Engines of Obsession: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Patronage

They didn't quite make it in time.

The drizzle abruptly turned into a downpour moments before Turner and the others reached their chosen inn, The Ivory Horne. It began pouring down when they were within sight of the double door entrance, but even that brief exposure left the group sodden and dripping, forcing them to stay near the entrance while they shook off cloaks and wiped their feet.

At least the awning outside was large enough to protect the cart while they unloaded Milo and their luggage. The four freelancers travelled light, but it was still more than they could carry without a pack animal, especially since Milo couldn't carry his share.

The Horne was far from the nicest place in town, but it was several steps up from the somewhat basic places Turner usually stayed in. He usually tried to get a place with plumbing, but that's about as far up the luxury chain as he'd go, and in any city of decent size that wasn't difficult.

This place was much better. Just walking in from the storm, the four travelers found the common room relatively well-lit, and the scents of various foodstuffs were powerful and varied. Sconces along the wall held faux-torches that spread a bright, artificial light outward, showing off that the common room, at least, had wiring for electric lights.

Yet it was not a posh hotel. It was still, very clearly, an inn. The common room had tables with simple, durable tablecloths, not high-end fancy ones. It had a variety of meals, but people ate in the common room, just like simpler inns. Right now it had a decent crowd, about two-thirds of the seats filled.

"Reservation?" A slender, reedy man called out from nearby. He was one of several bringing out food to the patrons, but most chose the stew. Cheap, plentiful, and the aroma hinted at some kind of mutton in the thick and syrupy liquid.

"Turner, four," Turner called back, as he helped Milo ease into the room. It would take a few moments for the innkeeper to look up their reservation, he knew, so it shouldn't be hard to get Milo to a seat.

Milo grumbled, "It'll be nice when I can do all this myself, again." He sighed then, inhaling deeply. "Can't complain about the place we're staying, though. Not so fancy we're out of place, but a lot nicer than a lumpy mattress and drafty window."

Martin slid into a chair as soon as Milo was settled. "I'm a little suspicious of how nice Byron is being. The older one was nice enough, if a little stiff, but the younger one had a real change of heart."

It was Nora who answered, "I think the one in Sparston is actually holding the purse strings. The real question is why he lives there instead of someplace closer to civilization."

While Turner was glad Martin was getting more careful about trusting, he had to motion to keep the voice down. "It's best not to question powerful people's motives too much. Not out loud, anyway." He took a breath.

"Besides," he continued. "Nobles can be prickly about family, sometimes. Even if he didn't like his elder brother, there's a certain pride in the family name. If he sees a chance to find out more, or even avenge him, it isn't strange to throw some spare money at it."

Silently, Turner wondered about it too, despite his words. The Byron family was far richer than he could ever dream of being, but as nobility went they were fairly modest. He'd be keeping an eye out for another motive, himself, but right now there just wasn't enough information to guess.

"Your reservation?"

The thin voice from behind almost took Turner by surprise. In the noise, he'd only just heard the footsteps before catching sight of the man from the corner of his eye. A quick look at Nora reassured him that she was already producing the envelope, handing it to the innkeeper.

The man opened the letter after taking a good look at the seal, then compared it to another slip of paper in his hand. A small nod, and he drew another envelope from the satchel at his side, sliding it over.

"This arrived for you a few hours ago," he explained. "Also, tonight's stew is free, for your lodging, but you may upgrade to a more elaborate meal for a small fee."

Turner shook his head, "The stew is fine, tonight. We're a little chilly from the storm and that sounds great. Hopefully tomorrow we can try something fancier, after we've had time to think about it." He slid the man a few coins as a tip, just to be sure.

A quick flash of a smile, and the innkeeper was gone again. It was busy enough he likely had to help his waitstaff often, tonight. No surprise, there.

"A message for us?" Milo asked, trying to relax backward. "Already? Sent by wire, I suppose."

Turner flipped the envelope over, whistling low and impressed. "I didn't know Sparston had a Quad-Key. That explains a few things." He waved the envelope lightly to show the Quad-Key seal. "Progress marches ever onward."

Martin and Milo exchanged a glance, then Martin cleared his throat, "We don't know what that is."

Nora gave Turner a frown, then lightly tut, "Remember, they grew up in a rural village. The more nuanced technology is just unknown to them."

"Right, right, sorry," Turner agreed, carefully opening up the letter. "Quad-Key is a company that has a new technology for wire messaging. I don't know how it works, but it's a lot more complicated than the old kind. They can send more information in a shorter message, and have some kind of security. Makes it so they can easily verify who is sending the message and things like that."

Milo nodded with interest, while Martin shrugged, but also nodded. They got the idea, but Martin didn't seem to care much for those details. Milo really would have been a better scholar than hunter, Turner thought bitterly. Opportunity wasted.

He turned his attention to the message itself. While Quad-Key was much more efficient at encoding, it was still expensive to send long, wordy messages. Thus, he was unsurprised that it was still very terse. He read aloud for the others, keeping his voice low to prevent eavesdropping.

"Turner. Hope you are well. Since Blakely found you, less need for secrecy. Still do not use name lightly. Lodging paid for one week. Line of credit at Medici office. Send wire when you learn more. Will send Clinker if needed. Long term contract. Send wire to refuse. Expect results. Byron."

Folding the message, Turner handed it to Nora for safekeeping. "Huh. Well, that's a surprise. It's been a while since I had a long term contract."

It was Martin who cut in with some concern, "Doesn't this mean we basically work for Byron now? As his servants?"

Turner shook his head, "No... I mean, yes, but it's just long term, not permanent. Either one of us can dissolve the contract with cause. And since this is just a message with no formal contract, it's not binding anyway. I suspect that either the Medici office or the Quad-Key offices will have an actual contract for us to agree to that has the full terms."

Nora put a hand on Martin's arm. "This isn't anything strange. The terms are usually something like regular updates, and in our case he probably has no authority to order us to do anything life-threatening."

"So it's a good thing, right?" Milo asked, sitting up slightly. The aroma of mingled broth, vegetables, and meat tickled Turner's nose, and he realized Milo was ready to eat. A moment later, bowls were being set in front of each, along with some small beer and water.

Turner gestured with a smile. "Yes. We aren't rich, but no more worrying about how to put food on the table. Eat up, everyone."

Then he took a breath and added, "Because I have no idea how our contact will react."