear reserved without being subservient, he stole a glance up at Sarah every now and then as they flipped through his portfolio. The half-page designs he'd sketched out were crude, but the concepts were fairly interesting and probably the only reason his father had allowed him any amount of space in his mill in the first place.

The boy's massive dog, Chac kept a lazy eye on her from his bed in the corner for any sign she might hurt either one of them as Sarah flipped through the portfolio. She was only half paying attention, really, musing about how she might be able to get her paperwork from under the floorboards without drawing too much attention to herself. There were barely any tools and even fewer resources that weren't scrap from some caravan or building project, hardly anything suitable for real creativity to take place. And yet something itched at the back of her mind; not a Compulsion like she might've expected from her patron, but a knowing that there was something here. Something she wasn't seeing.

That made it all the more irritating. It gnawed at her. A problem that she could solve for the sheer pleasure of spiting the odds and even her own doubt. But which problem was it? Her lack of travel papers or simply getting to them?

Sarah stopped at a sketch of a wheel attached to a multi-pronged fan. The wheel attached to the fan by way of wooden peg gearing, down a long shaft to a system of reductions that turned the wheel below. The notes were all over the place about it's length and rate of turn, but underneath it in sloppy block lettering the word 'Solar Mill' had been penned. Sarah glanced at the boy and slipped the paper out of its holder, setting it to the side and continuing on.

She wasn't going to tell him wind mills had been around for decades, but she could at least point him in the right place- and seeing the spark of warmth and hope in his eyes, affirmation of his ideas. How could she crush that?

There were a few more unremarkable and uninteresting concepts littering the rest of the book, most of them takeoffs on existing farm implements with only minor improvements, including a strangely angled axe head which seemed to be designed to make splitting wood easier. Boring, but promising. But before she could close it, she came across a strange design indeed. A slanted table with a puck that slid down between wooden pegs hitting little latches along the way to represent a score, by the time it hit the bottom of the table, a port in the bottom opened up allowing the puck to land in what would be the final score.

"Well now, what's this? Do I detect you've been holding out on me?" She glanced at him with a smile, "Come now, don't look so shy, among a plethora of interesting and potentially quiet viable farming arts, we've a proverbial needle in a haystack- a diamond in a coal mine, if you will! How did you see this one working out?"

"Uh- well. . . .I think this was going to be a game of some kind for kids? I- the farm things were meant to be for sale from the mill and- well, the game stuff is just a hobby." Taris glanced away. "Just a hobby."

Sarah flipped the design over a few times in her fingers- it was perfectly viable, maybe a little simplistic, but there was a lot of great things built on simplicity. Entire kingdoms had been established on less. . . "So am I to believe that in all the infinite stars, the one that shines the brightest is the one you deny the most?" She tisked playfully. "Good man, you've a gem here."

His eyes lit up as he looked to her, a flicker of awe on his teenage features. Sarah couldn't help but smile at that. But just as quickly it came crashing down when Taris looked away and exhaled through his nose. "My father wouldn't approve, though. Part of the condition for letting me use the millhouse is that I work on things that help the village, things he can sell. I can't sell this. . . .who'd want to buy something that only gets used once?"

After a split second pause, Sarah took the design and ran her finger down it. She simulated the puck hitting the pegs at random before dropping down into the score chute. "So why not add an element of interactivity to it? Move the pegs, allow the puck and score to be reset? For viability. . ." She looked around taking quick stock of the materials they had on hand. "After a prototype, how many do you think you could produce with what you have on hand?"

Taris stared at the redheaded half-elf, probably trying to figure out whether or not she was serious. With a quick motion of encouragement, Sarah prodded him on. "Uh, m- I don't know? Maybe two?"

"As much as I enjoy spending time in the company of two of anything at the same time, I don't think that's going to be enough to really populate the village, do you?"

"W- No." He glanced away. "I can't buy anything else, either, my father controls the coin."

Sarah leaned forward, clasping her hands together between them. She watched him over the rim of her glasses, considering for a moment how long it might take her to get through the floor with the tools he had on hand. She'd need a little bit, and she'd still need to get rid of him and the dog while she did. "Farming tools are very individual, good man, but this is unique and I'm willing to bet you could see a sizable market for it-"

"See?! That's what I said! But -. . . .um. My father disagrees. It's all 'mills and crops' with him." Taris plumped his cheek out with his tongue. "But the farmers here aren't rich, it would have to be inexpensive to buy."

"Quite right! But like anything worth doing, getting it right the first time isn't as important becoming good at it through iteration. Then we can worry about cost." She flashed a winning smile. "Why don't we see what we need for this and work something out?"

That seemed to catch him by surprise. "R- Right now? But it's high moon."

This wasn't going to go well. Unless. . . Sarah held his gaze for a moment, pouting her lips just a touch, leaning forward so her blouse revealed a bit more cleavage than strictly necessary. Through her wispy bangs, she looked up at him and purred in a just sultry enough tone. "Right now I don't think there's anywhere else I'd rather be. I'd hate to be there alone with such a good idea and no one to share it with."

Taris blinked. His gaze wandered down her neckline subconsciously and swallowed. "O- Oh. . . O- okay."

"Why don't we decide on a size, then we can figure out the measurements."

#

The two inventors burned through hour after hour of 'friendly' arguments about the scale and what actually constituted correct measurements. The superior eastern system Sarah had grown up with didn't translate well into the hodgepodge mess of seemingly made up attributions that Taris was familiar with- measuring things by finger width, who thought that a good idea?

Eventually, however, they settled on using Sarah's mathematics once she'd turned a strip of wood into a measuring stick and showed him how to use it properly. Then came the lessons in how to handle geometric shapes and distances between points around non-flat surfaces. To many it would've been tedious, even with Taris's attention to detail and willingness to learn, but to Sarah it was relaxing. It'd been so long since she'd actually had the opportunity to teach someone her craft and, more importantly than that, actually revel in the company of a mind not too unlike her own.

It'd been a long time since she'd had reason to really smile, but when they were staring at the finalized plans for their 'puck master' machine tacked to the pegboard, she wasn't shy with it. During that same time, the dog had lost all interest in the pair and gone back to sleep. "Capital," Sarah exclaimed as she looked around. There were still other concerns to deal with, though. "Now, then. Where are your tools?"

"Uh- Tools?"

"Yes, surely you have a band saw of some description?" A blank look. "Smoothing planes?" Another confused expression. Of course, she knew these things were nowhere to be found, but it gave her the excuse she needed to send him on his way. Then she could get her papers and be gone. It wasn't a total loss, he got what he needed out of the deal- a friendly nudge and a little bit of training to bring a good idea to fruition- and she got to live for another day. A fair trade by any measure!

When Taris turned to make an inspection of what he had on hand, Sarah preempted him by picking up a few scraps of wood and cobbling together a loose outline of their design, using a charcoal pencil to mark where the cuts would need to be made. The deck was going to be the easiest part, they- he- could use hand tools to make it work. But molding the baffles and sides would take a little more work. Especially if it was to look presentable.

Fortunately that wouldn't be her problem. She turned the deck around to show Taris the markings, tracing the curve of the top mark. "See what I mean?"

"I-. . . .oh, yeah, so we cut it and smooth down the edges."

"Precisely! A band or coil saw would make this much easier, hm?" She flashed a smile. Just for an hour or two- what about your local carpenter, surely he has such tools?"

"Uh- Probably? I don't think he'll just let us use them, though-"

"Worry not!" Sarah fished a few gold from her pocket, set the deck board against the bench and handed them over. "I'll fund this if you're willing to do the talking, hm? Consider me your silent partner." She smiled at his look of confusion and vague awe. "Money isn't an object, so long as the result is something we can both live with."

"B- But, Engineer-"

"Sarah. No sense in using fancy titles, dear." The boy took the coin with a new uncertainty. It didn't fade when Sarah curled his hand around them, not even when she cupped his cheek and whispered. "It's going to be okay, we'll get this cut and assembled by daybreak and your father will be none the wiser."

He nodded slowly. "B- Begging your pardon, Engineer, but I thought priests could bend material to their will."

"A common misconception!" She lied smoothly. "There are techniques and magic that can make it easier, but what point does that service for someone without access to them, hm?" Without waiting for a reply she sauntered over to the workbench and gathered up a few tools- most importantly the hand drill and a tiny ribbon saw. It'd have never cut through the heavy deck board for the machine, but it would work for the floorboards if she cut with the grain rather than across it.

"S- so, how much should I offer him? I don't think he makes his much in a tenday-"

"I'd say give him as little as you can get away with," Sarah turned on the stack of discarded materials, fishing out more scrap lumber she thought might be useful. "But don't be shy in giving him everything! The man is going to be tired and upset at seeing you, so don't think twice about compensating him for his time and inconvenience if it means we can get access to his tools."

The boy looked like he was going to throw up at the prospect.

"It will be fine!" She shooed him on with a lighthearted smile. "I've plenty more if that won't do it, just take your time in approaching him and use a firm but inviting tone. You're going to do fine."

"But-"

"An invention does not simply spring from thin air, good man. It takes risk and an investment of time and effort! A test of character and endurance- as much as I may enjoy testing people's endurance, however, there is a point when we must make our own choices." She smiled at him, leaning back against the workbench. She made sure her hands were out to her sides holding her coat open, her chest perked forward a bit to accent her curves and her lips pouted ever so slightly.

It had the intended effect; she caught his glance over her body. He glanced away when she pretended to notice it for the first time. She didn't move, though. Holding her pose for several seconds.

"The only question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you've the courage to seek out what you want, Taris. Do you want this?"

He sputtered a timid reply she couldn't hear.

"So what will hold you back from getting it? A no? An angry voice who's doing nothing with his life aside sleeping it away? Nonsense! Grease the wheels of progress with someone else's coin- which is freely offered, remember- and see your dream come true!"

He looked at her again, warily this time. To his credit, he managed to hold her gaze. A slow smile crept across his lips.

"That's it! A smile to light a thousand fires to match a face that has no doubt broken many a hearts- go on, then! Savor this moment and let's create magic!"

"Right!" Taris grabbed up the deck board and turned towards the door. Sarah smiled warmly as he marched towards the door. "I'll be back soon!"

For him, the mission was clear, such as it needed to be. He didn't even look back- probably for the best. "Silly git."

Sarah padded over to the center of the room and crouched down, looking about the place to triangulate where she remembered her cache being.

A few feet forward and to the right, she decided and slid over. She tapped the board with a light 'thock' and then poked it with her drill. No support beams in the way, this was going to be easy. . .

Ten minutes later she was still hunched over, using her bundled up coat to pad her knees, panting as she worked the drill faster and faster. Sweat ran between her shoulder blades and her breasts, reminding her just out how of shape she actually was. Two decades misspent, too damn long from when she didn't have to worry about where her next meal would come from. It was ridiculous.

She huffed when she felt the bit finally punch through the last layer of wood. Where the floorboards were a sturdy softwood, the subflooring had been a pure hell of laminated hardwood meant to resist rot. She sagged forward on her hands and knees, tossing the drill to the side with a meaty clang of metal on wood.

The dog peeked up, ears forward and attention focused squarely on her. They stared at one another for a second before he licked his chops and gave a quick scan of the area. Satisfied nothing was out of place, he laid his head back down but kept his attention on her.

Sarah sat back on her knees breathing in deep and slow, wiping sweat from her brow and hoping against hope she'd not have to resort to 'plan B'. Some part of her knew she would even before she slid the little ribbon saw into the hole she'd created and tried to saw at the wood. It didn't give an inch. The tiny teeth on the saw were meant for cutting through soft wood and delicate finishing work, not what she wanted it for.

"Dammit," she whispered. Using her powers to atrophy the wood likely meant upsetting Chac and gods only knew where that would lead- aside from her becoming a red stain on the floor. Sarah leaned back on her haunches, looking for some kind of tool she could use to wedge the hole out some.

Chac had other ideas, it seemed; he got to his feet, sniffed the air and turned towards the door. That's when Sarah noticed the sweep of a shadow across the glass. Someone walked by. They stopped. Then knocked. Chac thundered towards the door, gnashing teeth and barking loudly.

Knowing better than to stick around, Sarah clamored for a hiding place. "Son of a bitch."