Deus Ex Machinarium

For the next three days, Brandt had very little time to think about the expedition or the tanai, as he found himself amid a whirlwind of meetings and decision-making. Faces, secret handshakes, parchments, clauses, and signatures became a colorful blur. But in the end, it was all supposed to be worth it. On the penultimate day before the expedition, when the final document was signed and witnessed, he felt as if a great burden was lifted off his shoulders. Duties he was in charge of at the Zerstbank, now became someone else's responsibility.

An old-new life awaited. He caught himself humming quietly and could do nothing but smile.

The last day he devoted in its entirety to preparations. He handpicked a new horse for the journey, a sturdy bay silver Karrlson, a native breed from Gisean Plateau, well suited for long-distance journeys. He spent some time looking after it and riding it, in an effort to get to know each other a little bit better so that there would be no surprises when they depart. Then he picked up his purchased outfits and other gear and dumped all of it in the middle of his room. For a brief time after that he considered visiting 'The Wild Rose', a bathhouse, located on the left riverbank, for a spot of entertainment, and to unload the tension of the last few days, but in the end, he decided against it.

It'd only detract from his focus since a great amount of water had flown in the rivers since Brandt's adventuring days. It was so far in the past, that the times of his and Dragman’s adventures turned into a foggy memory, with little discernible detail. His newfound agenda allowed for very little ‘adventuring’ since, and even then, it was mostly in the manners of Zerstbank. And so, now, when the time came to finally complete the preparations, he had to pick through a whole heap of unnecessarily purchased stuff, which wouldn't fit even on a pack horse, if he intended on taking one.

It was already dark when he finished choosing what to take on the journey. Which amounted to a riding horse, his sword and knives, some basic camping gear, a couple of spare items of clothing, and an impregnated rectangular piece of linen to serve as a makeshift tent. Oh, and, of course, his most prized possession: a toothbrush. Three of them. He never truly understood why he had this irresistible urge to have this simple item in his possession at all times. For the select few people he allowed close, this obsession with dental hygiene was one of the many weird things these equally weird old people did.

Then again, those who picked up this habit from him seemed to be better off afterward, at least health-wise. Brandt even managed to convince Dragman to find a quanter in his seemingly neverending quest for booze and whore, to brush his teeth every day.

The following morning Brandt got up before dawn and packed, thoroughly checking all the gear and giving his stack of travel documents another once over. But he couldn't shake this nagging feeling that Trawins would call off the entire trip at the last moment, the contract be torpid. The bookkeeper did have an unsavory reputation in Sheridawn. Even with a correction for how tanai brutal honesty went. The time was fast approaching whether this reputation was well earned, or it was just tanai trying to fit among hoomin.

In addition to the risk that the bookkeeper could cancel at any moment, Brandt envisaged another problem: how would the bookkeeper fare during the expedition? So far he has proven to be a very knowledgeable individual, at least on the subject of things he expected to discover. However getting to that discovery stage required going through many places and encounters, which meant endless opportunities for something to go wrong. This was just one more potential worry, as Brandt tried his best to avoid making other people aware of the purpose of the expedition. Especially since he intended to go to Maargard, where the Church had a much stronger presence than in Cammot.

But this was for later. Right now Brandt decided that everything was to his satisfaction, settled with the lodge owners, and finally mounted up. And now he was parading through the muddy streets of Sheridawn, wearing a new attire on a shiny horse and causing a bit of a stir.

The very first leg of the trip, from the lodge to Anh's bookshop, was supposed to be quick and effortless, however, it took quite some time, as Brandt had to push through the crowds of working people going about their lives on a busy workday. When he finally arrived, he had to navigate through even more people.

These folk didn't seem to be 'going about', instead congregating around a large cart, pointing, commenting, and laughing. He took a long look at the wagon, expecting to see something unusual, but everything seemed perfectly normal. The two large draft horses coupled to the drawbar looked just like two draft horses should look. Several large coffers stacked at the back also seemed normal. The driver, a middle-aged hoomin with a large black mustache, was sitting on the bench, holding the reins with one hand, picking his teeth with the other, and looking thoroughly bored.

And then the crowd gasped, and yet another large coffer floated slowly and gracefully out of the bookshop and landed on the cart with a muffled thud.

Brandt blinked a few times, finally making the necessary mental connection between the scene playing out in front of his eyes and his soon-to-be travel companion. And then his shoulders sagged and an involuntary, quiet whimper escaped his lips.

The Nord packed light, taking only bare essentials, to go fast and get food and additional supplies on the way. Everything he took fitted behind the saddle and into a pair of saddlebags.

The bookkeeper decided to take all of his belongings with him.

All. Of. Them.

Brandt pushed through towards the cart, quickly jumped off his horse, tied the animal to the wagon itself, and approached the bookshop.

-” Trawins!” - he shouted.

-” Yes, Mr Zerster!” - echoed a reply from somewhere deep in the shop.

Brandt stormed into the shop and almost tripped over yet another chest, this one open and half-filled with books. He dodged this unexpected obstacle and continued towards the back of the shop, where he found Anh stacking more folios on the workbench.

-” I don’t want to sound rude...”- barked Brandt impatiently -”...but why, in all that is doing, are you taking all those… things?”

Anh stared at the hoomin, like a deer caught in really strong lumehex. He interrupted his packing ritual, leaving a couple of books free-floating halfway between the shelf and the workbench.

-” I am packing bare essentials." - replied the tanai after a brief spell of silence, probably after a consultation with his other personalities. His voice bore the tone of an instructor and a scholar, convinced about their integrity - "I recognize we are going to be traveling for at least a few months. So I pack necessary utilities, books, and entertainment.”

Brandt at first said nothing, straining his willpower not to make any rude remarks. He had only just realized that the task of explaining the situation was, at a glance, insurmountable and he needed to tread lightly. His prior dealings with the tanai taught him that whenever someone is talking to one of these people, they are in reality dealing with four, five, or maybe even six personalities. In a healthy tanai, this ‘variunity’, as they called it, was speaking in one voice. Thus, convincing one to change their mind about something that was at odds with what they thought was true, was akin to preaching to a choir. With a difference in that the preacher and the choir were members of the bitterly opposed sects of Vihrsantism.

-”Mr. Trawins.” - said Brandt, slowly and calmly - “We are going on a five-hundred-kimer journey. First to Isdelburg, then further into Maargard. Just the Isdelburg bridge tolls for all this… encumbrance… you intend to take, are going to be eye-wateringly high. Not to mention all other fees and turnpikes on the way."

The bookkeeper looked around his shop as if he had never seen it before in his life. He scoured the half-empty shelves and all the tools neatly arranged in preparation for packing for a few moments.

-” Hmm. I admit we didn’t consider that.”

-” There is also the issue of taking care of horses, housing and feeding the driver, not to mention providing security…”

-” I didn’t have such an issue when I was moving to Sheridawn." - interrupted Anh frowning - "I hired space on a convoy from Usterl and we just moved on.”

-” Yes. Convoy. Organized by a trader’s guild. With pooled resources and escort. We are not going to have any of those benefits, as we'll be riding alone most of the way.”

-” How does that change things?”

Brandt again resisted the urge to slap his forehead. Could this tanai be that naive?

-” Let me explain. Guild convoys employ a security detail. Hardened, well-trained men who engage every brigand in sight for a good pay. Highwaymen know this and will not raid a caravan unless they are desperate. We are not going to be in a convoy. So we are a big, fat, juicy target, with a cart full of crates and goods.”

-” What follows from this thinking.” - the tanai squinted with suspicion - ”Are we going to be bothered?”

-” Yes.” - nodded Brandt solemnly - “Most likely. Not on the main road to Isdelburg, it is too busy, but I'd expect trouble once we reach lesser tracts in Maargard. More than that: I am certain of an encounter or two.”

Anh, visibly unhappy about the news, withdrew into his mind for an extended time. It took so long, that the Nord was almost sure he'd cancel and stay put. When the bookkeeper spoke again, he sounded defeated. And uncertain.

-” What do you suggest we do?”

Brandt sighed quietly.

-” Take only bare essentials. Clothes, whatever hygiene products you use, dried food, and a bedroll.”

-” Tanai barely sleep.” - interjected Anh lifting his finger.

-” Even better. Lose the bedroll. Don't take the coin. Deposit money in Zersbank and demand a note on your name.” - the hoomin stopped, seeing that Anh had his lips pressed into a thin line. The bookkeeper didn’t like the sound of that last idea. Brandt decided to sweeten the medicine, speaking in his best, smooth, merchant's voice -” There is no reason to worry. Your money will be safe and the document is useless for anybody else.”

-” Right” - nodded the tanai in response - “I’ll do as you ask. But it is going to be a… “ - Anh stopped mid-sentence for a full drip and a frown of displeasure flashed across his face. This vanished a moment later -”...what was I saying? Ah, yes. So I need to repack. And get a different horse. And pay for the cart...”

-” Yes. Please.” - added Brandt with a sigh of relief, but the copyist wasn't finished yet.

-” Speaking of which… I don’t want to sound rude, but how am I to expect my shop to be protected?”

Brandt finally gave in and rubbed his forehead. His companion might have been very eloquent and well-read, but so far proved to be utterly hopeless when it came to preparing to travel. The Nord now had all the reasons to doubt tanai's survival skills and quietly began to dread camping in the field with this man.

-” I hired a security firm.” - he mentioned tiredly - ”In fact, it’s the same one that the Sheridawn branch of Zerstbank uses. They will visit your shop at regular intervals during the day. And if you provide a key, they will also check the inside for any suspicious activity.”

Anh sighed heavily.

-” I am going to pretend I am not worried.”

- “Right.” - the Nord now sounded earnest and perhaps a tiny bit desperate - “Listen. I have a suggestion. Take all those chests off the cart. Repack. I’ll organize a horse, or better yet, a mule for you and deal with the return of the cart.”

The tanai seemed a bit offended, but then also relieved. As if he couldn't bring himself to make a decision but was quite glad when someone else made it for him.

-” All right. I’ll repack. Bare essentials. Maybe some books.”

-” No. No books. Deadweight” - Brandt paused, seeing a hurt expression on his companion’s face, but then added sternly - ”No books. Yes, clothes. Yes, hygiene. If I remember correctly, the tanai don’t travel on horseback, is that correct?”

-” Yes. I’ll float. No issue.” - replied he.

-” Then I will organize a mule. Big, strong, and capable. But for all that does, bare essentials only.”

Brandt smiled and turned to leave, but the tanai stopped him.

-” Two mules…” - he said meekly - “...it's hard to be a tanai in Maargard...”

Nord sighed, second-guessing his decision to take the scientist with him. But at this moment he felt he was too committed to change his plans. Way too many things were already assigned to the lesser executives. Letters were issued, and permissions were already bought. Looking for someone else to accompany him would, most likely, take too much time and he didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to go alone. There was no other choice but to succumb to the additional demands, hoping it wouldn't become a norm.

-” I will get two mules.”- he finally said in a defeated tone. The tanai could only smile.