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 and dialog I have attributed to TP's characters in this tale
belongs to me. 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.
A couple of reviewers have mentioned that one of my tall tales (of 2) has triggered a thought about something they would like to write - anyone has my permission to use anything from this and my other story in anyway they want. So have at it, expand, add, enhance, just think if you can write a fan fiction based on a story that has a copyright why not a fan fiction based on a fan fiction. So tale spinners, spin on.
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
The Circle Expands
Chapter 6
As Tris walked through the patio the Duke, Yazman and Glaki entered the front of Circle Four.
Glaki ran over to Tris and hugged her, "Morning."
"Good morning Glaki."
"The Duke has come to see Evvy's dragon."
Tris and Glaki followed the Duke and Yazmin into GLASS-STONE-METAL and over to the table holding the blue dragon.
After complimenting Evvy on her dragon Yazmin went to examine the jewelry and the Duke went to look at the marble lamp.
"My Lord Duke," the Duke turned to Keth.
"I have something to I would like to show you," he was holding one of the fog filled spheres he had brought into the shop that morning.
"What is this," asked the Duke looking at the sphere.
"If you will Remember Tris and I told you that while we were in Thanios the city state on the Ithocot Sea, and my magic was running out of control, I accidentally created a lighting filled sphere, when the lighting cleared the sphere contained the scene of a murdered street performer. Eventually as I learned to control my magic I was able to create more spheres and was eventually was able to show a victim before she was killed. After the killer was caught I was able to create spheres to solve other crimes. After arriving here in Summersea Tris and I have been working on these." And he held up the fog filled sphere.
"What does it do?"
Hold out your hands cupped to hold the sphere, then close you eyes and remember a happy moment of your life. Hold the memory firmly in mind and nod when you have it fixed in your memory. I will place the sphere in your hands and you must hold the memory for a short period of time. When I touch you on the shoulder open your eyes.
The Duke cupped his hands and closed his eyes, after a short time he nodded and Keth placed the sphere in his hands. A short time later Keth touched the Dukes shoulder an he opened his eyes and looked at the sphere. There reproduced in minute detail was the wedding of the Duke and his deceased wife.
The Duke looked at Keth with tears standing in his eyes.
"We call them Rememballs, the will display any memory that you are holding in mind the first time you touch them. And they will continue to display it until broken."
"How much for this one?" The Duke asked in a husky whisper.
"Our gift to you, My Lord, in appreciation for all you have done for us."
"What are you going to price them at?"
"Actually My Lord, we have not yet set a price. We are thinking of giving you a half dozen of them." (A/N how many is an imperial dozen? A standard dozen is 12 and a baker's dozen is 13.)
"You are? Why?"
"Our thinking is this, if you could place a pleasant memory in each one, not an intimate memory, just a pleasant one, and place them on display at your next ball along with these," Keth lifted a basket with more Rememballs in it, "at your next ball the demand generated will help establish a fair price."
The Duke carefully put the Rememball he was holding down on the table and picked up one from the basket, inside the sphere was a fire raging through a forest.
"That one is Daja's memory of standing in the middle of a forest fire."
Handing another Rememball to the Duke, Keth said, "This is one of Sandry's memory's from her travels with her parents."
The memory in the sphere was of Sandry's parents riding, half turned in the saddle, looking over their shoulders with smiles, as they rode through a high mountain pass. "Now these," said Keth picking up a sphere mounted on a marble base, "Are going to be much more expensive." Handing it to the Duke.
The sphere displayed Yazman Hebet dancing and the picture was moving through a sequence that ran about a minute and then started over. (A/N How do you measure an Imperial minute with a candle?)
"Sandry stored this from you last ball."
Yazman came up and looked past the Duke into the sphere and gasped.
"How did you get me in there?"
"Magic." Keth grinned, and explained how the Rememballs worked.
"I think these are going to be very profitable for you." The Duke commented.
"How can you tell if it a memory or imagination stored by the magic?" Asked Yazman.
"Here," placing Sandry's Rememball on the table Keth remove a second one from the basketful of used Rememballs and placed it beside the other.
The new sphere displayed an image of the blue dragon of Evvy's sculpture.
"Evvy stored this before she started the actual sculpture, if you compare them you will find minor differences between the image and the finished work."
"Now if you look closely at Sandry's memory you can see very fine detail in the complete image, in Evvy's imagined image there is little background detail and the farther away you get from the central image the less detail there is."
"A memory appears to store everything that is seen and the magic extracts all the detail and stores it. The imagination focuses only on the central image and lacks the surrounding detail."
"Let us know when you set a price for them." Said the Duke.
"Actually My Lord, Tris thought that you would hold an auction of a single memory and a moving memory Rememball at you next ball with the proceeds going to the Circle Four school it would help set a upper level price on both types."
The Duke turned to look at Tris and smiled, "Very sneaky," he said, "You get all the nobles to bidding in order to set a high price and then to argue over who is allowed to force their money on you."
"Tris is very smart." Said Keth.
"Would you and Yazmin like to come up to the common room and have lunch with us?" Tris asked the Duke.
Down the south wall above GLASS-STONE-METAL and around the corner over BOOKS there was a second floor that contained a common room, a kitchen and a rest area for the use of the employees of Circle Four. Each day the kitchen served a basic breakfast, lunch and dinner for the UPS employees, the guards and the store managers and clerks. The meals were not fancy but they were filling and nutritious, something the former street rats and guards, most of whom were retired harriers and Dukes guards, appreciated. The guards worked shifts consisting of twelve hours. The day shift consisted of two guards on the front door and four guards at random throughout Circle Four. Two of the indoor guards were younger men just in case of serious trouble. The night shift consisted of two guards, two dogs and four of Evvy's cats, who checked the building through the night. (A/N all timing assumes a twenty-four Emelan Imperial Day. (Guard union in discussion with the Circle Four legal eagles about salaries. (Even in fantasy you can't escape lawyers!))) (
"Let me show my appreciation for the gifts by taking you all out to lunch."
Tris sent through the bond, "Are you ready for lunch? The Duke's buying."
Sandry, "Coming."
Briar, "YES."
Daja, "I'll come later, hand are full right now."
Leaving GLASS-STONE-METAL in Sapphire's (the manager) capable hands the Duke, Yazmin, Tris, Keth and Evvy headed for the front door of Circle Four.
Briar had all ready left EXOTIC PLANTS and was half way across the patio area and a line of Tenth Caravan traders loaded with boxes, bales, bags and bundles were coming in the front door. He joined Tris and the group and they went to the door, pausing, just inside the door, to allow the loaded traders through.
Just then a youngster came running out of EXOTIC PLANTS looking and yelling, to a friend, back over his shoulder. Not paying any attention to where he was going he ran headlong into a trader jarring his load loose and scattering it across the floor. One of the boxes burst when it hit the floor strewing jewelry across the tiles of the patio, rings, pendants, earrings an assorted pins scattered to the feet of the waiting group.
The Duke leaned over and started to pick up a pin.
"STOP!" shouted Tris, "NOBODY TOUCH ANYTHING!"
"Guard, don't let anyone leave."
"UPS I need you."
Several members of UPS came running."
"Jordy, run to the Provost coop and bring back Captain Ulring and Captain Behazin ask them to bring their mage kits."
"Wagner, you know Polyam, find her and ask her to bring the Gilav, Mimander and Daka here at once."
"Steward, grab a broom and dust pan."
"What is going on Tris," the Duke asked."
"My Lord, all this jewelry is spelled with what looks like a trap spells. The last time I saw spells like this they were in the barrier protecting the pirate fleet that attacked Summersea."
"This is all expensive jewelry that only the wealthy could afford. Right now I think that a Blood mage is attempting to gain influence among the wealthy and nobles of Emelan."
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
Appendix of Chapter 6 - you can skip all this.
Daka - hi-caste negotiator who brings profit to the caravan.
Gilav - caravan leader, about the same as the captain of a ship or mayor.
Mimander - a Trader mage, always robed and veiled in bright yellow.
Broom and dust pan - pre-vacuum cleaner tools for floor cleaning.
Captain Ulring Provost's guard mage - I promoted this one from Lieutenant.
Captain Behazin Provost's guard mage
A/N - That dratted clock has me thinking of time and its measurement, you do realize that a 365.25 day year, 24 hour day, 60 minute hour and a 60 second minute is planet specific don't you. If Emelan is not located on Earth in Tamora's universe the length of the year, day, hour, minute and second will be completely different, and in Imperial will be called by different terms like urk, kic, lug, ker and ik. I have a headache, I think my brain is swelling.
MONEY I have been re-reading the Circle Of Magic novels and have been keeping track of the names of the money listed, the following is a scale I am working on, I offer it to the world as a start on establishing a financial scale for Emelan and the surrounding nations. Let me know if you have a better one.
Gold maja = 10 gold astrels = 10,000,000 coppers
Gold astrel = 10 gold nobles = 1,000,000 coppers
Gold noble = 2 gold crese = 10 silver astrels = 100,000 coppers
Gold crese = 5 silver astrels = 50,000 copers
Silver astrel = 10 silver nobles = 10,000 coppersSilver noble = 2 silver crese = 10 copper astrels = 1000 coppers
Silver crese = 5 copper astrels = 500 coppers
Copper astrel = 2 copper noble = 10 copper nobles = 100 coppers
Copper noble = 10 coppers
Copper crese = 5 coppers
Copper
A couple of reviewers have mentioned that one of my tall tales (of 2) has triggered a thought about something they would like to write - anyone has my permission to use anything from this and my other story in anyway they want. So have at it, expand, add, enhance, just think if you can write a fan fiction based on a story that has a copyright why not a fan fiction based on a fan fiction. So tale spinners, spin on.
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
The Circle Expands
Chapter 6
As Tris walked through the patio the Duke, Yazman and Glaki entered the front of Circle Four.
Glaki ran over to Tris and hugged her, "Morning."
"Good morning Glaki."
"The Duke has come to see Evvy's dragon."
Tris and Glaki followed the Duke and Yazmin into GLASS-STONE-METAL and over to the table holding the blue dragon.
After complimenting Evvy on her dragon Yazmin went to examine the jewelry and the Duke went to look at the marble lamp.
"My Lord Duke," the Duke turned to Keth.
"I have something to I would like to show you," he was holding one of the fog filled spheres he had brought into the shop that morning.
"What is this," asked the Duke looking at the sphere.
"If you will Remember Tris and I told you that while we were in Thanios the city state on the Ithocot Sea, and my magic was running out of control, I accidentally created a lighting filled sphere, when the lighting cleared the sphere contained the scene of a murdered street performer. Eventually as I learned to control my magic I was able to create more spheres and was eventually was able to show a victim before she was killed. After the killer was caught I was able to create spheres to solve other crimes. After arriving here in Summersea Tris and I have been working on these." And he held up the fog filled sphere.
"What does it do?"
Hold out your hands cupped to hold the sphere, then close you eyes and remember a happy moment of your life. Hold the memory firmly in mind and nod when you have it fixed in your memory. I will place the sphere in your hands and you must hold the memory for a short period of time. When I touch you on the shoulder open your eyes.
The Duke cupped his hands and closed his eyes, after a short time he nodded and Keth placed the sphere in his hands. A short time later Keth touched the Dukes shoulder an he opened his eyes and looked at the sphere. There reproduced in minute detail was the wedding of the Duke and his deceased wife.
The Duke looked at Keth with tears standing in his eyes.
"We call them Rememballs, the will display any memory that you are holding in mind the first time you touch them. And they will continue to display it until broken."
"How much for this one?" The Duke asked in a husky whisper.
"Our gift to you, My Lord, in appreciation for all you have done for us."
"What are you going to price them at?"
"Actually My Lord, we have not yet set a price. We are thinking of giving you a half dozen of them." (A/N how many is an imperial dozen? A standard dozen is 12 and a baker's dozen is 13.)
"You are? Why?"
"Our thinking is this, if you could place a pleasant memory in each one, not an intimate memory, just a pleasant one, and place them on display at your next ball along with these," Keth lifted a basket with more Rememballs in it, "at your next ball the demand generated will help establish a fair price."
The Duke carefully put the Rememball he was holding down on the table and picked up one from the basket, inside the sphere was a fire raging through a forest.
"That one is Daja's memory of standing in the middle of a forest fire."
Handing another Rememball to the Duke, Keth said, "This is one of Sandry's memory's from her travels with her parents."
The memory in the sphere was of Sandry's parents riding, half turned in the saddle, looking over their shoulders with smiles, as they rode through a high mountain pass. "Now these," said Keth picking up a sphere mounted on a marble base, "Are going to be much more expensive." Handing it to the Duke.
The sphere displayed Yazman Hebet dancing and the picture was moving through a sequence that ran about a minute and then started over. (A/N How do you measure an Imperial minute with a candle?)
"Sandry stored this from you last ball."
Yazman came up and looked past the Duke into the sphere and gasped.
"How did you get me in there?"
"Magic." Keth grinned, and explained how the Rememballs worked.
"I think these are going to be very profitable for you." The Duke commented.
"How can you tell if it a memory or imagination stored by the magic?" Asked Yazman.
"Here," placing Sandry's Rememball on the table Keth remove a second one from the basketful of used Rememballs and placed it beside the other.
The new sphere displayed an image of the blue dragon of Evvy's sculpture.
"Evvy stored this before she started the actual sculpture, if you compare them you will find minor differences between the image and the finished work."
"Now if you look closely at Sandry's memory you can see very fine detail in the complete image, in Evvy's imagined image there is little background detail and the farther away you get from the central image the less detail there is."
"A memory appears to store everything that is seen and the magic extracts all the detail and stores it. The imagination focuses only on the central image and lacks the surrounding detail."
"Let us know when you set a price for them." Said the Duke.
"Actually My Lord, Tris thought that you would hold an auction of a single memory and a moving memory Rememball at you next ball with the proceeds going to the Circle Four school it would help set a upper level price on both types."
The Duke turned to look at Tris and smiled, "Very sneaky," he said, "You get all the nobles to bidding in order to set a high price and then to argue over who is allowed to force their money on you."
"Tris is very smart." Said Keth.
"Would you and Yazmin like to come up to the common room and have lunch with us?" Tris asked the Duke.
Down the south wall above GLASS-STONE-METAL and around the corner over BOOKS there was a second floor that contained a common room, a kitchen and a rest area for the use of the employees of Circle Four. Each day the kitchen served a basic breakfast, lunch and dinner for the UPS employees, the guards and the store managers and clerks. The meals were not fancy but they were filling and nutritious, something the former street rats and guards, most of whom were retired harriers and Dukes guards, appreciated. The guards worked shifts consisting of twelve hours. The day shift consisted of two guards on the front door and four guards at random throughout Circle Four. Two of the indoor guards were younger men just in case of serious trouble. The night shift consisted of two guards, two dogs and four of Evvy's cats, who checked the building through the night. (A/N all timing assumes a twenty-four Emelan Imperial Day. (Guard union in discussion with the Circle Four legal eagles about salaries. (Even in fantasy you can't escape lawyers!))) (
"Let me show my appreciation for the gifts by taking you all out to lunch."
Tris sent through the bond, "Are you ready for lunch? The Duke's buying."
Sandry, "Coming."
Briar, "YES."
Daja, "I'll come later, hand are full right now."
Leaving GLASS-STONE-METAL in Sapphire's (the manager) capable hands the Duke, Yazmin, Tris, Keth and Evvy headed for the front door of Circle Four.
Briar had all ready left EXOTIC PLANTS and was half way across the patio area and a line of Tenth Caravan traders loaded with boxes, bales, bags and bundles were coming in the front door. He joined Tris and the group and they went to the door, pausing, just inside the door, to allow the loaded traders through.
Just then a youngster came running out of EXOTIC PLANTS looking and yelling, to a friend, back over his shoulder. Not paying any attention to where he was going he ran headlong into a trader jarring his load loose and scattering it across the floor. One of the boxes burst when it hit the floor strewing jewelry across the tiles of the patio, rings, pendants, earrings an assorted pins scattered to the feet of the waiting group.
The Duke leaned over and started to pick up a pin.
"STOP!" shouted Tris, "NOBODY TOUCH ANYTHING!"
"Guard, don't let anyone leave."
"UPS I need you."
Several members of UPS came running."
"Jordy, run to the Provost coop and bring back Captain Ulring and Captain Behazin ask them to bring their mage kits."
"Wagner, you know Polyam, find her and ask her to bring the Gilav, Mimander and Daka here at once."
"Steward, grab a broom and dust pan."
"What is going on Tris," the Duke asked."
"My Lord, all this jewelry is spelled with what looks like a trap spells. The last time I saw spells like this they were in the barrier protecting the pirate fleet that attacked Summersea."
"This is all expensive jewelry that only the wealthy could afford. Right now I think that a Blood mage is attempting to gain influence among the wealthy and nobles of Emelan."
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
Appendix of Chapter 6 - you can skip all this.
Daka - hi-caste negotiator who brings profit to the caravan.
Gilav - caravan leader, about the same as the captain of a ship or mayor.
Mimander - a Trader mage, always robed and veiled in bright yellow.
Broom and dust pan - pre-vacuum cleaner tools for floor cleaning.
Captain Ulring Provost's guard mage - I promoted this one from Lieutenant.
Captain Behazin Provost's guard mage
A/N - That dratted clock has me thinking of time and its measurement, you do realize that a 365.25 day year, 24 hour day, 60 minute hour and a 60 second minute is planet specific don't you. If Emelan is not located on Earth in Tamora's universe the length of the year, day, hour, minute and second will be completely different, and in Imperial will be called by different terms like urk, kic, lug, ker and ik. I have a headache, I think my brain is swelling.
MONEY I have been re-reading the Circle Of Magic novels and have been keeping track of the names of the money listed, the following is a scale I am working on, I offer it to the world as a start on establishing a financial scale for Emelan and the surrounding nations. Let me know if you have a better one.
Gold maja = 10 gold astrels = 10,000,000 coppers
Gold astrel = 10 gold nobles = 1,000,000 coppers
Gold noble = 2 gold crese = 10 silver astrels = 100,000 coppers
Gold crese = 5 silver astrels = 50,000 copers
Silver astrel = 10 silver nobles = 10,000 coppersSilver noble = 2 silver crese = 10 copper astrels = 1000 coppers
Silver crese = 5 copper astrels = 500 coppers
Copper astrel = 2 copper noble = 10 copper nobles = 100 coppers
Copper noble = 10 coppers
Copper crese = 5 coppers
Copper