Breakfast of Champions; PART II
Second Day of Spring; Apartment 1092, The Mountainhome:
Standing bare-footed and half-naked in the entrance to his meager apartment Led blinked, “What?” Then he blinked again and his eyes drifted down to catch on the royal scarab on the other dwarf’s neck and he gasped and pulled the sheet higher, “Your Highness! I prostrate myself at your feet,” the engineer flung himself to the ground, and pressed his forehead to it, “I am your loyal servant Prince…uh…Prince…”
“It’s Gaebold actually, Eighteenth in line to the throne?”
“Prince Gaebold. The hammer is in your hands.” Gaebold sighed and said, “Right, that’s enough obeisance, stand, get dressed and then you’re going to tell me what and who you need to get this contraption of yours built.” Led nodded rapidly from his kneeling position and then the engineer stood and hurried into his room to dress himself. When he reemerged he saw the Prince staring at one of the nearby statues of his father as a young dwarf. Led coughed nervously and the Prince started, turning quickly and smiled, “You’re ready? Good. How about some breakfast then? There’s a cafeteria nearby, correct?” Led nodded then started, “Oh, you don’t want to go there My Lord.” Gaebold waved a hand, “Beetle droppings, I’m sure it will be fine.” Led shook his head, “No, My Lord, you don’t understand. When Urist McFodor ranked all the kitchens in the city, this one came in dead last.” Gaebold laughed, “Really? Well then, I shall have to investigate myself and see what all the fuss is about.” Led sighed and nodded, “Yes, My Lord.”
Cafeteria 27-55; Breakfast
The cafeteria was spacious, and just like all the rooms of the Mountainhome the floors and walls had been carefully smoothed by apprentice masons, but this cafeteria had the added appeal of using one of the previous Engineers revolutionary designs involving an enormous steel ring that rotated over a system of steel tubes holding magma, driven by a wheel that had been surreptitiously installed under a nearby waterfall in one of the more expensive apartment complexes. The rotating warmed top carried plates around and around the open air kitchen, and to watch the machinery turn was a wonder to behold.
Prince Gaebold seemed suitably impressed by the machinery, but he pointed to the large cloud of smoke above and said, “I can see why Urist was less then keen on the machine, look at all that smoke.” Led shook his head and pointed, “That’s not the machine. McFodor loved the machine. That’s the cook.” The dwarf behind the wheel was even stouter than most dwarves and clenched in his mouth was a thick rat weed cigar. His tobacco stained beard was matted with sweat, and his bald pate shone with moisture as well. He was busy making another platter at the moment, and as soon as it was finished he slapped it on the wheel and moved over to the till, where he assiduously counted out each diner’s coppers before storing them in the register.
As Led and Prince Gaebold approached his face split into a gruesome yellowed smile and he exclaimed, “Why if it ain’t my old buddy Led, how you doing Led?” Led flushed slightly and nodded, “Morning Koshmot, two specials please.” The Prince held out a hand to stop Led from paying and tossed a gold coin to Koshmot, who whistled appreciatively, “Hey, hey, keeping fine royal company now are you Led? You’ll excuse me for not kowtowing and such Your Highness, but someone has to keep an eye on the food!” He let out a roaring laugh and said, “Anyway, Led, I got another tip for you.” Led sighed, “Not again Kosh, I’m not going to fund your gambling habit?” Koshmot managed to look hurt, pulling the cigar out as he said, “Gambling? Gambling? I’m not one to gamble. Last time it was just one thing with the wasp races. And it would have been a sure win if the wasp hadn’t been eaten by a cave crab. Anyway, that ain’t the point.” The cook continues to talk as he swept over and slid to stone trays onto the wheel in front of the Prince and the engineer, keeping pace with them as he continues, “The point is, is that I got a certain investment opportunity here. 100% secure, I mean. All you have to do is lend me the funds, and I’ll cut you in on it.” Led shook his head, “Thanks, Kosh, but no thanks.” He reached out to grab the plate and Kosh grabbed his wrist, “Come on now old buddy, think of my family.” Led sighed and said, “Fine, but this is for your daughters, not for you. And I still expect to see a profit.” Kosh nodded, “Of course.” The Prince, who had remained aside, smiling broadly at the cooks antics, grabbed the trays and the two made their way to a nearby table, an attractive female dwarf plopping down two full mugs of a dark unpleasant looking brew.
“That was educational, to say the least.” The Prince said, “But besides the point.” He lifted his fork and pushed into the large mass on his plate and for the first time he looked at it, “What the hell is this?” Led paused, already chewing loudly as he explained, “Slime Mold special. It’s diced slime-mold and sliced slime-mold, fried in wasp tallow, served with a slime-mold sauce.” The prince shrugged and took a cautious bite then blanched and opened his mouth, reaching in and pulling out the stub of a cigar, “Wonderful…” He muttered, and reached for the mug, taking a quick gulp then his mouth twisting, “Good Gods, what is that stuff? It tastes like someone managed to ferment old socks and dishwater.” Led sighed, “Don’t let him hear you say that, he gets very easily upset.”
The Prince looked back at the boisterous dwarf then shrugged, “Can’t judge a hammer by its shine I guess. In any case, tell me what you’ll need for this project, and who you’ll need to build and crew it.” Led nodded and reached into his pocket and blinked, “That’s odd, I could have sworn I brought a stylus. Oh well.” He thinks a moment then says, “We’re going to need a lot of steel, several forges, several hundred yards of leather, access to the magma pipes, about 300 length of wood, and some bauxite mechanisms.” The Prince nodded, “Write up a list, and I’ll get it to my father’s ministers right away.” Led nodded and then said, “As to building staff I’m going to need probably two carpenters, eight metalworkers, and as many leatherworkers as we can get to make the gasbag. And for crew, well other than me and you, we’ll need some haulers, some crafters to make repairs on board, a cook, and someone to take care of the livestock.” The Prince nods, “Great, I’ve already lined up a few potential crew members, if you don’t mind, based on my father’s ministers’ recommendations. We can start interviewing them as soon as you like.”
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Topic: Flight of the Cave Swallow; Hat, Meet Ring. (Read 1784 times)