Tamora Pierce owns the entire universe of this story, all the characters,
the world they live on and the very air they use to sustain life. Only the
vague plot is mine and the dialog I have attributed to TP's characters in
this tale. I freely give my permission for Tamora Pierce to use any or all
of the plot/story/dialog/concept if she so desires in any way she desires.
The Circle Expands
Chapter 2
"Morning Tris, how is the studying going?" Sandry asked.
Placing a book beside her plate and Chime on the table. As she peered at Sandry over the top of her glasses Tris asked, "Do you really want to know are you just being polite?"
"Of course I want to know, if I didn't I would not have asked."
"We started to study infusing this week. That's where you take one substance and add another component to change or enhance the effect of the first. It's strange how a tiny amount of something can greatly alter how a substance acts and sometimes it takes magic to make the different items go together properly."
"Daja, tell Tris about the Jory's de-lumper."
As Daja explained, to Tris, the gift from Nia and Jory, Chime moved around the table collecting pats and caresses from all.
Sandry asked, "Briar, what are you taking into the shop?"
"I have some seeds and bulbs of some of the more exotic plants that Rosethorn and I found on our travels, also a couple of miniatures for sale."
"Exotic plants?" asked Duke Vedris.
"Yes Sir, Rosethorn and I have tested them thoroughly and they will not damage the ecology of Emelan and some of the farm crops can be alternated with the standard crops to rebuild the soil. I'm going to use them on the test farm to show the farmers how to use them and what to expect."
"What else have you got going out in the forcing house?"
"We have a couple of plants that seem to thrive on cold wet weather and might give the farmers a winter crop but that is going to take a lot more testing."
"A winter crop would be a real boon to our economy, I hope it works out."
"And you Daja, what's going on in your shop?"
"Well Your Grace, while Frostpine and I were on our travels I got interested in measuring time. As you know we use candles used to measure time. In the Bancanor's household candles were not used because of the fear of fire in a wooden city, time was measured by water dripping into a container. The water raised a float that carried a pointer to mark the hours. Some of the time pieces used a float with a rack that turned a toothed wheel as the water came up a pointer attached to the wheel indicated the time. And of course every country has sundials and sun clocks. However in one small smithy we found a man who is developing clock small enough to be carried. I obtained his permission to experiment on the device and we are corresponding with each other on our progress. We have the basics worked out and now we are just working on the fine work of getting the toothed wheels to the right size and smoothness, as each wheel is handmade it takes time. (With a grin)"
"I will be very interested in seeing it when you have it working."
"I'll let you know."
"Here is something Your Grace, while working on the clock we came up with this." She pulled a small toy out of a pocket and placed it on the table, it appeared to be a small cart without the shafts to attach it to a horse. Pressing down on the toy she pulled it back toward herself and a small clicking could be heard. When she released the toy it darted down the table for about 10 feet.
Sandry jerked back from it. "I didn't see you use magic to make it move!"
"No magic, this is a toy for the untalented. I have a dozen ready for sale in the shop."
"How does it work?"
"While Frostpine was experimenting on tempering metals he found a alloy that when heat treated bends only temporarily. When you bend it and let go, it bounces back to its original shape. But if you bend it too far it breaks. Frostpine knows the clock that I am working on needs some way to keep a wheel turning over a extended period of time. We made a long very thin piece of the alloy and formed it into a coil before it was heat treated. Then we fixed one end to a shaft of a wheel and the other end to a fixed position. When we spun the wheel we tightened the coil, upon release the wheel spun like crazy as the coil returned to it original shape. And that is what powers the toy."
"Is it going to be very expensive?"
"Not to bad, we are trying to pull the alloy into a wire so the coils can be of wire instead of flat, that will speed things up and reduce costs and can be made by apprentice smiths."
Briar pushed back from the table, "I'll get a horse and wagon from the stables and get my stuff loaded. Meet you at the forge Daja."
"As soon as I'm finished."
"Sandry, we'll pick you and Tris up out front."
"Fine in a bit."
"Tris, how is Glaki doing in school?"
"She is having a ball, between her and Evvy they are going through every book in the school. Of course some of Evvy's attitude is rubbing off on her and she is starting to give Briar some smart back talk. It's funny, Briar just puts his head down and moans "Girls, I'm surrounded by GIRLS! And they are all laughing at me." It cracks me up."
"You have anything new for the store?"
"Yes, we mixed some of the coloring agents for glass and Chime has produced some multi-colored glass flames, we have rigged them as jewelry and they are ready for sale."
Daja got up from the table and picked up the toy cart and the inlayed box, "See you two out front."
"Daja, I would like to read that letter and see how Jory made her cooking aid."
"Ok, here." Sliding the letter across the table to Tris, "I want it back please." As she left the room,"
"Of course," Tris said as she opened the letter and started to read it.
Sandry turned to the Duke and asked "Would you like to go to the shop with us? You might find something new for Yazmin."
"No, I will come in later after you have the new items on display."
"Baron is there anything we can do for you in town?"
"No thanks, Sandry, I will try to get in to see the new stuff, you shop always has the most interesting items. My Lady has a birthday coming up soon."
"Oh, well we have some really nice jewelry and Evvy has made some outstanding, one of a kind, lamps you will have to see to believe."
"Vedris, I'm going the need a larger salary it I'm to keep going to the Four."
Duke Vedris chuckled and shook his head gently. He reached over and touched Sandry's arm and then pointed down the table at Tris, who had finished the Bancanor letter and now was engrossed in the book she had brought to the table.
Sandry grinned and said, "Tris, you food is getting cold."
Tris's head came up out of the book, using the letter to mark her place in the book she picked up a fork and started to finish her breakfast.
"What are you studying today, Tris, a treatise on how high is up?"
"Actually is I'm trying to classify it for the Dukes library."
"Oh, a book you can't classify instantly?"
"Yes, it is a story, but it can not be called a fable, fairy tale of parable or even a sermon. It is written by a man named Jule S'Vern, The basic theme is in a universe without magic a madman has created a ship, called Natilus, made of metal that can go underwater. It has some power source that allows it to travel vast distances without wind or oars. This madman is rushing around the seas both on and under the surface at will and is smashing into pirate vessels and sinking them."
The Duke was laughing and he told Tris, "I want to read it when you are finished."
The Circle Expands
Chapter 2
"Morning Tris, how is the studying going?" Sandry asked.
Placing a book beside her plate and Chime on the table. As she peered at Sandry over the top of her glasses Tris asked, "Do you really want to know are you just being polite?"
"Of course I want to know, if I didn't I would not have asked."
"We started to study infusing this week. That's where you take one substance and add another component to change or enhance the effect of the first. It's strange how a tiny amount of something can greatly alter how a substance acts and sometimes it takes magic to make the different items go together properly."
"Daja, tell Tris about the Jory's de-lumper."
As Daja explained, to Tris, the gift from Nia and Jory, Chime moved around the table collecting pats and caresses from all.
Sandry asked, "Briar, what are you taking into the shop?"
"I have some seeds and bulbs of some of the more exotic plants that Rosethorn and I found on our travels, also a couple of miniatures for sale."
"Exotic plants?" asked Duke Vedris.
"Yes Sir, Rosethorn and I have tested them thoroughly and they will not damage the ecology of Emelan and some of the farm crops can be alternated with the standard crops to rebuild the soil. I'm going to use them on the test farm to show the farmers how to use them and what to expect."
"What else have you got going out in the forcing house?"
"We have a couple of plants that seem to thrive on cold wet weather and might give the farmers a winter crop but that is going to take a lot more testing."
"A winter crop would be a real boon to our economy, I hope it works out."
"And you Daja, what's going on in your shop?"
"Well Your Grace, while Frostpine and I were on our travels I got interested in measuring time. As you know we use candles used to measure time. In the Bancanor's household candles were not used because of the fear of fire in a wooden city, time was measured by water dripping into a container. The water raised a float that carried a pointer to mark the hours. Some of the time pieces used a float with a rack that turned a toothed wheel as the water came up a pointer attached to the wheel indicated the time. And of course every country has sundials and sun clocks. However in one small smithy we found a man who is developing clock small enough to be carried. I obtained his permission to experiment on the device and we are corresponding with each other on our progress. We have the basics worked out and now we are just working on the fine work of getting the toothed wheels to the right size and smoothness, as each wheel is handmade it takes time. (With a grin)"
"I will be very interested in seeing it when you have it working."
"I'll let you know."
"Here is something Your Grace, while working on the clock we came up with this." She pulled a small toy out of a pocket and placed it on the table, it appeared to be a small cart without the shafts to attach it to a horse. Pressing down on the toy she pulled it back toward herself and a small clicking could be heard. When she released the toy it darted down the table for about 10 feet.
Sandry jerked back from it. "I didn't see you use magic to make it move!"
"No magic, this is a toy for the untalented. I have a dozen ready for sale in the shop."
"How does it work?"
"While Frostpine was experimenting on tempering metals he found a alloy that when heat treated bends only temporarily. When you bend it and let go, it bounces back to its original shape. But if you bend it too far it breaks. Frostpine knows the clock that I am working on needs some way to keep a wheel turning over a extended period of time. We made a long very thin piece of the alloy and formed it into a coil before it was heat treated. Then we fixed one end to a shaft of a wheel and the other end to a fixed position. When we spun the wheel we tightened the coil, upon release the wheel spun like crazy as the coil returned to it original shape. And that is what powers the toy."
"Is it going to be very expensive?"
"Not to bad, we are trying to pull the alloy into a wire so the coils can be of wire instead of flat, that will speed things up and reduce costs and can be made by apprentice smiths."
Briar pushed back from the table, "I'll get a horse and wagon from the stables and get my stuff loaded. Meet you at the forge Daja."
"As soon as I'm finished."
"Sandry, we'll pick you and Tris up out front."
"Fine in a bit."
"Tris, how is Glaki doing in school?"
"She is having a ball, between her and Evvy they are going through every book in the school. Of course some of Evvy's attitude is rubbing off on her and she is starting to give Briar some smart back talk. It's funny, Briar just puts his head down and moans "Girls, I'm surrounded by GIRLS! And they are all laughing at me." It cracks me up."
"You have anything new for the store?"
"Yes, we mixed some of the coloring agents for glass and Chime has produced some multi-colored glass flames, we have rigged them as jewelry and they are ready for sale."
Daja got up from the table and picked up the toy cart and the inlayed box, "See you two out front."
"Daja, I would like to read that letter and see how Jory made her cooking aid."
"Ok, here." Sliding the letter across the table to Tris, "I want it back please." As she left the room,"
"Of course," Tris said as she opened the letter and started to read it.
Sandry turned to the Duke and asked "Would you like to go to the shop with us? You might find something new for Yazmin."
"No, I will come in later after you have the new items on display."
"Baron is there anything we can do for you in town?"
"No thanks, Sandry, I will try to get in to see the new stuff, you shop always has the most interesting items. My Lady has a birthday coming up soon."
"Oh, well we have some really nice jewelry and Evvy has made some outstanding, one of a kind, lamps you will have to see to believe."
"Vedris, I'm going the need a larger salary it I'm to keep going to the Four."
Duke Vedris chuckled and shook his head gently. He reached over and touched Sandry's arm and then pointed down the table at Tris, who had finished the Bancanor letter and now was engrossed in the book she had brought to the table.
Sandry grinned and said, "Tris, you food is getting cold."
Tris's head came up out of the book, using the letter to mark her place in the book she picked up a fork and started to finish her breakfast.
"What are you studying today, Tris, a treatise on how high is up?"
"Actually is I'm trying to classify it for the Dukes library."
"Oh, a book you can't classify instantly?"
"Yes, it is a story, but it can not be called a fable, fairy tale of parable or even a sermon. It is written by a man named Jule S'Vern, The basic theme is in a universe without magic a madman has created a ship, called Natilus, made of metal that can go underwater. It has some power source that allows it to travel vast distances without wind or oars. This madman is rushing around the seas both on and under the surface at will and is smashing into pirate vessels and sinking them."
The Duke was laughing and he told Tris, "I want to read it when you are finished."