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 anyone to use any or all of
the plot/story/dialog if they are so inclined.
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
Chapter 34
Tris stood on the steps with the rain pouring down as the others ran for shelter. She let the rain wash over her and smiled, turning she walked slowly back into the manor where her friends waited for her.
"Are you OK, Tris?" asked Daja.
Tris looked at Daja and noticed that the whole group was wet and dripping on the foyer floor. Using a small touch of her power she dried the clothes of her friends and moved the water on the floor out the door.
Sandry used a touch of her power and the wrinkles in her friends clothes smoothed out and everyone looked as if they had just gotten freshly dressed.
"I'm fine Daja."
"How wide spread is the storm, Tris?" asked the Duke
"The clouds go all the way to Summersea, but the only heavy rain is falling on certain carriage."
"So we won't have any serious flooding." Said the Duke.
"Darn, I didn't think, I will let the rains end and the clouds move on. There is no weather system behind them so they will quickly disperse."
Briar turned to Moglee and asked, "How are you doing, Mog?"
"I'm fine, I'm just glad that it's over."
"Well, maybe not over, but the process has started and now that it has started you may be hearing from some other members of the Chandler family."
"Other members?"
"Yes," Briar said, "the Chandler family is a large well known merchant family. Not all of them will be as greedy and as stupid as this one. There is a very good chance that your parents had some good friends in the family and they haven't been in contact because they did not know that you survived the pirate attack."
"I'm just telling you to not prejudge the other members of your family. Take your time and get to know any that try to contact you. Family is important and you may find you like some of them. At the very least you can learn something about your mother and father."
"Thanks Briar, I'll keep it in mind."
"I was a little surprised that Igor wasn't here for the meeting."
"Tris is keeping him busy at the print shop. Right now he is reading that book of jokes that we found in that crate of book we opened a while back, Tris is considering printing a new edition."
"Has he found any good jokes?" asked Briar.
"He has told me a couple, last night he told me about a man born and raised in the city who moves to the country and decides he's going to start farming. He goes to the local farmer and tells the man, 'Sell me 100 baby chickens.' The farmer does. A week later the man returns and says, 'Give me 200 baby chickens.' Again the farmer complies. Again, a week later the man returns. This time he says, 'Give me 500 baby chickens.' 'Wow!' the farmer says. 'You must really be doing well.' 'Naw,' said the man with a sigh. 'I'm either planting them too deep or too far apart!'"
Groans were heard from almost everyone in the room.
Briar said, "What are you groaning about, raising chickens is like raising beans. Do it right and make a profit."
Daja popped him on the shoulder.
"Ouch!"
"Tris, you're not really going to inflict the world with a book of jokes like that are you?" asked Sandry.
"Why not?" asked Tris, "After all the author went to a great deal of trouble to collect the jokes and have them put into a book, the copy we found may be the only copy ever made. It was hand written and that was a expensive process. With the printing press we can print a thousand copies for one tenth the cost of printing one copy by hand."
"But Tris, a book full of short stories about dumb people?"
"Almost all humor hurts someone when you stop to think about it." Said Tris.
"Someone slips and falls, people laugh, but the one who fell is hurt. If he is hurt bad the laughter stops and they will help him, but most of the time it is just another humorous incident."
"That can't be true." Sandry protested.
"Go on,' Tris told her, "tell me a joke that does not disparage or put down some person, place, group, race, country or sex and no one is hurt in any way."
Just then Alfred stepped into the room and said, "Dinner is ready to be served."
"Good," said the Duke, "confrontations always make me hungry." Leading the way to the dinning room.
Daja and Sandry walked over to Tris and put their arms around her waist and the three followed the Duke into the dinning room.
&&&&&&&
After lunch everybody was in the family room, Duke Vedris was at the game table with Moglee and Dajs was kibitzing the game. Sandry and Tris were on a couch talking and Briar stood facing into the room, his back tom the door. Moglee caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway.
"Daja," whispered Moglee, "Ruby just peeked in through the door."
Daja shifted her eyes from the game to a mirror on the wall and saw a eye peeking around the edge of the door way and she could hear faint muffled giggles in the foyer.
Through the magic bond Daga spoke to Briar, "Briar, Ruby and the horde has escaped their keeper. It looks like she is planning an attack."
Briar smiled, "Let me know when."
Suddenly a six year old girl darted around the edge of the doorway and charged Briar at full speed, following her was six additional children about the same age. With Daja's help Brier waited until the last moment, then spinning quickly he swooped down and caught the little blue eyed blonde under the arms, picked her up and spun around with her raised high over his head screaming loud enough to shatter glass.
The other children ran to Tris and Sandry yelling "Aunt Tris, Aunt Sandry," one ran to Daja yelling,"Aunt Daja."
Slowing his spin Briar brought her down and settled her on his hip with her arms around his neck.
"What is going on pumpkin head?" asked Briar.
"I'm Ruby Uncle Briar, hitting him lightly in the chest."
"Ouch, hurt, pain, agony," Briar said as he collapsed to the floor with Ruby."
Ruby got to her feet and squatted next to Briar, she patted him gently and asked, "Did I hurt you Uncle Briar?"
Briar grabbed her and started to tickle her, shrieking she squirmed free and ran to Tris and Sandry for protection.
Briar roll over onto his hands and knees and followed her growling, Ruby climbed into Tris's lap threw her arms around her neck and hugged her hard saying, "Aunt Tris, uncle Briar is being mean to me."
Tris gave Briar a look over her glasses and said, "Go save Bear."
Two of the kids had left the group and gone over to Little Bear who was napping on a rug in front of the fireplace, they couched down beside Bear and started petting him. Bear woke and looked at Tris with what could only be described as a look of resignation and Tris smiled.
Briar stood and went over to Bear and attracted the attention of the two kids, "Dale, Nancy, Little Bear needs his rest, on the other hand," he said pointing to a chair in one corner where a cat was grooming itself, "Stitch needs some exercise." Briar watched them as they headed toward the cat.
Stitch evaded four grasping hands and ran for his life, as he passed the couch where Tris and Sandry were sitting all of the kids except Ruby joined the chase. As Stitch flashed out the door a tall young lady stepped into the doorway, the mob of kids screeched to a halt. The young lady stood with her arms crossed and one foot tapping.
Briar, standing by the fireplace said, "Hey Mary, the mob got away from you."
"I noticed that Briar."
Staring down at the children she asked them, "Why are you here instead of resting as you are supposed to be?"
The kids shifted uneasily, scuffing their feet on the carpet and the group mumbled answers down to the floor.
The Duke was watching the confrontation at the door with a smile and Daja noticed him watching. "Your Grace," she said, "allow me to introduce you to Mary Popins our child care mage. Mary this is Duke Vedris IV of Emelan, Sandry's Great Uncle. Mary curtsied and said "Happy to meet you, your Grace."
"Nice meeting you." Said the Duke.
"Now if you will excuse me, your Grace, I have to get the hoard up to their naps."
"Of course."
Checking the group in front of her she then scanned the room and spotted Ruby trying to hide behind Tris."
"Come Ruby, time for you nap."
"I want a story, Aunt Tris will you tell us a story?" Ruby asked.
Tris sighed and stood, taking Ruby by the hand she said to Sandry in a low monotone voice, "I'll be back." Sandry grinned at her.
Leading Ruby toward the door she said, "So you want a story, what about the rest of you?" she asked the group of kids.
The children crowded around her and suggested stories they wanted to hear.
As she herded the group out the door the ones left in the family room could hear her start the story.
"In a hole, in the ground, there lived a Hobbit."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A/N
For a complete explanation of child care magic see the Disney movie 'Mary Poppins'
Blame all lousy spelling and grammar on the California Education System.
Chapter 34
Tris stood on the steps with the rain pouring down as the others ran for shelter. She let the rain wash over her and smiled, turning she walked slowly back into the manor where her friends waited for her.
"Are you OK, Tris?" asked Daja.
Tris looked at Daja and noticed that the whole group was wet and dripping on the foyer floor. Using a small touch of her power she dried the clothes of her friends and moved the water on the floor out the door.
Sandry used a touch of her power and the wrinkles in her friends clothes smoothed out and everyone looked as if they had just gotten freshly dressed.
"I'm fine Daja."
"How wide spread is the storm, Tris?" asked the Duke
"The clouds go all the way to Summersea, but the only heavy rain is falling on certain carriage."
"So we won't have any serious flooding." Said the Duke.
"Darn, I didn't think, I will let the rains end and the clouds move on. There is no weather system behind them so they will quickly disperse."
Briar turned to Moglee and asked, "How are you doing, Mog?"
"I'm fine, I'm just glad that it's over."
"Well, maybe not over, but the process has started and now that it has started you may be hearing from some other members of the Chandler family."
"Other members?"
"Yes," Briar said, "the Chandler family is a large well known merchant family. Not all of them will be as greedy and as stupid as this one. There is a very good chance that your parents had some good friends in the family and they haven't been in contact because they did not know that you survived the pirate attack."
"I'm just telling you to not prejudge the other members of your family. Take your time and get to know any that try to contact you. Family is important and you may find you like some of them. At the very least you can learn something about your mother and father."
"Thanks Briar, I'll keep it in mind."
"I was a little surprised that Igor wasn't here for the meeting."
"Tris is keeping him busy at the print shop. Right now he is reading that book of jokes that we found in that crate of book we opened a while back, Tris is considering printing a new edition."
"Has he found any good jokes?" asked Briar.
"He has told me a couple, last night he told me about a man born and raised in the city who moves to the country and decides he's going to start farming. He goes to the local farmer and tells the man, 'Sell me 100 baby chickens.' The farmer does. A week later the man returns and says, 'Give me 200 baby chickens.' Again the farmer complies. Again, a week later the man returns. This time he says, 'Give me 500 baby chickens.' 'Wow!' the farmer says. 'You must really be doing well.' 'Naw,' said the man with a sigh. 'I'm either planting them too deep or too far apart!'"
Groans were heard from almost everyone in the room.
Briar said, "What are you groaning about, raising chickens is like raising beans. Do it right and make a profit."
Daja popped him on the shoulder.
"Ouch!"
"Tris, you're not really going to inflict the world with a book of jokes like that are you?" asked Sandry.
"Why not?" asked Tris, "After all the author went to a great deal of trouble to collect the jokes and have them put into a book, the copy we found may be the only copy ever made. It was hand written and that was a expensive process. With the printing press we can print a thousand copies for one tenth the cost of printing one copy by hand."
"But Tris, a book full of short stories about dumb people?"
"Almost all humor hurts someone when you stop to think about it." Said Tris.
"Someone slips and falls, people laugh, but the one who fell is hurt. If he is hurt bad the laughter stops and they will help him, but most of the time it is just another humorous incident."
"That can't be true." Sandry protested.
"Go on,' Tris told her, "tell me a joke that does not disparage or put down some person, place, group, race, country or sex and no one is hurt in any way."
Just then Alfred stepped into the room and said, "Dinner is ready to be served."
"Good," said the Duke, "confrontations always make me hungry." Leading the way to the dinning room.
Daja and Sandry walked over to Tris and put their arms around her waist and the three followed the Duke into the dinning room.
&&&&&&&
After lunch everybody was in the family room, Duke Vedris was at the game table with Moglee and Dajs was kibitzing the game. Sandry and Tris were on a couch talking and Briar stood facing into the room, his back tom the door. Moglee caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway.
"Daja," whispered Moglee, "Ruby just peeked in through the door."
Daja shifted her eyes from the game to a mirror on the wall and saw a eye peeking around the edge of the door way and she could hear faint muffled giggles in the foyer.
Through the magic bond Daga spoke to Briar, "Briar, Ruby and the horde has escaped their keeper. It looks like she is planning an attack."
Briar smiled, "Let me know when."
Suddenly a six year old girl darted around the edge of the doorway and charged Briar at full speed, following her was six additional children about the same age. With Daja's help Brier waited until the last moment, then spinning quickly he swooped down and caught the little blue eyed blonde under the arms, picked her up and spun around with her raised high over his head screaming loud enough to shatter glass.
The other children ran to Tris and Sandry yelling "Aunt Tris, Aunt Sandry," one ran to Daja yelling,"Aunt Daja."
Slowing his spin Briar brought her down and settled her on his hip with her arms around his neck.
"What is going on pumpkin head?" asked Briar.
"I'm Ruby Uncle Briar, hitting him lightly in the chest."
"Ouch, hurt, pain, agony," Briar said as he collapsed to the floor with Ruby."
Ruby got to her feet and squatted next to Briar, she patted him gently and asked, "Did I hurt you Uncle Briar?"
Briar grabbed her and started to tickle her, shrieking she squirmed free and ran to Tris and Sandry for protection.
Briar roll over onto his hands and knees and followed her growling, Ruby climbed into Tris's lap threw her arms around her neck and hugged her hard saying, "Aunt Tris, uncle Briar is being mean to me."
Tris gave Briar a look over her glasses and said, "Go save Bear."
Two of the kids had left the group and gone over to Little Bear who was napping on a rug in front of the fireplace, they couched down beside Bear and started petting him. Bear woke and looked at Tris with what could only be described as a look of resignation and Tris smiled.
Briar stood and went over to Bear and attracted the attention of the two kids, "Dale, Nancy, Little Bear needs his rest, on the other hand," he said pointing to a chair in one corner where a cat was grooming itself, "Stitch needs some exercise." Briar watched them as they headed toward the cat.
Stitch evaded four grasping hands and ran for his life, as he passed the couch where Tris and Sandry were sitting all of the kids except Ruby joined the chase. As Stitch flashed out the door a tall young lady stepped into the doorway, the mob of kids screeched to a halt. The young lady stood with her arms crossed and one foot tapping.
Briar, standing by the fireplace said, "Hey Mary, the mob got away from you."
"I noticed that Briar."
Staring down at the children she asked them, "Why are you here instead of resting as you are supposed to be?"
The kids shifted uneasily, scuffing their feet on the carpet and the group mumbled answers down to the floor.
The Duke was watching the confrontation at the door with a smile and Daja noticed him watching. "Your Grace," she said, "allow me to introduce you to Mary Popins our child care mage. Mary this is Duke Vedris IV of Emelan, Sandry's Great Uncle. Mary curtsied and said "Happy to meet you, your Grace."
"Nice meeting you." Said the Duke.
"Now if you will excuse me, your Grace, I have to get the hoard up to their naps."
"Of course."
Checking the group in front of her she then scanned the room and spotted Ruby trying to hide behind Tris."
"Come Ruby, time for you nap."
"I want a story, Aunt Tris will you tell us a story?" Ruby asked.
Tris sighed and stood, taking Ruby by the hand she said to Sandry in a low monotone voice, "I'll be back." Sandry grinned at her.
Leading Ruby toward the door she said, "So you want a story, what about the rest of you?" she asked the group of kids.
The children crowded around her and suggested stories they wanted to hear.
As she herded the group out the door the ones left in the family room could hear her start the story.
"In a hole, in the ground, there lived a Hobbit."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A/N
For a complete explanation of child care magic see the Disney movie 'Mary Poppins'